Giveaway! Real Virtue by Katy Lee!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Katy Lee, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

In my latest release, Real Virtue, my heroine is a gamer. I am not. So many readers can’t believe I gave such a clear picture of the gaming world without personal experience, but thanks to my best friend, I was able to world-build with accuracy without getting pulled in. She opened multiple accounts to play and helped me tremendously with my research. However, during my research, I did read many interviews with gamers, mostly teens and young adults, where they admit to preferring their virtual lives over their real ones. Video games can become super appealing, especially if the player’s real life is not so great. In a game, a player can zap out of a situation they don’t like. They can’t do that in real life. In a game, a player is rewarded for beating the next level or quest. In real life, it’s hard to accomplish things, and even when you do, people don’t always notice, or for some, care. Still, as for me, I choose real life.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Well, I write romance because I read romance, usually with some suspense in it. I do enjoy stories where the main characters have to grow in some way, and in following them along their journey, I grow, too. Whether it is a desire to be a better wife or mother, or inspiration to try something new, books like this for me become keepers.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

I’ve always loved creating things, which also means learning how things come together from idea to product and everything in between. Sewing and quilting were big hobbies in my life, and then knitting. But everything I did had a plan, a pattern to follow. If I skimped, it would not come out right. If I didn’t fix my mistakes, it would ruin the finished product, or worse, get thrown into my basket, never to be finished.

I’ve also always had a love for reading and admired the talents of many writers who could perfectly place words down on a page to make them flow like music, or bind together like a perfectly knitted piece. I’ll admit I had tried my hand at writing a few times, starting back in fifth grade, but it wasn’t until 2005 when an idea for a story came to me that I decided to try writing again. But this time I did things a little differently. I researched on how a story comes together. The idea to product and everything in between, and three months later I had completed my first novel. It was when I learned that every kind creation has a plan, a pattern that needs to be followed that I could now call myself a writer.

5 things you love?

Chocolate Mint Tea – All the flavor without the calories!

Homeschooling my three children – I wouldn’t trade the relationship I have with them for anything.

Traveling – ANYWHERE.

No humidity that gives me good hair days.

Good sleep.

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

I really enjoy the Love Inspired Suspense books, and surprisingly, my son likes them, too. My daughter also loves Zondervan’s Halflings series. She’s always raving about them. I’m encouraging her to try some LIS books, too, since I recently sold a novel to Love Inspired Suspense. I’m looking forward to being a part of the LIS family come October!

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Real Virtue is available now in ebook and paperback from Amazon  and Barnes and Noble 

Thank you for having me on your blog! Readers, I love comments and would love to hear from you. One commenter will receive a paperback copy of Real Virtue! It's getting rave reviews, as well as finaling for awards. I hope you enjoy it and are blessed by it.

And please keep in touch with me at my website: www.KatyLeeBooks.com

You will see links for Twitter and Facebook and Goodreads. Let’s connect and get to know each other!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Katy's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on January 11th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Beautiful Story ~ Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott~ Review

A captivating story in a challenging time period, this novel quickly had my attention and interest. It's one of those stories that goes beyond the page to fill my mind with questions while I can't be reading. The characters are such that you want to cheer for them and see them succeed.

One of the things I loved the most about the book was the writing style and voice. I believe this book truly captivated the essence of years of practice and hard work and previous works of published fiction. Beautiful imagery and word pictures that didn't distract from the story is what sets this book above others I have read.

Now that I have read three books about the Hanby family, I am fascinated to know more and am a bit disappointed that this the final book in the series. Reconnecting with previous characters makes this novel that much more rich for the reader.

The romance was a great player in the book, though I almost wish it had played a stronger role. But the ending certainly makes up for any bit of lack I thought the middle might have had.

All in all, I am quite pleased with this latest novel find and have added it to my keeper shelf.

This review is my honest opinion, thanks to the author for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

Susanna is a lady of principles who values family above all. Johann seems to represent all she despises . . . but appearances can be deceiving.

In 1875, Susanna Hanby is headed off to college in Westerville, Ohio, when she discovers her sister Rachel and Rachel's children have disappeared. Susanna suspects that Rachel's alcoholic husband knows more than he's saying and she vows to uncover the truth.

