Historical Novelist Anne Mateer

Today’s post features the story-behind-the-story of Anne Mateer’s debut novel, Wings of a Dream.
This Bethany House publication came out in September of 2011, but it would make great summer reading. In her own words, here is Ann’s story:

My grandmother was a born storyteller, the kind that could spin a tale and keep you enthralled from beginning to end. But her tales didn’t come from a tangle of imagination. They came from her life.

I didn’t appreciate this as much as I should have as a child or a young adult, but when Nanny passed away in January of 2000, one of her stories took hold of me and wouldn’t let go. It was the story of her mother, a young woman with four small children left at home while her husband fought The Great War. As the war drew to an end, the influenza epidemic hit, stealing life from the woman, leaving the children to another’s care.

While I have no idea what really took place between Ruth—the woman I knew as my great-grandmother—and my great-grandfather, I always believed it to be a love story, especially since they went on to have several children of their own! After nine years of intermittent research, of story starts and stops, of growing in my faith, and with my first child poised to graduate from high school and leap out of my nest, I finally plunged into a novel loosely based on my great-grandparents’ tale. It became my debut novel, Wings of a Dream. 

Don’t miss this heartwarming story set in one of the most horrific times in our nation’s history.

Though I had heard this Duguet quote a few years prior, its message pierced my heart that day. I did something. I acted on my feelings for my hurting friend and did what I could in the moment. Typically, I build up great ideas in my head about ways I can help or minister to someone’s needs. In this case, I just did it. And because I did, my friend actually knew I was thinking about her. She actually experienced a blessing . . . no matter how small.

I don’t want to be one of those people who plans and plans and plans but never executes. I help no one if I think up wonderful, uplifting, creative ideas—but never follow through on them.

Truly, the smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.

So who needs your good deed today? Believe me, no one will benefit from that grand intention. 

Cinderella Man is one such gem. While not appropriate for younger elementary grade kids or preschoolers, it’s not offensive to tweens. Plus, the story challenges the hearts minds of teens and adults like few movies do.

Bret and I went to see Cinderella Man when it was first released back in 2005—after we heard about AMC Theatre’s money-back guarantee. What did we have to lose?

I watched the movie expecting to find flaws. Though some try incredibly hard, most films ain’t that great. Most are either lame, weak, poorly acted, revamped, boring . . . you get the idea.

But Cinderella Man delivers on all fronts.

• The Great Depression—I’d never seen a Depression-era flick. From what I hear, Cinderella Man captures the anxiety, the desperation, the hopelessness of a nation and its people. The setting provided an exquisite backdrop for this movie about a man’s struggle to keep his family together.
• Russell Crowe—He’s a chameleon who tends to melt into movie roles (such as The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, and Gladiator). I didn’t think about what a good performance Russell Crowe delivered; instead, I cried at Jim Braddock’s self-sacrificing love for his wife and children.
• Renée Zellweger—Not always my favorite, though her hilarious Everywoman in Bridget Jones’ Diary brought me to tears. She shines in this movie; plus, a more glamorous actress might have contradicted the dreariness of the times.
• A well-written screenplay—It never lags; it never becomes condescending, ingratiating, lofty or self-important. It doesn’t assume too much or too little about its potential viewers. It’s smart, sweet, sad, funny, heartbreaking, challenging and poignant. Makes me wish I could write like that.
• Effective costumes, sets, musical score, and cinematography—I don’t often pay much attention to the extraneous categories at the awards’ ceremonies. In this movie, you’re aware of how well the elements work together uniting integral parts of the tragic-triumphant tale.
• Great direction—Ron Howard worked to get strong, believable performances from all actors, including several children. The scenes he chose to leave in are important. I didn’t miss the ones he cut. Opie has definitely made a name for himself as a director.

Cinderella Man will get into your head and your heart. I’ve wanted to repeat moving, affecting lines—like the one about wearing the pants in the family or the ones from the scene where World Heavyweight Champ Max Baer insults our guy, Jim Braddock, at a fancy restaurant the night before the big fight.

