Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife: Meet Kathryn Bonner

Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife: He Speaks, Can You Hear Him? by Kathryn Bonner (Tate Publishing)

If you could hear God whispering, what would it sound like? Are you able to recognize His voice?

In Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife: He Speaks…Can you hear Him? author Kathryn Bonner shares her true confessions, revealing her teenage pregnancy and the many different ways God has spoken into her life, through subtle and profound ways, and even through humorous means, shedding light on the unique voice of God! Anyone from the outside looking in would think Kathryn’s “charmed life” had always been just that. As you read this page turner of confessions, you will discover that has not always been the case. Discover how to take steps with God, believing Him to guide and direct you, even when you don’t know where He’s taking you! Are you ready to hear Him speak into your life? Kathryn’s prayer for you is to know how God reveals Himself to you. You will learn to hear Him, and recognize His voice after reading Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife: He Speaks…Can You Hear Him?

“Kathryn’s zest for life and love for God jumps off of every page! This intimate personal story is like sharing a conversation with a girlfriend. Curl up in a favorite chair and be ready to laugh, listen and learn from this Sister in Christ.” Mary M. MacGregor; Women’s Ministries Consultant and Director of Leadership Development for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

Kathryn Bonner has a God-given passion for you to experience your life from this point forward with new ears to hear!

Kathryn, when and how did you first get the inspiration to write Confessions Of A Pastor’s Wife?

I write about this in the intro of the book. It was literally like a burning bush moment for me. In 2004 God gave me all of the chapter titles all at once. He was literally speaking this book into me!  I never expected it!  It’s one of the reasons the subtitle is “He Speaks, Can You Hear Him?” I literally ran into my office and grabbed my prayer journal and began writing all of the chapter titles down as fast as He was delivering them to me. They came in perfect speed – it was overwhelming and awesome!  I stood there in amazement staring at each chapter title – knowing what would be in every single chapter!  Of course, immediately thereafter began to have all of the feelings of being unable, unworthy, and unqualified to do this work. But it was God who gave it to me and He who made the way for it to be completed.

What was the  process of writing this book work? Was this an all-at-once kind of epiphany or did this take years in the making, collecting thoughts and ultimately putting them together?

I mentioned before how God gave me the book to write in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2006 that I really began to write it. He had to build my faith further, nudging me along. One of the ways in which He continued the prompting was that He provided me with a life coach to hold me accountable, to push me. Then once I finally surrendered all of the self-doubt, unworthiness and fears I began standing it this beautiful place of faith, with His power. He gave me a joy around it and then I began to write. It was like opening up a vein, it just began to flow. There were times when I couldn’t pull myself away from the writing, that’s when the writing is great!  That’s when you feel the power of God, the Holy Spirit moving through you, Him speaking. That’s the gift He gives me in it. I am so thankful for this gift. It’s all from Him, all of it. I love it.

In one of the chapters in your book titled “Discovering God” you say that there are “moments when God speaks to you through your dreams”; does God still speak to you in your dreams?

Oh yes, He sure does, and I hope He never stops!  He also speaks to my husband in dreams. Dreams seem to be one of the ways He has revealed major transactions that are headed our way.  He speaks profoundly to me through the dreams. It’s not every day, but when it happens it’s intense.  In the book I write about some of the dreams He has given me that have come to pass. He’s also done so with Bruce.

You talk about the many ways in which God speaks to us, do you hear His voice as an audible voice or is it an inner sensing voice?  Also can you share a few ways in which God speaks and reveals Himself to us, while backing this up through Scripture?

I don’t hear Him in an audible voice, it’s an inner voice that I hear Him, and I hear Him through His Word. Some Biblical references in which God speaks to us are:  Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” ACTS 9:15: “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.’” 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The book frequently takes a humorous approach; I found the chapter titled “The Bug Truck” to be deep and absolutely hilarious all at the same time. It has a kind of an intimate “ya ya sisters” kind of thing? Do you think of your book as something that will appeal more to women than to men? Why or why not?

Women love it, and they laugh as they fly through the pages and then they cry as they land on the very next sentence. It’s been very soul stirring. You know, at first I thought that it would have an appeal mainly to women; however, I am getting incredible feedback and actual responses from men. Men are really able to relate to this book on numerous levels. They have shared how parts of it have essentially moved them emotionally as well. This book is about marriage, talks about becoming a blended family, and talks a lot about Bruce and his approach to our marriage, speaks to raising our children, financial concerns, and being a supportive partnership in marriage. So it has been speaking volumes to men, which I am glad to hear… God is good.

How did your husband Bruce support your efforts with the book?

Bruce was totally supportive. He was an encourager to me. He prayed for me, he knew that this was something new for me and he enjoyed the process along with me. I think he was rather fascinated with the way that God had spoken this book into me.

Was he at all curious of just how much “confessing” appears in the book?

I’m sure he was a bit, but interestingly enough he wasn’t asking to read it, he wasn’t asking me what I was writing. I found that interesting, because if it were him writing a book, I know that my curiosity would get to me, I’d want to read each page as it was written. He didn’t do that at all. He just watched me as I wrote, sat back and smiled at it all.

What do you think is the essence of what you felt compelled to say?

Oh wow, that feels like a loaded question! There are so many things regarding faith, family, how God moves and so much more. I think the two main things that I want people to recognize is how God uses each of us, and the other thing would be the most beautiful and profound ways He speaks to us. He uses you to speak into my life, into my heart, to hear Him. This book is a portion of my life story, (not all of it certainly and there are more books to come). In this non-fiction faith story, you will find pieces of your very own faith story as you turn the pages, you will hear the quiet whispers being spoken lovingly straight into your very own ears. God has a way of speaking; He has a desire to be heard, and to be trusted by us. He has such wonderful and glorious things to reveal to us, not only through His powerful Word, but also through all of His people.

I am compelled by God to share the ways in which HE SPEAKS to us, all of the many and wondrous ways… through Dreams, through Wise Counsel, through the Stillness of Meditation Alone in our Closets, through The Whisper of the Wind, through a Bumper Sticker, through Children, through the Clouds, and in so many other ways!  None of them are farfetched at all!  I want it to be known how the Holy Spirit works, in the holy and mysterious ways. He wants us to hear Him so He uses the multifaceted ways to grab us, ways that He knows we will hear. The Bible reveals to all of us many of the ways He speaks. Through Clouds, through Donkeys, through Burning bushes and the list goes on and on. Our lives are a walk of faith, struggle, joy, and more struggles and more faith, but we are never alone, never without El Roi – Our God who sees us.

How has the book been received so far by those who have read it?

It’s been really cool for me. My sister called after she read it and said “Wow, I’m so surprised, pleasantly surprised!”  She didn’t realize the writing ability that I had; I laughed and said that I had no idea either. My mom and dad love it, and of course they would. My mother-in-law raves about it and says I should be on Oprah, which makes me laugh. Bruce loves it, of course. My kids adore it; my sons-in-law enjoy it and are proud of me, Of course each of my family members would respond that way. What has been wonderful to see though is all the reader responses on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, all give it 5 Star ratings, even men have made comments on it. The other blessings are the emails and calls and notes that I have received telling me how the book has moved them, how it’s spoken to them, increased their faith walk, made sense in areas of their lives where they needed that exact Word from God. Others, tell me that there are so many places that they can relate, and still others tell me that they feel like they know me better, and understand the way that God Speaks because of it. This is the essence of the book, and speaks directly to the subtitle “HE SPEAKS CAN YOU HEAR HIM?”

What, in your opinion, will readers find most surprising about the life of a pastor’s wife?

That we are just as human as they are, we make mistakes. I will make more mistakes, certainly not intentionally, just because I am human. I am very honest and candid in sharing my truth, my life, and my confessions of when and how I have messed up, done things the wrong way and what I’ve learned from it. I think that they can have certain expectations of who we are as a “Pastor’s Wife” or who we should be, that in reality we just aren’t. And yet, they may also find that to be refreshing. I am a leader among women, and enjoy that role, and I am a woman who loves the Lord with every inch of myself and want so badly for the world to love Him as much as I do. I hope that they find me to be normal, very real, and see that I am trying to walk out my faith the best I can. They may be surprised to note that in my daily living I am a bit ditsy, (OK, maybe that won’t really be surprising!

What are your plans for the future in the publishing world? Think you have any more books in you?

Oh yes, there are at least four more to come. I have also written a Bible Study Companion to this book, it’s in the first stages of completion. I have written a guided Biblical Meditation titled “In The Potters Hand” which is derived from Jeremiah 18:1-5, and it is beautiful, and profound and straight from God. It can be found on www.AwakeningsLifeCoaching.com. I am also in the beginning stages of the second book now. This is truly a calling the Lord has placed right in the middle of my heart.

What else does God have you doing these days Kathryn, and how can our readers connect with you?

I am in the process of writing more books, and just finished the Bible Study Companion to this book. I am a Life Purpose Coach, and I do two day 1-1 individual retreats facilitating Life Plans for women, the part I love is which is an amazing thing to witness, is when a women discovers her purpose and passion. My husband also does Life Plans for men. We do couples’ Life Plans as well. I am an instructor through LPCCI for those who are interested in becoming a Life Coach. I am an international speaker and enjoy traveling to the various parts of the world encouraging and sharing the wonders of God!  My websites are www.AwakeningsLifeCoaching.com (based on Isaiah 50:5 “He awakens me morning by morning…) and www.KathrynBonner.com. I am putting together a Writers Retreat in September for Christian Women. They can register for this retreat and find out more about this opportunity by going to my website www.WomenOfPassionatePurpose.com.

