Five Kids and a Blog

Highland Crossing Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:20:00 +0000

"I've written one novella, The Gentleman Takes a Bride, so I know how difficult it is to fit an entire story into roughly a third of my usual word count. It's a challenge that many authors take on with great success, as in the case of four talented ladies: Laurie Alice Eakes, Pamela Griffin, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, and Gina Wellborn. Add to that my love for all things Scottish, and I've found a book I'm proud to promote: Highland Crossings. Here are four stories that reached out and grabbed me because some of my own ancestors were from Scotland, and I can imagine their struggles, trials, and adventures as they came to this wild land called America to make new lives for themselves."

~Louise Gouge, The Gentleman Takes a Bride

I enjoyed reading and getting to know these personable and well developed characters. Each gifted author adds her own personal touch to four interacting progressive storylines. These can be read in one sitting or broken up into more. If I had to pick a favorite I it would be Sugarplum Hearts. I was entertained by these well written romantic and suspenseful novellas and had a hard time putting the stories down! I found the overall message inspiring and would recommend this book to others." ~kattrox

King Ranch Chicken (or Beef)

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:15:00 +0000

I love Pampered Chef products . . . but I don't love all of them. Some, you can get the equivalent in quality but at a lesser price at Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, or Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Earlier this year I went to BBB to buy a wedding gift for Adam Larson and Kayla Teachey. Now I'd already perused their registry so I knew they had stainless steel mixing bowls on their list. Since I love my PC mixing bowls, I figured why not get these registered ones for the happy couple.

Once I found the bowls in the store, I opene the box and examined what I was buying. Compared to my PC bowls, they were a thinner steel and didn't have the rubber bottom or a thumb hole to hold the bowl while mixing. Hmmm.

I couldn't buy them.

Sure they were only $20 compared to $85 the PC ones sell for. But if you host a show, you can get the bowls for 1/2 price. I actually got mine for 60% off.

One of the recipes my bowls come in handy to use with is King Ranch Chicken. I actually bake this in my Magic Pot, aka Deep Covered Baker, but any ol' 9x13 pan works great.

Preheat oven to 325*.

1/4 cup butter
1 chopped green pepper
1 onion
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or about 1 lb of cooked ground bee

In a large skillet, cook pepper and onion in the butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add meat, stirring until well blended.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of Ro-Tel
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix soups, Ro-Tel, and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a mixing bowl.

12 corn tortillas

Tear tortillas into bite-sized pieces. I usually have one of my kids cut the tortillas into strips and then cut the strips into pieces. In a 9x13 baking pan, alternately layer tortillas, soup mixture, and meat mixture; repeating for 3 layers. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY:: What's your favorite kitchen tool whether a Pampered Chef one or not?

Bean Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Goulash.

I'm not even sure if that's the actual way to spell it, but the mere thought of the goulash makes my throat clench and my tummy turn over. Blech.

When my sisters and I were younger, Mom served goulash at least twice a month. She says "I don't know why you despised it so much. It's basically Hamburger Helper."

That's like having your hubby buy you an El Camino and him saying it's basically a corvette.

I don't think so.

Over the years as my taste buds have changed, I've learned to like foods I hated as a kid. (Not goulash, though.) One recipe from Mom that fits this category is hers for Bean Salad.

Hmm. I ought to start taking pictures of these recipes after I've fixed them. Tomorrow is another day!

1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
1 can butter beans
1 can light kidney beans

Drain beans and rinse.

2/3 cup red and/or green pepper
1 cup celery
1 medium onion
1/2 cup carrot
1 1/2 cup frozen shoe peg corn

While you are dicing veggies, microwave corn for 3 to 4 minutes. Combine beans and veggies in large bowl.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp Mrs. Dash tableblend
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over beans mixture. Cover and chill before serving. Keeps well for several days!

~*~
QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What recipe or food did you hate when you were a kid but now love (or at least tolerate)?

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:21:00 +0000

Everything is better with butter . . . except watermelon. My mind can't wrap around the thought of the two together. Or watermelon and bacon.

I did see chocolate candy with bacon pieces at Whole Foods. No, I didn't buy it because I didn't want to waste the money. Do you really think chocolate and bacon are going to taste good together? Can you see now why I didn't want to waste my money.

Alas, I occasionally wish I had splurged.

I want to be more of risk-taker with trying different and unusual combination foods.

Which brings me to Alta Barker's recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

My mother taught me that when you're at someone's house you eat whatever food is served even if you don't like it. Well, we were at someone else's house where this was served. Salty pretzels with Jello and strawberries? I don't know.

Try it, try it and see.

Preheat oven to 400*.

2 cups crushed pretzels
2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Mix pretzels, sugar, and butter. Spread in a 9x13 pan (pat down) and bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool. Feel free to turn your oven off at this point if you aren't baking something else.

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping
1 cup powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar. Spread on crust.

1 (6 oz) box strawberry Jello
1 (10-16 oz) package frozen strawberries
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix Jello according to directions. Place in refrigerator to congel. Before it sets (when it's the consistency of slime, isn't that appetizing?), fold in the thawed strawberries and drained pineapple. Pour this mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Chill.

If you have a larger container of whipped topping, you could add a dollop to the top of each serving. Or not. :-)

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What foods would you never have thought would taste yummy together but you found out they did?

Jan's Peanut Butter Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 05:12:00 +0000

My oldest son often says the worst year of his life was 2nd grade. We'd moved from Oklahoma to Virginia, and he didn't have any friends in the neighborhood, in school, or at church.

I always respond with "Well, then you should be happy you've gotten the worst year of your life outta the way."

Somehow that never seems to make his memory of that year any more tolerable.

My theory is he had such a fabulous 1st grade that 2nd grade couldn't NOT disappoint no matter where we lived or how many friends he had or didn't have. See, in 1st grade, Matt had Jan Marvin for his teacher. Jan also attended the same church as us.

Needless to say, Matt was Jan's favorite student. He knew it. She knew it. That's just how it was. Of course, in Jan's defense, I will say that Matt is such a loveable boy that in his 12 years of public education, he's only had three teachers who I know didn't like him--Mrs. White, Mrs. Salvo, and Mrs. Williamson who taught him in 8th grade choir. Yes, the boy was failing choir at one point, which is as lousy as failing art, which my oldest daughter was doing at one point.

This is why I tell my kids "having a good attitude and doing your homework is 75% of your grade."

Anyhoo . . .

Jan doted on Matt. Matt idolized her.

Which is fitting because my favorite peanut butter cookie is Jan's recipe. It's circled with a heart in my cookbook.

Let's begin with pre-heating the oven to 375*.

1/2 cup butter, margarine or butter-flavored Crisco
1/2 cup low-salt, creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy.

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Add dry ingredients to batter and mix until well combined.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Criss-cross with the tines of a fork. Then bake for about 10 minutes. Cook on wire rack, and continue process until all cookies are baked.

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: Where you ever the teacher's pet? If so, tell me all about it. Or maybe you had a teacher who utterly despised you. Time to dish.

Awful Truth about God

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Excerpt from WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge, Thomas Nelson, 2003.

"War is not just one among many themds in the Bible. It is the backdrop for the whole Story, the context for everything else. God is at war. He is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. And what is he fighting for? Our freedom and restoration. The glory of God is man fully alive. In the meantime, Paul says, arm yourselves, and the first piece of equipment he urges us to don is the belt of truth (Eph. 6:10-18). We arm ourselves by getting a good, solid grip on our situation, by getting some clarity on the battle over our lives. . . .

Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God's interntions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder to not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old being molested by her daddy--that is "God's Will"? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart--God wanted that to happen too?" . . .

Most people get stuck at some point because God appears to have abandoned them. He's not coming through. Speaking about her life with a mixture of disappointment and cynicism, a young woman recently said to me, 'God is rather silent right now.' Yes, it's been awful. . . . But her attitude strikes me as deeply naive, on the level of someone caught in a cross fire who asks, rather shocked and with a sense of betrayal, 'God, why won't you make them stop firing at me?' I'm sorry, but that's not where we are right now. . . . That day is coming, later, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and we'll all beat swords into plowshares. For now, it's a bloody battle. . . .

Before he promised us life, Jesus warned that a thief would try to steal, kill, and destroy it. How come we don't think that the thief then actually steals, kills, and destroys? You won't understand your life, you won't see clearly what has happened to you or how to live forward from here, unless you see it as a battle. A war against your heart. And you're going to need your whole heart for what's coming next . . . in the life you're living."

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ~ Psalm 27:13

Buy a copy of WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge at Amazon, CBD, Lifeway, and Barnes and Noble.

My favorite Pumpkin Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:12:00 +0000

November isn't November unless I've made pumpkin br . . . stop the presses! Actually, my kids love pumpkin bread so much that I bake it year round. Only problem is in the last few years, I can't find canned pumpkin year round so I stock up. My kids will cry if I remind them the last time I backed pumpkin bread because I think I used the last can back in March.

