Wordless Wednesday!

All sails furled and resting for the night! 

Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord!

Who makes you superior and sets you apart from another, giving you the preeminence? What have you that was not given to you? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you had not received but had gained it by your own efforts? 1 Corinthians 4:7

Aboard any ship there are certain levels of authority. Unless a commodore or admiral was on board, the captain was always at the top.The levels beneath him depended on what type of ship it was. If it was a navy ship, there were first, second and third lieutenants, the midshipmen, master's mates, boatswains, pursers, chaplains, surgeons, gunners and then ordinary seaman. Every person had certain skills, talents and were assigned duties and responsibilities. When everyone obeyed and preformed their job, the ship sailed magnificently. But if not. . .

Well, it became much like a pirate ship.  You see by nature pirates were greedy fellows who craved not only gold but power. Exhibiting human nature at it's basest, they hated it when someone else had more of either. Fights often broke out on board pirate ships over power and wealth and more often than not mutinies were staged against the captain.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made  Psalm 139: 13-14

God gave each of us specific talents. Before we were even born, he infused them in our being for a purpose, a plan he had devised for our lives. Some of us have a talent for acting, singing, writing. Some for managing, cleaning, organizing, caring, comforting, helping, analyzing, creating, fixing.  The thing is, no one talent is more important the the other. It is the world and our culture which glamorizes certain talents. A person with a talent for acting or sports is highly esteemed in our culture, while someone with a talent for caring for the elderly and poor never gets any recognition.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul noted that some of them were thinking more highly of themselves than they should have. They were bragging about their knowledge and who they studied the Scriptures under and who was better than who. They were becoming pirates! And Paul had to put a stop to it.  He had to give them a huge dose of reality. And that reality was. Whatever talents or knowledge you have, it was given to you by God. You didn't get any of it on your own. So how can you brag about something someone else gave you?

Have you ever thought about that? That famous Hollywood star was given her talent for acting. That famous football hero was given his talent for sports. Yes, they worked hard to perfect it, but it was a gift from God. How sad that most of them use the talents God gave them to make millions and promote themselves as being above others!  

And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. Matt 25:15

You may not think God gave you very many talents. In fact, you may be wondering if He gave you any at all! But He did. If you don't know what they are, ask Him to reveal them to you. Maybe your talent is simply to be a good Mom and raise Godly children. Maybe you have a talent for knitting, computers, baking cookies! Whatever it is, work hard to perfect it and then use it for God's glory!  Thank God everyday for your talents and always remember that they were given to you. You didn't earn them. You didn't deserve them. And never let your talents go to your head. Never start boasting about them and looking down on others.

Because in the end. we will all be called to give an account to God of what we did with our talents. You may be standing beside that movie star who did nothing but glorify herself, but God will turn to you and smile and place a crown of jewels upon your head and tell you, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." Matt 25:21

Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:31

Tis a Writer's Life for Me! - Book endings

You may think that ending a book would be the easiest thing in the world to do. After all, you've already got the entire plot worked out and written, you've got all the characters defined, most of the scenes completed. You've done all the research, agonized over every line, put your characters through more trials and tribulations than any one human could handle. And finally after months and months, you're on the last chapter, the final scene in what you hope will be a story that will touch lives, change hearts, and let's face it, sell tons of copies!

So what's the problem? Would you believe that most writers I talk to tell me that the last chapter is often their hardest to write?  Once again I find myself on the final chapter of my current manuscript, Forsaken Dreams, and once again I have to agree with them.  There's so much to do in these last scenes.

• Tie up any loose ends or plot threads.  Not as easy as it sounds! Sometimes I don't even remember I have threads. Forget finding them and tying them up! 
• The main character or characters must have their grand epiphany!  This is the moment where the hero or heroine pass the final test. They learn the lesson and finally grow, change, move forward and let go of the things which held them back through the entire story. Man, that's a lot of pressure! Both on them and on me! 
• If the book is part of a series, you must give a hint of what's coming next. Leave some of those aforementioned threads frayed at the edges just a bit. 
• If the book is at the end of a series, you've got an even bigger job of tying things up
• In a romance, the hero and heroine must get together. Otherwise, you'll have some mighty disappointed readers!
• The setting must be in a place of completion. The end of a journey. A place signifying the beginning of a new journey. A place that symbolizes peace, finality, family, and home. 
• The villain must be defeated or at least subdued until another time.
• All secondary stories need to be wrapped up unless they continue in the next book of the series.
• You must convey a mood of joy and hope and completion. I.E. The hero wins the crown. The couple get married. Relationships are mended. Family is brought together. The future is brighter than it was at the beginning of the book. The mystery is solved. Justice is done. 

