C. Kevin Thompson's Blog, page 6

The Author Behind The Story Blog Series - Valerie Comer

We're two days away from one of the most important days of the year. My Wife's birthday. :-) Her Valentine's Day has always been special. Unlike some folks who "sadly" call it Single Awareness Day (SAD). Yet, if you really dig into the history of the holiday, you'll quickly realize that the greeting card companies and chocolatiers have reshaped the holiday into a business venture of their own choosing. If you truly celebrated the day in its original context, being single just may be the way to go!

Coming to us from a place that probably celebrates the Christmas season longer than we do here in the south because of all the snow is our next author. Jesse Palmer, of Florida Gator, the NFL, The Bachelor, and ESPN fame, would be proud of our next guest, singing "Oh, Canada!" and waving the red Maple Leaf. Let us welcome our next guest to the Florida front porch, where a balmy eighty degrees and thunderstorms in the forecast makes us break out the sweet tea instead of hot coffee.

Welcome, Valerie Comer! Valerie, as a tradition here on ABTS, we ask every guest to pretend they are boarding an elevator, and Jimmy Fallon walks up with a microphone in his hand and says to you, “Hi, I’m Jimmy Fallon, and I’m looking for average Joes & Janes with not-so-average lives to interview for my next new show segment. And you’re name is?" Ding! The elevator door closes. The cameraman is in your face. You now have twelve floors until you reach the lobby. In fifty words or less, who is Valerie Comer?