Fortunately, Fall and Thanksgiving are fast approaching. Thus, the store shelves will be stocked . . . soon.

Let's get cooking.

Ingredients for two loaves because if I'm going to go to the effort to make a loaf, I might as well bake two.

2/3 cup shortening (I use butter, or canola oil if I'm out of butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening with sugars. Add vanilla and mix just until blended.

4 eggs
2/3 cup water

Add eggs one at a time (discarding shells), beating thoroughly after each addition. Gently mix in water.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoonn baking power
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
(if I'm in the mood, I'll add some cloves, ginger, and/or allspice)

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add gradually to the shortening mixture and beat until smooth.

2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped nuts (only if I don't want my family to eat the bread)

Add pumpkin to batter and mix gently. Add half the nuts to the batter, if so desired. Blech.

Lightly grease and flour two loaf pans. Pour batter equally between (by between I mean inside) the pans. If you're adding nuts, here's where you would sprinkle remaining nuts on the tops. Blech.

Bake at 350* for 45-50 min., or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What's that one comfort food for you?

Loving Others Isn't Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:02:00 +0000

I went to a ladies' fellowship at church recently where the speaker shared about love. Apparently Christians are supposed to "just do it." You know, LOVE OTHERS. Well, while I agreed with the gist of the talk, too many times I wanted to stand up and say, "Loving others is far harder than just doing it." Seriously.

If that weren't case, then why the heck is hypocrisy the #1 thing Christians are known for instead of love? (Yes, sometimes even I get annoyed at my points of arguments and occasional use of an almost-curse word.)

When I was in 8th grade, my Sunday School teacher came back from a conference where she learned about different spiritual gifts. She proceeded to tell us ours based on what she saw in our lives. I looked at her quite unimpressed and said, "Hey , if God wants me to know what my spiritual gift is, He'll tell me not you." She smiled to appease me I'm sure.

Needless to say, I didn't care for the spiritual gift I'd been designated as to having. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, so I decided love (the gift of compassion) was the best one to have. After all, didn't Paul of Tarsas write, "What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or crashing cymbal." (The Voice, Thomas Nelson)

In my childish determination to obtain the spiritual gift of compassion (love), I took spiritual gift analysis tests after tests. Got the same what-I-thought-was boring gift every time. Being one not easily dismayed, I decided to rig the test to get the desired results so I could say, "Look at that score, baby! I'm a lover not a fighter." Only problem is I couldn't even rig the gift into prominance. Why? Because, dang it, LOVING OTHERS IS FAR HARDER THAN RIGGING A TEST. Neither can you "just do it."

Listen, you can't force someone to love you anymore than you can force yourself to love others.

It's not that I was/am incapable of loving. I love my husband and our five kids. Love the dog (not the cat). Love my parents, sisters, sister-in-law. Love my friends. Love Laurie Alice Eakes even though she can sometimes be so utterly mean to me when she critiques my writing and tells me the red ink is for my own good. I even love the baristas at Starbucks who without complaint kindly divide my venti frappachino into two tall fraps while only charging me the venti price.

Just between the two of us, one person I've struggled in the last 16 years to love is my mother-in-law (MIL). Who among us can't agree? Not that you don't love my MIL but that you don't love yours. I can hear you thinking, "Gina, this is a public forum, anyone can read this so don't be so open and honest." Why not? I'm not the only person on this earth who has/had a loving-another-person problem.

Maybe it's not your MIL whom you struggle to love. Maybe it's your sexist boss, liberal wacko fem-nazi neighbor, bath-avoiding co-worker, unsaved husband, whiney child(ren), Cousin Eddie, stupid parent(s), snide ex-whatever, or even that barista at Starbucks who puts some type of crack in your coffee that makes you continually go back for more. We ALL have someone in our lives who drive us insane. Grrrr.

Loving people we like is easy. Loving people we don't like, who annoy us, who hurt or abuse us is near impossible.

For years my hubby would say, "Gina, you don't have to like Mom. You just have to love her." Whatever. Platititudes are platitudes 'cause the platitude don't change any attitude. Sadly, this "you don't have to like 'em but you do have to love 'em" platitude is what I'd heard in church for 30+ years. I think it's got to be one of the stupidest statements ever. As long as you despise/dislike/can't stand the person, you'll never be able to truly love him.

In his book BLUE LIKE JAZZ, Donald Miller expressed it this way:

"The problem with Christian community was that we had ethics, we had rules and laws and principles to judge each other against. There was love in the Christian community, but it was a conditional love. Sure, we called it unconditional, but it wasn't....If [people] were bad and rich, they were called evil. If they were bad and poor, they were charity. Christianity was always right; we were always looking down on everybody else."

Not pleasant to hear is it, eh? Even I, at this moment, want to defend the Christian community. Oh sure some people are like that but not everyone. Don't throw out the whole bushel because of one or two rotten fruit.

Donald Miller went on to write: "The problem with Christian community is that we think of love as a commodity....The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did."

As I read that, I realized I was withholding love for my MIL in hopes that she'd become who I wanted her to be--in other words, to become worthy of my love. My love for her was conditional. If she made me happy, I loved her. If she didn't, I withheld. God's love isn't conditional. God has never withheld His love from me to teach me a lesson or to make me become who He wanted me to be. I've always considering my flaws--while annoying in others--to be adorable in myself, but at that moment of truth of realizing how conditional my love was, I knew exactly how Job felt when he said, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes."

My MIL didn't need to change. I did. Only through repentance did I finally feel free to love. And not just my MIL. Anyone. Everyone. In fact, once I changed, I realized what an amazing woman my MIL is, despite our differences. I am blessed to have her in my life.

Relationships, as Miller wrote, are pretty simple: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them.

Key words there are UNLESS THEY SENSE. You can say you like them, but if they don't sense acceptance from you, sweetheart, your words are clanging brass.

Once you learn you're free to love, you'll realize it's NOT your freakin' responsibility to judge, discipline, or change another person. That's God's job. Do you hear me, THAT'S GOD'S JOB. But how much easier--no, safer--is it to not associate with the liberal fem-nazi, the girl with the nose ring and tattoos covering her entire left arm, the gay co-worker who enjoys sharing his weekend exploits, the Christian blogger who often says freakin'/heck/dang, or the mother-in-law who finds fault in everything you do and has no shame in daily reminding you (mine never did that).

Haven't you been warned at church to stay away from the world? From the sinful people in the world? From the sinful people in the public school system? Protect your children. Evil company corrupts good character. Follow the commandments, tithe your 10%, don't miss Sunday church services, don't drink wine or watch anything on NBC, read your Bible every day, do those things that show you're a good Christian.

Somewhere in following all those religious rules and regulations, we lost what really matters to God. Our hearts. Loving people regardless of their _______ and regardless of how they hurt us.

"Two thousand years ago God started a revolt against the religion He started. So don't ever put it past God to cause a groundswell movement against churches and Christian institutions that bear His name. If He was willing to turn Judaism upside down, don't think for a moment our institutions are safe from a divine revolt. I'm convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired of the church playing games and playing down the call of God. My travels only confirm that the murmurings of a revolution are everywhere. I am convinced that there is an uprising in the works and that no one less than God is behind it." ~Erwin McManus

Just as the church is often guilty today, a vast majority of religious leaders in Jesus' time put all their stock in following the rules, rituals, traditions, Commandments, programs, and expectations AND they often forgot to put love first. I know people in the church who've made judging others an artform. (I've been guilty as well.) Try wearing an Adidas athletic suit to church on Sunday morning and see how many "how tacky/inappropriate of her" looks you get. Of course the test has greater significance if you're married to one of the pastors.

Jesus said, "This is what our Scriptures come to teach: in everything, in every circumstance, do to others as you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7: 12)

You want to be listened to...listen to others.

You want to be accepted unconditionally...accept others unconditionally.

You want to be loved...love others.

And by "others" I don't just mean the people who are easy to like. Stop judging others and holding them up to your standards of righteousness. So what if someone wears shorts to church on Sunday morning. So what if someone enjoys a glass of wine on occasion. So what if someone lets loose a profanity or almost profanity. So what if someone doesn't discipline his children. So what if someone decorates her house differently than you, doesn't read the types of books you do, enjoys watching cheesy daytime talk-shows, thinks the King James Version of the Bible is the only God-ordained one, or even insists AVATAR is new-age, environmentalist propaganda. So what...

In his book THE END OF RELIGION, Bruxy Cavey wrote, "Jesus called His followers to live by a higher standard, the way of love instead of the way of the law. And to drive home His point, He had to break the rules over and over again." Amen!

Sometimes, though, we can't love others because we don't love ourselves. After all, we've been taught that love of self is wrong, prideful, arrogant. Loving self means we're not humble. You can't be a good Christian if you're not humble. So while we know it's wrong to belittle, criticize, devalue other people, we're completely fine with doing it to ourselves. I always mess up. I'm not smart. I'm not worthy to be loved by anyone, not even God. Ever said, "This may sound stupid to you, but I think...."? Why give people permission ahead of time to think your opinion/words/wonderings are stupid. Stop belittling yourself.

