Kay Springsteen's Blog, page 4

Sweet Saturday Sample

Coming this spring in e-pub! Something Like a Lady!

“Lady Annabella,” whispered the girl when she found her voice. “I thought you was in London.”

“Get out!” Heat rushed to her face. Had the maid seen her outburst? Annabella narrowed her eyes and stalked toward the startled girl. “I said, get out! I am not here.”

The maid’s jaw dropped. “B-but m-m’lady. Ye’re standing right in front o’ me.”

Was the girl dense? Exasperated, Annabella blew out a breath. “Well then, you don’t see me!”

The girl opened her mouth and looked like she would argue but then clamped her lips shut. “Yes, m’lady,” she muttered, casting her eyes downward.

Sweet Saturday Regency Sample!

When what did our wondering eyes did appear but the words THE END on Something Like a Lady! Kim and I are jazzed to say it won’t be long now! How about a little peek at what we did?

……………

The sun had disappeared behind an overcast sky, but the church, constructed of golden-hued stone, gave the illusion of glowing. Nestled between two separate wings of the church, the stone bell tower rose well above the slate roof to preside over the yard. Colorful stained glass windows had been placed along the two sides of the building Jon could see, boasting of a fairly flush parish.

Little wonder, if the vicar was in the habit of issuing special marriage licenses for the immoderate price Jon had agreed to pay him.

“We shall have to hurry if we’re to have the deed finished before noon as the law requires,” said Hamilton, scrambling from the carriage. Breathing heavily, he hurried up the path to the heavy wooden door.

Jon eased from the seat, turned and held out a hand. “My lady,” he murmured, keeping his voice gentle.

Her delicate hand trembled as she slipped it into his, but she allowed him to assist her without argument. When she stood on the ground in front of him, she lifted her face and regarded him with pleading eyes. She was a creature trapped, unable to fight, unable to flee.

He couldn’t do it, couldn’t force her into a marriage that so obviously distressed her. His sport had gone on long enough — too long really. He drew a breath.

Sharp pain assaulted the top of his right foot. “Egad!” he exclaimed, leaping back as the pain traveled upward into his leg and brought the prick of tears to his eyes. “What the devil are you doing, woman?”

“I beg your pardon?” Annabella blinked, but her feigned innocence didn’t fool him. The chit had stomped his foot with the force of a Percheron stallion. Green eyes flashed. “I believe we have a wedding to attend?” She pushed past him, treading on his injured foot.

Jon hissed in a breath as the pain in his limb renewed itself. Had he thought her defeated? She’d merely been recovering her impudent manner. Teeth clenched against the throb in his foot, he followed his unwilling bride toward the church.

………..

Coming soon! Return to Sweet Saturday Samples!

In the Beginning They Were Writers/Tanya Eavenson

Welcome, Tanya!

How did you get your start writing? I started three years ago when my husband left for Israel. It was the first time he’d gone over seas since our three children were born and honestly, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

What did you do?  I wrote a book while my husband was gone. The title of the story is Live by Faith, Not by Sight. Though it may never see an editor’s desk, that story is dear to my heart, more than any others because of what it represents. The interesting thing is those characters are the same ones in my debut novel Unconditional that is set to release January 10.

Share some of your earlier writing habits. Well, my writing habits haven’t changed much since then. I write late at night while everyone is asleep. There’s nothing better than sitting at the laptop with coffee in hand and words waiting to spill onto the page.

Who inspired you? It wasn’t a person really, but several novels that spoke to me. It started with Author Lori Wick and her series, “The English Garden Series.” I loved the biblical aspects and how the characters felt like family. I read the “Twilight Series” because the youth in my Sunday school class came in week after week discussing the novels. While reading, I found a connection to the characters through their emotional journey. Then to top it off, I read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It had everything the other novels had combined within one. I remember praying that if I was going to write, I wanted to touch people and bring a better understand of God through my characters.

Who encouraged you? I had three people who encouraged me. I would not be a published author if it wasn’t for them. Not only did they read my work, but they were truthful. I learned I knew nothing about the craft, but it never discouraged me. It made me work harder to find my voice and who I am as writer. Not everyone will like my writing, and I know this, but it’s who I am and who’ve they’ve encouraged me to be.

Do you enjoy writing? More than I ever thought possible. I can’t imagine not writing. I still have so much to learn about the craft, but now I know my weaknesses and strengths. I think another part I enjoy about writing is being able to help others in their journeys, encouraging them to never give up and to Live by Faith, Not by Sight.

