Friday, October 31, 2014

DREAMING OF: Living in the Country

It’s a dirt road dotted with barns, horses and cows. The stately old farmhouses and nothing but fields of rolling, green fields.

It’s a long drive into town. It’s being surrounded by fields, hills, blue sky and leafy green trees. The joy of leaving your windows open at night and only hearing the snuffle of cows, the chirp of birds and the boom and fire of Mr. John Deere starting in the morning.

There is peace to be found in this place. Where the only chatter at the end of the day is the family playing in the soft green grass of the wide yard. It’s the creak of the porch swing as the sun sets, sending bright, dwindling rays across the land and reminding you how great our God is. How amazing His fingerprints are across this landscape I love.

I’ve always been a country girl at heart. The farther I am from the neighbors, the more country the sounds, the more rural the area, the happier my heart is. The more at peace and the closer to God I feel.

Of course, one doesn’t always get everything they want in life. And sometimes God gives us dreams for a season and a contentedness and peace while we’re there. Right now I’m living in the city. Writing this in a very noise Panera.

You can imagine the difficulty it can be living in a place you wouldn’t ideally see yourself. So I’m in the suburbs. Listening to the neighbor’s kiddos playing ball in the street and the obnoxious dogs across the street play the tune of my rooster in the too-early mornings.

But I’m living another dream in this season: working for a literary agency. Working elbow to elbow with one of the more respected agents in the business. Can one complain while living this level of a dream? Certainly not! Would I claim to be? Never!

But until the day I can live in the country and raise my family where grass and not concrete surround us, I’ll continue to visit my friends who live in the rural areas of Colorado. Drink in the well water that fills my belly with the reminders of the home where I was raised and soak in the unfettered sunshine loving on the green and surrounding hills and red barns.

It’s a dance. A delicate display of willingness to let God work in my heart and soul while living in the city. For letting Him meet me even when I’m not constantly surrounded by the peacefulness of His creation—because you can’t escape it. No matter where you go or what you look at. He has granted me grace.


Somebody I’ll have that white farmhouse and red barn. Or maybe I won’t. But I do know this: His dreams for my life are amazing things. So I’ll keep dreaming. And loving on the country life. 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Giveaway! Chapel Springs Revival by Ane Mulligan!


Welcome to Writing for Christ Ane Mulligan, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

I’ve always created story worlds, since I was a little kid with a doll. I made up stories that would go on for weeks, with subplots and all. It wasn’t until I was in my 50s that I began to put them on paper.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

John Son of Thunder, by Ellen Gunderson Traylor. She brought Jesus and the disciples to life before my eyes and I felt like I walked with them.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

Factor God into your equation for publishing. If I’d done that earlier, I’d have avoided a lot of angst. Then again, no angst is ever lost on a writer, now is it? lol


5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Depends on who’s making the homemade. If it’s my chef son, then homemade. If it’s me – take-out!
Email or snailmail? Email – I’ve become 21st century. Pretty good for an old gal, huh?
Online shopping or Black Friday deals? I love online shopping!
Books or movies? Really? There’s no choice – books!
Note-taker or memorization? I used to be good at memorization, but now I take notes—copious notes. I even have a pen and pad beside my bed and use Siri on my iPhone to keep the things I need to remember.
               
Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

My very favorite is the sequel to my debut novel. It includes a story of our eldest son’s adventure in which he forgot to include his mama. You don’t fool Mama without retribution. The retribution was it went in a novel! Insert evil laughter here.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I’ve also started a private village page for the residents of Chapel Springs. If anyone wants to join us, they can request to join Dee’s ‘n’ Doughs, named after the bakery where the residents of Chapel Springs congregate.


Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, enter to win Ane's book here!

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 November 7th.
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 

Friday, October 24, 2014

Pray for Me

The curtains are drawn and the room is dark. The house is still and only a shaft of moonlight is filtering through the slit in my bedroom curtains.

I close my eyes and my mind inevitably drifts.

