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DIY Graphics Design Tutorial: STOCK IMAGES (Part One)

Recently, I designed my first ebook cover, then a second and a third. At first, I was just doing a mockup with the intention of hiring a designer. But when I showed my cover to the other Seekers, they convinced me to run with my own ideas (so it's their fault! lol). When they started asking about some of the techniques I used, I decided to do a series of blog posts on the subject. I’ve blogged about DIY graphics design in Seekerville before, but sometimes I think I cover too many aspects of design in one post, and it's too much to soak in at once........


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Due to popular demand, this post was reposted on December 9th so that villagers would have another opportunity to ask questions and comment.
Please click here to join the discussion.

DIY Graphics Design Tutorial: STOCK IMAGES (Part One)

Recently, I designed my first ebook cover, then a second and a third. At first, I was just doing a mockup with the intention of hiring a designer. But when I showed my cover to the other Seekers, they convinced me to run with my own ideas (so it's their fault! lol). When they started asking about some of the techniques I used, I decided to do a series of blog posts on the subject. I’ve blogged about DIY graphics design in Seekerville before, but sometimes I think I cover too many aspects of design in one post, and it's too much to soak in at once. 

So, this time I'm going to take it slow and focus on one small part of design each month: finding, saving and editing photos, fonts and font design, combining these layers, and the different softwares I use to create my covers.

While I really wanted to focus on creating the WORDS (titles, series taglines, etc.) first, I think I need to start with photos. So, here we are.

RULE #1. When you’re thinking about designing a graphics art piece, especially if it’s something that you’ll need to work on in stages and will have to come back to it and edit, OR if you’re just browsing photos, do NOT under any circumstances take a screenshot just to see how said photo will look in your project, with the thought that you’ll be able to find that photo on the web again.

You WILL regret this. I speak from experience. 

Horrible, terrible, time-sucking experience.

Instead, here are the tools to make this part of your design life simple and workable.

1) Find (and always save the link!) to royalty-free (or paid) stock photos for your project(s).

2) Save the photo (which will save the all important link) to a secret Pinterest board(s).

There are any number of sites that offer free stock photos. This site has a pretty good list to get you started. https://www.foleon.com/blog/5-sites-for-free-stock-photos

I like Pixabay and Unsplash for free photos, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for on the free sites, then iStockphoto.com and Shutterstock.com are well-known paid stock photo sites. I’ve also found good photos on Bigstock.com. Again, these three are paid subscriptions, so it pays to look for photos on the free (and legal) sites.

>>>>Pay Attention Here!!<<<<<

As I was writing this post, someone on an indie loop passed on a Black Friday special for photos from a site called depositphotos.com (Note: the special sale is NOT listed on the depositphoto website, but at Appsumo. Weird, but true!) You can purchase 100 image credits for $39, plus if you create a new account with appsumo, you get $10 off that, so your total is $29. You don't have to choose your 100 photos now. You get "credits" and your credits never expire. Pretty good deal!

The special deal is through Appsumo - 100 images for $39 ($10 discount on new accounts …. Use this link http://fbuy.me/v/phillman64 to order. And, yes, it’s legit. I just bought my 100 images yesterday. Once you make your purchase and get your code from Appsumo, you apply it to your account at depositphotos and you have 100 credits toward photos that never expire. And… the special ends in 3 days!

Also, if you buy one of these packages (they have more, but I just got the 100 images), don’t panic when you get to your depositphotos log-in and you see a flashing banner at the top letting you know that you can get 100 images for $80. You already bought 100 for $29 from appsumo! Once you apply the CODE you received from appsumo, you’ll see your 100 images under the “Active Plans” tab on the far right of the screen of the depositphotos website.

Okay, enough about that. Back to the point of today’s post: finding and saving photos for later.

How do you do that without losing your sanity? And how do you save the photos for later? And why pick photos FIRST before you start trying to design a book cover or a series of book covers?

