Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Gifts for writers


Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite author? Gift them with a good review!





Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite author? Gift them by telling others about their books!



Monday, November 24, 2014

Writer tip -- Critique Group

Find a good critique group or writing partners who will give honest critiques. Don't only rely on friends and family. Find someone who knows the craft of writing. There are many groups around the country and many online critique groups available through writing organizations.

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has online courses, pages of information, and an email loop where writers can ask any number of writing related questions.

Don't miss the amazing benefits of critique groups.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Life is about relationships by Catherine Miller

Life is about relationships. We earn and keep the right to speak into our children’s lives through a continuing flow of being intentional and present in their lives . . . time over time over time . . .

For all of my children’s young years, I invested in loving them . . . rocking them to sleep at night, reading them bedtime stories, saying their prayers with them.

I had an urgent sense to be intentional in my time with them . . . leaving the dishes in the sink to sit and play with them, going on rain walks in July, swimming on lazy summer days, tickling my son’s back and hearing his thoughts before he fell asleep each night – even when all I wanted to do was lay my weary bones down.

And when they were babies, I realized there were no guarantees in life except a loving heavenly Father, so I . . . memorized scripture with them, told them bible stories, read them present day stories of great God-followers . . . all the while praying that Jesus would become their very best friend.
And yet, a year before my daughter was about to enter middle school, I heard about the “stuff” our kids face today, and froze. I had never faced some of the issues present in our schools, and I’m an adult. I remember where I was standing when I uttered the silent prayer, “God, how do I allow my daughter to live in this world, and yet not be like this world?”

That was when the idea of First Friday Friends was birthed. I armed myself with my very closest mama friends and shared my heart with them. We came up with things we wanted to share with our girls while they were still open to hearing our hearts and loving time with us. We invited other moms and daughters who would be journeying alongside us during this same season of life. Forty moms and daughters said “yes” to the invitation. There is a hunger to join in community and do life together.

Fun was imperative. So we set up the evening with a game, an engaging story that teaches a lesson, time for chatting, a craft, and of course, a sweet treat to end the evening.

I thought it was about teaching a lesson, and it was, but what I didn't realize is that it was equally important to build community with other like-minded moms and daughters. It was equally important to keep the communication lines open between me and my daughter. It was equally important for all the girls to see that they were not alone in living life different than what the world says.

My daughter is in college now. We still have regular times for coffee and chats. We still talk on the phone almost every day. When we are together, we still climb in the car just for car talk. We jokingly call these times our “mommy and me” time.

And though she is grown, I am still intentional, and I am still present . . . time over time over time . . . and the cool thing is . . . she is too. And my son, well, I am his favorite “talk show” commute on the way to work, and I love it! . . . time over time over time.



About Catherine Miller and her Mother/Daughter relationship books.

Heart to Heart provides a Biblical foundation for making choices in today’s world. The material is filled with real-life stories and fun activities that encourage authentic and thoughtful conversations as it builds and grows relationships. First Friday Friends is designed for mothers and daughters to have the opportunity to discuss some of the current day issues and make decisions about tough dilemmas before our daughters encounter them. Some daughters may have a general idea of their ideas and standards, but it's likely most of them haven't yet been put into a place where they've needed to make a hard stance. First Friday Friends mother daughter relationship books allows for a safe and gentle place to create open dialogue and make choices for the future. It creates the opportunity to instill values and partner with like-minded mothers and daughters on the journey.

While there are many books written on parenting and how to raise your daughter or teenager, First Friday Friends is designed to engage you with your daughter and with other mothers and daughters in the same season of life. It's designed to open discussion, develop new friendships, deepen existing ones, and of course....make super fun memories! Enjoy the journey!

Click on the books for a preview!





fliterary.com


Monday, September 22, 2014

Make 'em count!


Make every word count.

Don’t overwrite. Don’t use words to impress or just because you like how they sound.

Some older novels used page after page to describe scenes. They call it purple prose. Personally, I don’t want to buy a novel containing 200 pages of useless information.

