Sarah Price's Blog, page 29

If My Parents Told Me Who To Marry

Let’s face it…There is something to be said for “arranged” marriages, especially in high society. Parents can ensure that their daughters (or sons, for that matter) are marrying someone who is acceptable by their social and financial standards. After all, young women in love are not always the brightest lightbulbs in the pack when it comes to moving beyond the pitter-pat of a beating heart and thinking about the future. And I speak from experience. If I had defied my parents for my first “true” love, I’d be married to a circus performer and working a dog act while living in a small trailer and traveling from town to town to town… Hmm…given my love of animals and travel, maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad!

Who am I kidding? I’d be miserable and certainly not writing this blog post!

While I cannot attest to my selection of suitors at such an early age (or even in my 20s…I was fortunate enough to upgrade to a better model after divorcing my failed first selection), I know for a fact that I would NEVER have survived if my parents selected my spouse. I imagine a point-dexter type of fellow who spends his free time golfing, bores people at social events by name dropping all the important people he knows, and resents the fact that I not only have a brain and an opinion, but I’m not afraid to use the former and share the latter! EGADS! I can’t even imagine who would have been tortured more: my “spouse” for being a stick in the mud or my parents for having selected him for me. It certainly would not have ended well, trust me on that one.

In Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Anne denied her true love, Frederick because her father found the young man of inferior social standing and certainly not a son-in-law that would bring any sort of benefit to the family. Lady Russell echoed this sentiment. No one seemed to think of Anne feelings toward this man. What do feelings matter if the marriage is not something to gossip about on the ton?

(That was sarcasm, just in case you are unaware…)

While no one likes a Monday morning quarterback, I find this social prejudice quite disturbing, especially given Walter’s financial situation at the beginning of the novel. There is also irony in the fact that his commitment to vanity, spending money to buy things that impress others, is the very characteristic that was his undoing!

Oh, how everyone’s life might have changed if Anne had married Frederick!

Hop on over to austenauthors.net to read the rest of this post!

The post If My Parents Told Me Who To Marry appeared first on Sarah Price.

What A Writer Stands For

OK, this is for two audiences…all of you readers out there as well as all of your writers.

Social media. What is it? Well, for starters, it’s SOCIAL.

Media is basically everything driven electronically that creates communities: Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, Google Plus, Vine, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

Social currency is a term that I learned from a very wise young man from Virginia. My California BFFL, Zach, introduced me to this term and I truly wish that I had coined it (and trademarked it).

Social currency is the total of a person’s outreach using the different forms of social media as well as the POTENTIAL for what could be built. In the writing world, publishers called it the “social platform,” but it is basically the same thing. The key point to remember is that is not just what a person (be it a writer, celebrity, singer, band, etc.) has today, but also how this translates into future potential based on their brand.

In layman’s terms: You, as a reader, choose which people to follow and, therefore, add to their social currency. When you click LIKE or FOLLOW on any of these social media platforms, you are telling the person behind the scenes that they are worthy of YOUR interest. Isn’t that neat? YOU are not just a “fan” but a real person who has a voice. For that, I personally thank each and every one of you who is taking the time to read this blog (and, hopefully, interact with me on social media).

On the other side of the coin is the writer (or musician, celebrity, actor, artist, etc.). We have an unspoken “contract” with our audiences to supply interesting content. New material. Relevant material. Real material. From this perspective, I do try to provide interesting photos, quotations, blogs, reviews, and other material that my readers and followers will (hopefully) enjoy. Just think if Taylor Swift never sang another song or kept promoting her “22” song. At some point, she’s no longer 22 and neither are her listeners.

Which brings me to the issue of promotion. Here is where the “Sarah Price” eye roll comes in:

Why do “writers” create social media platform and do the equivalent of a literary drive-by shooting? And yes, that is MY term that I coined—CA BFFL Zach cannot take credit for this one.

When Christian Leaders are Jerks by Lisa Bull

That’s right. The leaders.

Last week I wrote about Christians being jerks. Apparently a lot of you knew what I was talking about, because there was quite a little response. Sarah Price suggested I do a series. I originally accepted the challenge. Then I declined. Now, as you can see, I have decided to move forward.

