Roller coaster

The past month has been as bi-polar as possible.

Thanksgiving marked the arrival of prerelease copies of my second novel, Third Time Around. I was so excited to finally have this one ready for others to read! I went to work, setting up book signings and delivering copies to all who preordered. I had the privilege of sharing the publishing process and the end result with my students, my young authors, and even students in another school.

In the midst of this excitement, however, my father-in-law, who has been battling lung cancer for two years, took a turn for the worse. He passed away on Friday. Four days before he passed he told my husband he believed he had made things right with the Lord. We hold tight to that hope.

Because I am a writer, and I process my feelings with words, I sat down yesterday and wrote a poem. This has not been an easy road for our family, and as with many others, dealing with death shows itself in many different ways. My prayer is that regardless of the circumstances, we will turn to the one true source of comfort and allow him to give us peace.



Dealing with Death

For some it is steeped with guilt
For words left unsaid
Deeds left undone
The best intentions laying in a pile of ash at their feet.

Others wail in anger and despair
At the world
At the wasting disease or cruel accident
At God for not staying his hand.

Death can reunite embittered relatives
Or rip apart the closest friends.
It is the bringer of grief
Mourning
Loss.

But sometimes death delivers
Peace
In knowing the loved one no longer suffers.
Hope
For an eternity spent in paradise.
Joy
At the promise of a sweet reunion one day.

3 Days in Nashville

This should have a catchier title, but...it gets to the point, right?

Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending three days with five amazing women.  We met on Facebook, shared a common publisher, and decided to share a booth at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN.

My feelings before the trip were ambivalent.  I was both excited and nervous about sharing a 10x10 space with online acquaintances.  I was anxious about selling enough books to make a return on my investment.  I had that little feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of navigating downtown Nashville with only my sometimes questionable GPS. I began to feel sick the week of the trip, and that part of me that fears the unknown considered how bad it would be if I backed out.  But I decided to tough it out and awoke early on Friday morning, dropped the children off at school, and made the three hour trip to Nashville with no problems.

The weekend was nothing like I planned.

The ladies I now count as friends were fun, vivacious, dedicated, prayerful, energetic, wise, and gracious!  We smiled, we cried, we sang, we shared confidences, we handed out hundreds of each others' promotional materials, and we sold some books.  All in all, I would say God was smiling on us.  He definitely reminded me to consider his ways above my ways.  I went to Nashville for a business trip and ended up on a spiritual retreat.  How amazing that three ladies from Tennessee, one from Wisconsin, one from Oklahoma, and an Alabama girl could bond so quickly!

So I have to send a shout out to my fellow authors and encourage you, if you haven't already, to check out their work!

Dee Dee Wike has authored Good to the Last Drop and A Pleasing Aroma, both powerful devotionals that will uplift you with their wit and wisdom.  Her daughter, Joy, certainly infused our days with her namesake!

Amanda Stephan has authored The Price of Trust and has a new book, Lonely Hearts, coming out next month.

Darlene Shortridge has authored Until Forever, and is working on her second novel.

Victoria Burks has authored A Legacy of Love and has a new book coming out in a few weeks.

Thanks, ladies for reminding me its not all about the bottom dollar.  Its about the message, the journey, and the friendships we develop along the way!