And the Winner of The Talk Like A Pirate Quiz is::::!!!!

Kirsten!!!!  Congratulations, Kirsten!
All of ye did fairly, says I, but I must say, if ye mean to be pirates, ye'll be needin' to bonin' up on yer pirate slang else no decent pirate will be able to understand ye and visa versa.
Only one of ye got ALL the answers correct. An' that be Lauri Pierce. Lauri, a fair pirate ye appear to be! Me thinks ye deserve a special prize. Hmmm.

Okay here be the answers:

Why listen to the lad! He's naught but a saucy malapert ruffler.

A. A perky, ignorant person
B. A disrespectful, mouthy man
C. A discontented sailor
D. A pirate who's sick all the time

What's this? All niminy-piminy affectations and , save for lace ruffles, all sable black from trucks to keelson
A. Pirate whose in touch with his feminine side
B. Sailor who is constantly whining like a baby
C. Man who loves to dance constantly
D. A hypocrite

The pewling spawn, how I despise them!
A. A sailor who sings off key
B. A pirate whose sunburnt skin constantly peels
C. A whining, whimpering fool
D. A pirate who stinks

So whose fault is it anyway that ye've ended up a rumpot deckhand which takes orders from pirates.
A. A drunk
B. A pirate with a beer belly
C. A sailor who is so fat, he can barely move
D. Beef-witted man

A mite too fast these light-footed wenchers be for the likes of an ol' swag-bellied pirate such as I
A. overhanging belly
B. A decorative scarf tied about the waist
C. A pirate with his pockets full of fruit
D. A pirate whose belly is tied to the anchor chain

Englishmen! Naught but whey faced slouching wastrels!
A. Face lined like wheat
B. Skin puckered like porridge
C. White faced from fright
D. Pirates who smell like cheese

You're supposed to be King's men, not bard slabs
A. A person who wears garish or ridiculous clothing
B. Lazy good for nothings
C. Frightened stiff
D. court jesters

Pieces of Eight! Pieces of Eight! Who hailed ye, ye old bumboat!
A. Bt full of ninnies
B. A peddler selling goods to pirates
C. Something that is shabby or inadequate
D. Prison ship for pirates

Ahoy yonder, what's to be done with that old cake's dough!
A. Hopeless, used up pirate
B. Fat pirate
C. Lazy pirate
D. Pirate who loves sweets

Ah, run fer yer lives. The curse to the main be here!
A. A superstition bringing a bad omen
B. A man or thing that threatens to break the mainmast
C. A pirate song that is terribly off-key
D. A difficult person. A pain in the you know what

I hope you all had fun with our talk like a pirate day contest. And I also hope you had a chance to check out Jamie Carrie's blog and contest as well!   Regardless of whether you won, I hope you'll check out her new release Pirate of my Heart, and my newly released Pirate series as well. (Legacy of the King's Pirates), as well as our other books.

God bless you all! Have a great weekend!  May God grant ye fair winds an' a clear horizon!!! 

Avast! There be a pirate in me backyard!

No, it's not another lady pirate post. It's me!!  Just showing off me new pirate garb!! Do I look scary??

I'll be on a live online chat tonight if you care to drop by and chat with me. Ask a question, give me an opinion.. whatever. Here's the link:


Gather.com

Chat is from 9:00 PM EST to 10. You have to join Gather but it's free!.

Wordless Wednesday!

A secret cave where treasure be hidden!

Ways God speaks to us

A few Mondays ago, I posted a blog about keeping our prayers short and learning to spend time quietly in God's presence. Learning to do this has been an uphill battle for someone like me. My mind is always spinning, spinning out of control, going through lists of things I need to accomplish and problems to solve. I'm easily distracted and can often think of more than one thing at a time. Sound like you too?

 

Never fear! It just takes discipline like everything in life. Whenever my mind drifts, I jerk it right back. Sometimes I sing or hum a praise song while I'm thinking of God's goodness. That seems to help. But I'm still working on it every day. Why? Because I truly want to hear from God.

 

Like anything, I believe hearing from God takes practice and discipline. It takes work. We must train our spiritual senses to discern things in the spiritual realm.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil Hebrews 5:12-14

So, how does God speak to us?  My bet is that God has been speaking to you for years and you simply haven't recognized Him.  In my experience, God speaks to us in four ways. 

• Gently guiding us / Revealing 
• Discerning/Perceiving
• Direct speech by Angels
• Direct speech by Holy Spirit

 Gentle Guiding. This is probably the most common.  And the one most people are completely unaware of
John 16:13  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Examples of guiding/revealing: 

• You're reading the Bible and a verse pops out at you, and oddly it applies to your situation perfectly.
• You hear a particular verse three times or more. On the radio, at a sermon, in a song, and/or in your personal reading
• A friend says something to you that matches something that you've had on your mind for awhile
• A series of unusual events occur which lead you down a certain path, or to a specific job.
• You just "happen" to run into someone you haven't seen in awhile and the meeting changes your life.
• You had a vision or a dream that showed you something important
• All of a sudden, you think about someone you haven't thought about in awhile.
• You have a burning desire in your heart to do something specific. In my case, it was write a novel about a Christian pirate!