If this is you, start speaking truth over yourself. I personally like "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Or sing the words to David Cowder's song, Everything Glorious. "The day is brighter here with You, the night is lighter than its hue, would lead me to believe, which leads me to believe You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, And I am Yours. What does that make me?" Thank God for the love He freely gives to you and learn to receive God's love so you can give love to yourself.

Listen, when you can't receive love, you will never be able to give love to those you like or to those you don't like. And until you are able to love freely, you will never really live.

"The Lord loves you when you feel you are unlovable. He loves you when others choose not to. He loves you with an everlasting love (Jer 31: 3). And it's His nature to call the unloved to Himself and make them loved (Rom. 9:25)." ~Frank Viola, FROM ETERNITY TO HERE: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God

"After all falls apart, He repairs He repairs. Oh the Glory of it all is: He came here for the rescue of us all that we may live for the glory of it all. Oh He is here for redemption from the fall that we may live for the glory of it all." ~David Crowder Band, For the Glory of it All

God gave us the love we needed so we could give the love we need to give. We are meant to break free of the sin that ensnares us, to live like there is no tomorrow, to live a life to be followed. But even more so, we are created and called to...

Love Extravagantly.

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (NLT)

Have you ever struggled with loving someone? Without naming names, what did you do to change the relationship or has nothing changed?
Is there a line between loving people and approving of their sin?
What steps do you feel you need to take to be free of your coffee addiction?
Why have you never listened to a David Crowder CD?

To hear MercyMe's song "Goodbye Ordinary," click here or to hear David Crowder Band's song, "Everything Glorious," click here or here.

Blessing God Amid Life

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:59:00 +0000

I like to sing. Give me 40 minutes of singin' and only 20 minutes of preachin' any Sunday. Or maybe 50/10.

A friend once shared a story about how a man in her church was quite offended by the song, "Blessed Be Your Name," written by Matt Redman. Wasn't a worship song. Wasn't uplifting. Had no place in the church. Ouch! There's a bitter porcupine. Wenda said, "Reminds me of me. How I'd rather not let God into the hurting places in my life. I'd just like to lock Him out and only acknowledge him in the good stuff. Seems like it would be the other way around, but for me it's not."

Boy, did she relate to me.

When I found out I was pregnant with baby #5, I wasn't the least bit excited. In fact, I'd say I was majorly ticked off. ANGRY. Hubby wasn't too thrilled either, but he adjusted to it quicker than I did. He's mature like that. While we never found out the sex of our other 4 critters, I told hubby I needed to on this one because I needed something--anything--to help get me excited...or at least help me not be angry anymore. Pink baby girl clothes scream happy. I'd have eaten pink baby girl clothes if doing so would have made me happy.

Well, one Sunday morning for some reason, hubby needed me to fill in for the guy who normally worked the Power Point/Media Shout for the music during first service morning worship. I figured doing it would give me something to focus on instead of worshiping a God I was ticked off at.

The first two songs were no problem. Then "Blessed Be Your Name" came on.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Easy to read. Easy to hear. But the next weren't so...

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

By this point my throat tightened, eyes teared up, my lungs constricted...

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

By here, I couldn't breath and had to force myself to push the button to change slides...

See, I was okay with blessing God when "when the sun's shining down on me, when the world's 'all as it should be," but I certainly didn't want to bless, praise, honor, glorify Him when I was "on the road marked with suffering." Not that being pregnant was suffering, but being pregnant when I didn't want to be certainly felt like suffering to me. So I could freely say there was "pain in the offering," pain in blessing His name that I felt it was easier to stay angry at God.

Call me crazy, but I'm a pain avoider. I didn't like to hurt for myself so why would I want to hurt for God?

Somehow I kept my emotions bottled until we got home. Which was foolish. I should have felt free to weep at church. Only we hadn't told anyone I was pregnant, and I think I was at least three months along. Shoot, maybe more because I think I'd already been to the doctor and I hadn't gone in until I was 4 months along, which garnered me lots of lectures from the nurses. Actually, I don't think we told many people I was pregnant at any time during the pregnancy because tons of them were shocked when critter 5 and I showed up to church the Sunday after delivering her.

Anyhoo, now when I look at our precious #5, I can't imagine not having her. When I was typing this, she walked in my office and smiled at me. Needless to say, I had to pick her up and put her in my lap. She sipped my Vanilla Coke and said, "Mmm. That's good coffee."

Before I take the confused child to Starbucks, lemme finish my story...

Last spring, I did the Beth Moore ESTHER Bible study. During week four's video session, Beth talked about fear. She said, "We can protect ourself right out of our callings." Boy, do I know how to do that with my writing. But God didn't want me to focus on my shallow writing fears. He decided to smack me upside the heart with my deepest fear. Eventually. Here's what I wrote in my notes:

"Courage is when you look _______ in the face. Don't deny it. Deny it's victory over you. You may be one brave decision away from a new path--from your calling, destiny. The #1 command in the Bible: DO NOT BE AFRAID. We all cherish fear so closely that we can shed it even when told to. Psalm 138:8. Can you imagine living without fearing _______? Do you believe a good week is only a happy accident? Proverbs 31. Most of what we fear will never happen to us. Although this is true, Satan will keep threatening us with it over and over again. WHAT IF is an acronym for I FEAR."

In the listener guide, Beth wrote this: "And if _________, then God will take care of me."

She challenged us to find what that ______ was in our lives. What did we fear on a daily basis? What even was our deepest, most crippling fear?

Ladies all over the room were in tears. Not me. I was, well, kinda peturbed.

How the heck was I gonna confront my deepest fear if I didn't know what it was. Oh, I have fears which you can read if you click on this link. Driving across a bridge. Heights. Swimming in a lake, river, or ocean where human-eating fish live. And so on. But those are only fears I have for to garner sympathy. I don't really fear those things. Well, maybe I do the fish.

So I told my friend Tanya as we were leaving the classroom (paraphrasing here), "I feel abnormal because I don't have any crippling fears. Surely I have a fear. A real fear. In fact, this week I'm gonna pray that God shows me a real fear. Ooh, I'm excited!" I won't describe the "look" she gave me. Just between us, I think she's confident I'm abnormal.

Three days later...NOTHING. Still no fear.

I even complained to my husband. I'm sure he thought I was abnormal for wanting a fear. I was considering pondering the very idea that perhaps maybe I was abnormal. (See note above about Tanya.)

Not but a day after I'd decided to live with my disappointment in not having a fear to conquer in Jesus' name, God opened my eyes. He played a song on my heart. Then again, it could have been on the radio.

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

I had a fear. A real fear. Getting pregnant. My fear began after baby #3. He wasn't planned. After I had him, I began to dread when Aunt Flo was late in visiting. I know: TMI. Do you know how much pregnancy and babies cost? Several years, a miscarriage, and a traumatic deliver of baby #4 later, I was emotionally crippled with the fear of getting pregnant again. So can you understand why I was so angry at God when I realized I was pregnant with #5? All my fears were answered with her.

Oh my satellites dishes! That was not the fear I'd wanted to face. I figured God would show me I had a fear of creepy crawly things or not making it to the potty quick enough when I was in the middle of Wal-Mart. I wanted a cool fear.

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

I had to pray my way though the song, though my fears, though my lack of trust in God knowing what was best for me. I had to reach a point where I could say "If I got pregnant again, God WILL take care of me and I WILL be okay."

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Funny thing is this past fall when I was at a doc appointment and the nurse said, "Is there any possibility you could be pregnant?" (a routine question), I shrugged and said, "Probably not, but if I were, it's no biggie."

So I'm back to where I was when I walked out of the Esther video session four: happily relishing my fake fear of driving on bridges and swimming where the human-eating fish live.

Boy, does it feel nice.

Love the song? Listen to it HERE

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

To read more about Matt Redman's inspiration behind the song, click here.

What do you fear? What lesson has God ever taken you through to teach you not to fear?

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:56:00 +0000

Recenty as I was painting one of the bathrooms in my house, I learned that over seven million tons of plastic is spanning our oceans. A vortex--gyre--of marine litter. No joke. Apparently "the existance of plastic in the oceans is causing infertility." Considering my feet have dabbled in ocean waters (hmm, does the gulf of Mexico count?) twice since I got married almost seventeen years ago and since I have five children, it's obvious the plastic-infected waters have not sterilized my womb. Of course, I could merely be an anomaly.

Could be or could not be an anomaly, that is the question of which I'd need at least half a day to ponder.

Anyhoo, this Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans "the size of Texas." Texas!?! I've been to Texas. It's huge-er than huge and that's not just the hair on the women. (On a side note, I read the other day that you might be a redneck if your stock portfolio consists of two sheep and a goat.) Get this: Imagine Texas-size trash heap floating aimlessly amid all those adorable human-eating sea critters....

