5 Things I Wanted to be When I Grew Up...

I have a 5 year old and she is always talking about what she's going to be when she grows up. Often times she settles on just being like me...a mama. But she's gone through in her short 5 years wanting to be a vet, a scientist, a writer, a librarian, a horse trainer and several others.

It has made me remember what I used to want to be when I was a kid...besides being a wife and mom, here are the top 5 things that I remember always saying I would be when I grow up...

5. An Olympic gymnast. I really wanted to be Mary Lou Retton!
4. An Archeologist. Who doesn't love dusting off a lot of old, dead stuff? ;-) And, hey, I love vintage jewelry and furniture...that's my version of archeology!
3. A Teacher. Outside of Homeschooling, I could not see this now.
2. An Undercover cop. Johnny Dep is to blame for that when 21 Jumpstreet was famous! haha
1. A writer. I wrote my first "full-length" novel titled Randi's Will at 12 and I was smitten with it all. I'd written a lot small stories and poems also.

I guess 1 out of 5 isn't bad.

Your Turn: When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? How did it work out? I'd love to hear your story!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 6

Week 6:

This week we lost a Monkee named Davy.
The weather is making my hair pathetically wavy.
Felicity's ear ached without remorse,
Mercy's eating like a horse,
Thank goodness for biscuits and gravy.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Encouragement from the Trenches

I've been reading through Ephesians with an online Bible study from a great site called Good Morning Girls. You should google it.

This week I was struck by a message I needed to hear in chapter 4.

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Get it?

Let's follow our calling...not someone else's. Let's not compare our calling to anyone else's calling. Our focus should be on our calling and on our ONE God...another repetitive message in this passage.

Okay...ready...set...go! Your calling is waiting.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Prayer and Angels by Raquel Martinez

This post is by a very dear friend of mine and one of my critique partners. She has an AMAZING blog that I read obsessively. I hope you enjoy.

On March 20, 2003, my youngest son and his Marine unit crossed the central desert of Iraq on their way to Bagdad.  The war had just begun.

He was twenty-one years old at the time.  At home on that day, his high school friends worried about college classes, making it to work on time, and what to plan for Saturday night.

I had spent every moment since his deployment in January, praying for his safety, though I acknowleded that God’s Will would be done.  Because of the seriousness of war, I, and many others, prayed that God would cover my precious son with His angels, so that he would have the strength and courage to face whatever happened.

My son came home that year in September, and he shared many miraculous escapes from death. The most amazing happened on March 20^th.

As they crossed the desert, a huge sandstorm blew in.  It was so blinding that they “circled the wagons,” silenced their radios, and waited for it to abate.  They were defenseless in the storm. They occasionally saw flashes of light up ahead, but lightening sometimes accompanies these sandstorms. 

The next day the Air Force told them that a huge contingent of Iraqi army had crossed the desert during the storm. What they had seen were explosions and gun fire. Had the smaller Marine unit continued on their route, they would have crossed paths.  They would have been among the first casualties of the war.  The Air Force said the sandstorm had saved their lives.

My son answered it was everyone at home praying for him and his friends’ safety who had saved their lives. I believe God sent His angels and they stirred up that sandstorm. 

www.raquelmartinamartinez.com

I promise to do my hair and makeup before posting a new blog every Monday. I'll even wear heels, but I am not compromising on the pajamas.

Celebrating Daily

This is not the first Valentine's Day I've celebrated without my husband. I think the 2nd or 3rd.

I am I'd say fairly typical that I appreciate getting something for Valentine's Day...but I am not very high maintenance about it. I'd rather want something thoughtful than something expensive. I'd rather get that deep sense of romantic love (even the squishy, college sweetheart, starry-eyed kind) from time spent together than a gift that was clearly a quick drive-by online grab.