Everything on your cover is built around your background: the photos, the colors, and how all that is laid out, and those are the hardest to find and decide on. At least it is for me. If you’ve got a whole folder full of good ideas ready and waiting, then you’re way ahead of the graphics design game. 

Enter Pinterest again…

Pam's SECRET MS Piney Woods Pinterest Board

Before I go any further, I’ll say that I tend to search for photos on my phone, and Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, and [BREAKING NEWS: Yes, my new friend Depositphotos also has an app! I just downloaded it. Whoot!) has an IOS app that you can download to your phone and when you’re stuck somewhere in traffic or at the doctor’s office, you can search for photos and save them to your Pinterest folder (Yep, there’s an app for that, too!)

So, what next?

I’ll use my Mississippi Piney Woods Novella series as an example. The title of the first book is The Evergreen Bride and it’s set in the late 1800s in Mississippi, so I started searching for photos that I liked. Pine trees, brides, rural and rustic settings, cabins, logging camps, etc.

As you can guess, it’s hard to find authentic-looking historical photos without paying for a photo shoot, and since the titles for this series all had bride in them, I decided to go with a bride theme. There are millions of bridal photos to choose from. You just have to look with an open mind and a fresh eye.

I’m sure there are multiple ways to keep up with these photos you find, but the best way I’ve found is to create a secret Pinterest board for the specific project you’re working on and save those royalty-free photos that MIGHT work for covers and/or other advertising to that folder on Pinterest. I prefer secret boards for this. There's nothing wrong with making them public, but this is for YOU to design your covers. It's not for PR for your book. I won’t go into detail on how to create boards on Pinterest, let alone secret boards. If you use Pinterest, you can figure that out. Create as few or as many boards as you need, whether that be cowboys, brides, flowers, landscapes, mountains, ships, etc. I’ve chosen to create boards based on my two series for now. You can save these links to a Word file or Scrivener on your computer if you like, but honestly, Pinterest is really perfect for this!

As you compile these photos, do NOT add suggested photos that you find on Pinterest that you think might be perfect for your book cover. They are NOT perfect if you can’t trace them all the way back to the source and that source is either a royalty-free stock site or a paid stock site. Resist the urge. You’ll find plenty of nice photos that will work for your book covers. Keep these folders clear of images you can’t use for your designs.

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get to the MEAT of this post. I want to open your eyes to possibilities of photos. You don’t need to use the entire photo for your book cover. So if you like a photo and think it might have possibilities, save it for later.

Pixabay Image

Here’s the photo that I found on Pixabay that I chose for the cover of The Evergreen Bride. This is also the cover that I had to change after I didn’t follow RULE #1 and could not find the screenshot of the first photo I’d found (also on Pixabay). I wasted AN ENTIRE DAY looking for that photo. Never did find it again. But I guess I should say those hours weren’t wasted because as I was looking for the mysterious photo that disappeared, I found this one and saved other interesting photos for future reference to my secret Pinterest boards.

TIP when searching for photos. Make sure that images are crisp and clear, especially if you plan to zoom in on a portion of the photo.

Obviously, this landscape sized photo will not work for an ebook cover. (But it would probably work great for a wraparound print book cover!) But cropping is your friend….

Photo Cropped

I cropped the photo, and you'll notice I FLIPPED it left to right (or right to left). Either way would work, but as you see where the placement of titles, taglines, author name goes, and how an entire series fits together, you have to make a decision and stick with it for consistency. But this photo still wasn’t quite right. The dress was too bright white, the grass too green. I antiqued this photo up a bit to make it fit a historical-themed cover, and put both versions to my street team, and they chose the antiqued version on the right, so we had a winner.

The Evergreen Bride, Final Version on the Right

As you can see, I ended up with nothing like the original photo. So open your eyes for possibilities and save everything that catches your eye for later.