Johann Giere is heir to a successful German-American brewery in Columbus, but longs for a career in journalism in New York City. When Johann signs on as the supplier for a new saloon in Westerville, his and Susanna's paths cross and sparks fly. A fiery temperance crusader, Susanna despises Johann's profession, but she cannot deny the attraction.

When Susanna learns that Rachel's children have been indentured to orphanages in the city, she despairs that her family will be fractured forever. But Johann makes Susanna an offer she can't refuse--pitting her passion and her principles against one another.

If she can find a way for her head and her heart to be in harmony, a future lovelier than daylight awaits her.

Giveaway! In the Shadow of Sinai by Carole Towriss!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Carole Towriss, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?  

Well, you can find out a lot on my website, like we have four kids, and three are adopted. What is less known is that their appearances in our life are all connected to holidays. Our oldest, Emma was born on Christmas Eve.  The next we brought home on Orthodox Easter (a week after Easter). We spent our Easter in Kazakhstan with her. And the youngest two we brought home two days before Thanksgiving.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write? 

Biblical fiction.  I love going deeper into the story, especially with characters that are lesser known.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Use as many senses as you can when describing a setting—or anything. Not just sight and sound, but taste, touch, smell. Bring the reader inside the character’s head with you.

5 things you love?

Ummm … my husband and four kids? J

OK:

1.       The beach

2.       Summer

3.       Mexican food

4.       Chocolate

5.       A hot bath and a book

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

 I’d say Rodeo Hero by Sharon Vannatter, but it’s hard to find. Rodeo Ashes is the sequel. Both deal with the consequences of sex before marriage, and God’s forgiveness and redemption. I think girls and their moms would like them.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

www.caroletowriss.com

www.facebook.com/NovelistCaroleTowriss

www.twitter.com/CaroleTowriss

www.pinterest.com/ctowriss

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Carole's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on January 4th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

My Top Ten Best Books of 2012

Putting these lists together is one of my favorite of favorite posts of the entire year. I love looking back on great 2012 fiction offerings and sharing with YOU what I thought was the best.

And of course in turn, seeing what made it on your list. It's a great post to write and a fun theme to visit on blogs across the internet. Share your links in the comments if you've already posted!

Here is my Top Ten list numbered from 10-1 and oh-so-hard to choose between!

Of the 142 books I read this year, 16 got 5 stars. 

#10:

Veil of Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall

The power of each word builds a story complex in emotion and plot is carefully built until at the end of the story I was disappointed to leave these characters behind.

#9:

No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig

This novel came out of nowhere and completely enthralled me. 

#8:

A Light in the Window by Julie Lessman

Well over 2500 pages have been consumed through my eager fingers over the years and this family has truly become my own.

#7:

A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh

I loved the plot, the characters, the writing, the setting. In short…oh yeah, I already said that, but I’ll say it again. I loved this book.

#6:

To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander

I read the story slowly, not because it didn’t thoroughly capture my attention, but only because it didn’t feel right to blaze through for the sake of simply reading. 

#5:

Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz

There is a rhythm, a cadence to their story, the words sweeping me into eighteenth century America. 

#4:

You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren

“You Don’t Know Me” is a gripping marvel of strong storytelling and solid characters that beg to have their story told in the way that has put Warren on the Christian fiction map.

#3:

Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

The plot is unique and just wait until you read the scene where the brothers “draw straws”. You might want to swoon. I wanted to…

#2:

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

Katie Ganshert may be a debut author, but this novel does not read like a debut. Surely she has been holding out on us and there is a published backlist.

#1: 

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Fitting into this novel was like stepping into a Cinderella fairy tale…and the glass slipper didn’t pinch a bit.

WOW, what a great bunch of fiction! Honorary mentions that didn't make my list, but I still loved were: 

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck; 

A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman; 

Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins

What made your list?? 

Sparks Are Flyin'! ~ Sandwich With a Side of Romance by Krista Phillips ~ Review

Oh, what a yummy fun loving novel!

