Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 47

The Thanksgiving Pears

Storytime with Erica, Thanksgiving style.
  

Once upon a time, there was a woman, let’s call her Erica, who was not very adept at hosting company in her home. Nor was she confident in her cooking abilities. So imagine her surprise when she found herself the hostess for the Vetsch family Thanksgiving, a meal that would involve nine people gathered around her table expecting good food well-served.

At least she didn’t have to worry about what to cook since the Vetsch family is very traditional, nor did she have to prepare the entire meal by herself, as her sister-in-law was bringing some of the sides. But Erica did have to worry about the turkey. Buying, defrosting, preparing, and cooking the bird, all of which, in her inexperienced state, was daunting to say the least.

She got up at the crack of dawn on Thanksgiving morning to get the thawed bird into the oven so it would be roasted by the noon meal. Anxious, she checked on it often throughout the forenoon, even as she prepared the stuffing, the sweet potato souffle, and tried to decide at what time should she start peeling the potatoes so they would be ready to mash just before company arrived. The anxiety of getting so many things finished at once had her in a dither.
No, this is not what her table looked
like, but it's pretty and festive. You get the idea.


Oh, and there was the cleaning that needed to take place. That last minute vacuuming of the carpets, dusting of the furniture, and a quick whisk about the bathrooms. All of which might have been easier to do herself rather than supervise her kids while they did it, but she couldn’t clean and cook at the same time…so the kids pitched in.

Her husband put the extra leaves in the dining room table and brought extra chairs from other places in the house. Potato peeling began, nervous checking to see if the little red pop up button on the turkey had popped yet, and oh, don’t forget to set the table!

Where was the tablecloth she had bought for this occasion? Let’s use the fancy dishes. Napkins, glasses, plates, cutlery. Put trivets on the table to receive hot pans.

You forgot the gravy!

Erica reached into the pantry and pulled down two cans of jellied cranberry sauce. (Don’t judge. Her husband loves that stuff with his turkey dinner. Erica is still amazed at the schlorping sound it makes coming out of the can and how it holds the exact shape, down to the ridges of the container it came from. Erica's family did not eat such space-age food when she was growing up.)

“James,” she plonked the can opener and a bowl onto the counter as she addressed her 11 year old son. “Open these and get them into the bowl and on the table. Company will be here in a few minutes.” Her tone was all business, no nonsense, and very I-don't-have-time-for-this-right-now-and-I-expect-it-done-promptly.

Erica turned back to the stove, frantically stirring the gravy and praying it would boil and thicken in the next thirty seconds.

“Um, mom?”

Without turning around, “James, I don’t have time for your nonsense. Do as you’re told.”

“Okay.” Erica could hear the shrug in his voice and him rummaging around in a cupboard, but then the magic schlorping sound happened, and she put the task out of her mind. The gravy was almost boiling!

Hurry, hurry, hurry. The sound of car doors slamming outside…HURRY!

Erica turned from the stove to see her son holding two bowls. One contained a quivering mass of red jelly, and the other…sliced pears.
Imagine my...I mean, Erica's shock!
 

Blink.

“What?”

James shrugged. “I tried to tell you. You grabbed one can of cranberries and one of pears.”

At that moment, all she could do was laugh, put down her whisk, and hug her son. “I’m sorry I was so impatient with you. That was wrong of me. Thank you for doing as you were told. I guess we’ll have some Thanksgiving pears this year and be grateful for them.”

In the laughter and the hug, Erica realized that all the tension, the busyness, the hustle had squelched her gratitude and hospitality toward family. The whole reason the celebration was supposed to occur in the first place.

In the years since, Erica has continued to host the family Thanksgiving dinner. And this year, there will be ten at her table. There will be turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and the like. But there will also be fellowship, laughter, and less stress. There will be gratitude, thankfulness for all our blessings, for friends and family.

 

And those pears? We served them, and they were a hit. They didn’t even make it all the way around the table to me before they were gone.

Wishing you and yours a meaningful, happy, and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving!

