Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 77
October 17, 2020
Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests
The Tribute Money, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1612-1614, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. [PD-US]
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
Matthew 22:15-21
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 this Coronavirus outbreak. Also please pray for calm to be restored to our country and for peace to reign.
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.
October 16, 2020
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: Amy Anguish was our guest, talking about When God Says "No." The winner of a copy of her new release, Saving Grace , is Denise!
Wednesday: Ruth Logan Herne shared her Storyteller Self -Therapy Unleashed Winners of "Finding Her Christmas Family" are Kim Hansen and Angeline!
Friday: Renee Ryan shared A Lesson Learned. The winner of Renee's book Surprise Christmas Family is Jenna Knight!
Monday: Jan Drexler is celebrating a new release and talking about weaving the spiritual thread into our stories. One commenter will win a copy of "Softly Blows the Bugle," which releases on TUESDAY!
Wednesday: USA TODAY Bestselling Author Debby Giusti will talk about her OCT release from LIS, AMISH CHRISTMAS SEARCH, with behind-the-scenes info about various locations in her story. Be sure to stop by and leave a comment to be entered in her drawing! Friday: Pam Hillman is our hostess
Debby Giusti's next book,Amish Christmas Search,is available NOW!
Debby is a guest onSally Shupe's blogand is giving away three books.Stop by and say hello!http://sallyshupe.blogspot.com
COVER REVEAL!I just got permission to share the cover of book #2 in my upcoming seriesBrothers in Arms SeriesHere are books #1 and #2 Braced for Love and A Man with a Past (I wrote an anmnesia book!!!)
And book #3 of the Brides of Hope Mountain Series is now OUT! Her Secret Song
Jan Drexler has two new releases on Tuesday, October 20th!
Softly Blows the Bugle, the third book in her Amish of Weaver's Creek series,
AND the re-release of her Christmas novella, An Amish Christmas Recipe Box (in e-book only.)
Links to order both books are on her website: www.JanDrexler.com
A Tale of Three Dozen Craft Books by Tina Radcliffe
Asking the Right Questions with Character Interviews bt Alli Sinclair at Writers Helping Writers
The Benefits of Writing Flash Fiction by Nancy Stohlman at Jane Friedman
Tips to Boost Holiday Book Sales by Susan U. Neal at The Write Conversation
How Writing Sprints Can Help You Stay Focused and Finish Writing Your Novel by Hannah Bauman at Between The Lines Editorial
Put the Mess in Your Message by Angela R Strong at Learn How To Write A Novel
The Reasons Readers Didn't Care About Your Protagonist by Janice Hardy at Fiction University
The Pros and Cons of Plotting and Pantsing by Jessica A McMinn at Writes Edit
The Link Between Your Story's Pinch Points by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Fun Fridays with Steve Laube
October 15, 2020
A Lesson Learned by Renee Ryan
Thank you, Winnie, for inviting me to blog with you today. I always love visiting Seekerville. What a joy to hang out with so many friends, old and new.
Throughout my career, I’ve written books for the Christian market for several publishers. I adore weaving my faith into my stories. Surprise Christmas Family marks my twentieth book with Harlequin Love Inspired. I had as much fun writing this one as I did my first book. Both stories are set in Colorado. They also carry the similar themes of non-traditional families finding happiness together, and precious little girls wanting a daddy of their very own.
My father will turn 98 next month. The older he gets the more he wants to talk about the past. I love listening to his stories. Many of his favorite memories are also mine. One in particular happened when I was the same age as the twins in Surprise Christmas Family. Unlike Harper and Kennedy, I grew up in Florida and so, even in December, I was a proud member of the local swim team. At five, my twin sister and I competed in the 6-and-under category. She was the real swimmer. I had yet to finish a race or make it through a single practice. And yet, I was convinced I was a good swimmer, certainly equal to my sister in skill and endurance.
I was, of course, wrong. My sister, showing off her considerable talent at a family Christmas party, swam from one end of the pool to the other (a distance just shy of 25-yards). Not to be outdone, I wanted a try as well. My father was not as enthusiastic as I was. He actually attempted to talk me out of this terrible idea. I was having none of it. If my sister could do it, so could I. When he wouldn’t relent, I resorted to little-girl tears, foot stomps and bottom-lip pouts.