Don’t give your readers a reason to skim.

Brandilyn Collins writes suspense. I don’t skim anything in her books. Even when she is describing scenes or how someone looks, there are always clues about the characters or about what may happen.

This is the first paragraphs of her book, Violet Dawn.
“Paige Williams harbored a restless kinship with the living dead. Sleep, that nurturing, blessed state of subconsciousness, eluded her again this night. Almost 2:00 a.m., and rather than slumbering bliss, old memories nibbled at her like ragged-toothed wraiths.
With a defeated sigh she rose from the bed.
Wrapped in a large towel, she moved through the darkened house, bare feet faintly scuffling across worn wood floors. Out of her room and down a short hall, passing the second bedroom—barren and needing to be filled—and the one bathroom, into the small kitchen.”

Brandilyn’s scene gives hints about Paige, describes the surroundings to give you bearings but is not overbearing.

No word is wasted, they all have a purpose. Learn to write without wasted words.

DiAnn Mills writes, “A good writer knows that cutting the flab adds muscle and reduces the fat in his manuscript.”

Write for quality, not quantity.








Tips for Characters

Know your characters and your readers.

When you are establishing your story, don’t use similar names, sounds, or starting letters for your characters.

Example: Tom and Ted. Mary and Marion.

Don’t confuse your readers. Make it easy for them.



Friday, August 29, 2014

Writing in Selling Genres or Writing Issue Fiction?

Writing in Selling Genres or Writing Issue Fiction? What's An Author to Do? ~ Jennifer Slattery


I wanted to hurl. Or cry. Except there were way too many people EVERYWHERE. So I did the only thing I knew to do—run! I spent the rest of the evening in my hotel room, tears streaking my puffy face with mascara.
It was my first national conference, and quite frankly, I arrived to my initial appointment more than a little cocky, believing I had crafted the next literary masterpiece.
Obviously this was pre-critique partners.
Appointment after appointment, my confidence waned ... Drop over to Novel Rocket to read the rest -->  Writing in Selling Genres or Writing Issue Fiction? What's An Author to Do


And/or listen to an interview with Jennifer Slattery on Living Joyfully Free Radio




Thursday, August 21, 2014

Grammar Tip from Kathy Ide

Kathy Ide Grammar Tip: The sentence “As the time grew short, the people became fidgety” could mean either “When the time grew short, the people became fidgety” or “Because the time grew short, the people became fidgety.” Using "when" or "because" instead of "as" prevents ambiguity or possible misreading.

Visit Kathy Ide at her website http://kathyide.com/

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Writer Tips

Keep asking what if… What if my character went here? What if my character did this? Jot down things that make you wonder and ponder. 

Brainstorm with friends. Some of the most amazing stories can come just sitting and talking with another writer or friend. 

Listen and watch. When you watch the news, ask “what if?”

Everything you see and experience is fodder for novels.

Take notes. You never know when inspiration will hit. When an idea comes, write it down. I have a file on my computer where I keep my writing ideas. I’m always sending myself e-mails on my phone with ideas for blogs or stories.


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Take Your Characters Out to Play

, let your characters go out to play. Take them to a scene you hadn't planned. Take your ultra-male character shopping in a dress boutique. Take your frilly female character to a sporting goods store. Take them out for fun and see what happens. Put your characters in a totally different place than you had intended. Your charachters might surpise you!

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Making of a Mom by Stephanie Shott