Hi, everyone! I’m a wife of one, mother of two, and grandmother of four who lives on our family farm in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. I’m also a follower of Jesus who has called me to write romance to reflect the reckless love He has so lavishly poured upon me.
Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life? 
The notion niggled at the back of my mind on and off for years, but I didn’t know how to go about learning the ins and outs of storytelling. I was also a busy mom who somehow thought it was selfish to take time for myself in an endeavor that would go nowhere. So…I did nothing (except read) until I was 42. We’d recently moved, and I’d landed a job running a small-town flooring shop. Even though we had more business than the two boss guys (aka installers) could keep up with, there were many quiet hours every day in the shop.
I realized it was “do or die” time for my vague dream. By now the internet had been invented, with how-to-write articles and writing forums and all. I wrote my first 100K fantasy novel longhand and typed it into the computer at home on the weekends. I’ve never read the whole thing again since then, but I learned two very important things from the process. I did, in fact, have enough "sticktoitiveness" to complete a ginormous, year-long project… and I needed to learn how to plot.
Eleven years and eleven novels later, I’d switched to writing Christian contemporary romance (CCR), and my bosses retired. I’d finaled in some contests and landed one publishing deal (a novella for Barbour, which released in 2012). My husband and I agreed that going full-time in writing was worth a shot… and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity just as indie publishing became a thing. I now have more than 30 novels published. It’s been a delight to work from home and earn a better income than back when I had a day job!
That is awesome. I like stories about people who never give up on a dream, work hard at it, find some success (whatever success looks like to them), and get to enjoy it for the rest of their lives.
If you had your life to live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be your obvious answer), what profession would you choose? 
I’d have become an architect focusing on environmentally responsible housing and green communities. I sketched the inspirations for an addition to the church we attended in the early '90s and have designed new kitchens for two houses we’ve owned. I also have stacks and stacks of drawings for complete houses I’ve dreamt up over the years, so this has definitely been a hobby/dream for me.
These days, I satisfy myself sketching the houses my characters live in, which was especially fun for my first series, the Farm Fresh Romance series, where the characters built sustainable structures: a straw bale house, a log home, a timber-framed home, and a bachelor pad within a round grain storage bin! I write romance, so the bachelor didn’t remain that way…
Sounds a little like The Three Little Pigs story...but in this version, the wolf marries one of them. Ha!
Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?
I began writing full-time in 2013 and soon discovered I have a Type A personality. Hobbies drifted away, partly from vision issues. Work was never done, but I definitely made time for a daily walk and for family, especially those growing, delightful grandgirls! However, I began experiencing health issues that my doctor couldn’t diagnose. Long story with many ups, downs, and false starts, but on October 27, 2017, I suffered a near-fatal heart attack that netted me a ride in an air ambulance, several days in cardiac intensive care, two lovely stents, and an adjusted outlook on life.
God spared me. My job here is not yet done (see above re: Type A). My husband and family still need me. My church needs me. And readers need me… or do they? Yes, I still believe that I am called to write. I am still writing and releasing five 55K novels a year, but my focus has changed… at least when I pause to remember.
As an author, I write primarily as a response to God’s love for me. I imagine characters and scenarios then experience God’s loving hand guiding their lives through recalled scripture, through study, and through contemporary worship songs. These stories are my gift back to God in thankfulness for His gifts to me.
That makes me sound so spiritual! I’m really not. Perspective is always a struggle. I’m just thankful to have this second chance to get my priorities aligned and live a thankful, joy-filled life.
Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?
Reading reviews… now that’s an emotional topic! I read the first ten or so after a new release — it’s sort of like following through after hitting a ball and analyzing its trajectory. Once it seems like it’s going the right direction, I mostly stop looking.
I never respond TO a negative review, though I might whine to trusted author friends. Since positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones, I am able to shrug them off. In fact, I see them as a sign that this particular story has reached beyond my primary audience, that it’s loose “in the wild” so to speak. Then out comes my hashtag for the situation: #notmytargetaudience
 I like that line: "In fact, I see them as a sign that this particular story has reached beyond my primary audience, that it’s loose “in the wild” so to speak." Although we write for certain folks, it's always good when a message of hope drifts into the valley of the shadow of death. You just never know who might latch on and find hope in the midst of universal despair which points them to the "Thou art with me" David references.
As a writer, if you had one thing you would do over again, what would it be?
I’d have swallowed my pride and my fears and gone indie sooner. When the indie movement was chugging out of the station, I’d just landed a contract for one novella with Barbour. I’m not proud to say I felt validated and certain my path was the one of greater honor. Soon I’d have a three-book deal, then another, and I’d be a household name.
It didn’t work out that way. While the validation of that one contract was nice, it didn’t make me a better person. You could argue it made me a worse one (LOL). I then signed a contract with a small start-up publisher, which released the first two novels in my Farm Fresh Romance series to a resounding yawn. When the rights reverted in the summer of 2014, I jumped into indie publishing with both feet and have never looked back.
God has been sogood to me through indie publishing. There’s simply no lure to the traditional side anymore. Now it’s all between God, my readers, and me. I’m thankful.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 
I’m currently wrapping up the sixth novel in my Saddle Springs Romance series, The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride, which is expected to release in April.
I see the logline for this book is: Sign his baby's adoption papers? Not a chance! This reformed cowboy has other plans for his former girlfriend's unexpected pregnancy, but she's holding a secret in reserve.
Those secrets! In a scenario like that, very few secrets are unveiled with glee. Which, of course, makes for a better story, right? Is there anything else you want to say about your current projects? 
I’m generally alternating between two series. Since the fall of 2018, that’s been Saddle Springs Romance and Urban Farm Fresh Romance. I’m sad to say goodbye to these cowboys, but they’ve been so good to me that a new cowboy series will begin releasing later in 2020. Yay!
Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?
Writing has been my day job for the past seven years, and I’ve learned to mesh it with my husband’s four-on-four-off day job. While he’s working, my goal is a chapter every morning, or about 2500 words. In the afternoons or on his days off, I’ll study and market. I take vacation days when he does.
I write in my recliner in the living room. My computer swings out from the wall and my keyboard and trackpad sit on a lap desk, so everything is at the perfect height! I can easily lift the monitor and place my lap desk on a tall stand to create a standing desk, which I try to do for at least a half hour a day. Before my 2017 heart attack, I also dictated novels as I walked along my country road. I’m starting to get back into that now (finally). Writing is sedentary work, and we need to fight it!
The second part of your question intrigues me. How do I go about writing? I tried hard but could not make my brain plot novels in advance. I was terrified to start writing without detailed direction, certain I’d meander all over the place in search of the story. That’s not what happens.
I begin doodling a new series by creating the story world in detail, including maps and house plans. As I draw, I think about the characters who’ll interact here, mulling over intriguing themes and issues and tropes. I interview the characters to discover their backgrounds, their love languages, and their Myers-Briggs personalities.
When I’ve delved into those areas as much as I can, I simply start writing. With more than thirty published stories, the romance arc is embedded somewhere in my brain, rarely requiring much conscious thought. I’m often past the midpoint before the details of the black moment appear hazily on the horizon. I back up and build in some hints then see how the story wraps up. The story is mostly complete at this point with only minor revisions required.
Why do you live where you live?
Rural British Columbia, Canada, is the perfect place for us. We live in a wide valley surrounded by farms, orchards, and vineyards. It’s stunningly beautiful and a cornucopia of fresh produce. Best of all, we’re surrounded by nature. We love to haul our travel trailer up a mountain road and park by a tumbling creek for a few days of fishing, or by a pristine lake to explore by kayak. Occasional city visits are great, but being in tune with nature is vital to my well-being! The only way it could be better would be if the wild Pacific coast were visible out my window, but this is where hubby’s job is… and where the grandgirls are.
We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life? 
I’ve been thrilled to mentor my pastor through writing and publishing his first book, and I must say reading it’s definitely impacted me. It’s called Growing Good Influence: 10 Personal Barriers Ordinary People Overcome to Cultivate Extraordinary Influence by Tom Greentree. It’s a great reminder that everyone influences those around them, while offering godly advice on setting ourselves up to be a positive influence rather than a negative or neutral one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NSDB3KK/
In our Facebook-ranting, Twitterverse-slamming, Snapchat-slandering world we live in, it seems being a positive influence is a dying art. Good for him! We'll have to check that one out.
What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?
My life verse is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV): “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
This verse reminds me that it is good and honorable to choose a simple life out of the limelight. I don’t need to be a famous author or international speaker or renowned leader. Some are called to those things, and that’s great. But it’s just as honorable to live quietly, tending my garden, playing with my grandgirls, enjoying God’s beautiful nature, and writing my stories. 
I often feel we authors get lured by all the glitz and glamour, but every time I'm standing line at the checkout counter of the our local supermarket, reading the headlines of the "rich and famous" and how their lives are always in some stage of a relationship-ending shambles and never-ending court proceedings, I like my "little life" more and more. :-)
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover? 
I’m in constant awe that I’m made in the likeness of God. He is the ultimate Creator, but He’s given that ability to humans, too, so I can be a creator of worlds and people like my Father. Something from nothing. How cool is that?!?!
Readers: thank you. You pay hard-earned money to access my imagination (and that of other writers). I don’t take that for granted. I’m so grateful to you.
Valerie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to give our readers a glimpse into the author behind the stories.
Dear Readers, on that note about spending your head-earned money (of which I wholeheartedly agree), if you swish to find out more about Valerie and her writing, you can find her here:
http://valeriecomer.comhttp://amazon.com/author/valeriecomerhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/ValerieComerReadersGroup/http://facebook.com/valeriecomer.authorhttp://pinterest.com/valeriecomer