Let’s face it. Every person on planet earth has the opportunity to be a jerk at one time or another. The thing is, does everyone give into the urge? Probably–at least once, don’t you think? I mean, sometimes a person is just plain tired, or has a headache, or just got a speeding ticket, or, or, or…

Just because we might have reason to be, or an excuse to be, a jerk doesn’t mean we have to act on it. Actually, the Bible says:

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Before I continue on, I realize that some of you know me. And, you know things about me and mistakes I have made…So, I am not saying that I am perfect, that I think I’m perfect, that I’ve never been a jerk, that I’ve never gossiped (the list goes on). Okay? I’m preaching to myself here too.

I talked last week about how other people watch Christians. Sometimes they may even be waiting for a Christian to mess up so they can say, “SEEEEE, they aren’t any better than anyone else!” (Which, of course, they aren’t because we are all human. We have just found grace and hope through Jesus and with His help we strive to live our lives the way God desires.) You see, to people that don’t know Jesus personally, the Christian IS Jesus. If they see a Christian acting like a jerk, well, that is the impression they are given of Jesus. How sad is THAT?

So, this brings me to the subject of Christian leaders.I’m not just talking about Pastors or Ministers. I’m also talking about small group leaders, choir directors, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders–see where I am going?

While the world watches the Christian to see how they act and re-act, they take an especially hard look at Christian leaders. And, when they mess up, it causes not only the world to look away from Christ, but can cause other Christians to turn away as well.

Let me give you some examples:

I had a Sunday school teacher once who was really very good. His teaching was in-depth and he seemed to have a compassionate spirit. But. His. Wife. I ran into her once outside of church and she literally looked away from me. I tried to to talk to her at church and she acted like it was asking too much to speak to me. For me, she negated the teaching of her husband because she was so ugly to me.

I once knew of a prominent pastor who had a thriving ministry. However, he had a reputation around town for being impolite to waitresses and a poor tipper. Which do you think made a bigger impression on people in the restaurant, his big church or the fact that he mistreated his servers?

Years ago I worked in a call center that dealt with churches. One day a co-worker answered her phone. The minute she did, a pastor started yelling at her on the other end of the line. He screamed at her for quite some time and attacked her personally and professionally. The end result was a shaken crying young woman. Not only did he likely shape her impression of all pastors, but can you imagine—if he treated a Christian girl, working at a Christian organization like that…how did he treat people at other business—or at his church? What kind of spiritual damage had been done by this man?

Let’s take this down to teenagers. How about the girl (I’m not picking on girls) who flaunts the fact that she is a leader in her youth group at church, sings in a Christian band, and leads a Bible study? She does all of these things, but, yet, when she walks down the hall at school, she talks about the girls in front of her loud enough for them to hear. Later at lunch she refuses to let the lonely girl sit at “her” table because she “smells”. Um. Every ounce of ministry she has done has now been reversed by her nastiness.

James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

Leaders, I’m speaking to you. STOP. Think about your words and your actions. Think about the eyes and ears that are focused on you. What you say when you are leading is important…but, truthfully, what you say when you are not “on” may make even more of an impression on people.

And to those of you who have to deal with the jerkiness of those who should know better–again, I’m going to say, remember they are HUMAN. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on people. People will always fail you, but Jesus never fails.

Lisa Bull sees her life as a journey along God’s divine plan. While considering herself an expert on nothing, she enjoys laughing and has made “choosing joy” her motto. Lisa has experienced God’s unfailing love and grace in her life and wants nothing more than for others to enjoy that same gift in their lives.

Lisa is the daughter and granddaughter of ministers. She has multiple relatives in ministry on both sides of her father’s family including several pastors, pastor’s wives, and missionaries. In fact, ministry in her maternal grandmother’s family can be traced back several generations. She loves being a wife and mother of two terrific young men.

Visit Lisa at mommalisaof2-LISA’S PERCEPTIONS

The post When Christian Leaders are Jerks by Lisa Bull appeared first on Sarah Price.

An Empty Cup of Bittersweet Joy

This week, I learned that my novel, An Empty Cup, was the #1 bestseller at Walmart for my publishers. Initially, I rejoiced at such news (who wouldn’t!???). Having wanted to be a writer for almost forty years, have “#1” and “bestseller” (as well as “you’re a rock star”) sent to you in an email from a publisher…well, it really makes your day.