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

CHRIST THE KING

Christ the King, a detail from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck.
St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent. [PD-US]

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?" 
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?" 
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? 
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. 
What have you done?" 
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. 
But as it is, my kingdom is not here." 
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" 
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. 
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. 
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

John 18:33b-37

 The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe. 

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

Weekend Edition

  






If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Monday: Jan walked us through some ways to bring our settings to life. The winner of the 2-in-1 containing her book A Home for His Family is... Sarah Taylor! Congratulations, Sarah!
Wednesday: Debby Giusti asked "What's in Your Writer's Bucket?" The winner of her drawing will receive a copy of Have You Filled a Bucket Today? as well as one of Debby's books, winner's choice. Debby's winner is TERRI LYNN SCHUMP! Congrats, Terri!
Friday:  Winnie shared her Van Gogh immersive experience with us. The winner of a copy of any of her backlist titles Will be posted soon.


Monday: A little Thanksgiving story time with Erica Vetsch 
Wednesday:  Cate will be sharing with us.  Friday:  Pam will be here to kick off the holiday season talking about gifts for readers and writers. It is Black Friday, after all.

Pre-Order from AMAZON now!

 An Amish Spring Anthology and Debby Giusti is one of the authors.

To learn more join the FB Reader Group

 Amish Spring Romance | Facebook

Available now at your favorite bookstores!
The countdown is on for the November 30th release of Their Yuletide Healing, the fourth and final installment of Mindy Obenhaus's Bliss, Texas series. Preorder your copy HERE. And if you haven't seen the book trailer, you can check it out HERE! 
As her plans unravel, can she give her children what they truly need?
Foster mom Rae Girard’s determined to make her children’s first Christmas with her the best they’ve ever had—and she’s shocked when the town scrooge, attorney Cole Heinsohn, offers to pitch in. Rae’s young charges have melted Cole’s heart, and he wants them to experience the special day he never had. But when disaster strikes, an imperfect holiday might bring them something better: a family…

A Sale is Coming!!! Starting November 23rd, just in time for your Christmas reading! The countdown is on...only THREE days to wait!

Remember - the sale price isn't in effect until Tuesday the 23rd!But when it is, click HERE to order!


Cover reveal time!!Her Amish Springtime Miracle  doesn't release until next May but you can see more about it or pre-order HERE
 Fun News - my book Her Holiday Family is being reissued by Love Inspired. It'll be in a 2-in-1 volume along with Karen Kirst's The Sheriff's Christmas Twins. I loved writing this story - it features a buttoned-up heroine with a troubled past and a laid-back hero who together find themselves in charge of TEN orphaned children. It releases later this month and you can learn more about it HERE







How to Write Your Dear Reader by Angela Ruth Strong at Learn How To Write A Novel

Tools of the Trade to Supercharge Your Writing by Lisa Norman at Writers In The Storm
Do You Need A Writing Routine? by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy
Your Guide to Understanding Email Bounce Rates by Silvestras at MailerLite Blog
The Two Halves of the First Plot Point by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Tips to Judge Whether a Writing Contest is a Scam or Legit by Crystal Bowman at The Write Conversation
How to Use Images in the Four Phases of a Book Launch by FX Holden at Book Brush Blog
5 Ways to Bullet Journal to Benefit Your Mental Health by Temi Manning at The Bullet Journal
How to Develop a Writing Habit by Jason Hamilton at Kindleprenuer Blog
Our Brains are Wired for Story by Garry Rodgers at Kill Zone Blog

The Van Gogh Immersive Experience

 Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here.

Last weekend one of my daughters and I made the four hour trip to Dallas to see the Van Gogh Immersive Experience museum exhibit.  First of all I really enjoyed the road trip itself. It’s always fun to spend one-on-one time with one of my kids. The drive time flew by as it always does when you’re with good company and having fun.