  Here's some examples from Scripture

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matt 16:17

 

There was a man in the temple in Jerusalem waiting for the Messiah
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ Luke 2:26

 

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.  Phill 3:15-16

Examples of discernment/perceiving

• The first time you knew in your heart that God was real, He loves you, and Jesus died for you.
• You've been on multiple job interviews but you just "know" you're going to get this particular one. You don't know how you know.. but the minute you walked into the company, you knew.
• You have a feeling inside that a friend is in need. She or he is always on your mind lately, so you call and find out they are having a hard day.
• You walk into a place and a heaviness comes upon you. You get a sick feeling in your gut, uncomfortable. The place is probably filled with demons and wickedness, though you may not see it on the outside
• You sense someone is lying to you
• You feel the presence of God, a sense of hope and love.
• You just "know" God has something important for you to do with your life. Or your "just know" something is about to happen.
• You make a descision and know inside it wasn't right. Or alternatively, you know inside that it was the right one

 All through the Gospels, we see Jesus 'perceiving' many different things through the power of the Holy Spirit. What people were thinking, feeling, what they held in high regard.  

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’ Mark 2:8

 

But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Luke 8:46

 

Well, you may say, that's Jesus. I'm just human. Certainly I can't perceive these things. Yet, Jesus told us we would do even greater works than He did when the Holy Spirit came upon us, didn't He? So why can't God grant you supernatural wisdom in certain situations when you ask Him?

  

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father John 14:12
 
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him James 1:5
 
So, do you still think you can't hear from God?  Can you think of other examples from your own experience of guiding/revealing/discerning and perceiving?
 
Tune in next week when I'll cover direct words from God!

Last Day of Women Pirates!! Caribbean pirate - Anne Dieu-le-Veut!

Anne Dieu-le-Veut was born around 1650 in France. Her birth-given name was Marianne Dieu-le Veut, which means “Anne Gods-Want-It”. This was true, because whenever she wanted something, her will was so strong, it was as if the gods wanted it too. Not much else is known about her.


Later on, she married a buccaneer named Pierre Length. In 1683, Anne’s husband was killed by another famous buccaneer, named Laurens de Graff in a bar fight. Anne challenged Laurens to duel to avenge her husband’s death (and Laurens also possibly insulted her). But Laurens would not fight a woman. So, heproposed to her on the spot, in admiration of her courage (They never married, because Laurens already had a wife. However, he had abandoned her many years before, but from that point on, they were seen as man and wife). 

Anne shared Laurens work, and commanded the ship in the same fashion as Anne Bonny and Calico Jack. Unlike Mary Read, Anne did not disguise herself as a man. This aroused a lot of attention and mostly fascination. Usually, women were considered bad luck on a ship. But Anne was considered a bringer of good luck.
Anne’s most famous tale begins when Anne and Laurens were attacking a Spanish ship. A canon ball killed Laurens, so Anne took his place as captain. Eventually, Anne and her crew were captured.Taken first to Vera Cruz in Mexico, and then to Cartagena in Colombia, both of which were cities earlier sacked by Laurens, to be judged, Anne’s fame was so great that when the French Marin Secretary of Pontchartrain heard of this, he wrote to Louis XIV of France and asked him to make the king of Spain intervene. Anne was then freed as a special service between kings, and she was never heard of again. Anne’s daughter (she was said to have had two, born in the early 1690s) was said to have lived in Haiti, where she became known for having performed a duel with a man. Like mother, like daughter!

I hope you've enjoyed our journey back into history as we have looked at women who defied all convention and set sail upon the glorious seas!

Charlotte de Berry - Fiction or Fact? We may never know

Born 1636 in England. In her mid to late teens, Charlotte de Berry fell in love with a sailor and, against her parents' will, married him. Disguised as a man, she followed him on board his ship and fought alongside him. Her true identity was discovered by an officer who kept this knowledge to himself, wanting de Berry. He assigned her husband to the most dangerous jobs, which he survived thanks to his wife's help. The officer finally accused Charlotte's husband of mutiny, of which he was found guilty based on an officer's word against that of a common sailor. He was punished by being flogged through the fleet, which, as the officer had hoped, killed him. The officer then made advances towards Charlotte, which she refused. The next time they were in port she killed the officer and sneaked away, dressing again as a woman and working on the docks.

While de Berry worked on the docks, a captain of a merchant ship saw her and kidnapped her. He forced de Berry to marry him and took her away on his trip to Africa. To escape her new husband, who was a brutal rapist and tyrant, de Berry gained the respect of the crew and persuaded them to mutiny. In revenge, she decapitated her husband and became captain of the ship.