What will he look like?

Where will I first run into him?

Have I already run into him?

What will our kids looks like?

What will our lives together look like?

Is he really out there?

Usually these questions don’t tumble long before I turn back to my true Bridegroom and commit this desire rooted so deep within my heart, and pray for my future husband—whoever this man is.

I pray for his faith. For his courage in the face of the world’s challenges and moral depravity. I pray that God would be strengthening him and guiding him every step of his way to the day our lives join together. I pray he would be the spiritual leader of our home and a man that will only draw me closer to God every day of our lives.

I’ve been doing this for years—the prayers changing and morphing the older and more mature in Christ I have grown. Changing with the more guys I have met and learned just more clearly what I hope to find in my own “Mr. Right”.

And one thing I hope he does, more than anything else?

I hope he prays for me.

I hope (and have even prayed a time or two) that God would lay me on his heart and he would be committing me and my growth, our future together, into the Lord’s hands. I hope that every once in a while, he pauses in his day and thinking about the woman he will someday marry, whisper a prayer to God, that He would be teaching and growing me. Protecting me. Guarding my heart and preparing me to come wholly pure to this man.

Dear husband, please, please pray for me.

When I think about the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, one image comes to my mind: that he would love me, second only, to how much he loves the Lord. That his relationship with his Lord and Savior would shine forth from him.

To think about spending the rest of my life with this man?

Goosebumps.

To think about meeting this man and knowing he has spent just as much time praying for me as I have spent praying for him?

Goosebumps.

A gift from God I can only pray for.

It’s not all about the girl finding the right guy. It’s the guy finding the right girl as well. It’s a lifetime commitment between two people. Sometimes I think, as single girls, we forget it’s just as much about him as well. The right one is waiting to find you as well.

So pray that he’s praying for you.


Then wait for that one man that has been. 

Monday, October 20, 2014

Giveaway! Driftwood Tides by Gina Holmes!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Gina Holmes, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

I figured out in highschool that I could write, and was suprised to find out most people didn't find it as fun, fulfilling or as easy as I did. In college, a professor's reaction to an essay I'd written told me I had some talent. Fast forward to motherhood, I wanted to find a way to bring in extra income since I was blessed enough to be a stay-at-home mom for a little while and I set out to write and sell everything from articles to greeting cards with limited success. I learned then that writing was not a fast, easy or lucrative job. While at church service one day, a 17 year old girl told the congregation that she was writing her second novel. My mouth hit the floor. It never ocurred to me until then that writing an entire book was possible for mere mortals. I began to read every how-to writing book I could get my hands on and set out to work on my first novel.


What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Until I read that novel, I didn't think the Christian market had a place for someone with my history. I came from a broken family and was pretty broken myself. I didn't relate to pollyanna fiction because that's not the world as I know it. Francine (and later, others) showed me that not only does God accept everyone into His family, but so could the Christian market.


If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

Relax and focus on learning to write well rather than trying so hard to sell before you're ready. Enjoy the journey because in many ways it's far more exciting and wonderful than the other side of publication.


5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Homemade is always best but especially on deadline or when I'm going through a tough time physically, I'm perfectly fine with a drivethru salad or a pint of beef and
broccoli.

Email or snailmail?
I can't remember the last time I sent a letter the old fashioned way. Email is so much more convenient, though once in a while I will send my parents a letter because talking on the phone isn't one of my favorite things to do.

Online shopping or Black Friday deals? 
 I'd rather have a root canal than deal with a black Friday crowd. I find the convenience of online shopping wonderful. That being said, I love my brick and mortar bookstores and definitely prefer picking out clothes in person.

Books or movies?
I'm not real big on movies or TV. I do enjoy documentaries however. I read and listen to books constantly.

Note-taker or memorization?
Mostly I listen, though I will sometimes right down key words to help jog my memory of something I thought was important.
               