And all this in one or two chapters! Yikes!!

And then there's that final sentence, equally as important as the first sentence of a book.  It must be perfect! You want the reader to read that last word, lean back in his or her chair, and sigh deeply. You want the last sentence to feel like the final piece of a moist, double-chocolate cake with whipped cream icing.

I cannot tell you the hours I've spent agonizing over the final paragraph of my book.
Here's a few from my own books and from others I've read.  Do you have any favorite last paragraphs/lines?? I'd love for you to share them!

 “What does this mean, Father?” He scrunched his tiny nose. “Does this mean Miss Dawson can be my new mother now?” Chase gave his son another squeeze and kissed him on the nose.

“No, William. It means she already is.”   The Falcon and the Sparrow by M.L. Tyndall

Standing in the warm, protective arms of the man she loved, blessed and cared for above all her expectations by the God of the universe, she thanked the Lord, her new heavenly Father, for the redemption of her soul, the redemption of her life, and the redemption of her heart.  The Redemption by M.L. Tyndall 

The snap of a sail sounded above them.

The ship jerked forward as the purl of the water played over the bow. 

“Do you think God has more for us to do?” Marianne looked up at Noah.

He smiled. “I think God has only just begun.”  Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall

I glimpsed the handprints and instantly sobered. They were pushing me forward, ducking my head and forcing me outward, down the passageway, and I wanted to dig in, push back, refuse to go. They were forcing me away from the path.

The only path back

Back to Marcello.

The only path back. . . to love     WaterFall by Lisa T. Bergren

Wilhelm and Rose slipped out a side door. Hand in hand they hurried toward the stairs and the life that had been planned for them since before they were born.  The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

In the New River Valley beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, she still delivered most of the babies born. Rafe took care of every other medical need and the difficult births. Together, they formed a formidable couple, healing bodies as the Lord healed their hearts.  Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes

"Am I read?" she whispered, squeezing Sean's hand till she thought she would burst. "Oh, yes," she breathed. For the first time in my life. . .       A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman

Wordless Wednesday!

Sailing at a distance?

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  Luke 19:1-4

I love the story of Zacchaeus, don't you?  Zacchaeus was a tax collector and in those days that was akin to being a thief, even worse, a traitor. The taxes he collected went to Rome, not Israel, and most tax collectors cheated the people and took money for themselves. The Scripture says Zacchaeus was rich. And the only way he could have gotten rich was by cheating his own people. What kind of person does that? A greedy, selfish person with little conscience. But Zacchaeus was fascinated by Jesus. He had probably heard of His miracles, heard He was a great prophet who claimed to know the way to God, to way to eternal life.

Still, Zacchaeus had no intention of actually meeting Jesus. He didn't want to see Him face to face or talk to Him. Zacchaeus was simply curious. He only wanted to see Jesus, so because he was short, he climbed into a tree.

Throughout my live, I've met numerous people who are curious about God. They will listen when I tell them my experience. They may even read the Bible, or go to church. They are what we call "seekers".  Like Zacchaeus, they are curious. They want to see a miracle. They want to know if eternal life exists. But they don't want to meet Jesus. Why? Perhaps they feel guilty for the lives they led. Perhaps they are afraid of what others will think. But more often than not, it's because they fear they will have to change. They will have to give up something, their money, their habits, their way of life. And though Jesus looks pretty good to them, they aren't willing to sacrifice anything to know Him. They see Jesus on His ship, Salvation, but they sail at a distance, staring through their telescope but never getting too close. 

I will even go as far as to say that many of these people are regular church goers. They may even to to Sunday school or be teachers of the Scriptures. But they truly do not know Jesus.