After years of pirating, de Berry fell in love with a Spaniard. However, they were shipwrecked after days of hunger, they drew straws to see who would be eaten first, unfortunately, it was de Berry's husband. The survivors of her crew were rescued by a Dutch ship, and when that ship was attacked by pirates, they bravely defended their rescuers. While the others celebrated victory, Charlotte jumped overboard in order to join her dead husband. No one knows if she survived or not

Jacquotte Delahaye

Jacquotte Delahaye (17th century), was a French pirate, or Buccaneer, and together with Anne Dieu-Le-Veut one of very few female buccaneers.
She was active in the 1660s, came from Haiti, her father was French and her mother Haitian. She is described as a great beauty who became a pirate after her father was killed. It is rumored that her mother died in childbirth. Her brother suffered from mild retardation and was left in her care after her father's death.

To escape her pursuers, she faked her own death and took on an alias, living as a man for many years. Upon returning she became known as "back from the dead red" because of her striking red hair.

Pirate Queen! Grace O'Malley

There came to me…a most famous feminine sea captain….  This was a notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland. – Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland 1576

While much has changed in the more than four hundred years since Grace O'Malley ruled the West Coast of Ireland, the rugged, windswept natural beauty and ever-changing skies, gaunt brown mountains rising from the mist still distinguish the lands of the O'Malleys, Burkes and O'Flahertys.

In this land of happy wars and sad love songs lived the most famous of the O'Malleys, a strong female warrior, as fierce and powerful as any man. Much more than just a pirate, this Gaelic princess was a remarkable leader respected not only by her own people but by the English rulers that were their adversaries.

From her earliest days, she rejected the role of the sixteenth century woman, instead embracing the life on the sea with the fleet of O'Malley trading ships. Ambitious and fiercely independent, her exploits eventually became known through all of Ireland and England. Finally, the English could no longer ignore her and sent a fleet to stop her predatory sieges, but had to retreat when Grace attacked. Finally, Grace met with Queen Elizabeth and reached an alliance that benefited them both.

For more information, check out this website:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nwa/grace.html

Ching Yih Saou - famous Chinese Lady Pirate!

Along the coastal waters of the South China Sea, many people lived and worked on junks rather than reside on the land. These boats were crammed with family members from the youngest infant to the oldest grandparent. The women worked alongside the men, fishing, trading, and pirating. One such woman was Cheng I Sao (also known as Ching Yih Saou, Ching Shih, and Lady Ch’ing). A former prostitute who married a sea robber, she and her husband organized a confederation of pirates that eventually numbered over 50,000. They ransomed captives and their ships while extorting payment from people who lived along the coast to not attack their villages.


When her husband died in 1807, Cheng I Sao assumed command of the pirates. She appointed Chang Pao, her husband’s adopted son, leader of the Red Fleet, the most powerful of the six fleets that made up the pirate confederation. Soon after they became lovers.

According to the code of conduct that spelled out the rules and rewards under which the Chinese sailed, each pirate received two plundered pieces for every ten captured. Since Cheng I Sao did not wish to live hand to mouth, the rest of the plunder was stored in warehouses to ensure that the squadrons were always armed and ready. The code of conduct also spelled out punishments harsher than those administered to buccaneers of the previous century in the West Indies. Any who disobeyed an order or stole from the common plunder were beheaded. Deserters lost their ears. The first time pirates concealed booty they were flogged. The second time they died. If they raped a female captive, they were executed. If the woman agreed to the sex, the man was beheaded while weights were tied to the woman’s legs and she was tossed overboard.

Fleets sent by the Chinese Imperial Navy to destroy the pirates were themselves destroyed. By 1808 they had lost 63 vessels to the pirates. One captured officer was nailed to the ship’s deck, then beaten until he vomited blood. Later, he was taken ashore and butchered. Rather than risk capture Admiral Kwo Lang committed suicide. Coastal villages created militias to repel the raids, but the pirates exacted horrific revenge on those who defied them. In 1809, they beheaded 80 men of the Sanshan village and abducted their women and children, holding them for ransom or selling them into slavery. Seamen of captured merchant ships could join the ranks of the pirates or suffer excruciating death.

When the Imperial government solicited assistance from British and Portuguese warships, Cheng I Sao decided to retire from piracy. In April 1810, she negotiated terms of an amnesty with the Governor General of Canton. Less than 400 pirates suffered any form of punishment: 60 banished for two years, 151 exiled, and 126 executed. The remaining 17,318 pirates surrendered their weapons and 226 junks, but retained their plunder. Those who wished to join the army could, including her lover, Chang Pao, who received the rank of lieutenant and command of a private fleet of 20 junks.

Cheng I Sao and Chang Pao settled in Fukien. They eventually married and had a son. When Chang, who had been promoted to colonel, died in 1822 at the age of 36, Cheng I Sao returned to Canton. A wealthy woman, she ran a gambling house and possibly a ring of smugglers, but otherwise led a quiet life until her death in 1844. She was 69 years old.

For more information on Cheng and other famous pirates, visit http://www.cindyvallar.com/chengsao.html

Welcome to Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!