Yes, I've been annoyed that we've spent Valentine's apart before...because of "the job." I'm pretty sure I've even complained about it. {clears throat}

Goodbye Kiss
January 24th, 2012

But this year...yes, we are apart, but something I feel so strongly about is that I cannot complain about being away from him for Valentine's Day. Sure, I'd LOVE to have a romantic date with him and celebrate our love. I'd love to watch a fun romantic comedy or Pride & Prejudice for the millionth time & bask in the glory that is all things chocolate sans guilt day.

BUT...I have the distinct feeling that this might be the most memorable of Valentine's Days from previous years & for many years to come. We are apart...but I have never felt such a strong love for The Major as I do now.

I can see that I've been taking for granted his love, his presence, his help, his playfulness with the girls, his hotness (ooolala), his strength of character, his forearm where I love to lean, his hand that I love to hold...you get the picture...I've realized these first few weeks of the deployment that I haven't been giving enough credence, enough time, enough weight, enough thought toward my amazing husband.

No, I wasn't mean, not annoyed with him, not callous or unloving...but I wasn't intentional enough.

It is SO EASY to get caught up in the drama of life, the action of busy-ness, the animation of little girls, the complete comedy of life in in a mini-van, even...that the ROMANCE can be a little rushed & lost. I mean the romance that happens with two connecting souls...when your hands touch, your eyes meet, your voices fill the space of each other is all that matters.

I think I've missed reminding myself not just that HE picked me but...

I. PICKED. HIM! I didn't want anyone else but HIM. 

That is something I should be celebrating daily...

I think Valentine's day is going to be great this year...because the value of my LOVE for my husband has been multiplied in my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Elizabeth

Change of Thinking by Judi Folmsbee

On Sunday, April 15^th, 2007, my husband, Rick and I received a phone from our son, Heath. He was a member of the Virginia National Guard, and he had called to inform us that he would be going to Iraq.

This kind of news was no stranger to us, because Heath already had served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. At the time of his first deployment in March of 2004, he was a Virginia Tech senior majoring in mechanical engineering. Heath had been dating a wonderful Virginia Tech graduate for seven years.  Heath and Chelsea were married two weeks before he left for Afghanistan.

That Sunday, April 15^th, 2007, my mind did an instant replay of many things that recently occurred. A few months before, in December of 2006, Heath, who had returned from Afghanistan, graduated from Virginia Tech with his mechanical engineering degree.

Shortly after he graduated, he landed a wonderful job. He and Chelsea bought a home. The news of April 15^th, turned tranquility and happiness into feelings of dread. I was so angry! In less than three years of married life, Heath and Chelsea were separated again. I know it happens to many military families. When he enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in 2001, he didn’t expect to become in the “International Guard”, as we called it.

On Monday, April 16^th, 2007, I got up feeling tired and emotional. I had a hard time concentrating on my way to work at 7:15 that morning. As the day developed, I heard as everyone did, about the horrible tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech.

I called Heath as soon as I could. He was distraught, as he too, heard the Virginia Tech news. As the days unfolded, he found out that a few former classmates as well as one of his favorite professors were listed among the dead. I realized that, had Heath decided to stay in college and get his master’s degree, he could have been in one of those classes.

I learned something from all of this. God reminded me that I am not here on the earth by myself and that I needed to stop being so self-centered. I learned that God uses tragedies like that of Virginia Tech to teach us to be mindful of others and to reach out to those who truly are in need of help.

God reminded me of the importance of prayer. He let me know that my bad news of April 15^th was just a pebble on the road of life compared to the boulder that hit so many innocent lives that fateful April 16^th. I soon began to realize that Heath didn’t have to go to Iraq to be killed.

Heath completed his National Guard commitment. Now he works at the same job and lives in the same house they bought before he was deployed. Heath and Chelsea are grateful he came back uninjured. They are very happy and have realized those experiences have made them stronger individuals and stronger as a couple. They try to live each day as best they can and savor the moments they have together. They don’t take what they have for granted.