          

  From the first chapter I was drawn into the world of this debut novel. Witty, funny, snarky and mixed with a dose of suave and you’ve got a contemporary romance healthy in humor and nutritious in the romantic conflict department. (Okay, ending the food metaphors here, I promise)

          

  Maddie is a baby Christian with sort of a false sense of prayer and all God is. But she’s trying and she wants to honor the God who has saved her…but on one condition: she cannot fall in love with her boss. I don’t think Maddie knew the meaning yet of the genre she was being written in to…

          

  Sparks fly in this novel of grace, acceptance and trust that God has the very best plans no matter how much we might pray otherwise. So many moments had my family looking at me funny as I snorted and laughed my way through the book. Maddie has got the quirkiest sense of humor and ability to find the snark in each moment. She knows how to make a book fun.

          

  The novel isn’t all light and fluff. It serves up its own dose of painful backstory that affect the characters. At first I thought it a difficult contradiction to reconcile with the amount of humor, but found character growth in the end to make it all a delightful read.

            

Perfect escape for the too-quick hours this novel takes to read!

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More about the novel...

She moved to Sandwich, Illinois, in search of a new life, but ended up in a giant pickle. Sandwich represents hope for twenty-year-old Maddie Buckner and Kyle, the eleven-year-old brother Maddie wants to spring out of foster care. Then she loses her new job after less than a day. It 's all Reuben-the-Jerk 's fault, and she 's determined to make him right the wrong. He does so, reluctantly, by giving her a job at his restaurant, The Sandwich Emporium. Then crazy things start happening at the restaurant, and Kyle 's foster parents apply to adopt him. To stop it all, Maddie must learn the art of humbling herself and accepting the help God has arranged, risking her heart to Reuben in the process. And she d rather eat a million corned-beef on rye sandwiches than do that.

            

Giveaway! Daydreams by JoAnn Durgin!

Welcome to Writing for Christ JoAnn Durgin, it is great to have you here!

*Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

My son, Matthew, is 16 and diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s brilliant, loving and sweet as can be, but he’s “different.” Thankfully, he doesn’t have emotional issues and others respond to his kind spirit. As parents, my husband and I have instilled in Matthew that he can do anything and be anything with God’s help.  When your child is autistic, you become their greatest advocate and champion. I always say autism doesn’t disable, it enables. He’s enriched our lives and taught us more than he knows. When we picked him up at church camp (after his first week ever away from home) this past summer, we saw what others had written on a poster about our son: “An angel in disguise” and “Lives his faith.” Now, tell me, what mother wouldn’t shed some joyful tears over those words?

I’d also encourage anyone who’s interested to visit my website at www.joanndurgin.com for some photos and fun facts to know and tell about my background and life.

*Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Contemporary Christian romance has my heart, in terms of both reading and writing. While I adore historical romance, I enjoy reading about the challenges of today’s world and how heroines and heroes handle and/or embrace them. I understand readers want an escape. Other genres fulfill that need for many, but I believe modern stories can also provide the same. That’s where creativity, plotlines and characters come into play, and as an author, I embrace the challenge. It’s the journey of a character that makes a novel so fascinating—working through the steps and finding hope, strength and faith-based resolutions to conflict.

*Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Write from your heart and your passion and don’t ever compare yourself to another writer. The Lord has given each author a unique talent and ability. It’s not a competition. I couldn’t begin to write some of the stories my counterparts write in terms of suspense, for one thing. One element I employ in all my stories is humor, but I have writer friends tell me all the time that they can’t begin to write “funny.” Just as we’re a part of the body of Christ, we’re each called to a different and unique purpose for the good of all.

*5 things you love?

Besides the obvious answers of the Lord, my family, writing and reading, here are five things that readily come to mind:

1.       A back or foot rub that lasts more than two minutes.

2.       Wrapping a package so exquisitely that the recipient almost doesn’t want to open it. I splurge on quality, heavyweight paper, artificial flowers, ribbon, embellishments—you name it. It’s all in the presentation, dahling. Gifts for wedding and baby showers are my absolute favorites.

3.    Quiet but rare evenings where I don’t have to do anything other than relax and read to my heart’s content.

4.    The older I’ve gotten, the more I love listening to classical music and orchestral arrangements. I particularly love the violin—it’s hauntingly beautiful and truly stirs my soul. And inspires a lot of storylines and creativity.

