So when I receive emails and snail mail telling me what an impact Born to be a Dragon has had on their children or class, it really makes my day. Three times I’ve received a classroom packet of letters, pictures, drawings and it does make my day.

However, one can never be prepared for the ultimate email or message:

For those of you who haven’t read Born to be a Dragon, The Cook Islands are the place where Meia and Deglan first meet.

To say this is an honor would be putting it mildly. How steenkin’ cool!!

And it gets better, the parent emailed me the report and I am going to share it with you.

Hannah you are an amazing girl! Thank you so much for sharing your report with me and for making my Valentines so much more special! I hope you continue to be excited about learning and reading! Never stop believing in your dreams!

It’s official! Ethiopia2012 is a big happy GO!

I can’t even begin to communicate what is means to be privileged to have been hand picked for this trip. It’s only a small team going this time and our plans are far greater then one can even fathom! It will be amazing!

But as you can imagine, going overseas costs a bit more then just a stroll into town. The airfare along  to Gojjo, Ethiopia will be $1600 and then we have all the ministry expenses that come along with a trip like this.

Because I know a lot of people have a million questions about the trip, what we will be doing, how you can help, I thought I would break it down in a F.A.Q. type format.

When is the trip: May of 2012

Who is going? A small group of women from Living Way Fellowship (Four total)

Where will you be going? A remote town in the mountains of Ethiopia called Gojjo

What will you be doing there?

• Providing medical care to orphans
• holding a VBS (singing, dancing, crafts, love– This is my job on this trip!!)
• health and hygiene training for new moms
• outreach to the village and within local churches (making home visits to poor families)
• bringing much needed shoes, clothes, medical supplies, etc
• holding and loving on every orphan or child we can find!

How is Living Way Fellowship connected to Gojjo, Ethiopa?  LWF has a faithful history of service in Ethiopia for many years. We are committed to the ongoing work to serve the Ethiopians, to help with resources, to equip as well as to minister to those who are in need. We are excited to be part of the expanding work in the remote, mountainous village of Gojjo.

How can I help? Would you prayerfully consider donating to our team? Every donation (regardless of the amount) enables our specialized team to provide medical care, vitamins, education, and ministry to the people of Gojjo, Ethiopia.

We have set up a fundraising page and if you’d like the link for it, please email me and let me know! Or if paypal or check works better for you, that is fine.

I will leave you with some pictures of my last trip to Ethiopia and hope and pray they touch your heart as they have mine.

The words say:  ”I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me — dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder.” — Emma Watson

Now, I will state here that I don’t know if Emma actually said this. If she did and it was caught on tape, I’d like to see it. Updated: The original article can be found here on People.com.  This to me is the kind of girl I want my daughter (age 12) looking up to.  I never want my daughter to feel like she has to shorten her skirt or push up her breasts. I want her to respect herself enough to make them wonder.

This culture is so filled with smut and it alarms me that the envelope just keeps getting pushed further and further. I saw a gal in the super market wearing  black skin tights and a shirt.  And no, the shirt did NOT cover her assets. There is a problem with thinking this is sexy or even flattering. You may get a man’s attention dressing like that… but IS THAT the man whose attention you REALLY want to get? Goodness I hope not.

Don’t get me started on the  message my boys are receiving from seeing these things. I don’t want them EVER thinking that this is the type of girl they should go for. In fact, I hope they go for an Emma Watson. She is soooo beautiful. Soooo classy. And so right.

And I hope my daughter finds an Emma Watson for a best friend. One who can encourage her to BE WHO SHE IS and not succumb to the pressures all around her.

What if… just what if… the new revolution of woman stopped caring about what others believed she should be and believed in herself and her dreams.

Amazing. Amazing visions jumping through in my head.

Thank you Emma Watson. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

First, I am going to give credit where credit is due! Original recipe was retrieved from Smashed Peas and Carrots. If you haven’t checked out her site before, it’s a must visit. Just be aware, some of her plug-ins have caused things to crash for some folks. Weird, but true. Which is why I must repost this recipe for the world to enjoy!

Quick. Easy. And best of all, wheat/gluten free! Hooray!