A retired teacher, Judi attends Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown, Delaware. She is a member of the Delmarva Christian Writers’ Fellowship. She has written three children’s books; Bubba the Busy Beaver, Preposterous Pebbles, and the Bird Roller Coaster.  She has been recently published in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotionals for Tough Times. I n addition, she is a contributor to a recently published book called: Fighting Fear Winning the War at Home (When your soldier Leaves for Battle) by Edie Melson. 

Peas in the Army Pod by Mary C. Findley

My father and uncle, Donald and Clarence Campagna, served in WWII. I have fond memories of them fooling us as children by standing side by side and making us guess which was which. Uncle Clarence was left-handed and so he had to hide the watch on the right wrist. He also had some gold-capped teeth, so they had to keep their moths shut. It was very hard, for many years, for even their own children to tell the difference.

Donald & Clarence Campagna

Dad and Uncle Clarence made the news after getting their "greetings" (called-up into service notices) December 5, 1942. They joined the 398th Color Guard. The article describes the slight differences in height and weight, their "gunboat" shoe sizes of 14 and 14 1/2, and the fact that dad was a Pfc and Uncle Clarence was a Corporal. The article also mentioned that their first separation occurred during a 3 weeks assignment to the 100th Division.

Dad didn't often tell stories about his war experiences, but he did like to tell one about that brief first separation. The details are a little hazy now, and I never have known he proper military terminology, but I think it went something like this. He said that a visiting General went around inspecting troops and stopped when he came to my dad.

"Didn't I already see you today, when I was with -- ?" and he named the group Uncle Clarence was with. Dad tried to maintain proper military discipline, I'm sure, but he told the General his brother was in that group. The General had to question him a little further, as I understand, to learn that they were identical twins and that this was the first time they had been separated. The General replied that the separation was at an end, and got them assigned to the same unit.

My dad, in all his handsomeness, from a photo taken with Uncle Clarence in their dress uniforms, graces the cover of my Young Adult Medieval Suspense Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion.

http://amzn.to/vY9Wt6 Link to Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion

http://amzn.to/vOxpEI Link to the Illuminated Hope and the Knight of hte Black Lion, illustrated in the style of a medieval manuscript.


http:elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com is our blog

About Mary:

I grew up in rural NY and Michael is a "city boy" from AZ. We met at college, taught school in AZ, MO and PA, homeschooled, and created curriculum and videos for church and commercial productions. We have three 20-something children, and now travel the 48 states together in a tractor trailer.

http://elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com (our blog)

You Get to Miss Your Husband

There’s this thing that happens when your soldier deploys.  It’s one of the great things about being a soldier’s wife.  It’s something that civilian wives don’t get to do and, truthfully, I feel a little sorry for them because of it.

You get to miss your husband.

There is something to be said for missing the other half of you.  After 9/11, I thought the worst thing that could ever personally happen to me would be for my husband to deploy.  As it turned out, it was the greatest thing ever. 

Oh, don’t read me wrong, I missed him.  Half of me was ripped out and sent to the other side of the world.  It hurt.  There were days I cried, screamed and--during a particularly hairy time for them over there—refused to speak to God for two days. 

When your husband is gone, you learn to appreciate things.  Dirty socks on the floor are a blessing, because they mean he’s home.  Three times the laundry isn’t such a chore. (How does that happen anyway?  Add one person to the mix and triple the laundry?)  The things you took for granted become priceless. During his first deployment, I really missed his forearm.  Think I’m crazy?  That’s the spot I lay my hand on when we sit together in church.  And yes, I missed that most of all.

At the time he left, I’d been his wife for ten years.  While he was gone, God took me through a pretty intense personal time.  I started to remember who I was.  Because my husband wasn’t here for me to share things with, I shared more with God.  I listened more.  And I learned things about me that I’d forgotten or maybe never even knew.  It was then that He told me He wanted me to be a writer and proceeded to beat me against a rock until I was ready to do it His way.  With my husband here, that time wouldn’t have happened.