Author Jamie Carie and I have teamed together this year to bring you two different contests and a chance to win 3 different books!  The contest will start today and will go through Sept 29th.  On Sept 30th, I will draw a name on my blog and Jamie will draw a name on her blog. Each person will win a copy of Jamie's new release, Pirate of My Heart, and their choice of any of my pirate books or my latest release, Surrender the Dawn!  The winner here on my blog will also receive a free copy of Angela Breidenbach's pirate devotional, Gems of Wisdom.

Also I'll be posting each day about different female pirates from history!

Here is more about the books available to win:

I can't speak highly enough about Gems of Wisdom!  This is one of those devotionals that touches a deep place within your soul and changes you forever. Each chapter has a theme: Acceptance, Forgiveness, Radiance, Courage, Courtesy, Confidence.. and many more. Through ponder points, personal stories, pirate tales, and lessons on defeating the pirates in your life, Angela takes you on a glorious journey to a land of peace, acceptance, and victory as you grow closer to and lean more on God.

To purchase this book, click here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936438046/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Pirate of My Heart by Jamie Carie

She gave up everything for a chance at true love . . .
When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: marry the horrid man of her uncle’s choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives.

Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and soon finds herself swept away by the rugged American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But this adventurous man has been wounded by love before and now guards his independent life.

He wasn’t prepared to give up anything for anyone…
No swashbuckling man needs an English heiress with violet-hued eyes to make him feel again or challenge his faith with probing questions—or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk.

Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-My-Heart-Jamie-Carie/dp/0805448152/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316121363&sr=1-1
CBD link to purchase: http://www.christianbook.com/pirate-of-my-heart/jamie-carie/9780805448153/pd/448153?item_code=WW&netp_id=896168&event=ESRCG&view=details

Legacy of the King's Pirates by M.L. Tyndall (that's me)

These books are being re-published at the end of this month, so I'm including them in the drawing.  There are three of them, but in the interest of space, I'll just list the first one.

Lady Charlisse Bristol sets off on a voyage in search of a father she never knew, only to find herself shipwrecked on a deserted island. After weeks of combating the elements, her salvation comes in the form of a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. Will Charlisse free herself from the seductive lure of this pirate captain and find the father’s love she so ardently craves?

While battling his attraction to this winsome lady and learning to walk a more godly path, Edmund offers to help Charlisse on her quest—until he discovers her father is none other than Edward the Terror, the cruelest pirate on the Caribbean. Can Edmund win this lady’s love while shielding her from his lecherous crew and working to bring her father to justice?

Surrender the Dawn!  Last but not least, my latest release
When the war of 1812 robs Cassandra Channing of her father and brothers, she must find a way to support her mother and younger siblings without being forced to marry a man she does not love. Determined to remain independent, she hires a privateer, captained by the town rogue.

Tortured by guilt for his parents’ death, Luke Heaton spends his time drinking and gambling. When Cassandra offers him enough money to fix up his ship, he sees an opportunity to redeem his reputation and help the lady he has loved from afar. Things go well until the British blackmail him into selling supplies to their ships. Still Luke cannot allow Cassandra’s family to be tossed on the streets.

Cassandra has fallen in love with Luke. When she begins to suspect his nefarious activities, she is heartbroken. Hoping to prove her suspicions wrong, she sets out to catch him in the act. But what she doesn’t expect is to get caught up in a massive British invasion… and one of the most decisive battles of the war where lives, liberty, and the future of a nation are at stake.

To learn more about my books and how to order, go to my website book page:  http://www.marylutyndall.com/books

Now, for the contest/quizes

To take Jamie Carie's super fun pirate quiz on Facebok and see what type of pirate you are, click here

TAKE THE PIRATE QUIZ

To visit Jamie's blog and enter to win two books, visit:  JAMIE CARIE'S BLOG

To take my CAN YOU SPEAK LIKE A PIRATE TEST,  Click on the Talk Like a Pirate Quiz tab at the top of my blog!  If you're reading this on Facebook, click here: CROSSANDCUTLASS 

Mary Killigrew - Lady pirate!

The Killigrew family, which lived in Cornwall, had a notorious reputation for seizing ships, appropriating the cargo, and selling both to finance their lifestyle. On the first of January in 1583, the Maria docked at Arwenack Castle where Lady Killigrew entertained them. For several days the Spanish captain and others visited Penryn. On their return they discovered the Maria had disappeared.

During their absence and after a storm passed, Lady Killigrew and her servants rowed to the ship, killed those Spaniards still aboard, and absconded with the cargo. Although many believed her guilty, no proof existed that she had participated in the theft and murders.

Angry at the lack of justice, the Spaniards journeyed to London where they complained to the authorities there. When it was learned that Lady Killigrew’s son, a judge, had tampered with the investigation, she and two of her gang were arrested and stood trial. All three were sentenced to death, but Queen Elizabeth I pardoned Lady Killigrew


Taken from Cindy Vallar's website: http://www.cindyvallar.com/womenpirates.html

The pirate, Mary Read!