5.    Traveling, pretty much anywhere. Overnight is best. A hot tub or pool is even better.

*What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Only because I’m a shameless marketer and don’t really like to single out one author over another, I’m going to say my 2012 Christmas novella, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe. Here’s why: it’s clean, pure and lots of fun for all ages. It’s the story of hero firefighter Captain Jake Marston in tiny Starlight, Iowa, and his blossoming romance with his best friend’s sister, pediatric nurse Julia Sinclair. It’s a good lesson for teens about waiting for “the one” of God’s choosing and about how being a hero can mean many different things. This book also has a “senior” romance happening simultaneously to the primary love story, and I love that aspect. It’s a perfect short read (about 140 pages) for cozying up with on a cold December afternoon or evening.

*Places for readers to learn more about you?

Please visit my website at www.joanndurgin.com or on Facebook, including my new Author JoAnn Durgin page.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thank you, Casey. Always a pleasure. Many blessings to all during this most special season of the year!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win JoAnn's book (and as an added bonus, JoAnn has also offered a copy of her novella Under the Mistletoe to the winner as well)!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on December 28th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

A little bit more about the novel: 

What the eyes conceal, the heart reveals. It's early December 2002, and Amy Jacobsen is living the dream: a job she loves with a trendy New York City magazine, a Manhattan walk-up inherited from her grandfather, and a busy social life without the unwanted complication of a steady boyfriend. During dinner one evening with her brother, Mitch, she spies Landon Warnick the next table over. He's influential, successful and one of the youngest magazine publishers in the country--not to mention one of New York's most eligible bachelors. After Mitch wrangles a meeting between the two, Landon wastes little time in asking her to dinner. Amy questions her sanity when they share a cozy carriage ride in Central Park and she comes this close to kissing him. It is the joy and wonder of the Christmas season that's put stars in her eyes or the enigmatic, intelligent, challenging and incredibly handsome man?

The following weekend, she travels to Louisiana to be a bridesmaid in a wedding and a reunion with her friends and fellow volunteers in TeamWork Missions. Headed down the aisle in the wedding, Amy's steps falter. Standing at the front is a groomsman who flew into town only an hour before. . . She does a double take. What's Landon Warnick doing in her world, with her friends? Perhaps more important, why does he suddenly have a Texas drawl and a crescent-shaped scar on his forehead? Sharing a romantic dance at the reception, she casts aside her better judgment and kisses him She's lost her mind and her heart might not be far behind, it seems. Let the adventure begin! Is the Lord showing her the "right" man for her heart or is Amy in way over her head? 

Bear With Me?

Photo Credit

I realized something about myself this year that I didn't put in my 12 Things I Learned About Myself post. 

Order and scheduling are important to me. I like to know what I'm doing when I'm doing it. But I also discovered...I get tired of order and scheduling and want to do something completely different and off the wall.

It's probably why I've taken to chair dancing in the past. ;-)

"Spontaneous" hasn't always been something I've been good at. If it doesn't fit in the schedule I'm sorry, than it's going to have to wait. And I realized I didn't want to be so rigid anymore. 

You might be able to take the girl away from the schedule, but you can't take the schedule out of the girl. 

But I want to be more spontaneous. Figure out the meaning of the word and enjoy the promise it holds for a bit of fun once in a while. Like staying out until midnight dancing. Or joining friends even though it might go late and be past my bedtime. ;-) 

LOL, I'm really not that much of a homebody. (well, yes, I actually am. ;-)

So, then I ask you to give something a try with me...just to see if it would work. My blog is feeling a bit stale (at least to me) and I want to shake things up a bit. I'll still blog three times a week, but I want to change my schedule. Right now it's every Monday, Wednesday Friday.

I'll still have my giveaways, reviews and devotionals...but would you notice too much if I changed the pattern? Maybe even the days I posted? Just for the pure fun of it? I'm hoping to rattle the popular M/W/F posting and do something unique for this blog.

What are your thoughts? Would you still come by to visit with me? :-))

Well Crafted Work of Fiction ~ To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander ~ Review

I have enjoyed all of the author’s previous titles, especially her Colorado historicals, but I have to say, this latest Southern antebellum novel in “To Whisper Her Name” evoked a love for southern fiction I didn’t know I possessed.

            The novel is rich and to be savored. I read the story slowly, not because it didn’t thoroughly capture my attention, but only because it didn’t feel right to blaze through for the sake of simply reading. I fell in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. Something I think only an excellent author can accomplish over nearly five hundred pages.