The exhibit itself was amazing. Of course, being a big fan of Van Gogh's work I was predisposed to like it going in. And scattered throughout, along with copies of his paintings, were quotes credited to him. Some were on the practical, even prosaic side, some were thought provoking. And most could be applied to the writer's life as well as the painter's. So I captured a few of my favorites and was inspired to look up a few others when I got home.

We were allowed to take pictures and both me and my daughter took tons. So today I thought I’d share a few photos with you, interspersed with some of those quotes.  

And as for the applicability to writing, many of the quotes could apply to writers as well as painters. And viewing these images, whether you like them or not, can help refill that well of creativity and help you look at ordinary things in a new way.

Me inside a painting :) 












The Immersion Room

And here are some other great quotes from Van Gogh:

There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.

 

I would rather die of passion than of boredom.

If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.

 

Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.

 

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

 

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.

 

I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.

 

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

 

I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.

 

I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly'.

 

If I am worth anything later, I am worth something now. For wheat is wheat, even if people think it is a grass in the beginning.

 

Exaggerate the essential, leave the obvious vague.

 

I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.

 

So often, a visit to a bookshop has cheered me, and reminded me that there are good things in the world.

 

Don't lose heart if it's very difficult at times, everything will come out all right and nobody can in the beginning do as he wishes

 

One must work and dare if one really wants to live

 

What is done in love is done well.

 

As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.

 

Seek only light and freedom and do not immerse yourself too deeply in the worldly mire.

 

Success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures.

 

Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.

 

I long so much to make beautiful things. But beautiful things require effort and disappointment and perseverance.
And just for fun, here is a link to ' Vincent ', one of my favorite songs

I hope you enjoyed this quick look at my little weekend adventure, even if the pictures don't really do the exhibit justice. Are you familiar with Van Gogh's work, beyond Starry Night? Did any of the quotes resonate with you?
Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for your choice of any book in my backlist.

What's in Your Writer's Bucket?

By Debby Giusti

 A writer’s bucket? What’s that?

Perhaps a scrub bucket comes to mind filled with tech gadgets, multi-colored pens, binder clips and flash drives? Or maybe it conjures up a bucket list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime, like becoming a New York Times bestselling author, or seeing your story in hardcover or snagging a six-figure advance. Looking at it from another angle, the writer’s bucket could refer to how you replenish your creativity, in the same vein as priming the pump or filling the well. All of these responses are valid, yet they’re not the bucket I’m talking about today.

If you’re a mom or dad, a grandmother or an educator, you may know about the bucket I’m referencing. It’s a children’s book called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Written by Carol McCloud and illustrated by David Messing, the book was first published in 2006 for children from age 4-9 as “A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids.”

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Carol McCloud,
2006.

My eldest daughter received a copy of the book from her good friend who wrote the following inscription: Thank you for always being an amazing bucket filler! My younger daughter is an educator working at the county level. She uses the book as a resource for elementary school children. Since both daughters talked about filling their buckets, I decided to get my own copy and share a bit about the book with you today.

The concept is simple. Everyone has an imaginary bucket. Its purpose, as McCloud writes, “is to hold good thoughts and good feelings about yourself.” When your bucket is full, you’re happy. Conversely, negative thoughts or uncharitable actions can empty your bucket and leave you feeling sad.

Filling your own bucket is important, but filling someone else’s bucket—with a smile or kind word—is even better because, according to McCloud, “When you fill someone else’s bucket, you fill your own bucket, too!”

The idea is basic, but it has value for everyone from small children to senior citizens. Make someone happy and you’ll increase your own happiness.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Carol McCloud,
2006.

Plus the message aptly applies to the writing life. So often we’re beaten down by submission rejections, hurtful critiques, and off-handed questions about why publication is taking so long. In addition, most creative people are all too aware of the negative interior voice that can be our worst enemy. When we try to produce something new, that inner voice whispers hateful comments that have us doubting our ability, such as “how can you think you’re a writer,” or “this is trash—you’ll never sell your story.” As the negatives affront us, our bucket empties, leaving us discouraged, depressed and ready to give up on our dreams.