But Jesus knows them.
And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. Luke 19:5-6

Jesus calls to them repeatedly throughout their life. He signals them with signal flags. He shouts through the bullhorn across the waves and He says,
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."  Isaiah 55:1

Sharing a meal with someone in those days was a very personal thing. It meant you were friends.. that you had a personal relationship. This is what Jesus is asking from Zacchaeus, what He's asking from all of us. "Come, let's share a meal. Let's get to know each other. Come aboard my ship and abide with Me."

Zacchaeus answered "Yes". He climbed down as fast as he could from that tree. It says he "made haste". I can just picture him scrambling down the trunk so fast, he nearly falls. And he received Jesus joyfully.

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:8-10

It only took one "yes" from Zacchaeus and his life was instantly changed. Everything that used to be important to him, his money, his job, his reputation.. in light of the Son of God, it meant nothing. Zacchaeus willingly gave it all up. But look what he got in return?  Salvation came to Zacchaeus's house. You might say, Big deal, I believe in Jesus, I'm already saved. Perhaps, but what about your household? What about your loved ones, your friends, your co-workers? What about living a life filled with purpose and joy? Affecting others for good? Helping God snatch souls from the depths of hell? You can't do that from a tree!

So, if you're sailing at a distance from Jesus. If you're clinging to something in this world that you don't want to give up, might I recommend you toss it overboard, adjust sails and make your way to Jesus's ship. He's invited you to dinner and you don't want to be late!

Tis a Writer's life for me! - Chapter endings!

I love writing chapter endings!  Yes, I know I'm weird. Most writers have great difficulty closing out a chapter with something exciting and tense, something that makes the poor reader turn the page! But for me,  I love creating those cliff hangers!  I love torturing my reader into never being able to set the book down and having to stay up all night because each chapter closes with a situation that would forbid them to sleep until they know how things turn out! What a beast I am!!

I like to think I accomplish that task most of the time. But how do you do it? How do you always end a chapter with something dramatic?. I mean, let's face it, maybe there's nothing really going on at that moment in the book that's overly tense.  Here's some ideas that may help you with examples from my own books.

End with the worst thing possible that could happen to your character
(In this case, losing his father’s ship to a lady pirate!) (The Red Siren)
I thank you, Captain, for your chivalrous rescue.” The woman pointed her pistol at him and cocked it with a snap. “But I believe I’ll be taking over your ship.”

 In a romance, have your heroine find the hero talking intimately to another woman or visa versa
(The Reliance)
Merrick sat at a table in the back, surrounded by a band of filthy pirates. His ebony hair hung to his shoulders, and his familiar baldric crossed his thick chest. On his lap sat a beautiful, dark-haired woman. He laughed then buried his face into her neck, kissing her.

Charlisse’s heart shattered and crumpled like sand to the floor.

 Play upon the character’s worst fears
(The Restitution)
Isabel bolted up in bed and glanced over the shadows in her room. Her eyes darted to the cradle beside her. It rocked back and forth. She peered inside. Her baby was gone. 

Create a moment of extreme embarrassment
(The Blue Enchantress)
Hope’s eyes widened. She flung a hand to her mouth, then bent double and lost the contents of her stomach all over his boots.

 Unexpected action
(The Raven Saint)
Rafe opened his mouth to tell the exasperating woman that God was on no one’s side, but her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed in his arms.

 Have an unexpected or long lost character enter the room
(Background: A man has just entered the tavern where Hope is waiting. It is the man who sold her as a slave on St. Kitts.)  The Blue Enchantress
His satin waistcoat and breeches bespoke either great wealth or ostentatious pride, and he perused the room with haughty disdain as if he owned the place.
Hope panted out a ragged breath. “Lord Falkland.”.

End with a threat
(The Raven Saint)
Rafe threw back his shoulders and lengthened his stance to cover up the fear tying his stomach into knots. He swung back to his father whose blue eyes glowed with cruel deception. “What is this about?”
His father grinned. “This is what I believe you call a mutiny.”

End with an action that could end badly
(Background: Hope is being sold as a slave to a slimy merchantman) (The Blue Enchantress)
As the man counted out the coins into the auctioneer’s greedy hands, Hope reached for the sword.

End with a promise of disaster.
(Surrender the Night)
A petal loosened and floated to the floor by her feet. When it struck the wooden planks, a heavy drape of foreboding fell upon her. Something terrible was about to happen. Something that would keep Alex from her forever.