Have you ever felt like you wore so many hats that it was hard to really enjoy your mom journey? Or like you were so weary and worn out by your never-ending ‘to do’ list that you wanted to bury your head under the covers and get away from it all…even for just a day?
Me too! 
Oh…like you, I LOVE being a mom. But for me, motherhood was like this messy experiment and my kids were the guinea pigs. 
Motherhood is the best job on the planet!
Moms, more than anyone else, have the opportunity to not only mold the heart of their children but to mold the heart of the next generation. But we get caught up in dealing with the dailies of life and it’s hard to make it our mission to parent on purpose. Sometimes it’s so easy to parent the child they are and deal with the behavior of the moment that we forget about molding the heart of the person we long for them to become.
The Making of a Mom gives you a foundational look at real life biblical motherhood and provides the practical tools and inspiration you need to become the best mom you can. 
While we all know there is no such thing as a perfect mom, we also know that WE are the perfect moms for our children.
The Making of a Mom encourages moms to embrace the significance of their calling to motherhood…a role that only we moms can fulfill…a role that God has called us to and equipped us for.
And The Making of a Mom was uniquely written to minister to the hearts of moms while also providing a key resource for the local church and para-ministries.
With venue specific Planning Guides in the back of the book, instructions on how to begin M.O.M. Groups that will help the local church weave mentoring into the fabric of the church and serve as not only an in-reach resource, but a great outreach tool as well. And the questions at the end of each chapter serve as a catalyst for conversation for ministry and small group leaders, The Making of a Mom is the perfect resource for every church!
The Making of a Mom works in tandem with The M.O.M. Initiative as a tool to help the church minister to moms who know Christ and reach those who don’t. Through The Making of a Mom, you can help your local church make mentoring missional and impact your community and this culture for Christ.
The goal of The M.O.M. Initiative is to reach a MILLION MOMS for Christ. The tool is The Making of a Mom. The vehicle is the local church. AND…if only 3 women in 1/2 of the churches in the United States would mentor just 3 other mothers, we could reach a MILLION MOMS for Christ!
To find out more about how you can begin a M.O.M. Group, click this link.
To find out how to sign up to be ONE in a MILLION MOMS who would like to be connected with a mentor and raise your children to know Christ, click this link.
To find out how to order The Making of a Mom.

Order on Amazon


Stephanie Shott is an author, speaker and missionary who is passionate about inspiring women to know God more - to boldly and courageously become who they were created to be and to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. Stephanie has been involved in women's ministry for over 20 years. She is a real, relevant and practical speaker who loves helping women enjoy the grand adventure of serving the Living God.

Visit Stephanie Shott on The MOM Initiative or her website, http://StephanieShott.com 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

To Christian Writers by Lisa Buffaloe

If you are a Christian writer, keep writing for God. The world needs hope, and the only eternal hope is found in Jesus Christ. Keep writing to point to Christ.

Ignore the whispers of the enemy telling you to give up
Ignore the world’s ideas of success.
Pay no attention to the number of followers on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog.

Pay attention to God’s truth.
Pay attention to being successful for God’s Kingdom.
Pay attention and be obedient to follow God.

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’” ~ Jeremiah 30:2 (NIV)

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” ~ 1 John 1:3-4 (NIV)

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” ~ 1 John 5:13 (ESV)


Write the joyful truth so that others may find the joyful truth of Jesus Christ!





Visit Lisa Buffaloe @ www.lisabuffaloe.com




Sunday, May 25, 2014

Child's Play by Bill Myers

Just Released!
Child's Play (The Last Fool V1) by Bill Myers

AN INSIGHTFUL ADULT COMEDY...DECEPTIVELY FUN, PROFOUNDLY DEEP

TIME: Fifty years in the future. Religion has been banned.

LOCATION: Sisco Heights Mental Health Facility

CHARACTERS:

A seer who has delightful conversations with tattoos, electric shavers, and janitorial supplies.

A wannabe superhero, complete with shower cap, goggles, and bath towel cape.

A prophet who sees 20 seconds into the future.

An amnesiac who opens a fortune cookie and reads: "You are My favorite child. God."

Careful to avoid state scrutiny, these quirky characters begin to explore the amazing possibilities if such a statement is true. The thinking soon infects other patients and the government must tighten its noose until it is met with some startling surprises. A quick and fun read, this first novella of The Last Fool series will make you chuckle while pausing to think.


Bill Myers www.billmyers.com

Bill is a writer/producer whose work has won over 70 national and international awards including a C.S. Lewis Honor Award. His books and videos have sold over 8 million copies and include, McGee and Me, My Life As..., Blood of Heaven, The Face of God, The God Hater, and Eli. When he’s not overseeing his production company, Amaris Media International, he loves speaking at schools and chatting with reader groups live by phone or the internet.