Instead, we need to learn to be a bucket filler or associate with bucket fillers, namely folks who offer encouragement and support. The road to publication can be a long journey, but being with likeminded folks can buoy our spirits. Offering a helping hand, a bit of advice or sharing tips and techniques fills our bucket with positives that keep us moving forward. The hills are easier to climb when our bucket is filled, and we’re feeling good about our journey. An empty bucket can lead to frustration and a lack of motivation, both of which are signs of writer’s block.

Seekerville, in my opinion, is a bucket filler. We share our love for the written word whether we’re a writer or a reader. We talk about ways to improve our craft and make our stories shine. We also exchange pertinent information about publishing houses and the type of stories they’re interested in buying. Being part of this blog community helps to spark our imaginations and has us eager to continue on our journey—because our bucket is full!

Think about your own bucket today. Remember, helping others adds not only to their buckets but also to your own. Mentor another writer, offer a word of encouragement, share a lesson you’ve learned and see how quickly your bucket overflows.

As we approach our national day of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for all of you. I’m grateful for the many ways you’ve filled my bucket over the years. Thank you, dear friends.

Today I’m giving away a copy of Have You filled a Bucket Today? In addition, the winner of the drawing will also receive one of my stories, winner’s choice. In what special way has your bucket been filled in the past and how do you try to fill someone else’s bucket? Share any Thanksgiving traditions that are bucket fillers.

Wishing you a joyous Thanksgiving!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

COVER REVEAL

SMUGGLERS IN AMISH COUNTRY

By Debby Giusti

 Uncovering secrets in this Amish town

could deliver deadly consequences.

When the robbery suspect she’s tracking begins attacking delivery girls in Amish country, officer Marti Sommers must go undercover as bait. With ex-cop Luke Lehman’s niece as one of the targets, this case is personal. After all, Marti’s rookie mistake ended with Luke injured and another officer dead. But can the two former colleagues stop a deadly smuggling ring…before Marti becomes the next victim?

Releases March 2022

 

Pre-Order from AMAZON now!

  

Giving Life to Your Setting (Settings, part 2)

 

Settings is the theme of this post, part two to my post from last month. You can read that post HERE if you missed it or need a reminder.

This month we're going to talk about giving our settings life - providing the details and accuracy that makes our settings real.

How can we give our settings life?

Think of all the details that go into bringing your reader into the setting of your story. The five senses – taste, touch, smell, sound, sight – are your tools, but how can you use those tools to make your setting unique? And not only unique, but accurate?

Research.

The best kind of research is what I call “feet on the ground.” This is where you visit the location of your story.

Let’s use my story, “A Home for His Family,” as an example. The setting is 1876 Deadwood, Dakota Territory. The crest of the gold rush.

For my feet on the ground research, I traveled to Deadwood (not a long trip for me – the town is about an hour away from where we live) and took advantage of the historical walking tour. Definitely worth my time! I also spent an hour (or two, or three) in a museum dedicated to the town’s early history – the same years of my story setting. Seeing some of the clothing, furniture, pens, and other things used at that time (including the hypodermic needles the prostitutes used for their drugs) from that era helped me add authentic details to my story.

 I also spent time walking through the cemetery and reading inscriptions on the grave markers. So many of the early graves were for Civil War veterans who came to Deadwood ten years after the war ended to find their fortunes – a detail that became part of my hero’s backstory.

Many of the old stones have been restored by the Deadwood Historical Society

I also read books. I read an autobiography of a woman who had been a young girl in Deadwood at the time of my story (her father had been the territorial judge.) I met people like Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock through her eyes. I also read first-hand accounts of figures who were part of the gold rush history of Deadwood. Source materials like these are invaluable when you’re trying to cement the setting (time and space) in your imagination.

I also found photographs of the town from those early years, crude maps of mining claims (including a few in the middle of Main Street,) and descriptions of life in a mining camp.

All of this research was to give my readers an authentic representation of the setting.

What if I'm writing a contemporary novel?