Oh. My. Satellite Dishes. Poor SpongeBob and Patrick.

Well, I couldn't ignore this dreadful news so I googled for some pictures to show y'all. Only I couldn't find any. Oh, I found YouTube videos, even one from a news segment from a national network morning show, but no actual pictures of the vortex so I'm limited to showing you this diagram. Dreadful isn't it?

My mind is swimming . . . I mean, spinning. But what's even more dreadful is the fact no one has pictures of this ginormous garbage. In this crazy day and electronic age when everyone but me has a mobile phone, surely someone with the time could mosey on out to that plastic-filled gyre and take a pic. I want a pic. While in labor with child #5, I suffered through six hours of the Anna Nicole burial trial. I freakin' deserve a pic!

Sadly, it's impossible to take a picture of this watery trash. Why? Experts say, "Since plastics break down to ever smaller polymers, concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average."

Huh? You lost me at polymer. Is that a cousin to polyester? Machine washable or dry clean only?

So, in other less scientificky words, the reason for no pictures is because "[the garbage patch] is [a] huge pile of trash collectively, but trash so small individually that the patch doesn’t show up."

Oh.

If I understand correctly it's like air: unseeable, untouchable, untasteable, made up of bajillions of oxygen atoms that are so utterly small that we can see them even though we can breathe them. Obviously since I need oxygen to survive and since I'm still breathing, then, ergo, air does exist. Ergo, the Garbage Patch of the Great Pacific and other oceans exists.

Can you hear me sighing?

Call me Doubting Gina if you wish, but for me to believe this votex of swirling semisynthetic organic amorphous solid exists, I want proof. I want a picture! I want evidence! I want thousands of people who believe the Garbage Patch exist to suffer torture, imprisonment, and even death in the name of their faith in the existence of this littery waterworld!!!!!

Oh dear. I just typed five exclamation points. Perhaps I'm being a tad dramatic.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

~Genesis 1:1-4

For many people, the problem with faith is the fact that faith doesn't prove God exists. You know, faith doesn't prove that "in the beginning," God created anything. The age-old faith issue. Does He or doesn't He. In my less-thn-forty-years-lifetime, I've learned that anyone who doesn't believe in God says those who do are narrow-minded. Well, to me, narrow-minded signals an unwillingness to consider other possibilities than what we believe.

I believe God exists and that He created the heavens, the earth, and all things in and around them in six literal 24-hour days. I'd go to my death for that belief. However, I'm also willing to honestly listen to someone explain to me why He doesn't and He didn't.

If you don't believe God exists or that He created what the Bible said He created...well, are you honestly willing to listen to someone explain why s/he believes God does and did create everything? Or are you going to be narrow-minded and insist you're right and no other truth can possibly exist?

Does God exist? Click here for some answers or here or take a trip to an Ohio museum.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” ~Hebrews 11:6

Serious question of the Day: Ever learned anything cool/interesting/weird about creation or the existance of God? If so, what was it?

Non-serious question of the Day: What summer movie are you most looking forward to?

Hercules, Superman, Mr. Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:51:00 +0000

“Where have all good men gone, and where are all the gods?

Where’s the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?”

Nothing like a good man to make a woman go wild.

A good man?!? Who spiked my chocolate milk? No woman goes wild for a “good” man. Nope. Only bad boys make us pant, roar, and rip our bodices.

One minor problem: The quintessential Bad Boy smokes, dips, and chews and sleeps with any gal or two. Yuck. Call me a prude, but smoking, dipping, and chewing makes a man’s mouth and lungs look like my mother-in-law’s meatloaf. Blech.

“It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet.”

At one time or another we wanted to be Lois on the balcony or Mary Jane braless in a skimpy shirt in the rain. Okay, maybe not the braless part because we're good Christian girls. But, ahhh, the thrill of the rescue and the magic carpet ride.

Only one minor problem: You can’t count on Superhero--any more than Bad Boy--to be home with your kids have the flu or the toilet is clogged because he’s always off saving the freakin’ world. Face it. Lex Luther and Doc Ock just aren’t gonna pause in their quest for total world domination while your SuperSweetheart empties the litterbox. So you’re stuck with the poopy deed. How romantic.

(No offense intended toward anyone offended by my use of freakin' or poopy. I would say using the words is a habit I'm trying to break, but my dear friend Dina is our resident Inky nun and I feel led to adorn some habits for her benefit.)

Okay, I know many a romance reader and writer insist Bad Boys will always be the ultimate romantic heroes because they’re always redeemable by the “right woman,” but, for me, having the right heroine isn’t enough to compensate for an unrespectable hero. Let Bad Boy keep his meatloaf lungs and mouth to himself and Debbie and all the guys she did in Dallas. The truth is the Bad Boy who lived his life sampling the world’s buffet of women (and doesn’t have a STD or two) isn’t a hero.

He’s a cliché.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a guy has to be a virgin to be a romance novel--or real life--hero, either. But a true Bad Boy is more than an Iron Chef of Sex. *sigh* I miss not watching the Food Network, but that's another blog post.

We all have our idea of the perfect guy, the perfect hero, the perfect Mr. Romance. Only a hero is more than an archetype. He is more than a “caricature” of masculinity. A hero is more than a sexy body with a sexy grin and a sexy voice. (Although those are quite nice, Gina whispers.)

“He’s gotta be larger than life.”

A hero--no matter his archetype or appearance--is dangerous to somebody. His very existence threatens, intimidates, and costs somebody something.

He can’t be ignored.

He won’t be ignored.

Maximus, William Wallace, Neo, Aragorn, Jack Dawson, Jake Sully, Robert Parr, Buddy.

Yes, I mean Buddy from Elf. He was dangerous to the men and women who didn’t believe in Santa, who didn’t believe that inside each person was someone special. His joy pushed people outside their status quo and made a positive difference. Only a dangerous man can do that.

A hero--no matter his archetype or appearance--isn’t dangerous to the heroine. Oh, he definitely destroys her peace of mind, yet he isn’t a physical threat. His very existence confuses, frustrates, and adds something to her life. The poor dear can’t ignore him no matter how determined she is to try, and then we the readers are screaming at him for driving her crazy and screaming at her to give him a heavier dose of his own medicine. Make him suffer, lass, make him suffer! You go, Princess Fiona!

So you turn the page hoping for the first kiss and the second one and the third because you know the kisses will come. Why?

A hero--no matter his archetype and appearance--is devoted to the heroine. But since all men are not all alike, how he shows his devotion depends on who he is. A white knight will save his damsel’s life. The hunk-next-door will baby-sit. A hero’s devotion can be as simple as taking her out to dinner after a long day’s work or more complicated like helping her realize she’s a good mother even if her house is never clean and her son has an affinity for peeing in the flower garden.

“Somewhere after midnight,

in my wildest fantasy…

there’s someone reaching back for me”

“We read romance novels not for the handsome heroes, not for the steamy loves scenes, but for the involvement of the man in the relationship.” ~Vicki Lewis Thompson, author of NERD IN SHINING ARMOR

A man actively involved in the relationship will make his woman go wild. In a heroine’s wildest fantasy, her hero is reaching for her. And through the wind, the chill, the rain, the storm, and the flood, he will be there for her. That’s what defines a romance.

So to you authors out there I say, if you want your Hero—your Bad Boy, your Good Man, your Nerd-- to be a real man, make him dangerous. And give him a battle to fight. He’ll love you for it. Your heroine will love you for it.

Most of all, your readers will love you--and him--for it.

Taking the Yellow Car to Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:16:00 +0000

Family vacations. Gotta love them.

During a family trip to South Dakota, my kids and husband found amusement in playing Yellow Car.

Huh? you're thinking. I don't blame you.

According to LOST's bible (Wikipedia), "Yellow Car is the name of a game commonly played between passengers when travelling in a car. When a yellow car is spotted by any passenger, they call out 'yellow car' and lightly hit the other passenger. It is played often in the United Kingdom. There are other variations of this game such as 'Mini Punch' and 'Slugbug'"

Oh, the important things you'll learn from me.

Even if I weren't a writer, I'd love Wikipedia. 99.9% of the time Wiki has the answers to my questions. Trust me, I have lots of questions. While on our family vacation, I made a list of random things I needed to google when I got the chance. I'll spare you my page full of all the random things/people I investigated. But I can't help it. My curiosity causes my Google and Wikipedia addictions.

The reality is I google because I want to learn.

If I really wanted to impress you with my reading library, I'd show you my copy of ANNA KARENINA, which I only keep prominantly displayed in my office because I want people to think I've read it. Just between us, I have no intention of reading it. Call me reverse snobby if you will. I think I'm quite clever.