About the Author

Gifted, Gracious, Genuine, Insightful, Good-humored and Petite. These words make it possible for you to have a bit of insight to Kathryn. Her depth, and her love for life, laughter and the Lord and her size! She has a passion for God’s word. Kathryn has a way of finding the humor and the lighter side of things that will cause you to giggle and laugh out loud in one moment and ponder deeply the things of God and the application of the Word to your life in the next moment. Her radiant touch combined with her knowledge of the Word makes Kathryn unique. You will enjoy your time immensely with her and will discover new insights, new truths, and new ways of “doing” life.

Kathryn is married to a pastor, and loves being in ministry with her husband Bruce. They are empty nesters and enjoying life at this stage of the game. Kathryn shares who she is openly, including the fact that she has had teenage pregnancy. She wants everyone to know that though each of us have a past, we can stand free, completely free in the saving grace of Christ. God has been able to take her mess and use it for a message of hope and healing. She has a love for God’s healing power and wants each of you to know that as well.

Kathryn is an author, a speaker and a Life Purpose Coach. She knows the power of breaking through the fears and stepping fully into your faith by the gift of coaching.

Kathryn has been married to Bruce, the love of her life since 1989, truly a gift from God. They have two wonderful daughters, Tabitha and Kellie Ann, and two wonderful sons-in-law Gerald and Chase.

Master of historical spy fiction: Alan Furst: THE SPIES OF WARSAW

An autumn evening in 1937. A German engineer arrives at the Warsaw railway station. Tonight, he will be with his Polish mistress; tomorrow, at a workers’ bar in the city’s factory district, he will meet with the military attaché from the French embassy. Information will be exchanged for money. So begins The Spies of Warsaw, the brilliant new novel by Alan Furst, lauded by The New York Times as “America’s preeminent spy novelist.”

War is coming to Europe. French and German intelligence operatives are locked in a life-and-death struggle on the espionage battlefield. At the French embassy, the new military attaché, Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, a decorated hero of the 1914 war, is drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal, and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. At the same time, the handsome aristocrat finds himself in a passionate love affair with a Parisianwoman of P olish heritage, a lawyer for the League of Nations.

Colonel Mercier must work in the shadows, amid an extraordinary cast of venal and dangerous characters–Colonel Anton Vyborg of Polish military intelligence; the mysterious and sophisticated Dr. Lapp, senior German Abwehr officer in Warsaw; Malka and Viktor Rozen, at work for the Russian secret service; and Mercier’s brutal and vindictive opponent, Major August Voss of SS counterintelligence. And there are many more, some known to Mercier as spies, some never to be revealed.

Alan Furst is widely recognized as the master of the historical spy novel. Now translated into seventeen languages, he is the bestselling author of Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, The World at Night, Red Gold, Kingdom of Shadows, Blood of Victory, Dark Voyage, and The Foreign Correspondent. Born in New York, he now lives in Paris and on Long Island. You can visit his website at www.alanfurst.net.

HOTEL EUROPEJSKI

In the dying light of an autumn day in 1937, a certain Herr Edvard Uhl, a secret agent, descended from a first-class railway carriage in the city of Warsaw. Above the city, the sky was at war; the last of the sun struck blood-red embers off massed black cloud, while the clear horizon to the west was the color of blue ice. Herr Uhl suppressed a shiver; the sharp air of the evening, he told himself. But this was Poland, the border of the Russian steppe, and what had reached him was well beyond the chill of an October twilight.

A taxi waited on Jerozolimskie street, in front of the station. The driver, an old man with a seamed face, sat patiently, knotted hands at rest on the steering wheel. “Hotel Europejski,” Uhl told the driver. He wanted to add, and be quick about it, but the words would have been in German, and it was not so good to speak German in this city. Germany had absorbed the western part of Poland in 1795-Russia ruled the east, Austria-Hungary the southwest corner-for a hundred and twenty-three years, a period the Poles called “the Partition,” a time of national conspiracy and defeated insurrection, leaving ample bad blood on all sides. With the rebirth of Poland in 1918, the new borders left a million Germans in Poland and two million Poles in Germany, which guaranteed that the bad blood would stay bad. So, for a German visiting Warsaw, a current of silent hostility, closed faces, small slights: we don’t want you here.

Nonetheless, Edvard Uhl had looked forward to this trip for weeks. In his late forties, he combed what remained of his hair in strands across his scalp and cultivated a heavy dark mustache, meant to deflect attention from a prominent bulbous nose, the bulb divided at the tip. A feature one saw in Poland, often enough. So, an ordinary- looking man, who led a rather ordinary life, a more-than-decent life, in the small city of Breslau: a wife and three children, a good job- as a senior engineer at an ironworks and foundry, a subcontractor to the giant Rheinmetall firm in Düsseldorf-a few friends, memberships in a church and a singing society. Oh, maybe the political situation- that wretched Hitler and his wretched Nazis strutting about-could have been better, but one abided, lived quietly, kept one’s opinions to oneself; it wasn’t so difficult. And the paycheck came every week. What more could a man want?

Instinctively, his hand made sure of the leather satchel on the seat by his side. A tiny stab of regret touched his heart. Foolish, Edvard, truly it is. For the satchel, a gift from his first contact at the French embassy in Warsaw, had a false bottom, beneath which lay a sheaf of engineering diagrams. Well, he thought, one did what one had to do, so life went. No, one did what one had to do in order to do what one wanted to do-so life really went. He wasn’t supposed to be in Warsaw; he was supposed, by his family and his employer, to be in Gleiwitz-just on the German side of the frontier dividing German Lower Silesia from Polish Upper Silesia-where his firm employed a large metal shop for the work that exceeded their capacity in Breslau. With the Reich rearming, they could not keep up with the orders that flowed from the Wehrmacht. The Gleiwitz works functioned well enough, but that wasn’t what Uhl told his bosses. “A bunch of lazy idiots down there,” he said, with a grim shake of the head, and found it necessary to take the train down to Gleiwitz once a month to straighten things out.

And he did go to Gleiwitz-that pest from Breslau, back again!-but he didn’t stay there. When he was done bothering the local management he took the train up to Warsaw where, in a manner of speaking, one very particular thing got straightened out. For Uhl, a blissful night of lovemaking, followed by a brief meeting at dawn, a secret meeting, then back to Breslau, back to Frau Uhl and his more-than-decent life. Refreshed. Reborn. Too much, that word? No. Just right.

Uhl glanced at his watch. Drive faster, you peasant! This is an automobile, not a plow. The taxi crawled along Nowy Swiat, the grand avenue of Warsaw, deserted at this hour-the Poles went home for dinner at four. As the taxi passed a church, the driver slowed for a moment, then lifted his cap. It was not especially reverent, Uhl thought, simply something the man did every time he passed a church.

At last, the imposing Hotel Europejski, with its giant of a doorman in visored cap and uniform worthy of a Napoleonic marshal. Uhl handed the driver his fare-he kept a reserve of Polish zloty in his desk at the office-and added a small, proper gratuity, then said “Dankeschön.” It didn’t matter now, he was where he wanted to be. In the room, he hung up his suit, shirt, and tie, laid out fresh socks and underwear on the bed, and went into the bathroom to have a thorough wash. He had just enough time; the Countess Sczelenska would arrive in thirty minutes. Or, rather, that was the time set for the rendezvous; she would of course be late, would make him wait for her, let him think, let him anticipate, let him steam.

And was she a countess? A real Polish countess? Probably not, he thought. But so she called herself, and she was, to him, like a countess: imperious, haughty, and demanding. Oh how this provoked him, as the evening lengthened and they drank champagne, as her mood slid, subtly, from courteous disdain to sly submission, then on to breathless urgency. It was the same always, their private melodrama, with an ending that never changed. Uhl the stallion-despite the image in the mirrored armoire, a middle-aged gentleman with thin legs and potbelly and pale chest home to a few wisps of hair-demonstrably excited as he knelt on the hotel carpet, while the countess, looking down at him over her shoulder, eyebrows raised in mock surprise, deigned to let him roll her silk underpants down her great, saucy, fat bottom. Noblesse oblige. You may have your little pleasure, she seemed to say, if you are so inspired by what the noble Sczelenska bloodline has wrought. Uhl would embrace her middle and honor the noble heritage with tender kisses. In time very effective, such honor, and she would raise him up, eager for what came next.

He’d met her a year and a half earlier, in Breslau, at a Weinstube where the office employees of the foundry would stop for a little something after work. The Weinstube had a small terrace in back, three tables and a vine, and there she sat, alone at one of the tables on the deserted terrace: morose and preoccupied. He’d sat at the next table, found her attractive-not young, not old, on the buxom side, with brassy hair pinned up high and an appealing face-and said good evening. And why so glum, on such a pleasant night?

She’d come down from Warsaw, she explained, to see her sister, a family crisis, a catastrophe. The family had owned, for several generations, a small but profitable lumber mill in the forest along the eastern border. But they had suffered financial reverses, and then the storage sheds had been burned down by a Ukrainian nationalist gang, and they’d had to borrow money from a Jewish speculator. But the problems wouldn’t stop, they could not repay the loans, and now that dreadful man had gone to court and taken the mill. Just like them, wasn’t it.

After a few minutes, Uhl moved to her table. Well, that was life for you, he’d said. Fate turned evil, often for those who least deserved it. But, don’t feel so bad, luck had gone wrong, but it could go right, it always did, given time. Ah but he was sympathique, she’d said, an aristocratic reflex to use the French word in the midst of her fluent German. They went on for a while, back and forth. Perhaps some day, she’d said, if he should find himself in Warsaw, he might telephone; there was the loveliest café near her apartment. Perhaps he would, yes, business took him to Warsaw now and again; he guessed he might be there soon. Now, would she permit him to order another glass of wine? Later, she took his hand beneath the table and he was, by the time they parted, on fire.