Mary Read was born at Plymouth, England, about 1690. Her mother's husband was a sea-faring man who left on a long voyage and was never heard from again. He'd left his wife pregnant and she gave birth to a sickly male child who died soon after the illegitimate birth of his half-sister, Mary. The mother waited years for her husband to return and when her money ran out, she took Mary to London to appeal to her mother-in-law for financial help. She knew this old woman disliked girls, so she dressed Mary in boy's clothes and made her pretend to be her son. The mother-in-law was fooled and promised a crown a week to help support them. Mary continued to masquerade as a boy for many years, even after the old woman died and the financial aid ended.

Then a teenager, Mary was hired out as a footboy to a French woman. But according to history, "here she did not live long, for growing bold and strong, and having also a roving mind, she entered herself on board a man-of-war, where she served some time; then quitted it." Still disguised as a male, she enlisted in a foot regiment in Flanders and later a horse regiment, serving in both with distinction. She fell in love with a fellow soldier, disclosed her true sex, and began dressing as a female. After their marriage, she and her husband became innkeepers, owning the Three Horseshoes near the castle of Breda in Holland. Unfortunately, he died young and her fortunes soon dwindled.

She knew that life in the 1700s was much easier as a man than as a woman, so she reverted back to men's clothing and started her life over, this time going to sea on a Dutch merchant ship heading to the Caribbean. On one voyage, the ship was commandeered by English pirates with whom she sailed and fought until they accepted the King's pardon in 1718 and began operating as privateers. Soon afterwards, their ship was overtaken by Captain Jack Rackham's Vanity and, bored of the legitimate life, she again turned pirate. Anne Bonney was already part of Rackham's crew, and she and Mary quickly discovered each other's cross-dressing secret and became close friends. Despite her tough exterior, Mary found a lover on board and is said to have saved his life by protecting him from a threatened duel. She picked a fight with his opponent first and, with deadly use of her sword and pistol, ended his life before he could harm her husband-to-be.

Mary is said to have died of a violent fever in the Spanish Town prison in 1721, before the birth of her child. Other reports say she feigned death and was sneaked out of the prison under a shroud.

A week of Lady Pirates starts today! First, the infamous, Anne Bonney!

In Honor of Talk Like a Pirate day on Monday, Sept 19th, I'll be posting about a different female pirate every day from today through next Friday!  I thought ye may want to know about all the famous women in history who chose piracy over life as a conventional lady.

Also, be sure and come back on Monday!!!  We'll be having a Talk Like a Pirate Day contest. Test yer skills in pirate speak and enter to have a chance to win a free pirate book. Together with author, Jamie Carrie, who is hosting another contest on Facebook that you'll want to check out! we'll be giving away two copies each of our own books.
Now onto Anne Bonney!

Anne Bonney, born in County Cork, Ireland, was the illegitimate daughter of lawyer William Cormac and his housemaid. They immigrated to America after Anne's birth in the late 1600s and settled on a plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. A headstrong young woman "with a fierce and courageous temper," she eloped with a young ne'er-do-well, James Bonney, against her father's wishes. James took her to a pirates' lair in New Providence in the Bahamas, but in 1718, when Bahamian Governor Woodes Rogers offered the King's pardon to any pirate, James turned informant. Anne was disgusted with his cowardice and soon after, she met and fell in love with the swaggering pirate Captain Jack Rackham. Disguising herself as a male, she began sailing with him on his sloop Vanity, with its famous skull-and-crossed-daggers flag, preying on Spanish treasure ships off Cuba and Hispaniola. It is reported that she became pregnant by Jack and retired from piracy only long enough to have her baby and leave it with friends in Cuba before rejoining him and her adventurous life on the high seas.

No record of Anne's execution has ever been found. Some say that her wealthy father bought her release after the birth of her child and she settled down to a quiet family life on a small Caribbean island. Others believe that she lived out her life in the south of England, owning a tavern where she regaled the locals with tales of her exploits.

A quote from the 19th century worth reading!

The doctrine of the atonement is, however, one which is often lost sight of in our pulpits; men refuse to believe in the heinousness of sin, refuse to believe that the justice of a perfectly holy God requires full satisfaction for sin, and, by rationalistic arguments derived from degraded human reason, dwell only on the fatherhood and love of God to mankind. There are two rocks, Scylla and Charybdis, against either of which all Christian people may make shipwreck of their faith; they stand one at each end of the line of intellectual thought. The first is Formalism, the second Rationalism.

The former is the outcome of a kind of parasitic religion, handing over the conscience to the direction of another, and considering that the individual has no right to think for himself and examine the doctrines whether they be of God, or else thinking that a feeble acquiescence in certain dogmas and the performance of certain forms and ceremonies is all that is necessary.

The second phase is the result of revulsion of feeling from the other extreme, not only refusing to listen to the voice of the Church, the directions of the Bible, and the dictates of conscience, but setting up their personal puny and corrupt intellect as the supreme appeal—refusing to believe all that seems contrary to their individual ideas of justice or expediency. This latter is perhaps the more fearful error, as by it the finite utters the awful blasphemy of daring to dictate to the Infinite.