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

I'm going to have to say there's a tie-breaker. Crossing Oceans was my debut and might turn out to be the best loved novel I'll ever write. Everything came together on that one from story to writing to marketing to reader response. I very much miss those characters and think I'll likely write a follow up one of these days. I miss Mama Peg most of all, I'm sure because she was based on my own grandmother who was one of the people I've loved most in my life.

The other is Wings of Glass. I thought my writing in that one was some of my best but more than that, the subject matter of domestic abuse is very close to my heart. I wanted to give people a glimpse into the mindset that keeps women (or men) in an abusive relationship, but also open the eyes to those who might be in an abusive relationship. Sometimes everyone knows it but him or her.


Places for readers to learn more about you?


Thank you for being with us today!

Thank YOU, Casey. It was a pleasure!

Readers, enter to win Gina's book here!

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 October 31st.
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 

Friday, October 17, 2014

I Don't Want Prince Charming

The fairy tales have us dreaming over the handsome man on the steady white stead. Heavy metal plating his chest and protecting his head, a sword ready at his hip, heels anchored toward the ground and back straight as he gallops to our rescue.

We spend time dreaming about this hero. The one that will sweep into our lives and be the hero we’ve prayed over.

But I have to admit something.

I don’t want a prince on a white horse.

As charming as that image is. As much as I giggle over the handsome man on the white stead like the next hopeless romantic, I don’t want just a hero.

I want a warrior.

I pray for that warrior.

We are called into battle every day of our lives. The devil is constantly bombarding us through the evil that surrounds us in this fallen world. We aren’t called to live lives that are easy and simple—we are called to stand strong and fight the good fight. Though our knees may shake and strength weaken.

The problem with those fairy tale princes? They are filled with bravado and fanciful charm that make for great stories and make our hearts sigh, but hold up little under the true strain of fighting for her/our heart. They were never truly put through the fire storm of battle.

When I think about the man I hope to marry, I don’t envision a fairy tale Prince Charming.

I think of the man who is chasing hard after God. The man that is fighting to remain pure and honest in a world that wants to drag him down at every turn. The man that is waiting for me with a passion that can’t be quenched and a heart to fight for mine as a valuable possession.

A man who first and foremost puts his relationship with God primary and everything else as secondary.

This man? He’s a warrior. You can’t live pure in this world without being one.

He’s prepared for battle and knows how to arm himself with the armor of God. This man doesn’t spend the time on his white horse as he does on his knees. This man doesn’t look to the attention of the world to validate what he is or is not doing, he’s focused on what God is asking him to do right now.

He’s a man that when he walks into a room, you notice. Not because he has a face or a physique we can’t take our eyes from, but because he spends his days fighting for Christ. And that love and passion and drive emanates through every single pore.

Those sheet-metal princes? They have nothing on this warrior.

This is the man I pray will do battle for my heart. Who will stand beside me, in stance to fight the battle for Christ. To walk bravely where other men stumble. And to kneel humbly before the Creator of his heart.

This is the warrior I pray for.


Girls, don’t pray for just a prince charming. Those are a dime a dozen. Pray for the warrior of Christ, that will win your heart and go to battle for you.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Giveaway! Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Leslie Gould, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

As a preschooler, I used to make up stories about the letters of the alphabet. Each had a distinct personality, and I’d come up with little plots as groups of letters interacted. Yes, I was a pretty weird little kid, but my interest in creating characters and story worlds definitely started early!

Later I figured out, as both a history major and a human being, that it’s pretty hard to get to the truth of almost anything (except for God’s love for us). As a fiction writer I get to make up the truth when it comes to a story, lol. Writing fiction helps me process life—to see a situation from someone else’s point of view, to explore motivation, to experience great empathy, and to better understand Christ’s redemptive work in all of our lives.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?


