Mary Ellis's Blog, page 11

Should we follow the laws and our leaders?

So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belong to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. First Corinthians 3: 21-23

Offhand, I don’t recall ever reading the above passage in Scripture, but the pastor used it recently during a sermon. It’s not a passage that would stick with a person since we humans love to join different groups and affiliations. As America approaches another election year, it’s normal for people to side with the political group which best matches their personal and ethical convictions. I’m often at odds with fellow Christians because I agree with some, but not all, of a particular party’s platform. Yet this passage tells not to boast about following any particular human leader. That certainly goes against the tide, doesn’t it? We all want to strengthen the church’s influence on our beloved country, since America was founded on Christian principles. The more we remove God from the judicial and legislative branches governing our nation, the worse off our country becomes. In my opinion, God shone His grace on America when America worshiped and respected Him openly. Yet, something about politics today seems better designed to further political agendas and not God’s.

In my recent book, The Quaker and the Rebel, my underlying theme is that both sides of the horrific Civil War worshiped the same God and felt that He was on their “side.” Both my hero and heroine grew up Quaker and retained some, but not all, their doctrinal beliefs. When the war broke out, which side you were on was determined by where you were born, whether you were rich or poor and of course, black or white. Considering the atrocities committed by both armies, God wouldn’t have been pleased with either. Of course slavery needed to end, and unfortunately it took a horrific war to abolish it. So shouldn’t we follow today’s leaders who best exemplify Christian principles? After all, we still have many injustices that need to be addressed in our society. Perhaps each Christian must decide how “political” they wish to be. For myself, I’m confused and easily led astray. I need to turn to Scripture and bend my head in prayer for my answers.

Authors and their most embarrassing moments

Happy Thursday, Readers,

Today I’m sharing a blog with my fellow authors of Amish fiction. We all answered the same question: What was your most embarrassing moment? Enjoy the replies from my fellow storytellers about the Amish community:

Jennifer Beckstrand: When I was seventeen, my neighbor set me up on a blind date with her nephew. He was really cute and really tall. He took me to see the premiere of “The Empire Strikes Back.” It was a hot summer day and we had to stand in an impossibly long line for the movie. He turned to me and said, “Would you like an ice cream or something?” I said no. I turned away from him and felt his hand on my shoulder. I turned back and watched as he fainted flat on the ground. He must have overheated. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there and watched as a complete stranger helped him off the ground and to a seat. I must admit, I considered pretending I didn’t know him. The good news is that the theater management let us go into the empty theater to sit and cool off. We got the best seats and free soda.

Shelley Shepard Gray: Unfortunately, I have a lot of embarrassing moments! I’ve fallen down more flights of stairs than I care to recall! But one that particularly stands out happened at a writers conference about ten years ago.

It was soon after I had sold my first book to Harlequin and I was going to my first ever Harlequin party. All the authors had directions on how to get to the party, which was basically to go out the front door of the hotel lobby and look for the correct shuttle, car, or van. So, there I was, all dressed up with my girlfriend Ann, going to our first publisher-sponsored party. Together we sail through the lobby, spy all the shuttles and such waiting out front, and see a very nice vehicle with a discreet sign on one of the windows saying ‘Harlequin’. Our ride!

Feeling like princesses for the night, Ann and I walk up to the fancy van, open up the door, hop in, and sit down. And then notice that we recognize every face. This wasn’t the newbie van. This was the VIP van, filled with very well known, award-winning, best-selling authors. We were in the wrong car. The really wrong car! They were all staring at us like we were crazy stalkers.

I froze. So did Ann! Then one of the authors’ handlers whispered something like, “Honey, you need to get out. Like, right now.”

Without a word, Ann and I scooted out of the van, got in the line for our correct bus, and then laughed until we cried.

I have to admit I still blush every time I see one of those authors!

Mary Ellis: What an easy question! After 30 + years, one afternoon stands out.

My husband and I were invited to spend the day with a work acquaintance & her husband on their sailboat. I am not a mariner by any stretch of the imagination. When we were pulling up to a dock for lunch, her husband asked me to tie the rope around the cleat. I stepped onto the dock with one foot while remaining on the boat with the other. With my weight balanced between land and boat, I attempted to tie a knot to his specifications. You guessed it….the boat drifted away from the dock and I fell into the water. I was wearing a swimsuit and can swim, but everyone eating lunch witnessed my foolishness. But truly, the other couple was more embarrassed than I was. They never invited us back for anymore outings.