Until next time, 
Kevin www.ckevinthompson.com "Where Imagination Meets Eternity"And don't miss out on Kevin's latest novel, The Letters ! 
One reviewer says, 
“FANS OF FRANK PERETTI WILL ENJOY THE LETTERS, A TENDER, SUSPENSEFUL, THOUGHT-PROVOKING PAGE-TURNER.”

~ Janet Grunst, author of Selah Award winner, A Heart Set Free & 2019 Christian Indie Award winner, A Heart for Freedom

"A Novel Approach" - Kevin's Interview in Local Newspaper, The Daily Commercial

Come check out an interview I did in a local newspaper that made the front cover of the Sunday Edition on Feb. 9, 2020 in a lead up to the release of Kevin's latest novel, The Letters! This link is the online version which appeared the next day.
Pretty Cool.


You can read the article HERE!

Even NASA has to Bow to Physics - A Seriously Write Blog

Living here in Central Florida, we get a great deal of news about NASA, Spacex, and the International Space Station. Probably more than the rest of the country only because on a clear day or night, we can see the launches from Cape Canaveral in the sky to our east. Even seventy miles away. They are spectacular, especially at night. And as you might imagine, people travel from all around, setting up chairs, tents, and even campers along the coast to view the orange glow of the rockets.

As the intro to Star Trek said many times, space is the Final Frontier. The Wild, Wild West of the future. However, regardless of how spectacular a launch is, regardless of whether or not they are attempting a never-been-done-before experiment, the laws of physics still reign supreme. This is why NASA conducts test after test. They just had a Dragon capsule leave the ISS and return to Earth. One of the tests was to simulate trouble with the booster rocket and have it detach from the capsule safely. The capsule was to continue its descent into the Atlantic Ocean, to be retrieved, while the booster rocket was to break apart and disintegrate as it burned up entering the atmosphere.

Why would NASA and Spacex conduct such a test? The main reason is because they wanted to simulate a manned flight. If a capsule containing astronauts was on its return voyage from the ISS and the booster rocket malfunctioned, could they separate the two in order to protect the crew? If the rocket blows up, accelerates into the Earth’s atmosphere at breakneck speed, ignites at the wrong time and wrong angle of trajectory and propels them in the wrong direction, say towards Alpha Centauri, then the crew, in any of these scenarios, is as good as dead.


You can read the remainder of the article HERE!


You can also find out more about Kevin's newest novel, The Letters , there as well! Or visit HERE for more info on it!

The Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Ken Kuhlken

There are subcultures within the larger society that exist for everyone. As a  writer, this is no truer than when a group of us like-minded folks get together at writers conferences. For the first two or three conferences I attended, I sat in a critique group that met each day of the conference for about three hours. As with most critique groups, they wrestle with grammar and syntax and POV and a plethora of other "writerly" things. However, in these first couple of groups, we did some of the "writerly" stuff, but we also tackled our writing from a bigger picture. How the writing fit theologically was just as important (actually more so) as whether or not this verb went with that adverb or not. These discussions then branched out into what makes a good story good versus what hinders a story's appeal and impact.
The gentleman who conducted these critique group sessions at a writers conference, the first ones I had ever attended at such a venue, was author Ken Kuhlken. Since then, Ken and I have kept in touch, and I am so happy he has agreed to join us here on the Florida front porch, all the way from Sunny California.
Welcome, Ken! Give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Ken Kuhlken?
A while back it occurred to me that the only time I am truly content is when playing golf or baseball or softball or hanging out with friends or family or reading or writing. Now, the only one of those I could even hope to make a living from is writing. So that's what I feel called to do.  What educational background do you have? 
I sort of went to high school, but other concerns, like death and illness, (as detailed somewhat in Reading Brother Lawrence ) intruded, so I didn't begin to do what my Zoë has done this year, which is apply to many fine schools. I instead went to San Diego State, which, at the time was much more challenging than it has since become (I know because I taught and worked as an adviser there for a dozen years). And after I decided high school teaching was awfully hard on a guy whose attention drifts all over, I tried to find the best school for a graduate degree in fiction writing and learned it was the University of Iowa. I applied and got turned down. I was admitted to a summer session and had a class with John Irving who then told the people to let me into the regular program, and they did. So I spent a couple years in Iowa City and earned an MFA degree.
I didn't know that. We lived in Des Moines for a couple of years and had some interesting times with one professor from that college who disagreed with my assertion that Wiccans worshipped alongside satanists, loosely speaking. Stirred up quite the hornet's nest...Small world, for sure!

Are you married? Single? Have kids?
To answer this, read "Old Man, New Baby."

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?
My cat began 2019 with a urinary tract blockage, which cost plenty for emergency care. After that, we learned he was epileptic, which means we need to medicate him three times each day. And during all this, I have found that many people consider spending lots of money to save the lives of their dogs reasonable, but can't understand why anybody would spend much to save a cat. This puzzles me. 

What makes you cringe?
My office partner and close friend at the University of Arizona wasn't usually judgmental, but coming from a family of Brahmins in India, he had high standards for behavior. If somebody acted out of accord with those standards, he took offense and considered that person uncivilized, which to him was the gravest transgression. Example: a contractor gave him a price for a fence then charged about twice the estimate, with little explanation. That man he declared uncivilized, and told him so.
Lately, I cringe at behavior I consider uncivilized. Like profanity for no good reason. I have a coffee cup with a Mark Twain quote: "If angry, count five. If very angry, curse." I go along with that, but I prefer civil language, and the same holds for my reading, writing, choice of movies and television, and even comedians. Unless profanity serves a valid purpose, I much prefer to avoid it.

Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not? 
I want to become a perpetual tourist.

My wife and I do too. I know you can write about places and sell articles to magazines that cover travel...to cover your travel expenses...hmmm. Excuse me, Ken. I think I hear my retirement calling.
Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?
At one time, I was a very good golfer. Not great, but very good. As a kid, I played baseball well, but then I switched to golf. And I think I have become, over many years of trying and learning, a pretty good father.

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?
My grandma, with whom we lived my first nine years, was an accomplished painter and storyteller. I learned to appreciate stories more than anything, and attempted a novel in eighth grade. When I was fifteen, my dad died, and then my mom got hospitalized for months with spinal meningitis. While she was gone, my best friend, another only child, moved in with me, and we became ever closer. Then he died in a car accident. And circumstances leading up to his death presented a whole world of mysteries I am still trying to resolve. My way of resolving mysteries is to tell stories about them.

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?
My friend Alan Russell and I traveled together for book signings. We catalogued our misadventures in fact and fiction, in Road Kill and No Cats, No Chocolate.

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
Since my favorite is always the one I finished last, I'm going to tell about For America, which is actually five short books.
For America has been a long time coming. The story began when I rode in an old Dodge pickup with my friend Laurent to Iowa. Later, I wrote some pages about the trip and called them "The Gas Crisis."
Raymond Carver, a wonderful writer of mostly short stories, told about waking one morning and thinking of the line, "He was vacuuming when the telephone rang." So he sat and wrote that line and kept writing until he finished a remarkable story.
On a larger scale, the same happened to me. I began writing about a road trip and got carried away. My daughter, Darcy, at age five, noticed me standing in the kitchen staring at nothing, and remarked, "Oh no, crazy ol' daddy's working on the grass crisis again."  
The story took me over. I have long felt that, though I often interrupted to write other novels, this one I was destined to write.

Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?
If I expected everyone to appreciate what I write, I would either have long ago learned to write by some genre formula or gone mad. I write what I feel inspired to write and try my best not to expect any particular reaction, though I'm human enough to hope my stories will touch some people.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be?
Marilyn Monroe comes to mind. And not only because she was fun to look at. I mean, we could talk about Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio, and maybe JFK.
And I would love to spend an eternity hanging out with each of my kids and my grandson. It seems I never get enough time with them.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
I had a solid job teaching creative writing at California State University, Chico. It was a lovely town and pleasant work, and they gave me tenure, made me an associate professor, and my colleagues and students were mostly a delight. But the way things turned out, when my kids were in San Diego and my mother was getting old, I gave up that job. Hardly anybody gives up a tenured professorship unless they get offered a better one. Lots of people, even my mother, said, "No way. You really are crazy." 

Why do you live where you live?

Where I live, in San Diego, most people seem to think it's not only the best place in the world to live, but that it's the only place a reasonable person would care to live.
Though I've spent most of my life in the San Diego area, I've also lived for lengthy spells in Chico, California, Iowa City, Iowa, Athens, Greece, and Tucson, Arizona. I would be happy to move to any of them again. Mostly, where I live has to do with people. Where most of the people who mean most to me are, that's where I want to be. If they scatter all over the place, I intend to do a lot of travelling. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
Recently my Darcy convinced me to start listening to audiobooks. She steered me to Audible, which I found okay except that it costs about $15 a month for one audiobook, and then it tries to sell me others. I can easily consume an audiobook a week, so I checked out Scribd, which I had encountered a while back, and found it much better in several ways. With Scribd I get all the audiobooks and ebooks I can use for $10 per month. And, just as exciting, lots of my books are available on Scribd in ebook (not yet on audio, though I hope to remedy that). So, dear reader, if you join Scribd, you can read a trilogy of Hickey family crime novels, the entire five books that make up For America, and more of my work, all from Scribd, for hardly anything. Also, I have communicated with Scribd people about a couple issues, and they are mighty responsive and civilized people. I am a big fan of Scribd.

Ken, it's been a pleasure having you here on the Florida front porch!
Readers, if you wish to follow up on this interview and check out Ken's writing, subscribe to his newsletter, or find out more about him in general, here are some sites you can visit:
To reach him, go to kenkuhlken.net or join him at Perelandra College. Less is More, a more or less monthly newsletter Facebook Twitter Goodreads Scribd  
Until next time, may God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God!
Kevin

Meet C. Kevin Thompson and get a peek at The Letters - An Interview Kevin did with Jubilee Writer, Cindy Huff

Today I welcome suspense writer C. Kevin Thompson to my blog. He gifted me with an ARC copy of his latest novel, and I’m happily reading his interesting story and can’t wait to learn more about how he it came to be and a bit about Kevin as well.


You see the entirety of Kevin's interview with Jubilee Writer HERE!


Also, his latest novel, The Letters, is now available in e-book pre-order and will officially release on February 18, 2020! 

When Your Pity Party Gets Crashed (A CAN Blog Post)

This Christmas season, my wife and I went to the beach, a post-Christmas, Merry-Christmas-to-us present. We arrived on Friday afternoon and talked about what we could do and where we could go for our fortieth anniversary in 2021. We continued the discussion the next morning until we received a series of text messages. They came from our middle daughter, whose family was staying with us. A tree had fallen and wiped out our power line.Pictures depicted how the line had bent the mast pole, yanked the lines out of the meter box, and fried the inside to the point the metal leads had burned all the way through and separated. I called our daughter, and she said somehow there was still partial power to the back of the house. I then instructed her on how to shut down the main breaker. And hurry!
You can read the rest of the post HERE!

The Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Lynnette Bonner

Wearing my granddaughter's
sunglasses at a restaurant...
Do they make my face look big?
As we near the end of 2019, I am reminded that it wasn't too long ago when we were worried about the dreaded Y2K. Remember that? The world's computer systems were going to crash because some programmers at Microsoft apparently went to sleep at the wheel and didn't think their product (the most widely used computer operating system on the planet at the time) wasn't going to sell or be used in the new millennium.
Now, here we are, holding tiny computers in our hands called smartphones, which have more computing power than both of the Voyager satellites.
Chew on that one for a few.
As time moves on, things definitely change, and that brings us to our next guest on the Florida front porch, Lynnette Bonner! Lynnette and I go way back. We both have the distinction of having our debut novels published by the same, now defunct, publisher. Good times. However, one thing I have learned through it all is this: If that publisher had one thing going for it, they could find good talent from the pool of new authors. :-)
Welcome, Lynnette! As it is the ABTS tradition, we start of by asking the guest to give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Lynnette Bonner? 
I was born and raised in the country of Malawi, Africa, just south of the equator. I spent my early years running through crisp savannah grasses with my native friends, and then at the age of eight went off to a boarding school three thousand miles from home. When I graduated from that school, I traded the serenade of cicadas and sunshine for that of traffic and rain in the Seattle area where I still live. (Today was sunny! Whoop! Whoop!) 
Have you ever been sleepless in Seattle? :-)
Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?
Growing up overseas as I did, we didn’t have TV—or even electricity in some of the places we lived. So I spent a lot of time reading. I credit this foundation to the love of story that eventually led me to write my own books.
Are you married? Single? Have kids?

I met my husband in Bible college. He is a pastor. We have four children, all but one of whom have flown our crazy coop. 
I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.
Favorite Song of All-Time: Right now it’s probably "Chain Breaker" by Zach WilliamsFavorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Dare I confess that I rarely read non-fiction? Um… the Power of a Praying ___ series was good. I read Wife a few years back. Favorite Bible Verse: I could list several, but I’m not sure I’d quantify them as “favorite." I feel all the Bible is equally important. I do love the book of James. (Maybe because after trying to follow some of Paul’s sentences, the book of James is so easy to understand. ;)Favorite Movie: The Last of the Mohicans – Daniel Day Lewis version. Favorite Actor or Actress: Maybe I’m just not a person who easily chooses favorites. I admire a lot of actors and actresses for different reasons. Too many to list here.Favorite TV Show: Any police procedural with a little romance.Favorite Novel (other than your own): Silk by Linda ChaikinFavorite Author (other than you): Again, too many to list. No one really stands above the rest. Favorite Sport: Do people really have favorites of all these things? ;) I like all kinds. I’ll say, any sport my kid is playing in. But I love football, basketball, soccer. Just not baseball. I’d almost rather watch paint dry than watch baseball.Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): Seattle Seahawks. Seattle Sounders. Golden State WarriorsFavorite Subject in School Growing Up: PE :)Favorite Subject Now: ArtFavorite Teacher in School: I loved many of my teachers. Mr. Bannister, my Junior English teacher was awesome. Favorite Time of the Year: SummerFavorite Place to Vacation: What’s a vacation? ;) Um… San Juan Islands, WA.Favorite Drink: Vanilla CokeFavorite Food: Steak and tortellini with Alfredo sauce all over it. Lima beans on the side.

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
This one is pretty easy for me to answer, actually. While I love all my characters, I think RyAnne from my Sonnets of the Spice Isle series, holds a special place in my heart. That story takes place in Africa, where I grew up. The historical research into that era was heartbreaking. And I was blessed to be able to shine light on such a tragic time in the world’s history. Readers can learn more about that series here: https://www.lynnettebonner.com/books/historical-fiction/sonnets-of-the-spice-isle/
Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?
Most of my negative reviews have to do with that fact that there’s “too much Christianity / religion in this book.” And I’m okay with that. :)
Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?
In addition to being a writer, I’m a graphic designer. I mostly do book covers for others. You can find my site here: www.indiecoverdesign.com. So many days I’m working on a project for a client. But that works well for me because I’m more of an evening writer. At the very least, a late afternoon writer. So I do graphics in the morning and writing in the afternoon and evenings, around my daughters sports schedule. Both my husband and I try to make it to every game she’s in.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be? 
I think I would pick author Francine Rivers. I think she could teach me a lot about how to be a better storyteller.
If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus? 
Difficult question… I think I’d love to get to know Mary the mother of Jesus. She was willing to be used by God in an amazing way that changed the course of the world, but made her seem like a crazy liar to those around her. What a sacrifice. She had to watch her firstborn son die a horrific death. At one point she became a widow. She had a hard life. Yet, I’m sure she would say it was worth it. I’m sure she could teach me a lot.
When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you? 
A great cover. Interesting story with a good dose of realism but humor is always welcome. I’m a big fiction reader.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover? 
If readers would like to try out my writing, they can sign up for my newsletter and get a free contemporary romance novella. It is about a short-term mission trip to Malawi, Africa, the country I was born and raised in. www.lynnettebonner.com/newsletter.
Awesome, Lynnette. Are there any other places readers can go to get to know you better and check out your writing? 
Website: www.lynnettebonner.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorlynnettebonnerBookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lynnette-bonner Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3016386.Lynnette_Bonner Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lynnettebonner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlynnettebonner/


Lynnette, it's been a pleasure having you on our blog as a guest author! May God bless your writing ministry and book design business.