What a hard question! So many books have impacted me in so many ways. But the one that had the biggest impact is To Killing a Mockingbird. I first read it when I was nine or ten and I reread it every few years. It was the first truly empathetic novel I read, and even as a child I was impacted by the way Harper Lee’s writing made me respond to the injustice in the story. Through the years, I continue to be impacted by her honesty in telling the story, the simple but complicated setting, and her complex cast of characters.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

To seek out a mentor early in the process. There’s nothing like the wise advise of a seasoned author to help a new author sort things out with more clarity.

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Homemade if someone else is cooking, lol.
Email or snailmail? Definitely email, but I do still send cards and love to receive them.
Online shopping or Black Friday deals? I try to shop in my neighborhood when possible, but I end up doing a lot of online shopping. I absolutely avoid Black Friday.
Books or movies? Definitely books (although I enjoy movies too).
Note-taker or memorization? Big time note-taker. I can’t seem to process information without a pen and paper in hand—or my laptop.
               

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished?

Playing favorites is really hard. Right now, I’d have to say my latest is my favorite—the currently releasing Becoming Bea. It’s inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and is the fourth in my Courtships of Lancaster County series (all of the novels are inspired by Shakespeare plays). Beatrice has long been one of my favorite all-time characters, and it was great fun to figure out her motivations and desires.

Places for readers to learn more about you?


Thank you for being with us today!


Thank you for having me!

Readers, enter to win Leslie's book here!

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 October 24th
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 

Friday, October 10, 2014

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me

You’re dying to know more about me right?

I figured as much.

I was tagged by my friend Emilie Hendryx to share 20 facts about myself. Hmm. Not sure I’m that interesting to fill up all 20 things, but I’ll give it a shot! ;-)

Which one surprised you the most?

1.       How tall are you?

My close friends are going to laugh at me. They always do when I say how tall I am: 5’ 1
Julie Lessman and I are about the same height.
Another reason to love her even more!
1/8”. Yes, I DO claim that 1/8”. When you’re this short you take all you can get.


2.       Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what is it?

Yes, I am a fantastic singer. I sound just like Carrie Underwood in my car. My true, underappreciated ability: I am exceedingly fluent in sarcasm.

3.       What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

Bloggers that don’t post on a consistent basis. I like to know what to expect when it should be expected. I’m a bit Type A—if you couldn’t tell. ;-)

4.       What’s your biggest non blog-related pet peeve?

Bad grammar in writing. I’m the one who needs the shirt that says “I’m silently correcting your grammar”

5.       What’s your favorite song?

Not.An.Easy.Question! Probably He Walked a Mile In My Shoes by Clay Crosse. Get chills every time I hear it.

6.       What’s your favorite Etsy shop that isn’t yours?

I actually don’t have a “favorite” Etsy shop, but I love anything sign related. So I’m usually browsing the shops that make their own signs. And there are many of them.

7.       What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?
Love this picture my cousin took several years ago.
This was a no-brainer. Reading. Reading. Reading.

8.       What’s your favorite junk food?

Anything related to caramel. Or chips. Chips are a fun go-to junk food.

9.       Do you a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?

I’m actually not a huge pet person. If I did have a pet though, it would be a small-ish dog. But not a little yapper dog. (sorry). I grew up with cow dogs, so I’d probably have some kind of working ranch dog. But then you’d have to have work…and a ranch for them. Of which I have neither.

10.   What are your #1 favorite fiction and nonfiction books?

You’ve got to be kidding, these are getting hard!

Okay fiction: (still sitting here thinking…still thinking…) probably between Hidden Places by Lynn Austin which is ragged, I’ve read it several times and A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman.

Nonfiction: I haven’t read that many, but Praying for Your Future Husband by Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn was very impactful.

11.   What’s your favorite beauty product?

I’m tagging Jim Rubart for these questions next, just sayin’. I’m coming for you Jim! I don’t wear makeup—not really, so whatever works! Still trying to find a mascara that actually works…

12.   When were you last embarrassed? What happened?
Oh, I also posted this picture of my own volition on Facebook.
Not sure what I was thinking. Then or now!