Couple, Pixabay Image

Here’s another cool photo I found while looking for bride dresses. The flowing dress caught my eye because I was already using a billowing dress in The Evergreen Bride, but it was red. Not exactly bridal, huh? But this photo screamed “The Gypsy Bride” at me when I saw it. I don’t even have a novella in my Mississippi Piney Woods Novella series about a gypsy bride, BUT since the king and queen of the Gypsies are buried about 50 miles from me, I will have a Gypsy Bride book soon and I’ll probably use this photo for the cover.

Something like this that I whipped up just for this blog post. It will have title treatment just like The Evergreen Bride. This is kind of fun to actually create a cover before I've written the book. :)

And...I might have to flip this image left to right so that I can keep the format of the Piney Woods logo in the left-hand corner. See that on the Evergreen cover? Check!!

The Gypsy Bride, Coming... Some day! lol

Okay, I didn’t give you a lot of technical how-to’s today because I felt it was very important to start with the basics. I wanted you to visualize how you can use these photos to create covers, memes, PR materials, etc. And you can create banners with the same techniques. See my header at the top of this post.

I’m trying to decide what to cover in my next blog post, and I’m leaning toward showing you how I actually edit some of these photos like what I did to turn the photo of the red dress into what I see as the perfect cover, even though I’m STILL wanting to get to the fonts! lol 

Regardless, at some point, we’ll cover every aspect of cover design, from what size they need to be, to how I created the taglines, the covers, banners on split covers, even the little bells that I added to give readers a hint that The Evergreen Bride is a Christmas story.

I use WordSwag a lot for some of my titles and taglines because I like the options that little program offers. The “Mississippi Piney Woods”, The Evergreen Bride title treatment, and the bells came from WordSwag. But the cover itself was created in Picmonkey.

For my next blog post, I’m probably going to delve more into editing the photo portion of a cover. Depending on how much information I go into, I might or might not get to the fonts and WordSwag until the next post. I’ve taken classes using other software (Photoshop, Canva) and I looked into BookBrush. Each has a bit of a learning curve, but they’re all basically the same, so techniques learned in one software can usually be implemented elsewhere.

Sorry this got so long, but if you are going to pursue designing your own covers, or even providing photos to a designer, this is really, really your first line of defense.

Happy Day after Thanksgiving!

NEW eBOOKS BY PAM AVAILABLE NOW!!!!

Would you believe I've published not one, not two, but THREE novellas in the last month? Yep, formatted them with Vellum, figured out KDP and all that jazz, designed covers and everything. They're all available on KDP and as Kindle Unlimited.

Click the covers to read the blurbs. Destination Christmas and Castaway with the Cowboy are the first two novellas in my Calico Trails Romance Collection, stories about being stranded, abandoned, marooned, lost, etc. The Evergreen Bride is the first novella in my Mississippi Piney Woods Novella Collection.

As you can see, the first two covers follow the same format, and the MS Piney Woods Novella does not. Two different series.

Castaway with the Cowboy just released yesterday. :)

Seekerville Is Closed Today

 

Seekerville is closed today as we celebrate the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday with family and friends and give thanks to God for our many blessings.  

Please join us again soon!

Thankful in 2020

 

Do you ever get a song from a commercial stuck in your head?

I've had one in my head for the past few days, and for the life of me I couldn't remember what the product was. I searched the internet with no luck, and just when I was about to give up...

it came on the television.

So here it is.

I had a good laugh when I finally found it, because Green Bean Casserole has never been a favorite of mine - and that's me being nice.

But the song is an earworm for a reason that goes beyond music, I think. This is the time of year we remember to be so thankful. Hopefully, we're thankful all year, but Thanksgiving is the time we really stop and focus.

Thanksgiving 2020 is a little different from previous years. Usually the warnings come to make sure and cook the turkey thoroughly, but this year the warnings involve smaller gatherings, masks, and social distancing outdoors.  (That last is probably actually in keeping with that first Thanksgiving.)

