Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 182

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 28 February 2017 – CRICKETS

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 28 February – CRICKETS

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#Blogwords, Crickets

BLOGWORDS – 27 February 2017 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – JANE LEBAK

BLOGWORDS – 27 February 2017 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – JANE LEBAK
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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – JANE LEBAK

 

 

Back in 2009, while digging us out from two inches of snow that had somehow turned into a foot, my Patient Husband heard a crack. He looked up to see a pheasant fall to the ground at our garage doors. It had flown straight into the side of our house.

 

Note to pheasants: the house is bigger than you. It will not care that you are coming, and it will not get out of the way.

 

Note to readers: pheasants are stupid. There’s no way to gloss that fact.

 

It landed about two feet away from my Patient Husband and his snow blower, but it didn’t move. Eventually he turned off the machine and chased it away. It half-wobbled, half-flew to a cluster of trees in front of the house, near the road.

 

When he told me, I said, “It’s concussed?”  He thought so.

 

And my first thought was, if it’s dead (because birds have light bones, and that kind of impact might have broken several) maybe I should go get it.

 

I mean, that’s what Ma Ingalls would have done, right? She’d have gone out, cleaned and dressed the bird, and everyone would have dined on Providence-Delivered Pheasant, the best take-out meal. God gave Moses quail in the desert, and our family would have received a pheasant.

 

I procrastinated. Even though I live in the Swamp nowadays, I’m a city girl, and the idea of eating something that wasn’t shrink-wrapped and slapped with a sell-by date…well, that’s just weird.

 

I still had no idea what to do an hour later when I looked out the window to discover a pheasant poking around in the trees at the front of the house. I didn’t need to go retrieve the pheasant carcass because the pheasant was still using it! This made my decision a lot easier. Or at least, it made my cowardice a lot less noticeable.

 

(Okay, everyone, go ahead and make the pun you’re dying to, about how I chickened out. Do it. You’ll feel better. Really. See now? Isn’t that better.)

 

I feel a kind of kinship with that pheasant. I imagine my soul, cruising along, and God’s saying, “That big thing, the thing in front of you? Avoid that? Like, turn…? Avoid it? Because it’s a house and you’ve got hollow bones…?” and then WHAM! I slam right in to whatever sin I should have been avoiding and which would have been reasonably easy to avoid had I been paying attention. Spiritually speaking, I’m just not that smart.

 

But we’re made stupid by our own sins, and we’re surrounded by a sin-filled world. Jesus redeemed us, but the devil is still wandering around like a lion, a predator who would love to devour things that are small and stupid, things that are broken and didn’t come shrink-wrapped from the meat counter.

 

The writer Mark Shea is fond of saying, “Sin makes you stupid.” Therefore I would suggest it’s reasonable to pray, “Help me, God! I’m stupid.” He puts up with a lot from us, so He already knows.

 

But we aren’t done yet with the pheasant. The next morning, coming back from the school bus stop, I passed the same stand of trees and found the pheasant still there, and only about six feet from me!

 

And then I realized it was sitting in a pile of feathers. Oh dear, I though. It must be sick and it’s shedding.

 

And then I realized that wasn’t a pheasant. Oh dear, I thought. It’s a hawk.

 

And then I realized it wasn’t sitting in a pile of hawk feathers.

 

Oh dear, I thought.

 

It was a beautiful hawk. And, I would add, smarter than the pheasant. For, you see, hawks do not dither about wondering whether the pheasant has parasites or a sell-by date or was raised on organic corn. They’re entirely pragmatic. And pheasants are tasty.

 

And from this, I also derived a very important lesson: the world is a dangerous place when you are both stupid and tasty.

 

For years afterward, whenever I felt I was under spiritual attack, I would pray, “God, please help me. I’m stupid and tasty.” rem: too hilarious and oh-so-universal!

 

Live and learn. Or, don’t do either. I guess. Sometimes God gives those of us who are especially stupid a hands-on demonstration via Nature’s School.