And then something happened yesterday that made me reflect on this in a much deeper manner.

The story is about a woman who marries a man that basically pulls a bait and switch on her. He’s charming and somewhat kind to her, enough so that she marries him. Once married, his true colors come out. He’s verbally and psychologically abusive to her. Nothing she does is good enough. He favors one child, the boy, over the other child, not a boy. He mocks the wife, puts her down, and basically treats her as if everything that is wrong in their life was her fault with no reflection on how he contributed to their problems.

The fact is that he WAS the problem.

But narcissistic personalities cannot admit that, especially if they are substance abusers.

Yesterday, I was subjected to the same situation due to a problem with the “family” (although we are not a family anymore). I resented having to be there with this person in this situation since I struggled to free myself of such situations six years ago—or so I thought. The stress of having to deal with this person and the personal insults, wild lies, and self-indulging rewriting of history created a level of physically painful anxiety for me. After I left this meeting, my chest felt tight as if a weight was crushing upon me and I couldn’t breathe. I was literally gasping for air and shaking, tremors in my muscles, while my heart palpitated for almost an hour.

In short, I became Rosanna Yoder…again.

You see, An Empty Cup is not entire fiction. Pieces of it are very true. And while I lived it, it dawned on me that so many women are reading this book and relating to Rosanna Yoder because they, too, are her.

When I wrote that story, I wanted to liberate myself from those feelings. It never dawned on me that so many people would pick up the book, read it, and see themselves in the story.

And that’s a bittersweet moment for me.

I’m happy that women enjoy the book, but I’m stunned that so many women are experiencing the same levels of domestic abuse that I went through.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline defines abuse as:

Abuse is a repetitive pattern of behaviors to maintain power and control over an intimate partner. These are behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish or force them to behave in ways they do not want. Abuse includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse and economic deprivation. Many of these different forms of abuse can be going on at any one time.

They have a wonderful graphic that explains the different types of abuse (source: http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined/).

The bottom line is that Power and Control are at the center of any form of domestic violence. Emotional abuse leaves just as many scars as physical abuse. But at some point, abuse escalates to more than just emotional. The abuser will minimize it, deny it, or even blame the victim for the abuse. There is never any accountability on the abuser’s part. To accept his or hers contribution to the problem, even in part, would be to lose power and control. And an abuser simply cannot have that.

I receive email after email, message upon message, from readers who have experienced the same manipulation and psychological abuse that I did. And it pains me that many of these women are stuck in these relationships with no way out. Finally saying “I had enough!” and doing something about it are hard to do. After all, deep down, you hope and pray that this person will change.

I’m glad that people are enjoying An Empty Cup. It’s a good story about something that is, clearly, very current in today’s society. However, if I could re-write the book, I would add the following:

If you or anyone that you know is experiencing any form of abuse, please contact the National Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Get advice on how to save yourself and your children. No one should have to live as Rosanna Yoder did. No one.

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From Books to Bonnet Making by Alyssa Everett

Hi! My fifth regency romance, The Marriage Act, will be out on July 27, and Sarah was kind enough to invite me to wander over and tell you a little bit about myself and my new book.

I watch more TV than I probably should, and since I write historical romance, it probably comes as no surprise that most of my favorite TV shows are costume dramas. My summer favorite is the BBC Poldark series, currently airing on Masterpiece Theater in the United States, but I’ll watch pretty much anything in which the hero wears boots and gets from place to place on horseback.

I take a particular interest in the costumes, especially the hats and bonnets. I’ve always been a history geek, and one of my geekiest interests is historical millinery–in my case, bonnet making. I learned bonnet-making from a historical costumer who teaches a yearly seminar in an Ohio fort that dates from the War of 1812.

The first step in creating a bonnet is constructing a bonnet form using a stiffened fabric called buckram and stitching it to a wire framework. Buckram is thick and very strong, and I usually end up stabbing my fingers with the needle a few times.I take a particular interest in the costumes, especially the hats and bonnets. I’ve always been a history geek, and one of my geekiest interests is historical millinery–in my case, bonnet making. I learned bonnet-making from a historical costumer who teaches a yearly seminar in an Ohio fort that dates from the War of 1812.