In the last ten-ish years, I've notice a snobbery between literary readers and pop fiction readers, between non-fiction readers and fiction readers, between those who think Wikipedia should count as a credible source and those who don't. Oh, this tangled world we live in, where many folks won't eat the unfamiliar cereal. If Mikey likes it, then why not expand your cereal..umm, reading horizons.

I recently finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's OUTLIERS. Great read! Easy read.

Now my motto is "Love a book? Then tell someone." So I went to church and told several folks. One person looked oddly at me and said, "How do you have time to read?"

Huh?!

With anything, if it's important to you, you will find the time.

Two summers ago, as I was helping Judy Duarte put together the worship service for the RWA Faith, Hope & Love chapter's general meeting, I asked several published authors for a quote about a non-fiction book that has influenced her faith, family, or fiction. The number of those who said they didn't read non-fiction kinda surprised me. On the other hand, many others graciously and openly shared. Here's a few:

"Debbie Macomber's book, KNIT TOGETHER--DISCOVER GOD'S PATTERN FOR YOUR LIFE is one of my favorites. It's the story of how she overcame a variety of obstacles to become a writer. I found her positive approach to life incredibly inspiring."~Shelley Shepard Gray, author of the Sisters of the Heart series for Avon Inspire, 2009 IRCC finalist

"I love Joyce Meyers' book, BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND because it not only gets my mind in a goodplace to hear from God before pouring my imagination into a story, but her book sparks lots ofideas about what kinds of things I can use for my characters' spiritual struggle/conflict fortheir faith journeys within the stories."~Cheryl Wyatt, author A SOLDIER'S REUNION, Love Inspired

"I attended a lady's retreat this spring and the speaker spoke right into my heart. She taught from a book she co-authored, called HOLY HABITS, by Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt. One of the habits is keeping an alphabetical address book - if you will - with all the names and attributes of God as I read through the Bible. I haven't gotten very far, but it's been fabulous to take my eyes off my own problems and see how big God is and how He meets me everywhere I go." ~Sunni Jeffers, author EYES ON THE PRIZE

"I'd have to recommend Beth Moore's book, GET OUT OF THE PIT. It's about how to get out of the "pit", AKA overcoming anger and desperation from past hurts. The book was inspired by Psalm 40, and encourages us to turn to God. The study guide was awesome. Very thought-provoking." ~Renee Ryan, author HANNAH'S BEAU, Love Inspired Historical

Serious Question of the Day: What's the last non-fiction book you read? Did ya like it? Learn anything?

Non-Serious Question of the Day: When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

Too Stupid to (really) Live

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:38:00 +0000

In 1900, L. Frank Baum wrote a little book, called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which a young girl from Kansas travels to Oz by way of a tornado. Reminds me of the time when someone at church asked, "If the news reports your county is under a tornado watch, what do you do?" I raised my hand and said, "Ooo, if you're from Oklahoma, you go outside and admire the rotation." (That's what my family does. Please don't tell hubby's grandmother.) Wasn't quite the response the teacher was looking for. My inability to only answer "God" or "Jesus" is why hubby says I should avoid attending adult Sunday School classes.

On the journey to find the way home, Dorothy meets three others who are also desperate to find that "one thing" they thought they needed so very badly. Like Dorothy, the scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion knew what they wanted, only they weren't doing anything to achieve it. Why? Because each of them were in some type of bondage--stuck on a pole, rusted, posturizing to cover his own fear--caused either by someone else's doing, circumstances (rain), or his own choice. Sound like anyone you know?

Recently a friend wrote to me: "I think I'm just feeling out of sorts, out of control. Things are not peaceful in my heart or my soul right now. I think God wants to work something in me, and I need to allow Him to, but it has been difficult. When the Bible calls it refiner's FIRE, it isn't whistling dixie."

"Did you speak?" asked the girl, in wonder.

"Certainly," answered the Scarecrow. "How do you do?"

"I'm pretty well, thank you," replied Dorothy politely. "How do you do?"

"I'm not feeling well," said the Scarecrow, with a smile, "for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows."

"Can't you get down?" asked Dorothy.

"No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you."

Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole, for, being stuffed with straw, it was quite light.

After Dorothy attended to the scarecrow's external bondage, she invited him on her journey to the person who had the answer to his deeper need. She did the same with the tin man and cowardly lion. That, though, is not the lesson for the day. See, each had the choice to accept Dorothy's offer of...well, a better life, or to reject it. Don't know about you, but far too many times in my life I've been stuck in bondage because of my own choosing.

I've been too stupid to really live.

The refiner's fire is hot and unpleasant. Forget going home to Kansas if it means enduring poppy fields, wicked witches, winged monkeys, fighting trees, hammer-heads, or giant spiders. Put me back on that pole. Yes, it scratched, but I was used to it. I knew what to expect. Hide my oil can. Doesn't help my complexion anyway. Let me posture in denial of my fears. Being a scardy cat keeps me out of the ER. Because even though I survived this calamity, I know--I KNOW--something bad will happen again.

Get me off this yellow brick road, Lord.

I. Am. Tired. Of. Running. This. Race.

In Strong Women, Soft Hearts, Paula Rinehart puts it this way: "People often complain of such things during the season of life--like someone drilled a hole through their souls. While everything looks the same on the outside, they feel hollow and restless, bored in ways that make no sense."

"But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the Scarecrow.

I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."

"Perhaps you have heart disease," said the Tin Woodman.

"It may be," said the Lion.

"If you have," continued the Tin Woodman, "you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannot have heart disease."

"Perhaps," said the Lion thoughtfully, "if I had no heart I should not be a coward."

"Have you brains?" asked the Scarecrow.

"I suppose so. I've never looked to see," replied the Lion.

"I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the Scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw."

"And I am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the Woodman.

"And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas," added Dorothy.

"Do you think Oz could give me courage?" asked the Cowardly Lion.

"Just as easily as he could give me brains," said the Scarecrow.

"Or give me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"Or send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll go with you," said the Lion, "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage."

"You will be very welcome," answered Dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily."

"They really are," said the Lion, "but that doesn't make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy."

Last week I realized I have candida. Not pleasant to know. Not a pleasant disease to heal from. Gaining the knowledge of the root cause of all my physical ailments, however, was like Dorothy plucking the strawman off the pole. Lemme tell ya, I've been plucked, girlfriend. My eyebrows haven't looked this good in ten years.

I'm burning that pole.

While some of us need to reclaim our bodies, others need to reclaim their minds, and many more need to reclaim their hearts so that they may really live.

In their book Sacred Romance, Brent Curtis and John Eldredge share: "In the end, it doesn't matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished--a life without heart is not worth living. For out of this wellspring of our soul flow all true caring and all meaningful work, all real worship and all sacrifice."

God does not desire any of us to live in any form of bondage.

Jesus said, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give [you] a rich and satisfying life."

"Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good....Listen, that you may live." Isaiah 55:2, 3 (NAS)

I love how Rinehart writes, "What God asks of us is both simpler and more profound than adherence to a system of beliefs or following a set of rules. He asks us to walk in an honest pilgrimage where we let Him show us what real strength, and real love, are all about."

That's one yellow brick road I want to travel. Why?

Dorothy stood up and found she was in her stocking-feet. For the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert.

Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.

"My darling child!" she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. "Where in the world did you come from?"

Well, Aunt Em, I was on this journey that was freakin' hard, but along the way I met some friends who, like me, decided we were tired of being too stupid to live and knew we wanted to really live, so we followed a golden path to Someone who showed us how to reclaim our minds, hearts, bodies, and find our way home. And I learned I need to eat more spinach.

I don't know what holds you in bondage, but I want you to know that you are not alone. If you'd like someone to lift you up in prayer, please e-mail us: inkwellinspirations(at)gmail(dot)com.

A trained professional can be reached here or here or here.

Serious Question of the Day: Is there any one area of your life where you feel God is stirring in your heart to move you out of the stands and onto the playing field?

Non-Serious Question of the Day: Which character in The Wizard of Oz do you most relate to on Wednesdays, the sagging middle of the week? Notice I said "Wednesdays." Who you feel like on Mondays is irrelevant. :-)

ACFW April releases

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:38:00 +0000

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW FictionFinder website.

A Family for Faith by Missy Tippens -- A Romance from Love Inspired. Even though Faith Hagin thinks she’s content being just friends with Gabe Reynolds, spending time with him and his daughter Chelsea starts to feel like a fresh start at having a family. And their love may be the answer to everyone’s prayers.

A Place to Belong by Linda Goodnight -- Romance from Love Inspired. Faith and warm memories have helped widow Kitty Wainwright endure the loss of her husband. That's all she's ever needed…until she hires contractor Jace Carter to repair her motel.

Abigail's New Hope by Mary Ellis -- A Romance from Harvest House. As an Amish midwife, Abigail Graber loves bringing babies into the world. But when a difficult delivery takes a devastating turn, she's is faced with some hard choices.

