Jen Cudmore's Blog, page 26

Encouraging Links 04-03-14

Here are some encouraging thoughts I encountered over the past couple weeks. Just wanted to share!

The Fervent Prayer of a Selfish Wife Avails Nothing: “Prayers should never be focused on all that God needs to do to make them better husbands for US.”

No more Guilt-Induced Doubt: “It’s hard to believe God could use us when we’re such a mess…”

Spring cleaning: “Sunlight regenerates nature’s beauty, and becomes a gentle reminder to regenerate my faith life.”

What is the Proper Role of a 21st Century Wife?:  “What’s beautiful about being a women in the 21st century is the power of choice.”

Is God Enough?: “We love God and we live to serve Him, but then there are so many other things in our lives that tend to crowd Him out. ”

11 Ways to Encourage Yourself: “Sometimes a person has to be the one to dig deep and find their own encouragement.”

 

And if you’re interested, here are some posts I wrote that I hope you’ll find encouraging:

God, change my ‘want-to‘: “Was I going to fight for my man and my marriage, or wallow in self-pity… Praying for our husbands when we don’t want to puts our faith in God…”

Live, Love, LAUGH!: “Laughter promotes satisfaction with our lives...I learned the value of laughter from my mother.”

You want me to pray for whom, Lord?: “I had actually said a few prayers for my friend, but I never focused on fighting for her.”

©Jen Cudmore 2014, All Rights Reserved

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2014 Prayers: Raising Godly Sons

Theme: Family

“God, Please make my son a courageous man of God who takes initiative to protect & watch over his family & friends. May he grow into a responsible man who will make an exceptional husband & father. May he be on guard, stand firm in the faith, be a man of courage & strength. May he do everything in love (1 Cor 16:13-14).

“As he grows older, help him put away childish behaviors & attitudes (1 Cor 13:11). May he exercise self-control, focusing on capturing his thoughts, so that momentary pleasures won’t master him. Rather than behaving on impulse, help him to think through all consequences & choose to be responsible.”

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For more encouraging prayers, click here to see what’s been posted recently.

(Photo courtesy of FreeRangeStock.com)

Has it really been a year?

Big thanks to all my loyal followers! Your support over the past year has meant so much to me.

February 18th was my first blogaversary (who knew there was such a word!) So over the past couple months I’ve been trying to step back and regroup; think about what people like, try a few new things, and cut out a few things. After looking over some stats and reports from the past year, I want to try a couple more ideas.

At this point, my plan is to CUT my regular posts on book reviews by kids, chasing your dreams, and writing tips.

I’m also going to ADD some reviews of some of my favorite novels and more encouragement for moms and wives.

I would love your feedback!

Please be honest and let me know what you think of my blog posts. Tell me what you like best and what you like least. Send me an email or just leave a comment – whatever works best for you. cudmore.jen (at) gmail.com

Again, thanks so much! Those who respond will be put in the drawing for a free digital copy of the Willow Ridge Volume 2, which should be out in a couple weeks!

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And now for the winners of the Goodreads Giveaway! There were 524 entries for Athena Creek Volume 1. Goodreads randomly selected 3.

Congrats to Zoey Brouthers, Barb Klein, and Heidi Schuster!

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Some of my tops posts over the past year:

What does it mean to be a woman of grace?
When it’s time to walk away from a friend
What I learned from studying the anatomy of the eye
Did you pray about that?
What I’ve learned from working two jobs

When You’re Waiting on God

A couple years back I received a DVD in the mail from Walk In The Word, a ministry of Pastor James MacDonald, who is one of my heroes. Although I’ve learned a great deal from his teachings over the years, for some reason this topic, “Why God Delays Deliverance”, didn’t interest me. So I set it aside. Finally I popped it in the player, and of course, it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.

Right now I’m overwhelmed with some projects I took on and some personal issues God is teaching me. I found my notes on this DVD and was so encouraged after I read over them that I thought I would share!

Before you can be delivered from your trial and reach the blessing:

1) Circumstances must deteriorate. God usually waits until the last minute because He wants you to learn a lesson. Adversity should make us grow stronger in our faith.

2) Doubts must cease. God wants you to wait patiently and trust Him. He wants you to seek Him and really know who He is. It takes time to build trust.

3) Truth must prevail. Sometimes there are things going on behind the scenes that you can’t see at first. It’s not just about you. He may be trying to align some things in some other people’s lives.

