Shine!

Inkwell Inspirations: We're Eight Years Old!

2017-08-31T09:13:00.001-07:00

Time for #giveaways!

Inkwell Inspirations: We're Eight Years Old!: It all started eight years ago. At that time, there were fourteen of us. Only one had a book published, but we were all hungry to make this ...

Smiling Book Reviews: Blog Tour Review: The Blue Ribbon Brides Collectio...

2016-11-03T15:28:00.001-07:00

Smiling Book Reviews: Blog Tour Review: The Blue Ribbon Brides Collectio...: ~Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY below!~ The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection: 9 Historical Women Win More than a...

Linda Shenton Matchett: Blog Tour: Blue Ribbon Brides

2016-11-02T14:43:00.001-07:00

Linda Shenton Matchett: Blog Tour: Blue Ribbon Brides: Blog Tour: Blue Ribbon Brides About the book: Meet nine men and women whose competitive goals take them to state and county fairs b...

Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti

2016-05-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Music taught Lucy love and beauty. Could silence teach her hope?

Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they’re committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. Charlie retired early, but Lucy is devoted to a long-term career…until the day she has no choice.

Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith’s song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes.

When a single misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.

Song of Silence (Abingdon Press) by Cynthia Ruchti--RT REVIEWS 4.5 Stars TOP PICK! http://bit.ly/1RAajD2

“Sometimes God shatters a dream because what He will create out of the broken pieces will be far more beautiful and useful than the original. Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti is the glorious telling of one family’s broken dreams transformed by hope.”

--Becky Melby, The Lost Sanctuary Series

“From music education to special needs, from heartache to the reality of relationships, Cynthia Ruchti nails every note in Song of Silence with crafted precision.”

--Richard Pickrell, music education specialist, parent of a special needs child

“Cynthia Ruchti deftly depicts the feelings of unreality, depression, and the uncanny ability of life to follow up one knockout punch with a string of other shattering blows. Yet as despair hovers menacingly close in the story Song of Silence, Ruchti injects her trademark perspective of a life ‘hemmed in hope.’’

–Kathy Kexel, on-air host, 88.5 The Family Radio

“In Song of Silence, readers will ask themselves, ‘What would I do if the thing that makes me feel like I matter in life was taken away and I had to start over? Where would I find my significance?’ The scenes balance funny, fear, and futility, resulting in renewed faith.”

--Kathy Carlton Willis, author of Grin with Grace and Speaker to Speaker

Buy Today!

Abingdon Press * Amazon

Christian Book Distributors * iTunes

Best in Christian Fiction

2015-12-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Claire’s 19 year-old son gets himself a Brazilian mail-order bride When Claire tries to welcome her, she's ridiculed, rebuffed, and rejected. Loving this girl is like hugging a prickly cactus. Chapel Springs Survival received 4 stars from RT BookReviews. http://amzn.to/1RtViDq

Christmas Traditions Series

2015-11-28T08:49:00.001-08:00

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 

Featuring HOLLY DAZE by Gina Welborn…

Lena rested her forehead against the knotty pine beam. She could leave town and no one would notice. Until they needed another cherry twig placed in holy water.

“Luck isn’t real.”

“In that, Miss Reinhardt, you are correct,” came the cynically British (Britishly cynical?) voice from somewhere behind her. “All things occur because God wills them. Rain, good and bad, et cetera et cetera.”

With an inner groan, Lena turned to face the barn wall where James Holly stood, coffee mug in right hand, flask in left, crooked grin on his handsome face. Strands of ash brown hair had loosened from his aristocratic queue. Fourth-in-line to a marquessate and a PhD in geology, not to mention a decade older than her, the fossil hunter oozed superiority and smugness—two character traits that no one else in the town seemed to mind but her. 

The town’s beloved Englishman. She’d yet to hear a critical word about him. Well, save for those she uttered in her own mind.

FREE READ ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

“This collection of Christmas novellas offered eight delightful stories of romance, restoration, and renewal. This faith-based series was also laced with humor and a bit of suspense.” ~Amazon reviewer, 5*

#kindleromance #ebooks #indieauthors #christfic #christmasnovella

#boxedset #inspyfiction #christmas #christmasromance #99cents

http://amzn.to/1PX6OsR

Inkwell Inspirations: Santiago Sol Release Party & Giveaway!