If I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, I can see Jim sacrificing his piece of fried bologna so his young daughter won’t be hungry. We’re rarely privy to such examples unconditional love in our convenient, comfy, cozy lives. I can see Jim pressing up against a chain-link fence with the rest of the mob, hoping against hope he’ll be chosen for a day’s labor on the docks.

For those of you who may be worried about it being a “boxing” movie, don’t. It’s less of a boxing movie than Rocky, which won fans’ hearts with underdog overtones.

If you haven’t already, see Cinderella Man. Better yet, buy the DVD (You are going to want to own this one!). It will rank among other sports greats, such as Hoosiers, Remember the Titans, Brian’s Song, and The Rookie.

Cinderella Man will delight the whole family—and how often can we say something like that? I didn’t want my money back, and I’ll bet you won’t either.

My neighbor has a nanny who doesn’t watch the kiddos the way their mom did.  The neighborhood kids have starting coming to my house. My friend’s son (6th grader, homeschooled) doesn’t exhibit good discernment!  How can I deal with this? (The nanny is very nice; she just gives the children more freedom and allows them to get away with more than their mom would.) The whole situation makes me uncomfortable.

Kool-Aid Mom in Texas

Dear Kool-Aid Mom,

You have several issues going on here.

First, you’re obviously concerned about your friend’s children and their well-being. This leads to a sense that the nanny—though very nice—may not watch over them as carefully as their mom does. Since it sounds like you’re fairly close to the mom, I’d suggest sharing your concerns. My fallback in situations like this is, if this were going on in my family or with my children, would I want to know? Undoubtedly, your friend would. Yes, you risk her denial, even her wrath, but I hope she’ll see your motives in bringing this to light. She, then, has a choice to do with the information as she chooses.

Second, you seem concerned about the 6^th graders lack of discernment. If the young man isn’t making good decisions, you’ll need to assess whether you want that behavior to influence your children. As parents, we sometimes have to step in and make those difficult choices to protect our children.

Third, the neighbor children’s constant visits violate your family’s boundaries; whether they mean to or not, they create an intrusion. Pray about the situation; talk about it with your husband and kids. Then decide what your comfortable providing this family. Is it visits on weekday afternoons until 5 p.m. when you need to get dinner on the table? Is it swapping out houses for playtime?

Also, though you don’t specifically mention it, overstaying one’s welcome can lead to additional financial burdens (providing drinks and snacks daily gets expensive) and can affect your family dynamic (getting your children to do their homework when other children are over proves nearly impossible).

Establish your boundaries. I hope this verse from 2 Timothy 1:7 can encourage you: “For God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Communicate these with your friend, her children and their nanny. You’ll probably have to reinforce these several times until the kids are “trained.” But stand firm. Protect your family—and your sanity!

Leslie

Now it’s your turn. What advice would you give Kool-Aid Mom in Texas?

Charlie Wilson--age 20

• Being scalded during his first bath (I just wanted the water to be warm enough.)
• Being bitten by hundreds of fire ants (He picked up a sprinkler head)
• Bonking into the ceiling fan globe and shattering it (OK, pretty much my fault.)
• Being dropped him on his head in the bouncy seat (Ditto.)
• Banging his forehead open on the corner of the fireplace (Tritto.)
• Overeating hot salsa to the point he vomited five times (in Blockbuster Video)

Oh, and in my sleepy stupor, I accidentally turned off the baby monitor. (Hands down the best sleep I ever had!) The downside? I suffered severe mom-guilt for about two weeks’ after—in spite of the fact that Charlie was smiling and giggling when I retrieved him from his crib the next morning at 7 a.m.

Bottom line: Thank goodness he survived me being his mom.

When he was about seven, I hugged him and pleaded with him to not ignore me when he became a teenager. His response when I ask him if he’ll continue to hug and kiss me?

“I don’t know, Mom. I can’t tell the future.”

Now, at nearly 21, I can attest to the fact that he did still hug me when he was a teenager.

I’m not gonna lie to you; it meant a whole lot.

Author & Speaker Mary DeMuth

Today, we continue with a guest post by author, speaker and book mentor, Mary DeMuth. Her book, Beautiful Battle (Harvest House Publishers, February 2012) deals with spiritual warfare from a woman’s perspective. The powerful message will deeply impact your spiritual walk and empower you to use the tools God has made available to you. I hope you’ll consider reading this book.

