Shellie Neumeier's Blog, page 7

Folks from A Summer in Oakville are sharing Favorite Recipes

Check out A Summer in Oakville on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Summer-in-Oakville/200940583288468. The characters are sharing their favorite summer recipes with our fans. Check it out, first up, seventeen year-old Andy Hasmer shares his version of chocolate-covered bacon. Don't cringe, it's mighty good!! Think chocolate-covered pretzels with a twist. Can't beat that! Not when it's a State Fair favorite!

If your friend did this, what would you do?

Today's post is from a new friend of mine. Her heart shows in this post. Check it out…

Yavonne sits on her bed with her back pressed against the headboard and a pillow clutched to her chest. Her parents' brutal words slice through her paper thin walls, filling their house with hatred.  She grabs her Ipod sitting on her bedside table and slams the earplugs into her ears, cranking the volume until her brain vibrates. Tears lodge in her throat, but she swallows them down.

A razor blade tucked inside her nightstand drawer beckons her. The scars forever etched in her arm pale compared to the deep wounds encasing her heart. One of these days, she'll cut deep enough to end it all.

Would anyone care? Would anyone even notice? The words spoken by a neighbor a few months back flood her mind, playing tug-of-war with her heart.

"God loves you. He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He sees you."

She snorts and yanks up her sleeve, exposing ugly pink scars. Yeah, he sees her all right. All of her. Why would he care about her or her family?

"God loves you. He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He sees you."

What a laugh. If that's true, then where is he now?

Yavonne holds her breath, her heart quickening, as she waited for a response.

The steel guitar grates against her ear drum.

Yeah, that's what she thought. What does it matter, anyway? You live and die, then turn to worm food.

So why not speed the process along a big? Shorten the dash on the headboard?

***

Rachel sifts through her container of beads, laying the yellows and orange on the table. Soft praise music drifts from the kitchen, muting her parents' chattering voices. She smiles and resumes her beading.

The words of this morning's sermon fill her head.

"You've been given a precious gift. Now you need to share it. God wants to loves the world—through you. Right now, as you sit her surrounded by His love, someone is hurting. Right now someone is calling out to God, asking Him if He truly cares. The question is, will you allow Him to love His broken children through you, or will you turn and walk away."

An image of Yavonne, her neighbor, lingers in her mind—the dark, almost hollow eyes, centered on the ground. Her shoulders, hunched forward. Her face hardened by anger and bitterness.

Rachel shakes her head. Yavonne isn't interested in Jesus. Yavonne isn't interested in anything.

"Will you share His love with a hurting world?"

She rests her hand on the table as the question posed by her pastor nibbles at her heart.

But of course she will. She does all the time. Last week she'd spent ten hours helping with Vacation Bible School. That's sharing God's love, right? And next Wednesday she plans to join the youth at the local women's shelter.

And yet, despite her rationale, peace evades her as the questions continued to rise.

"What about now? Will you be there for my child now?"

Her mother walks into the kitchen clutching a basket of laundry. "What's wrong, sweetie? You like you're about to swallow a lemon."

If only it were that easy.

Yavonne rubs a bead between her index finger and thumb. "I'm not sure why, but I feel like God wants me to go talk to Yavonne."

"Then you should go."

"I don't know…. Maybe I should pray about it."

"Or maybe you should obey."

Rachel sighs and pushes up from the table, her stomach flip-flopping.

Her mother smiles. "I'll be praying for you."

***

Yavonne's hand trembles as she holds the thin razor blade against her clammy skin. Her veins form faint blue webbing through her wrist.

Just do it, you coward. One slice and it'll be all over. One cut—long, deep and quick. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth—

A loud knock shakes her door. "Yavonne!"

Yavonne's breathe catches in her throat. She shoves the razor under her pillow, her gaze locked on the jiggling door knob in front of her.

"Yavonne! How many times do I have to tell you not to lock your door?"

As if her father really cares.

"Someone's here to see you."

She wipes her sweaty palms on her pant legs, smoothes her hair from her face, and stands on numb legs.

"Coming."

The stench of alcohol and stale cigarettes assault her when she swings the door open. Her father stands in the hall wearing faded jean shorts and a sweat-stained tank-top. Her mother lounges on a couch a few feet away watching television and gulping beer.

"That girl from next door's here."  He swipes his nose with the back of his hand. "Said something about beads."

Yavonne angles her head, staring into the living room where Rachel stands with a stiff smile on her face.  Her smile twitches as Yavonne approaches.

"Hey."

"Hey….I…uh…." Rachel chews on her bottom lip, scanning the cluttered living room.

Heat rushes up Yavonne's neck, settling into her cheeks as she follows Rachel's gaze. Empty beer bottles clutter the coffee table and dark stains splatter the carpet. An overflowing bag of trash lays on the linoleum floor, flies buzzing around it.

"So…. Do you like to make jewelry?"

Yavonne snorts. "Do I what?"

The girl wrings her intertwined hands, staring from the floor to Yavonne's face then back to the floor again. "I wondered if…." She swallows. "I mean, uh…you wanna come over for a minute?"

Yavonne studies Rachel for a moment, searching for the hidden joke. When none surfaces, she nodded. "I guess so. Sure beats sitting around here all day."

***

Jennifer Slattery writes for Christ to the World, an international evangelical ministry that broadcasts in over 23 countries worldwide. Under the direction of former LifeWay editor, Dr. Art Criscoe, she is working on Christ to the World's contemporary youth series that deals with many of the intense issues youth face daily, like cliques, peer groups, alcohol, sex, smoking, cutting, suicide—76 topics in all. She also writes for the Christian Pulse, Samie Sisters, and maintains a devotional blog. You can find out more about her and her writing at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com.

What would you do if your friend needed your help?