Then there’s the communication thing.  Our unit was in a super-remote area in Iraq.  No phones.  No internet. Sparse mail service.  When you only get one five-minute phone call every fourteen days, you learn how to weed out the mundane and get to the heart. We poured out thoughts in real, honest-to-goodness, handwritten letters.  It was amazing!  I learned more about my husband in that year than I had in the previous ten.  We learned to dream again, to talk of what we’d do when he got back and in the future beyond that.  When he returned, we were closer than we’d ever been.

Deployment.  It can be a four-letter-curse word or the most beautiful blessing in your life.  It all depends on how you look at it.  You can fight it the entire time and be completely miserable.  But, if you’re willing to see it through God’s eyes, you might just find blessings greater than you’ve ever dared to imagine.

Jodie Bailey is an avid reader, a life-long writer, and an aspiring beach bum.  When not tapping away at the keyboard, she watches NCIS reruns, eats too many chocolate chip cookies, and attempts to teach middle schoolers how to write coherent sentences.  She lives in North Carolina with her husband and daughter.  Her first military suspense, Freefall, will be released by Steeple Hill in November.


www.jodiebailey.com

Lucky Charms & Chocolate Cheesecake

So, we are on day 8 of my husband leaving for his deployment. Which means it'll probably be about another 180 days before he comes home.

Now...you understand the title, right? Comfort foods. Lucky Charms (hidden in the corner of the pantry so my daughters don't find it) and Chocolate Cheesecake...both are delish any time of day. Though it seems that cheese cake would be perfect for breakfast & Lucky Charms will work wonders around midnight.

Sign at Manas AFB where
my husband is stationed.

For weeks (okay, months) leading up to the deployment I have been thinking of ways to cut corners. That is NOT EASY for me. I'm not a perfectionist but I really like keeping a certain standard in my home...one of them is to make as healthy meals as possible (please forget everything I said about a certain marshmallow cereal & cake for breakfast)...I digress... So if I don't cut corners on what my kids eat on a regular basis...that means I don't do microwave dinners and rarely any pre-prepared meals out of the freezer section at all...pizza 1x a week at the most...rarely do we do anything out of a can...do you want me to continue?

So here's how I plan to make the time go by more quickly & cut corners...and it doesn't just involve food...

-Paper plates for pretty much everything

-Paper bowls for things that will drip off of paper plates

It's VERY cold & snowy in
Kyrgyzstan right now.

-increased hug length...if I hug the girls each more often and increase squeeze time from about 10-15 seconds to well over 20...that'll make the day just fly by...cutting corners on the "I'm bored" chatter around the house (come on, give your mama a hug or 3). [This does not include all the extra cuddling & middle-of-the-night visits that I know will be needed...my oldest is an excellent cuddler.]

-Let my youngest eat in a onsie instead of real clothes. You should see her eat & you'd understand. It'll cut my laundry by 1/3.

-Put 1/2 the toys in the garage (to rotate back in at a later date)...decreased pick-up toy time DRAMATICALLY.

-Accept (almost) all dinner invites...you know, a girl's still got a schedule to keep, so it's impossible to keep ALL invites.

-Eat out more. 'Nuf said.

-INCREASED PRAYER...surely that, out of this entire list, will make this time more bearable till the Hubster comes home...

This month, as much as possible, I am planning to focus on all things military in honor of my amazing husband The Major and to all the other men & women out there & their families who are serving bravely. I hope you enjoy the contributing posts by other writers. ;-)

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Your Turn: How do you cut corners or make the time pass quicker when you need to? I'd love to hear our ideas.

Bookish "Pinterest" Board

I'm totally into Pinterest though I'm not on it tons. Here's what I've pinned lately...

Wanna see what's in my head...

I am amazingly in love with this...so is my husband. So maybe that means, once we own a home again after we are out of the military & can settle somewhere...someday...we can do this. ;-)

Isn't it totally gorgeous!
Link to Photo.