 

 

 

[image error]Jane Lebak talks to angels, cats, and her kids. Only the angels listen to her, but the kids talk back. She lives in the Swamp, writing books and knitting socks, with the occasional foray into violin-playing. You’ll also find her blogging at QueryTracker.net, a resource for writers seeking agents and small publishers. Enjoy!

 

https://www.facebook.com/Jane.Lebak/about?lst=1410255848%3A100005823044993%3A1487977590

http://janelebak.com/blog/

https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Lebak/e/B004FRUOLY/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1487977673&sr=8-2-ent

https://twitter.com/JaneLebak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

 

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#Blogwords, New Week New Fact, #NWNF, Guest Post, Jane, Lebak, Pheasants, Mark Shea, Stupid and Tasty

BLOGWORDS – Sunday 26 February 2017 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – ALL THE BIRDS and HIDDEN TREASURES

BLOGWORDS – Sunday 26 February 2017 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – ALL THE BIRDS and HIDDEN TREASURES
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FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – ALL THE BIRDS and HIDDEN TREASURES

 

I love my office. Or should I say my little nest. ‘Cause I don’t have a desk, I sit on the love seat with my stuff spread out around me, all within (relatively) easy reach.

Notes on who’s who in my novel? Right here by my side. Blog schedule for the year? Right under the ring binder of notes for the novel. (and on my Excel spreadsheet)

 

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Okay, so office is a loose term but it works for me.

 

What I particularly love is my view out the front door—which is open when at all reasonable. You know, unless it’s just too cold or the afternoon sun is bearing down—or when I go to bed.

 

And I’ve noticed something on in the wood of the porch railing. A funny sort of knot that looks like a hummingbird.

 

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(kinda like this—I forgot to snap the pic and it’s dark now… )

 

As I was looking at it today, Father whispered to me that the “bird” was hidden within that wood, that tree trunk all along, and nobody ever saw it till it was positioned just as it is outside my door. Just for me.

 

Hidden. A little quirky treasure. A delightful image for me because I love birds so much.

 

And as only Father can arrange it, I was at Hobby Lobby today with my friend, looking at framing options for one of her paintings. (She’s a very gifted artist.) And the piece that she’s looking to frame, says, “Diamond in the rough, Hidden in The Rock.”

 

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The Rock.

 

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He is our Rock. And we are hidden in Him. And we are a precious in His sight, a jewel of inestimable worth. Hidden in Him.

 

Today, as we wrap up the month of February and my blitz of feathers, my flock of robins—Robin Hendzel Bunting, Robin Johns Grant, Robin Patchen, Robin Bayne, Robin Caroll, Robin Lee Hatcher—and all my wonderful guest posts on birds—Merrillee Whren, C. Kevin Thompson, Joy Dekok, Jane Lebak (you won’t want to miss Jane’s post tomorrow, it’s hilarious)—I thought about all the gifts Father has given us.

 

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Today it’s as simple as all my friends who contributed to my birthday month. Such a small thing but such a treasure to me.

 

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And if I wasn’t looking, I’d never have seen it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC0fkWA2INw

 

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#Blogwords, Front Porch Fellowship, #FPF, Sunday Devotion, All the Birds, Genesis, Hidden Treasures, Precious in His Sight, Robin Blitz, Birthday Celebration, Give Thanks

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 25 February 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN LEE HATCHER

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 25 February 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN LEE HATCHER
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CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN LEE HATCHER


“… after several years of heart preparation, Robin accepted God’s call to write stories of faith and hasn’t looked back since.”

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“My storytelling career began in grade school when I told my fifth grade friends that my mother was born in a covered wagon while coming west on the Oregon Trail.”

 

rem:  Hullo, Robin, and welcome. Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?

ROBIN:  I am an Idaho native, born and raised in Boise. I have lived in Boise or a neighboring town my entire life and can’t see myself living anywhere else, although I do enjoy visiting other places. I think I have seven states left to go and then I can say I have visited all 50. I’m a wife, mom of two, grandmother of six. In addition to writing, I am a part-time college student with a goal of getting my degree before I need a walker to go up to get it in the ceremony.

