Ginger Garrett's Blog, page 9

Newsday Tuesday

The Borders store at Johns Creek, Georgia, is shutting its doors. If you were planning on attending the signing I was scheduled to be at, it's been cancelled. I hate to see the store close–Borders always had a great staff and and plenty of active clubs that met to discuss books and writing. I'll miss them.

Today I am catching up on all of life. I turned in two books for the final line edits,  both the Samson and Delilah novel I wrote last year and the beauty book collaboration. (Can't wait to show that one off to you! Prepare to be dazzled by the celebrity stylist who pioneered a brand new approach to beauty and life!)

I also am reading an early draft of a new novel from India Edghill, a novelist I respect and and have learned much from. (That's a perk of being in this business.) And I am reading a nonfiction called BONHOEFFER by Eric Metaxas. If you don't read any other nonfiction book this year, read this one. Bonhoeffer was a young theologian when the Nazis began to come into power. I am fascinated by this account of one man's early recognition of evil, and his angst trying to awaken others to the danger. Riveting, disturbing, and  beautiful.

Lastly, I found this quote today, and wanted to share it with you: "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Carl Jung

Will the Next Signing Be a Sellout, Too?

Not if you don't show up! I had a wonderful time meeting all of you at Heavenly Dove last Saturday. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your day and your stories with me. I learned so much about the power of words, and the need we all have for comfort and inspiration. Keep shining, all of you–you are bright lights in a dark world. The store sold out of their inventory on several books, which was a great encouragement to everyone. I hope this means the economy is going to be good to us all in 2011.

If you missed me last weekend, then make plans to join me at Borders on Saturday, Feb. 26th from 1-3pm, in Johns Creek, Georgia. We will be doing a relaxed, informal tea beforehand, so you can ask me any questions about books and beauty and life. I promise to have an answer–or at least be able to make one up, fast.

See you then!

Meet Me At Heavenly Dove Bookstore!

I'll be at Heavenly Dove bookstore in Cumming, GA on Saturday, February 12, from Noon until 2pm signing copies of my new book, A WOMAN'S PATH TO INNER BEAUTY. This is a gorgeous little hardcover devotional, perfect for giving to any woman you love on Valentine's Day.

And men, if you are looking for the free download, HOW TO MAKE YOUR WIFE FEEL BEAUTIFUL, go to my Downloads page and click on the title. God bless you and your efforts to encourage your wonderful wife!

Need directions or info about Heavenly Dove bookstore? Visit their website:

http://www.heavenlydove.net/

Happy News This Morning

Publishers Weekly reviewed my upcoming novel, WOLVES AMONG US, (David C. Cook Publishers/April release) and had this to say:

*Wolves Among Us*

"Ginger Garrett, David C. Cook, $14.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-7814-4885-7/ Garrett (Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther) offers historical fiction readers a disturbing and fact-based glimpse into "the burnings"

that took place in the 1500s in Germany. In a small village near the Black Forest, a double murder sets the stage for a charismatic inquisitor to begin a terrifying witchhunt among the town's women. Mia, the sheriff's wife, is the axis around which this story turns as she keeps her past a secret while dutifully tending to her sickly daughter and her aged mother-in-law. The town's priest, Father Stefan, struggles with leading his flock faithfully while keeping evil from taking over the village. Confused about what is good and what is evil, these two characters embark on much soul-searching as the violence around them intensifies to a stunning conclusion. /Garrett quite successfully pens a dramatic, thought-provoking tale that will leave readers happily unsettled, as this author's message can be found frighteningly too close to home for comfort."

That was great news for me; and the best news of the week yet, was that all my foster puppies made a total recovery from Parvo virus. If you don't know what parvo is, it's a feline disease that mutated and attacks very young puppies, often before they can get vaccinated. It's fatal much of the time, and a horrible way for them to die. However, vets are beginning to use Tamiflu to combat it. Because Tamiflu is an antiviral, it attacks the virus, and saves the puppies. The puppies survived because of God's grace, which God showed us through making Tamiflu available and giving us a very wise vet.

And this morning, even while reading such a positive review for my work, I can say this: nothing is sweeter than the sound of five puppies running down the hall. It's nice to have my own work praised; but it's an indescribable gift to see God's work in the world around me.

Need A Cute Puppy?

Check out the litter of puppies I am fostering for Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta:

http://www.greatpyratlanta.com/available_dogs.asp

These six puppies have stolen my heart. Every day is a huge, unending delight to a puppy. Wouldn't it be great to live every day with an attitude like that?

May your week be filled with joy and wonder–

Ginger

You're Just Going to Have to Trust Me…

I adapted this recipe from a vegan recipe from The Happy Herbivore blog (http://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-blackbean-brownies/) and trust me, these brownies are delicious! So many of us are trying to eat healthy but we hate giving up chocolate treats. With this recipe, you get the best of both worlds. Plus, several of the ingredients are super-foods, known for their ability to prevent disease, boost energy and promote well-being.  I did put a little sugar and chocolate chips into my version, but it's a minor splurge compared to a traditional brownie recipe.

I know the recipe sounds strange, but trust me….and make them!

Brownies

1/2 cup plain oats

2 cups black beans, rinsed

1/2 banana

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup cocoa powder (if you are a real choco-holic, add 3/4 cup)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Process oats in a blender or food processor until fine. Mix all the other ingredients together (except chocolate chips)  and blend or process until smooth. Add in oats and combine. Add in chocolate chips and stir by hand. Pour batter into a foil-lined 8×8 pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. These are best served warm, to release all the chocolate flavor. If enjoying after you bake them, re-heat in microwave on High for 10 seconds.