Guest Blogging on the Barn Door

Come check us out…The Barn Door

Guest Blogging on The Barn Door Book Loft

LeAnn Harddy, author of Glastonbury Tor, is visiting The Barn Door Book Loft. Don't want to miss her interview, she's giving away a copy of her latest release and you have two chances to win. Comment once today and one tomorrow. Good Luck!!

What's on your agenda for the weekend?

What's New?

What's not new should be the question. We're off to Ohio next month so life in these parts is nuts. That's not to say there aren't important things happening in this writer's world. Let's check a couple things out.

Well there's the NextGenWriter's Conference. That starts on Tuesday, August 2 at 10am CDT. If you're under twenty and are even thinking about a career in writing, you'll want to check out that free, online conference. Registration is a must, so check it out today.

Two new books to be looking for…The Wishing Ring (an exciting adventure across dangerous lands in search of a magical ring left by the Creator). Won't want to miss that one. It was co-written by my kiddos, Ali (age 10) and Cory (age 12), so you know there's all kinds of wild loops and unexpected creatures. The first chapter will be posted soon, so keep an eye out for that one. The Wishing Ring will release in February of 2012. (Cover pictures coming soon)

The second new release is entitled A Summer in Oakville, co-written with Lisa Lickel. It's a romance. Oh yes, I went there. Granted my additions to the novella collection are the teen and early twenty's sections, but still. You'll have to read it to believe it. If you'd like to know more about A Summer in Oakville, join our Facebook page. (To be released Oct. 1, 2011)

In the meantime, thank you for being patient. I know I promised more in the Blinded series, but that has been on the back-burner where it will have to remain until September. Don't worry, our friends are safe…for now.

So what are your August plans?

Curious about what Drives a Publication House?

DP Martinez, acquisitions editor from Risen Books, is sharing a behind the scenes look at what happens inside a publisher's walls. Are you curious? Check it out. He's over on the Barn Door Book Loft as their SPOT on PEAs (that's Publishers, Editors and Agents section). Click here or surf their sight (great giveaways everyday).

Don't forget to sign-up for this year's NextGenWriter's Conference (are you tired of me announcing that, yet?). Starts August 2 and you must be registered to participate. Many of the presenters will be hosting giveaways and there is a fantastic Pitch-It contest going on right now. Sharpen your book's elevator pitch and you might just receive more than a pat on the back.

I hoped to continue with our Blinded series come July, but I'm afraid that will have to wait until fall. With an unexpected move and two edit deadlines looming, any free time is pressed thin. In the meantime, I'll keep you posted on what's new and exciting and maybe, just maybe plot out a few unexpected twists for our cursed friends to endure. We'll see…

A note from Risen Books…

Risen Books, DRIVEN's publisher, has recently aligned with Holt International to help children around the world. Read more from the folks at Risen below (article from Risen Books, http://www.risenfiction.com/holt/):

READ A NOVEL, LOVE A CHILD

Risen Books Partners with Holt International to Help Orphaned Children

Your summer reading list could include a book that will help an orphan child in Africa or Latin America.

Risen Books has partnered with Holt International, a Christian organization that finds and supports permanent, loving families for children who are orphaned, abandoned or separated from families, or at serious risk of separation. Holt is a world leader in international adoption and child welfare programs that enable children to have families of their own.

For every book sold through Risen's online store (www.risenfiction.com/store/), the publisher will donate a portion of the proceeds to Holt International to aid children in need.

"We at Holt are so pleased by our new partnership with Risen Books," says Kim Brown, CEO and president of Holt International Children's Services. "We truly applaud their commitment to help us serve orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children around the world."

The founders of Risen Books have been sponsoring children through Holt since 2006. "Holt shows God's love for humanity by caring for these precious children," says DP Martinez, senior editor at Risen Books. "We want to raise awareness of their labor and invite our readers to get involved, not only by buying books but by sponsoring children."

Learn more about Holt International Children Services and how to give at http://holtinternational.org/

Would you consider helping a child with your next book purchase? Click here to choose your next read.

A little Bit of Business

There's more great information up on the NextGenWriter's Conference site. A Pitch-It Contest has opened for attendees who would like to hone their elevator pitch AND win some great prizes. You need to register, so click over and check it out.

Also excited to share with you some fun news. A Summer in Oakville (aka Oakville Chronicles, aka Oakville Summer…we're still working on the title) is under contract with Black Lyon Publications and will be available early this fall. This book is a four novella collection and it is a romance. **slight cringe** I know romance is not my normal genre, but it was a whole lot of fun to write. Never fear, I wrote the YA and 20-something novellas, while good friend Lisa Lickel wrote the big people parts . More to come on that one soon, in the mean time here's a little teaser:

In the quiet town of Oakville, WI a family is torn by the impending loss of their heritage. Art Hasmer must face his ghosts and come home in time to parent his son or risk losing the woman who has waited for him since high school. Tessa, Art's sister faces divorce when the man of her dreams walks back in her life and forces her to choose between what could have been and what is. Tessa's daughter, Lindsay finds a way to save the family farm, but it may cost her the only man that has ever loved her for who she really is. And when Andy, Art's son, discovers the meaning of forgiveness, he must learn to accept it AND give it in order to receive sweet Ella's love.

Oooh, and today is my 20th wedding anniversary (I know there are a few bios floating around the internet that I biffed on…sorry honey…but now we're all caught up–I told someone I'd been married 20 years when it was really only 19, oops). So off I go to breakfast with my guy.

What are you up to today?

Guest Blogging Today

Join me on the Barn Door as we talk about summer things to do.

News for NextGenWriter's Conference

Curious as to what an online conference is? Well, go check out the explanation page for NextGenWriter's Conference. Registration is open and attendance is filling up. Hope to see you there!