End with a promise of action
(The Blue Enchantress)
Clenching his fists, Nathaniel resolved to speak with Hope tonight, for he could no longer deny his feelings. He must tell her he loved her.

End with violence
(The Falcon and the Sparrow)
She halted behind him, knees quaking. Her fingers gorged with blood. Gripping the candlestick with both hands, she hefted it as high as she could. Then, squeezing her eyes shut, she tensed her arms, readying herself to swing with all her might.

A daunting realization:
(The Raven Saint)
Sometime in the middle of the night, a lurid thought seeped into Grace’s mind, jarring her consciousness. A picture of a ripe yellow mango danced through her mind. Lifting her hand to her throat, she gasped as tears of shame burned behind her eyes. I am a thief.

End with a question (Surrender the Heart)
Footsteps stomped. Marianne held her breath.
A half circle of light advanced upon her shoes, then crept up her legs.
“What have we here?”

Ominous foreboding
(Surrender the Heart)
It was the only hope Noah could cling to as he swung over the bulwarks and dropped into the boat that would take him, his men, and Miss Denton to a fate worse than death.

End with a shocking statement
(The Falcon and the Sparrow)
Once she stepped over the threshold of this house, she would no longer be Dominique Dawson, the loyal daughter of a British Admiral. She would be a French Spy.

End with a vow
(The Red Siren)
Everything inside of her screamed in defiance. She would not serve a God who had allowed such suffering in her life.

An ultimatum
(The Red Siren)
“You will marry me.”
Yanking her hand from his, Faith retreated. “I will not.”
“Then I shall be forced to turn you in for piracy.

Okay, now it’s your turn. If you're a writer, give me your best chapter hooks! If you're not, tell me which of these really impacted you or better yet, list some from a book you're reading. They can either fit into one of these categories, or you can create additional ones. (I’d love to have you add new ones to my list!)

Wordless Wednesday!

Shot off our starboard quarter!

Guided by the hand of God

If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139: 9-10

Do you know God chose you to be His child long before you were born? Even after you were born, He never let his eyes off of you. Not once.  Not even if, like me, you strayed away from Him, turned aside to do your own thing, not even when that prodigal time spread into years and years of pain and regret. Even then, God's mighty hand was still guiding you, directing you gently back onto the right path.

Many things can affect the course of a ship at sea. Weather, reefs, depth of the water, wind, Waves, currents, land, pirates! etc..  If you've ever seen a map of the old trade routes, you'll quickly notice that ships could not just sail from one port to another in a straight line. Routes went according to currents and prevailing winds and often went far out of the way of their intended destination before they arrived there safe and sound.

Our lives are much like that. God has a certain path for us to follow. A starting port and a destination. And a preplanned route for us to follow in between. Yet many of us wander off course more than once in our lives. We get buffeted by the enemy's storms and end up in the middle of  nowhere, lost and alone. We enjoy the calm weather and sunshine so much that we follow it wherever it goes and end up depleted of supplies and far from our destination.  We believe the lie of an evil navigator and end up running aground and getting stuck. Or worse, our ship is broken beyond repair. 

Yet, no matter how many times we wander off course, God is busy adjusting situations and circumstances to bring us back. How does he do this? He tosses a strong wind our way to get us to make a turn. He places a reef in our way to cause us to steer in another direction. He adjusts tides and currents to gently move us down a different path. He did this for me when I strayed from Him for years. At the time I didn't realize it, but now as I look back, I see His mighty hand in situation after situation, setting the obstacles that would divert my course.. just an inch here, just an inch there.  It took years, but He finally got me to the exact place He wanted  me. The exact place where I would see Him and where I would notice that I had been on the wrong course all along. Amazing!

God is a gentleman. He never forces His will on anyone. He doesn't zap them and change their personality or desires so that they'll follow Him.  Sometimes I wish He would have done that with me! It would have spared me many wasted years of wandering off course. Maybe you have loved ones who are out upon the sea, wandering all over the place, lost and on the wrong course.  I do.  It breaks my heart. I've spent many tears in prayer over these precious souls.  Sometimes, it seems they'll never find their way back. But I'm here to tell you that God hears your prayers, and He is not sitting back and doing nothing. Every minute of every day, He is adjusting their path bit by bit, inch by inch, tossing a reef there, sending a wind here, changing a current there... so slight that you won't notice it at all. But He is working! 