Tell us about Unconditional and what inspired you to write the story? What inspired me? Brokenness I guess you could say. Brokenness for families, children, and what happens when couples divorce.

I grew up in a family were divorce is common, like most people today, with the idea once you “fall” out of love, and you can’t get along  anymore, it’s time to get a divorce. It was almost engraved in me witnessing everyone in my family get divorced one time or many times. I, too, almost went down that route with divorce papers in hand. I told myself many things at the time, but the truth. I was focused on our failures, not the hope that with God, all things are possible. The question was, were we willing to save our marriage at all costs? Would we fight for each other, whether we felt like it or not?

It is my hope through this story, that no matter the circumstances the reader is facing, a loss of a child, anger, emotional hurt, infidelity, abandonment, etc., they will know there is hope in Christ.

Here is the blurb for Unconditional.

He will fight for her at any cost…

Elizabeth Roberts can’t remember her past, and the present is too painful. She turns to nightclubs and drinking to forget her infant daughter’s death, her husband’s affair.

When his wife’s coma wiped out the memory of their marriage, Chris Roberts found comfort elsewhere. He can’t erase his betrayal, but with God’s help he’s determined to fight for Elizabeth at any cost.

She wants to forget. He wants to save his marriage. Can they trust God with their future and find a love that’s unconditional?

It’s a very emotional and difficult subject matter, and you handled it nicely. How did you feel while writing it? Thank you, Katherine. I’m what some writers call a “Seat of the Pantster,” a writer that doesn’t really know what’s going to happen from one scene to the other. With this being the case, my emotions were on a roller coaster. I laughed at times, cried several times, became upset, and felt my heart take off like if it was in a race. I love “feeling” my characters and their emotions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   Tanya Eavenson and her husband have been in the ministry for fifteen years teaching youth and adults. Tanya enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading a good book. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and writes for Christ to the World Ministries sharing the Gospel around the world. You can find her on Twitter at @Tan_eave and contact her at her website www.tanyaeavenson.com  Want to learn more about writing? Stop by her blog http://guidedgirls.blogspot.com

In the Beginning, They Were Writers – Lisa Orchard

Welcome, Lisa Orchard!

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! My name is Lisa Orchard and I’m an author for the Young Adult market. Thanks Kay for allowing me to be a guest today. It’s greatly appreciated.

Kay wanted me to take a moment and tell you a little about myself and my writing history. So here we go!

I’ve been writing since fifth grade. I was an avid reader and I loved The Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, and Nancy Drew. I loved mysteries. So, my family wasn’t surprised when I started writing my own. I illustrated them too…but my talent is really writing. My pictures were a little scary to say the least! (wink) That’s when I knew I wanted to be a writer.

So, I kept writing my little stories and in school I took as many English, Mythology and Creative Writing classes that were available. I earned all A’s in those courses…I was sure I was a natural.

It was during this time that I developed strong bonds with some of my classmates.  My friends and I not only loved reading about Nancy Drew…we wanted to be Nancy Drew. And wouldn’t you know it there was a neighborhood mystery that needed to be solved. Of course, we were on the case. It was a case of vandalism and we never did solve it, but that summer stands out as being one of my best memories.

Well…the Nancy Drew phase passed… but the desire to become an author never dampened. It burned bright all throughout my high school and college career.

I kept writing, but there were times when I had to put it aside because life does get busy. It wasn’t until I decided to stay home with the kids that I thought about chasing the old author dream again. I picked up my pen and began my novel “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer”.

I finished “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” and decided to go for the next step.  Publication.  And here I am today…with two published novels for the upper middle grade/lower YA market.

And wouldn’t you know it…they’re both mysteries!  So, anyone who loves Nancy Drew will love my books. Here’s what one young reader said about my first book.  She really enjoyed it!

See what fans are saying!

The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer by Lisa Orchard is an absolutely amazing book. 5 out of 5 bookworms for sure.

The whole time it keeps you guessing and thinking about what is going to happen. It also has a little hint of humor. This story of great friends takes you on a mysterious and suspenseful journey through a town of weirdos. It was very hard to put down. Every chapter there was a new twist that kept me up late at night reading. The characters were very different some serious, scary, and most of all silly! All ages would love this book and never want to stop reading.

The book is a great mystery and almost seems real. If you get scared or disgusted easily I would not suggest this book but if you’re like me and are not scared very easily you will love it as much as I do.

