Beverly Nault's Blog, page 8
April 9, 2013
Kaleidoscopes: Tubes of many colors, where did they come from?
Kaleidoscopes: Tubes of many colors, where did they come from?
Sir David Brewster invented the Kaleidoscope in 1816. A combination of the words, kalos, or beautiful, and eidos or form, and scope or watcher, Kaleidoscope means “beautiful form watcher.”
Brewster’s first ‘scope was constructed of pieces of colored glass and other found objects reflected by mirrors or glass lenses set at angles, creating patterns when spun around.
In the 1870’s, American Charles Bush improved on the design, and began manufacturing them for mass marketing.
The kaleidoscope creates reflections of the objects inside the tube. If the mirror angle is evenly divisible by 360 degrees, the pattern will be symmetrical. For instance, a mirror set at 60 degrees will generate a pattern of six regular sectors. A mirror angle at 45 degrees will make eight equal sectors, and an angle of 30 degrees will make twelve.
From handcrafted or homemade, to mass manufactured, kaleidoscopes are enjoyed by all ages, collected, traded and treasured for their beauty and simplicity.
Sources:
http://inventors.about.com/od/kstarti...
http://www.kaleidoscopecollector.com – this site has a picture and interesting article about Brewster’s invention.
I’m having fun writing, The Kaleidoscope, A Novel of Unusual Circumstances, where the main character, Harold, finds himself the custodian of a magical scope that reveals much more than just colorful shapes! Here’s a Pinterest board where I’m gathering images of the characters and setting for Kaleidoscope. http://pinterest.com/bevnault/the-kal...
April 1, 2013
Though My Heart is Torn, Book 2 in The Cadence of Grace Series
Though My Heart is Torn, Book 2 in The Cadence of Grace Series
Joanne Bischof has done it again!
First, a litte about her newest masterpiece, Though My Heart is Torn, (Multnomah) which by the way is on my HIGHLY recommended list, and then a bonus Q&A with Joanne about what’s funny and challenging and coming next in her writer’s life.
Here’s a setup of the book:
Shy and quiet, Lonnie Sawyer has never kissed any boy, let alone the one who has mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns. When just one kiss seals her fate, she finds herself wedded to a man who does not love her. Yet God promises that His eye is on the Sparrow and clinging to that hope, Lonnie takes one brave step in front of the other and the Lord’s blessings unfold in her life.
Handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician, Gideon O’Riley, has always wanted one thing–his own satisfaction. But as his heart softens towards his young bride with the strong, quiet, faith, he begins to yearn for more; longing to become the man she deserves and to better understand the God who has saved him from a life of destruction.
You don’t have to read the first installment of The Cadence of Grace series, but I believe you’ll want to! That said, do NOT expect this series to be your run-of-the-mill, lightly treading mamby pamby romance, no sir! Just because it’s set in Appalachia around the turn of the century, there’s nothing soft or sappy about it. Bischof once again had me up until the wee hours turning the pages, every chapter had me rushing to find out how the story would unfold.
And just like the first book, Be Still My Soul, this one is also exquisitely written, with beautiful and compelling details of life in the early 1900′s.
I’ve described Joanne’s writing before as some of the best out there today, and she does not disappoint.
Joanne Bischof
Heartfelt Fiction
Praise for Though My Heart is Torn:
“Fresh and memorable as an Appalachian spring, Though My Heart Is Torn is heartrending yet hopeful, romantic, and riveting. Joanne Bischof delivers a deeply drawn tale of hearts broken and mended in the light of the Lord’s healing love. Lonnie and Gideon’s story is one that stays with you long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!”—Laura Frantz, author of The Colonel’s Lady and Love’s Reckoning
And now, here’s a fun Q&A with Joanne herself!
BEV: You colored outside the lines with your hero, Gideon’s character and situation. Were you ever unsure whether your readers would accept him?