He let me give it a try. As I slid into the water, the other wall suddenly looked very far away. Worried I might not make the crossing, I chose the dogpaddle in hopes of conserving my energy. Halfway to my destination, panic set in. “I can’t do it, Daddy,” I wailed. “I can’t do it!!!”
I was going under, fast.
A heartbeat later…SPLASH. My father’s strong arms scooped me out of the water and set me on the pool deck. When he climbed out after me, I realized he’d jumped in fully clothed; fancy business suit, leather shoes, expensive watch, and all. Ashamed, I started to cry. He simply pulled me into his arms and told me he was proud of me for trying.
Ever since that fateful day, I’ve always known my daddy would jump in the water to save me. I was fortunate to have an earthly father who demonstrated this kind of unconditional love. His example taught me how to trust in my Heavenly Father and to know that the Lord will always be there to save me. Is it any wonder I gave Harper and Kennedy not just one father figure, but an entire clan of uncles, and that all five men would jump in the water, fully clothed, to save them?
What about you? Any great memories about your father? Or husband? Brother or uncle or special teacher? Maybe a coach? Did any of these relationships teach you about your Heavenly Father?
Leave a comment and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of five copies of Surprise Christmas Family.
SURPRISE CHRISTMAS FAMILY
Can a very merry mistake lead to a perfect holiday?
He isn’t the man she’s searching for…
but he could be the one she needs.
Hope Jeffries is determined to gain full custody of her twin nieces from their absentee dad. But when she finally confronts Dr. Walker Evans, Hope discovers she has the wrong man—this handsome Colorado widower is the girls’ uncle!
While Hope and Walker try to locate his brother, can they also give their nieces a perfect family Christmas?
October 13, 2020
Storyteller Self-Therapy Unleashed
I can kill people in stories.
THIS IS FROWNED UPON IN REAL LIFE.
Understandably. Killing is wrong. It's mean. It's despicable.
But writers have the best therapy tool at their personal disposal: We can take out our angst on fictional people, no one really dies, and no one goes to jail. :)
This means that if you tend toward hissy fits or days of pouting, writing can be cost-free and beneficial for you.
There are multiple ways to look at Writing Therapy:
Self-interest: We kill off or make the life/lives miserable of people we model after real people... I will admit that I've used this tool from time to time, not to be vindictive, but it does have a healing effect when you take those irritating or frustrating traits in people and use them in fictional characters to move a story along or set a scene or plot. I've also used this to set character arcs for Really Nice People, too! And that helps to make characters relatable and believable.
Good of Mankind: Sometimes good must triumph over evil and that means the bad guy or girl must die or be arrested or thrown into a dungeon. :) To have good triumph over evil is an age-old plot device we all love and it works. Sometimes we try to re-invent the wheel... but the wheel is already functional, so then it becomes our take on what needs to happen in the story and how far we let the evil go. That's a tough line to draw, and that's when good editing comes in handy because while the author may think the perpetrator needs a beat-down, the editor may see from the reader's point of view that less is more.
Healing Waters: A lot of authors are introverts. (Disclaimer: I am not an introvert. I'm not even sure why people are introverts, because I actually like people and relish chaos and enjoy interaction, but the fact remains that authors like me seem to be more of an exception, but just so you know, I do have feelings now and again... although I am sometimes the most insensitive person on the planet. Although a good commercial might make me cry! :) Dichotomy, much?)
Introverts can find healing therapy in their story-telling art. They can affect the lives of fictional characters, which in turn can inspire real people, all done with a keyboard. This isn't a bad thing, it's a very good thing. Emily Dickinson is a classic example. Unfortunately, she didn't have the joy of acceptance and recognition in her time, and that can be the downfall/outcome of hiding in an upstairs room. (insert wry grimace here) Still, the quietness of writing a story can be therapeutic for the introverts among us!
Getting Even Is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong: Unless it's in a book!