Here’s a buckram form I made for a regency poke bonnet.

Once the bonnet form is done, the next step is covering it in fabric like silk or polished cotton. Here’s that same buckram framework, covered in striped silk. It’s lined in gold silk, and I added a rosette, cherries and an ostrich feather for trimming, though I’m not entirely satisfied with the look.

The finished poke bonnet.

And here’s another regency bonnet, in a military-inspired style called a shako. It’s lined in ivory silk.

I trimmed this shako with pheasant feathers.

Part of the fun of writing a story is imagining the kind of costumes the characters wear. My newest regency romance, The Marriage Act, is the story of what happens when a marriage goes wrong. It’s part road story and part “pretend couple” story, with lots of drama along the way.

London, 1821

When John, Viscount Welford, proposed to Caroline Fleetwood, the only daughter of the Bishop of Essex, he thought he knew exactly what he was getting—a lovely, innocent bride.

Five years later, he knows better. The woman who ran to another man on their wedding night—after they’d consummated the marriage—is hardly innocent. Years spent apart while John served as a diplomatic attaché have allowed them to save face in society, but all good pretenses must come to an end. When Caroline receives word that her father is dying, she begs John to accompany her on one last journey to see him.

But there’s an added problem—Caroline never told her father that her marriage to John was a farce. As they play-act for others, Caroline is delighted to find she never really knew her husband at all. But can she be the kind of wife he needs—and does she want to be?

I always do a Pinterest board for each of my books, and if you’d like to see how I pictured the characters in The Marriage Act, including images of the clothes they might wear, you can see all the pictures I pinned by clicking here.

Alyssa Everett lives with her husband, their three children and a springer spaniel in small-town Pennsylvania. The Marriage Act is her fifth regency romance. She hopes you’ll visit her website and follow her on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook, where she promises not to spam you relentlessly.

The post From Books to Bonnet Making by Alyssa Everett appeared first on Sarah Price.

Why I Am Retiring From Self-Publishing

Monday’s Musing

Funny thing happened to me last year…I started taking ballroom dancing lessons to help raise money for The Pink Fund. My one year anniversary is this week. Over the course of the past twelve months, I’ve attended multiple competitions and danced for assorted audiences. I’ve taken lessons, practiced, laughed, cried, been disgusted, and been tremendously happy. Dancing is an emotional art, for sure and certain!

Over the weekend, someone asked me if I was a dancer—she probably saw me practicing some West Coast Swing dance moves while I was waiting for Cat to try on her riding pants at an equestrian store. I responded with, “Yes, I take dance lessons, but I certainly would not call myself a dancer. Maybe in five years or so…”

Let me tell you another story. Last month, I overheard a woman telling someone how she was a “ballroom dancer.” My mouth dropped open and I had to look away. I know this woman and she has taken no more than six lessons.

Wow. I’ve been riding horses since I was a kid and (after a long twenty year break) I own six or so horses—one of them for almost ten years! My husband has multiple equestrian facilities and cares for over a hundred equines! To this day, I would never call myself an “equestrian.” I can jump on a horse and ride it without fear and usually without falling off. But I’m not fooled…I don’t know how to form collection or get the horse on the bit or any of those little expert things that a “real” equestrian would know.

Let me bring this back to writing now.

In 2010, I became a self-published writer. Self-published means that anyone can sell their book to anyone willing to purchase it. Self-published means that the author is responsible for the cover design, copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, etc. Some writers go so far as to PAY to have their books published (called vanity publishing…you can figure out why).

Why is this important?

Well, most people have a friend, aunt or great-grandmother who wrote a book and published it (or photocopied it to hand to the family members). Perhaps you always wanted to write a book, too, or have a great story that should be written by someone, if not you. Technology has created a way where everyone can publish their writing, just as technology permits anyone to create and sell music, art, poetry, etc. That’s great news because it gives serious writers, singers, musicians, artists, and poetics the forum to display their work for buyers to decide if it is of value.

But there is a dark side.