 

rem:  ‘Nother place on my list of places to visit—and people to see! 

BLOGWORDS – Friday 24 February 2017 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON

BLOGWORDS – Friday 24 February 2017 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON
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FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON

note: I share my books this months because it’s my birthday month!

 
  Reading is My SuperPower
Bookworm Mama
Singing Librarian
Faithfully Bookish
Radiant Light
Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Fiction Aficionado
Bibliophile Reviews
 



 
 If you’d like to join us on your blog for First Line Fridays, shoot Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower an email and let her know!

 

 [image error] * not the final cover

THE BLURB:    

The southern town of Saisons lies at the crossroads between North and South, progressive and genteel antebellum life. Between East and West, between history and heritage, and new frontiers.

It’s 1912, in a world where slavery is dying and women’s rights are rising, and four young girls share a bond—and experience a tragedy.

Seasons is the telling of their stories and Mercedes Renaldi’s story is first in The Long Shadows of Summer.

Mercedes’s friend, Simone, comes to her and Mercedes must now keep her friend’s secret. But Mercedes finds more than she bargained for—keeping Simone’s secret from their friends Pearl and Scarlett—and then Mercedes discovers that they, too, have secrets.

But as Mercedes plays detective to her friends’ questions, she discovers something far more shocking—she herself is not who she thought she was.

 

THE FIRST LINE :   

She looked so familiar to me, but I couldn’t place her. Sitting on the bench like she was outside Hooper’s Market. Her hat was at a rakish angle, her cocoa colored hair perfectly coiffed. Seemed there were tears in her green eyes. I was certain I had never seen her before. But she reminded me of someone…

 

MY THOUGHTS:    

First time writing in first person—and I likessss it!!! As usual, this story and its characters have taken on a life of their own—and it’s been a roller coaster ride! By the time this posts on Friday, I hope to have typed the two magical words, THE END—and jumped into the second book. Long Shadows releases in July.

As she tells her story, Mercedes’ voice resonates like she’s talking to a friend. [I hope] the reader is drawn to love her as they become familiar with her struggles.

 

GENRE:

Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction

 

STARS:

I can’t rate it – I wrote it! but FIVE STARS, right???

 

#Blogwords, First Line Friday, #FLF, The Long Shadows of Summer, Robin E. Mason, Seasons Series, The Tilting Leaves of Autumn, The Silent Song of Winter, The Whispering Winds of Spring

 

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 23 February 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN BAYNE

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 23 February 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN BAYNE
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CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ROBIN BAYNE

“Robin Bayne. . . . . Writing with faith and hope. . . . about love”

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“Robin is the author of Christian and “sweet” romance”

 

rem:  Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?

ROBIN:  I’m from Harford County, Maryland, and live only one county away from that now. It’s the “burbs” of Baltimore City, and I currently work my day-job there.

rem:  I’ve been to Rockville, MD (I think it was Rockville…) but never to Baltimore—but I used Baltimore in my second novel! Tell us three things about yourself.

ROBIN:  Hmm, three things.  In 2001 I won a P.T. Cruiser at a mortgage banking convention in Hawaii.  (And acckk, yes, you have to pay a lot of taxes when that happens.)  I’ve been married to my hubby for 26 years and we have worked together for most of that time.  Oh, and I like to write long-hand to get the words flowing.

 

rem:  I’m funny with typing VS long-hand—for stories I have to beon the computer, but to write poems or letters for my stories, it’s gotta be long-hand. Coffee or tea? Sweet or un? Flavored or not?

ROBIN:   Coffee in the morning, usually “Chocolate Glazed Donut” flavor from my Keurig. Tea in the afternoon, herbal. One of my favorites is Pear, another is Sleepy Time Vanilla.

rem:  Oh, that Pear tea sounds lovely. What is your favourite quotation and why?