Ten days later, from a public telephone at the Breslau railway station, he’d called her. He planned to be in Warsaw next week, at the Europejski, would she care to join him for dinner? Why yes, yes she would. Her tone of voice, on the other end of the line, told him all he needed to know, and by the following Wednesday-those idiots in Gleiwitz had done it again!-he was on his way to Warsaw. At dinner, champagne and langoustines, he suggested that they go on to a nightclub after dessert, but first he wanted to visit the room, to change his tie.

And so, after the cream cake, up they went.

For two subsequent, monthly, visits, all was paradise, but, it turned out, she was the unluckiest of countesses. In his room at the hotel, brassy hair tumbled on the pillow, she told him of her latest misfortune. Now it was her landlord, a hulking beast who leered at her, made chk-chk noises with his mouth when she climbed the stairs, who’d told her that she had to leave, his latest girlfriend to be installed in her place. Unless . . . Her misty eyes told him the rest.

Never! Where Uhl had just been, this swine would not go! He stroked her shoulder, damp from recent exertions, and said, “Now, now, my dearest, calm yourself.” She would just have to find another apartment. Well, in fact she’d already done that, found one even nicer than the one she had now, and very private, owned by a man in Cracow, so nobody would be watching her if, for example, her sweet Edvard wanted to come for a visit. But the rent was two hundred zloty more than she paid now. And she didn’t have it.

A hundred reichsmark, he thought. “Perhaps I can help,” he said. And he could, but not for long. Two months, maybe three-beyond that, there really weren’t any corners he could cut. He tried to save a little, but almost all of his salary went to support his family. Still, he couldn’t get the “hulking beast” out of his mind. Chk-chk.

The blow fell a month later, the man in Cracow had to raise the rent. What would she do? What was she to do? She would have to stay with relatives or be out in the street. Now Uhl had no answers. But the countess did. She had a cousin who was seeing a Frenchman, an army officer who worked at the French embassy, a cheerful, generous fellow who, she said, sometimes hired “industrial experts.” Was her sweet Edvard not an engineer? Perhaps he ought to meet this man and see what he had to offer. Otherwise, the only hope for the poor countess was to go and stay with her aunt.

And where was the aunt?

Chicago.

Now Uhl wasn’t stupid. Or, as he put it to himself, not that stupid. He had a strong suspicion about what was going on. But-and here he surprised himself-he didn’t care. The fish saw the worm and wondered if maybe there might just be a hook in there, but, what a delicious worm! Look at it, the most succulent and tasty worm he’d ever seen; never would there be such a worm again, not in this ocean. So . . .

He first telephoned-to, apparently, a private apartment, because a maid answered in Polish, then switched to German. And, twenty minutes later, Uhl called again and a meeting was arranged. In an hour. At a bar in the Praga district, the workers’ quarter across the Vistula from the elegant part of Warsaw. And the Frenchman was, as promised, as cheerful as could be. Likely Alsatian, from the way he spoke German, he was short and tubby, with a soft face that glowed with self-esteem and a certain tilt to the chin and tension in the upper lip that suggested an imminent sneer, while a dapper little mustache did nothing to soften the effect. He was, of course, not in uniform, but wore an expensive sweater and a blue blazer with brass buttons down the front.

“Henri,” he called himself and, yes, he did sometimes employ “industrial experts.” His job called for him to stay abreast of developments in particular areas of German industry, and he would pay well for drawings or schematics, any specifications relating to, say, armament or armour. How well? Oh, perhaps five hundred reichsmark a month, for the right papers. Or, if Uhl preferred, a thousand zloty, or two hundred American dollars-some of his experts liked having dollars. The money to be paid in cash or deposited in any bank account, in any name, that Uhl might suggest.

The word spy was never used, and Henri was very casual about the whole business. Very common, such transactions, his German counterparts did the same thing; everybody wanted to know what was what, on the other side of the border. And, he should add, nobody got caught, as long as they were discreet. What was done privately stayed private. These days, he said, in such chaotic times, smart people understood that their first loyalty was to themselves and their families. The world of governments and shifty diplomats could go to hell, if it wished, but Uhl was obviously a man who was shrewd enough to take care of his own future. And, if he ever found the arrangement uncomfortable, well, that was that. So, think it over, there’s no hurry, get back in touch, or just forget you ever met me.

And the countess? Was she, perhaps, also an, umm, “expert”?

From Henri, a sophisticated laugh. “My dear fellow! Please! That sort of thing, well, maybe in the movies.”

So, at least the worm wasn’t in on it.

Back at the Europejski-a visit to the new apartment lay still in the future-the countess exceeded herself. Led him to a delight or two that Uhl knew about but had never experienced; her turn to kneel on the carpet. Rapture. Another glass of champagne and further novelty. In time he fell back on the pillow and gazed up at the ceiling, elated and sore. And brave as a lion. He was a shrewd fellow-a single exchange with Henri, and that thousand zloty would see the countess through her difficulties for the next few months. But life never went quite as planned, did it, because Henri, not nearly so cheerful as the first time they’d met, insisted, really did insist, that the arrangement continue.

And then, in August, instead of Henri, a tall Frenchman called André, quiet and reserved, and much less pleased with himself, and the work he did, than Henri. Wounded, Uhl guessed, in the Great War, he leaned on a fine ebony stick, with a silver wolf’s head for a grip.

From the Hardcover edition.
Excerpted from The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst Copyright © 2008 by Alan Furst. Excerpted by permission of Random House Trade Paperbacks, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

BOOK DRAWING!

A name will be drawn from all those who comment below to win a copy of Alan’s novel.

W

Turning pain into praise: How to be whole in Christ

“12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise: Biblical Steps to Wholeness in Christ”
Blog Tour

Opening: I’m delighted to be here with you sharing about something that puts wind in my sails—helping people heal from emotional pain and lead empowered lives.

What a timely book, 12 WAYS TO TURN YOUR PAIN INTO PRAISE: BIBLICAL STEPS TO WHOLENESS IN CHRIST!  With our current economic and political climate we certainly need steps to turn our pain into praise.

I agree. I find that the same tools that help us deal with our damaged past can guide us through an insecure future. I wrote this book to help people who feel “stuck” because of the dysfunction, divorce, depression, abuse, grief and guilt in their lives, but I am walking through these same principals each day in my counseling office with folks who are dealing with the difficulties of job loss, anxiety, and marriage issues in a struggling economy.

You’re a counselor and an abuse survivor. Will you tell us a little of your story?
I grew up in the deep South and I wish I could say we spent happy hours saying,  “Yes Ma’am” and “No Sir” and “Good Night, John-Boy.” But nothing could be further from the truth.  In reality, I was ten years old before I realized that God’s last name wasn’t damn!  My Daddy took off when I was five, and raising four kids alone brought out the worst in my mother. She became abusive with a bust-your-lip, black-your-eye kind of punishment–the kind of pain that stings your face for a while but sears your soul for a lifetime.

The neighbor-lady from across the street took me to church, I found Christ and He changed my life. That church helped me get to Christian college. On my quest for my own healing, I became a Christian counselor and have had the privilege of working with God’s precious people for the past seventeen years in my office at a growing church in California.

You talk about one of those people, Donnetta Jean, as she moves through the steps to get the healing that she needs. Is she a real person?

Donnetta represents the many damaged people in today’s postmodern culture—distanced by pain from the God they desperately need.

When I read a self-help book, I love to see personal examples of the tools presented, but I find myself wondering how the person in the example turns out. In 12 Ways you get to walk through the process from start to finish as you see the healing of Donnetta Jean unfold. Then you know the path for your own healing.

You started each chapter with a word that starts with the letter “P.” That had to take some work.

Each chapter is one of the steps, and I did that to make them easy to remember. I’m at the stage of life when I stop and think and forget to start up again! Alliteration helps things stick in my head.

My first “P” is Perspective.  Chapter 3 and 4 include Prayer and the Power we find in God’s Word. They are pivotal parts of recovery, to be sure, but until we adjust our perspective to see what’s good in life, we can’t reap the benefit of prayer and scripture reading. Before I shifted my perspective, God could have parked a burning bush by my front door to convince me of His love, and I would have stamped out the fire and complained about the inconvenience!  It took a long time for me to train myself to see the cup half full instead of always seeing it half empty.  But without that fundamental change, it wouldn’t matter how much God intervened in my life to bring good, I wouldn’t see it as such.

Can you share the rest of your chapter titles?
1. Predicament: Donnetta Jean Jones
2. Perspective: Honey Let Me Tell Ya
3. Power: I Got a Rock (Which tells us what the Bible says about us.)
4. Prayer: Present In His Presence
5. People: We’re In This Together
6. Patience: Locust Lunch
7. Plan:  Jesus In the Rearview Mirror
8. Pardon: The Healing Power of Forgiveness
9. Provision: Jettisoning Emotional Baggage
10. Priorities:  Making the Main Thing the Main Thing
11. Passion:  Warts and All
12. Purpose: The Real Thing
Epilogue–Praise: Chocolate Chip Muffins.

This book can serve as a workbook for the reader as well, right?
Yes, at the end of each chapter, I’ve included an exercise titled, “Truster Reconstructer” to help the reader pause, ponder and personalize each step. I told you I like alliteration! If you complete the exercises in this book you will have the equivalent of 12 sessions of therapy. At the national average of $80 an hour, the price of one book is quite deal! But don’t stop with just one book. 12 Ways works as a powerful small group study. Each chapter presents an obstacle to faith and the scriptural solutions for that obstacle. Women have shared with me they feel like it is equivalent to 12 weeks of applicable Bible study.