Many of the same research techniques apply, except that the source materials will be current rather than historical! Again, feet on the ground research is the best.

But if you can’t travel to your location, the internet is your friend. Most towns have a website or Facebook page. For information about the inner workings and issues facing small towns in the Black Hills (for my WIP, a cozy mystery in a contemporary setting,) I subscribed to a local small town paper.

How do I start?

 - When I’m exploring a new-to-me setting, I go to Google Maps first. That helps me set the location in its geography and proximity to other towns. This helps for imaginary towns, too. If my setting is in rural northern Indiana, I focus on the area (terrain, roads, highways, etc.) and start building my imaginary location from that.

 - If I’m writing an historical, my next step is to look for the location in a map from the same time period as my story (or as close as I can get.) My favorite source for this is Historic Mapworks.

 - Then I start delving deep into the plethora of research materials available through the library or online. Our own Erica Vetsch finds some of the greatest books and sources for researching the Regency Era and the Napoleonic Wars. I love perusing local used bookstores and tourist areas for Black Hills history (the tourist mecca, Wall Drug, has a fabulous bookstore!)

 - I never discount using fiction for my research – if the other author has done his or her research well, I can glean a lot from their knowledge as I read their book.

 - I talk to people. When I go to a museum, I try to strike up a conversation with a docent. They are usually volunteering their time as docents because they LOVE their subject and are very knowledgeable. A word of warning, though – although most docents are this way, I have run into a few who know nothing about their subject. Some people volunteer for other reasons. So I try to have a working knowledge of my subject before I have that conversation.

Some friendly (and knowledgeable) docents at the Somerset Historical Center in Somerset County, PA 

Are you ready to talk about the setting of your novel? How did you choose it? How did you do your research?

Let’s talk!

And just for fun, the Deadwood story I mentioned in this post is being re-released in a two-for-one from Love Inspired in January! One commenter will win a copy - sent after its publication, of course. Meanwhile, you can preorder HERE.
About the stories:
A ready-made family

The Texan's Inherited Family by Noelle Marchand

Busy Texas farmer Quinn Tucker is used to raising crops, not children. So when four nieces and nephews are left in his care, it's not long before he realizes they need a mother. But his search for a wife leads to the least likely woman for illiterate Quinn—schoolmarm Helen McKenna. Could a marriage in name only blossom into something more?

A Home for His Family by Jan Drexler

Nate Colby came to the Dakota Territory to start over, not to look for a wife. He'll raise his orphaned nieces and nephew without schoolteacher Sarah MacFarland's help. Sarah deserves better than a man who only brings trouble to those around him. Yet helping this ready-made family set up their ranch only makes Sarah long to be a part of it—whatever the risk.

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

Christ, by Titian,1553, Prado Museum Madrid. [PD-US]

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates. 
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place. 
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Mark 13:24-32

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.    

Weekend Edition

  






If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Monday: Jevon Bolden was Carrie's guest and shared about maintaining an author's voice when ghostwriting or collaborative writing.
Wednesday:  Ruthy brought the party to us, talking about her upcoming release. The winners of a $15 Amazon gift card are Nicki Chapelway and Connie Porter Saunders!
Friday: Jan shared what's been on her heart by asking the thought-provoking question, What will spill on to your page?


Monday:  Jan will be here with part two of her series on settings, where we look at the different ways to find the details to make your settings come to life.
Wednesday:  Debby Giusti talks about "Filling Your Bucket" with a Thanksgiving twist. Be sure to stop by and join in the conversation!  Friday: Winnie  is currently pondering what she will share with us!







 An Amish Spring Anthology and Debby Giusti is one of the authors.

To learn more join the FB Reader Group

 Amish Spring Romance | Facebook

Available now at your favorite bookstores!