JB: I really was. He’s such a scoundrel in the beginning of Be Still My Soul, and to ask readers if they wanted to follow his journey toward redemption was intimidating. And then I was blown away by how many readers rooted for him in the end! I think so many readers could relate to their own experience of needing a Savior, or having walked the road with someone searching for that healing that can only come in Christ.
BEV: Without giving away the major twists of the plot, I want readers to know your books are not our grandma’s historical fiction, and address a “what-if” situation that seems to have no possible satisfactory outcome. Is any of this based on something you’d heard of, or did you make it up just for the series?
JB: I’d say that I pretty much just made it up for this series and because of the rarity of it all, it really made it a challenge to write. There were days I just wanted to scrap it all and write about something easier, but then I had to remind myself that if I could just get my characters—and myself—through this challenge, the outcome would be all the more rewarding.
BEV: Your stories grab the reader by the hand and heart, and don’t let go until the final page. Do you ever feel guilty for making the journey so compelling we stay up way too late and ignore our own families so we can finish?
JB: Haha! Fun question! I have felt guilty a time or two when someone tells me that they didn’t go to bed until 1 in the morning or the laundry never got folded because they were too involved in the story. But it’s one of those moments that make me smile and I’m so thankful for all the readers out there who’ve picked up this series!
BEV: Your writer’s voice is so true to the era, how do you prepare to write historically?
JB: My real life often feels like a modern extension of what I write. Living in the mountains where I do, it’s not uncommon for people to grow their own food, or to bump into a man at the post office with dingy overalls and a long beard. It’s sort of every day for me. When I dive into my historical world, that old-fashioned setting is living right below the surface and it just feels natural to sort of pour all that onto the page.
BEV: Do you ever dream plots or scenes and use them?
JB: The only time that I can recall ever dreaming a plot and using it, was right in the beginning. I dreamt about an older couple who were feeling stretched thin with the farm work and with no living children around, the burden began to grow as the years wore on. That couple became Jebediah and Elsie Bennett from the series and I think they were just the couple that Lonnie and Gideon needed to find. Not because Jeb and Elsie needed the help so much, but more because Lonnie and Gideon had so much learning to do and this wise couple had plenty of love and wisdom to share.
BEV: What was the funniest thing that happened to you while you were writing TMHiT?
JB: You know, something funny happened just the other day! I was actually working on the third book in the series and was working on a scene of dialogue between the two main characters. Somehow I had the hero, Gideon say, “Lonnie, I’m so sorry I didn’t love you as much as I should have in the first book.”
I had to stop and laugh at that oopsie! J
BEV: HAHA!! Oh. me…ahem. I know you have several plates spinning at once, from homeschooling, to writing and marketing your books, and everything being a wife and mom entails. If you were given the day off, what do you dream about being able to do?
JB: That sounds just wonderful! I’m home a lot, so I think I would like to sight see. Visit one of the nearby country towns, or head to the coast. The thought of window shopping and just strolling around sounds heavenly.
BEV: If you could describe the Cadence of Grace in one sentence to someone who never read historical fiction, what would you tell them?
JB: The Cadence of Grace is a journey of the heart—a romance set against the backdrop of Appalachia, 1900.
BEV: That’s lovely. What’s the most exciting thing about being an author today? What’s the most frightening?
JB: The most exciting thing is being able to interact with so many readers. I love that we can get to know one another through blogs and Facebook. It’s such a joy to get to hear from them! The most frightening is probably the challenges of the industry itself. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but then I have to stop and remind myself that God is in control. I just need to keep doing the best I can do and He will take care of the rest.
BEV: What’s next in your satchel?
JB: Next in my satchel is another historical Appalachian romance. It’s about a school teacher and a coal miner that’s an unlikely romance story. My favorite kind! I don’t know if it will ever be published, but soon I’ll be working on that more and more.
Thanks, so much, Joanne, love having you here!!
Joanne and Bev
Get in touch with Joanne on Facebook, at her website, and follow her on twitter @JoanneBischof and tell her Bev sent you!