In your chapter on People, your mentioned the importance of confidence only you didn’t call it self-esteem. You called it “Jesus-teem.” What does that look like?
We have heard enough over the past few years about self-esteem, but Scripture tells us that when we embrace the Lord’s view of ourselves, we’re free to be comfortable in our own skin. God’s view of us is revealed in his Word and through the compliments of others. In chapter 3 about the Power we find in the Bible, I have included a page full of verses with the personal pronouns left out and a blank space provided for you to write in your name. That way you can take ownership of each verse, let it soak into your soul, and change the way you feel about yourself.  When we can fully get our heads around how God feels about us, it changes the way we feel about ourselves. That’s Jesus-teem!

You mentioned compliments defining us. Can you explain that?

My old pastor used to say that compliments are bouquets thrown from the hand of God.
When we don’t take the compliments given to us, it’s as though we are ripping the heads off the flowers God has given us, throwing them to the ground, and stomping them. Compliments are God’s way of telling us who we are.  When we receive them it builds our confidence in the qualities and gifts He’s given us. But when we don’t, we remain static and self-critical.

I took those words to heart and stopped dismissing compliments some twenty years ago.  In that time God has had the opportunity to remake my self-image.  Before that I had to climb a ladder to look an ant in the eye!

“Jesus in the Rearview Mirror,” now there’s a title. Tell us about that chapter.
God has a plan for us, but many times the view we have of what is happening around us as we cruise through life is often challenging, even frightening. From our viewpoint, looking through the windshield, we only see calamity, but all the while God is working. Later, when we look back over our lives, as we peer into the rearview mirror, we are able to see the Plan that God was working out all along.  Recognizing God’s plan builds our faith.

In your chapter on Pardon you share about the healing power of forgiveness.  It’s not always easy to forgive someone who has caused us pain. Was that difficult for you?
It was one of the hardest things I had to do. That’s why I walk through the process with you. We learn that forgiveness doesn’t make the offender right; it just makes us free.  We also see that forgive and forget is not a biblical concept. Instead it’s forgive and set boundaries.

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves, and many times we find that we have to forgive God because He didn’t do things the way we thought He should.

You present a powerful prayer exercise to help people unpack their emotional baggage in the chapter on Provision. What can you tell us about that?

Years ago a wonderful Christian counselor taught me this life-changing prayer exercise to help me dump the anger, hurt and resentment of my abuse. Until that point, I thought I would have to bear the burden of my painful childhood forever. But I walked out of her office that day a new person. I have had the privilege of sharing this gift many times in my office and now, I am sharing it for all to read. It’s enough that abuse victims have experienced pain, we don’t have to keep reliving it. We can be set free, thank God!

You tell Donetta’s story of healing and your own story in a way that keeps us turning the pages to see what’s going to happen next. Have you always been a storyteller?
I’ve always loved stories especially ones I can relate to. I recently published two stories in Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover’s Soul and one in Chicken Soul for the Tea Lover’s Soul and now What I Leaned From My Dog, due out in October 2009. I believe everybody has a story—a string of stories that make up life. In fact one of the steps in my book to turn pain into praise is to write down those moments in your life when God shows up—the stories of his faithfulness.  I call them “Monumental Moments.” After writing down my monumental moments for years, I filled a book with stories that was recently published by Warner Press.

My book of stories, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God is a devotional that starts each day with a scripture from Proverbs and a short relevant story to illustrate that verse. In it, I share more of how God miraculously intervened in my life to turn Tennessee trailer trash into a fully loved follower of Christ!  It’s currently available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com or on my website LindaNewtonSpeaks.com.

The pain in your life hasn’t hindered your sense of humor, has it?
I hope not! My goal for all the books I write is for the reader to laugh, learn, and leave each page feeling closer to the Lord.

Are you working another book?
Yes. My working title is You Can Fix Stupid: Seven Savvy Choices for Mind, Body and Soul. I deal with people everyday who are in terrible situations that were preventable. I want to give folks information to make better choices and avoid being “stupid.” I am working on a blog on my website that addresses these issues.

What else is on your agenda?
I love speaking and since my books have come out, God has opened doors for me to share with groups all over the world. Folks in today’s busy culture like to have teaching material accessible to play in their cars or on their computers. So I am making CD sets available for each of my retreat topics. Each set has 4, forty-minute talks in a handy labeled holder. They are available on my website LindaNewtonSpeaks.com.

Joy for the Journey: Peace For Your Path reviews some of the topics in 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise.
He Delights in You: Rest in His Love helps the listener make the 12-inch drop from the head to the heart to truly understand how crazy God is about His kids—namely the one sitting in your seat!

Communication Drive: The Road to Caring Communication is a series presented at a communication workshop that teaches you how to “talk with the hand” not talk to the hand as often happens when we find ourselves in conflict!
Stress Management for the New Millennium: What to Do When Your Reality Check Bounces to offer tools to help the listener deal with the anxiety, anger and depression that modern culture manufactures. I’ve recently finished a series on how to get the most out of your prayer life. Women’s retreats are my passion and I would love to speak at yours.  You can contact me on my website.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your book?
Since the book’s release last fall I have heard feedback from readers and I can say with confidence that whether you are seeking tools to empower those you are helping or needing the tools to transform yourself, you will walk away from this book spiritually stronger as you learn to:
•    remove your offender’s face from God and stop blaming Him for life’s pain
•    stop renting space in your head to bad memories and offenses
•    relinquish the stinkin’ thinkin’ that causes you to emotionally circle the drain
•    stay constantly connected to Christ with time-tested tools to process your pain
•    realize your full potential as you seek God’s divine purpose for your life.

Closing: Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I hope your readers will visit me online at www.LindaNewtonSpeaks.com. Please remember that God deeply desires to turn your pain into to praise.

About the Author

Speaking God’s heart with warmth, enthusiasm, and stories filled with wisdom and humor, Linda Newton offers new understanding to what it means to be loved by God. Linda is a speaker, counselor, educator, women’s director, and pastor’s wife. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University, Linda and her husband Bruce, began pastoring a church with only thirty-five people in attendance. Now, over a thousand people call Sierra Pines Church home. As a speaker, her passion is to communicate God’s love. As a counselor, her focus is to illuminate God’s hope. As a women’s leader, her goal is to create a compelling program that will connect your group with Christ.

26	Blog Name: Oasis of Grace Host: Nancy Kay Grace
27	Blog Name: Mom 2 Ways Host: Julie Donahue

When Someone You Love Has Cancer

Note from Christa: I wish I would have had this book when my mother died of brain cancer at the age of 58, my father died of lymphoma at the age of 66, my friend Todd of cancer of the esophagus at age 24, Don of a brain tumor at the age of 58…

Cec’s book is not one of those gift books with generic landscape watercolors and unsatisfying platitudes that you give to people when you have no idea what to say or do. His book is beautifully illustrated by Michael Sparks, and it’s honestly and thoughtfully written by Cec to minister to those who need to minister to their loved ones. There’s an appendix with practical tips for the now and the later.

This book will be a blessing to those who need its comfort.

A Word from The Man Behind the Words by Cecil Murphey
When Shirley walked in from the garage, she didn’t have to say a word: I read the diagnosis in her eyes. I grabbed her and held her tightly for several seconds. When I released her, she didn’t cry. The unshed tears glistened, but that was all.

I felt emotionally paralyzed and helpless, and I couldn’t understand my reaction. After all, I was a professional. As a former pastor and volunteer hospital chaplain I had been around many cancer patients. I’d seen people at their lowest and most vulnerable. As a writing instructor, I helped one woman write her cancer-survival book. Shirley and I had been caregivers for Shirley’s older sister for months before she died of colon cancer.

All of that happened before cancer became personal to me–before my wife learned she needed a mastectomy. To make it worse, Shirley was in the high-risk category because most of her blood relatives had died of some form of cancer. Years earlier, she had jokingly said, “In our family we grow things.”

In the days after the diagnosis and before her surgery, I went to a local bookstore and to the public library. I found dozens of accounts, usually by women, about their battle and survival. I pushed aside the novels that ended in a person’s death. A few books contained medical or technical information. I searched on-line and garnered useful information–but I found nothing that spoke to me on how to cope with the possible loss of the person I loved most in this world.

Our story ends happily: Shirley has started her tenth year as a cancer survivor. Not only am I grateful, but I remember my pain and confusion during those days. That concerns me enough to reach out to others who also feel helpless as they watch a loved one face the serious diagnosis of cancer.

That’s why I wrote When Someone You Love Has Cancer. I want to encourage relatives and friends and also to offer practical suggestions as they stay at the side of those they love.

The appendix offers specific things for them to do and not to do–and much of that information came about because of the way people reacted around us.

It’s a terrible situation for anyone to have cancer; it’s a heavy burden for us who deeply love those with cancer.

The World Health Organization reported that by the year 2010 cancer will be the number one killer worldwide. More than 12.4 million people in the world suffer from cancer. 7.6 million people are expected to die from some form of cancer. That’s a lot of people, but the number of loved ones of cancer sufferers is far greater. What do they do when a special person in their life is diagnosed with this devastating disease?

Murphey brings his experiences as a loved one and many years of wisdom gained from being a pastor and hospital chaplain to his newest book When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones (Harvest House Publishers). His honest I’ve-been-there admissions and practical helps are combined with artist Michal Sparks’ soothing watercolor paintings.

Readers of When Someone You Love Has Cancer will receive:

• Inspiration to seek peace and understanding in their loved one’s situation
• Help in learning the importance of active listening
• Guidance in exploring their own feelings of confusion and unrest
• Suggestions on how to handle anxiety and apprehension
• Honest answers to questions dealing with emotions, exhaustion, and helplessness
• Spirit-lifting thoughts for celebrating the gift of life in the midst of troubles

Murphey explains why this is a much-needed book: “Most books about cancer address survivors. I want to speak to the mates, families, and friends who love those with cancer.  I offer a number of simple, practical things people can do for those with cancer.”