ROBIN: “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they go by.”  –Douglas Adams.  Love this because it can apply to my day-job and writing commitments.  And I think I’ve actually heard that whoosh before!

rem:  PAHAHAHAH!!! I “feel ya” on that one! What do you do as a hobby?

ROBIN:  Recently I’ve taken up golf, to have a sport to enjoy with my husband.  I am not very good at it, though, and I haven’t started keeping score yet. But I really do enjoy going out on the course and trying to hit that irritating little white ball.

rem:  Never did get into golf, but I wouldn’t mind wandering the golf course—I love to be outdoors. Do you use sarcasm?

ROBIN:  Who me? Nah.   LOL

rem:  Exactly. Favorite season? Why?

ROBIN:  I love the fall. I love the cooling temperatures, the start of the holiday season, and the pumpkin-everything.

rem:  Do you have a favorite Bible verse? And why is it a favorite?

ROBIN:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also—Matthew 6:21. I discovered this verse when looked up my “birth verse,” my birthday is June 21st so the website gave me this one. I really think it says a lot if you think about it.

 

rem:  Good verse, and good reminder. What is your favorite bird and why?

ROBIN:  My namesake, if I have to pick just one J

rem:  Good choice, I agree. Do you like to fly? What’s the furthest you’ve ever flown?

ROBIN:  We used to fly often, furthest trip was to Hawaii.  The last trip was to Las Vegas, and we flew home exactly 24 hours prior to the 9/11 attacks.

rem:  Gasp! How crazy for you to watch the towers come down! When is your birthday?

ROBIN:    June 21—first day of summer and longest day of the year.

rem:  And the more day to celebrate with!

Wednesday Wisdom – NEW

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And ri…

Source: Wednesday Wisdom – NEW

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 22 February 2017 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 22 February 2017 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON
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WREADING WEDNESDAY – THE LONG SHADOWS OF SUMMER by ROBIN E. MASON

 

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The southern town of Saisons lies at the crossroads between North and South, progressive and genteel antebellum life. Between East and West, between history and heritage, and new frontiers.

 

It’s 1912, in a world where slavery is dying and women’s rights are rising, and four young girls share a bond—and experience a tragedy.

 

Seasons is the telling of their stories and Mercedes Renaldi’s story is first in The Long Shadows of Summer.

 

Mercedes’s friend comes to her and she must now keep Simone’s secret. But Mercedes finds more than she bargained for—keeping Simone’s secret from their friends Pearl and Scarlett, and from her own family, and then Mercedes realizes that they, too, have secrets.

 

But as Mercedes plays detective to her friends’ questions, she discovers something far more shocking—she herself is not who she thought she was.

 

 

 

 

[image error]I’ve always had stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!

 

I have been writing since 1995, and began working in earnest on my debut novel, Tessa  in 2013.  Meanwhile, I cranked out a few dozen poems, made countless notes for story ideas, and earned my BFA in Interior Design.  I lived with depression for many years, and the inherent feelings of worthlessness and invisibility; I didn’t want to be who I was and struggled with my own identity for many years.  My characters face many of these same demons.

 

I write stories of identity conflict. My characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I, really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, my stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and a very deep way. I know, I write from experience.

 

 

http://robinemason.com

https://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-E-Mason-Author-Artist/224223274404877

http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/e/B00MR5IQ9S

https://twitter.com/amythyst212

http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108929134414473292325

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7808042.Robin_E_Mason

 

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#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday, Featured Book, The Long Shadows of Summer, Robin E. Mason, Seasons Series, The Tilting Leaves of Autumn, The Silent Song of Winter, The Whispering Winds of Spring

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 21 February 2017 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – OOPS

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 21 February 2017 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – OOPS

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BOOK REVIEW – OOPS

Sorry, folks, #TDRD is closed today…

Tuesday slipped up on me and Monday got away from me – and the review just didn’t get written. That said, I’ve moved it to the first week of March and the sequel to the second week of March – because they’re all about Irish legend! So maybe it worked out after all, maybe it wasn’t so much of an “OOPS” don’tcha know???