This is also in my head.

Yes...books should take us on a journey as readers and writers. This pathway looks so exhilarating I can almost have a seizure imagining it.

My thought on this also is how wonderful the Bible is for taking us on a journey. Thank you, Writer, for giving us Your Book.

Oh, the places they take me.
Link to Photo.

This next photo is just me...yep, in my head, that's what it looks like. ;-)

In my head much?
Link to photo.

Thanks for coming on a little photo journey with me.

YOUR TURN: Do you have an image of something bookish? What's in your head? I'd LOVE to know!


Cheers,
Elizabeth

Book Review: Love's Pursuit

OOOOO, this one is really worth watching. Back cover & link below the video.

Visit: Siri Mitchell

Love's Pursuit (back cover summary)

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?


I wish I could read it all over again for the first time!


Cheers, 
Elizabeth

Amish Takeaways

From the photoshoot for the cover
of Seasons. My niece Celine here is
wearing one of my grandma's
dresses from her childhood. 

Soooo, I had another question about my Amish background. The question was about what I've taken from the Amish & incorporated in my day-to-day life as a woman, wife, mom in this modern age.

The first & probably most obvious thing is the language. I grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, which is a slang dialect of German. It is unwritten and it's the first language Amish children learn. We still speak it when we're together whether on the phone or visits. The in-laws who have married into our family each have come to understand it a great deal.

I don't speak it with my 2 girls as much as I should, but I'm working on that habit. I love that it's part of my heritage & I really want to pass it on to my girls.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that I like how the Amish still are people of their word. I wish more of the world would govern their actions by their words. Nowadays you need contracts and agreements in writing...NO. MATTER. WHAT. Of course, I know the value of that but I still appreciate the value of saying something and meaning it.

While the old rule of how a handshake could make a deal is gone for the most part when it comes to legal or business transactions...we can still incorporate this into our lives. When we say "I'll be praying for you," then we must. If we say to our children that we'd read them a book when the dishes are done or before we start them...then we must. I'm learning as a mom it is soooo important to say what I mean and mean what I say.

I guess those 2 things are what stand out to me when I consider what I try to incorporate into my life from my Amish heritage.

I'd love to hear from you...more questions or maybe just a comment about what you like about the Amish lifestyle that you wish you could incorporate or do incorporate into your life.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Up next: Another VLOG book review on Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit.

Book Review: Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

Check out my first vlog? video-log? v-log? Not sure whatchacallit...but check it out. ;-)

So, I'd love to hear from you if the vlog is fun or if it's just way better to be able to "skim" through a review? And, I promise, I won't do a "Seasons" commercial each time... ;-)

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Question: Baptism & Shunning

So, since the release of SEASONS: THE REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL I've been getting a few questions...good ones. I thought it would be fun to share one since there might be others out there curious about the same thing.

One of my readers, Jennifer, said this:

Elizabeth, I LOVED the book. Yes, I finished it. =) The first half reminded me of Francine Rivers' book Her Mother's Hope. I would say more, but I don't want to spoil it for others. I'll say it was a great book that left me with questions. I think any good book should leave you wanting more. I do have one random question for you... Was it your parents who didn't get baptized?

My parents were baptized into the Amish church when they were teens, which is typical in the church. When someone is baptized into the church and then leaves the church...they will be shunned. So, my parents were shunned when they left back in the early 80s. My sister, myself, and my brother, however, are NOT shunned. We were not baptized into the church so we were not shunned when we left the church. 

There, of course, are rules with being shunned. The basic ones...can't eat a shunned person's food, can't eat from the same table, shunned person can't drive a church member in their vehicle nor can they accept gifts from a shunned person. My parents families, after some time of healing, really were amazing with embracing us and we have had a wonderful closeness with them. The family would often eat potluck style and we were not required to bring food (since many of them couldn't eat from it anyway) and eat buffet style so eating from the same table/dish wasn't truly an issue. Instead of my parents driving them around, let's say for a doctor's appointment or something, my siblings & I would do it...the same with giving gifts. 