We have free license to make people pay for their mistakes and/or bring them to restitution or redemption. Both can work, both can have an effect of satisfaction for the reader, but it is important for the author's choice to fit the narrative. That means you have to make it plausible from the beginning that if you're saving a character from him or herself, it makes sense... and if you're making them pay for their evil deeds, your timing is essential. The buildup has to be there. But in the end the writer's satisfaction with getting even fictionally is absolutely appropriate and carries NO JAIL TERM!! :)
You Can Prove Your Point Systematically:
Now this is a different kind of self-therapy.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
We've all heard this. We all understand the meaning. The horse needs water to live, horse won't drink despite best efforts, horse dies.
How Sad!!!!! But totally the horse's fault. I'm reminded of the old "I sent you two boats and a helicopter" joke, but I'll stay mum on that. As authors we can mentor, advise, counsel and chat with people about writing, life, faith, family, friends... but in the end the choices are firmly in the other author's hands. That means if you fail, it's not systemic failure. It's your failure.
If you take time off, it's your choice... and your time.
If you stop writing after book one because no one bought it (I was a dozen books in before my first sale...) then maybe this isn't the job for you. Is that mean?
No.
It's honest, so the writing as therapy idea only works if you're writing and it doesn't cause you more angst in your personal life. I am often amazed at the things people post on social media about their writing job, their books, their lack of opportunity, all of which are pretty much the same across the board.
It's only therapeutic if you love it and if you keep doing it. But I will tell you honestly, after watching a lot of authors hit the wall after being contracted, it's not for everyone and there is no shame in that.
In the end, it's all up to you, the author, to do what it takes. Maybe to have what it takes.
But if you do it and stick with it, the self-healing therapy is right there and I promise you: It's way cheaper than some of the more traditional kinds and might even make you some money.
AND.... speaking of wonderful stories, here's a great story just released from Love Inspired Books, with a 4.9/5 rating on Amazon, my third Golden Grove story "Finding Her Christmas Family".... Available nationwide and I'm giving away two copies here in Seekerville! LINK TO AMAZON HERE
Leave a comment below... it can be about therapy, about great stories, about your latest escapade with a cute puppy.... I'm opening the conversation up to a simple back-and-forth chat because sometimes that's the best story starter! And I'll put your name in the drawing!
Multi-published, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne loves God, her family, friends, her country, dogs, Diet Mt. Dew, coffee, chocolate, and freedom... and kids. :) In her other life she owns a pumpkin farm in Western New York so is often seen baking, selling, laughing and meeting people throughout September and October every year, a job she also loves! Write her at loganherne@gmail.com, find all of her sixty-plus novels and novellas on Amazon.com, visit her website ruthloganherne.com or visit with her here in Seekerville or Thursdays at yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com where she talks life, love and food... and crazy house projects from time to time.
October 11, 2020
When God Says "No"
By Amy R. Anguish
We all have plans. After all, from the time we can talk, we’re asked questions like “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
It’s ingrained in us.
And we think our plans are good, right? Otherwise, we’d change them.
But what do we do when God decides our plans aren’t what He wants for us?
Let’s all be honest here. If our plans were fulfilled, we’d all be best-selling authors, right? And while some of the beautiful writers here have achieved that, most of us are still working on it.
If all the plans my husband and I made had come true, I’d possibly still be living in Austin, Texas. Or at least have moved to Tennessee more than three years ago.
And I’d have a child about to be a teenager (I’m rather glad that plan didn’t pan out right now. My five-going-on-sixteen-year-old has enough sass for the here and now).
Instead, after only a few years in the Austin area, my husband lost his job. And instead of getting pregnant at twenty-five, I had to wait more than six years to be able to see those two lines on the pregnancy test.
I could be bitter about that. I could dwell on it and wish my life away, wanting the original plan instead of what I got.
But that’s a waste of time and energy. It won’t change anything. And it would take away the blessings I received because of going through all that.
Like the amazing friends we made in Tyler, Texas the six years we lived there. Like the closeness we gained in our marriage while we went through fertility treatments. Like the wonderful children we have now and the friends we have due to their children being the same age. And like the appreciation we have for my husband finally having the job he always wanted.