Kelly Irvin: Embarrassing moments? It seems there is a plethora from which to choose! Most of them are work-related. There’s the time I was working as a reporter for a newspaper in Laredo, Texas, where the summers swelter with heat and humidity. So I wore a sundress to cover a City Council meeting. The zipper broke and left the dress rather backless and hanging off my front. I rushed out, raced home, changed, and raced back. Fortunately, the council members were so long winded I didn’t miss much. Unfortunately, the county treasurer was sitting behind me and witnessed the entire debacle.

Fast forward twenty-five years and there’s the time I did a face plant by tripping over a parking lot barrier in front of a Park Police officer and recreation center staff members while discussing an upcoming ribbon-cutting. Or the time I locked my keys in the car twice in one week, once with the car running.

The ultimate blooper, however, occurred very recently. I had coordinated a ribbon-cutting ceremony and I walked back to the parking lot, camera around my neck, purse slung over my shoulder, my hands full with a box of six full-sized gold-painted shears. I clicked my key remote in back of “my” SUV, set the box on the asphalt, and then opened the hatch. The woman sitting in the driver’s seat glanced in the rear view mirror and said, very calmly, “This one’s mine.” Only then did it hit me that the car engine was running. I stammered an apology, closed the hatch, picked up my box, and moved on.

Those are a few highlights from the Kelly Irvin blooper reel. I can think of several more.

Vannetta Chapman: Most embarrassing moment? There are too many to count, so I’ll go with a recent one.

Hubby and I went out to run errands and we even stopped for lunch. Ours is a little town, so you know everyone you see. Only when I got back home, did I notice that my shirt was on in-side out. I would like to say this is rare, but sadly it happens all too often. 

Amanda Flower: My most embarrassing moment… it’s hard to pick. I’m pretty klutzy and had been known to walk into walls and trip down and up stairs. When I bought my first car, which was a long time ago, I was so nervous while writing the down payment check. It was a lot of money to me at the time. While writing the check, I dropped my pen. When I bent over to pick it up,  I cracked my forehead on the salesman’s desk. Ouch! It hurt! The salesman didn’t say a word about it, and I pretended nothing happened too.

Amy Clipston: My most embarrassing moment took place in high school when I fell off the school bus. Since my stop was the first, the whole bus got to witness my clumsiness. Thankfully, my best friend since Kindergarten, Christine, was with me. We laughed the whole way up the street to our house. My knee was throbbing in pain, but all I could do was laugh!

Amy Lillard: I guess I don’t embarrass easily, but…You know when you are trying to appear professional and all-together? Early on in my relationship with her, I was emailing back and forth with my agent, Mary Sue Seymour. I start my email with “Dear Ms. Seymour, dada, dada, dada.” At the end of her response she wrote “Call me Mary Sue”. Good girl that I am, I picked up the phone and called, but got no answer. I emailed back and said that I tried to call but no one picked up. She responded with something to the effect of “we are busy and don’t always answer the phone. Email is a much better tool of communication for us.” Huh? Then why did she tell me to call her? I let the matter drop and stewed on it a couple of days. Then it hit me–she wasn’t telling me to  call her on the phone but to address her as Mary Sue. Still shaking my head over that one. LOL

We invite any and all sharing of most embarrassing moments in the comments.

You can learn more about these great authors on their websites. And be sure to like our Facebook pages too!

Vannetta Chapman:  http://vannettachapman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Vanne ttaChapmanBooks

Amanda Flower: http://www.amandaflower.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authoramandaflower 

https://www.facebook.com/IsabellaAlanAuthor

Amy Clipston:  http://www.amyclipston.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks

Mary Ellis:  http://www.maryellis.net/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Shelley Shepard Gray:  http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyShepardGray

Kelly Irvin: http://www.kellyirvin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Kelly.Irvin.Author

Jennifer Beckstrand:  JenniferBeckstrand.com

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans

Amy Lillard:  http://amywritesromance.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Lillard-Author/177732292332322

 

Writing Process Blog Tour

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, readers,  I hope you’ll join me in thanking all the men and women in the US. military for their service to their country!

Recently, I was invited to participate in a blog tour by my good friend, Amy Clipston. Amy writes awesome romantic fiction set in the Amish community for Zondervan and Harper Collins and has won numerous awards. Amy’s latest book is A Mother’s Secret. She asked me to share my answers to four questions that authors from all over have been answering in this Writing Process Blog Tour.  Here are my answers:

What am I working on at the moment? Right now, I’m putting the last touches on book two of the Civil War Heroines Series, called The Lady and the Officer for Harvest House Publishers. While serving as a nurse in Gettysburg, Madeline Howard saves the life of a colonel in the Confederate Home Guard. Even though Maddy’s heart belongs to Union General James Downing, Colonel Haywood never forgets the beautiful nurse. When their paths cross in Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, he’s determined to win her heart. Maddy has been busy eavesdropping on army officers and war department officials in her aunt’s palatial home. When she hears plans for Confederate attacks in northern Virginia, she passes the information along to Union officers, betraying the trust of her family and friends. Two men are in love with her. Will Maddy’s choices bring devastation on those she loves?