And one day, you'll see that loved one, all sails full and white against the azure sky, heading toward the right path, the narrow route that leads to paradise!

Tis a Writer's life for me! -- Sleepless in San Jose

Progress on WIP, Forsaken Dreams:  Finished up Chapter 27 this week. (out of 35) Yea!! 

Over the years I've met a lot of different authors at conferences and book signings, etc.. and I was surprised to discover that many of them suffer from insomnia. Including yours truly. So, I began to wonder if this was common trait among creative people. Such as people in the arts who are mainly right brained like authors, artists, actors, playwrights, people who design furniture, etc.

According to the Cognitive Science Examiner, there was a study done by Healey and Runco in 2006 on children ages 10-12 that confirmed that creative children experienced a higher amount of sleep difficulties compared to regular kids.

I wonder why?  My problems began about twenty years ago when I entered my 30s. All of a sudden, I simply couldn't sleep. I had the worst time getting to sleep. And forget staying asleep. At first I thought it was hormones but I believe now it goes much deeper than that.  Although I'm able to fall asleep now pretty quickly, I never stay asleep. I wake up several times a night, look at the clock, get up for awhile, then try to fall back asleep. I've always told my husband that it seems like my brain is waking me up!  Like it can't stand to see me rest so it knocks on my consciousness over and over until I open my eyes!

You see I have one of those overactive brains. It's not brilliant, but it can think of a thousand things at once. Thoughts are zipping here and there, barely landing long enough for me to contemplate their meaning before the next thought leaps in.  It's like being in the middle of a hurricane of thoughts and ideas!  I have no control! I'm completely at their mercy. Yikes

On the other hand, my husband, who is a scientist and very much left-brained, can focus on a single thing for hours and hours. Me? I cannot even fathom that. I would get too bored.

I suppose God gave me this crazy brain so I could transport myself into another world and be able to see everything that's going on and write it down in story form. I love that! But the downside is that my brain sometimes refuses to leave that world. I mean, if that world is on a tall ship in the Caribbean with a handsome pirate and a warm breeze.. can you blame it?  I wouldn't leave either!  The problem lies in that my body is stuck here. Major bummer, huh? I thought so too.

I suppose I should give my brain a break. At 2:00 in the morning, when it is tapping it's fingers in impatience.. wondering how I could possibly sleep with all this adventure going on: battles to fight, damsels to rescue, seas to explore... I suppose I can't blame my brain for waking me up.   I would do the same thing!

So, if you ever happen to pass my house in the wee hours of the morning and you spot me floating by the window in my nightgown with a candle in hand, you'll know me and my brain are plotting some grand adventure in an exotic land that no doubt contains swashbuckling heroes and glorious tall ships!

How's your sleep these days?

Wordless Wednesday!

Sailing away into the sunset! A dream come true!

Follow that cloud!

The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Exodus 13:21

Clouds are really cool things, don't you think? When I was a kid I used to lay on the beach and gaze up at  the clouds and find all sorts of shapes within them: like horses and weird faces and pirate ships!  Clouds bring us much needed rain and they provide shade from the heat of the sun. What a wonderful creation!  Clouds were also useful at sea. Can you imagine how hot it was in the Caribbean on the open sea? Especially if the wind wasn't blowing very hard. A large cloud provided precious minutes, even hours, of relief from the sharp rays of the sun. Clouds also warned sailors of upcoming weather. Just by examining the shape and size of clouds, the captain would know whether to expect rain the next day, or worse, a storm.

We all know the story of how God led the Israelites across the Sinai desert by a cloud. The cloud covered them by day, keeping them cool and shielded from the sun, and a pillar of fire provided light and warmth at night. That amazes me! Even after they rebelled against God and refused to go into the promised land that He gave them, God still provided the cloud and the pillar for the next 40 years.  Wherever the cloud stooped, the Israelites made camp. When the cloud lifted, they journeyed.

Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey Numbers 9:22


You know what? God still provides a cloud for us today. Not a cloud we can see with our eyes, but one that is just as real. The cloud is God's grace, his unmerited, undeserved favor, kindness and mercy. It guides us through life, protects us, keeps us cool and comfortable. It gives us wisdom and knowledge and strength to meet each day's challenges. It tells us when to move, when to stay, and where to go! 

Great! I'm in!  How do I find this cloud and stay under it?  You find the cloud by believing in Jesus and accepting His sacrifice for you on the cross. 
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3:23-24 

But the key is to stay under the cloud. After getting saved, many of us start sailing across the seas, trying to run our lives and find the promised land on our own. All we end up doing is only wandering farther away from God and causing ourselves lots of problems! 

So, how do you stay under the cloud? By obedience to God's will just like the Israelites did. When the cloud moved.. they moved. When the cloud stopped they stopped. How do you know when the cloud has stopped? Because it gets real hot!! You get uncomfortable. You lose your peace. Things start falling apart. The Israelites didn't dare move outside the cloud because they would have been fried in the desert. At night, they would have frozen without the pillar.  You bet they stayed with the cloud!  And we need to do the same thing.

If things are getting a little hot where you are, or if you've lost your peace, your direction, if the storms are rising and you feel abandoned, maybe you're the one who left the cloud of God's grace. My recommendation? Adjust sails and set a course back to the last place you felt God's grace and peace upon you. Chances are that's where God is waiting for you.






One last note on clouds. At the very end of the age, Jesus will return in the clouds! Another good reason to keep looking up!

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:26

Simply a MUST READ!. Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes

You all know me. I don't normally promote books on my blog. Occasionally, however, I will mention a book that I think is worth your time to read.  This is one such book!

Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes
Publisher: Revell
Series: Midwives

It's 1813 and all Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. When Belinda, her pregnant sister-in-law, presses Phoebe to accompany her onto a British privateer in order to cross the Atlantic and save her husband from an English prison, Phoebe tries to refuse, then finds herself kidnapped.

Captain Rafe Docherty is a man in search of revenge. His ship is no place for women, but he needs Belinda in order to obtain information about the man who destroyed his family and his life. Between Belinda's whining and Phoebe's hostility, Rafe can't help but wonder if he made the right choice.

When it becomes apparent there is an enemy among them on the ship, the stakes are raised. Will they reach the English shore in time? Can love and forgiveness overcome vengeance?

Available at Christianbook.com, Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com,  Books-A-Million and your local bookstore.

Endorsements

“In her delightful and descriptive style, author Laurie Alice Eakes has once again crafted a story that will capture readers’ hearts from the first page.”—Kathi Macias, author of Deliver Me from Evil

“Laurie Alice Eakes’s turn of phrase and twist of a plot had me smiling long after the last page was turned. A don’t-miss story.”—Kathleen Y’Barbo, author of The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

“Make room for this one on your ‘keepers’ shelf!”—Loree Lough, author of From Ashes to Honor

"If you're looking for something that will stir your soul and leave you breathless with the romance, then look no further."—Marylu Tyndall, Author of Veil of Pearls.  (hey, that's me!)

MaryLu here:  If you like sea-faring tales, rafishly handsome heros and stories full of real-life struggles, you're going to love this book!  

Tis a Writer's Life for Me!! - EBOOKS!

So, I've been checking my sales numbers on Amazon recently and something rather odd has occurred. For the first time since e-books appeared on the scene, the number of Kindle copies of my books has outsold the number of printed copies. By almost double. For each one of my books!

I was amazed. I keep hearing that most people still prefer printed books--books they can touch and smell and crinkle pages in. Books they can underline, highlight and dogear. Books they can spill coffee or salsa on. Books they can put on shelves in their libraries. I mean, who doesn't love libraries and the smell of old books! I do! Old Book stores and historical libraries are some of my favorite places to visit. (Well, aside from an island in the Caribbean, of course)

So imagine my surprise at the new E-book craze! In fact, my husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and I must say, I'm loving it. I can order a book on Amazon and I've got it in my hands within seconds. Yes, I said seconds.  I must admit I was hesitant to read it at first. Would I be able to get into the story as much as I do when I'm holding a book, flipping pages? Would holding a metal object take away from the historical adventure I find in most stories?  Well, after several weeks of reading, I can happily say that reading an e-book is just as pleasurable as reading a regular book.