Listen to an interview with Bill Myers on Living Joyfully Free Radio!


Friday, May 23, 2014

The Voices Were Silent

Years ago the masses didn't have an outlet. Now with the blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other social sites, voices have given to those once silent. Opportunities abound to share God's love. Writers travel to conferences, submit work, pray and beg God for an open door to spread what is written.

However what if your blog, your web articles, Facebook posts, and Tweets are how God wants to use you? What if one post touches one life? What if what you write travels around the globe? What if one blog kept someone from committing suicide? What if your tenacity encourages others? What if God's road to publication is bigger than a book on a shelf?

Don't limit God by a narrow vision of what it means to be an author. God is the God who multiplies, exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or imagine. 


Be a Scribe. You no longer have a silent voice. Write what God prompts you to share.


“Then the Lord told me: ‘I will give you my message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance.’” ~ Habakkuk 2:2 (CEV)





Visit Lisa @ lisabuffaloe.com

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The Story You Need to Write



by Hilarey Johnson

When I was a kid, I asked my dad, “Why is it every song a girl sings is about a guy and every song a guy sings is about a girl? It’s always about love.”

He said, “What else is there?”

Romantic love.

I was married with a baby before I discovered Christian fiction. As a nursing mom (no money, lots of time) I devoured every book my grandma and mother-in-law bought.

After awhile, I grew tired of romances. Happily-ever-afters made me feel like I had received my quota...I was already married.

I started to write stories about other loves women experience. I wrote about adoption and healing after an affair. This was also about the time I started to attend conferences and discover most people who buy books really want romance in them.  

Romantic love.

What else is there? (Well, as Christians, we know.)

Susan Bell writes in The Artful Edit, (p. 10-11) “Write the story that needs to be written—not what you want to write. Refrain from imposing an inorganic idea in it or turn it into something it isn’t meant to be.
To write falsely is to not write at all.”

Although actually, that kind of writing usually means you have a job. If you are a ghost writer/blogger or write for newspapers, you know what I mean.

When I started Sovereign Ground I began it as a traditional romance with her perspective in the first chapter and his in the second…

But it mysteriously disappeared one day. It wasn’t the first partial book I’d lost or saved over, so I simply said “OK God, how should the book start?”
God answered, but it wasn't what I expected. It was the kind of story I wouldn't have attempted: spiritual suspense, the sex industry, vulnerability, and the innate need women have to be desired. It was the story that needed to be written.

I am a different person because of the experience, and because of the finished story. Follow Bell’s advice and do not impose your ideas on your story.

But go ahead and add a little romantic love.

  

Hilarey Johnson’s first novel, Sovereign Ground released May 2014. Connect with Hilarey on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads Author Page or sign up for her newsletter to hear about freebies. 


Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Lies Writers Tell Themselves

The Lies Writers Tell Themselves
By Susan H. Lawrence

“I have to be in just the right mood to write.”
“I need to get my thoughts organized before I can get started.”
“If I just had a better space, away from everyone…”
“I don’t know enough to be a writer.”
“Writing comes easy to most well-known authors.”
“My story isn't interesting enough to share.”
“When I find the time to write…”
“I’ll never make it as a writer, because I can’t spell well, my grammar is bad, and I usually choose the wrong punctuation.”

It’s not true. As much as we say we want to write, we creatively rationalize why we don’t. If we’d use all the effort it takes to excuse why we’re not writing to actually write, we might get well beyond where we’d ever imagine! Of course, I know we all have challenges, and I don’t know your specific situation. But I do know what I've said to myself and what I hear from many writers I help, and I know the benefit of challenging the excuses that are holding us back.