Charles Dent Hastings from 1886

Wordless Wednesday!

Hang on! Rough seas ahead!

Today is the Anniversary of the Bombardment of Fort McHenry, Baltimore!

My latest release, Surrender the Dawn revolves around this great historic event!  At noon on September 11th, 1814, the British fleet sailed to the mouth of the Patapsco River and anchored off North Point, just fourteen miles from Baltimore. Arrogantly spurred on by their successful march into Washington DC three weeks earlier, the British planned to attack the “Nest of Pirates”, as they called the city, from both land and sea. Early in the morning on September 13th, while British troops advanced on land from North Point toward the city, five bomb ships and several other war ships maneuvered into a semi-circle two miles from Fort McHenry. Just after dawn, the bombing commenced.


Major Armistead, commander of the fort, would later estimate that in the next twenty-five hours, the British would hurl at them between 1500 and 1800 exploding shells. A few never hit their mark, but most exploded directly over the fort, showering destruction on the defenders. One bomb exploded on the southwest bastion, destroying a 24-pounder, killing Lt. Levi Claggett, and wounding several men. Soon after, another shell crashed through the roof of the gunpowder magazine. By the grace of God, it did not ignite, and Major Armistead soon ordered the barrels of powder removed and stored elsewhere.

While the British land invasion was failing due to the courage and preparation of Baltimore’s militia, the bombardment of Fort McHenry continued throughout the long night. Finally at 7:00 am on Sept 14, the shelling ceased, and the British fleet withdrew. Major Armistead immediately brought down the dripping storm flag that flew over the fort and hoisted in its place the forty-two by thirty foot flag sewn by Mary Pickersgill, the action accompanied by the fort’s band playing Yankee Doodle.

Eight miles away, aboard an American Truce ship, Sir Francis Scott Key, overcome with emotion at the sight of the flag, penned what would become our National Anthem, The Star-spangled banner. (With a little help from Cassandra)

Miraculously, Baltimore successfully defended itself against an attack by the greatest military and naval power on earth. The humiliating defeat suffered by the British changed the course of the war, and three months later, on Christmas Eve, Britain made peace with the United States at Ghent. In Baltimore, the Niles Weekly Register announced the news with “Long live the Republic! All hail! Last asylum of oppressed humanity!”

May it ever be so!

Want to hear from God? Try being quiet.

Lately, I've been asking God to help me get to know Him. I want to know Him. Like a friend. Like a father. Sometimes I feel like He's so far away, busy running the universe, or just absent, like my earthly father always was. I know in my head He's right here, but sometimes my heart does not agree.

Usually my time with God turns out to be a one-sided list of requests. Can you heal so and so? Will you save my kids? Get so and so a job, help me be more like you. All great requests! And certainly we need to pray them. But how much time does that take? And once we've asked God for something, do we need to repeat it daily? I think somewhere in the back of our minds, we think God might forget, or maybe if we keep bombarding God with our request, He'll get tired of hearing about it and just grant it. 

But God isn't like that. He doesn't forget. He cares intensely about every tiny detail of your life. He hears and even knows your requests before you ask them.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him Matthew 6:7


I'm reminded of the story of the unjust judge in Luke 18. The story is about a widow who comes before this mean, unjust judge daily asking for justice, and finally he grants it to her just to shut her up!  I think many of us take this the wrong way. We assume Jesus is telling us that we have to do the same thing with God.  But God isn't unjust. He is nothing like that judge. He hears, He remembers, He answers.
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth  Luke 18:7-8
Yes, God wants to hear from us and answer our prayers. And yes, we should cry out to Him day and night, but do you think He wants to hear the same prayer over and over? Would you do that to a friend? Keep asking them for the same thing over and over. It shows a lack of faith in that person. When someone asks me to pray for them, I pray for them that instant. If God brings them to mind at a later date or time, I lift them up again. Otherwise, I leave it in God's hands and start thanking Him for His answer. That's not to say you shouldn't ever repeat a request. Sometimes for something that is really burdening me, I will just mention the name or topic to God and say "You know." He knows what I prayed for. He's knows what's best.


So, instead of repeating my list of requests, I've been spending my prayer time praising God, thanking Him and asking Him questions. Then I try to be quiet. Close my eyes and meditate on God, on how wonderful He is. I try to open my spiritual ears to listen to Him. Because I know He wants to talk to me as much as I want to talk to Him!  And you know what? I've been hearing Him. Not audibly.. but deep inside. Sometimes it's just an overwelming feeling of love and peace. Other times it's words. An answer I've been seeking. An impression that always brings clairty and peace. 

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

So, if you're prayer life has grown a little stale. If you're bored with asking the same things over and over. Try worshiping God in silence. I guarantee, with a little practice, you'll hear from Him!

Be still, and know that I am God  Psalm 46:10

What happens after an author turns a book in?