 

#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review,OOPS, No Review This Week

BLOGWORD – 20 February – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – JOY DEKOK

BLOGWORD – 20 February – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – JOY DEKOK

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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – JOY DEKOK

 

A Sleeping Sparrow

 

Not far from our house, I have a place I feed and watch the birds. Off to the side, near a tree, sits my photo fort. It’s really a hunting blind Jon bought me at Cabela’s, but the only shooting that gets done there is with my camera.

Once I’m settled inside, even before I get the windows unzipped and sit in my chair, the birds start to come in a flutter of wings, flashes of color, and a chorus of cheeps, peeps, and calls.

 

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I watch them head in from deep in the woods and across the wildflower field and out of the pine trees nearby.

 

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They’re getting used to me talking to them, praying out loud, singing, and even my breath vapor on the cold Minnesota air doesn’t scare them like it used to.

Not long ago, a friend asked me if I had a favorite bird. I couldn’t name one because they’re all my favorites.

But it’s the sparrows that get me singing.

 

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When I was a teenager and had just placed my faith in Jesus, Mama told me that my great-grandmother’s favorite hymn was His Eye is on the Sparrow.

One day when I was home alone, I got one of the old hymnals out of the piano bench and played the melody with my right hand while singing along. I recognized the words right away because Grandma Joy and Mama sang the same song quietly while cleaning the house or playing that same piano.

I took those lyrics straight into my heart, and to me, it was our song, and even though they are in heaven, it still is.

Back when I was a teenager, I liked the words. Now, I love them. Especially on the days when doubts and discouragement yank at my spirit.

The other day, I was feeling low – there had been a terrible hurt and tears. And my heart was broken and lonely.

Then, this sparrow decided to snuggle in close to me. He listened to me talk to him for a moment, they snuggled down on the branch and went to sleep! When four juncos joined him and also went to sleep, I stayed very still not wanting to wake them up.

Where chaos had ruled, peace now reigned.

 

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I watched them rest and pondered Matthew 10:29-31 (ESV)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

And I smiled. When I needed a blessing, God gave me a few peace-filled moments with a sleeping sparrow. What a sweet gift.

Don’t get me wrong – the circumstances hadn’t changed, but in that shadowy place, I was helped by God and reminded I am valuable.

And so are you! God said so, and we can take Him at His Word!

Doesn’t that truth do something to your heart?

Here are the words to this old favorite – if you don’t know the tune, just read the words out loud and let them encourage you.

 

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Joy started reading when she was four and learned to write soon after. Words on the page fascinated and delighted her. By the time she was five, she was writing stories and dreaming about writing books for other kids.

One day while vacuuming, an idea for a novel came to mind. She resisted diligently, but the characters in Rain Dance wouldn’t leave her alone. Finally, the only way to get past their nagging, she wrote the book.

Joy married the love of her life almost forty years ago. She and Jon love their dog kids, Sophie & Tucker – a brother and sister team who stole their hearts. There’s a story behind their names, but that’s a blog post.

Joy loves Jesus and came to faith in Him when she was fifteen years old. When she’s not working she’s riding her John Deere Gator taking pictures on the 15 or so acres of wildflowers on the land she and Jon live on. Joy relaxes by taking pictures of the beauty that surrounds her. If the Oak Ridge Boys, Chris Tomlin, Johnny Cash, Donny Osmond, Toby Mac, or Nicole C. Mullen sings, she listens to it. Dragonflies, flowers, raccoons, fog, frogs, bugs (outside), and the wind fascinate her.

 

 You can find Joy at:

http://joydekok.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-DeKok/e/B0049RU8HU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1471635270&sr=1-2-ent

https://www.facebook.com/joy.dekok

https://twitter.com/JoyEDeKok

https://plus.google.com/+JoyDeKok/posts

https://www.instagram.com/joydekok57/

https://www.pinterest.com/joydekokauthor/

 

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#Blogwords, New Week New Fact, #NWNF, Guest Post, Joy DeKok, A Sleeping Sparrow, His Eye is on the Sparrow