2015-10-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

Inkwell Inspirations: Santiago Sol Release Party & Giveaway!: by Niki Turner Welcome to the Ends of the Earth! Our party's wait staff is handing out steaming cups of Nestle's Abuelita hot c...

Inkwell Inspirations: Floral Depravity Pre-launch Party

2015-10-05T08:26:00.001-07:00

Giveaway!

Inkwell Inspirations: Floral Depravity Pre-launch Party: Tomorrow is the launch day for FLORAL DEPRAVITY, the third of Beverly Allen's Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries, and we're celebrating....

Inkwell Inspirations: Happy 6th Blog-o-versary To Us!

2015-08-31T07:34:00.001-07:00

Inkwell Inspirations: Happy 6th Blog-o-versary To Us!: It's been 6 years since Gina Welborn realized a dream of bringing a group of female inspirational writers together for the purpose o...

We're giving away two Amazon giftcards!

The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection

2015-06-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Here’s a romance collection that takes readers back to the gentler time of courtship and chivalry. Each of the nine story’s heroes has something special about him besides a handsome face—success, wealth, a beautiful home, a courageous heart, generosity, and more—but he doesn’t have the woman of his dreams. Still finding her is a challenge when all the local single ladies want to be with the most eligible bachelor in town, including gold diggers and charlatans. Readers will delight in following the journeys as each bachelor finds his bride through patience, prayer, and perfect timing.

Buy Today

WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER ERICA VETSCH

The Archaeologist’s Find

by Erica Vetsch

New York 1898 –

Archaeologist James Kirkland’s finds in Egypt have made him a wealthy man—and a very eligible bachelor. Alicia Davidson would like nothing better than to spend every day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art sketching artifacts. Drawn to each other within the halls of the museum, will their friendship survive when society reveals their true identities?

The Archaeologist’s Find is set in Gilded Age New York City, primarily in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have always been fascinated with the opulent homes, the society rules, and the lifestyles of the Astors and Vanderbilts and Goulds during the Gilded Age. I’ve also long been intrigued by the history of America’s “Dollar Princesses,” the daughters of New York Society who were married off for political, material, and societal means with little say in the matter for themselves. Whether their fathers were trying to solidify a business deal, or their mothers were after a European title, the daughters were treated like bargaining chips. I love the idea of a socialite throwing over the traces for love.

My hero, James Maxwell Kirkland, is an Egyptologist who loves the life of an excavator and conservator, spending half his year in Egypt, the other half in scholarly pursuits. He’s made the discovery of a lifetime, but it comes with strings attached. He must curate an exhibit of his find at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

My heroine, Alicia Davidson, is the only child and heir of the Davidson Department Store fortune and is expected to marry well. But in her heart, all she longs for is to become an artist…and to find real love. She escapes her mother’s machinations by going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art each day to draw and paint.

When Max and Ally meet, it’s as museum aficionados, not as two of New York’s most eligible catches, and while the pressure is on for them to find their perfect matches among New York’s elite, they think their paths might lie along similar lines. When the truth about who they are is revealed, one is elated and the other alarmed.

~*~*~*~*~

Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and romance, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical romances. Whenever she’s not immersed in fictional worlds, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

How to Name a Fictional Character -- Part 2

2015-06-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday we discussed What Not To Do when naming fictional characters. Today, let's talk What To Do.

1) Culturally Appropriate Names

Look for a culturally appropriate name that has significance for your character and the story. For example, Chinese females are given eloquent names that signify grace and beauty, where as boys are given plain names. Why? A plain name, according to the culture, will confuse evil spirits. In Greece, first-born sons are named after their paternal grandfather, first-born daughters after paternal grandmothers.

2) Put a Twist on a Common/Popular Name

Today we are constantly hearing about a couples "shipped" name. Bennifer. Brangelina. Captain Swan. What about doing that with popular names Jeffanie. Timberly. Kaylor. Maybe not for a historical, but that could easily work in a contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, or sci-fi. Or take a common name and remove a letter or two. Matthew becomes Athew. Melody becomes Elody or Melo.