How does my work differ from others of its genre? Most fictional stories set during periods of political unrest assume a particular posture. Although my lead heroine will share my anti-slavery convictions, I attempt to portray the complexity of social issues. Usually there are no truly “good guys” by the time a war is over, no matter how well-intended people’s original motivations.

Why do I write what I do? I love to create stories about cultures I admire (I’ve written a dozen books set in Amish communities throughout the United States.) and romances set during turbulent periods of America’s past. I’ve always loved history and the way it has shaped laws governing us today. And love does have a way of surviving even during wartime, no matter how dire the circumstances.

How does my writing process work? I travel to the area where I plan to set a story to get details only available in person. In the case of historical novels, I research several times because there is always so much to learn. But in the end, I still end up making a few mistakes because so much information is ambiguous or incorrect. I’ve even seen two different accounts as to who won a particular battle at Civil War interpretive centers.

The Lady and the Officer is available for pre-book at Christianbook.com.

http://www.christianbook.com/lady-the-officer-civil-war-heroines/mary-ellis/9780736950541/pd/950541

I hope you’ll drop by next week’s blog tour participants: Kathleen Fuller and Carole Brown.

Kathleen Fuller writes lovely Amish romances and historical romance for Harper Collins. http://www.kathleenfuller.com/

Carole Brown writes for Lighthouse of the Carolinas. Her book, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman was nominated for a Selah Award. http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Drop by an see what these great authors have to say! Have a great Memorial Day weekend, readers. ~ Mary

 

 

One of my favorite recipes

Do you know the best aspect of being a fiction writer? The ability to give your characters traits you have (or wish you had!) and let them enjoy your favorite things in life. In my latest Amish book, A Plain Man, my character Josie has a Secret Recipe 4-bean Salad that everyone in town simply adores! I created my  own special salad recipe and allowed it to become famous! The uniqueness of this recipe stems from its flexibility. In other words, feel free to change it to accommodate whatever you have or is plentiful in the garden. Unlike Josie, I never make this recipe the same twice. Hope you enjoy! Have a great week, readers.

Jessie’s Secret Recipe Four Bean Salad

Combine in large bowl:

1 can green beans

(note: all beans can be either home-canned or store-bought)

1 can yellow beans (wax beans)

1 can kidney beans (light red or dark)

1 can garbanzo beans

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped peppers-sweet (green, red or yellow or combination)

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped black olives (optional)

Add only enough dressing (recipe below) to lightly coat salad, then chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Before serving, if desired, drain off any runny dressing and add fresh. (1 or 2 tablespoons, or to taste)

Dressing:

2 cups oil (I prefer olive)

1 1/3 cups cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. parsley (fresh or dried)

Heat oil and vinegar together, stirring in sugar and seasonings. Heat only until sugar is completely dissolved and seasonings are blended. Do not boil. Let cool and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator to use as needed. Shake well before using. This can be used on coleslaw and lettuce or spinach salad too.

Author’s note: I never make this recipe the same way twice, so play around with the quantities (celery etc.) or types of peppers, etc. to suit your taste.  Mary

Happy Friday, Readers!Today I’d like a acquaint you with...

Happy Friday, Readers!

Today I’d like a acquaint you with Brenda Novak’s 10th annual on-line auction to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes. Brenda Novak is a New York Time’s best-selling author whose son has been afflicted with this disease. All proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the Diabetes Research Institute which has been doing phenomenal work. So far, Brenda has raised over $2 million and hopes to add another $500,000 to that total in 2014.

I have donated six of my romances which I ship out, signed, to the highest bidder. To bid on my books, just click on this link:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3292415

If you already have those books, check out other fund-raising donations here:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf?_start=61

Also, please be aware that MOST items close on May 31st, but that doesn’t mean ALL items do. Remember to check the closing time of whatever you’re interested in winning. The One Day Auction Category is a special category where items go up for auction and close the same day. To participate, you must keep an eye on the schedule. Don’t miss out on the fun of these quick and exciting auctions.