It might be a little harder to remember to be thankful this year too. It might require a little more effort.

But if we look, there are many things to be thankful for, even if they're not they typical ones.

So today, let's make an attempt to share what we are grateful for this year.

I'll get us started.

On a personal note, I'm grateful to have a new book coming out, and  I'm extremely grateful that my youngest daughter managed to land her dream job in her dream location during a pandemic. 

I'm grateful to all the health care workers and other essential workers who have sacrificed so much for so many. 

I'm grateful to the many scientists who have worked so hard to find treatments and vaccines.

I'm thankful for technology that allows us to stay connected even when we have to be in isolation. 

And I'm thankful for Seekerville and all of you who come here to share with us each day. 

Your turn. What are you thankful for this year?

Guest Blogger Georgiana Daniels

 Erica here. My good buddy, Georgiana Daniels is stepping up to help me out. I'm on deadline, and I'm currently huddled in a corner with my laptop, muttering and mumbling and generally ignoring the rest of the world as I finish this manuscript. And like the true friend she is, Georgiana has kindly accepted my offer (begging and pleading and a wee bit of sniveling) to post for me.

She gave me a sneak peek at the short story she's offering for free today, and let me just say, it is true-blue Georgiana all the way, and soooo funny! You won't regret signing up to get your copy!

Take it away, Geo!

Unexpected Blessings and Other Crazy Lessons

 

Does anyone else feel like 2020 whacked them in the head? The blunt force trauma of this year is unlike any other. Whether it’s health related, financial, or general anxiety, we’ve all been affected one way or another. But the good thing is, it’s also caused most of us to reevaluate what really matters in life—and I don’t just mean Clorox wipes and toilet paper (a-hem).

 As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to look at what we’ve learned over the past 11 months and the unexpected blessings that snuck up on us. No doubt many of us had to pivot both in our personal lives and in our writing careers or other areas that matter most. In doing so, we’ve probably realized how resilient we are—and how much we rely on God for His daily provision of everything we lack. That, in itself, is a blessing.

I’ve discovered a lot about myself over the past year—a good whack in the head will do that, you know. For example, I can spend an inordinate amount of time working and/or lounging in pajamas. Who knew? Also, I’m perfectly content to hide out at home—I mean quarantine—for the good of humanity, of course. And in other news, whoever is out there making memes this year is doing a fabulous job! (As a side note, I’m printing out my favorites for my journal.)

Then there are the deeper discoveries, like the fact that I’m not as introverted as I’d previously suspected. Because we are, as a family, on the careful side, I don’t get to see my people as often as I want to, and every time we do my well fills up. No longer do I take a moment with family or friends for granted like I did in the olden days—a.k.a. 2019. Also, I never thought of myself as a hugger before this year, but now I savor each hug, never knowing when I’ll get that next meaningful embrace. I’ve become that person that doesn’t let go in a timely manner, and it gets a little awkward. (Sorry, not sorry!)

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. The thing of it is, we never were. Yet most of us took for granted that we’d have tomorrow, and several tomorrows after that to accomplish our goals. We didn’t just set goals for this month, but we had our one-year goals and our five-year plans, as though it were entirely in our hands. Procrastination on issues big and small became a running joke along with endless to-do lists that bled over into the following week and the week after that. But so many of us now realize that what we have is today, and today is a great time to make things happen!

That’s why I’m no longer waiting on the publishing fairy to pay me another visit. I’m taking matters into my own nervous hands and joining the indie crowd! This could be the best thing ever—or it could be an epic disaster. We’ll have to wait and see. Honestly, though, the only epic disaster is never trying, never doing, and always waiting until that proverbial someday.

The point is, I’m barreling ahead because writing matters to me. Story matters to me. Making people smile and experience even a smidgen of joy matters to me. And isn’t that what 2020 should have taught us all, to invest our time and ourselves into what’s really important? (Kind of sad that it took a worldwide pandemic to open my eyes, but that’s a post for another day.)