Ask yourself, “What’s really behind my hesitation to write?” It’s often a lack of confidence. Sometimes, it’s a lack of organization and commitment. As you’re honest with yourself, perhaps you’ll find you’re not actually supposed to be writing—at least, not right now. If that’s the case, take the pressure off yourself, and intentionally set writing aside for a season. But as you discover your rationalizations are simple stumbling blocks inconveniently getting in your way, take a deep breath and knock them down or step over them. Write with no excuses.


Susan Lawrence is a women’s ministry consultant who also partners with women with writing goals. She speaks around the country, has written multiple Bible studies and devotionals, and blogs daily. If you’d like to start a conversation with her about your writing goals or other ministry needs, connect with her on PurePurpose.org.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Why Can't I Finish?

Why Can’t I Finish?
By Susan H. Lawrence

Writers sometimes struggle so much with finishing the project, they stall with the start. Or, they start, but they can’t quite bring themselves to finish. The project goes on and on, sits in the computer, continually gets reworked, or stalls in the to-do lists.

Knowing the why behind issues with finishing or starting won’t automatically fix the problem, but it will help you recognize where you are and what you need to get beyond in order to start…or finish.

Perfectionism. Unless you can produce something exactly the way you imagined it to be with no mistakes or misunderstandings, you don’t want to share it…which means, you’ll never share it. The only person who can create something that’s perfect is a perfect person, which you’re not. It’s okay to have high expectations, but don’t expect yourself to do the impossible.

Negative thinking. Perhaps you think you can’t get accomplish what you want. You’re not gifted enough, talented enough, worthy enough. You’re not well-enough connected or well-enough prepared. You don’t have enough time or resources. No matter how you much you grow and accomplish, you pay more attention to the empty half of the glass than the full half. Build on what you have, even if it seems like it’s only a few drops.

Distractions. Do you think you lack time to get done what you want? What about Facebook, Instagram, email, and Words with Friends? Consider the possibility you’re not using your time as well as you can. Manage your distractions better. Get focused.

Encouragement. Maybe you don’t have anyone encouraging you. Perhaps people closest to you are actually discouraging you. But are you really looking for encouragement? Perhaps you’re not getting it from certain people, but it comes through surprising sources. Don’t put conditions on the encouragement you receive. Don’t let your pride or fear stop you from reaching out and asking for support.

Accountability. One of the best ways someone can encourage you is by helping you stay accountable to your goals. You won’t meet every goal; no one does. But when you fall short, it’s helpful to admit it and hit the reset button. Ask someone to check in with you regularly. Hand off small pieces of your writing for feedback. Yielding a little at a time is much less daunting than sharing and getting feedback on an entire project.

Start somewhere today. Consider what’s holding you back. Is it really worth the damage it might be causing? Getting stuck and not finishing—or not starting—isn't just about your writing. It’s about your life.


Susan Lawrence is a women’s ministry consultant who also partners with women with writing goals. She speaks around the country, has written multiple Bible studies and devotionals, and blogs daily. If you’d like to start a conversation with her about your writing goals or other ministry needs, connect with her on PurePurpose.org.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Word Counts Can Be Fun

Word Counts Can be Fun!
By Susan Lawrence

As writers, we know we’re supposed to write consistently. Writing a few hundred words a day adds up quickly and is a lot less daunting than writing several thousand words. Small goals not only help us accomplish the bigger ones; small goals also help us develop discipline.

But as we develop our discipline and build a reservoir of written words, isn't there a way to have some fun along the way? Yes!


For every 100 words, a new photo of a kitten pops up on the right side of your screen. It’s like receiving a reward! If you don’t like kittens, try puppies. If you want to try another animal, click on the puppies link in the previous sentence, then replace the word puppy in the url with whatever animal you want to try. (Be careful not to waste too much time searching for obscure animals and let time nonchalantly slip by, defeating the purpose of getting motivated and disciplined.)

If 100 words aren’t a lofty enough goal, you can choose 200, 500, or 1000 instead. The first time you use the site and begin typing, a dialogue box might pop up to remind you that even if you have autosave on your browser, you’ll be wise to copy/paste your work often—perhaps when the picture changes—so you don’t lose it.

