by Bookworm Mama | Jul 27, 2018 | Fridays from the Archives
Being ourselves can be a daunting and overwhelming task at times. But as this quote from my fellow author, Kristi Ann Hunter encourages us, God created us the way we are, embrace it!
Original post published 8/29/13
A while back on another blog, I read a post about how, if we’re honest, we all have the reader-we-wish-we-were and the reader-we-really-are. Like, we might want to think we’re going to read some scholarly, high falutin piece of literature for pure fun one summer…but when it comes down to it, we opt for the romance novel with the pretty gown on the front instead. I really appreciated the thoughts the blogger put forth, because I have totally done that.
It’s a thought that stuck with me, and which translates to a lot more than my reading pile. Because it’s tough sometimes. We should own who we are…yet be improving. We should be happy in our skin…but want to be healthier, in better shape. We should take pride in our work…but not be too proud to take advice.
The more I think on these things, the more I think that finding a balance for each of those circumstances is what helps me discover who I really am. Years ago, I posted about how, when I spend time with some of my best friends, I sometimes come away thinking, “Why am I not like them?” I don’t make food from scratch much anymore. I don’t sew my own clothes. I don’t debate the morality of one brand over another. Should I? Well, hearing their philosophies, I often think I should. But if I give my attention to that…
And one of those friends replied to that blog saying how she leaves those same visits wishing she could develop stories that others want to read, wishing she could be confident in her clothing choices without getting hung up on the “why” of things, wishing she could be the kind of person to express those very doubts with eloquence.
We all have those I wish I were… moments. We all look at the way our friends parent, dress, exercise, cook, write, read, worship, or [fill in the blank] and think, “I need to be more like them.” But how often are they looking right back at us and thinking the same?
Sometimes this makes me laugh. Sometimes it makes me shake my head. And always it makes me pause and think. Because I can’t be Kimberly or Karlene or Stephanie or Jennifer or Paige or Erin. I can’t be Francine Rivers or Ted Dekker or Laurie Alice Eakes or MaryLu Tyndall or Julie Lessman. I can’t be the college professors who sat around thinking about Aristotle for fun.
There are things I wish I could improve about myself, especially when I reflect on these people I so love. I wish I were more proactive about my homeschooling choices. I wish I were more educated on the medical choices available to us. I wish I knew (and cared) what was in my food. I wish I studied the changing tides of the industry to which I belong. I wish I kept my house clean. I wish I always answered my kids with patience. I wish I could organize my time.
And it’s so incredibly weird to me to be talking to a friend and hear
her say, “I just keep telling myself, ‘You need to be more like Roseanna. Keep your cool.’ You’re the most laid-back person I know, and I need that.”
I wha…?
LOL.
What I take from that is that we need to learn from each other, yes. We need to grow. We need to stretch ourselves out toward knowledge, as Aristotle would say, and come to a better understanding of our worlds.
But we also need to recognize that we can only do what we can do. We can only be who we can be. We only have so much attention, so many hours, so many days. How do we really want to spend them?
For me, it comes down to this. If I have to decide between working out and writing, I’m going to choose writing. But if I can combine working out with brainstorming…well, that’s awesome! So rather than doing videos that demand my full attention, I’ve been walking. It gives me much-needed time to think in peace, and that makes my writing time fruitful.
If I have to decide between keeping my house clean and spending extra time on fun lessons with my kids, I’m going to choose my kids. Because sometimes it seems like if I spend my whole day teaching the must-dos, then the following hours cleaning up, I never get to hug them. Never get to cuddle. Never get to put puzzles together and build Lego tractors. So I prioritize. The kitchen must be cleaned, the toys have to be put away. But I’m not going to fret over every stray piece of paper.
The list goes on. Will I ever reach a place where I’m not frustrated day-to-day with some little thing? Where I don’t look at the awesome people God has put around me and aspire to be like them in some way? I seriously doubt it. Because I’m aware of my own faults, and it’s good that I want to improve them.
But I’m also aware of who I am and what’s important to me. And I have to be careful that I don’t get so hung up in bettering one aspect of myself that I neglect another. I have to be, above all, who I am.
by Bookworm Mama | Jul 24, 2018 | Announcements, Book News
If you follow me on social media, you may have seen comments about a series of books that I am working on with Guidepost. This has been a fun and exciting opportunity for me, and I wanted to share a little more about these books with you. Secrets of Wayfarers Inn is a series published by Guidepost (and therefore ONLY available from them directly) and consists of myself and nine other authors. The first 2 books in the series are now available and MY first book in the series will be releasing in September. You can find purchase info HERE.