The countdown is on for the November 30th release of Their Yuletide Healing, the fourth and final installment of Mindy Obenhaus's Bliss, Texas series. Preorder your copy HERE. And if you haven't seen the book trailer, you can check it out HERE! 
As her plans unravel, can she give her children what they truly need?
Foster mom Rae Girard’s determined to make her children’s first Christmas with her the best they’ve ever had—and she’s shocked when the town scrooge, attorney Cole Heinsohn, offers to pitch in. Rae’s young charges have melted Cole’s heart, and he wants them to experience the special day he never had. But when disaster strikes, an imperfect holiday might bring them something better: a family…


EMBRACING LIGHT IN WISHING BRIDGE!!!
PREORDER AVAILABLE.... AND RELEASING IN NINE DAYS!!!!





Time Management for Writers Who Hate Time Management by Julie Glover at Writers In The Storm

Character Arc In A Nutshell by Angela Ackerman at Writers Helping Writers
Writing Rocks and Hard Places by Dan Barlow at Steve Laube Agency
5 Ways To Make Animated Templates Work For You by LA Sartor at Book Brush Blog
Four Reasons I'm a Grateful Writer by Cara Putman at Learn How To Write A Novel
How To Craft Your Protagonist's Inner and Outer Journey by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy
You Are A Word Artisan by Cindy K. Sproles at The Write Conversation
How To Find a Book Title by Plot by Dave Chesson at Kindleprenuer 
The Man With the Gun by Elaine Viets at Kill Zone Blog
The Two Halves of the Inciting Event by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Podcasting for Authors by Matty Dalrymple at Writers Cookbook

What Will Spill Onto Your Page?

 

Hey, y'all. Jan here with a thinking-type post.

(Yes, I can talk Southern. My years in West Texas and in Kentucky taught me how!)

I've been convicted of something lately, and I'd like to share my thoughts with you.

Let's start here - 

I'm teaching school-age children at Bible Study Fellowship this year, and we're studying Matthew. The immersion into this study (not only my own study, but in preparing to teach) reminds me that what we put into our hearts is what is going to come out.

In this section of Matthew, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees. You know, those religious leaders who were all about religion...but not so much about God. Like many of us, they thought they knew God. They thought they were obeying God with all their laws to "help" people follow God's Law.

But Jesus had a special name for them: brood of vipers. He uses that term more than once! Like I told the students in my BSF class, that means that He considered them to be a nest of venomous snakes.

I don't know about you, but I don't want the Lord of the Universe to consider me to be no better than a venomous snake.

I don't want my heart to spew out poison - untruths, slander, and even "mistakes" when I'm trying communicate to my readers about Jesus and His world...which covers 100% of what I write about.

But as writers, we are constantly filling our heads and hearts with knowledge - research for our latest novel. Sales statistics. The best price points. Reading blogs and listening to podcasts about writing and marketing.

As we watch the news or read the newspapers, we fill our minds and hearts with the noise of the World.

As we go about our non-writerly lives, we deal with family issues, church issues, and what in the world to fix for dinner.

When our heads and hearts become filled with the things of this world, what will overflow into our writing? 

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

What's the answer?

We must balance all of that - over-balance all of that - with God's Word.

Not just reading scripture, but delving deep into it.

Not just reading someone else's teaching on scripture, but studying it for ourselves.

Even if my daily word count suffers...

The time spent in God's Word - just me, my Bible, and the Holy Spirit - is never wasted. That's treasure to fill our hearts.

My prayer for all of us is that our heads and our hearts will overflow with Jesus, and that is who our readers will encounter in our books.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

BOOK RELEASE COMING!!!!

 

I remember everything about this series.

I remember when Natasha called me to say two publishers wanted it and did I want to choose.... or did I want it to go to auction if both were willing?

I chose.

I chose Amazon Waterfall Publishing and that's when I got an email from my wonderful editor there, saying my story "Welcome to Wishing Bridge" made her miss the 4th of July fireworks on the Hudson River in Manhattan because she couldn't put it down.

And that's when I knew I'd chosen well.

Amazon was an absolute pleasure to work with. From the editors, to the free-lancers, cover-designers, and then the final read-throughs and thoughts... they were accurate, cheerful, honest, helpful and encouraging.