4) Hearts must change. God may give little victories, but He doesn’t want “surface change”. He wants to see a real, lasting transformation.

In the end, it all leads to a greater victory so that He will get the credit, not you. He’s not just going to win, He’s going to blow your mind and win BIG! So whatever it is You’re waiting on, whatever you’re believing Him for, just be patient and keep seeking Him consistently.

When you’re waiting on God, remember that it’s in Him that you live, move and have your being.

 

 

Interview with Robert Treskillard

Meet Robert Treskillard, author of the Merlin Spiral Trilogy, a series for teens which Publishers Weekly calls “A sweeping, deeply detailed fantasy that re-imagines the adventures of Arthurian legend … The author skillfully crafts intense action scenes and vivid settings.”

My agent, who is also Robert’s agent, suggested the series to me because he knew my children loved to read. I have to say Robert is very good with kids! He personally conversed with my son via email after we bought the first book.

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What writing lesson have you had to learn the hard way? I had a very hard time trying to get my first 50 pages right.  I don’t know how many drafts I went through, cutting, rewriting, moving things around. A couple things I learned:

·         Don’t introduce any character near the beginning that won’t play some important part in the plot.   Readers naturally latch onto characters introduced early and think they’re critical to the plot and they keep looking for them to pop up later on, and when they don’t, they’re like “hey, what happened to so and so?” If you have to use someone, keep them nameless. I originally had these three fishermen at the beginning of Merlin’s Blade, and then they disappeared for the rest of the book and they just weren’t needed. Cut!
·         Get to the main part of the plot as quickly as you can!  I think I had sixty or more pages of Merlin and Garth wandering around the village picking up things to deliver.  It was good writing, and fun to read, and you got to meet the villagers and begin to care about them, but it *REALLY* slowed the plot down. Cut!
·         Really work on your first few pages!  You MUST grab the reader! Jeff Gerke gave me some specific and excellent advice for how to bring my writing to the next level here.

What are some themes you worked into your books?  I try to give each book some sort of major theme, but all sorts of little themes work their way in.  Here’s my first three titles:

·         Merlin’s Blade — facing your problems despite your disabilities.
·         Merlin’s Shadow — overcoming doubt.
·         Merlin’s Nightmare — overcoming fear.


What is your most effective platform-building tool—Facebook, blog, Pinterest, twitter? Why?  I tend to gravitate toward Facebook, but try to keep all the other social media websites spinning at the same time.  Some argue that Facebook isn’t as good for outreach as Twitter, but I’m not sure that is the case … I tend to get more interaction through Facebook.  Maybe that’s just me!

Personally I haven’t used Pinterest, partially because I’m concerned about copyright violations.  For my blog I try to use only public domain images, or images I create and own, so I’m not sure how Pinterest is quite legal.  Maybe they’ve sorted that out already and I’m just behind the times!  It’s a *really* cool concept, though!

Do you have a word (or words) of wisdom to pass on to other writers?  Before you invest in the incredible labor of writing a book, make sure the premise behind it is absolutely stellar.  Don’t just go with your first idea … you have to dig for that jewel buried in the haystack.  Once you’ve found it, and you know how valuable it is, then that alone will motivate you to finish.
 
Who influenced you most in your life? Probably Gary Wood, the man who led me to the Lord when I was fifteen. I grew up in a broken home, and was coming off some bad years of delinquincy, and Gary was the first person to clearly explain the gospel to me, allowing God to change my life. The neat thing is that we had him stay the night a few years ago while he was traveling through Missouri and he challenged my son about how God might use him, and that was a seed that has now born fruit … amazing!
 
What do you think makes a good story? External villains and internal ones at the same time.  If you can grab the reader on the outside and the inside simultaneously, you’ve got them. As part of this, it can be very powerful to watch someone’s world shatter and then see them put it together again piece by piece.
 
Where does your inspiration come from?


I read a lot of history, legend, and myth, and there is so much to plumb there that it’s not hard to come up with ideas.  I also bounce the tougher parts of the plot off of my family, and they come up with great ideas.  For instance, in MERLIN’S NIGHTMARE I was stuck at one point, and my son came up with the concept of Gogi as a character, and then I morphed him with the legend of Gwenivere’s father … it all fit really well and was a really cool idea!
 