Do I have to relive it? Seriously. I’m embarrassed all the time. The college group at my church makes sure I know that they noticed my moments of embarrassment. Recently? Told a friend about this “great church I’m attending” to a friend who attends that church. *shakes head*

13.   If you could drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Water. Yep. Water. Or Snapple. Peach.

14.   What’s your favorite movie?

The Locket—a production by Hallmark Hall of Fame

15.   What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?

Um…valedictorian. Top of my class. I’ll always make my high school reunions. Beauty of being homeschooled. ;-)

16.   If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Virginia. I would absolutely love to visit that state and soak in the beauty of God’s creation in person.

17.   PC or Mac?

DON’T come near me with a Mac. I start twitching. Never been able to figure those things out.

18.    Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?

*cough* *ahem* *loooooooong awkward pause*

19.   Favorite celebrity?

I really don’t keep tabs on the celebs. But I do like Ryan Reynolds. Kimberly Williams-Paisley is another favorite.

20.   What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with?

Phylicia Delta. What I have read from the woman, she hits the nail on the head every time. Fantastic stuff.

There ya go! 20 useless facts about me you probably didn’t know before. I’ll be sharing on my Facebook page and tagging a few friends.

Why don’t you answer a few of the questions below in the comments. 

Happy Friday!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Giveaway! A Promise to Protect by Patricia Bradley!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Patricia Bradley, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

It all started when I couldn’t sleep. These people came to live in my head and they were quite entertaining. Suddenly, I didn’t mind that I couldn’t sleep. Then I wrote their story down and Woman’s World bought it.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

The Bible. I know you’ve heard it before, but when I started reading through the Bible in Chronological order 9 years ago, I gain such a wonderful understanding of God’s love and mercy. It changed my life.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

Connect with other writers and craft teachers. I wrote in a vacuum for 20 years because I didn’t
reach out and didn’t have the Internet. So I stagnated in my learning. It’s only been since I’ve made connections with people like Susan May Warren and the My Book Therapy team and community that I grew as a writer.


5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Depends on whether it’s my homemade.
Email or snailmail? Email!
Online shopping or Black Friday deals? I shop online all the time, but I also LOVE Black Friday. There’s something about all that energy at the malls.
Books or movies? Books, hands down.
Note-taker or memorization? Memorization? You do have to be kidding…right? Although I have been memorizing scripture again. For years I thought I couldn’t, but I’m adding about 4 verses a month to my memory.
               

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

My favorite book is the last one I finished. J And it will come out next spring. Of course, that may change with I finish with my current book.

Places for readers to learn more about you?


Thank you for being with us today!

Readers, enter to win Patricia's book here! 

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
~Become a member of FaithHappenings.com (if you are already a member, simply say so in the comments.)

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 October 17th
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  


Friday, October 3, 2014

A Chapter is Closing

Simply because I love, love old doors
There comes a time when good things have to come to an end.

Reviewing books has been a staple of this blog from day one. I mean, getting free books just in exchange for posting my review on my site?

Hello, I am so there. 

I went from grabbing every free book I could get my hands on, to requesting the books I was pretty sure I would like. To only requesting the books from authors I admired or had a pretty strong idea would fit my taste. To only requesting one or two books a month.

I'm like an addict, I just can't say no to a book I really want to read or written by a beloved author.

And I don't plan to start saying no--my support will just be of a different sort. But I do plan to say no to review requests. It is with great peace and a little bit of sadness that I am laying aside the book review aspect of my blog. 

I will no longer be accepting unsolicited book review requests or requesting books from publishers and the agencies I have worked with. 

You still might see the occasional review from a book I have purchased, but because of time constraints, the desire to build strong face-to-face friendships here in my new home of Colorado, and a desire to spend more one-on-one time with my Lord, I will not be actively requesting review books.

Still expect to enter the weekly giveaways and I hope you'll continue to read my Friday devotionals. I look forward to continuing to connect each of you in this different and new chapter for Writing for Christ.