          

  There is a tapestry of love and grace and finesse through every single page that brings the characters and reader together, directly into the heart of the story. There was no doubt the place I sat while I reading this story: the veranda of the Belle Meade.

           

Olivia and Ridley are dynamic characters. The Belle Meade a place of rich extravagance. The voice of the novel a gripping delicacy. Description doesn’t rule the novel, which is one thing I appreciated about it…I saw the characters interacting with their surroundings and it worked. Every single word of this novel simply…worked.

           

I’m impressed, grateful and eager for the next novel in this Belle Meade series. A well-crafted work of fiction!

            

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.  

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More about the novel...

Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a murdered carpetbagger, gratefully accepts an invitation from “Aunt” Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation and the dearest friend of Olivia’s late mother. Expecting to be the Harding’s housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned once again when she learns the real reason why Elizabeth’s husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Caring for an ill Aunt Elizabeth, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a southern-born son who—unbeknownst to her and everyone else—fought for the Union. Determined to learn “the gift” that Belle Meade’s head horse trainer, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him while harboring secrets that threaten his life. As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for “betraying” the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again… 

Set within the remarkable history of Nashville’s historic Belle Meade Plantation, comes a story about enslavement and freedom, arrogance and humility, and the power of love to heal even the deepest of wounds.

Giveaway! Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Catherine Richmond, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

I was a member of our church's Jamaican mission team for five trips. What a delightful surprise to use that experience writing about a missionary to the Ponca Indian tribe in the 1870s!

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Romance! Relationships are complicated and fascinating. With all the stresses, temptations, and distractions, it's a wonder anyone survives a date, much less marriage. With God's help, we can!

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Deep point-of-view is like a movie camera inside the character's head.  My goal is to immerse readers so thoroughly in the story, that when an electronic buzz interrupts, they'll say cell phones haven't been invented yet and keep reading.

5 things you love?

My family. Oh, wait - you said things! Chocolate - my dream job is a taster for the Cailler factory in Switzerland. Books - the best blessing of writing is meeting talented authors who keep my To-Be-Read list full. Flannel sheets - year 'round softness. My car - all-wheel drive allows this southern driver to navigate Nebraska winters without white knuckles. And not a thing, but it's really on my mind - dogs. My husband has finally agreed to another dog. Please pray we can find one he'll love!

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Rosslyn Elliot's Lovelier than Daylight is one you'll want your book club, youth group, and Sunday school class to read. It's set in the 1870s, but resonates with today's issues about how to be salt and light to the world.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I love to hear from readers! Find me at www.CatherineRichmond.com  www.facebook.com/catherinerichmondfans  Twitter:  @WriterCatherine.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thank you for having me, Casey! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Cathy's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

For an additional entry, please rate my review. I'd appreciate the help! :-)

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on December 21st

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

12 Things I've Learned About Myself in 2012

Photo Credit

One: I much more patient than I originally gave myself credit for. I'm actually more patient than the people  who know what I'm waiting for. ;-)

Two: I DO have the courage to hit send.  

Three: Sometimes the hardest things in life are the things that grow us the most.

Four: I have a very low threshold for pain. So...don't...hurt...me...

Five: On that same note: don't hurt someone I love. You'll probably end up hurting too. In all Christian love, of course. ;-)

Six: I love to give and share and find that fun little something I can give to someone, just because today is today.

Seven: I thought I could only do friendship through a computer, that I couldn't find the balance in real life...but I can. And I love it.

Eight: I learned to text. No jokes.

Nine: I've learned to adapt. Move forward. Figure things out. Do it anyway. Pull up my big-girls boots and say I'm playin' in this puddle whether you like it or not. ;-) 

Ten: I've learned I wear my emotions on my sleeve for the entire world to see...and sometimes I just want to hide me and my emotions under a blanket.

Eleven: I can't flirt and that is really, really okay with me.

Twelve: I don't always fit into people's neat and tidy boxes. I'm not the perfect figure for everyone's perfect idea. And I had to learn to accept that...or become a miserable people pleasure. It wasn't easy--still isn't. But each day I discover more if me. And that makes the pain worth it.