At the Captain's Command by Louise M. Gouge -- A Historical from Love Inspired. A heroic British naval captain, son of an influential earl, dares to fall in love with a provincial American girl. Then he discovers her family's devastating secret.

Canyon Walls by Julie Jarnagin -- A Romance from Barbour Heartsong Presents. Sunset Camp changed Cassie’s life, and she is determined to keep it alive.

Chosen Ones by Eileen Rife -- General Fiction from Oak Tara. While Maggie and Gavin Munsfield adjust to a new baby, missionary friends, Dan and Yvonne Pratt, experience the heartbreak of infertility and miscarriage. Will they find it in their hearts to accept an outcome so different than what they expected and hoped for?

Dare to be Different; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Delivered With Love by Sherry Kyle -- General Fiction from Abingdon. An old love letter found in the glove compartment of a young woman's inherited 1972 Volkswagen propels her to leave her life in Los Angeles and go to the small town of Capitola, California. There her dream of finding the writer of the letter leads her on an unexpected journey that changes her life forever.

Diagnosis Death by Richard Mabry M.D. -- A Thriller/Suspense from Abingdon. When Dr. Elena Gardner's comatose husband dies in the ICU while on life support, the whispers begin. More deaths turn the whispers into a shout: "Mercy killing." What is the dark secret that keeps Elena's lips sealed when she should be defending herself?

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott -- A Romance from Thomas Nelson. A young woman and man haunted by the past seek love and freedom as they assist fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough -- A Romance from Barbour. Will reporter Jacqueline Davis uncover his secrets before Noah Jeffers can capture her heart?

From Darkness Won; Blood of Kings Book 3 by Jill Williamson -- A Fantasy from Marcher Lord Press. Achan and Vrell seek out their place in the coming war to push back Darkness for good.

Griselda Takes Flight by Joyce Magnin -- General Fiction from Abingdon. Now that her sister, Agnes Sparrow, is comfortably dieting at the Greenbrier Nursing home, Griselda has time to fly—literally.

Kaydie by Penny Zeller -- A Romance from Whitaker House. Kaydie Worthington builds a protective wall around herself that won't be easy to tear down. There's something about Kaydie that draws Jonah Dickenson to her and makes him question his decision to remain a bachelor.

Love Finds You on Prince Edward Island by Susan Page Davis -- A Romance from Summerside Press. Molly Orlund is honored to serve as a maid where the Prince of Wales will be a guest. Peter Stark, an understeward in the royal party, is attracted to Molly, but an uncovered secret could change everything.

Oregon Weddings by Kathleen Kovach -- A Romance from Barbour. An alpaca, a lost family treasure, and an ornithophobic actress all take center stage in these three stories of love and faith that are as eclectic as the state of Oregon itself.

Patchwork Dreams by Laura V. Hilton -- Romance from Whitaker House.Becky Troyer has committed the ultimate sin, and finds herself on the edge of her Amish community; Jacob Miller believes he was sent to the Old Order Community in Missouri to help out a distant cousin--instead, he discovers he was part of an arranged swap.

People of the Book; Book 4 in the Extreme Devotion Series by Kathi Machias -- General Fiction from New Hope. Farah lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her family, and wants nothing more than to develop a deeper devotion to her Muslim faith. All goes well until the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself.

Risky Business; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Swept Away; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Tea for Two, Book 2 of the Tea With Millicent Series by Trish Perry -- Romance from Harvest House. Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them. Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Ann Kirkpatrick -- General Fiction from Waterbrook/Multnomah. Based on a true story of a mother and daughter who walk across the country in 1896 and the consequences of the journey to both of their lives.

The Dawn of a Dream by Ann Shorey -- General Fiction from Revell. She’s embarking on a new life—but can the past truly be left behind?

The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh -- General Fiction from Revell. Inspired by a true story, The story weaves a tale full of action and suspense, and yet it is also an amazing love story that could only happen if miracles do come true.

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble -- Olivia Stewart’s sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation’s wealthiest men, who has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor’s fiancé.

The Sheriff's Sweetheart by Laurie Kingery -- A Romance from Love Inspired. A down-on-his-luck gambler on the run from a dangerous enemy meets the richest girl in a small Texas town and turns his life around to become worthy of her.

The Unforgivable; Wounds of South America, Book 1 by Tessa Stockton -- A Thriller/Suspense from Risen Books. Accused of the worst war crimes in the history of Argentina, Carlos Cornella is despised by a wounded nation…

Tomorrow's Garden by Amanda Cabot -- Romance from Revell. Can Harriet Kirk and Lawrence Wood ever truly put the past behind them in order to find happiness?

Trail of Lies by Margaret Daley -- A Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired. As the mother of a beautiful daughter and the wife of a wealthy entrepreneur, Melora Hudson seemed happy. No one knew about the secrets hidden behind closed doors—secrets Melora was forced to keep.

Yukon Wedding; Book 1, Alaskan Bride Series by Allie Pleiter -- A Romance from Love Inspired. Widow Lana Bristow won’t abandon the only home her son has ever known, even if it means wedding Mack Tanner, the man she blames for her husband’s death.

Note: This list is compiled from those books registered by ACFW member authors on www.fictionfinder.com.

January ACFW author new releases

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:45:00 +0000

2011 is here and with it some great new reads from ACFW authors. Check them out!

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW website.

1. Alaska Weddings by Susan Page Davis -- A Romance from Barbour. In this three-novel collection, love has come looking for the Holland family of Alaska. But new challenges to their faith lie around every bend.

2. Banda Mission: Kidnapped in Ghana by Ruben Schwieger -- A Thriller from Warner Press. Coup leaders unexpectedly kidnap a missionary who, like the Apostle Paul, is able to share his faith with his jailors and others in unusual and dangerous situations.

3. Caroline's Choice; Haynes Famiiy Series, Book 3 by Martha Rogers -- A Historical from Realms (Strang Book Group). When God sends forgiveness to the hearts of His children, they learn the true meaning of love.

4. Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer -- A Historical from Bethany House. Edythe Amsel is ready for her first teaching assignment, but is Walnut Hill ready for her?

5. Digitalis; Discarded Heroes, Book 2 by Ronie Kendig -- A Thriller/Suspense from Barbour. Deep in heart of the Holy Land for a snatch-n-grab to save her father, Colton Neeley and Piper Blum must make the treacherous trek out of hostile territory before they’re caught.

6. Found in Translation by Roger Bruner & Kristi Rae Bruner -- A Young Adult from Barbour. God can do the humanly impossible through a thoughtless teen once she learns to be faithful, obedient, and forgiving.

7. Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White -- A Historical from White Fire Publishing. How can she love the king of kings without forsaking her Lord of lords?

8. Lily of the Field by Rose Zediker -- A Romance from Barbour Heartsong Presents. Marriage isn't on Caroline’s or Rodney’s minds...but their minds are not God's and He is busy taking care of the lilies of the field-and His children.

9. Missing by Lynette Eason -- A Suspense from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Her daughter is the most important person in Lacey Gibson's world. So when the girl disappears, Lacey will do anything to find her. Even track down a man she hasn't seen in sixteen years.

10. Night Prey by Sharon Dunn -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Romantic Suspense. Injured birds of prey, late night trespassers, and threatening note lead Jenna and her childhood friend Keith into more danger than could have imagined in the ranch country of Montana.

11. Rocky Mountain Hero by Audra Harders -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Can a single mother desperate to make ends meet find love with a rancher too busy to fall in love?

12. Sharp Shooters in Petticoasts by Mary Connealy -- A Romance from Barbour. You didn't think Sophie McClellen's daughter would grow up to be a quiet little thing, did you?

13. Shipshewana Amish Mystery, Book 1 by Vannetta Chapman -- A Mystery from Zondervan. Callie and Deborah find that life sometimes sends you down unimaginable paths. The two women form an alliance which strengthens when the first dead body turns up and blossoms into friendship when Callie becomes the primary murder suspect.

14. Softly and Tenderly; Songbird Series by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck -- A Romance from Thomas Nelson. Emily and David each come to terms with a past that follows them, testing their faith and resolve.

15. Tennessee Brides by Diane Ashley & Aaron McCarver -- A Romance from Barbour. Romance, adventures, and dangers--including the war with Britain, discrimination against the Cherokee, and organization of the Underground Railroad--lurk at the fringes of three Tennessee women's lives.

16. The Baby Promise by Carolyn Aarsen -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A soldier determined to fulfill a promise and a woman determined to forget.

17. The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy -- General Fiction from Kregel. Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.

18. Touched by Mercy by Tina Pinson -- A Historical from Desert Breeze. The west seems to hold all the answers to Samantha Northam's dreams, but is it far enough away to protect her from her nightmares?

19. Unexpected Love; Seasons of Redemption, Book 3 by Andrea Boeshaar -- A Historical from Realms (Strang Book Group). Nurse Lorenna Fields is drawn to a blind patient searching for his past. But as his memories return, will there be a place for her in his future?