March 3, 2013
Overwhelmed? Here’s Permission to Take Better Care of Yourself
Overwhelmed? Here’s Permission to Take Better Care of Yourself
It’s nearly spring, and as you know, here at FRESH START STORIES, we’re all about 
making positive changes, so when I saw Lucille Zimmerman’s new book, RENEWED: FINDING YOUR INNER HAPPY IN AN OVERWHELMED WORLD, I wanted to invite Lucille to share what inspired her to write, and what’s in this wonderful book for all of us.
I recommend this book for you if:
A. You struggle with understanding why you can’t keep and find joy or happiness, or know someone like that.
B. Are a writer interested in finding out what motivates characters. And for terrific insight into what happens in a counseling session.
C. You enjoy an intelligent, thoughtful and well-written book that explores the human mind.
So, basically, everyone should read it!
First, a little about RENEWED.
Women increasingly find themselves pulled in many directions, striving to balance the needs of others with the need to nurture themselves. RENEWED helps women understand the need to put themselves on “the list.” Through practical ideas and relatable anecdotes, readers can better understand their strengths and their passions—and address some of the underlying struggles or hurts that make them want to keep busy or minister to others to the detriment of themselves.
This is not another fluffy book that promises help and then lets you down. It includes anecdotes and research—within a Christian perspective—so that hurting people can find their way to sound mental health and happiness.
FSS: What motivated you to write RENEWED?
Lucille: This book was mostly about wanting to pass on what helps people heal. I was in such a painful place for so long and realized there are radical things people can do to make the pain heal. I really do hope it helps.
FSS: Why should women read this, aren’t we already quite busy?
Lucille: Christian women yearn to give themselves permission to step off the treadmill, to take time to do the things that give them passion, and to nurture themselves. But many Christian women feel guilty doing anything that might look selfish and self-indulgent. My book provides clinical research, story, and encouragement for women to put themselves on the list.
FSS: It sounds like you went on a personal journey to write this book.
Lucille: My graduate program was intense with academic and self-reflective aspects. That time of learning psychology, and examining my life history, was the best but most painful time of my life. When I found relief for my shame, depression, and anxiety, so readily, I became angry that I had been stuck for a dozen years. I was frustrated that I had tried to find my emotional healing in scores of Bible studies.
Please hear me: I am grateful for every one of those studies and for the Godly people who surrounded me. I just wished I had known about the psychological tools and the safe people that would bring me swiftly into a place where anxiety, depression, and shame loosened their grip.
During and after that intense time, I holed away in my basement office and wrote. I wrote about everything that hurt and I wrote about everything that helped. I researched, read, and counseled others.
I spent years attending writing conferences. I found an agent then switched to another agent. I wrote queries and proposals. When the first idea didn’t sell, I re-worked it using much of the same material. Finally, the project was sold to a publisher. That was 18 months ago.
Editors, agents, copy-editors, friends, authors, and counselors helped me chisel and refine the book. The seed of the book has been growing for six to eight years. Finally, it is blooming!
I am so proud of this project. It is not another fluffy book that promises help and then lets you down. It includes anecdotes and research—within a Christian perspective—so that hurting people can find their way to sound mental health and happiness.
FSS: Thanks, Lucille, it’s been a real pleasure having you here. I’m going to read and re-read, and buy copies for my friends. God’s blessings on your ministry!
Lucille: Thanks for having me, and please find me at www.lucillezimmerman.com and Twitter @lucilleZ and on Facebook
About Lucille:
Lucille Zimmerman is a counselor, professor, author, and blogger. Two events changed her life: the Columbine High School shooting in her hometown of Littleton, Colorado, and visiting firefighters and police officers with the Billy Graham Prayer Center at Ground Zero shortly after the 9/11 attacks. She was a stay-at-home mom but had a passion for people who are suffering, especially those experiencing trauma. She went back to graduate school and started a private practice. RENEWED is her first book.