Interview Questions 1.    The first sentence of your book reads, “I felt helpless.” Tell us about that feeling. Because her doctor put Shirley into the high-risk category, I felt helpless. To me, helpless means hating the situation, wanting to make it better, but admitting there was nothing I could do for her. 2.     On that same page you also write, “One thing we learned: God was with us and strengthened us through the many weeks of uncertainty and pain.”  How did you get from feeling helpless to that assurance? Shirley and I sat down one day and I put my arm around her. “The only way I know how I can handle this,” I said, “is to talk about it.” Shirley knows that’s my way of working through puzzling issues. “Let’s consider every possibility.” If her surgeon decided she did not have breast cancer, how would we react? We talked of our reaction if he said, “There is a tumor and it’s obviously benign. Finally, I was able to say, with tears in my eyes, “How do we react if he says the cancer is advanced and you have only a short time to live?” By the time we talked answered that question, I was crying. Shirley had tears in her eyes, but remained quite calm. “I’m ready to go whenever God wants to take me,” she said. She is too honest not to have meant those words. As I searched her face, I saw calmness and peace. I held her tightly and we prayed together. After that I felt calm. Since then, one of the first things I do when I awaken is to thank God that Shirley and I have at least one more day together. 3.     When most people hear the word cancer applied to someone they love, they have strong emotional reactions. What are some of them? What was your reaction when your wife was diagnosed with breast cancer? As a pastor, a volunteer chaplain, and a friend I’ve encountered virtually every emotional reaction. Some refuse to accept what they hear. Some go inward and are unable to talk. Others start making telephone calls to talk to friends. Me? I went numb, absolutely numb. That was my old way of dealing with overwhelming emotions. I heard everything but I couldn’t feel anything. It took me almost two weeks before I was able to feel–and to face the possibility that the person I loved most in the world might die. 4. “What can I do for my loved one with cancer?” That’s a good question for us to ask ourselves. How can we be supportive and helpful? Many think they need to do big things; they don’t. Express your concern and your love. Be available to talk when the other person needs it–and be even more willing to be silent if your loved one doesn’t want to talk. Don’t ask what you can do; do what you see needs doing. To express loving support in your own way (and we all express love differently) is the best gift you can offer. 5.    Why do you urge people not to say, “I know exactly how you feel”? No one knows how you feel. They may remember how they felt at a certain time. Even if they did know, what help is that to the person with cancer? It’s like saying, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I know what it’s like and I’m fine now.” Instead, focus on how the loved one feels. Let him or her tell you. 6.   Those with cancer suffer physically and spiritually. You mention God’s silence as a form of spiritual suffering. They pray and don’t seem to sense God. What can you do to help them? God is sometimes silent but that doesn’t mean God is absent. In my upcoming book, When God Turns off the Lights, I tell what it was like for me when God stopped communicating for about 18 months. I didn’t like it and I was angry. I didn’t doubt God’s existence, but I didn’t understand the silence. I read Psalms and Lamentations in various translations. I prayed and I did everything I could, but nothing changed. After a couple of months, I realized that I needed to accept the situation and wait for God to turn on the lights again. Each day I quoted Psalm 13:1: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?” (NLT) I learned many invaluable lessons about myself–and I could have learned them only in the darkness. When God turns off the lights (and the sounds) I finally realized that instead of God being angry, it was God’s loving way to draw me closer. 7.     Guilt troubles many friends and loved ones of caregivers because they feel they failed or didn’t do enough. What can you say to help them? We probably fail our loved ones in some ways. No one is perfect. If you feel that kind of guilt, I suggest 3 things: (1) Tell the loved one and ask forgiveness. (2) Talk to God and ask God to forgive you and give you strength not to repeat your failures. (3) Forgive yourself. And one way to do that is to say, “At the time, I thought I did the right thing. I was wrong and I forgive myself.” 8.    Do you have some final words of wisdom for those giving care to a loved one with cancer? Be available. You can’t take away the cancer but you can alleviate the sense of aloneness. Don’t ever try to explain the reason the person has cancer. We don’t know the reason and even if we did, would it really help the other person? Be careful about what you say. Too often visitors and friends speak from their own discomfort and forget about the pain of the one with cancer. Don’t tell them about your cancer or other disease; don’t tell them horror stories about others. Above all, don’t give them false words of comfort. Be natural. Be yourself. Behave as loving as you can.

About the Author: Cecil Murphey is an international speaker and bestselling author who has written more than 100 books, including the New York Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper). No stranger himself to loss and grieving, Cecil has served as a pastor and hospital chaplain for many years, and through his ministry and books he has brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.themanbehindthewords.com/. Something Extra! Cec designed the appendix to be the most practical part of the book. He’s witnessed too many situations where genuinely caring people had no idea what to do, so he has tried to givea few general guidelines. 1. Before you offer help. Learn about the disease before you visit. Determine to accept their feelings, no matter how negative. Pray for your loved one before you visit. Don’t throw religious slogans at them, such as, “This is God’s will” or “God knew you were strong enough to handle this.” 2. What you can do now. As the first question, don’t ask, “How are you?” Instead, ask, “Do you feel like talking.” Don’t offer advice. Be willing to sit in silence. If you need to cry, do so. Be natural. If appropriate, hug your loved one. Human touch is powerful. 3. Long-term caregiving. The overarching principle is to let the seriousness of the disease determine the amount of time and commitment you offer. This can be a time for you to help them spiritually. Think about tangible things you can do that say you care. Plan celebrations for every anniversary of being cancer free. Ask them reflective questions such as: What have you discovered about yourself through this experience? What have you learned about relationships? How has your faith in God changed?

One lucky commenter on the blog with the most comments will be eligible for this generous prize basket:

GRAND PRIZE The Grand Prize Winner Will Receive: When Someone You Love Has Cancer 90 Minutes in Heaven (hard cover) Heaven Is Real (hard cover) Daily Devotions Inspired by 90 Minutes in Heaven (hard cover) 90 Minutes in Heaven, gift edition (selections) 90 Minutes in Heaven, audio (5 CD set) Heaven Is Real, audio (6 CDs) Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story Think Big Everybody Loved Roger Harden Everybody Wanted Room 623 Everybody Called Her a Saint Committed But Flawed Immortality of Influence (hard cover) Touchdown Alexander (hard cover) Aging Is an Attitude My Parents, My Children: Spiritual Help for Caregivers

GOOD NEWS: God doesn’t care about the litter in your minivan…just the junk in your soul

Caught up in the self-imposed pressure to do and be all the things they think a Christian woman ought to do and be, countless women are working desperately to convince everyone, including God, that they have it all together. Few have any idea that the Creator of the universe looks at them with delight even when they yell at the dog, drive a minivan littered with French fries, or think bad words about that rude clerk at the store.

A Perfect Mess offers hope to every woman who yearns for a vibrant relationship with God but worries she isn’t good enough or doesn’t do enough to merit His affection. With characteristic authenticity, speaker and author Lisa Harper shares poignant stories from her own imperfect life to showcase the real-life relevancy of the Bible in the lives of modern women.

As she guides readers on a story-driven journey through selected Psalms, they will be inspired to experience for themselves how God’s incomparable love transforms the messiness of life into a gorgeous work of grace.

READ AN EXCERPT HERE

From her website:

Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado calls Lisa one of the “best Bible tour guides around,” and speaker Priscilla Evans Shirer adds, “If anyone can help us to hear, understand and receive the truth of Scripture it is Lisa Harper. Her God-given ability to not merely teach the Word but package it in a way that stirs the heart and calls to action is incomparable. When she speaks ears perk up!” Lisa’s pastor – Scotty Smith of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN – sums up her appealing approach with this commendation, “In a day in which people deeply connect with stories and yet too often find the Bible abstract and irrelevant, Lisa shows us that the 66 books of the Bible are telling one grand story of personal and cosmic redemption, with Jesus starring as the lead character.”

Her vocational resume includes six years as the director of Focus on the Family’s national women’s ministry where she created the popular Renewing the Heart conferences, attended by almost 200,000 women, followed by 6 years as the women’s ministry director at a large church in Nashville. Her academic resume includes a Masters of Theological Studies with honors from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. Now a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker, Lisa has spoken at many large multi-denominational events – such as Women of Faith, Moody Bible, Winsome Women and Focus on the Family conferences – as well as at hundreds of church retreats all over the world. She’s been on numerous syndicated radio and television programs and was featured on the cover of Today’s Christian Woman (July/August 2006). She’s now a columnist with TCW (the largest Christian women’s magazine in America) and answers reader’s theological questions with her trademark “warm wisdom” in every issue.

She’s written several books including Relentless Love, Every Woman’s Hope, and a trio of “Bible studies disguised as books.” She was also a key contributor to the Becoming Devotional Bible for Women, and her latest project is an interactive devotional titled What the Bible is All About for Women. She recently completed the manuscript of her eighth book – a delightful tour of the Psalms titled, A Perfect Mess: How God Adores and Transforms Imperfect People Like Us. Published by Random House, it will be available in stores Spring ’09.

Yet in spite of her credentials, the most noticeable thing about Lisa Harper is her authenticity. When recently asked about her accomplishments she responded with a grin saying, “I’m definitely grateful for the opportunities God’s given me; but don’t forget, He often uses donkeys and dimwits!”

See VIDEO INTERVIEW with Lisa.