Will I still buy physical books? Absolutely! I must have something to line the book shelves in my office. Plus, there are certain types of books that don't lend themselves well to the E-format. History books, Reference books, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias.. and the like. Plus I collect antique books and those must be held and cherished for the historical artifacts they are.

Yet, there's another great bonus to this E-book craze that most readers aren't aware of. It's called Freedom. An author's freedom to write what they want and publish it online without having to go through the great Publishing Gatekeepers.  Up until this point, writers had to conform to certain standards (Especially in the Christian market). They had to write to please the market, write the types of stories publishers believed would sell, tweak and change and rewrite their precious manuscript to please a publishing elite that created the bridge through which each writer must pass to get published. Like trolls, they stood in front of the bridge demanding the answer to thousands of questions, testing and taxing the poor writer in order to allow passage.

But no more. Now a writer, any writer can write a manuscript and publish it themselves on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and any of the other E-book formats. They don't have to pass a test. They don't have to answer a question. They don't have to meet a standard.  

I, for one, am very excited about this! Now if I have an idea for a story I want to write, I can write it. I don't have to steer away from certain topics, such as pirates or mermaids and other oddities I've been told will never sell.

But what about readers? What does it mean to them? There is great news and not so great news. The great news the reader will have a lot more choices on what to read and will be able to find books their every whim and desire.  The not so great news, since there are no gatekeepers, there will be a lot of garbage out there. In other words, it's important to remember that just because there's an e-book on Amazon, that doesn't mean it's a well-written intriguing story.  It doesn't mean the author has a clue about writing or story telling. So, the reader will have to become a more intelligent and selective consumer of books than ever before. But why not? Shouldn't the choice of what to read be in the readers' hands and not in the hands of a group of publishers?

What do you think about the whole E-book revolution??  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Introducing Rita Gerlach's newest release, Before the Scarlet Dawn!

At last comes the novel readers have been waiting for. ( And one I personally endorsed!)

From critically acclaimed novelist, Rita Gerlach, comes book 1 in The Daughters of the Potomac Series, a timeless tale of love and betrayal, loss and redemption against the backdrop of the American Revolution.

Readers will grow attached to heroine Eliza Morgan, as she faces the hardships of colonial life when she leaves behind all she has in order to follow her heart and the man she loves into the Maryland wilderness.

Story Blurb
On a windswept night in April of 1775, Eliza sat at her father’s bedside hoping he would recover. Forced to leave the home she grew up in, Eliza grows desperate. She could marry her former suitor, but cannot bear the thought of a loveless marriage.

Instead she falls in love with Hayward Morgan, the condescending son of a landed gentleman. When Eliza learns of his plans to leave England and build a life in the Maryland frontier, she decides to present a proposal of her own.

“…a big, beautiful, well-told story of love, faith, and the struggles of war that changed lives...and hearts.  ~ Author Loree Lough ~



MaryLu Here: My review:
This author has a way with words. I cannot explain it but she has a literary quality to her writing that just puts you right into the scene. So much so, that you can smell the flowers and feel the wind on your face. Aside from that, her characters are real and deep. And they make mistakes, terrible ones, just like real people. This is a love story set during the tumultuous times of the Revolution in America. But it is not your normal love story. It is about a woman who so desperately wants her husband to love her that she goes to great lengths to please him. Perhaps many women out there can relate. The story brings many questions to one's mind about marriage and committment.. and it is totally unpredictable! A Christian book through and through, but not your normal Christian romance. How refreshing!

Rita Gerlach is the author of four inspirational historical novels, including ‘Surrender the Wind’, the American Christian Fiction Writers book of the month.

On Sale: February 1, 2012

Available from online booksellers and at fine bookstores everywhere. Paperback and e-book.

Buy Now From:
Amazon.com
ChristianBooks.com









Book 2 ~ Beside Two Rivers ~ Fall, 2013 (The story of Eliza's daughter, Darcy)
Book 3 ~ Beyond the Valley ~ Spring 2013 (Sarah, an indentured servant's story)

Wordless Wednesday!

Hope you don't get seasick!