If you’d like to help Brenda with her auction, please spread the word through your social media outlets. So many people’s lives are affected by this terrible disease–it’s one of our deadliest. So let’s join Brenda and see it become a thing of the past–for her son and millions of others.

Thanks, readers, and have a lovely SPRING weekend!! ~Mary

 

Here’s our twelve winners & I’ll be on BlogTalk Radio tonight!!

Happy Tuesday, readers,

What an exciting week this is turning out to be! My newsletter was delayed a few days since Mail Chimp no longer accepts Yahoo mailing addresses. So I picked an extra 2 winners due to the delay. Without further ado, here are the 12 winners of a signed copy of A Plain Man. Carolyn Ford, Barbara Myus, Nancy Pack, Debra Ford, Cindy Hamilton, Laura Bassett, Anna Layton, Sandy Rutkowski, Anna Mills, Linda Ware, Rosemary Trezza, and Becky McCoy. Books are being mailed today.

Next, here is my lucky winner of Pam, by Sharon Srock, from last week’s interview on Home Thoughts. Sandra Stiles–Come on down!! You’re our next lucky winner of a great book by Sharon Srock!

And finally, tonight I’m a guest on Romance in on the Air, with host, Jennifer Fusco! I’m so excited. We’ll be talking romance, and books, and what I do for a living, and a little bit about everything. Tune in if you can. The show, Romance in on the Air, is on from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Eastern time. Here’s the link to make it simple. Just clink on it and you’re set to go!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsontheairbookstoo/2014/04/23/romance-is-on-the-air-with-jennifer-fusco-interviews-mary-ellis

Have a great week, readers. Spring is in the air in Ohio, and I’m one happy camper!! ~Mary

 

Win a free copy of Pam, a new romance from Sharon Srock

Happy Tuesday, Readers. Today we welcome Sharon Srock to Home Thoughts. Sharon has a brand new romance out called Pam. At the end of this interview you can win a free electronic copy of Pam. Just leave Sharon a comment! She also has a free novella download available too! But first, here is a little something aboutPam:

Pam’s divorce broke her heart. The cruelty of her ex-husband broke her spirit. A bottle of sleeping pills almost took her life. Four years later the scars of Alan Archer’s emotional abuse are beginning to fade under the love of her new husband. When Alan returns to Garfield, Pam must learn that buried secrets and carefully cultivated indifference do not equal forgiveness. Alan Archer has returned to Garfield with a new wife and a terminal heart condition. His mission? To leave a Christian legacy for his children and to gain Pam’s forgiveness for the sins of his past. Two hearts hang in the balance waiting for the delicate touch of God’s healing hands.

What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
That forgiveness isn’t always easy, but it is required. When we hold a grudge, when we bury that hurt we tell ourselves that we’re making “them” suffer. The reality is we are only hurting ourselves.

What are you working on now?
THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: SAMANTHA is currently under review with my publisher. I’m writing, furiously, on THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: KATE . Story threw me a curve this week and I’ve got some serious editing I need to do before I go any further.

Author Sharon Srock went from science fiction to Christian fiction at slightly less than warp speed. Twenty five years ago, she cut her writer’s teeth on Star Trek fiction. Today, she writes inspirational stories that focus on ordinary women using their faith to accomplish extraordinary things. Sharon lives in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma with her husband and three very large dogs. Her books include: The Women of Valley View: Callie and The Women of Valley View: Terri, both of which are currently available. The Women of Valley View: Pam released  11 April 2014.

Receive Sharon’s newsletter

Connect with her at www.sharonsrock.com..

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sharonlsrock/boards/

Please visit her AMAZON page to find current info on her books: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Srock/e/B009OB2HSO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Free PDF: MEET THE WOME OF VALLEY VIEW:

http://pelink.us/wovvbonus

Free Novella: FOR MERCIE’S SAKE

http://www.amazon.com/For-Mercies-Sake-Sharon-Srock-ebook/dp/B00I6MYBSG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_d_3

Thanks so much for visiting, Sharon. And readers, leave a comment here to be entered in a drawing for Pam. Drawing in one week!  If you don’t want to wait, here’s the link to get your copy:

Pam (Women of Valley View)

My historical short story available as FREE download

Happy Tuesday, readers, and welcome to April. Today is the release of A Plain Man, my Amish romance from Harvest House, along with the debut of Romance on the River for free. That’s right, free for Kindles or other electronic device downloads. And this is not an April Fool’s joke. Romance on the River is a sweet little short story set in Marietta, Ohio in the early days of the Civil War…a bit of a prequel to The Quaker and the Rebel. If you’re thinking you might like to try my brand of historical fiction without going into debt, you can’t beat free. 