Read yesterday’s post for information about these aspect of spiritual warfare:

#1: We have an enemy.

#2: The enemy isn’t others.

Now, back to Mary for points 3 and 4:

#3: We must stay alert.

Just because Jesus has won the victory on the cross doesn’t mean we can lead lackadaisical lives, downplaying Satan’s ability. If anything, he thrives in places where folks don’t think he exists, where they’re dismissive of his abilities. Meanwhile, he prowls, looking for our weaknesses.

Peter encourages, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NLT).

#4: God is bigger

The supremacy of God trumps Satan every time. He is bigger, more powerful, all knowing, the sovereign king of the universe. Resting in His capability instead of our stealth will help us rely on the One capable of winning spiritual battles. In order to grow, we must settle this issue of God’s greatness. He has the power to do great things, secure victories and save many. “Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!” (Psalm 98:1, NLT).

He lives in the heavens, exalted and all-powerful, yet He chooses to commune with us, particularly if we’re humble. “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: ‘I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts’” (Isaiah 57:15, NLT). Though Satan despises our weakness, lies to us, and wants to destroy us, God promises to be with us, reviving our courage.

Sometimes it seems everywhere we look we see the devil’s handiwork, and the destruction his minions orchestrate. It’s important we realize, though, that Satan is a wounded, defeated foe, destined for judgment. It won’t always be a battle, though the deeper we grow, the more we may discern his methods.

The evil in this world, thank God, will be vanquished. “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10, NLT).

Yes, now he accuses, but one day he will be silenced, and we will walk streets of gold and God in freedom and joy.

Thanks for the much-needed reminders, Mary. And, readers, please add this book to your summer reading.

Author Mary DeMuth

Today and tomorrow I’ll feature guest posts from Mary DeMuth, author of Beautiful Battle

(Harvest House Publishing, February 2012) and 12 other books. Mary is somewhat of an expert on spiritual warfare, having spent several months on the front lines while she and her husband, Patrick, and their children served as missionaries in the south of France. I hope you’ll join us both days. We can learn great information and gain powerful resources by sitting at Mary’s feet with regard to this topic.

Here’s Mary:

I run the same route when I jog through my neighborhood, memorizing each house, lawn, street. This morning I run with pain because of an exercise boot camp the day before. My legs ache and they don’t lift like they should. They’re a study in shuffling lethargy. Still, my dog Pippin runs ahead of me, unaware of my internal battle to keep running.

In a hiccup of a moment, my left foot catches a rise in the sidewalk and I fly through the Texas air. Thankfully, I throw my hands in front, and my palms catch me before my head hits the cement. My knees block the blow too. I turn over, watch the cloudy sky for a moment while Pippin gives me a curious look. I’m sure he’s wondering why I’m on the ground and he’s still standing.

The spiritual life is like this sometimes. We run along familiar surroundings, unaware of sidewalk rises. And once we grow weary and shuffle, the rise catches us and we fly, then fall onto the cement. The truth is, we have a very real enemy bent on stagnating our growth, or eliminating it altogether. He is determined that we not shine Jesus everywhere we go. And he utterly hates God’s great redemptive plan played out every single day. So he watches us. Studies us. Then finds ways to trip us.

If we want to thrive, we must understand the spiritual battle swirling around us. This is a huge subject, though—one I’ve written an entire book about entitled, Beautiful Battle. There, I expose Satan’s ways, his lies, and reveal a pathway of victory, not one that comes from steeping ourselves in evil, but one founded on the supremacy of our God. To get a basic understanding of the warfare around us, remember four things.

#1: We have an enemy.

We do have a tangible enemy who wants nothing better than to steal from us, kill us and destroy us. But God has the upper hand. He sent His son Jesus to vanquish Satan’s destructive bent for this earth and our souls. On the cross, He bore the weight of our sin, died for it in a perfect sacrifice, then rose again, conquering death. After we humbly acknowledge this outrageous act and give our lives to Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves in, giving us the power every single day to defeat the enemy’s schemes.

#2: The enemy isn’t others.

Our battle isn’t against folks who vex us, or even our circumstances. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we’re “not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT).