The Super Spies are like Nancy Drew of the twenty first century but MORE FABULOUS!!! This book is a must read for all ages.

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 “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer”

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission.  The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying…

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Super-Spies-Lady-Killer-ebook/dp/B007JZH61K/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-super-spies-and-the-cat-lady-killer-lisa-orchard/1109518725?ean=2940014338202

“The Super Spies and the High School Bomber”

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where Sarah and her sister Lacey are now living with their Aunt and Uncle. Still reeling from the fact her parents have disappeared, Sarah starts the school year with her new friend Jackie Jenkins. When Sarah learns the school has been bombed, she’s filled with dread. Uncle Walt is a teacher, and he was in the school when the bomb exploded. Taking matters into her own hands, Sarah decides to search for him. The rest of the Super Spies are right behind her. When a fireman chases them away from the school, Sarah becomes suspicious. She decides to investigate. The FBI arrives on the scene. Sarah realizes this bombing could have even bigger implications. Searching for the bombers, Sarah is introduced to the world of terrorism. She fears that the bombing and her parents’ disappearance are connected and terrorists are involved. To make matters worse, the bombers are determined to finish the job. Can the Super Spies find the bombers before it’s too late?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Super-Spies-School-Bomber-ebook/dp/B008P8O7OY

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-super-spies-and-the-high-school-bomber-lisa-orchard/1112263058?ean=2940014992244

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You can find me at these social media sites:

Website:  http://www.lisaorchard.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaorchard1

So, if you’re interested in a new series for your tween/teen. Check out the Super Spies! Thanks for taking the time to read my post! Leave a comment; I’d love to hear from you!

In the Beginning They Were Writers – J.F. Jenkins

J.F. Jenkins is a multi-published author, who has no less than three series with Astraea Press. She lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.

Says J.F. of her beginnings:

My first story I ever wrote was called “Adventures in Nightmare Land”. It was written in third grade and an illustrated paper book. Each page had one sentence and artwork that hasn’t improved much over the years. The story itself was about a paranormal investigator who had to battle the evil villains of horror movies. It was a pretty big hit in the classroom. Not sure what my teacher thought of it of course, but I had a lot of fun writing it.

Find J.F. on Amazon! Or on Barnes & Noble!

In the Beginning, They Were Writers – Kristin Vayden

When I was younger I loved writing for my literature and creative writing classes, but was basically told that my writing was only passable.  I completely accepted that and never tried to explore it further.  My writing story begins at the same time as my sister, but in a different way.  I’ve always loved, loved LOVED to read, and when my sister began writing I would babysit my computer for her next chapter of whatever story she was working on.  Eventually, she pestered me enough to try to write on my own.  I took a joke we had made about ourselves and ran with it.  ”Living London” was created and I still can’t believe that it’s going to be published.  Now I can’t imagine not writing, I enjoy it so much.

Follow Kristin on social media:

http://kristinvayden.weebly.com

www.whispersfromabook.blogspot.com

@KristinVayden

http://www.facebook.com/KristinVaydenAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Deception-Grace-ebook/dp/B00A0LXXZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353427283&sr=8-1&keywords=kristin+vayden

In the Beginning, They Were Writers – Jeff Salter

My Writing Goes Back Nearly as Far as My Memory

By Jeff Salter

I doubt any of my earliest scratchings still exist but I do have — transcribed by my Mom — some of my very first rhymes and couplets.  These date to April 1959, when I was in 3rd grade.  I also have a typed page of my childish poetic efforts which my Dad compiled and submitted to Saturday Evening Post (unfortunately unpublished, however) from about 5th grade.

During 6th grade, I wrote my first COMPLETE poem … about a real-life experience with a neighbor.  In 7th grade, I won a school essay contest on the topic, “What living in America means to me.”

But I didn’t show any of my creative writing to anyone outside the family until I shared some of my verse with my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Fleming.  She took a real interest and gave me a lot of (general) encouragement.  For Christmas that year, she suggested I write a Christmas Poem.  It was my first experience composing on ‘contract’ and the result was pretty awful even by my own juvenile standards.

At some point in those junior high years, I also wrote a few (very short) short stories.

Don’t recall much in particular about creative writing in 9th grade, but when I transferred from Louisiana to an Iowa school for 10th grade, my writing really took off.  The short stories were much more mature and complete and my verse practically exploded.  I shared some of those efforts with my English teacher, Miss Rosalie Sherman, who provided specific feedback and very supportive encouragement.  She even selected one of my stories to be included in the school’s literary anthology.  It was Miss Sherman who nudged me into experimenting with free verse and blank verse … forms which had totally baffled me theretofore.  I also started, but never finished, what I thought might become a novel.