It’s not always easy to see the good that can come from what we consider a bad situation, but it’s there. And provides us with tons of good story fodder, too. Maybe that’s why in my new book, Saving Grace, my character Michelle has to deal with her plans not going exactly as she planned them. As she goes through the story, she has to realize that sometimes the plans we make for ourselves aren’t the best for our lives, and God has a better idea.
For a chance to win a copy of my book, leave a comment below. I’d love to hear of stories in your life when your plans didn’t work out exactly like you planned, but maybe had an even better result because of it.
Saving Grace...
What if saving Grace doesn’t mean what she thinks it does?
Michelle Wilson’s one goal in life was to become a top journalist at the local paper back in her hometown of Cedar Springs, AR. But on the way to bringing that dream to reality, a life-changing wreck interrupts Michelle’s plans and adds an orphaned baby into the mix. Now, she has tough decisions ahead—did God put her in that accident to save baby Grace? And if so, why is it so hard to convince everyone else she should be the baby’s new mommy?
Greg Marshall has been Michelle’s best friend his whole life. He’s thrilled she’s moving back home, but not so sure about her sudden desire to be a single mom. His feelings for her have grown through the years, but she’s never seemed to notice. Can he help Michelle with the adoption and grow their relationship at the same time?
****
Author of An Unexpected Legacy, Faith and Hope, and Saving Grace
Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher's kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.
Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor
Or https://twitter.com/amy_r_anguish
Learn more about my books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/
And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu...)
October 10, 2020
Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests
Parable of the Great Banquet, Brunswick Monogrammist, c 1525, National Museum, Warsaw. [PD-US]
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Matthew 22:1-14
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 this Coronavirus outbreak. Also please pray for calm to be restored to our country and for peace to reign.
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.
October 9, 2020
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: Mary
Wednesday: Mindy reflected on how 2020 had become a year to RE-focus. The winner of a 2020 Christmas ornament is... Winnie!
Friday: Carrie hosted Pepper Basham who shared a fabulous post on what she learned while writing her first romantic suspense based on a true crime. The winner of a print copy of The Red Ribbon is Amy Anguish!
Monday: Amy Anguish will be our guest today with her post, When God Says 'No'. And she's offering a giveaway of her new release, Saving Grace .
Wednesday: Ruthy is our hostess. Friday: Renee Ryan is our guest.
Debby Giusti's next book,Amish Christmas Search,is available NOW!
New Features - Plottr and Book Brush by LA Sartor at An Indie Adventure
How To Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing by Lewis at The Novel Smithy
4 Ways To Bring Out Theme In Your Story by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive
When Can You Call Yourself a Writer? by Patricia Bradley at Learn How To Write A Novel
The Link Between Your Story's First Plot Point and The Third Plot Point by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Struggling To Start Your Novel? Here's What Makes A Good Beginning by Janice Hardy at Fiction University
As A Writer, Always Have A Question by PeggySue Weller at The Write Conversation
A Writer's Fears (A Prayer) by Bob Hostetler at Steve Laube Agency
And Now For Something Completely Different by Cathy Yardley at Writer Unboxed
12 Steps To Prepare For NaNoWriMo by Hannah Bauman at Between The Lines Editorial
October 8, 2020
Corn Shuckins, Bootleggin’, and Gun Slingin’, oh My! with guest Pepper Basham
Hi Seeker villagers! Carrie here, and I am delighted to host my dear friend Pepper Basham today! Her new book, The Red Ribbon, released October 1st as part of Barbour's True Colors historical true crime fiction series! Take it away Pepper, my Pepper!
Corn Shuckins, Bootleggin’, and Gun Slingin’, oh My!
(Or… What Writing My First Romantic Suspense Taught Me)
by Pepper Basham
On a little knoll overlooking the green rolling hills of Fancy Gap, Virginia, stands an old, white Queen Anne style house quite out of place among the country businesses and small houses scattered nearby. It had always been such a curious sight as I traveled from my house “below the mountain” to high school “above the mountain” in Carroll County, Virginia, where I grew up. The Sidna Allen House—a place which carried rumors of a courthouse shootout, nationwide manhunt, and a massive feud, and it all started with a kiss.
As a teenager driving the winding roads of the Appalachian Mountains, I don’t think I ever imagined delving into the true story of this scar on Virginia history. It’s not a happy story. It’s a true crime.