Keep in mind, every church has their own set of standards with these things. This is just what was acceptable with our families and the church they were a part of. We were very blessed. There have been some issues off and on over the years (but, let's be honest, what family doesn't), but the majority of the time, things have gone smoothly. 

I think that answers that question mostly. 

If anyone else has a question that is related to something you read in the book or something you're just plain curious about, I will do my best to answer....based on MY experiences with the Amish. 

Cheers!

Elizabeth

PRICELESS!

Available now on Amazon!

I am amazed that I am finally to this point. It seems like YEARS (it has been years) since I started the journey on this road...this SEASON of life that brought me to writing non-fiction...CREATIVELY. Lots of phone conversations with my grandma and visits that were consumed with interviewing and reading out loud what I'd already written. I wanted the stories to be accurate.

And now we're here.

Praise. The. LORD!

If someone had told me all the steps I'd have to go through self-publishing I think I would've just imploded! Once the manuscript is done the "fun" begins. I cannot believe all the details, the typesetting, the crying whining complaining because typesetting is really hard work, beta readers, kindle version, nook version, more typesetting, almost forgetting something important in the acknowledgements, the photography for the cover, then selecting a few good ones, trying several types of covers, working with my amazing friend who designed my cover...then having my sweet Amish grandma AGREE to having her photo taken for the back cover. Seriously, I cannot express how overjoyed I was at that.

This is my grandma (mammie) Lydia Lee Coblentz. LOVE HER!

Never in a million years did I think that I'd have her as part of the back cover art of the book. And I just love the photo (I took it myself, hehehe). She's such a dear woman.

As a young girl always telling the family, "yep, I'm going to write mammie's story someday," I am not sure I actually believed it would happen. But my large family, like a elephant, has a great memory and not a family gathering went by without someone bringing it up...or so it seemed. And now it's here...like a delivery of a baby...only less messy...but there was a lot of pushing involved. {sigh}

I really pray that my grandma's story is read and re-read...that her life will show the power & faithfulness of our Creator. That the contentment that she learned during the worst of times when she and her family had nothing will help us all be content when we are sitting pretty in our comfy chairs with our fridges and pantry's full of food and our selection of shoes so our feet don't get too hot or too cold.

Being able to hand my grandma this book...now that's priceless.

Kindred,
Elizabeth

You can find the book trailer in the book tab on the website.

See Elizabeth faint!

When I opened this box of books I felt complete excitement and then in the very next moment a strong sensation came over me. Was I going to cry? Get sick? No...it was just the feeling of unadulterated terror. Seriously.

I hesitated even picking one up. I barely flipped through it even. I was sure if I started reading at any point in the book I'd suddenly see

See Liddy run. She can run fast.

My brain jarred back into grammar school and all I could see were those yellowed pages (even when they were new) with cute cartoony illustrations on every page. Surely nothing I wrote could turn out better than an old look-see reader, right? For several long minutes that's exactly how I felt. The feeling did pass but I still haven't dared reading anything more than the dedication or the first line of the acknowledgements. I just am so afraid I'm going to see some glaring error or embarrassing typo.

I've read traditionally published books from authors widely read and loved by all and found errors. Little typos mostly. I don't think any less of the writer or even the editor, for that matter. Fingers & toes crossed for happy & gracious readers for Seasons!