***
Quotes I highlighted (from Kindle version)
“When people blow up or overreact, it usually isn’t about what we did wrong but about how much those people are hurting or how affected they are by their own emotional histories. The more we are able to back off and see a bigger picture, the more we stop allowing others to direct our lives.” (location 224)
“As people grow and heal, they learn to recognize when they are being triggered, and they learn to ask for motherly, fatherly, or friendly bits of love from others.” (location 255)
I’m sure you’ll find many gems as well.
Peace out!
February 26, 2013
A Life of Gratitude: Free Kindle Book and Giveaway
A Life of Gratitude: Free Kindle Book and Giveaway
By Shelley Hitz
About the Book:
A Life of Gratitude: How to Overcome Self-Pity and Negativity
During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. As I did, I sensed Him leading me to do a 21 day gratitude challenge.
Over the course of the 21 days, God began to change me as I spent intentional time being grateful for all I had been given. I did this through writing in my journal each day and also sending a hand-written thank you note to someone different each day. This also led me to writing out 21 prayers of gratitude and compiling 21 stories of gratitude.
I want to share what I learned with you in the pages of this book which includes:
21 Days of Gratitude Challenge
21 Prayers of Gratitude
21 Stories of Gratitude
What to Expect On Each Day:
Read my personal stories, struggles and reflections.
Read one scripture and one quote about gratitude.
Apply one personal application step from the challenge.
Read one prayer of gratitude
Read one story of gratitude
Get Accountability and Encouragement
Along with the 21 day challenge, I also started a private Facebook group to provide accountability and encouragement for myself but also for others who decide to join me in the challenge. You will get access to this group as well. It has been amazing to see God at work in each of our lives.
Will you join me on this journey to gratitude?
FREE on Kindle 2/27/13 & 2/28/13)
Purchase Paperback | Purchase Large Print Paperback | Purchase Audiobook
Shelley Hitz
Shelley Hitz is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books will inspire and encourage you.
Shelley has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.
Follow Shelley Hitz
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Enter to Win a Paperback Copy and Coffee!
Enter below to enter a paperback copy of “A Life of Gratitude” and a $5 Starbucks gift card, sponsored by author Shelley Hitz!
Share this FREE book and giveaway with your friends!
February 6, 2013
Does your e-book marketing need a fresh start?
Does your e-book marketing need a fresh start?
Today my guest poster is Karen Baney, here to help up with a Fresh Start to Marketing ebooks.
Are you an author and getting down about your eBook sales or the lack thereof? If so, it may be time for a fresh start to your marketing efforts.
Doing too much of the same thing can cause your marketing messages to get lost in the crowd. For example, let’s say you’re in a cross-promotion group with about 20 people. You’ve tweeted out messages for each other somewhat consistently over the past four months—and the messages have been pretty much the same day after day after day. Perhaps you’ve started to see a decline in your sales or you just feel like this isn’t helping anymore. You’re probably right.
What happened? Why did this marketing strategy stop working? Well, your audience started turning a deaf ear because they’ve heard what you were saying. You are now white noise.
So, how can you freshen up your marketing?
Try a new channel. If cross-promotion has become stale, then try some paid advertising. If paid advertising has become stale, try some guest blog posts. If guest blog posts have become stale, try cross-promotion. No one strategy in and of itself is necessarily ineffective. It could just be that you’ve worn out one particular channel for now.
Freshen up your messaging. Whether you’re tweeting or using some other marketing channel, try writing new marketing messages. Perhaps you’ve used that reader’s comment one too many times. Or that novel line has lost its luster. Go back to your book. Spend a half hour flipping through the pages. Look for a new angle. Find new reviewer quotes to use.