We got through the first two books before they decided to close that publishing arm. 

That's when an author either sets a series aside and moves on or moves on with the series and goes indie.

That didn't used to be a choice!!!! Now it is, and I was thrilled to present Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge two years ago... 

I am so excited to bring Rachel's story to you. And we'll follow it with Heather's story in 2022 because I've been playing catch-up... and I'm in full-on Wishing Bridge mode.

Why?

Because readers have embraced this town, these stories, the people, the places, the hope and the blessings of friends and neighbors during hard times and how salt-of-the-earth folks are still alive and well in small towns and big cities across this great land!

With almost 800 reviews, book one is rated 4.7 stars... Book two is 4.6 with over 500 reviews and book three is 4.7 stars with nearly 400 reviews.

Wishing Bridge calls to people. It touches their hearts and maybe their souls and I'm delighted to be releasing Rachel's story, a young woman who has suffered at the hands of her family and her harsh church. With the help of friends, Rachel is leaving the North Country to right a heinous wrong. Her twin daughters were given away at birth, without her permission and they just might be living among the Amish of Wishing Bridge.

But Rachel doesn't want the world to know why she's there. Suffice it to say that she's escaping a harsh church.

Understandable, right?

But when she develops feelings for Hale a wonderful deputy sheriff, Rachel knows it can go nowhere. He's the law... and she's willing to break the law to get her babies back.

In twelve days the story releases for Kindle.

And the following week for paperback.

It's a story that takes the sadness of oppression and heals wounds with the balm of grace, love, hope and friendship. 

It's a story that shows how one person's kindness can become another person's earthly salvation... and maybe ease a path toward heaven's salvation, too.

It's a story that was inspired by one of those moments where you experience something and you see a book unfold.... I was in the North Country fifteen years ago and we stopped at an Amish stand. The mother wouldn't let her children come to the stand and take care of us. They were shushed and sent back, away from the English customers. And the grim look on the mother's face imprinted itself on my soul.

I knew there were stories there. And so I wrote one. Rachel's. A story of loss and sorrow and hope and dreams and success. A beautiful story that puts blame where it belongs. Not on God... or religion... but the evil of men.

Sex, lust, greed, avarice, power....  Temptations lead us astray.

Twelve days.

I am blessed. So blessed. Blessed to have inherited my mother's talent for writing and the time to make the most of it.

I'm not saying you have to buy this book.

It's okay if you don't.

And it's even okay if you win the $15 Amazon card and spend it on something else.

I'm just glad you stopped by today. Glad to share this excitement and happy news with you and so many others. And glad to be an author in a time where we have so many beautiful and wonderful options open to us.

Could you ever have imagined a time such as this? 

Grab some coffee, bring some tea, or take a Coke from the fridge...

Homemade fudge from our farm is on the counter.

Let's talk the beauty of Wishing Bridge, NY and why this series of books is so loved and widely read.... and I promise, we won't be leaving the good Lord Himself out of the picture! 

Huge thanks to Beth Jamison of Jamison Editing for the editing on this story and the beautiful cover. You rocked it, Beth, and you are an absolute pleasure to work with.

Of course, you probably get that from your sweet Mama. :)

PREORDER EMBRACING LIGHT IN WISHING BRIDGE HERE

So while we're celebrating this new book release, let's talk about book appeal... what is it about a setting or series that draws you in? What is it that keeps you coming back for more?
Join the conversation and have your name tucked in for a $15 Amazon Gift Card!


Multi-published inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of over sixty published novels and novellas, she is living her dream of writing books that people buy, the kind of stories she likes to read. Now that's a bonus! She owns and manages a busy pumpkin farm in WNY with a whole bunch of family, friends and volunteers... she loves God, her family, her country and she is often seen with coffee, chocolate, a good doughnut, dogs and/or Diet Mt Dew. #nojudge #goodstuff
Email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com or friend her Facebook.... she loves to hear from folks.