3) The Meaning Behind the Name

Once you've figured out the cultural ancestry of your lead, look for names that fit that culture yet have a meaning that summarizes your lead's super-power, or maybe weakness.

4) Shorten for Familiarity

You can show familiarity or even tension by having one character use a shortened version of the lead's name.

5) Be Aware of Gender Norms

Most Americans consider Whitney a female name. So if your hero is named Whitney, quite fitting in a historical, your readers may be put off. That's not to say you can't have a female use a male name or vice versa. If it is a plot element, then go for it.

6) Search the Past for Real People

Census taken around the time of my story and in the locale (or close to it) are my favorite places to find names. You can also find cemetery records, birth or marriage certificates, or other historical documents. In my book MASTERPIECE MARRIAGE, my hero is named Zenus (rhymes with Venus) Dane. Usually I will mix up first and last names. With Zenus, I used the name of a man who wrote an article for Good Housekeeping magazine back in the 1880s.

Get creative with naming your leads!

How to Name a Fictional Character - Part 1

2015-06-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN NAMING CHARACTERS

"Why do YA heroines always have strange names, while everyone else has normal names?" My 17-yr-old daughter had a great point.

I recently had been judging a contest. One of my entries was a YA. Sure enough the heroine had a crazy name. Everyone else -- Bob, Sue, Tom. What made it worse was the heroine and her BFF had names so similar . . . I had to stop reading during their scenes together. Milly said this. Lilly said that. Ugh.

Character Naming Think-Twice-About-Doing

1) Unpronounceable Names

In this day and age, we can get away with odd names as long as the reader can figure out how to pronouce. Katniss, anyone? If one of your beta readers or critique partners questions a name choice, then you may want to change that name.

2) Similar Names

Ever seen that word test on Facebook where certain letters are removed yet you can still read the sentence? I have. The human brain is fascinating in how it can do this. Yet that ability causes may reader a problem when the brain sees J and immeditately thinks Jenny, your heroine's name. But name is Jenks, you villain.

That's not to say you can't have more than one character with a J-name. Be cautious about using one letter to carry too many names. Same goes with sound. Jenny, Bennie, Denney, or any variation of the "ee" sound at the end of the name can be confusing to the reader.

3) Time-Period Appropriate

I was re-reading a novel by one of my favorite historical authors. The name she'd chosen for the heroine didn't "sound" right for an English female in mid-1800s. I searched the book for an explanation of how she came about the name, but there wasn't one.

4) Popular Names

One year I judged a contest where three of my four entries had heroines named Cat/Kat. Obviously her name was shortened for Catherine or some derivative. Go to http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames. It will list the most popular names dating all the way back to 1880.

5) Nicknames

I swear if I pick up a book and the heroine is named Cat or Sam, I put the book back. The book could be amazing, but I refuse to read it. But if you do chose to call your lead(s) by a nickname, please be consistent and don't use more than one. All goes back to don't confuse your reader. If you're going to use a nickname predominantly for a character, then introduce the character by that name.

We first know him as Strider. Then we learn he is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. By the end of the third boook, he is King Elessar.

Broken Umbrellas by Wendy Chorot

2015-05-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

BROKEN UMBRELLAS

It snowed the day of my grandson’s funeral. Pure grace blanketing dirty mounds of earth. Through my tears, my gaze fell on a sagging blue umbrella suspended over the head of a woman grieving our tiny loss with us. New tears sprang from within me, from depths I didn’t know existed. Not from the loss of my precious one, but from this old umbrella, broken and twisted, yet hovering and flapping above this woman. It offered no protection at all from the wetness dropping from the sky, yet she clung to it. Broken and unsheltered. Could anything symbolize my heart and all humanity better than this crippled umbrella? And then she did something that tore me apart.

She moved her brokenness in an attempt to protect the man beside her.