First of all, if you're me, the author drifts around her house, the mall, the grocery store in a sort of euphoric daze with no clear direction or purpose!  That was me this week!  I felt like I'd been locked in a room for 6 months and someone opened the door. Unsure what to do with my freedom, I sort of wandered a lot. I did get some things done. I took my cat to the Vet. Poor thing had nearly scratched all of her fur off! My husband kept asking me "When are you going to take her to the Vet? She's bald!" .  I also cleaned my writing room. I dusted it. Boy, was there a ton of dust!  I vacummed. I sorted through my books and papers. And now as you can see in the picture, it looks at least somewhat managable. I should have taken a before picture, but I'm sure it will be back in poor shape before too long.

Why? You may ask? Because I have another deadline. This one May 1st.  Which gives me less than 8 months to write another full length novel. The story of which, I have not yet even figured out! 

But back to the manuscript. My publisher now takes the manuscript and hands it to the editor. She then goes through it with a fine tooth comb!  She fixes my poor punctuation, spelling and other gammar issues. But mainly, she points out any discrepancies, plot holes, character problems.. things that really jumped out at her and caused confusion. (Hopefully there won't be too many of those!)  Then she sends it back to me with all of her comments and edits. I usually have a week or two to either accept or reject her ideas and fix any punctuation and grammar errors.  It's really the last chance I have to make any major changes in the manuscript.

Blog News:  Monday the 19th is National Talk Like a Pirate Day.  I bet you didn't know that!  Anyway, this year, a fellow author and I are putting together a big celebration. She has a pirate book releasing and my old pirate series is being re-released! Yea! So, tune in next Thursday. To start off the celebration, I'll be posting about a different pirate each day and mentioning pirate books I have enjoyed. Then on Talk Like a Pirate day, there will be contests and quizzes where you can win up to 4 free books!!  So, jest somthin' fer ye to be thinkin' about till then!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Wild turkeys in my backyard!

Well, just beyond the back gate! Aren't they cute? Now, we need to catch one before Thanksgiving!

I think my cat has the mange!

See all her bald spots!  She has a mohawk. LOL Poor little Katie Cat.  She's going to the vet today.

Wordless Wednesday!



Wonder what happend to this fair ship?



Thanksgiving = Faith?

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

I came across this during one of my readings. You can find the story in Luke 17:11-19.  Just a few paragraphs describing the event, yet for those men, a life changing experience! Of course any encounter with Jesus, either back then or now, is life changing!

The story goes that as Jesus was passing through a certain village, ten lepers screamed to him to heal them. I find it interesting that instead of laying hands on them or telling them okay, you're healed! Jesus simply told them to go show themselves to the priests.  By Jewish law anyone with a contagious disease had to go to the priest in order to be pronounced clean. So, in essence, Jesus gave them a command.

They didn't complain and question him and get angry (at least that we know). Instead they obeyed.. and they were healed as they headed toward the temple.  I think Jesus was testing them, as He often tests us. We want Him to do something for us.. but are we willing to obey Him? How committed to Him are we? Will we abandon Him after we get what we want?

Yet, the story continues. One of the men came back to Jesus, fell at his feet, worshiped Him and thanked Him. Only one. And Jesus says something really odd. After pointing out that the other nine men had not returned to thank Him, He tells the man that his faith has made him well. What faith? He obeyed Jesus. He thanked Him and worshiped Him, but I didn't see any blatant acts of faith. 

That's when I realized that thanksgiving and worshp are faith. They can't exist without faith. In fact, they are the deepest expression of faith. The man understood who Jesus was and what He had done for Him. And he expressed that by thanking Him, by worshiping Jesus. If the man hadn't believed Jesus was the one who healed him, if he hadn't believed Jesus was God, he wouldn't have bothered to return and express his faith by bowing at his feet.

What happened to the other nine men? Scripture doesn't tell us. But I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, they got leprosy again. Not because Jesus didn't want them to be healed or He wasn't powerful enough to heal them, but because they had no faith.

Do you sometimes feel like your faith is weak? Is your mind often flooded with doubts? Have you been asking God for something for a long time and it just never seems to happen? Me too! It's normal. It's part of the Christian walk.  We all struggle in this way. But, I'm here to tell you from my own first hand experience, that if you maintain a constant attitude of thankfulness, if you spend more time during your day thanking God than asking Him for something, not only will your faith grow, but start to see different ways God is working in your life and in your cirumstances!

Practice thankfullness. As you walk through your day, talk to God. Thank Him for the sunshine or the rain. Thank Him for the flowers, the cool breeze, good food, a phone call from a friend, a compliment someone pays you...whatever is good in your life, thank Him for it.  It pleases Him greatly and it will change your entire outlook!

Win a free book and recommended Reading: WolfsBane by Ronie Kendig

And the winner is:!!!!!  Julian Kent!!!! Thanks to all who entered!! Now run, don't walk to your nearest book store and pick up a copy of this book. You won't be disappointed!