Don’t put off what’s important to you until it’s too late. That doesn’t mean we jump willy-nilly into the unknown just to see what happens. But we can prayerfully and strategically take steps toward the goals God has placed on our hearts right now. Regret would be an even bigger whack in the head than 2020, and that’s saying a lot.

If you’re anything like me, you need a good laugh this year along with that dose of introspection. On that note, I’d like to offer you The Mystery of the Missing Groom, which is a fun free short story prequel to my spring 2021 release, Crumbs of Passion, as a thank you for signing up for my newsletter.

How about you? What unexpected lessons or blessings did you learn from 2020? How do you plan to carry those lessons into the future? Enquiring minds want to know!

Bio: Georgiana Daniels is an author, homeschooling mom, and master’s degree student. “Busy” is her middle name, but if she finds a nugget of free time she enjoys knitting, reading, and fumbling around on the piano to the dismay of others. Though previously published in romance and women’s fiction, she’s dipping an anxious toe into cozy mysteries—because murder and mayhem are so much fun!

 

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

Christ the King, a detail from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck,
1426-1432, St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent. [PD-US]"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46

 

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 the United States--and the world--during the current rise in Coronavirus cases. Pray for the sick and suffering, for businesses and schools to remain open, for people to be able to work and for our economy to prosper.
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and your families and keep you safe.

Wishing  you and your family a 

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.  Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com







Monday: Jan Drexler took a look at evil and its place in Christian Fiction. The winner of her choice of one of Jan's books is Glynis! Congratulations!
Wednesday: Debby Giusti's blog post, A Thanksgiving 2020 Reflection, got us in the mood for Turkey Day and helped us focus on the many reasons, even in spite of the pandemic, to give thanks. The winner of three Christmas stories, Debby's Amish Christmas Search, and a two-in-one with Vanetta Chapman, is Wendy Newcomb! Congrats, Wendy. Send your snail mail address to Seekerville2@gmail.com so Debby can get your books in the mail.
Friday: Ruthy and friends chatted about heroes and character development... and the winner of a copy of Ruthy's newest Love Inspired "Finding Her Christmas Family" is Wilani Wahl! 
And Ruthy's winners from ELEVEN days ago because she's a dork but she held a lovely Christkindl at the farm and raised money for charity so folks should always cut her some slack, don't you agree? :) Anyway, winners of "Finding Her Christmas Family" are Sarah Taylor and Angeline! 


Monday:  Georgiana Daniels is our guest blogger, and she's got a fun freebie for readers, so don't miss it!
Wednesday:  Cate Nolan will be here to talk about things we're grateful for in this writing life.  Friday: Pam Hillman







Missy Tippens has devotionals included in another collection from Guideposts! The new  2021 All God's Creatures Daily devotions for Animal Lovers  is up for pre-order now! Animals are God's gift to humans. They are instruments of His Grace blessed with a special gift for comforting us when we are down, filling us with joy at just the right moment, and encouraging us on our walk of faith. In this collection you'll be blessed by daily true stories shared in devotionals by different authors.


For more info on the formats available and to purchase  All God's Creatures , click here.


Are you in need of a little happy and hope in your holidays? Erica Vetsch has two Christmas releases here in 2020:



A Joyful Christmas features a reprint of Erica's first novella, Christmas Service , which appeared in the Log Cabin Christmas Collection in 2012. 
The Joy to the World Regency Christmas Collection features a brand new novella, Wonders of His Love, from the Serendipity & Secrets series. Get your copy, and a heaping helping of happy and hope today!
A Joyful ChristmasJoy to the World 