Do you use your own experiences from real life in your books?  I had a tough childhood in many ways, including some medical issues and an abusive father, and I draw a lot from that well, so yes. It’s also been a privilege to be a parent … a painful privilege, but a privilege, and I draw on those experiences a lot.  The fun thing for MERLIN’S NIGHTMARE is that you get to see Merlin and Natalenya as parents, and it’s quite a change from the first two books!

 

What projects are you working on now? I’m plotting the first book of my next trilogy.  The book is named ARTHUR’S BLADE, and the trilogy will be called THE PENDRAGON SPIRAL. This trilogy will finish off the traditional arc of the stories of King Arthur, and then I have a follow-on trilogy called THE EXCALIBUR SPIRAL after that.

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Robert Treskillard is a Celtic enthusiast who holds a B.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies from Bethel University, Minnesota. He has been crafting stories from his early youth, is a software developer, graphic artist, and sometime bladesmith. He and his wife have three children and are still homeschooling their youngest. They live in the country outside St. Louis, Missouri.

Connect with Robert on Facebook, Twitter, at his blog, or over at the website dedicated to his Arthurian series.

2014 Prayers: Sufficieny and Blessing

Theme: Blessing/Abundance

“God, forgive me for my words of doubt and negativity with regard to my financial situation. You are Jehovah Jirah and will provide all our needs – Sufficient is Your provision for today. Teach me to set my priorities correctly, to be self-controlled rather than wasteful. May I always be aware of what comes in and what goes out. Keep my family free from the devourer (Mal 3:11).

“It’s by Your grace that we have the power to gain wealth (Deut 8:18) and I thank You for providing a way to take care of my family. May I be a cheerful giver and sow bountifully, that I may have sufficiency in all things (2 Cor. 9:6-8). May I always honor you by giving the first fruits to my church(Prov 3:9). Help me to give above and beyond, so that it will be returned, good measure, shaken together, and running over. (Luke 6:38).”

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For more encouraging prayers, click here to see what’s been posted recently.

My Current Work in Progress? Vikings!

Looks like this will be the last stop on the blog hop, and it’s been a fun journey getting to know several other fabulous authors.

Click here to see some of their posts!

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So, what is my current work in progress, you ask?

I’m writing a series set in the Viking age!

I’ve been holding off on telling people too much about the plot because I’m not sure when the books will finally be published. As I’ve explained in a couple other posts (Breaking the Rules and I’m writing about Vikings), Christian publishers are not interested in novels set in the Viking age – YET!

After doing research, my opinion is that the Viking age was very similar to the Medieval period. For my series, The Tavland Sagas, I created a fictional island just above Ireland. Set around the year 1000, my goal is to give people a sense of what life was really like for the Vikings. Plus plenty of adventure and romance!

I’ve already finished the first manuscript (more on that later!), so I’ll tell you about the one I’m currently working on, which is actually book 2. I’m hoping to have the rough draft done by the end of March, which will give me a month to edit it before I hand it over to my writing coach.

Tavland Sagas Book 2 Summary: When Kadhrin, a chieftain’s daughter from the south, agrees to marry Waldemar, she assumes he’ll become the next king of Tavland. She marries him with high hopes of influencing modern changes to the small country, but soon realizes Waldemar is not interested in making her dreams a priority.

Waldemar feels trapped, knowing that he must support his cousin’s rule but wishing he could take his place as king. No one understands why he refuses to wrench the kingship from his cousin, and the few who know his real reason do not agree with his decision to step aside.

Kadhrin’s bondmaid, Torvi, was taken from her family at age fourteen. While living out her bond, she struggles with missing her family and her freedom. Because she cannot marry, she must deny herself a romance with Alrik, an archer in the city’s Tower Guard and the only link she has to her childhood.

Over the course of a year Waldemar and Kadhrin’s marriage grows more strained. How can they lead their people if they can’t be united? Soon all four characters are drawn into a political intrigue that will challenge their loyalty to each other and change the country forever.

+++ Over the next few months I’ll be posting more information on Viking culture and history. I’m hoping my first Viking novel will be released by the end of the year, so stop back by and visit me soon!

I’m also currently working on some short stories which my publisher, Helping Hands Press, has asked me to write.  The first series I’m a part of is The Wells Fargo Express, and the other is the San Francisco Wedding Planner.

I get to focus on one character from each series and write a bit of their backstory, which should be released this summer!

 

 

 

Guest: Author Mark Miller – Who is Dinosaur George?

Meet author Mark Miller! He believes he has always been a writer and strives to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, Mark Twain.