As you know, I don't advertise a lot of books on my blog. I want to be true to my readers and only talk about the books that I recommend. Wolfsbane is one of them.  I'll set forth an initial warning. This book is Romantic Military Suspense, so if you're looking for a light, fluffy read, this isn't it!  All I can say is, I was riveted to every page. The characters Dani and Canyon are both so real, so incredibly wounded by tragic circumstances, that you will pull your hair out, hoping and praying that God heals them and they get together. Put them in the middle of intrigue, betrayal, secret missions to Venezuela, really evil dudes vying for power and money, and a special ops team that we've all come to love through Ronie's other books, and you have an exciting, edge of your seat, stay up all night, story! Ronie not only knows her military jargon, she's also a master of intrigue and romance!
So, leave a comment and tell me why you must have this book and I'll draw a name on Sept 16th to win a free copy!


A female demolitions who unwittingly holds a lethal secret. . .


A former Green Beret grappling with terrifying memories of a mission gone bad. . .

And the jungle that threatens to swallow them whole.

In Venezuela, Danielle Roark and her Army Corps of Engineers team is captured. After six months of captivity, Dani escapes, only to end up charged with espionage and forced to return to the jungle to prove that a nuclear facility exists. On the mission, she is abandoned by God and country. Will she live long enough to make those responsible pay? Haunted by memories of a mission gone bad, former Green Beret Canyon Metcalfe wrestles with his developing feelings for the feisty senator’s daughter. Setting aside his misgivings, he and Nightshade take the mission to help Dani unravel her lethal secrets. Separated from the team leaves Dani and Canyon vulnerable—and captured. After he is rescued, Canyon discovers Dani has been left behind. Livid, he sacrifices everything—including his role with Nightshade—to find Dani. Can Dani and Canyon fight the nightmare armed with only forgiveness and raw courage? Or will they lose their lives, minds, and each other?

READ AN EXCERPT OF WOLFSBANE NOW!

Endorsements

The author’s military background shines through in vivid detail…Kendig pulls out all the stops with page-turning action, adventure and danger. Book three in the Discarded Heroes series can pretty much stand alone. ~~Romantic Times (Chandra McNeil)

Ronie Kendig serves up a mix of machinegun-fast action, touching romance, and more twists than a coil of a detonator wire. Get a good grip on the edge of your seat before you start reading! ~Rick Acker, author of When the Devil Whistles and Dead Man’s Rule

Non-stop, fast-paced, machine gun type action that will leave you exhausted--and yearning for more. Don't even try to put the book down because you'll find yourself drawn right back, unable to do or think about anything else until you reach the end. Kendig has created realistic, imperfect characters to cheer for and cry with as they struggle to find God and do the right thing. A definite keeper for your read-again shelf." ~Lynette Eason - best-selling author of Too Close to Home and Don't Look Back

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING:


In a book loaded with action, great characters, and high emotion, there are some beautiful reminders of God. From His plans for an individual’s life to His amazing forgiveness, there are several gentle reminders of God’s presence in the midst of the storm.

This series has excelled in reminding the reader of many fundamental spiritual truths while providing hours of fast-paced entertainment. Most of all it has highlighted the soldiers who have left the battlefield, but are still haunted by the war. For those that can handle emotion, passion, and raw intensity, this is a fantastic series and one I highly recommend. ~~Melissa Willis The Christian Manifesto

**********

This is the most amazing book I have read in a long time. It has a high intensity, quick moving plot that doesn’t sacrifice depth of character. Descriptive settings cause the reader to feel like they are living the adventure alongside the characters. The characters, though unique, feel true to life and experience struggles and sins that aren’t solved in the blink of an eye.

Just when you think she’s packed everything into the plot, Ronie Kendig adds another layer. This book is worthy of 5+ stars. It has just the right balance of adventure, suspense, and romance.

If you only read one book this year, this is the one I recommend. ~~Kristen Lowery Read Great Fiction

********
Every second of this book took me on a journey. From the rain-soaked jungles to the courtroom to crazy dangerous secret missions to almost as dangerous family get togethers, each step of Dani and Canyon''s is a challenge that you get to experience with them. The best thing about Wolfsbane are these "real" characters who make real-life mistakes. Sure, most of us aren''t a part of a covert ops team but we are exposed to some of the same difficult choices and crossroads on our faith walks that Dani and Canyon faced.

Wolfsbane is by far my favorite of the series. I stand in awe of these incredible books and the uber-talented Ronie Kendig. If there are only a few books that you add to your "to-read" list this year make sure one of them is Wolfsbane! You won''t regret it. Trust me. ~~Renee Chaw Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot

ABOUT RONIE  

Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat and married a veteran. Together, she and her husband have four children and three dogs. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, volunteers with the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and mentors new writers. Rapid-Fire Fiction, her brand, is exemplified through her novels Dead Reckoning, a spy thriller, and the military thriller series, The Discarded Heroes, which includes Nightshade (Retailer’s Choice Award Finalist), Digitalis, Wolfsbane, and Firethorn (January 2012). Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com or www.discardedheroes.com