About Secrets of Wayfarers Inn
On the banks of the Ohio River, in the historic town of Marietta, Ohio, a trio of good friends stumbles across an empty historic waterfront stone building while house hunting. Next to a Realtor’s “For Sale” sign, an aging bronze plaque on the doorpost marks the building as once being a pre-Civil-War stop on the Underground Railroad. The four-story building, originally built as a hotel, was most recently used as a warehouse for goods arriving via river barges, but it has sat empty for the past decade. On a whim, LuAnn Sherrill, Tess Wallace, and Janice Eastman start to think of what a beautiful bed-and-breakfast this could be. When all is said and done, these three friends are the proud co-owners of the neglected but elegant structure, which they plan to renovate and open as a café and B&B known as Wayfarers Inn. While remodeling, they come across hidden passages, filled with secrets and surprises of all sorts, which set them on a course to solving mysteries.
As the trio of friends are drawn further and further into the mysteries of the inn and the town of Marietta, with its intriguing antebellum heritage, each one finds her own personal faith enriched—in both God and humankind.
Treat yourself to Guideposts’ newest Christian Mystery series, Secrets of Wayfarers Inn, where pre-Civil War mysteries abound in these cozy fiction books about faith and friendship.
Contemporary:
When retired school teachers LuAnn Sherrill, Tessa Wallace, and Janice Eastman, decide to buy an inn built in 1851 and turn it into a café and bed and breakfast, someone is not happy. Strange things begin to happen in the building—handprints on a dusty mirror, a missing wallet—and who owns the gold earring? Realtor Bradley Grimes is helping them unravel the mystery when he finds one of his own. In a ledger from the 1800s he finds the name of his great-great-grandfather, Howard Bickerton, the man he’d always thought of as a hero in the Underground Railroad. But was he?
Historical:
Prudence Willard, a farmer’s wife and conductor on the Underground Railroad, faces danger on a regular basis, but nothing is quite as frightening as witnessing what happened to Howard Bickerton—and keeping the knowledge to herself. Should she report Bickerton’s death and the man who assumed his identity, or remain quiet for the sake of the Cause?
Series Authors:
Enjoy each book in this series written by some of your favorite authors: Becky Melby, Kathleen Y’Barbo, Tracey Bateman, Roseanna White, Ellen Kennedy, Beth Adams, Virginia (Ginny) Smith, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Janice Hanna Thompson, and Ocieanna Fleiss.
by Bookworm Mama | Jul 20, 2018 | Fridays from the Archives
It’s good to have a reminder like this. Are there things in your life that you have a hard time relinquishing control of?
Original post published 8/28/14
I admit it–I don’t read for pleasure as much as I used to. Mostly because during the school year, I spend so many hours a day reading to my kids, writing, and editing that by the end of the day, my eyes and brain say, “Nope, we’re done. Stare at the television or go to sleep. Those are your choices.”But there’s another reason. It’s because I’ve trained myself so much to be an editor that I can’t read a book without noting what I’d ask the author to change…and that gets really, really annoying when I’m just reading for fun, LOL.Now, the mark of a truly excellent book is when the “editor” switches off, or at least finds nothing to whine about. That happens, and I love it when it does. But other times…yeah. I recently read a dystopian where the character at one point mentions that in her town, there’s no music. She barely has a concept of what it is. Then a few scenes later, she likens someone’s breathing to a concertina. Um, no. If you don’t know what music is, you aren’t going to think in terms of instruments. Sorry. A first-person book that suddenly goes out of POV and tells me what another character is thinking? Shudder. And that historical full of inaccuracies? Ouch.I guess it’s kinda like a doctor watching a medical show. Or someone in law enforcement watching CSI. They’re going to notice the faults, the things the show gets wrong, and it’s going to ruin it for them. Sadly, that’s how some books are for me these days. It’s one thing to notice all the typos, which I’ve always done. But these days, it’s so much more than that.But then it makes me wonder.
How can God stand to watch us?? LOL. I mean, He’s got it all right. He knows what He’s doing. He knows the right thing, the wrong thing, the so-so things we could do in each moment, and He sees how often we go the wrong way. How often we miss the mark.
And I can imagine Him in heaven, with his metaphorical red pen, saying, “You know, if you’d just let me give you some advice right here…”
But here’s another thing I’ve learned about editors–you have to let them give you advice. Freelancers you hire, and you can totally choose whether to take their advice or ignore them. When you’ve signed a contract with a publishing house, you kinda have to listen to what they say. Kinda. But you might be surprised at how many authors refuse, and take the cancellation of their contract over giving over control of their story.
What about in our lives? Do we give over control to Him? He, who is the ultimate author? The ultimate editor? Who understands far better than we do where the plots of our lives are going? Who knows what’s relevant and what isn’t? Where our focus should be?