Even when we’re longing to see people we know meet Jesus, the battle isn’t against them. It’s about the world system Satan constructs. We must remember that we “win” not by winning an argument, but by falling to our knees and seeking God’s wisdom and power.

Paul encourages, “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient” (2 Corinthians 10: 3-6, NLT).

Be sure and come back for Part 2 tomorrow.

Here’s a bit about us:

 Thomas Umstattd runs the Marketing Academy. He’s uniquely qualified because:

1. Thomas is still in his twenties (oh the energy!), Thomas has pioneered several successful companies.
2. Thomas has a passion not only for social media and web presence, but he understands the needs of authors. Check out his site, Author Media.
3. He’s a real-time thinker and strategist, constantly keeping up with the next new thing. He knows how to sift through what is fluff and what marketing efforts bring true success to authors.

 Jeff Gerke runs the Fiction Academy. He’s uniquely qualified because:

1. Jeff has published several books, including novels and books for Writer’s Digest on how to write novels. He also is a nationally known editor for several publishing houses.
2. He’s a prolific speaker, sharing his seminars and proven techniques for both character and plot development around the country.
3. Jeff inaugurated Marcher Lord Press, a publishing house for speculative fiction. As its founder, publisher and chief editor, he knows how to shepherd writers through the publication process.

 Mary DeMuth runs the Nonfiction Academy. Mary is uniquely qualified because:

1. She’s traditionally published twelve books, and has also learned the art and craft of e-publishing and Print on Demand.
2. She understands the importance of platform. She’s learned the power of marketing, tribe creation, and social media engagement. Follow her on twitter!
3. She is passionate about helping other writers. She wrote a book about it. And I’ve mentored writers for years on my successful and well-visited writing website. She also has a teacher’s heart, mentoring and teaching writers all over the world.

Cool side note: If you sign up for the Nonfiction Academy, you get Mary’s nonfiction proposal tutorial (100+ pages, $25 value) free with sign up. The Bestseller Society folks had a lot of fun setting this site up. They laugh a lot, learn a lot, and give a lot. What you get with membership:

• Hours and hours of un-boring, super exciting video instruction (and we introduce new content often).
• Upcoming podcasts on trends, craft, and marketing
• Printable resources
• A mastermind forum where we coach you, and you learn from other writers on the journey
• Freebies on proposals, queries, marketing plans, and character sheets
• Access to guest teachers–particularly top agents, editors and publishers
• Heavy discounts on products and tutorials created by industry insiders
• Curation of content. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out the best information and what will really help you get published and get noticed. We find the best, most success-producing content and deliver it to you.

You want to publish a book. We want to help you get there. Join the Bestseller Societyand watch your publishing dreams come true. Free ways to connect:

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Still in first is the dreaded gynecological exam. Apparently, having to sit in a freezing cold room for an hour wearing nothing but a large paper towel until your doctor examines your female parts still terrifies more women. Understandably so.

But mammography has made progress recently. No more feeling like your breast is flash-frozen, then run over by a tractor. Thanks to the machine’s special padding, your breast stays warm while being run over by a tractor.

Women everywhere who’ve reached a certain age applaud these small, yet significant technological advancements.

In the meantime, what has edged into second place?

Trying on swimsuits.

This loathsome chore endured by women all across our great nation—yea, throughout the world—now ranks right behind the pap smear. Normal, everyday women must endure this regular shredding of their self-esteem. A woman can walk into a department store, confident and cheerful. After five minutes of trying on swimsuits, she’s a crumbling heap requiring an assurance transfusion.

Eager to help, store employees offer suit after suit over the door, gushing, “This one would look great.” Really, except for the fact that it showcases my worst features: my jiggly arms, my thighs, my calves, my feet, even the turkey waddle on my neck. It tries to camouflage my rear, my pooch and my sagging chest, but fails miserably.

Why can’t designers create a swimsuit poncho?

I’ve never understood the dichotomy. Even as men’s trunks get longer and longer (most extend past their knees), women’s swimsuits become skimpier, revealing more.