I continued with poems and stories during 11th grade, when I was back in the same Louisiana school I’d left the year before.

By my senior year, I was co-founder, co-editor, co-producer, and co-writer of The Shadow, an underground ‘newspaper’ (though most of its 6-7 issues had only 4 pages each).  [Note to any youngsters reading this:  in the late 1960s, underground papers were quite rebellious and anti-establishment.]  I also continued writing poems.  One poem won a First Place (and cash award) in the Deep South Writers Conference and was published on the front page of our local city newspaper.  Yep, my first published poem!

In my freshman year at a university in Georgia, I was Feature Editor of the student newspaper, the Mercer Cluster.  Later I founded / produced / edited / wrote another underground paper, Pedestal.  Also continued with my poetry.

By the summer after my freshman year, I was on staff at the Hammond [LA] Daily Star, where I worked in a variety of capacities (full-time and part-time) for over a year.  That work — as reporter, photographer, feature writer, sports editor, and ad salesman — was for PAY … so I’d finally lost my amateur status.

After that, I was Assistant Editor of a weekly ‘shopper’ called the St. Tammany News — which was actually produced across Lake Ponchartrain, in downtown New Orleans.

I collaborated with my brother on a screenplay, which was never produced, and later on a short story which we submitted (unsuccessfully) to a few national magazines.

With a low draft lottery number, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.  After basic training, I was given a direct duty assignment — no tech school — to the first of three jobs with the newspapers at Cannon AFB NM, Thule AB Greenland, and McClellan AFB CA.  Each position included photo-journalism and editing.

For a few years I continued to write short stories, but my main interest was poetry.  I no longer have an exact count, but I estimate I’ve written at least 1000 complete poems (plus innumerable fragments).  About 120 have been published; I’ve won some 30 poetry contest awards (many with cash prizes), including at least three from National Writer’s Club.

While still a professional librarian, I published several articles and book reviews in professional journals.  Also, I co-authored (with my brother) two monographs on aspects of librarianship; these were released by Libraries Unlimited, which (at the time) was one of the top three publishers of library-related resources and reference tools.  We also co-authored a signed chapter in a book published by the American Library Association, and a signed article (about homelessness) in a specialty 2-volume encyclopedia published by Sage Reference.

After I took an early retirement and moved from LA to KY, I naturally assumed I’d continue writing poetry and book reviews.  Imagine my surprise to learn there were novels inside of me!  In my first five years of retirement, I completed seven full-length novels, two of which have been published by Astraea Press.

I have concepts, notes, scenes, or (in some cases) thousands of words … on nearly six dozen OTHER novels.

My novels are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as the publisher’s site:

http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/search/keywords=salter&offset=0&sort=relevance

I can be seen presently at two blogs:

http://taketwoonromance.weebly.com/jls-blog.html

http://fourfoxesonehound.wordpress.com/

Sweet Saturday Sample-Regency Version

At last! Kim Bowman and I will be releasing the sequel to A Lot Like a Lady. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy a lengthy sample.

Unsure whether to turn around and stalk off or grab Annabella by the shoulders and give her a good shake, Jon simply stared. Candlelight limned her face and gilded the honey-gold curls that cascaded about her shoulders. Her skin glowed peachy soft and her unusual dark green eyes gleamed like twin pools at midnight. She should have made him think of an angel. What she brought to his mind, though, was his gran’s favorite cat — the disagreeable brown tabby that hated everyone, particularly him, and never failed to spit and hiss whenever he got too close to her favorite perch.

Annabella jerked backward, reminding Jon that he’d been gaping. He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to gather her wits. As she straightened her back, she released an indignant gasp. Unfortunately, the sound only served to enhance the image of the angry tabby. Jon’s lips twitched as he fought a losing battle with a smile.

“Just what do you think you’re doing? Sneaking up on a body in the middle of the night!” She raked him with a scathing glare. “And in a most indecent state of undress.”

His struggle with the smile long since abandoned, Jon allowed his mouth to widen into a grin.

Predictably, the lady became even more incensed. “What is that — that —that look on your face?” She motioned with the candle in his direction.

Jon took an involuntary step away from the flame, but he refused to stifle his sudden good mood. “Beg pardon?”

“Why are you — grinning like a jackanapes?”