BLUE LIKE PLAY DOUGH: Tricia Goyer

Blue Like Play Dough

NOTE FROM CHRISTA:   How can anyone NOT want to read a book that stirs up the nostalgia of Play-Dough? Even now I can smell the pastiness of it and feel the smooth, soft , mushy coolness of it as it squished between by fingers. I can also recall finding pea-sized bits of it embedded in and rainbow-dotting the shag carpet, discovering that one of my darlings used it as spackling to fill in the space between where the kitchen table and its leaves met, and digging hardened chunks from underneath sofa cushions.

Tricia’s book is subtitled, “the shape of motherhood in the grip of God,” and that is the honest story that unfolds as she shares her journey from “In the Middle of my Mess” in the first chapter to the last, “Graduating.”   She doesn’t hold back as she tells us how God pulled and tugged on her to shape her into His image, and how He continues to do so.

If you don’t think you need to read this book, go buy play dough and try NOT to open it.

With the release of this book Tricia is also launching the Get One, Give One Campaign!

For every copy of Blue Like Play Dough purchased, she’ll donate a copy of My Life Unscripted or Generation NeXt Parenting to a pregnancy, teen or family support ministry (while supplies last).

All you have to do is buy a copy of Blue Like Play Dough on Christianbook, on Amazon, or at your local bookstore, and then go to Tricia’s Go-Go page and fill out the form. EASY!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the everyday stretch and squeeze of motherhood, Tricia Goyer often feels smooshed by the demands of life. In Blue Like Play Dough, she shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own. As her story unfolds, Tricia realizes that God has more in store for her than she has ever imagined possible.

Sure, life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places–in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child.

In Tricia’s transparent account, you’ll find understanding, laughter, and strength for your own story. And in the daily push and pull, you’ll learn to recognize the loving hands of God at work in your life… and know He has something beautiful in mind.

Read an excerpt: http://triciagoyer.com/cmsdocuments/Blue_Like_Play_Dough_Prologue_CH_1.pdf

ABOUT TRICIA:

Using her own experiences as a teen mother, and leader of today’s generation, Tricia’s vision is to be a voice of hope and possibility for teenage girls, pregnant teen girls, mothers and wives through her educational and inspirational speaking, workshops and books. Her intention is to serve ordinary women by encouraging extraordinary things with God’s help. Tricia expresses real life, real hope, for real women.

Tricia is the author of 20+ books and has published over 300 articles for nati onal publications such as Guideposts for Kids, Focus on the Family, Christian Parenting Today, Today’s Christian Woman and HomeLife Magazine. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from American Christian Fiction Writers, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2003. Tricia’s book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award in 2005.

MY PRECIOUS KID presents THE CHILD SAFETY GUIDE

The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents by Christian Bezick might, at first glance, seem a strange book for a mother of five, ages 32-23 to want to review.

But, I’m a Grammy now, and its been years since my own house has been “kidproofed,” so I jumped on the chance. Emma a nd Hannah aren’t going to suffer injuries on my watch!

Bezick, the founder and president of the American Family Safety Network, wrote more than just a book about child safety. This book would be an invaluable gift [at showers, for example] for soon-to-be parents and grandparents. In fact, no caretakers or day care centers should be without this book.

The guides  provide important information when purchasing products for baby. And when you’ve been out of babyland for as many years as I have, you need to learn about the depth and breadth of products available today.

The Table of Contents:

• The Importance of Child Safety
• Sleep Safe Baby
• Product Safety Use and Consideration
• Car Seats Made Simple [Okay, I'll own being one of those grandmothers who needs to attend "baby car seat school." They're engineering torture! This chapter I truly appreciated.]
• Hazards to Young Children

Also provided is a checklist summary of the key safety points made in the book, a child product inventory form, a car seat log, and online resources.

When you click on the title, you’ll be brought to My Precious Kid to purchase. Kay Green’s site is a wonderland of child safety products.

Personalized dog tags are a unique safety tool that is designed to help lost children be reunited with parents in a very timely manner. We engrave the child’s name & their parent’s cell/ home phone numbers. These personalized kids dog tags are perfect for that summer vacation. 

My Little Seat is the ultimate portable infant high chair for traveling with baby in tow. Whether you are using it every day at home, out for lunch with friends or jet setting around the world this super cute and always trendy seat will make your life so much easier and always get you noticed. It folds down to the size of a diaper and comes with its very own matching bag. My Little Seat is designed with safety in mind and incorporates a 5 point harness along with its extra reinforced seaming and is safety tested for strength and durability. Your baby will love sitting along with you at the table like everyone else. Sling it over a chair and it sets up in seconds and of course is machine washable. It is suitable from 6 months and above or when your baby can sit unassisted. Everyone gets a seat at the table with My Little Seat.

MY PRECIOUS KID GIVEAWAY!

VISIT WWW.MYPRECIOUSKID.COM and COMMENT ON A PRODUCT YOU LIKE, AND TELL KAY WHY YOU LIKE IT. SHE’S OFFERING THE READER WHOSE NAME IS DRAWN A FREE BOOK!

COUPON CODE for FICTIONARY READERS: 10SMR09 [10% off your first online order!]

WHOLESALE OPTION too!
http://www.mypreciouskid.com/wholesale.html
FOLLOW me on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/MyPreciousKid
NEW BABY – free gift
http://www.mypreciouskid.com/free-gift-new-baby.html

Holy Roller: Finding Redemption and the Holy Ghost in a Forgotten Texas Church

Note from Christa: All you have to do is open the book and stare at Julie Lyons’ picture on the inner back flap to know this was one woman who would not blend easily in a run-down, Body of Christ Assembly church on, as she says, “the wild frontier of gangsta-land.” Honestly, it cracks me up just to imagine those words spilling out of Julie’s mouth!

Just goes to prove God has a sense of humor leading a 27-year-old woman who grew up in a small Wisconsin town to South Dallas and the world of prostitutes, druggies, and gangs. She’s been with the church for over two decades now, along with her husband, Larry, and son, Conor.

This isn’t a fictionalized account of her experiences; it IS her experience. Real events, real people, real miracles.

The choice she comes to learn from Pastor Frederick Eddington’s wife, Diane, is one we all must come to eventually: “holiness or hell.”

HOLY ROLLER

Julie Lyons was working as a crime reporter when she followed a hunch into the South Dallas ghetto. She wasn’t hunting drug dealers, but drug addicts who had been supernaturally healed of their addictions. Was there a church in the most violent part of the city that prayed for addicts and got results?

At The Body of Christ Assembly, a rundown church on an out-of-the-way street, Lyons found the story she was looking for. The minister welcomed criminals, prostitutes, and street people–anyone who needed God. He prayed for the sick, the addicted, and the demon-possessed, and people were supernaturally healed.
Lyons’s story landed on the front page of the Dallas Times Herald. But she got much more than just a great story, she found an unlikely spiritual home. Though the parishioners at The Body of Christ Assembly are black and Pentecostal, and Lyons is white and from a traditional church background, she embraced their spirituality–that of “the Holy Ghost and fire.”

It’s all here in Holy Roller–the stories of people desperate for God’s help. And the actions of a God who doesn’t forget the people who need His power.

About this Author

Read an interview with Julie here: Crunchy Con

---

Julie Lyons is an award-winning writer, editor, and investigative reporter who for more than eleven years was editor-in-chief of the Dallas Observer, an alternative weekly newspaper owned by Village Voice Media. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a B.A. in English from Seattle Pacific University. She and her husband, Larry Lyons Jr., live in Dallas with their son.

RELIGION SAVES: Is that the question or the answer?

Note from Christa: The family on the cover of this book reminded me of those families pictured in my first grade reader; I can only suppose that was intentional. Especially since I haven’t seen first grade in over fifty years.One of those visual “you think you’re going to be reading about old time religion, but wait until you open the cover” covers.

The questions in RELIGION SAVES, moving from #9 to #1, are about: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle.

Questions 2 and 1 are two I would never ask because, frankly, I know too little of [and realize now that I understand too little of] them to have even asked. So, Driscoll’s responses to those two will require a bit more study and close reading on my part.

Questions 9-3 are topics I’ve dealt with and/or experienced. Some of his responses I agree with, some–not so much. The second part of the question posed in the “Humor” chapter, for example, is one I don’t think is directly addressed. Driscoll spends most of the chapter supporting the idea of “is it Biblical to be funny.”  But the question posed doesn’t ask whether being funny is biblical, it asks about jokes made about particular groups.

But, overall, I appreciate and admire Driscoll’s courage in his experiments during his “Religion Saves” sermon series. The congregation text-messaged him questions, which he answered live on the stage. Not only intense, but it reflects his wilingness to risk to, as he says, “debunk the junk promulgated by religion on everything.”

This is definitely a book worth reading and worth discussing with those in and outside of your church. You can find a sample chapter and audio chapter at http://relit.org/religionsaves.

Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions:

After 343,203 online votes on the Mars Hill Church website, nine questions for Pastor Mark Driscoll emerged as the ones most urgently calling for answers.

Inspired by 1 Corinthians, in which Paul answers a series of questions posed by the people in the Corinthian church, Pastor Mark Driscoll set out to determine the most controversial questions among visitors to the Mars Hill Church website. In the end, 893 questions were asked and 343,203 votes were cast. The top nine questions are now each answered in a chapter of Religion Saves.
After an introductory chapter devoted to the misconception that religion is what saves us, Driscoll tackles nine issues: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle.

Because the purpose of this book is to address commonly asked questions, all readers will find relevant, engaging material, written in Driscoll’s distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style. In his distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style, Pastor Mark Driscoll addresses the nine most controversial questions posed by visitors to the Mars Hill Church website. This book is part of the Re:Lit series.