Pick a new audience. Does your book have broader appeal than the audience you’ve been targeting? If so, maybe it’s time to focus some attention on a different audience. For example, I have a Christian historical romance series set in Arizona in the 1860s. When I first started marketing, I focused on just Christian historical romance readers. But what about those who love westerns? I completely missed the obvious: my books were westerns. Here was this entirely different audience that would probably like reading them. Maybe the same could be true for you.
Focus on beefing up an existing channel. Are you great at using Twitter, but terrible with Facebook? Maybe it’s time to spend less time on the first and more on the second. Get to know the ins and outs of the neglected channel better (i.e. Facebook).
These are just a few ideas on how you can breathe new life into your marketing. Did one of these ideas stand out to you? Do you have your own ideas? If so, take a few minutes to jot them down and start working on integrating your ideas into your marketing plan over the next few weeks.
Don’t forget about your old marketing channels or messaging. Save them for a future date when it’s time to mix things up again. Eventually, your fresh messaging will become stale and your old messaging might just be the fresh message you’re looking for. Marketing can be funny like that.
Did you like Karen’s advice? If so, pick up her new ebook: 10 Keys to eBook Marketing Success . It’s free on Amazon for a limited time.
Best-selling self-published author, Karen Baney, enjoys sharing information to help authors learn about the Business of Writing. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and has worked in various business related career fields for the past 20 years. She writes Christian Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels. To learn more about her novels visit her website: karenbaney.com . Authors can find tips and information on self-publishing and marketing at: www.myauthorservices.com .
Connect with Karen on Twitter , Facebook , and Google+ .
February 3, 2013
Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! in CrossReads’ Book Blast
Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! in CrossReads’ Book Blast
Introducing Crossread’s first Book Blast Featuring:Winter’s End (Seasons of Faith)
By Rebekah Lyn
Book Two of the Seasons of Faith Series
Musician Michelle Burton just had the best night of her life. Her band Tangled Web opened for Wonderland in downtown Orlando and the crowd loved them. Too excited to sleep she makes a fateful decision to go to work early. The best night of her life turns into the worst day of her life.
Nearby, at boutique Hotel Lago, Stephen Longbottom, acting concierge manager, is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the board of directors for Silken Pleasures, a multimillion dollar company based in New York and specializing in high end cosmetics, fragrances and lingerie. Their incessant demands before they even arrive are driving him to distraction. Meanwhile Lizzie Reynolds, his boss is on a romantic ski trip in Vermont leaving him to manage his first solo event.
Hope, forgiveness and love are an integral message throughout the book and like a fine tapestry the threads of God’s master plan for the character’s lives are woven into a fabric of great storytelling, conflict and humor.
Readers who came to know and love the characters of Summer Storms will enjoy catching up with Lizzie, Stephen, Michelle, Jeffrey and Ian.
Rebekah Lyn
Rebekah is a Christian with a heart for new beginnings. She is a Florida native and a graduate of Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Fl. A love of history, research and journaling led naturally to a passion for writing. She enjoys travel and has traveled extensively across the United States and Canada as well as Europe and the Caribbean. Her reading taste run from the classics to light fiction. When she is not working or writing, she enjoys cooking,baking and sharing recipes on her blog, http://rebekahlynskitchen.wordpress.com
Her current works include, Summer Storms and Winter’s End, books one and two in The Seasons of Faith series, and Julianne the first book in The Coastal Chronicle series. She is currently working on the, as yet untitled, second book in the Coastal Chronicles set in coastal Florida during the early years of the space program.
Rebekah currently resides in Florida along with her “attack” cat, Mia. They would enjoy meeting with you on her Facebook page.
Follow Rebekah Lyn
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Click on the gift card, sponsored by author Rebekah Lyn, and check out her books!
February 1, 2013
What’s up with the Segway?
Are they easy to learn how to ride? Will I fall off? What makes them go?
The Segway PT, “an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a sophisticated, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system,” (Wikipedia) was invented by Dean Kamen, an American inventor. Segway is a homophone of the word segue, and PT is for Personal Transporter.