Some “authors” are just plain mean. I had one Christian author who sent me a Merry Christmas email accusing me of stealing her idea for writing an adaptation of Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol (an idea, btw, that I had no way of knowing for she had not shared it with anyone!). She also informed me that I was not a “real” author.

And then there are less scrupulous people who view self-publishing as strictly a money-making opportunity, not as a true literary privilege. These people (or, as I learned yesterday, computer-based robots in some cases) pump out books every few weeks (sometimes only days apart) with poor writing, grammar, accuracy, etc. The people behind them resort to parlor tricks such as combining different authors’ names or using the exact same titles as another well-read author.

Not all self-published writers are like that, of course.

The fact of the matter is that the majority of “real” writers who publish their work do NOT earn a living or, in some case, make any money. For the most part, most of those writers do not really care. Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who writes or engages in any form of the arts who wants to “make money.” Sure, it would be nice, but that’s not why real writers publish their work. They publish their work so that it will be read and appreciated.

That is why I write.

Fortunately, several years ago, two traditional publishing houses took me under their wings. Working with a traditional publishing house means that you have to plan, sometimes years in advance.

A book that is published at Christmas might have been written 18 months earlier! Writing with a traditional publishing house is not something for impatient people. However, I have learned more about writing in the past two years and continue learning from these amazing professionals.

I know that a lot of traditionally published authors are starting to “self-publish” their books. It appears that they think that self-publishing is the magic elixir to wealth and/or literary freedom. Maybe it is…for them. I, however, am going in the OPPOSITE direction: I am not planning to self-publish any more books after the last two parts of the Amish Seasons series are available this month.

You may wonder why I came to this decision.

My answer is: I want to continue fine-tuning my craft as an author and a writer. Focusing on creating 2-4 books a year is plenty…well-written, well-developed, and well-received—by readers as well as the industry. That’s what I want. And, to be honest, 2-4 books a year is still a lot.

A friend of mine sent me a message the other day that I thought was very poignant. She wrote:

It hit me that you don’t need to write frantically anymore. You have life to live and before, you were writing to forget you might be dying. You were writing to leave a legacy just in case…but now you are writing because of joy and life and not to bury all your emotions…or to forget…or whatever. Besides, you paid your dues already. Four books a year sounds just wonderful…

Maybe this is true, on multiple levels. I will admit that I write because of joy and life. And I like that she feels that I have paid my dues. I think I have. Time will tell. But you can be assured of one thing…writing is a passion for me, a driving force that frames almost everything I do. I want what is best for me, my books, and my readers…

And that is why I am retiring from self-publishing…

The post Why I Am Retiring From Self-Publishing appeared first on Sarah Price.

When Christians Are Jerks by Lisa Bull

Crepes? Pancakes? Maybe a shake? What was I going to have this time? My eyes traveled over the familiar menu. It seemed like nearly every week after church my boyfriend’s parents took us out to eat at the same restaurant. I loved it because it meant an extra hour or two that I got to be with my guy.

Sarah’s Sunday Huddle with Lisa Bull

As we all sat at our table that particular night, our ears tuned in to the conversation taking place a few tables over. There was a large group of people who had obviously come from church as well. The people were being rude and bossy to their server. She couldn’t seem to please them and they were running her ragged.

We had a different server who did a fine job. But, as we ate, we continued to notice the other table. Because, well, they were loud. They finally finished their meal, stood up and left. Once they were gone, their server went to clear the table and retrieve her tip.

Tears filled her eyes.

They had left her an insulting tip.

My boyfriend’s dad stood and walked over to her. He spoke to her in quiet tones, but I still heard what he said, “I want you to know that not all Christians are like that. I’m sorry for the way they treated you.” As he spoke, he was reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a generous tip.

More tears. This time though, they were tears of gratitude.

My boyfriend’s dad is now my father-in-law. I was probably fifteen years old at the time and I have never forgotten that incident. I’m guessing that waitress never forgot either. Hopefully, what he did that day made more of impression on her than what her actual customers did.

Christianity is not just a religion. Christianity is not reciting scripture or knowing what’s right and wrong. Christianity is DOING. It’s SHOWING. It’s LOVING people.