What Did You Think of My Book? by Barbara Linn Probst at Writers In The Storm
5 Questions About Scene Sequences by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
4 Story Weaknesses that Lead to a Sagging Middle by Tiffany Yates Martin at Jane Friedman
The Nuances of Deep POV by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive
Virtual Book Clubs in the Era of Social Distancing by Lee Purcell at Book Baby Blog
How Strange Are Your Writing Habits? by James Rubart at Learn How To Write A Novel
How to Sell on Facebook Shops for Business Success by Louise Myers
Do Writers Read Differently? by Bob Hostetler at Steve Laube
Behind the Block: Overcoming Fear to Write by Rochelle Melander at Fiction University
The Stepping Stones of Our Writing by Katy Kauffman at The Write Conversation
3 Ways to Write a Novel with a Full-Time Job by Lewis at The Novel Smithy

Determining Your Character's Emotional Range by Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers

A Back to Basics Post: Focus on Heroes: How to develop characters with character.

 We all have our favorite characters in fact and fiction.

My real-life heroes tend to be actual heroes. The sacrificial type who really stand their ground for the sake of others. Jesus. John Adams. Ben Franklin. Mary, the mother of God. Joseph, who stood in place and cared for a son not his own. Mary Magdalene, Susanna and any woman who followed that cross and stood with Christ in His hour of need. Martyrs. Harriet Tubman. Rosa Parks. Mother Teresa. Every soldier and sailor who stormed those beaches at Normandy, knowing what would happen. And so many others...

Fiction is a different venue.

When we look at fictional heroes we use a different metric.

They don't have to be superheroes, changing the world for us to love them. But they need to be better versions of themselves and probably better than most any real person we know.

They put others first.

They take care of the heroine, even if she's pretty sure she doesn't need it.

They think ahead. (Come on, ladies, it's fiction. Of course they think ahead!)

They generally don't over-react unless there's a gun involved and it's a Western. In which case, we get it.

They're rarely grumpy even if they don't say too much.

They think a lot. (Again, fiction. Work with me here) :) 

They're quite teachable. (I'm thinking of Mary Connealy heroes here. They don't talk much, and they're often surprised by the feminine mystique, but they do think. #HERO!!!!)

They're kind to dogs and children, even if lacking experience with both or either.

They have a sense of humor. (Jason Bourne is an exception. I'm sure there are others.... Wait, so is Mr. Rochester but gosh, that was a TRAGIC LIFE!!!!!!!! Oh my stars)

They are often ruggedly handsome which means they wouldn't be seen on the Euro fashion runways wearing girl clothes. 

They're adorable when befuddled because they come through in the end.

They never let the bad guy win.

They get there in time, even if it's the nick of time. (Wait, Bourne is the exception again. Jason, really???????)

They may save lives. (doctors, sheriffs, officers, military, firemen)

They may build things. (Construction, builders, architects, Amish)

They might be farmers or ranchers.

High school football coaches are great, too! :) Rugged, teaching/coaching, competitive and good to kids. That's one that checks a lot of boxes!

Heroes pull us into stories whether they're male or female. We either identify with them or admire them or want to meet them. Live in their towns, their homes, eat at their table.

What draws you into characters? Is it what they've experienced? What they've overcome? What they're doing? Leave a comment below, darlings and I've got a copy of "Finding Her Christmas Family" for one lucky person who loves, loves, loves beautiful Christmas stories! 

Bestselling, multi-published author Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of writing great stories on her pumpkin farm in Western New York where the leaves have fallen, winter's approaching, but at least it's tiptoeing in this year... not barreling full-force, so that's good! She's also wishing all of you a blessed and wonderful holiday season. She thinks we're blessed to have the lot o' youse (Yankee way of sayin' "all y'all") here and she loves to hear from you at loganherne@gmail.com or friend her on Facebook or stop by Ruthy's website ruthloganherne.com 

A Thanksgiving 2020 Reflection

 

By Debby Giusti

        I live in Georgia, and at this time of year, the weather is mild, skies are clear, leaves are falling and turkeys are on sale at Publix. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping season is right around the corner, but I’m focused on food and family in anticipation of our Thanksgiving celebration.  It’s a joyous time to be together, and my heart always overflows with gratitude for God’s blessings.