All hope of containing his mirth abandoned, Jon tossed back his head and loosed a hearty laugh. Then, crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head. “Once again, the lady seeks to mortally wound me. I merely came rushing to the aid of a damsel in distress, and here she stands calling me a monkey.”

Annabella’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened into saucers. After a moment she snapped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes into angry slits. Her heated glower slammed into him, as tangible as a punch to the jaw. Jon’s heart stammered and then thudded hard against his chest. Something about the light flickering over her face, or maybe it was the way her chin quivered and her lips twitched until she rolled them inward… Vulnerability threatened to overtake her natural defiance.

Oh, no. No, that would never do. Defiance he could handle. Vulnerability… vulnerable women. That was another story altogether. Run!

Inwardly reeling, Jon took a second step back. “Right, then. Well… as it seems you are not, after all, in dire need of assistance, I shall get back to what I was doing when your shriek interrupted me.” Which had been pacing the confines of the bedchamber after lying on the lumpy mattress for a brief time in fruitless pursuit of sleep.

Annabella pulled in a long breath. “I. Do. Not. Shriek.” The frostiness in each bit-off word could etch a window pane.

Good. Better that image in his head as he returned to the elusive endeavor of seeking sleep than one of pouting lips and trembling chin.

He inclined his head and smirked. “Oh well, if the lady doesn’t shriek, then it must have been a banshee I heard calling my name.”

“I did not call your—“ She clapped her mouth shut and glared. Her pale chest rose and fell with each harsh, indignant breath she pulled in. A tight smile widened her lips, though her eyes remained chilly. “Well, if a banshee is coming for you, I’ll be certain to welcome her at the door. At least she won’t be sneaking around and striking terror in unsuspecting hearts.”

Her quip sparked something inside — gave life to something that had too long lain quiescent. Jon stepped forward again, choosing to risk the heat of the candle should the lady decide to retaliate.

“Is that what I did?” he whispered. “Struck you in your heart?”

Her eyes grew impossibly wider until they took over her entire countenance, threatened to draw him into the unguarded reaches of her soul. The sweet scent of flowers mingling with the tart aroma of lemons rose to tantalize. Too close! Much too close, but too late to back off, so he held his ground and waited, well aware of the heated darts currently prowling his veins.

“I… you…”

“Oh, I beg your pardon. One would first have to have a heart in order for it to be struck.” His grin widened. “Is that not what you told me at our first meeting?”

Annabella released an angry gasp, but she didn’t back down. She pushed her chin out and stood straighter. “Yes, that is what I said. And it has become painfully obvious that I was correct in my assessment. If you must know, a mouse jumped out of a pot and bared its teeth at me.”

The light of the candle washed her exposed skin. Jon closed his eyes against the image then opened them again and deliberately leveled his gaze on her eyes. “And am I to understand your shriek had the desired effect? You have successfully dispatched the mouse to the devil? Because I’ve had a long day traveling and I should find it sheer bliss were I able to sleep the night undisturbed by screams over unsuspecting rodents.”

COMING SOON!  Find me on Amazon and other e-book retailers.

In the Beginning, They Were Writers – Patricia Kiyono

I’ve never been a physically active person. Given a choice between playing outdoors in the summer sunshine and curling up on the porch with a good book, the book always won out. I loved to escape into different worlds–some like mine, others quite different. But they all gave me a sense of adventure. Later on I entertained the notion of being an actress and I’d write scripts for myself. I’d perform them in front of the large mirror in the living room, using my dolls and stuffed animals as the other characters. Once in a while a younger brother or a friend would be coerced into taking part!

In high school, I enjoyed the classes that allowed me to create or perform things other people created. Band, orchestra, and choir were the highlights of my day, but I also enjoyed my other subjects. There was English (I loved the composition assignments. When else were we allowed to really voice our opinions?), social studies (I had creative teachers who had us research for mock debates and write travelogues for the locations we studied), science (loved writing those hypotheses – just like the “what if” questions I use to develop a plot!) and math (I’m still a sucker for a puzzle). So I guess I’m saying I’m one of those nerds who loved school.

I guess I was extremely fortunate in having so many teachers who encouraged creativity, but I believe this is what sparked my desire to write later on, after raising my children and retiring from full-time teaching. These were people who believed that it wasn’t enough to simply know the facts; we had to know how to use these facts to make decisions that would eventually make our own lives better. And now I look for facts to inspire my writing. Snippets of news articles become conflicts, visits to different locales help determine settings, and parts of conversations with friends and family turn into dialogue.