So You Want to Write a Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:38:00 +0000

ACFW November Book Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:30:00 +0000

As we head into the holiday season, you may want to check your gift list (or your wish list) for these new fantastic reads coming out this month from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) authors.
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW website.
1. A Daughter for Christmas; Helping Hands Homeschooling Series by Margaret Daley -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. Can Dr. Max Connors make his dream of a family come true when he must tell the widowed mother of the daughter he never knew he had who he really is?

2. A Suitor for Jenny; Rocky Creek #2 by Margaret Brownley -- A Historical from Thomas Nelson. Jenny Higgins is determined to find husband for her two younger sisters and nothing, not even a handsome marshal, will stand in her way.

3. Behind the Scenes; Tabor Heights, Ohio Series by Michelle Levigne -- A Romance from Desert Breeze. Surrounded by crises, best friends transition to life partners, to their own surprise and the amusement of those who love them most.

4. Betrayal in the Badlands by Dana Mentink -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Steeple Hill. Isabel Ling and Logan Price must battle an enemy more deadly than the mighty Badlands.

5. In All Things, Sequel to “No Other” by Shawna K. Williams -- A Historical from Desert Breeze. Jakob and Meri never imagined that the tragedies of their past would one day be transformed into something wondrous and beautiful.

6. Lassoed in Texas by Mary Connealy -- A Romance from Barbour. A three-in-one of romantic comedy with cowboys.

7. Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller -- Women's Fiction from Abingdon. Two women from different worlds find hope together in this heart gripping story of faith, forgiveness and reconciliation.

8. Mail Order Cowboy; Simpson Creek Brides by Laurie Kingery -- A Historical from Steeple Hill. A small-town Texas spinster finds love with an unlikely mail order groom.

9. Masquerade Marriage by Anne Greene -- A Historical from White Rose. When Lady Megan MacMurry chooses a husband from a secret list, she opens her broken heart to a Highland warrior's fight for life.

10. Soaring Home by Christine Johnson -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. A small-town girl plans to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.

11. Tales of the Dim Knight by Adam Graham and Andrea Graham -- A Sci-fi/Fantasy/Futuristic from Splashdown Books. Mild-mannered janitor and superhero fanboy Dave Johnson gets all his wishes at once when an alien symbiot gives him supernatural powers.

12. The Blacksmith's Bravery; #3, Ladies' Shooting Club by Susan Page Davis -- A Historical from Barbour. A former saloon girl proves she can drive a six-horse hitch--and drive her boss crazy.

13. The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson -- A Historical from Summerside Press. A Cleveland detective pursues the Mafia family responsible for murdering the woman he loved until he meets an Amish woman with a secret that changes his life.

Re-inventing Gina

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Over the next couple months, I'll be working on my blog to develop more of a functional "website" that will help me promote my book (which hasn't sold yet but that's neither here nor there because I need to be pro-active). The plan is to show to future publisher(s) that I'm willing to work hard to help promote my books. My friend ACFW Publicity Director Angie Breidenbach said I need to first make a list of the changes I want to make...in no particular order.

1. Develop a brand (it's not a logo or a phrase--it's my personality; my bran fits with my writing, my life, my viewpoint)
2. Incorporate evergreen products (which connects with #4)
3. Figure out my area(s) of expertise and Establish a speaking platform
4. Connect with a mission because I want to have a missional focus to my writing career
5. Focus blog content to enhance brand (see #1)
6. Add more social networking (Twitter, maybe ShoutLife)
7. Learn how to embed FB and Twitter on my blog home page
8. Read and fill out test on Strength Finder 2.0
9. Create a press kit
10. Have professional photos taken (blech)
11. Download a free pdf. converter so I can attach pdfs on my "website"
12. Do online classes (see #3)
13. Buy a copy of The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, read, and incorporate principles
14. Business cards to promote my blog as well as Inkwell Inspirations

I'm sure I'll think of more things to add that I need to do. Little bites at a time.

Now I'm off to work!

100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 05:12:00 +0000

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

~Genesis 1:1 (HCSB)

Do You Know These Verses?

With the speed of online searches and ease of handheld devices, the custom of memorizing Scripture may not seem necessary, but best-selling author Robert J. Morgan makes an airtight case for this rewarding practice in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart.
"It's vital for mental and emotional health and for spiritual well-being," he writes. "It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day."
Enjoy FREE printable memory cards for each of these 100 recommended verses, and learn more about the book here.

Manuscript Rejection 101

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 05:12:00 +0000

A Week of Writing Tips

> My question is - do you think it's worth pursuing the epublishing route

> with this first novel or should I just file it and move on?

Before you do either, I think you should consider some things first.
1) Has this novel been through a crit group (comprised of writers, not family members)? Been revised then through another round of crits? Have you worked though books like Alicia Rasley's THE STORY WITHIN or Margie Lawson's lecture series?

2) Has this novel been entered in a first chapter and a first three chapters contest? Some mss in contests are like putting a square peg in a round hole, but most mss can get valuable feedback from a contest. Did you begin too so or too late? Are your leads GMCs clear or clear enough? Do you show more than tell? Is your narration and dialogue balanced? Do you show character emotions through body language, facial expression, inner body response, physical actions, sensory details, tone of voice, dialogue, silence, and internalization? Or do you rely too much on internalization to show mood? Are your leads likeable and compelling? Does your syno clearly show the external plot and romantic plot progression?

Yes, bad judges do exist. But on a whole, judging feedback (like crits) can give you fresh insight into what works and doesn't work in your story.
Stephie Smith has a great list of upcoming contests.
http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html

3) To let one rejection influnce your ms's future gives too much power to that rejection. Editors' likes vary. Same with agents. Persistence is key into finding the right match. And one R does not a bad novel make.

Perhaps your story just needs more layers. Don't file away any manuscript based on one or few rejections...unless the ms doesn't mean much to you. See #1 craft help suggestions.
4) Take a break from ms #1 and read or re-read a good book or two on the craft of writing. Some of my favorites are FICTION FIRST AID by Raymond Obstfeld, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass, YOU CAN WRITE A ROMANCE by Rita Clay Estrada, and SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Browne and King.

Alicia Rasley's Writers' Corner is an excellent online source for writing tips. Her archived articles of the month are some of the best and easiest to understand. And on Charlotte Dillon's website, she has several craft of writing links. Or head over to the Seekers blog (http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/).

Sharpen your mind and either start a new ms whils saving ms #1 for later or go back to ms #1 and revise.
5) The e-pub route is a possibility, but is it a possibility because you think e-pubs are for books that aren't good enough for print publishers?

Some e-pubs and e-pubbed stories...well, their badness can speak for them. But good e-pubs and good e-pubbed stories exist. The growing popularity of digital publishing is INSANE and AWESOME.

However, I think before you consider the e-pub route, you ought to consider #1-#4 first, and if you are still pleased with your story, then go for it!
What was most helpful revision advice you've received?

Happy writing!

-LY Adverbs: Toxic or Trendy

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:11:00 +0000

A Week of Writing Tips

> Can someone give me a quick definition as to why -ly words are often

> flagged? Is it because they 'tell' instead of 'show'?

Uggh, quick and me don't mesh, sorry. One of my favorite books is WORD PAINTING: A GUIDE TO WRITING MORE DESCIPTIVELY by Rebecca McClanahan.

Why write "walked seductively" or "said softly" when you can write "slinked/vamped" and "whispered/murmured"? McClanahan also says, "Adverbs like *closely* sneak up on us, and before we know it, we're writing phrases like 'ravishingly stunning' or 'hurrying quickly.'"

Why allow your car to break down in Redundancyville?

High octane words, please, and fill the tank.

Besides -ly words, we're often guilty of adding modifiers/amplifiers, like *very, extremely*, and *quite*. Suzy was very beautiful. Joe was quite handsome. What do *very* and *quite* to the visual image the reader receives? Concrete details paint the picture. Suzy had a Julia Roberts smile. Yes, a little cliched there, but you know the smile.

I'm not saying never use adverbs.

Sometimes they fit.

Into the earthy bed, Joe gently laid the puppy. Slowly, diligently, lovingly, he covered the body with a blanket of dirt. His children wept. He wept. The sun would come up tomorrow, but, right now, this was the worst day of his life.

Just remember that when you limit your use of adverbs, when you do use one, it's impact is greater. Let it create a mood, paint a picture.

Care to share a paragraph from your manuscript where you fittingly used an adverb or few?
Enjoy writing!

Writer's Block is not a real Disease or Excuse

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:12:00 +0000

A Week of Writing Tips

> You see, I sit and write something and it seems great. I've got a real
> feel for what I'm writing, but then I come back to it and it seems kinda flat.

Oooh, flat. Bummer. First of all, tell yourself you aren't the first person to have writer's block. Second, don't fight your picky critic. Be patient and listen.