The recent improvements in the mammogram department got me to thinking. What would it take to make the swimsuit buying experience less painful and embarrassing? If mammogram patients now feel comfortable and contented, certainly retail chains can add a few special touches to improve the ritual of trying on and purchasing swimsuits. Take notes, retailers. Here are my ideas:

• Add candlelight—or, at the very least, install dimmer switches. This way we mid-life moms don’t have to view our pallid skin and cellulite thighs under fluorescent lights.
• Play peppy music. As my head bobs to The Go-Go’s or Beach Boys, I’m thinking less about the girth of my gut or the size of my thighs. Grocery store chains employ this strategy to keep me shopping longer.
• Install special “skinny” mirrors. Fun houses at the State Fair boast mirrors that distort our natural images, making us look like Humpty Dumpty or sport Jay Leno chins. Why can’t retailers install skinny mirrors to make women look 5-10 pounds lighter? At the very worst, stores might need to post signs warning: Objects in mirror are larger than they may appear.
• Mount fans to blow air. This long-time secret of actresses and models makes anyone look like they’re driving 30 MPH in a Mercedes convertible.
• Display past installments of Star Magazine’s annual Stars without Makeup or Cellulite Fright issues. Somehow, seeing beauties such as Cameron Diaz, Teri Hatcher or Jessica Simpson caught unprepared and make-up free offers me encouragement regarding my own aging face and body. It’s hard to say why ogling Gwyneth Paltrow’s cottage cheese thighs gives me a boost.

I usually wait until I’m thinner (So it’s only two or three pounds. What’s it to ya?) and tanner (which, unfortunately, if it happens is usually the third week of July), before I get up enough courage to shop for swimsuits. By that time last year, there was precious little left in the store. I found only three bikini bottoms, two mismatched tops that were too small anyway, a one-piece that could have housed my family on a camping trip, and a cover-up with a rip in it. Not much to work with.

If we’re forced to try on and purchase swimsuits in April and May, we midlife moms should demand better trying on conditions from retailers. Who knows? Swimsuit-trying on might slip to Number 4 on the most painful or embarrassing life experiences—right behind telling our mother-in-law we’re spending Christmas with our parents or having our preschooler find the Mother’s Day card he made us tossed in the trash can.

Now it’s your turn. What other ideas do you have to make the swimsuit try-on experience less painful?

Case in point: I received an email last week from our leader. I’ll call her Shelby. (For this writing, I’ve chosen to “rename” her husband Ted.)

Well, I am thankful that we happen to be in the midst of our Forgiveness application because I have needed it!  Poor Ted!  First, I didn’t make the proper transfers into our checking account, so Ted goes to the ATM at 6:30 in the morning on his way to a business trip and receives an “INSUFFICIENT FUNDS” alert!  Oh dear!!!!  I woke up to a text nicely asking “why this is so”.  All I kept saying to myself was “IGNORANT”, “IGNORANT”!!!   Thanks Travis [a member of our group] for putting that reminder in my head!  I quickly corrected my wrong and never heard about it again.  Thanks for the grace, Ted!  

THEN, I had another “oops!”  We lease my current vehicle, and the lease is up in 2 months.  We are returning the car in great condition ~ as long as I can avoid any mishaps over the next 2 months.   Well, someone started to pull out in front of me in a parking lot, so I pulled to the right a little bit to avoid a collision only to find there was this random 2 inch ramp that scraped up my rim all the way around!  Ugh!  I was so mad, and I knew Ted would be too.  :/  Before I could even explain my side of the story, he said “don’t worry about it”, “it’s no big deal” – totally extended me forgiveness and grace.  Whew!  I was relieved!  Thanks again Ted!

Now, these things are frustrating, but in the big scheme of life, they are minute.  It is easy to fall into anger, frustration, and irritation with your spouse over these types of situations.  Ted could have really let me have it over these two careless mishaps, but he CHOSE grace and forgiveness.  And not only was I blessed by that, but he was too.  I also know the next time I have a mishap to share with Ted that I will not be so apprehensive/nervous to share it with him because I was met with grace.  He made me feel safe and secure in coming to him with my troubles.  I believe we all want that.

So, be encouraged!  Extend your spouse forgiveness and experience the benefits you both will receive.  

I think all Christ-followers need this kind of connection, intimacy and transparency with fellow believers. But we don’t always get it.