My father-in-law now has dementia. But as recently as Christmas I heard him pray an articulate beautiful prayer. Jesus is still IN him. Many times over I watched him live out his faith in DOING for others.

I’m sure some of you reading this know my father-in-law and could share story after story of how he lived out his faith by DOING and GIVING.

If you are a Christian, remember, people are watching you. Do you pray before your meal at a restaurant and then mistreat your server during your meal, or leave them a lousy tip? What kind of witness have you just given? Do you call a business in anger and scream at the person on the other end? Is that going to lead that person to Christ? How about at the store? Do you get angry in the aisle as you wait for someone to get out of your way because you are in a hurry to get home after church? (We won’t even talk about driving habits.)

If you are not a Christian, remember, Christians are HUMAN and make mistakes. And, just because one Christian is (for lack of a better word) a jerk, that does not mean that all of them are.

If you have an instance to share where someone showed Christ’s love to you in an unexpected way I would love to hear about it!

Lisa Bull sees her life as a journey along God’s divine plan. While considering herself an expert on nothing, she enjoys laughing and has made “choosing joy” her motto. Lisa has experienced God’s unfailing love and grace in her life and wants nothing more than for others to enjoy that same gift in their lives.

Lisa is the daughter and granddaughter of ministers. She has multiple relatives in ministry on both sides of her father’s family including several pastors, pastor’s wives, and missionaries. In fact, ministry in her maternal grandmother’s family can be traced back several generations. She loves being a wife and mother of two terrific young men.

Visit Lisa at mommalisaof2-LISA’S PERCEPTIONS

The post When Christians Are Jerks by Lisa Bull appeared first on Sarah Price.

Reality TV Has Ruined Everything

Friday’s Food for Thought

I’ve been struggling with something for a while now and I might as well bring it out into the open: Reality TV has ruined everything.

There. I said it. It’s out in the open for all to see. Maybe now I can breathe a little easier.

Do you remember Survivor, one of the first reality shows?

(Please notice I said “one of the first” because I’d like to avoid fifty emails that correct me. Survivor, Big Brother, Britain’s Got Talent…take your pick. Reality shows in general have ruined everything.)

Prior to Survivor, the people on television were full of glitz and glamour. Think Joan Collins on Dynasty! Or Farrah Fawcett on Charlie’s Angels! These people had style, class, grace, and power. And it wasn’t just television stars. I remember whenever my parents took me to a Broadway play, my favorite part was waiting by the stage entrance to see the performers as they left. We were never alone…there was always a mob scene.

Today, things have changed and I blame Survivor.

You see, Survivor and the bazillion off-shoots of subsequent reality shows made it popular for regular people to become famous.

With the introduction of reality television, the bazillion spinoffs from Survivor, anyone could become a star, even a nasty dance instructor who screams at her pre-teen clients and their mothers (re: Dance Moms—which, I admit, I watched a few episodes until I realized I had entered the danger zone of being addicted to a “time waster”). After the introduction of reality shows, YouTube.com came along and skyrocketed regular people with zero talent into the limelight.

And when I say zero talent, take a gander at this guy: https://youtu.be/0f_ec37PXNQ.

Besides the fact that he looks about twelve years old, how freakishly stalkerish is this kid’s declaration to never stop loving his girlfriend (of seven-months, mind you!) and his request for her to “stay perfect” just for him. Wow. If a boy ever made a video like that for my daughter, Cat, she’d be headed to the closest all-girls school with armed security guards watching her 24/7.

The point is…2.3 million people have watched that one very weird video of this kid. Oh, and trust me, there are worse ones out there with 10-15x that level of viewership.

So what seems to be the problem? you might be wondering.

When I was growing up, I loved to read. I read everything I could get my hands on, including the good ole Encyclopedia Brittanica (both the burgundy AND the navy set…which for some reason my parents threw out at some point during a remodeling of the house). I had the greatest respect for authors, and not just the best-selling authors. My second home was a local bookstore called the Happy Booker. The people who worked there weren’t very friendly, but I loved to just wander through the aisles to see and smell all of the different books on the shelves.

Yes, book-a-holies tend to have a thing for how books smell.