Easy to ride: Computers and motors in the base keep the Segway upright when powered on. Gyroscopic sensors and fluid-based leveling sensors detect the weight shift, and riders move by shifting their weight on the platform. (Unless you’re a lousy driver and jump off a curb, the only danger in falling is if the power ever shuts off, but each Segway has a warning alarm, and gives you time to step off.)
What makes them go? Segways are electric, and can go up to 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 km/h).
Because they’re quick to learn how to ride, Segways are ideal for persons with arthritis or other conditions that make walking long distances difficult. Although Segways cannot be marketed in the US as medical devices because they have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device, Segs4Vets, a nonprofit organization, provides Segways to the men and women of the United States military whose service in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom resulted in permanent disability and difficulty walking.
Besides assisting warriors with mobility, Segways can be seen in countries around the world used by police, on guided tours, and for personal use where municipalities permit.
Segways have inspired the formation of enthusiasts groups, Segway polo, group glides, and a growing community of riders worldwide.
From sports to security, tourism and mobility, so hop on and find out for yourself how easy and fun they can be.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segway_polo
This has been a Coffee Break Escape – 7 Minute Adventures Exploring the World Together
January 26, 2013
Weaving Faith and Fiction with a Fresh Twist
Weaving Faith and Fiction with a Fresh Twist
Last year, Waterbrook Press released the first book in The Cadence of Grace, a series of historical fiction stories set in Appalachia. Reminiscent of the “Christy” series, yet with a fresh voice and compelling characters, “Be Still My Soul” has become one of the hottest selling, highly reviewed Christian novels.
While considered romance, Joanne’s stories are not cookie cutter, never cliche. The characters are flawed, the settings are real and thoroughly researched to transport you immediately to walk alongside them.
Joanne’s taken risks in creating plots that at once surprise, and then keep you up late turning the pages well into the night.
All reasons to read, but if that’s not enough, Joanne’s faith elements add a dimension that bless and inspire you well after you’ve finished. All these are reasons why I predict that these stories are well on their way to becoming one of the most highly regarded, even classics, in Christian fiction.
Here’s a podcast of Joanne explaining how she weaves elements of faith and scripture into the lives and settings of her stories.
Click on this link to listen as Joanne Bischof discusses “Though My Heart is Torn”
In the meantime, if you haven’t yet read Be Still My Soul, yet, hurry and do so and you will be ready for the next book in this incredible series. You’ll thank me!
******
Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home schooled children. When she’s not 
weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. Visit Joanne at her website, Heartfelt Fiction, and tell her Bev sent you!
January 24, 2013
Nailing Success-How an American actress Tipped off the Vietnamese-American Salon Industry
Photo courtesy of Enuk Nails. wylio.com
Prior to the introduction of new technology in the 1970’s that made manicures, specifically acrylic extensions, prohibitively expensive, only celebrities and the uber-wealthy could afford frequent visits to the salon. Except for the temporary stick-ons that provided more fodder for comedians than real fashion advantages, the perfection of a new technology, with the end of the Vietnam war, combined the possibility of nice looking nails with a successful business for enterprising Vietnamese expatriots.
Photo courtesy of Miss Minx. wylio.com
When the actress Tipi Hedren (most famous for Hitchcock’s “The Birds”) visited a tent city of Vietnamese women—some of them former professionals—in Sacramento, called “Hope Village,” she saw an immediate need to help. She shared manicure techniques, and with their diligence and business savvy, a “niche” industry was off and filing.
A dentist had begun using tooth repair technology to repair fingernails, and with the evolution of that technology, the availability of clean, quick, attractive artificial nails provided an added value to the previous cleaning, trimming and polishing choices.
By the early 2000′s, surveys by the industry reflect that 80% of nail salons in the Unites States are owned by first or second generation Vietnamese.
Sources for article:
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/05/local/me-nails5
http://www.metallicnails.com.au/blogs...
January 17, 2013
Which dazzling “gemstone” are you in God’s eyes?