Here’s a summary: Summer 1861—Emily Harrison is finding life a bit overwhelming. Alone on her family’s farm, she must take on the roles of both housekeeper and farmer. She cares for the garden, makes plans for planting the fields, and milks the cows, all the while creating havoc in the home her mother used to keep immaculate. That is in addition to providing a safe house as part of the Underground Railroad. In the midst of this whirlpool of swirling tasks, she is getting ready to greet very important dinner guests—the love of her life and her pastor and his wife. Will Matthew finally propose? What news does Reverend Ames bring that turns Emily’s world upside down? How does the new war between the North and South impact her life? And…will the goose be cooked in time?

Here is the link from Amazon for your free download. Remember, Romance on the River is available for other electronic reading devices as well.

Amazon.com: Romance on the River (Free Short Story) (Civil War Heroines Series) eBook: Mary Ellis: Kindle Store

Nothing quite as exciting for an author as a new book

Happy Thursday, readers,
There is nothing more exciting in an author’s humble life than when a new book releases. Day after day, writers sit cloistered in our offices pounding away at keyboards. Lunch in another room of the house becomes the highlight of our days. But today I’m tickled to announce my newest Amish romance is here. A Plain Man is the story of a prodigal son who comes home. Although Caleb Beachy tried the Englisch world for several years, he is a Plain man at heart. When he returns to the Amish lifestyle, he discovers there’s more to embracing his faith and reconnecting with the community than driving a horse and buggy and giving up his Levis. He struggles with his domineering father, the oppressive rules of his district and with the paralyzing guilt from past mistakes. Josie Yoder was just a girl when he left, but she’s all grown up now and still has a soft spot for Caleb. But Caleb carries enough shame and self-loathing to derail even a well-established relationship. Josie might be the love of his life, but will past sins end up destroying their fledgling romance?

I hope you’ll enjoy the story of a wounded heart finding joy, health, and healing in God’s infinite grace. Sign up for my newsletter from my website: www.maryellis.net for a chance to win one of 10 signed copies of A Plain Man on April 15th. If you’re already signed up, you’re in the drawing! For an additional chance to win, please leave me comment here on my blog!  A Plain Man is already available at CBD now and will release April 1st at Amazon and in stores. Here’s the links:

http://www.christianbook.com/a-plain-man-mary-ellis/9780736949804/pd/949804?event=Fiction

http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Man-Mary-Ellis-ebook/dp/B00I2YDBVQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395331248&sr=1-1&keywords=a+plain+man

Have a great week, readers, and happy spring!! Mary

 

Ohio’s Role in the Civil War

Happy Wednesday Readers! Without further ado, here is the winner of Vow Unbroken, by Caryl McAddo from last week’s drawing:  Linda Dietz. Linda, please contact me privately if I don’t get ahold of you first.

While preparing to write The Quaker and the Rebel, book one of my Civil War series of romances, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Ohio’s pivotal role. Being a northern and decidedly “Yankee” state, Ohio provided a multitude of soldiers and officers to the Union Army. Several leading generals hailed from Ohio including Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan. Five Ohio-born officers would later serve as President of the United States. As the third most populousstate, Ohio sent 320,000 volunteers to the Union ranks, behind only New York and Pennsylvania. Since only two minor battles were fought within its borders, the state was spared the destruction suffered by Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. However Morgan’s Raid in the summer of 1863 spread terror among the citizens. Morgan’s division of Confederate cavalry rode through southern and eastern counties until his capture in Columbiana County. My central character, Alexander Hunt, is a fictional composite of John Hunt Morgan and John Singleton Mosby, who wreaked havoc in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Ohio also had a crucial role in the Underground Railroad. No actual railroad existed for their path to freedom and it certainly wasn’t underground. Slaves on southern plantations passed information by mouth of mouth. Guides pointing out the way were called “conductors” and homes offering hiding places were called “stations.” Most runaway slaves traveled on foot at night, often guided north by the stars on their way to Canada. Follow the “drinking gourd” became a common refrain among escaped slaves. Approximately 40,000 runaways traveled through Ohio, assisted by Quakers and others with abolitionist views in 700 safe-houses throughout the state. Once across the river in a “free” state, slaves still faced capture by bounty hunters due to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. My Quaker heroine, Emily Harrison, continues her clandestine Underground activities while working as a governess for a wealthy planter. What joy I had doing research close to home, and how proud I am of Ohio’s role during this turbulent period of America’s past.

Have a great week, readers!