Lord, be my editor. Catch all my errors and help me correct them. Cut out all that fluff I don’t need in my life. Keep my words tight and true to You. Lord, be my editor…and help me to take Your perfect advice.
by Bookworm Mama | Jul 12, 2018 | Books, What We're Reading
Today’s Summer Reads Recommendations are all about Swoons and Giggles! These authors have managed to balance the beauty of ROMANCE with the release that LAUGHTER gives. So if you are looking for an amazing book to read this summer that is on the lighter side, check out these books!
Click the images below to be taken to the book’s Goodreads page for more information.
Jen Turano
Any book you pick up by Jen Turano is bound to leave you in stitches. A unique voice and engaging characters, you won’t want to miss her newest series!
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| Free Novella |
A USA Today Best-Selling Author, Jen Turano has written the critically acclaimed Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel,
After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her book,
A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book,
Playing the Part, released in the spring of 2016, and will be followed by a new four-book series, Apart from the Crowd. When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life.
Mary Connealy
Who else can take cowboys (and cowgirls) mix in some comedy and add several helpings of romance? Mary Connealy has masted (and quite possibly created) the genre of Romantic Comedy Westerns…
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two time Carol Award winner and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
She is the bestselling author of 48 books and novellas.
Her most recent book series are: Cimarron Legacy, Wild at Heart, Trouble in Texas, Kincaid Bride for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas and several stand-alone books for multiple publishers.
Mary will be a published author for ten years in 2017 with nearly a million books in print. She has a degree in broadcast communications with an emphasis in journalism and has worked at her local newspaper.
Pepper Basham
Known for her swoony romance and #closetkisses, Pepper Basham is fabulous at intertwining humor and grace in her stories. You won’t want to miss these Romantic Comedies.
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her Penned in Time series has garnered recognition in the INSPYs, Grace Awards, and the ACFW Carol Awards. Her contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, received 4-stars from Romantic Times, and most recently, her newest release, Just the Way You Are, received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars. Her newest contemporary romance, When You Look at Me, releases Fall 2018.
Giveaway!
To kickstart your summer reading plans…I am hosting a THREE BOOK GIVEAWAY! 1 (One) winner will receive a print copy of The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy, Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano, and Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham. Open to US mailing addresses only, please. Void where prohibited. Giveaway closes 7/18/18 11:59pm EDT. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
*My thanks to Pepper Basham and Bethany House Publishing for providing the giveaway copies.
So what will YOU be reading this summer?
by Bookworm Mama | Jul 1, 2018 | Sales
Have you read my Culper Ring Series yet? Order your SIGNED copy of Whispers From the Shadows on my website today!
About the Book
Treachery causes Gwyneth Fairchild’s world to crumble. The daughter of a British general during the War of 1812, she barely saves her life by fleeing London aboard a ship to America. Her goal is to find refuge with the Lane family in Maryland, having been told by her father she could implicitly trust Winter and Bennet Lane, even though their nations are once again at war. After meeting their son, Thad, she wonders how safe she truly is when she discovers that the Lanes trade in a dangerous commodity—espionage.
Not long after Gwyneth finds refuge in his city, Thad Lane experiences the tug of love, though he fears it may blur lines of loyalty. With family playing the part of enemies and enemies proving themselves friends, a future with Gwyn is uncertain. But at this moment, with the British advancing on Washington and Baltimore, they have only their shared faith in God as a shield about them.
As many of you know, I recently released
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland under the new title
A Heart’s Revolution! However, I have just a FEW copies of
Love Finds You left in stock…And I am offering them to you for just $5! And they are SIGNED (personalization optional)! Purchase yours
HERE before they are gone!
About the Book
In 1784 peace has been declared, but war still rages in the heart of Lark Benton. Never did Lark think she’d want to escape Emerson Fielding, the man she’s loved all her life, but then he betrays her with her cousin. She flees to Annapolis, Maryland, the country’s capital, and throws herself into a new circle of friends who force her to examine all she believes.
Emerson follows, determined to reclaim his bride. Surprised when she refuses to return with him, he realizes that in this new country he has come to call his own, duty is no longer enough. He must learn to open his heart and soul to something greater… before he loses all he should have been fighting to hold.
And one of those friends replied to that blog saying how she leaves those same visits wishing she could develop stories that others want to read, wishing she could be confident in her clothing choices without getting hung up on the “why” of things, wishing she could be the kind of person to express those very doubts with eloquence.
And it’s so incredibly weird to me to be talking to a friend and hear her say, “I just keep telling myself, ‘You need to be more like Roseanna. Keep your cool.’ You’re the most laid-back person I know, and I need that.”
If I have to decide between keeping my house clean and spending extra time on fun lessons with my kids, I’m going to choose my kids. Because sometimes it seems like if I spend my whole day teaching the must-dos, then the following hours cleaning up, I never get to hug them. Never get to cuddle. Never get to put puzzles together and build Lego tractors. So I prioritize. The kitchen must be cleaned, the toys have to be put away. But I’m not going to fret over every stray piece of paper.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.