Dear reader, thanks for stopping by! From our home to yours, may God richly bless you and yours this Christmas season.


Until next time,

Kevin

What Are You Sure About? (A Seriously Write Blog)

As you get older, you spend more and more time thinking. I guess it’s because you realize you have more years behind you than what lies ahead.

Often, it’s about the things you could have done, but for some reason, never did. Like for me when I was in high school, I wish I would have known I could have stood on the sideline of a football field, held a clipboard, and wore a headset while I followed around a great college coach, to learn from him and eventually be ready to tackle that profession on my own. But I’m too old now.

Other times, we think about the things we did that we wish we could have or would have done differently. There are too many things for me to list here. Suffice it to say, hindsight is always 20/20, and even if I had it to do all over again, middle and high school would not be on that list. I do remember, though, my dad urging me at the age of eighteen to set aside twenty dollars a week and sock it away for retirement, come thick or thin, drought or plenty. More when you can. No less than that during the down times. Had I followed that advice, I’d have a minimum of $41,000 saved right now, and that doesn’t include the interest that would have accrued over all these years.

At other times, we think about the things you wish you would have started sooner. I wish I would have pursued my writing career sooner. I had the itch for years, but for whatever reason, I never pursued it until I was in my forties. Better late than never, I guess, but I often wonder how far along I’d be in my writing career if I had started sooner.

Do you do this? Take these little strolls down Memory Lane?



To read the remainder of the blog, click HERE!

The Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Tina Yeager

Welcome to Florida! The place where fall is a dream, winter is a lie, and humidity never dies! I always say that's what we get for invading a swamp. :-/

As we turn our attention from spooky and sometimes demonic things to a spirit of thankfulness (only in America!), we here at ckevinthompson.com wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! No matter what's happened in your past, no matter how unforgiving and ruthless life has been and can be, if we are honest, there is always something we can be thankful for. Even if it's simply the breath we breathed while we ready this sentence. No adverse events in our lives can match the limitless love of God. We just have to seek Him (Matthew 6:33-34).

With that sentiment, I want everyone to meet a fellow writer I have had the privilege of knowing for several years now. We met during a writers conference, if memory serves, and have gotten to know each other a little more through a writers critique community of which we are both a part called Word Weavers International.

Let us welcome non-fiction author Tina Yeager to the Florida front porch!

Tina, you know all about the Florida weather, so pull up a chair, allow our team to place a little umbrella in your iced tea for some ambiance, and give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Tina Yeager?


An award-winning author, speaker, life coach, LMHC, and host of the Flourish-Meant podcast, I’m passionate about helping audiences fulfill their potential as heroes of their divine stories.
What educational background do you have?
I attended a small high school in Mulberry, Florida, where I often appeared as a white speck in the crowd of my friends. I grew so much from my relationships with those from differing races and backgrounds, and therefore tend to champion diversity. I have a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Florida State University, but learned everything I needed to know about writing for publication from conferences. I was pregnant with my first child while finishing my bachelor’s degree. I earned my M.A. in Counseling from U.C.F. when pregnant with my second child. My father says I should be careful about getting a PhD, since it’ll certainly bring a third child.
FSU, huh? As a Gator fan, I'm tempted to break out the joke book, but I will refrain. :-)
You're obviously married. Tell us a little about your family.
I’m married to a heroic and loving gentleman, with whom I share two amazing sons. My oldest son is a gunsmith in Clearwater, Florida, and an incredibly noble young man. When my youngest son filled out his fellowship application, I encouraged him to include the fact that he attended a UCF graduate program before birth. I’m not sure it helped, but he now serves as a research fellowship student in UCF’s combined doctoral and master’s program for aerospace engineering. 

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

At six years old, I submitted my first work for publication in the local newspaper. While my poem about Winnie the Pooh didn’t transform lives or set the publishing industry on notice, the achievement inspired me to continue writing. My love for the craft continued throughout childhood and into college, but I didn’t identify myself as a potential author until much later. The Lord called me to write during my first child’s infancy. My winding life journey took me through other career fields and circumstances—all of which informed my writing—before I heard the Lord bring my writing call to action. I began the long hike up this faith-building mountain of perseverance toward publication shortly before I attended my first writers conference in 2006.

Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?

I love speaking and storytelling from the stage. I’m also a life coach and therapist, so I enjoy praying with and encouraging others toward healing and embracing their full potential.


What makes you cringe?
I’ve always had a hard time tolerating bullies. Though otherwise non-confrontational by nature, a bully stiffens my backbone and floods me with indignance. I once thought this related to my role in standing up to the neighborhood bully as a child, but I believe its root is actually not about human beings at all. The true bully behind the oppression in every situation is Satan. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, Ephesians tells us. I now remind myself to see past the human bullies to the cruel spirit tormenting them and others through them.
Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it is special to you?
“A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” – Gandalf, Lord of the Rings

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?
I’d love to meet Deborah, a true pioneer of women’s Christ-centered leadership as a divine “shero.”
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
When my husband’s job qualified him to take me on a bonus trip to Paris twenty years ago, the museums were closed due to a strike. Desperate to get a close look at the art, I snuck into the off-limits areas of L’Opera and climbed all the stairs to get as close as possible to the ceiling frescos. Probably not the best idea to risk arrest in a foreign country.
Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

I like to dabble in new genres, just to stretch and grow my craft muscles. When I ventured into contemporary fantasy, I discovered an unlimited playground for my imagination and fell in love with writing the genre. I adore the characters and relish every moment I can spend in the Urban Dragon series’ world. My favorite story-baby remains unpublished. For now. Like many niche genres, contemporary fantasy has fallen temporarily out of fashion with acquisitions agents. So, I’m holding onto my darling fantasy for a little while. We’ll find her the perfect home when the time is right.


As a writer, if you had one thing you would do over again, what would it be?
I made the mistake of publishing with a predatory company which touted itself as “traditional” but is reputed as the publisher of idiots. I wasn’t a member of a writing community, so I had no one to warn me against the company. Since I had a degree in creative writing, I didn’t realize I needed to attend writers’ conferences before seeking publication. I would advise new writers to seek a community of wise authors through conference attendance and membership in a well-reputed writing organization. Word Weavers International and the conference I attended have offered priceless and vital training, support, and networking. I cannot recommend these two professional areas of engagement more strongly.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on.
I’m working on a new non-fiction project about becoming the hero of your life story. I also have a completed non-fiction manuscript on how God uses broken people which my agent is shopping. In addition, we’re considering a few fiction pieces for editing and submission. I’m focusing a lot of time on my podcast, Flourish-Meant, as well.
We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life?
I recently read Linda Evans Shepherd’s new book, When You Need to Move a Mountain. Since I know Linda’s dedication to prayer and her obedience to the Spirit’s leading, the book spoke to me as if it were from her heart to mine. When You Need to Move a Mountain underscores the centrality of prayer which Linda models in her life, and I feel inspired to follow her lead by remaining mindful of this vital piece in my life, too.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
I used to wonder how my passion for optimizing life in non-fiction could work together with my love for speculative fiction writing. I’ve recently discovered the aim of becoming heroes in the story God authors for each and all of us covers both fiction and non-fiction themes. I now embrace the diversity and unity of heroic triumph in fiction and nonfiction.
Thank you, Tina, for allowing our readers to get to know you a little bit. We wish you the best as you work to spread His word.
Readers, if you wish to find out more about Tina's writing ministry, check out the links below! 

Her website: https://tinayeager.com/
Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You (publisher site): https://www.newhopepublishers.com/shop/beautiful-warrior/
Flourish-Meant Podcast (also accessible from my website): https://tinayeager.podbean.com/
Inkspirations Online (devotional publication by writers for writers): https://www.inkspirationsonline.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyeagerwriting/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinayeager/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tina.yeager.9/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tyeagerwrites YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TinaYeagerPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tyeagerwrites/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3865622.Tina_Yeager Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Yeager-M.A./e/B06Y4T4TMG/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Until next month, may God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God!
Kevin

When You Kick the Devil, You Better Be Wearing Your Armor (A Seriously Write blog)

(Please read 1 Samuel 28.)

In the mid-’90s, I pastored a small church in Des Moines, Iowa. When we moved there, images of “The Heartland” came to mind. Cornfields lined the roads as we neared the city. Stories of commitment to family, country, and honor were regaled. It was where the true America lived.

One December, our daughter came home with a letter from the principal of her elementary school informing us of an upcoming Winter Festival. When I inquired about the nature of the festival and my willingness to donate time and resources, if needed, I was told that because of our ever-increasingly diverse population, symbols denoting the season—in this case, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.—were not allowed per board policy.

That’s when my gloves came off.



For the rest of the story, click HERE!