MARK DRISCOLL:

My past
I was born in Grand Forks North Dakota in 1970. As soon as my parents could afford a full tank of gas we left and ended up in Spokane, Washington, where we lived for a few years. By the time I started kindergarten we had moved to Seattle, where I have lived ever since. I grew up as the oldest of five children in an Irish Catholic working class home. My mom stayed home to raise us and make our home basically the community center where all the kids in the neighborhood hung out and played, and my dad worked very hard as a construction worker. At the age of seventeen I met my future wife Grace, Jesus saved me while in college at the age of nineteen, and Grace and I got married at twenty-one while still in college. We planted Mars Hill Church when we were twenty-five. Today we enjoy raising our five children.

My role at the church
I am the primary preaching pastor at Mars Hill and contribute to the vision of the church as an Executive Elder. I also help church planters as the president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, help build strategic partnerships for Resurgence, and have a teaching ministry that includes writing books.

My vision for my area of oversight
I am always seeking to grow in my knowledge of the Bible so that I can most faithfully preach and teach about Jesus to as many people as possible. This includes what I consider comedy, although not everyone agrees, which I also find funny. Thanks to developments in technology, I am now able to preach to multiple campuses live via satellite on Sundays and also increase my preaching and teaching ministry by vodcast, podcast, iTunes, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and other web portals that help to multiply the effect of my ministry. I find these kinds of opportunities humbling, encouraging, and exciting. In the future I hope to continue to grow in my effectiveness as a Bible preacher and teacher and use any and every means to spread the news about Jesus like 1 Corinthians 9 extols. Simply, I want to do everything I can, taking every opportunity I can, to point as many people to Jesus as I can by the grace He provides.

You can find more of Mark at the Mars Hill Blog

OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

7/13

Andrew at Drew Ackermann  http://drewackermann.wordpress.com

Tammy at Grateful in GA http://GratefulinGa.blogspot.com

Joe at Joe Snake http://joesnake.neoblogs.org/

7/14

Sally at An Observation of Mercy   http://paraklesis.com/an_observation/

Linda at God, Grace and Giggles http://www.lindamaebaldwin.com/blog/default.aspx

Clayton at Clayton Bell Online http://www.claytonbellonline.com

Nicole at Gidget Goes Homes      http://gidgetgoeshome.com

7/15

Chris at Intersected http://intersected.org

MaryBeth at Four Silly Sisters http://www.foursillysistersreview.blogspot.com

Stephanie at The Blakes on a Mission http://www.theblakesthailand.blogspot.com/

Nathan at Bliss the Family http://blissthefamily.wordpress.com

7/16

Jennifer at Quiver Full Family               http://quiverfullfamily.com

Deborah at Comfort Joy                      http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com

Suzanne at Suzannesaphone http://suzannesaphone.wordpress.com

Rachel at Grasping for Objectivity www.graspingforobjectivity.com

7/17

Priscilla at My Little Corner of the Web http://mylittlecorneroftheweb.blogspot.com

Janet at GA Home 2 Mom http://gahome2mom.blogspot.com

Denise at Thus Far the Lord has Helped Me www.nisefunpages.blogspot.com

Amy at Amy’s Random Thoughts www.amychristopher.blogspot.com

7/18

Kristina at Loving Heart Mommy http://www.lovingheartmommy.com

Brad at Never Separated, Yet Always Searching         http://bradcopeland.wordpress.com/

Amy at The 160 Acre Woods http://the160acrewoods.com

Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart http://philippians4verse8.blogspot.com:80/

7/20

Pam at Without Fear   http://withoutfear08.blogspot.com/

Margaret at The Cappuccino Life http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/cappuccinosmom/profile/

Michelle at Chelled http://www.chelled.blogspot.com

Bryant at North of the Ordinary http://northoftheordinary.blogspot.com/

7/21

Scoti at Springs Writers http://www.springswriters.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Jennifer’s Snapshot  http://www.jennifersnapshot.blogspot.com

Camille at There is a Season  www.thereisaseason.blogspot.com

Danica at The Journey of Writer Danica Favorite http://www.danicafavorite.blogspot.com

7/22

Kayla at Kayla Finley                              http://kaylafinley.com

AnnMarie  at More Than Just A Mom http://afriedrick.blogspot.com

Kelly at Love Well                                 http://www.lovewell.blogspot.com

Tricia at It’s Real Life http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com

7/23

Cassie at Cassie Graves           http://cassiegraves.wordpress.com

Jarrod at Jarrod Haggard        www.jarrodhaggard.blogspot.com

Mary at Daily into Devotion   http://RefreshMoments.com–Turning

Sarah at Reborn Butterfly       http://www.rebornbutterfly.wordpress.com

7/24

Melodee at Actual Unretouched Photo http://www.unretouchedphoto.com

Heather at All Things Hendrick           http://www.allthingshendrick.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Rundpinne                          http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com

Laura at Lighthouse Academy             http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/

7/25

Marta at Marta’s Meanderings http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

Ryan at The Redemption Blog http://www.theredemptionblog.com

Michelle at Edgy Inspirational Author http://www.michellesutton.net

Kaylea at My Scrappy Life http://kaytebug2002.blogspot.com

7/27

Melissa at Breath of Life          http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/

Heather at Life As We Know It http://thelittlesprouts.blogspot.com/

Lori at Laurel’s Reflections http://laurelwreathsreflections.com

Scott  at A Day First  http://www.adadfirst.com

7/28

Mark at Here I Blog    http://hereiblog.com

Amy at Sprightly-AmyAnne http://sprightly-amyanne.blogspot.com

Mandy at Becoming    http://www.mandarin21.blogspot.com

Christy at Christy’s Book Blog http://christysbookblog.blogspot.com/

7/29

Erin at Connected to Christ http://connected2christ.com/theblog/

John at Resolved   http://resolvedsgc.blogspot.com/

Shanna at The Beauty of Surrender www.thebeautyofsurrender.blogspot.com

Kate at The Accidental Traveler                      http://katemcdonald.wordpress.com

7/30

Christy at Critty Joy    http://cirttyjoy.wordpress.com

Danielle at Miss.Mouthy          http://missmouthy.com/

Kate at A Simple Walk http://asimplewalk.blogspot.com/

Tammy at Ramblings by Tammy http://ramblingsbytammy.blogspot.com

7/31

Kimberly at Team Nelson http://www.teamnelson.wordpress.com

Mimi at Mimi’s Pixie Corner http://tagsandotherformsofmischief.blogspot.com/

Vera at Luxury Reading http://luxuryreading.com

Deena at A Peek at My Bookshelf       http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com

8/1

Sarah at Real Life  http://www.reallifeblog.net

Karla at Looking Towards Heaven      http://karlascrazylife.blogspot.com

Leo at Videoadoracao http://www.videoadoracao.blogspot.com

Zack at The Rieslands http://www.therieslands.com

8/3

Tara at Tara’s View on Books http://tarasviewonbooks.blogspot.com/

Amy at Reading Too Late       http://readingtoolate.net

Suzanne at There’s No Place Like Home         http://clickingherheels.blogspot.com

Pamela at Aunt Pam’s Closet http://www.auntpamscloset.com

8/4

Jonathan at Jonathon Shrader http://www.jonathanshradar.com/

Pat at Why Didn’t You Warn Me        http://www.whydidntyouwarnme.com

Rachelle at Land of My Sojourn          http://www.landofmysojourn.net/blog

Christi at Christi’s BlaBlahBlog                       http://christis-blahblahblog.blogspot.com

8/5

Christa at Christa Sterken www.christasterken.wordpress.com

Jennifer at A Spacious Place http://jennifertiszai.blogspot.com/

Brooke at Brooke Turner Photography                      http://www.brooketurnerphotography.com/blog

Jared at Gospel Driven Church           http://www.gospeldrivenchurch.com

Dave at Ordinary Commentary           http://www.ordinarycommentary.com

SUNSET BEACH: sometimes it’s about more than the water

SUNSET BEACH

Sonny Miller is tired of not knowing who she is. Soon she’ll begin graduate school to earn her masters in Psychology. But how can she counsel future clients about their identities when she isn’t even sure about her own? To that end she has cooked up a little meeting at a certain beach house in San Diego.

Sonny’s mother, classical soprano Teresa Miller, isn’t aware she’s about to be reunited at the beach house with her sister, Melanie Hines, after 25 years of estrangement. And Sonny isn’t aware her mother has invited a surprise guest of her own. Russian adoptee, Irina Petrova, finds herself dragged along on a trip so tumultuous she summons her handsome concert violinist brother for moral support.

The four women converge on the funky little beach house in San Diego, each with her own disappointments and hopes about family, identity, and love. For Sonny, the trip reveals all she expected and more than she ever dreamed.

Trish Perry
Award-winning novelist Trish Perry has written Sunset Beach (2009), Beach Dreams (2008), Too Good to Be True (2007), and The Guy I’m Not Dating (2006), all for Harvest House Publishers. She writes a monthly column, “Real Life is Stranger,” for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. She was editor of Ink and the Spirit, the newsletter of Washington D.C.’s Capital Christian Writers organization (CCW), for seven years. Before her novels, Perry published numerous short stories, essays, devotionals, and poetry in Christian and general market media.

Perry holds a B.A. in Psychology, was a 1980s stockbroker, and held positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and in several Washington law firms. She serves on the Board of Directors of CCW and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group and Romance Writers of America. Perry lives in Northern Virginia with her teenaged son.

Learn more about Trish at http://www.trishperry.com.

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.
I’m the middle child; middle girl. I was raised as one of five kids by my British mum and my WWII Air Force vet dad. I lived in Newfoundland (Canada), California, Colorado, and finally Virginia, which I’ve called home for the greater part of my life. I love it here. Most of my family still resides in Virginia, which is a bonus.