Would This Tempt You to Steal?

According to a press release I received this morning, the number one, most frequently shoplifted item in America is…

Facial moisturizer/wrinkle cream!

I won't mention the name brand. But this statistic just threw me for a moment. Does this mean women of a certain age are more prone to shoplift? Is it the thrill of getting away with it or the fear of wrinkles that drives them? I don't think I could be tempted to shoplift wrinkle cream, although with the millions of dollars spent on creating anti-wrinkle hysteria, I do understand the fear and dread of wrinkles. But having a few myself, I can say that I find them interesting additions, like distant cousins that Friend you on Facebook. They aren't entirely foreign to me, but rather, unexpected. And I am not going to get worked up about them. Not when I have real problems.

Like being snowed in for the third day in a row. School is out, too, and my home is beehive of children, crafts, movies, snacks, cocoa spills on the carpet, and occasional snarkiness. Cabin fever is getting to all of us just a little bit, and looks like the roads won't be passable in my area until Saturday. We are out of popcorn, but I have plenty of frozen spinach, so I don't know why the kids can't just dig in to a heaping plate of steaming spinach while they watch TV.

But enough about my problems. I don't want you to have a problem, so take this advice: go to your favorite bookstore (either online or in person) and reserve your copy of my new book, A WOMAN'S PATH TO INNER BEAUTY, from Harvest House Publishers, today! It releases in about two weeks, and is a gorgeous little devotional to help you live in the reality of your true beauty. You are a beautiful, divine creation, made in the image of a beautiful, divine Creator. You are unique in this world, and can reflect Jesus as no one else can. Don't wish your wrinkles away, and don't compare yourself to anyone else. (And certainly, don't steal the wrinkle cream!) Jesus knew what He was doing when He designed you for just this season of the world. Make a decision to trust Him this year, and trust Him in every area of your life. After all, the most beautiful woman in the world is the woman at peace with herself and her God.

Need More Time This Season?

Here's my holiday secret to tame stress and keep a positive mindset: at night I make a list of "enoughs." It might read something like this:

"Today, I had enough time to cook breakfast for the kids, and enough time to work out before writing. I had enough time to chat with my mom and enough time to read the mail. I had enough money to pay the bills, enough money to keep the lights on and enough money to feed the family."

By the time I am finished writing out what I actually had enough of, my stress level has gone waayy down. Stress, for me, is a fear of not having enough of something, and this exercise enables me to break through the fear and anxiety and dwell on the truth. And the truth, indeed, sets mefree. I have more than I realize, and I bet you do, too.

This month is crazy busy for me, as I am sure it is for you. Take time to celebrate the gift of hope that Christmas is, the promise that God can show up in the most suprising of places…

Wolves Among Us, my new historical novel, is up for pre-o...

Wolves Among Us, my new historical novel, is up for pre-order on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wolves-Among-Us-Chronicles-Scribe/dp/0781448859/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287092342&sr=1-1

The cover, which I cannot figure out how to load onto this blog, because I am good with words and not software, is STUNNING. DogEared Designs did this cover, and I think they do the most gorgeous work! If you scroll around under my name, you'll see that the book of meditations about beauty is also up for pre-order. The title is A Woman's Path to Inner Beauty, and DogEared did the cover for this book, too. Two different publishers but both have great taste!

This week I am working on the Samson and Delilah novel. I can't wait for everyone to read this one. I only wish I could write faster. I can write about 10k words a week, which matches John Steinbeck's pace for Grapes of Wrath. (That's the only way I can compare myself to him!) But I'm not as fast as Melody Carlson, one of my favorite authors. Siri Mitchell, another author I adore, writes faster than me, too. But I don't feel bad. I just love what I do and I love my readers. We had a great chat going this week on Facebook so look me up if you haven't.

And I'll close with a fun fact from Woman's World: a recent study shows that two out of three women feel more affectionate after their partner reads to them in bed. If you ask your hubby to read to you from one of my books, I suggest Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther. Men love to read what went on inside the ancient harems, and you'll feel all lovey-dovey. I think that might just be a winning combination…

Fall blessings to you all,

Ginger

What Do You Need Today?

Once at a month at our offices we pray and fast for our friends, families and readers. If you have a prayer request, please let us know! No matter where you are in your life or what you believe about God, we want to pray for you and your loved ones.

If you don't know much about fasting, or why we would include fasting with our prayers, let me give you the simplest explanation: fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline. "To fast" usually means to refuse any food for a set period of time and devote yourself to prayer.

In the ancient world, sacrifices were made to God along with prayer. With fasting, the person became the sacrifice, allowing themselves to experience mild suffering and pain as a way to humble themselves before God and beseech God to hear and answer.

Today, millions still believe in fasting's supernatural power, and millions of miracles have come about through someone combining prayer and fasting. I've been stunned and fascinated this year by the power of God unleashed through fasting.

For the last few months, every time we've set a date for a time of prayer and fasting, the date has been moved. We haven't wanted to change the date, but conflicts came up that were absolutely unavoidable–like major surgery for me.

So we've settled on a new date, and then bam! My email box has been flooded with prayer requests for events happening on that same day, prayer requests that demand a miracle, a supernatural healing and intervention. Medical emergencies, cancer treatments, broken families, dangerous surgeries…

We've fasted and prayed over every one. We've seen some amazing miracles. And we want to fast and pray for you. This new ministry has been on my heart for some time, and I want to make this offer as a way of encouraging you and letting you know that you don't have to face any situation alone.

Let me know what you need prayer for today. Miracles still happen!