He has written several books for kids, including Empyrical Tales and Sons of the King (both fantasy series) as well as a children’s eBook series about two elementary school students that become international spies called Small World Global Protection Agency .

I’m giving away a free digital copy of Mark’s new book! Know a child who likes dinosaurs? Just tell me your child’s favorite dinosaur in a comment below! I’ll have Mark choose a winner on Tuesday, March 25th.
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The newest release from Dinosaur George Media is now available in paperback and eBook. No foolin’ – beginning April 1st through the 7th, “ Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts – Episode One ” will be a Kindle Countdown Deal. Don’t miss this great middle-grade chapter book at $0.99 for a limited time!
 
Dinosaur George’s uncle is missing! 

Professor Stone was the world’s leading paleontologist. At least, until the day he disappeared. Now George is searching for him. 
No one knows where Professor Stone is, but that’s not the only problem. They don’t know when he is either. Thanks to Dr. Morgan’s invention, the professor is lost in time. 
To save his uncle, George joins a team of scientists and explorers. Armed with hi-tech gadgets, they will travel 65 million years into the past. Only history knows what they will discover. 

Will George be the first human to see a living dinosaur? 

Will he find his uncle before it’s too late? 

Episode One: Raptor Island takes George to the Late Cretaceous of Southern Asia. It’s his first real chance to try out his amazing equipment and hopefully find a clue to Professor Stone’s whereabouts. But something is waiting on the island. 

In a story packed with humor and excitement, experience the past like never before. Learn about dinosaurs and all of the latest theories of their existence. Don’t miss the PaleoFacts at the end of each episode with all the dino-details.

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Mark Miller currently resides in Florida with his wife and four children. Mark has written numerous novels, screenplays, short stories and digital series. He has geared his fantasy series, The Empyrical Tales, for the classroom and explored his spirituality, writing both with his father and daughter. He also created the young reader series Ask DG based on Dinosaur George’s popular YouTube series. Inspirational stories with positive messages are his goal with everything he writes. www.MillerWords.com or www.Facebook.com/MarkMillerAuthor

2014 Prayers: The Writer’s Life

Theme: Protection and Success

“Thank you God for giving me a creative mind that can craft stories and articles that encourage others. Give me clarity when I sit down to write, keep me focused and free of distraction, continue to let creativity flow. Give me wisdom and discernment in the items I write and post. May my work always bring You glory, pointing readers to Your greatness and not to me.

“Help me with time management so I don’t neglect my family and my home. Show me where I may be out of balance and bring me back into alignment. Continue to show me where to put my efforts and provide the resources to accomplish each task. May I always be open to Your prompting, ready to take the next step, remembering to seek You each day so I can accomplish Your plan and purpose for my life.”

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For more encouraging prayers, click here to see what’s been posted recently.

The Family You’ve Always Wanted

The other day my son spent several hours lying in the hallway beside the bathroom before he finally felt well enough to sleep in his bed. When I checked on him later, his stomach finally felt better but he had a scratchy throat.

When I stepped out of his room a moment later, I saw his sister in the bathroom. She passed by me with a tiny cup of water and handed it to him to ease the irritation in his throat. And my heart warmed at her generosity.

One important aspect of parenting is that we must teach our children to serve. Some kids naturally desire to help others while some children are more self-centered; yet all personalities must be taught the value of putting others first. While helping people may not always be fun in the moment, they will eventually learn the satisfaction that comes from completing a task and serving someone in need.

I learned this concept from Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages. When my family went to Maui in 2011, we were surprised to see that he was speaking at a church just down the road from our condo. Sunday morning we attended the service and spoke with him afterward. He signed a book for us called The Family You’ve Always Wanted. I’d always known it was important to make my children help out at home but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. He helped me understand.

In the home, there is much to be done and the family must work together to complete the tasks – it shouldn’t fall on one person. Having children do regular chores teaches them responsibility, teamwork, and the value of living for the greater good rather than only yourself.

For example, a trip to Costco is a family affair in my home. When we return to the house, we all unload the car and put the items away. Last week, while my husband and son cut up all the meat, bagged it into meal-size portions, and stacked it in the freezer, my daughter and I broke down all the boxes and burned them in the fireplace. We all felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished, and we had a good time working together.

Teach your children to serve! Start at home and then have them branch out to other places such as church and school. And of course, model the behavior as well.

©Jen Cudmore, 2014 _____  Subscribe to my blog or my email newsletter on the right side of the page!