Give it a try, have some fun, and accomplish those writing goals!


Susan Lawrence is a women’s ministry consultant who also partners with women with writing goals. She speaks around the country, has written multiple Bible studies and devotionals, and blogs daily. If you’d like to start a conversation with her about your writing goals or other ministry needs, connect with her on PurePurpose.org.







Graphic from Microsoft clipart

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

5 Ways Your Blog Can Help Your Writing


5 Ways Your Blog Can Help Your Writing
Susan Lawrence

Contrary to “expert” advice, not everyone who writes also needs to blog. The reasons for blogging vary. It’s important to know your reasons. It’s also important to understand how blogging can help your writing in ways you might not have considered.

  1. Attain small writing goals on your way to bigger ones. Not everything that’s included in a book needs to filter through your blog, but you can certainly release some devotionals and articles that feed into your book. Especially if you find it difficult to set aside chunks of time to write sections of your book, processing a little at a time through short blog posts will help you achieve small goals on your way to bigger ones.

  2. Get clarifying direction as you express yourself. If you tend to get paralyzed by ideas or aren’t sure in which direction to go, try a blog post on the topic. Choose one point to explore or summarize several points. As you blog, you’ll likely get more excited about some ideas than others or realize one point needs to be expanded much more than others. Writing short pieces can reveal clarity for expanding future writing.

  3. Develop your writing skills and style. What if you complete your first book and find out major flaws in your writing ability? Or what if you find out your style doesn’t really match the readership you thought you’d target? Why wait and learn hard lessons somewhere down the road when you could learn them along the journey and grow along the way?

  4. Set yourself aside. It’s counter-intuitive to think that more blogging leads increases humility when so many experts tell us we need to blog for presence, branding, and marketing. If self-promotion is your goal, then, yes, blogging can build your platform. But what if you want to write to meet the needs of others? What if you want to share inspiration and tools and invite conversation? Practice with humble blogging. As you practice writing from your giftedness with consideration of how the reader will receive and experience it, your discipline for otherness-writing will grow.

  5. Put why you write to the test. Why do you write? How do you respond to affirmation and criticism when you blog? Are you discouraged when someone disagrees with you even though you say you don’t care who reads your writing? Do you easily dismiss criticism without considering whether or not the person has a valid perspective? Do you say you want to reach out and help others but only write from a narrow viewpoint without considering how to engage others in conversation? Whatever your stated reason for writing is, does your actual writing match up to it? Invite the reactions (or lack of them) to your blog to reveal the reality of any discrepancies between why you say you write and what you’re actually seeking through your writing. Then make the necessary adjustments you need to make.

Susan Lawrence is a women’s ministry consultant who also partners with women with writing goals. She speaks around the country, has written multiple Bible studies and devotionals, and blogs daily. If you’d like to start a conversation with her about your writing goals or other ministry needs, connect with her on PurePurpose.org.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga

Cover3D 700x150millerendorsement

So, I've written a novel--a stumbling piece of women's fiction being released April 15th through Abingdon Press--and it's here, now friends, available for pre-order. And I'm shaking in my boots. I want you to like it, of course, but more than that--I want you to like her. The woman I wrote about, Clara, because, well, she's sort-of me. A daughter to a reverend, and she rebelled when she was young--ran away from home to serve as a nurse in World War II--and the story opens with her grown, in her sixties and taking a road trip with her family, looking back across the years like a lighthouse reflecting across water. This, from Chapter 1 of A Promise in Pieces:
Noah looked like his father, and she hadn't seen it before. But here in the backseat of a van strewn with skateboarding magazines and CDs, there was time enough to see it in the young man whose long legs stretched from the seat. To see the freckles dusting her grandson’s cheeks, the way his hair poked like a hayfield and his eyes grabbed at everything. 
Up front, Oliver asked Shane to adjust the radio, the static reminding Clara of the white noise she used to make with a vacuum or a fan to calm her newborns. The first one being Shane, her eldest, the one in the passenger seat turning now to laugh at his father, who wrinkled his long nose as Shane tried to find a classical station. Then, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and Clara could see Oliver smiling, pleased, and she remembered the way he’d looked over at her in church so long ago with the same expression: as though he’d finally found what he’d been looking for.
Noah was playing a game on one of those Nintendo machines. He noticed her watching him, said, “Do you want to give it a try, Grandma?” He looked so eager. Gone were the days of Hardy Boys and marbles. 
“Sure!” Clara said, mustering enthusiasm as she took the tiny gadget. Then she saw what he was playing. Some kind of shooting game with uniformed men and guns and she nearly dropped it. “I’m sorry, it’s too complicated for an old woman like me,” she said, handing it back and turning to stare out the window, at Maryland passing by, wondering what a kid in high-school could know about war.
They were taking the George Washington Memorial Parkway, one of Clara’s favorite drives, which would carry them from her home-state into Mount Vernon, Virginia. They were just passing through Glen Echo, north of Washington, DC. And Clara remembered the story her Daddy had told her on one of their summer holidays about the woman who’d spent the last 15 years of her life here. Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, who tirelessly provided aid to wounded troops during the Civil War, and she had dedicated her life to serving those in need, Daddy said. 
That was when Clara—only eight years old at the time—had decided she would do the same. After all, this woman shared her name. 
“Something wrong, Grandma?” Noah said, then. Shane turned in the front seat. His green eyes met hers, and it seemed only yesterday she had brought him home wrapped in that quilt—the one cleaned, pressed, and folded, sitting in the trunk of their Caravan.
Shane’s eyebrows rose and Clara shrugged, feeling cold in her white cardigan even though it was late May. It had been 50 years. “Fifty years,” she said, more to herself than anything, and the van was quiet. She’d had these moments before, many of them. Moments that landed her in the past, amongst broken and dead bodies, for there hadn't been enough beds in Normandy. 
Oliver peered at her now, too, in the rear-view, through his glasses, and she should give his hair a trim, she thought. It sprouted silver around his ears, and when had her soldier-husband aged? At what point between them marrying and adopting Shane and giving birth to two others had his hair turned gray? 
Noah was tucking the game away, now, saying, “I don’t need to play this right now. What are you thinking about, Grandma?” 
And she wiped at her eyes, moist, and cleared her throat and told herself to smarten up. It was 23 hours to New Orleans, where they planned to visit the National World War II Museum, and she should make the most of the time she had with this boy who knew nothing of the miracle of the quilt in the trunk. Who knew nothing of loss, and this was good. But there is a need for history to plant itself in the hearts of its children. And so she began. 

700x150derushaendorsement

I am so excited to share Clara's journey with you -- she is a woman who struggles relentlessly to believe, who extends grace to everyone but herself, who makes a promise to a dying soldier to give a letter to his wife. She discovers love in the folds of a squirming baby whom she adopts, in the limp of a man who carves her a wooden jewelery box, and in the forgiveness of a friend whose husband she was unable to keep alive. A Promise in Pieces is part of Abingdon Fiction's Quilts of Love series, and I will be donating a percentage of all of the profits made from pre-orders to World Help's Rescue Homes project, HERE.

 ALSO, if you tweet or FB about your pre-order, using the hash-tag #PromiseInPieces, you will receive another Quilts book free of charge with your order! Here's a tweet for you to use if you want to: I just pre-ordered @emily_wierenga's debut novel #PromiseInPieces!

Available for Pre-Order HERE: BuyAmazon BuyBarnesNoble BuyCBD BuyCokesbury    

((Thank you)) For believing in me and loving me. To God be the glory. All my heart, e.
  Novel Rocket Endorsement


Emily Wierenga is wife to a math-teacher husband; mother and foster mother to four boys; an artist, columnist and the author of Chasing Silhouettes: How to help a Loved One Battling an Eating Disorder, Mom in the Mirror: Body Image, Beauty and Life After Pregnancy and A Promise in Pieces (Spring 2014). For more info, please visit www.emilywierenga.com. Find her on Twitter or Facebook.