I've had writer's block because of my inner critic. I've had writer's block becaused I am tired and need a break. Nothing comes out of the pot when the pot is empty. A help I've found is reading a new writing book, especially one that has examples of good writing or reading a fiction outside my genre. Another help is critting other writer's work.

When was the last time you read a novel written by a man? Or a classic? A thriller, a mystery, a horror story? Romance writers who only read romances limit their mind from growing, from creating new scenarios.

According to *Fiction First-Aid* by Raymond Obstfeld,vyou have a several options to getting out of the rut. (I wish I were the brainiac he is, but, alas, I'm not.)

1. Change the name of an important character.

It could give you an added perspective to his/her personality. A boy named Orlando doesn't invite the same curiosity as a boy named Sue (nothing against hot guys named Orlando). Han Solo tells you more about the man than Han Sarasota would.
I did this with my medieval for both the hero and heroine, and, boy oh boy, did it change my perspective of and insight into them.

2. Add a new character trait or detail.

If your character's action isn't believable, then perhaps she's not the person you've so far defined her as. I watched Freaky Friday last night with my kids. Switched minds aside, the mom's new clothes and funky hairstyle changed how other people reacted to her. Oh, and think about the movie Legally Blonde. What would she be like without her mini-dog and her obsession with pink? And later in LB2:RWB, her dog played a major role into the solution of the conflict.

3. Change the setting.

Is the argument with the hero in a bar, a bedroom, a kitchen? What about changing it to someplace different? The library? In a lingere store? Or what about big picture? Perhaps your setting in Houston, TX is lackluster because you live in Houston, TX. What about moving the story to Myrtle Beach, SC? Granted you'd have to do some research into Myrtle Beach, but who knows what you might discover that could add the needed insipration. Did you know there are 150+ golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area (some just miniture golf, but still)?

And for every golf course, there's a gentlemen's club. And the Pacific NW has the highest rate of suicides because of the dreary weather. How does your setting affect your character's moods? Do you need a hurricane to hit?

Granted, any and all of those options would require a bit of revision, maybe a ton of revision. But wouldn't it be worth the extra work if it transforms your stalled story into a best-seller? Give yourself permission, as long as you don't have a publisher deadline, to take more than three months to write a story.

Oh, as far as why I don't think you should ignore your picky critic?

Well, it's telling you something is wrong. Perhaps you have a hole in your plot or inconsistent characters or not high enough stakes or pointless setting or weak dialogue or contrived conflict. With one of my manuscripts, I got stuck on chpt 9. With my crit partner's help, I figured out the solution meant going back to chpt one. I now have a whole new thread that affects chpts 1-9, but that irritating revision only makes my story stronger, my character's motivations more believable, and my plot more detailed yet easier to understand.

When you had "writer's block" last, how did you cure yourself?

Happy writing!

Deep POV and Introspection: A writer's friends or frenemies?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:12:00 +0000

A Week of Writing Tips

I once had a crit partner who wrote pages and pages of introspection. Her heroine was constantly thinking....about EVERYTHING. Shoot, she'd think about what she was thinking about.

At the time I was in a writing group with HQN author Shirley Jump. Being the quasi-bold person I am, I petitioned Shirley for help with a topic I myself couldn't really explain.

Here's her answer:

A good book is like an onion :-) And a good character is like an onion. None of us have that many thoughts running through our head and heck, if we did, we'd be in Bellevue. If you dump too much on your reader too much, you are exposing too much, risk boring your reader and leaving nothing for the reader to discover.

Yes, deep third person does delve into the character's POV. However, regardless of the POV you use, a GOOD book moves forward, with rising stakes and an active character. You can't have that if you have too many thoughts dragging, as you said, the pacing down.

You know how readers make their decision on what book to buy? Besides the cover, they look at the white space inside. Too little of that and they think, OMG, it's another Charles Dickens (and we all remember the horror stories of ninth grade English and reading Great Expectations). And they put it back. Editors think the same thing. Too little white space, they groan and move on to the fast-paced one.

When you dump too much of your character on the page, you are flooding the reader and overloading her senses. She's going to back away. When you peel a layer back scene by scene, chapter by chapter, you are INTRIGUING the reader and asking her to read more. You can do this with Deep POV (Suz Brockmann does it marvelously).

Another trick I learned from the late Cheryl Anne Porter was to act out the scene. She had us all get up in a room one time during a gunfight and had a character doing this long thinking thing. The characters are shooting and then one guy starts thinking "Oh, back on the farm, he had once loved Rose, but she hadn't returned his affections..." and goes on and on.

What's happening to all those gunfighters? They are FROZEN. No action is happening and the whole book is frozen because poor old Clevis is reminiscing about Rose, who's toting a .22 beside him. Same thing happens with the pizza guy example. This guy is standing there, looking at the woman who is mooning over him and running through all these thoughts (time it by standing there to see what I mean) and thinking "this lady's nuts!"

It freezes everything and makes everyone look crazy.

So that's my advice...I do the acting out thing ALL the time to see how long I'm tying up the action with thoughts. Nine times out of ten, the thoughts get cut back and the action propels my story forward instead.

That's, of course, the old axiom of showing. Not telling :-) It's not about voice or style (heck, I do deep 3rd person myself), it's about creating a GOOD BOOK that readers will love.

~*~

Does your writing then to be introspection heavy or light? Why? Do you have any tips to help a writer learn to balance narration and introspection?

Happy Writing!

Gemma Halliday new release!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:12:00 +0000

My friend Dorchester mystery author Gemma Halliday has published a new book, VIVA LAS VEGAS, exclusively on Amazon Kindle!

VIVA LAS VEGAS was a book she originally wrote before she wrote her first High Heels novel. It won several wards, including an RWA Golden Heart award, but ultimately Gemma's editor decided she wanted to go in a different direction and bought her High Heels series instead of this book.

So, even though it has been near and dear to Gemma's heart for years, it has never been published.

Until now!

VIVA LAS VEGAS is not a mystery, like most of her previous books, but more of a humorous women's fiction story - sort of a cross between Sex and the City and Eat, Pray, Love.

Here's a short blurb:

VIVA LAS VEGAS

The Queen of Hearts: Mary Halligan can't get over her ex-fiancee, can't get a date to her little sister's wedding, and can't help being faced with happily ever after everyday at the wedding chapel where she works for an Elvis impersonating reverend.

The Full House: Ella Campbell is a former showgirl turned minivan driving mom who can't quite figure out how it happened that she and her perfect husband are sleeping in separate rooms.

The Ace of Clubs: Kit (just Kit) is a magician's assistant who wishes she could make her attraction for her married boss disappear.

The Straight Flush: David Shepard is a flamboyant showboy with only one thing hotter than his dancing career - his lover’s jealous temper.

Four friends.
Four different points of view.
One story of love, loss and lust in the most decadent place on earth.

The only question is, what are the odds of finding true love in the city of sin?

Click here to order!

(Kindle books are viewable not only on a Kindle device, but also on your iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Mac, or PC.)

Marianne Evans, Hearts Surrender excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Welborn) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Excerpt – Hearts Surrender by Marianne Evans

(used by permission)

“I’ve been the wallflower who bloomed. But I’ve never believed in myself enough to give up the fancy trappings. I've clung to vanity-centered ideals for too long, I suppose. I’ve worked hard to fit in, and finally I succeeded. Problem is, that kind of success is a double-edged sword. That pathway, once you start to follow it, is hard to leave.”

In an unexpected, graceful motion, Ken caught her swing by the chains. He held her in place, suspended backward, with nothing but a cushion of air between them. All at once Kiara went dizzy, tempted once more by that full, supple mouth, and the satiny-looking fall of his thick brown hair. He was close enough to touch. In this moment, she wanted nothing more than to do just that.

“Some time – at some point – I’d like to hear more about that, Kiara. I’d like know how you became the woman you are.”

“I’d bore you to tears. It’s nothing extraordinary.”

“All present evidence to the contrary.” He set her gliding once again and Kiara’s stomach performed a sparkling fall-away. She delighted in his words but forced herself to brush them aside before they could take root and sway her into believing he saw richness to her spirit. After all, it was part of Ken’s persona to be gracious and encouraging.

He continued, “You're moving forward in directions that are not only admirable, but eye-opening – not just for you, most likely, but to everyone who's part of your life. Don't hold to what other people see, or expect of you, Kiara. Be who you are. And while you're at it, create the best version of yourself you can imagine. After all, the only question, with the only relevance that matters, is this: Who are you now?"

When she sailed back his way, he caught the chains of her swing once again and whispered in her ear, "I believe in you."

With that, he released her on a push, sending Kiara on another dizzying spin of sensation. He walked away, retracing his steps up the path to the cabins and mess hall. She swung to a stop then sat in silence for long moments after he left, absorbing, shivering in a way that had nothing at all to do with the cool of the encroaching night.

~*~

Purchase Link for Hearts Surrender

http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Hearts-Surrender

Available in Print and Electronic Formats - $4.99 Digital / $11.99 Trade-Size Paperback