        “But this is 2020!” some might remind me. “How can we be grateful when life has changed and not necessarily for the better?”

It’s true that we’ve endured a virulent virus that forced us to shelter-at-home while churches closed and worship was relegated to virtual services. Distance learning replaced in-school instruction, businesses shut down, folks were without jobs and the means to support their families, and travel and social gatherings were curtailed or forbidden altogether. In some states, those mandates remain. Additionally, many of our larger cities are still in chaos, our heroic men and women in blue have been vilified, and orchestrated protests have turned deadly. With COVID cases on the rise, many folks are wondering how their mental health and the economic health of our nation can endure another lockdown.

Yet as Christians and in spite of everything that has happened, we need to offer thanks. Scripture tells us, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)  

      Looking back to that first Thanksgiving long ago might help us put things in perspective. We all know the story…

 In the fall of 1620, one hundred and one Protestants, seeking separation from the Church of England, boarded the Mayflower cargo ship in Plymouth, England, and set sail for the New World in search of land and religious freedom. Sixty-six days later after traveling three thousand miles, their journey ended, and they came ashore in what is known today as Plymouth, Massachusetts. In the months ahead, the settlers endured hardships, hunger and disease. Death claimed half of the Pilgrims, and by spring, only four of the twenty wives who crossed the Atlantic Ocean with their husbands were still alive. If not for the local Wampanoag Indians, even more Pilgrims might have succumbed to the harsh environment. The Indians taught them to fish, hunt local game, and grow crops, such as corn and beans and squash. That fall, the Indians and Pilgrims joined together in a three-day celebration of thanksgiving for having survived their first year and for their bountiful harvest. Difficulties remained, but the Pilgrims focused on their blessings.

In 1789, after the War of Independence and the ratification of the US Constitution, President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, a day of thanksgiving and prayer. John Adams and James Monroe followed suit with similar celebrations during their administrations, but it wasn’t until the middle of the Civil War that Thanksgiving became an official holiday. In 1863, after the extensive lobbying efforts put forth by Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, Abraham Lincoln—in hopes of drawing the war-torn nation together—signed a proclamation instituting the fourth Thursday in November from then on to be a National Day of Thanksgiving.

Yes, 2020 has been a tumultuous year, but I’m counting my blessings. I give thanks for the United States of America where people from all backgrounds and all races can live together in peace. I give thanks for our hard-fought freedoms such as the freedom of speech and religion and assembly. I’m grateful for our military who continue to sacrifice so that our country can remain--as Francis Scott Key wrote--“the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Most especially, I'm thankful for my faith and my family. I’m also thankful for this Seekerville blog community, for the friendships, support and encouragement that is freely given and gratefully received.

This year, because of the COVID outbreak, I’m even more appreciative of truckers and grocery store workers, of medical personnel, postmen and firemen and law enforcement, of church ministers and school teachers as well as restaurateurs and entrepreneurs who have kept their businesses open in spite of the pandemic.

In anticipation of Thanksgiving 2020, let’s focus on what we have today instead of what we've lost during this pandemic. I hope you’ll share those things for which you’re grateful, especially any blessings that have come about because of this very unique year.

            Also, let me know if you want to be entered in a drawing for three Christmas stories: my October release, AMISH CHRISTMAS SEARCH and a two-in-one that features my story, AMISH CHRISTMAS SECRETS, and THE AMISH CHRISTMAS MATCHMAKER, by Vannetta Chapman.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

Amish Christmas Search

An Amish girl’s disappearance is a mystery…

and the clues lead straight into danger at Christmas.

Convinced her friend didn’t run away as the police

believe, Lizzie Kauffman searches for the truth—but

someone will kill to keep it hidden. Now the Amish

housekeeper and her friend Caleb Zook are on the

run for their lives. And if they want to find their

missing friend, Lizzie and Caleb must figure out

a way to survive the holiday.

