I haven’t gone fishing … I’m on deadline. I send copyedits for Moments We Forget, book 2 in the Thatcher Sisters Series, to my editor on Wednesday. Right now it’s all about the edits. I’ll be back blogging on Thursday. See y’all then!
In Others’ Words: Live Out Loud
Whatever an artist creates, it is an echo of their life. When a reader turns the pages of one of my novels, if she listens closely, she’ll hear whispers of my life escaping from between the lines. Yes, I’ve plotted fictional characters facing obstacles that I placed in a specific order leading to “the end” of my design. But often, …
In Others’ Words: Seeing the Invisible
Growing up can limit our vision. When we’re young, we imagine just about anything is possible. And what is imagination but seeing with our mind’s eye? We see the faraway lands in fairy tales … we envision all sorts of creatures and quests … and yes, we even see how our lives would be different, given the chance. But then …
In Others’ Words: Messy Moments
I used to avoid messy moments. Hide my messy moments. Now I write about messy moments. And some of the messy moments in my novels aren’t imaginary — they’re just fictionalized. I understand that life is messy. I accept that life — my life — is messy. Acceptance doesn’t mean I always like life’s rough edges and unsettled seasons. And …
In Others’ Words: Rekindling the Inner Spirit
Life can be hard. Perplexing. Frustrating. Things happen that discourage us. Maybe someone’s words wilts our spirit. Or maybe someone’s actions — their decision to mock us or to ignore us — wounds our hearts. And our belief in ourself — our inner fire — is snuffed out. But then we connect with someone who rekindles our inner spirit because …
In Others’ Words: Don’t Beat Up Your Soul
I don’t know what a person’s soul looks like, but I do believe there is no one-size-fits-all version. And yet … and yet, there have been times I’ve treated my soul like a ready-to-wear garment found in a store. I like what I have, until I see what someone else has … and I think, “Hmmmm, I like that style …
In Others’ Words: Realistic Boundaries
I love the honesty of this quote. Oh, sure, there have been times when I wanted to believe I could do it all. But thinking I was some amazingly talented Superwoman was, at the least, unrealistic. Put it another way, that kind of thinking was just plain ridiculous. Life became much more livable when I realized my boundaries: what I’m …
In Others’ Words: When Rain is Grace
Several people in my family love rainy days … and I have to admit, I don’t. I don’t like driving in the rain when I can’t see the lines in the road. I don’t like having to be out and about in the rain when my shoes get wet. I don’t like what the rain does to my hair. Don’t …
In Others’ Words: Listen Carefully
Do you prefer to talk or to listen? I admit it: I love participating in a good conversation. A conversation between friends or family, sometimes interlaced with laughter or perhaps tears, can be refreshing. Healing. But more and more over the years, I’ve learned to talk less and listen more. I had to be intentional about being quiet and listening. …
In Others’ Words: From Here to Eternity
I’ve mulled over Thomas Merton’s words for several days now. “Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” I usually stay away from generalizations like that — careful not to use words like “every” and “all” in statements. But I don’t believe Merton is overstating the truth here. I think we overlook …