~*~

We are all surrounded by brokenness, around us and inside us—from divorce, from abuse, from loss. We try to relate and serve, to love and protect...but how can we, when we ourselves are broken? We still end up exposed to life’s storms. We still end up covered in snow. And we wonder why.

In this transparent and honest look into humanity’s deepest hurts, hope for our relationships comes through the ultimate Relationship with the Lord. Join author Emma Broch Stuart as she travels that snowy road of pain toward the ultimate healing only God can offer.

~*~

Broken Umbrellas shows how God takes one wounded woman and transforms her life into wholeness and healing. Her name was once Ashamed, but now it’s Unashamed. Her name was once Broken, but now it’s Healed. Her name was once Bitter, but now it’s Beloved. Every woman will find her name in Broken Umbrellas.

Walk with Emma Broch Stuart as she takes you by the hand and guides you through her pain, then on into her healing. There are nuggets of wisdom for every woman within these pages, and Ms. Stuart will show you what it means to step beneath the Father’s magnificent umbrella. ~~Sandi Rog, award-winning and international author of The Master’s Wall, Yahshua’s Bridge, and Walks Alone

Broken Umbrellas reveals the author’s heart as a devoted Christ-follower. It is a witness that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds more. Broken Umbrellas speaks healing. ~~ Pamela Hoover Heim, founder of WomenSchool of Ministry Leadership

Broken Umbrellas shows a Christian woman’s journey through many heartbreaking earthly relationships. Emma Broch Stuart has used this heartbreak to strengthen her greatest relationship—the one between her and God. Her honesty will bring you to tears, make you laugh, and feel as though you have gained a true friend by reading her words. ~~Kristy Hutson, mother of three

The audience for Emma Broch Stuart’s Broken Umbrellas is wide—anyone who has suffered a wound inflicted by another person will benefit from this book. Our faith suffers at such times, especially when the source of the hurt is another believer. However, if we allow the healing process to work its way through us, this type of anguish can also produce powerful change in our lives. Emma has “been there, done that,” and her recovery testifies to the eternal truth of Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work togetherfor the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ~~Gail Kittleson, author of Catching up with Daylight

Broken Umbrellas is a refreshingly transparent and heart touching re-telling of one woman’s facing divorce—in marriage, in spirituality, in friendships, and family. Emma Broch Stuart walks us through her steps of healing and points the reader to the path of The Healer for the ultimate restoration. Highly recommended. Five Stars. ~~April McGowan, Healing Fiction author of Jasmine and Macy.

BROKEN UMBRELLAS can be purchased at Amazon!

EMMA BROCH STUART loves people and listening to their stories. Her heart aches for the broken and she longs to walk hand-in-hand with them through their storm. Although life's challenges and hardships have matured her in ways she never imagined, she's decided there are some things she will never grow out of: decorating Valentine boxes, being addicted to cherry limeades, and loving her grandchildren. She recently returned to the Midwest after living in Europe for fourteen years.

Inkwell Inspirations: Interview with Susanne Dietze and Gina Welborn

2015-05-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

Inkwell Inspirations: Interview with Susanne Dietze and Gina Welborn: I'm so excited about this new novella collection: The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Novellas Celebrate ...

The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection

2015-05-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Novellas Celebrate Marrying for All the Right Reasons

~*~

Meet nine men from bygone days who have all the qualities of a true hero and who all the single ladies wish to court—though some are unassuming and overlooked until their worth is revealed. The socialite, the architect, the doctor, the masked vigilante, the missionary, the postmaster, archaeologist, the wealthy widower, and the heir can have their pick of brides, but which one will they choose?

Learn more about the authors and their other books!

In celebration of our new release, we're hosting a giveaway!

http://www.inkwellinspirations.com/2015/05/release-party-and-giveaway-for-susie.html

http://coffeecupsandcamisoles.blogspot.com/2015/05/day-one-most-eligible-bachelor-blog-hop.html

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

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ACFW Foundation Online Silent Auction

2015-04-06T19:23:00.006-07:00

Have you been trying to get your manuscript in front of an agent or editor? Wonder why the story isn't working? Then check out these silent auction items (and remember all proceeds go to the foundation for scholarships to next year's conference).