Naturally, being a book-lover, it was only logical that I wanted to become a writer, to join the few and the brave who spent hours upon hours writing, crafting their language in such a way that scenes unfold to the reader as if they are watching a movie.

Well, I’ve been writing for almost forty years and been published for over six years. Since I already blogged about it, I won’t recap the whole reaction to how people react to learning that I write for a living (http://sarahpriceauthor.com/mondays-musing-who-am-i/). But I will comment that I’ve noticed more and more people jumping on this “I always wanted to write a book, too!” wagon. Of course, you can just replace the italicized words with any career that is a little out of the norm and hints at visibility or notoriety: artist, dancer, actor, business owner, etc.

And if that isn’t enough, we can always fall back on good old youtube.com.

It’s just getting on my nerves.

Everybody knows somebody. Apparently it’s important to know somebody. If you can’t be somebody, you have to know somebody.

The governor of our state is running for the Republican nomination. As soon as I heard that, I rolled my eyes and thought, “Oh great, here we go.” Suddenly, this guy has a million best friends. Everybody knows him. Funny how they weren’t bragging so loud during the Bridgegate Scandal.

I try to understand why it’s so important for people to feel connected with “important” people, the people that make it to the news-vines and gossip-sites. Considering the amount of time that people spend following the Kim Kardashians of the world just proves that more and more people are increasingly obsessed with the instant fame of people who basically do nothing.  If I posted a silhouette of Kim Kardashian West, I bet most people would know exactly who it was. But let me post a silhouette of Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, or John Green and the odds would not be in your favor.

And these people have done something that millions of people want to do: became best-selling authors with books turned into movies.

So what’s my point?

We live in a world where people 38,000,000 spent over 1,200,000 hours (that’s right, HOURS) watching an angry red-haired teenager rant that “Gingers Have Souls” (another gem worthy of being ignored but…if you are curious—>https://youtu.be/EY39fkmqKBM).  He’s a regular kid with a chip on his shoulder about his hair color. And while I feel bad for the red-headed teenager (despite suspecting that he could use a little anger management or counseling), his skyrocket to fame for being an angry, opinionated, and foul-mouthed kid completely baffles me.

It all goes back to Reality TV.

In my opinion, people place too much hope that something they post will“go viral.” Everyone wants to be propelled into a world where they are on center stage, the star stepping out of the limousines onto red carpets, pausing for a quick selfie so that they can post it the Internet. The only problem is that no one is looking at that selfie…they are too obsessed with their own!

Reality TV has taught us that everyone deserves fame; there are no limits to what people WILL do in order to get that fame (ex: man who blends 10 mice and drinks it…and no, I didn’t watch that video nor will I post that link—I believe they banned it but it had MILLIONS OF VIEWERS).  On a more subtler note, young girls post videos of themselves in situations that their parents would freak out if they saw. To friends and family, their daughter is the perfect little starlet when behind their backs she is posting a video of herself pole dancing on her kitchen counter (true story).

So, here’s the moral to this story: We need to go back to the basics and teach our children that there is more to life than squeamish stardom or freaky fame. Life is not a reality television show where even the losers are winners. Case in point: what was the name of the first man who won Survivor? (I know the answer and I bet, by now, so do you thanks to 1-800-GOOGLE).

There are more important things than living a reality TV life. After all, the only reason those reality shows are even watched is because they represent staged reality…which means they are basically unreality shows to begin with. If they showed the real world, the average Joe stuck in rush hour traffic or the average Jane irritated because the laundry seems to breed overnight, no one would watch. We LIVE those lives, right? That’s reality.

I have a better suggestion for everyone. Shut off the TV and open a good book.

The post Reality TV Has Ruined Everything appeared first on Sarah Price.

The Love Letters Review by Susan Scott Ferrell

Beverly Lewis is a known pioneer in the Amish fiction world. Her books have delighted readers for years. Even when the Amish genre seems to be overflowing, Lewis still manages to come out with a new release to appease her clamoring fans. When I received a copy of her latest release, The Love Letters, I could not wait to see where Lewis would take me next.