No-Bake Energy Bites

1 cup oatmeal (Old fashion)
1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter, imagine almond nut butter OMG yumm)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls. Eat.

Then if you are like me… I count how many it made… 1, 2, 3, 4… wait a minute. The recipe says the yield was 18-20. BUT with 4 kids in the house who thought they were divine… I only had 4 left.

Duh, winning!

If you haven’t checked out Smashed Peas and Carrots website! Please do!! She has some great ideas!

I’m still debating on the back cover blurb, but I think the front cover is going to stick with me. However, I think E. H. Jacobs is going to get a font change. Not a super fan.

So now, I am doing the blurb today. This is what I have so far (and I have to cut it down to 1/3 of this!):

Everyone runs from their past; Beck has it mastered. She’s been running for so long, stopping is a foreign concept. Her
conning skills and wits have her on a plane to London, free of charge. It’s not the first time she’s gotten what she wanted
and certainly won’t be the last.

Everything is going as planned, but Beck soon wonders whose plan? First, the man who offers her a courier job drops dead on
the Tube, leaving behind a box of money, a necklace, and a passport identical to hers. Then, a crazy woman gives her a rock
and the strange man at the bookstore slips a book called CHOICES into her bag.

With the help of a gorgeous bellhop, Colin, the pieces to the mystery begin to fall into place.

Chased by a superhuman who wants what Beck has been given, the new friends race across Europe, following clues from Christian
relics in Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Italy and beyond. While searching for the answers to the meaning of their clues, they
find answers to each of their pasts as well.

Join Beck as she discovers that bitterness and despair aren’t her only RUNAWAY CHOICES.

::
So, if you need me, I will be fighting words of a blurb. Runaway Choices still slotted for release early Spring or late Winter 2012.

I should have a blurb for you sometime in the near future. So stay tuned.

Also, only 10 days left to enter the Fantasy Fiction/Poetry Contest. Details here.

So with the release of Book Two and the beginning of 2012, I’ve been thinking about how this next year will look. I really wish I could see the future and tell you how it WILL look, but I can certainly tell you my plans.

As a middle grade/young adult writer, I absolutely love to write quality fiction/fantasy/fun for kids. I have a few books in the making for middle grade/young adult and hope to have the drafts done this year and maybe even get one or two out into the hands of my readers. But, I’m getting a head of myself. I have to finish them first. One things for sure, in 2012, I am not messing around with this writing thing. I am taking it completely serious and having fun doing so. I hope you will join me!

Now, as an adult female, sometimes I write things that are encouraging but definitely not MG/YA. In fact, one such novel was entered into the GENESIS contest with ACFW last year and scored super high by two judges (“Ready for Pub”) and scored really lousy by another (“Needs too much work”). Of course because one said it was lousy, I figured it must be. That was until a beta read kept asking about it. She was relentless… Thank you. During a lull (is there such a thing for a writer?!?) I took it out again and read/revised it. OMGOODNESS, what was I thinking? I wept… I mean cried crocodile tears as I read this novel. Yes, I know… I’m the author, but it is an emotional shot to the jugular… in a really REALLY good way. It’s Christian Women’s Fiction (which is why it was so emotional) and it’s definitely only a novel for the Christian crowd. So, you probably won’t see me posting a whole lot about it… but the name is RUNAWAY CHOICES. And it should be published before summer.

After I sucked my emotions back up into the normal range, I took out my short story collection called THE UNSEEN CHRONICLES. The funny story about this group of stories is that they are all based on actual events. Actual events told from the perspective of the unseen hands that helped the situation turn out well. Yes. I’m talking about Angels. And Demons. So again, this is another adult novel that isn’t for the MG/YA audience… but as I read it. I sobbed again. Specially the story I wrote first, for my dear nephew. After getting through story three, I realized I needed to get these into the hands of those who need to hear them. I’d stopped pursing publication for these stories for a silly reason about a year ago… and a very wise woman helped me see the err of my ways. So, I’m hoping, in 2012. THE UNSEEN CHRONICLES will see the light of day. Bring your tissues.

Where does that leave Book Three of Dragons Forever? In my mind and at my heart! My goals for DF3 are late summer. I won’t promise anything, but DF 3 will come out in 2012.