Michelle Grajkowsky, 3 Seas Literary: http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/509

593

Chip Macgregor: proposal & 3 chapter review plus skype: http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/506236

Sarah Freese: WordServe agent:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505547

Linda Glaz: Hartline Literary Agency: http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/508908

Michael Hague: 1 hour consultation:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505601

Raela Schoenherr: Bethany House editor:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/508917

PUBLISHED AUTHORS

Stacy Adams Hawkins:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/506372

Susan Meissner:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505582

Elizabeth Goddard:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505492

Kathleen Fuller:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/509110

Lauraine Snelling: critique & Call:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/509572

MaryLu Tydall: 3 chapter critique:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505593

Colleen Coble:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/505500

Lynette Eason:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/508937

And don't forget that if you're planning to come to conference, you can bid on a conference registration. Then your registration fee goes entirely to the Foundation:

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9165/auctions/21779/auction_items/510361

ACFW Foundation Online Silent Auction

2015-04-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

The ACFW Foundation Silent Auction starts on TODAY. There are some great books baskets for readers and awesome helps for writers. You can view the selection here: http://www.32auctions.com/acfw2015

Need an ebook cover? We have several that have been donated to the ACFW Foundation by talented designers like Ken Raney, Roseanna White, and Suzanne Wesley.

Want to know what an editor or agent might think about your proposal? Several have graciously donated their time for a review of your first chapters and synopsis!

How about like some advice from a published author? Would you like their input on your proposal? Multi-published, award-winning authors like Lauraine Snelling, DiAnn Mills, Susan Meissner, Colleen Coble, Stacy Adams Hawkins and many more have donated critiques and mentoring sessions.

How about a Kindle? At least 3 baskets have a Kindle of some sort included.

Need a manuscript edit? There are several of those as well.

How about headshots at conference or early entry to the conference? We’ve got that as well as one conference registration.

All proceeds go to the ACFW Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Inkwell Inspirations: Launch Party for Dina Sleiman's Dauntless

2015-03-06T07:09:00.001-08:00

Inkwell Inspirations: Launch Party for Dina Sleiman's Dauntless: Win a $250 Amazon giftcard!!!

Hercules Superman Mr. Romance

2015-03-02T00:30:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He’s a cliché.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a guy has to be a virgin to be a romance novel--or real life--hero, either. But a true Bad Boy is more than an Iron Chef of Sex.

We all have our idea of the perfect guy, the perfect hero, the perfect Mr. Romance. Only a hero is more than an archetype. He is more than a “caricature” of masculinity. A hero is more than a sexy body with a sexy grin and a sexy voice.

“He’s gotta be larger than life.”

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

He can’t be ignored.

He won’t be ignored.

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

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

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

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

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

“Somewhere after midnight,

in my wildest fantasy…

there’s someone reaching back for me”

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

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

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

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

The Great Garbage Patch

2015-02-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

Great Garbage Patch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh.

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

Can you hear me sighing?

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

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

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. ~Genesis 1:1-4

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

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

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

Does God exist?

Click here for some answers or here or take a trip to an Ohio museum.

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

Masterpiece Marriage Book Review

2015-02-23T00:30:00.000-08:00

5 stars - Amazon reviewer Briteny Adams

"Being intentional," he said, "is a quality more people should possess." - Zenus Dane

Gina Welborn has penned a wonderful addition to the Quilts of Love series! Masterpiece Marriage is a beautiful story!

I loved the richness and depth of the historical setting and story details. The tapestry of this story includes so many lovely threads. The characters are complex and charming and the relationship between Englishwoman Mary Varrs and textile mill owner Zenus Dane is delightful. I also enjoyed Zenus's Aunt Priscilla and her determination to design a masterpiece marriage.

Engaging, humorous, and romantic, Masterpiece Marriage is a pleasure to read! I loved this book and can't wait to read more from Gina Welborn!

___

Masterpiece Marriage : Quilts of Love Series is available at Amazon and other online booksellers.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

2015-02-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Bread

(Spoiler: Recipe isn't gluten-free.)