Which dazzling “gemstone” are you in God’s eyes?
Today my guest is Teena Stewart, who understands firsthand what it means to go from something of seemingly little value to a beautiful and valuable treasure in God’s eyes.
Q: Why did you write The Treasure Seeker?
A: I guess you could say I discovered hidden treasure I wanted to share. As I studied the Bible I couldn’t help but see a treasure theme that reoccurs. It’s all through the old and new testaments. We see it in Jesus’ teachings and especially in what I call the “lost” parables. But as I studied these I realized that in some of the parables, such as the lost coin, the lost sheep and lost son, that we are the thing of great worth that is lost. God sees us as something very valuable and he’s earnestly trying to recover what he’s lost because it’s so precious to him. In two other parables, (the pearl of great price and treasure hidden in the field) weare the treasure seeker who needs to recognize a lost treasure of great value—a relationship with God to be had—if we will just grasp that.
So, there’s this mutual seeking. When we understand just how important it is to be in this relationship with God it is life altering. Imagine in your mind a scene played out in slow motion like in a movie where two people in love have been separated from each other for a long time. They run toward each other and meet in an embrace and passionately unite. That’s what it’s like but it doesn’t end there.
Once we unite with God, he moves into the role of a Master Jeweler who takes us in all our roughness, and shapes and reworks us into something even more remarkable. To really realize our true worth we have to stay in that relationship and allow him to refine us. So, to answer the question, why did I write the book? I want everyone to know they can have this incredible relationship that will make them feel treasured and valued and that by having it they will become even more so.
Q: Who is likely to find your book most helpful?
A: I wrote it with women in mind—women who are spiritually seeking and Christian women who want to grow more mature spiritually. I consider it a Christian Living book.
Q: Is it meant for individuals, or might it be used in a group setting?
A: I originally wrote it for self-study, in fact, I include Points to Ponder at the end of each chapter to help readers reflect on the main theme of that chapter and consider where they might need to grow. But I’ve had people who read the book tell me they think it would make a great group Bible study.
Q: What are some unique features that set yours apart from other books?
Well, first, the treasure stories, other than the parables, that I include. That was another thing that made me want to write the book. Over time I’ve heard and collected some intriguing stories about lost treasure and I wanted to share those, but I do so to tie into a point.
The book also has gemstone trivia just for fun and I included a section on specific gemstones and a bit of their history. Readers have the opportunity to decide what gemstone they think they are most like and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The back of the book includes a spiritual gifts assessment because I want readers to understand a bit more about who God made them to be and how they can use that “gemstone” package to serve themselves and God best.
I also created a Treasure Seeker jewelry line and have designed necklaces and earrings based on these particular gemstones. Those who purchase my book can also order these handmade—for a 10% discount when they purchase my book. More info on that at Serendipitini. The jewelry and art can also be found at Etsy.
Q: If there is one message you want readers to take from your book, what would you say that is?
A: The importance of a deep relationship with God & Christ. It will be the most fulfilling thing they have ever been a part of.
Q: What is the exact book title and where can people purchase it?
A: The Treasure Seeker: Finding Love and Value in the Arms of Your Loving Heavenly Father is available in paperback or ebook version on Amazon, and through my website www.teenastewart.com and most bookstores.
The book and jewelry would also make a great gift for someone who may need a little bling in their spiritual walk, besides being a great idea for a women’s Bible study. Now if y’all will excuse me, I’m off to discover what my gemstone is! Thanks, Teena!
Teena Stewart
When Teena isn’t creating up-cycled treasures using artwork and jewelry from discarded and found objects, she writes articles and books, and leads a ministry for Java Journey, an innovative coffee shop ministry in Hickory, NC. Teena’s life work reflects the spiritual message of being broken and yet valuable in God’s eyes—a message incorporated in her book The Treasure Seeker: Finding Value and Love in the Arms of Your Loving Heavenly Father (Wine Press).