The Love Letters – Just Plain Ferhoodled – Review by Susan Scott Ferrell

The Love Letters takes place in the late 1960s and tells the story of Marlena Wenger, a young Amish woman caught in the many facets of the plain world: Her parents have become Beachy Amish-Mennonites, her grandparents are Mennonite…and her beau is Old Order Amish! When Marlena goes to visit her grandmother for the summer, life takes a prodigious turn when her Englischer sister is in a car wreck and Marlena must care for her sister’s baby. Oh! How will all of this be sorted out?!

The Love Letters can easily be read as a stand-alone. It was an interesting read – at times I felt like there was a bit too much going on. While I enjoyed the sub-plots, it felt like they could have been a novel all their own. In my humble opinion, Beverly Lewis excels at a series (especially where the plot rolls from one cliffhanger to another – Abram’s Daughters is my all-time favorite!) I would like to see Lewis return to this type of writing. But in the meantime, I am easily satisfied with the life of her other works, like The Love Letters.

Grab a copy – you’ll just be plain ferhoodled!

Susan Ferrell and her husband make their home in the Atlanta Metro area. Although Susan struggles with chronic migraine headaches, she stays very busy as a stay-at-home mom to one very precocious little girl. While catching her breath, she feeds her Amishaholic tendencies by reading vast amounts of Amish literature! Susan is a book reviewer for Destination Amish.

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Have You Ever Felt God Calling You by Lisa Bull

I haven’t talked about my dog lately. Echo (I affectionately named him Wilbur, but my family vetoed that name. Isn’t it a cute name though?) will be a year old this month. He found us last October. He was a stray…probably dumped…and was sick. It took several months and SEVERAL hundred dollars to nurse him back to health, but now he is a happy healthy little boy.

 

This morning the alarm went off as usual at 4:50 a.m. (Let me recommend that you never get up that early. It’s just dumb). Echo hopped off the bed while I shuffled to the bathroom. When I walked back out I looked down at him and said, in my Mommy Voice, “Do you need to go potty? Do you? Do you? Let’s go potty. Come on. Potty.”

Echo turned a few circles and trotted off toward the sunroom. As we walked out, I noticed through the window that the wind was blowing. REALLY blowing. I opened the door and he started his customary low growl (he does that so that he is prepared to scare off any animals that might have dared to cross over into his territory while he was sleeping). So…he growled and shot out the door.

His front paws hit the patio. Lightning flashed. Wind howled. He did a superfast 180 and raced back into the house.

Mighty Hunter! Brave Warrior!

He sat by my feet looking out the door, up at me, and back out the door.

(Mommy Voice) “Go potty. Go on. Go. Gooooo. Go potty.”

He turned and walked back into the house. It didn’t matter than he NEEDED to potty. No way was he going to go out there into the scary outdoors.

So. What does this have to do with a Sunday devotion you ask?

Glad you asked!

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something? You know, He laid something on your heart. Maybe…to volunteer in the nursery at church…or invite your neighbor for a barbeque…or give money to a family in need…the list is too long for me to name—but I know you get the idea.

So, God has told you He wants you to do something. You get all excited about it. You commit to it. You plan to do it. You go to do it—and—Panic strikes. Anxiety moves in. Suddenly, you want to run away and forget what God has told you. You know you should do it, but you just can’t force yourself to move forward.

Luckily, we don’t have to do anything alone! When God tells us to do something, He never ever expects us to walk to it or through it alone. Instead of standing by watching while saying, “Go” (Like I did to Echo…I didn’t want to get wet!), He says, “Go”, and then holds you by the hand filling you with the power and the courage to do it.

Is God speaking to your heart to “Go” or to “Do”? Trust him! He will be with you!

Deuteronomy 31:6 (AMP) Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP) Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Lisa Bull sees her life as a journey along God’s divine plan. While considering herself an expert on nothing, she enjoys laughing and has made “choosing joy” her motto. Lisa has experienced God’s unfailing love and grace in her life and wants nothing more than for others to enjoy that same gift in their lives.

Lisa is the daughter and granddaughter of ministers. She has multiple relatives in ministry on both sides of her father’s family including several pastors, pastor’s wives, and missionaries. In fact, ministry in her maternal grandmother’s family can be traced back several generations. She loves being a wife and mother of two terrific young men.

Visit Lisa at mommalisaof2-LISA’S PERCEPTIONS

 

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