November isn't November unless I've made pumpkin br . . . stop the presses! It's February. Actually, my kids love pumpkin bread so much that I bake it year round. Only problem is in the last few years, I can't find canned pumpkin year round so I stock up.

Let's get cooking.

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

2/3 cup shortening (I use butter, or canola oil if I'm out of butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

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

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

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

3 1/2 cups flour *

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoonn baking power

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

(If I'm in the mood, I'll add some cloves, ginger, and/or allspice, and I'm usually in the mood.)

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

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup chopped nuts (Actually I never put in nuts, but if you like them...)

Add pumpkin to batter and mix gently. Add half the nuts to the batter, if so desiring the nuts to be added.

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

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

Enjoy!

*For those interested, I use this same recipe to make gluten-free pumpkin bread. I substitute equal amounts of GF flour. Baking time does have to be increased. Use toothpick test.

How to Bless God When Life Sucks

2015-02-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

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

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

Boy, did she relate to me.

When I found out I was pregnant with baby #5, I wasn't the least bit excited. In fact, I'd say I was majorly ticked off. ANGRY. Well, one Sunday morning for some reason, hubby needed me to fill in for the guy who normally worked the Power Point/Media Shout for the music during first service morning worship. I figured doing it would give me something to focus on instead of worshiping a God I was ticked off at.

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

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

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

Not long after Child #5 was born, I participated in the Beth Moore ESTHER Bible study. During week four's video session, Beth talked about fear. She said, "We can protect ourself right out of our callings." Boy, do I know how to do that with my writing. But God didn't want me to focus on my shallow writing fears. He decided to smack me upside the heart with my deepest fear. Eventually. Here's what I wrote in my notes:

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

In the listener guide, Beth wrote this: "And if _________, then God will take care of me." She challenged us to find what that ______ was in our lives. What did we fear on a daily basis? What even was our deepest, most crippling fear?

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

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

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

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

I even complained to my husband. I'm sure he thought I was abnormal for wanting a fear. I was considering pondering the very idea that perhaps maybe I was abnormal. Not but a day after I'd decided to live with my disappointment in not having a fear to conquer in Jesus' name, God opened my eyes. He played a song on my heart. Then again, it could have been on the radio.

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

I had a fear. A real fear. Getting pregnant when I didn't want to be. I remembered the anger I had at God when I realized I was pregnant with #5. That was not the fear I'd wanted to face. I figured God would show me I had a fear of creepy crawly things or not making it to the potty quick enough when I was in the middle of Wal-Mart. I wanted a cool fear.

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

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

Love the song? Listen to it HERE

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

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

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking -- Does it work?

2015-02-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

After reading BLINK: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, I decided to put into practice what I learned.

Hubby and I went to Olive Garden for Valentine's Day. My usual MO is fret over what to order, choose, second guess choice, ask others what they are ordering, make order adjustments, second guess second choice, order, then have food envy all evening.

Should I pick something cheap?

Should I go healthy?

What about sharing a plate with hubby or one of the kids?

Last thing I want is to be the person who ordered the most expensive item . . . or the unhealthiest. Nor do I want to be the person who can't make up her mind. Or who orders last because she has to wait to see what everyone else is ordering.

I'm not advocating all decisions should be made in the blink of a moment (actually, two seconds), but many can be. Like what menu item to order. When I go with my immediate first choice, I'm pretty much satisfied.

Or at least I have been since reading BLINK.

What book has made you change your thinking?

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

2015-02-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

Jan’s Peanut Butter Cookies

(SPOILER: This recipe is not Gluten-Free. However, when I make them, I substitute coconut oil and butter for Crisco, and Jules' G-F flour for wheat flour.)

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

I told him, "Well, then you should be happy you've gotten the worst year of your life outta the way." Somehow that never seems to make his memory of that year any more tolerable.

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

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

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

Anyhoo . . .

Jan doted on Matt. Matt idolized her.

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

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

1/2 cup butter, margarine or butter-flavored Crisco

1/2 cup low-salt, creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

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

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Add dry ingredients to batter and mix until well combined.

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

Pour a glass of milk, grab a few cookies, and enjoy!