And as I began my research, many times, there appeared to be no REAL heroes. So when I took the opportunity to bring this unknown tragedy to light through fiction, I struggled with several things.
1. How do I walk the fine line between truth and respecting the generations of families who still live in my hometown with the lingering effects of this story?
2. How do I write a story about something that still rings with unanswered questions today?
3. But most importantly, how can I bring grace into this tragic tale so that the readers will see the hope of Christ in the middle of tragedy?
I’m not a suspense writer, guys. I’m a ROMANCE writer. I write KISSING BOOKS. What on earth was I doing writing a TRUE CRIME fiction?
Well this tragedy starts with a kiss so that helped
October 6, 2020
2020: A Time to RE-focus
by Mindy ObenhausTake a trip with me back to January. Back when the Christmas decorations had finally been tucked away and you began filling in a brand-new calendar with your hopes and dreams for the year.
At the beginning of 2020, everything was all about focus. For many, it was their one word for the year. We had no idea that the world as we knew it was about to change. But change it did.
By March, daily trips to the store for this or that had been replaced by the occasional stock-up run to replenish the pantry and freezer. Families settled down to home-cooked meals instead of hitting the drive-thru or going out to eat. Face to face connections happened via a computer screen and kitchens became home offices.
There was no rushing from school to sports or other activities. Churches were closed. People learned to cook, make sourdough bread and sew masks. Chores that had been a source of procrastination were finally completed as we wondered when or if life would get back to normal.
We started to look at life differently. And we realized that it might be time to refocus. To shift our attention from what we thought was important to what truly mattered. Faith, family, friends… Toilet paper!
Today, let’s chat about how 2020 has impacted you. Has it caused you to refocus? Are there things you’ll never take for granted again? Things you’ve learned you can live without? What has 2020 taught you?
And just for kicks, let’s do a giveaway. Leave a comment for a chance to win this fun Christmas ornament depicting some of the little things we all remember about 2020.
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
October 5, 2020
RELEASE DAY MINUS ONE!!
IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!
A little inside baseball of writing.
Her Secret Song, which releases TOMORROW!!! Has been in my publisher's hands for ONE YEAR. That's how far ahead an author and publisher works.
The publisher has catalogues that go to bookstores three times a year and a book has to be done, turned in, revised before the catalogue goes out.
The cover comes and is settled about six months before the book releases because it needs to make those catalogues.
So the publisher's part of getting a book ready to print takes longer than it takes me to write.
Also going on....revisions (which takes them a couple of months and then they give me a couple of months to respond to their revision notes), then I get a revised version they call galleys and I get a month to make corrections and send them in. The I get a final version they call designed pages and I get a read through on that. They are also doing read-throughs on each stage to catch typos and what we call SUBSTANTIVE errors. Substantive just means it's a FACT that's wrong, or a detail like, Ursula said........when I mean WAX said. Point of view and sentence tags, it can get muddled in sometimes small ways that get hard to notice.
So the lesson here is, any typos and substantive errors are NOT MY FAULT! --well, that's the lesson I'VE LEARNED.
Others my draw other lessons!
Any questions about the process? Sometimes we get so USED to the system we forget it's a little bit of a mystery to others.
Her Secret Song
(Brides of Hope Mountain Book #3)
The woman who's afraid of everyone is falling for the scariest guy in the world…what could go wrong?
Wax Mosby was climbing Hope Mountain in part to atone for his terrible choices. He was hired to drive out the Warden family and now knows he was duped. But when he's wounded during the climb, the last person he expects to rescue him is a beautiful blond woman with the voice of an angel.
As both Ursula and Wax weigh the costs of living new lives, the two find an unlikely bond. And they're joined by Ursula's sisters and the Warden family as the final showdown over the family ranch looms with the coming of spring. AND THE FIRST REVIEW!!Publishers Weekly Review of Her Secret Song HERE!
Coming October 6th! TOMORROW!!!! EEK!!!The action packed finale to the Brides of Hope Mountain series!
Read an excerpt HERE
Buy Her Secret Song HERE
Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a copy of HER SECRET SONG!!!
Mary Connealy