My late sister lived a rough lifetime of medical problems, which had a distinct bearing on our family lifestyle and our sensibilities toward the hardships of others. Her eventual death may have been a blessed relief for her, but it was a huge loss for us. The loss is what brought me to the Lord.

Both of my children are believers, which brings me such peace. I have a 29-year-old daughter, who is one of the coolest, smartest, most intuitive women I know. She’s blessed me with a remarkable grandson, now five. And my 16-year-old son is brilliant and funny, and he tells me daily that I’m weird (but I can hear the “I love you” in there when he says it).

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?
Novels and films are constants in my life; if I’m home and not working, I’m usually absorbed by one of those. I love good stories. I enjoy varied styles of music. I love to sing and served on my church’s worship team until my writing schedule got so busy. I still serenade the neighbors on occasion, whether they want me to or not. I’m a self-admitted former disco queen, and I still love to dance. And I make sure to get together with girlfriends at least once a week. Socializing, dining, and laughing—it’s like having your batteries charged!

If you could vacation any where in the world, where would you be and why?
I’d love to take a tour of Europe, both the touristy spots and the secret, unblemished spots. I’ve never given great thought to why Europe draws me more than other parts of the world. But I suppose the fact that my heritage is rooted in Europe makes it more appealing to me. And I’m spoiled, to an extent, by the creature comforts of the U.S. I love learning about life in the other continents, but I’m not a roughin’ it kinda gal. I’m not proud of that, but I’m absolutely aware of it!

What has God been teaching you lately?
I’ve been blown away by how clearly He forgives my weaknesses. Things have occurred in my life over the past 18 months for which (right or wrong) I carried a burden of guilt. You know, that feeling of “how did I contribute to this mess?” Yet He has blessed me so abundantly in the midst of my feelings of conviction, that He amazes me daily with His obvious love. The blessings keep me humbly aware of how much I need Him. And they instill in me such a strong desire to serve Him and to follow His guidance and will.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I think I probably wanted to be an actor when I was a child. I memorized dialogue, imagined scenes, and studied actresses I admired. But I never went out for Drama in school. I was horribly shy and couldn’t imagine auditioning for anything. Still, I was well served by my obsession with dialogue and the visual exercises of creating scenes in my mind. Sometimes I still come up with my scenes and dialogue by simply visualizing them on screen or acting them out with imaginary characters. I try to keep these antics private, of course. I’d be in big trouble on one of those Big Brother type of reality shows.

How did you get involved in writing?
I dabbled with writing on and off when I was a kid, but I didn’t feel the great calling I hear other novelists describe. I didn’t get the itch until I went back to school as an adult. I planned to become a psychological counselor, but my English professors kept giving me wonderful feedback on the writing exercises I did for them, and I realized I liked opening up that right hemisphere and pouring out the ideas. By the time I got my B.A., I decided to skip the doctorate program and focus on writing and getting published.

What’s the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Being disciplined enough, especially at the beginning of a project, to just sit here at the computer and do it. I’m always amazed, once I’ve put something up there, how easy it is to make it better. If you have something to work with, you’re halfway there. So I’m trying to be better about the beginning of a project—not to over think it before I start.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?
I love writing dialogue. What a control freak’s dream, to have control over what everyone says, including the antagonist. If only life were that easy, LOL! But truly, sometimes a scene simply shapes itself right before my eyes when the characters are engaged in dialogue. I don’t know quite what will be expressed sometimes, and I love it when it flows even faster than I seem to be able to think it.

How do you find time to write?
At the moment I’m blessed to not have to work an outside job, but I expect that to change in the next year or so. Still, I have to deliberately keep my schedule focused first on writing. Sometimes it feels as if I have the time to get back into the worship team at church or to beef up my social commitments. But I’ve learned to avoid putting too much on my plate, and it has resulted in my finding enough time to get my writing done. My son is now 16 and just got his driver’s license, so that has freed up some time for me as well. I’d actually like to write more than I do, so I guard against throwing my time away.

When you write do you generally know where you’re headed or are you sometimes as surprised as your characters about the way things end?
There is always surprise, no matter how well I plan out a book’s progress. I was just talking with my editor about that the other day, the fact that the initial summary I write might change a bit as events unfold around my protagonist. I think that’s happened with every book I’ve written. I typically write a summary, which tells me generally where the story will go, and then I write a sentence or two per chapter idea, and then I start hammering away on Chapter One. As I write actual chapters, the events between “Once upon a time” and “The End” evolve in more significant ways than I expected in the first place. It’s an exciting process!

Tell me about your road to publication.
I didn’t know what kind of writing I wanted to pursue when I first started to write seriously. So I read Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines and joined the Writer’s Digest Book Club. I bought a ridiculous number of books about writing and poured over them. I took Creative Writing courses while I worked on my Psych degree—the workshopping alone was excellent training for skin thickening. I joined a local writing organization and hung out with other writers. I started submitting poetry and personal essays to small publications. I experienced plenty of rejection and kept trying. I wrote several short stories and eventually realized I wanted to write a novel. So I read several books about novel writing. And I read a lot of novels! While I worked on my first novel, I continued to submit smaller pieces, and I started publishing. I joined a small critique group.

The above actions took me years, and I still hadn’t submitted a novel for publication (or rejection). This is a long road, but it’s best to just put one foot in front of the other and not worry about the length of the journey.

I entered writing contests, and one of them led to my finding representation by my fantastic agent, Tamela Hancock Murray. Mind you, this was representation for my second novel. Once Tamela started representing me, it was a matter of months before she got me a two-book contract. The contract did not include my first manuscript—that baby still sits at home and may never see publication. But it was all part of the journey.

What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?
Give the endeavor to God first. And daily. When doubts arise (and they will), you must be able to fall back on the knowledge that your efforts are for Him. And know that He will never show you the way by crushing your efforts with rejection and desolation. If He wants you to do something other than writing, He’ll lovingly draw you to that other endeavor.

That said, take all the practical steps to learn the craft and the business. Read (both how-to’s and novels), write, network, and submit. Over and over again.

Where did you get the idea for the book?
The setting (the funky little house on Mission Beach) and time frame (one or two weeks’ time) were already established for me by my publisher. All of the books in The Beach House series fall within those parameters. But the characters and their stories formulated over time. First I dreamed up Sonny—a young woman who had lived her entire life devoid of details about her family background, thanks to her secretive mother. Sonny had reached a point where she wanted to take control of her own life. Her mother was the barrier to that, so Sonny needed to both go around her mother and barrel headlong towards her. The hidden details about Sonny’s past arose as I created each new character. Even though my own family is close and forthcoming about our family history, there have always been fuzzy areas about which I’ve wanted to know more. I imagined how difficult it would be if your entire family history were fuzzy. I know I’d be compelled to act as Sonny did.

What are the major themes of the book?
My books always end up having a broad overall theme of the importance of seeking God’s guidance in everything. That’s never been deliberate—that’s just the way my stories work out. But for Sunset Beach, the most important theme entails our personal identities and how we determine them. Upon whom, or what, do we base our beliefs about who we are, what we’re worth, what our purpose in life is? A subtheme in the book has to do with the struggle to approach romance and passion appropriately. I think that’s a tough one for every single person I know, and it brings us right back to that whole seeking-God’s-guidance-in-everything theme.

What kind of research did you have to do for the book?
For the setting, I had already done quite a bit of research on Mission Beach and Pacific Beach for my previous book, Beach Dreams. And I read both of Sally John’s books in the series, which were the best research material I could ask for. But for Sunset Beach, I wanted to branch out some, so I sought help from friends from the surrounding areas and businesses that operated in San Diego and elsewhere in California. Also I was blessed by coming across a fellow writer who was able to answer my questions about Russian orphanages, which I coupled with online research. Finally, with regard to the psychological aspects of the story, I leaned on my own education, my textbooks, and on research available through various psychological studies and educational sites online. I’m not a fan of research, but those particular searches were fun.

With which character do you, personally, identify most and why?
Although we’re nothing like each other, I’d have to say I empathized the most with Sonny. As I mentioned above, I shudder at the idea of being in the dark about all of your family members, including your own father. I don’t identify with the questions Sonny had, but I can certainly imagine them. And the fact that Sonny got her degree in Psychology, of course, is the closest tie I have with her. Knowing how little I know with a B.A. (versus graduate education and years of actual practice), I had fun making Sonny charge forth as if she thought she could cure her family’s woes. She certainly had her heart in the right place, but her methods were slightly half baked.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
First, I hope they’ll find the book entertaining. I want them to enjoy Sonny’s journey and the way her discoveries uncover secrets and feelings for the people around her. I hope they’ll be amused, but only when I mean them to be! On a grander scale, I hope readers will be touched by the whole issue of personal identity and how God factors into that. I never want to write a preachy book—but I certainly enjoy hearing when my books are inspiring. My prayer before every book I write is that God will give me the story someone somewhere needs to read in order to feel more of what He wants them to feel. Then I leave it up to Him.

A Peek at My Bookshelf
A Spacious Place
All Creature’s Great and Small
Blog Tour Spot
Book Junkie Confessions
Book Nook Club
Cindy’s Stamping and Reviews
Cornhusker Academy
Drive Home Productions
Edgy Inspirational Author Blog
Fictionary
Fresh Brewed Writer
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
Giving Up on Picture Perfect
Heart Chocolate
I Don’t Wanna Blog
J’s Spot
Lighthouse Academy
Net’s Book Notes
Our Family’s Adventures
Real Women Scrap
Refresh My Soul
S.A.G.A
Scraps and Snippets
Sherry Kyle
Springs Writers
The Friendly Book Nook
The Sarah Jane Diaries
The Writing Road
This That and The Other
wandering, wonderings of a whacked-out woman
Word Up Studies
Word Vessel