 Order HERE!

Does Evil Have a Place in Christian Fiction?

 

My newest release, “Softly Blows the Bugle,” deals with some dark subjects against the backdrop of the idyllic setting of the Amish community of Weaver’s Creek.

By the way - in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t write typical Amish novels. I call them “historical fiction with Amish characters.” Don’t expect everything to be buggies, bonnets, and sunshine when you read my stories!

Although my book has gotten great reviews, one reader didn’t like my antagonist. I was expecting her poor review – she had contacted me a few times while she was reading – and I knew what she objected to. My antagonist isn’t just a bad guy. He is evil.

As I read her review and thought of her earlier comments, I had to consider: what place does evil have in Christian fiction?

I’m open to discussion on this! I’m in the process of thinking through this myself.

Here’s my position:

1) There is evil in the world. From the beginning of time, back in Genesis chapter three, we are told that evil is working against God’s plan. We’re also given hope for evil’s eventual destruction (Genesis 3:15.) So, we know evil is real.

2) Christians are to resist evil. That’s why we’re given armor – our breastplate, our shoes, our shield, and our helmet (Ephesians 6:13-17.)

And we are to be prepared to fight against evil with the sword of Truth: God’s word.

3) Since we know those things are true, I believe that one of the things we’re called to do as Christians is to spur our fellow-believers on in the battle.

God has called me to be an author to speak to the Church – to believers – and that’s who I write my stories for.

So, where does evil fit in all of this?

Evil disguises itself as light, hope, and truth. Unless we are prepared to hold it against the plumb line of the Word of God, we can easily be swayed by a smile, a kind gesture, or words that tickle our ears.

This is where Solomon Mast, the antagonist of my story comes in.

Solomon appears to be exactly what he says he is: an Amish man from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A grieving widower who moved to Ohio to leave sad memories behind and make a fresh start. A wealthy, successful farmer who seems to be destined to be a leader in the community.

He is charismatic, self-assured, and disarmingly charming.

What the reader sees long before the members of the community do is that Solomon is leading a double life. Behind closed doors his true nature is revealed.

Movement on the road to the east of the Patterson place drew his gaze. A spring wagon pulled by a single horse. A young man and an older woman. He watched the horse turn into his farm lane.

“Callers.” The very thing he had expected when the morning had dawned so fine. He turned around and cracked open the front door. “Dulcey!”

The young woman appeared in the hall leading to the back of the house, her dark skin blending into the shadowed interior.

“Get yourself down into the cellar and stay put. Someone is coming and I don’t want them to see you yet.”

The girl disappeared like a shadow and Solomon closed the door. He shook his arms, letting his hands hang loose for a moment, then took a deep breath. As he let it out, he stepped into the man his visitors expected to see. Well-to-do Amishman Solomon Mast, new to the community and pleased to be part of it.

I almost wish that he wasn’t any worse than a con man, but as the story progresses, we see that he is totally depraved and ruled by his evil nature.

It isn’t pretty.

That evil side is what Aaron, the hero of the book, recognizes before anyone else does. And it’s that evil that breaks through Aaron’s self-pity and feelings of inadequacy to bring out his heroic qualities.

I needed Solomon to be a powerful foil to Aaron’s powerful faults.

So, what place does evil have in Christian fiction?

I believe that it can inspire us to fight against the evil in our own world. The greater the evil, the stronger our armor needs to be.

What do you think?

Many people think that Christian fiction should only be clean and wholesome, without the stain of the world’s influence. I certainly agree that those books are wanted and needed.
But is there also a place for evil in Christian fiction?

And what role should we, as authors, play in this battle?

Readers - what do you think? What are your expectations when you read a book from a Christian author?

Commenters will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of the books from my backlist, your choice!

The book list can be found on my website: www.JanDrexler.com