However, I still have three other novels that REALLY REALLY want to be written. PIECES OF ME, TWISTED and RINGS OF TIME (though, this one is written, it has to be rewritten again—again.).

I foresee the massive tugging of characters on my mind. This should be interesting.

So for those who are keeping track… We have:
BORN TO BE A DRAGON – Dragons Forever Book 1 (July 2011)
BLINK OF A DRAGON – Dragons Forever Book 2 (Jan 2012)
Dragons Forever Book 3 – Needs to be written (??? 2012)
RUNAWAY CHOICES – Christian Women’s Fiction (??? 2012)
THE UNSEEN CHROCNILES (??? 2012)
PIECES OF ME – Finished in 2012
TWISTED – Written in 2012
RINGS OF TIME – Rewritten in 2012

I’m going to be busy….

Contest dates JANUARY 6, 2012 – FEBRUARY 6, 2012

In celebration of the release of the second book in the Dragons Forever series (BLINK OF A DRAGON), Eisley Jacobs is inviting you to take part in the BORN TO BE A DRAGON Fan Fiction and Poetry contest!

Who is elegible? Children ages 4-99

What is fan fiction? Fan fiction is a variety of stories about the characters or settings of a book as told by the fans. In this contest, entrants are encouraged to write a short story (200-600 words) about a missed adventure (something that could have happened but didn’t) with any of the main or supporting characters in the book, BORN TO BE A DRAGON. Because it’s fan fiction, this story does not have to follow the theme of the book, nor the characters’ personalities. It’s completely up to the entrant.

What about a poem? Poetry is a form of creative writing in which language is used as an art. The poem can rhyme or not, it’s up to the entrant, but it must be about BORN TO BE A DRAGON (or a missed adventure).

How do we enter? You have from today until February 6, 2012 to write your fan faction or poetry. At midnight on the 6th, I will close the contest to prepare for the voting process. Voting will take place off line by a group of authors, parents, and teachers. The entries will be judged on creativity and use of BORN TO BE A DRAGON as their inspiration. Once voting is complete, all entries will be posted in the fan fiction area of Eisley Jacobs website.

Where do we send the entries? Please send all fan fiction and poetry to Eisley.Jacobs@EisleyJacobs.com. You can also go to my website and fill out the form with the subject “Fan Fiction”(http://EisleyJacobs.com/contact/).

Teachers: If you’d like to submit all of your students entries at once, please email Eisley at Eisley.Jacobs@EisleyJacobs.com and she will give you the proper address to do so.

What can I win? If your entry is chosen as the winner of the Fan Fiction and Poetry contest, not only will your entry appear in Dragons Forever – Book Three, but your name will also be tagged in the credits and a minor character will be named after you. ALSO, YOUR WHOLE CLASS AND SIBLINGS will receive autographed copies of BLINK OF A DRAGON, which means the more kids in your class you can get involved, the better all your chances are to receive the book. Homeschoolers, if one of you wins, you will receive 30 autographed books for the other kids in your homeschool group.

A printable page can be found at http://dragonsforever.eisleyjacobs.com/fanfiction.html

If you have any questions, please email Eisley Jacobs.

DragonBlogger.com gave away two right before Christmas and is giving away a third at the end of the month. Since I am all about technology and I want to get one of these bad boys for my kids, I am entering again.

AND YOU SHOULD TO! Right here… DragonBlogger.com

It’s easy… and fun. Not to mention you end up getting a lot of great information about the tech crunch and other things you thought you may never need to know… but do!

I’m always looking for new tech stuff, so when I first started following DragonBlogger (before any of his contests) I knew I’d enjoy his news and advice!

AND like the last time, he wants us to do another video about the giveaway. Hahaha, because I can’t see myself getting in front of the camera yet again. I’ve decided to leave it in the hands of my children since they will ultimately receive this “prize” if we win. The only thing I did in the creation of this video was hold the camera and upload it. My kids are great!  ;)

You can enter too! DragonBlogger.com

Did you see BOYS kindle fire? Yeah, he’s ready for an upgrade

The Kindle Fire Giveaway contest hosted by Dragon Blogger technology blog is made possible in part by these awesome sponsors and you should pay them a visit and thank them!

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