For the past hour I've been wrapping up a few books to send to my first set of influencers. What a feeling. I can't really explain it. But what I can explain is how THRILLED I am to be at this point and not a year ago where I was still writing...still pregnant in my 3rd trimester...still naive at how much work self-pubbing would be. I'm just overjoyed that, while marketing is no easy job, I'm here! I feel very accomplished for having followed-through with this book and for the way it's turned out. I love the cover. I love the story. I believe in the story. I hope a lot of readers will too!  All praise to God's faithfulness. Truly. The dedicated and encouraging help of my mom, husband, a smattering of friends, and my AMAZING weekly writing group. {okay, I digress, this is starting to sound like an Emmy award speech...hahaha}

I hope those of you who are reading this blog will buy the book on Amazon, read & enjoy it, tell your friends, and write a review for me on Amazon and/or your blog.

I'll leave you with this:

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Creative Writing Exercise

I can take NO credit for this whatsoever. It was sent to me over a year ago & I found it awfully funny.

A university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay
containing the following elements:

1) Religion
2) Royalty
3) Sex
4) Mystery

The prizewinner wrote:

"My God," said the queen. "I'm pregnant! I wonder who did it."

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Curled Up

I am currently reading Allison Pittman's Lilies in Moonlight. Such a fabulous romantic story. Because I'm in the process of moving my reading time is soooo very limited. But I grab moments wherever I can. I am a huge Pittman fan and recommend any of her books. She's a Carol Award winning author in historical fiction for her book Stealing Home & has been nominated for a CHRISTY!!!! for her book For Time & Eternity...which is my personal Pittman favorite!

And here's what's next for me...maybe not in this order but they are hanging around my nightstand just itchin' to be read...

A Woman's Place, by Lynn Austin
The Heroines, by Eileen Favorite
Safe Haven, by Nicholas Sparks
While We're Far Apart, by Lynn Austin

...and, seriously, the list could go on & on...Tricia Goyer, Jenny B. Jones, Marlo Schalesky...just to name a few. And you can't forget about the classics...my favorites being Lucy Maud Montgomery, Jane Austen, & Louisa May Alcott. I try to read those on my iPhone Kindle when I nurse the baby.

What are you reading? Anything new & exciting? I'm so in love with books...my house is being overrun with them. In our new house I'm going to hire my dad to build me a bunch of new shelves. Out of the boxes or stacks on the floor & on display these books must go!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Vintage Me

My mom told me that as a toddler I used to take a pen and paper and scribble line after line almost every night before bedtime. I was writing, I told her. I guess it was always in my blood.

The first thing I remember writing was total plagiarism.

A friend and I watched a movie about a plane being hijacked and so we hijacked the storyline and made our own book. We illustrated it. Bound the notebook paper with staples. Made two copies…one for each of us.

A few years later I started writing a book called “Randi’s Will”. I think I was 12. It was about a high school girl who loses her parents and ends up in foster care with her little sister. I wrote it out long-hand and kept it in a binder. I really hope that book never surfaces. In one hospital scene I called a “defibrillator” a “zapper”. {blushes}

I used character names inspired by two main sources:

Anne & Gilbert

1-Anne of Green Gables…still love that whole series. I named the foster parents “Shirley & Gilbert”. I thought that wasn’t too close to Anne & Gilbert. {clears throat}

Cruz

2-Santa Barbara…an old soap opera occasionally on in our house. I think the name was Cruz and he was a handsome Hispanic man. Totally ripped the name and my “love interest” was almost this exact character, only younger.

While there has been many changes as my writing evolves…the one thing that hasn’t changed is the passion I have. I’m so thankful that God chose me to be a writer.

Cheers,

Elizabeth

How Writing and Motherhood are Similar

1: You have total control over naming your characters.

2: Ice cream solves a lot of problems.

3: You have to be willing to keep learning.

4: Reading is important!

5. Occasionally, everything just plain stinks.

6. You'll have a lot of sleepless nights.

7. Everyone seems to be better at it than you.

8. There will be a lot of laughter and a lot of prayer.

9. Sometimes you live in an imaginary world and it’s so much fun!

10. You will completely fall head over heals in love!

By the way…writing rocks almost as much as motherhood does…but not quite.

Cheers,

Elizabeth