I owe a lot to my teachers. Maybe that’s why I became one, too. What better way to emulate people you admire than to follow in their footsteps? I only hope I was half as influential as they were.

Patricia Kiyono’s Author Central page at Amazon

When Dreams Go Awry

I’m going to preface this post by stating that I consider myself to have lived a particularly blessed life. I may not have resided in the lap of luxury, and often did not possess the various toys and amenities of those surrounding me. But I never missed them, as I have been blessed with love – my love for others and the love returned by people in my life.

Like most children, when I was growing up, I had dreams, and along the way those dreams would shift and adjust to reflect my growth and changing interests. Like most young girls, I dreamed of that fabulous wedding and perfect marriage filled with love and blessed by children. At some point in there, I dreamed of various occupations, one of which was writing. I loved to write and tell stories. Fiction has intrigued me from an early age.

Sometimes people find their dreams changing – through their own idea or through circumstances. And sometimes, what started out as a dream might end up a nightmare. My life has been good, but it has not been without difficulty. I’m not afraid of hard work, have, in fact, worked hard throughout my life and found it rewarding. But if I said that as a child I dreamed of growing up to be a production typist of medical reports, or that my first child would be born with a birth defect that would claim her life when she was 2, or that I would end up divorced and raising four kids, ages 10, 11, 11, and 12 at the time, I would be lying.

When a person’s dreams change to nightmares, sometimes it’s a quick and sudden process – a horrible and hopeless diagnosis, a catastrophic accident, a home that burns to the ground… And sometimes they become nightmares with a slower and more subtle process – it’s the little things that get you, and have you wondering “again?” over and over as the little things strike, as disaster looms and then is abated (or not).  I was never well off during those years of raising my children on my own. My children often went without the perks and extras that their friends had. But we made it, and we did okay. My children have all grown and scattered, but we remain family. After my mother’s death, I was able to purchase a very modest, 100-year-old house with 40-year-old upgrades, where I have lived quite happily for a few years now.

The economic climate, as everyone is most painfully aware, is not a good one, and for people like medical transcriptionists, the work environment can change suddenly and dramatically with one corporate merger or takeover, and the outsourcing of reports to another country. Though we remain on the books as a transcriptionist, the work becomes scarcer and scarcer and the paychecks dwindle. I’ve been through three corporate takeovers of MT work, and each time opportunities for work decrease. I found myself working only part time because the work may be plentiful but the transcriptionists are in even greater supply than the work. Writing and editing were a marvelous way to supplement my income and make it easier to survive the slow weeks as an MT.



In the past year, I was blessed with a second grandchild. Things were looking great. I had cowritten an Amazon best seller with my friend, Kim Bowman, and even the MT work seemed to be flourishing. The peace that accompanied these events slipped away in April, when my son was in a freak accident that left him needing neck surgery and a good chance that he could be paralyzed from the neck down. Unable to work, he had no way to support his family. He has since undergone one surgery but requires another. I have helped them when I can, and that has depleted my savings. I still feel blessed. But I am living, once again, from paycheck to paycheck.

Some of you may have seen my link trying to raise funds. The reason I need these funds is because in helping my son, I fell behind on my property taxes. Without $1500 by February 6, my house will be seized and sold to satisfy the tax bill. The city does not want to hear my reasons and excuses. And I do, after all, owe the taxes.

The prospect of being homeless is a terrifying one at any age. And, like with the other things that have happened in my life, this is definitely not something I would have dreamed of as a girl making plans for her happy future. My children live in small homes of their own, and while I could conceivably crash on a sofa somewhere, I also have three large dogs that simply would not be able to come with me. These are rescued dogs, and great babies. One of them has been through a lot and she is 100% devoted to me but 100% afraid of strangers. She had been separated from me for five months last year, and would not survive another separation from me.

A friend gave me the idea to raise funds on line, and I have to admit this is one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. It’s pretty much akin to standing on a street corner with a sign for me. But as another friend pointed out, “this is your HOME, you’re trying to save; it’s your home, not a trip to Mexico, or a dream wedding.” Still, I could not ask for something without offering in return, and that’s why I offered discounted editing services and in some cases an e-book from one of my back list. And thus was born my plea for help.

I will end this by saying that I still feel blessed – by the love of friends, by prayers and well wishes of others, by an outpouring of support. God has always provided for me and for my family, and I am trusting Him now to lead me where He wants me to go. Thank you all for your understanding.

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