Dealing With Rejection

I had a query of "Crossroads of Time" rejected today.  The editor was encouraging.  She said that she liked it, then explained that first-century novels hadn't sold well for them.  It would be an uphill battle with her sales team and store buyers to acquire another.  She added that I was welcome to send her anything else I wrote.

Yeah, I could sit here and speculate on whether or not she was just good at saying "no thanks", but I'm not going to.  Instead, I'm reminding myself that God has a plan, and He's opening and shutting doors according that plan.

Perhaps the Lord has another publishing company in mind for my story. 
Lord, if that is Your plan, I submit to it.

Maybe He doesn't want that story published. 
*Big hesitation (and I mean big)*  Lord, if You can't use that story, I submit to Your plan.  I don't want to try to publish any book without You.

What if...(told you I was a big what iffer).  What if He doesn't want me to publish any novels?  What if He gave me this talent just so I would start blogging?  What if His plan for my writing is simply to touch one life through my blog?
*Cringing*  Still cringing.  Yes, Lord.  Even then, I submit to You.  Because I don't write for my own glory.  I write for Yours.

I often imagine what it will be like at the judgement seat of Christ.  No one will be pointing fingers in the crowd and shouting, "That's so and so!  Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!  Excuse me while I go get an autograph!"  Nope.  We'll look at famous people and shrug.  No big deal.  Not when you're standing in front of Jesus!  So even if my foolish and wicked heart wants to be recognized as an "author"...maybe even a sucessfull, bestselling author (yes, I did just go there), it won't last.  And I can't take my books with me.  (I do like to think that God would keep copies of my stories, but then I suppose I could just write them again with my new and improved brain ;-) 

Anyway, all that will matter on Judgement Day is this: did I do the work God gave me to do?  I'm thinking about the parable of the talents.  If God only wanted me to write this blog, and if I blog with gusto and give it everything I've got, then I will not be ashamed on that day.  Perhaps I'll even make Jesus smile.  And that's all that really matters.

Book Launch for "Peril"

In order to celebrate the launch of her debut novel, "Peril", Suzanne Hartmann is generously GIVING AWAY A KINDLE.  (You gotta love these kindle giveaways. :-)

Drive on over to http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com/ for your chance to win!  It all ends December 16th!

Book Description: "A top-secret agent. A high-profile assignment. Danger at a NASCAR track. Lady Anne, a top operative of the OJL, the American government's most clandestine intelligence organization, is paid to be paranoid, and she's good at her job. So good, in fact, that she singlehandedly stops an assassination attempt at the White House. When newspapers splash her photo over the front page for saving King Ahmad-a Muslim recently converted to the Christian faith-not only is her cover in jeopardy, but the secrets of her enhanced strength and the entire agency. Then she's given another assignment-to escort King Ahmad to a NASCAR track....

Stuart Jackson, age 33 and at the peak of his career as the reigning Cup Champion of NASCAR, has everything anyone could want-fame, fortune, success. But after he's nearly blown up by a bomb at the White House, his achievements lose their allure. Nor can he forget the mysterious Lady Anne."

Should A Novelist Write Critical Book Reviews?

I had a book review scheduled to post Friday morning -- but I deleted it.  I chickened out at the last minute, because it was a little critical.

I'm thinking, should I be writing critical book reviews?  Yes, I'm a reader, but I'm also a writer, and I can't help but see the criticism from the author's perspective.  That book is their baby.  It took years of blood, sweat and tears to create.  I know!  I'm thinking that if I were in the author's position, I would rather a blogger not write a review at all, if they must be negative about my baby.

On the other hand, I appreciate and follow blogs that aren't afraid to write critical reviews.  The benefits are two-fold -- I learn what they didn't like about a book and can choose to read the book anyway or avoid purchasing it, and I learn what not to do when writing my own novels.

Am I wrong to refrain from posting critical book reviews?  Am I chipping away at my credibility with other readers by posting only good book reviews?  Authors deal with so much harsh criticism, and I hesitate to contribute to it.

I'm also considering the possibility that the author of the book I've just read might become a writer buddy and supporter of my own work someday...  So after weighing the pros and cons, I've decided to stay clear of critical book reviews.  I will write honest reviews, but if I must be critical, I'll won't write a review of the book at all.

Have I made the right decision?  What are your thoughts on this subject?

If God Gave You Your Wish

Photo by The Shifted Librarian

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/4242680000/

So Christmas is coming up.  Some of us have already unpacked the tree and decorations, and some of us are adamantly refusing to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.  Some way or another though, we're all thinking about what we want, or what we're going to get for our loved ones.

What if -- and I'm a big what iffer -- what if God asked you what you want for Christmas from Him?  What would you ask for?  The latest and greatest electronic toy?  Think bigger than that.  Think anything.  Would you ask Him to turn back the clock so you could make different choices and change the outcome of your life?  Would you ask for Him to change something about your body?  Your circumstances?  What is it that you long for more than anything?

Now that you have that something in mind, imagine what your life would be like if you had that.  It would be pretty great, huh?  All your problems would disappear.  You would finally be happy.  Or so it seems at first...

When I was young and stupid and in my early twenties, I thought I was in love.  I thought I knew who God had hand-picked for me.  And there came a day when God spoke to me through close friends, and told me to let this person go.  To offer him up, like Abraham did with Isaac.  I had to make a choice.  Who did I love more?

Well, thank God, I made the right choice.  I let this person go, and showed God that I loved Him more.  It wasn't pretty.  I screamed in pain as I drove away from his house, and actually thought about driving my car into the highway median.  Yeah, stupid Gwen.  But I didn't.  I survived that awful night, and God took my life in a completely different direction.  A better direction.

I'm creeped out as I imagine it -- what if God allowed me to have my wish back in 2003?  I would probably be as miserable and insecure as I was when I was dating this guy -- if not more so.  And if I had eventually married this person, I'd probably be divorced.  I wouldn't have my beautiful boy, Micah.  And David, my beloved David may never have known unconditional love.  Seeing now what God saw back then, I shudder.  I praise and thank Him for not listening to my foolishness and giving me what I thought I wanted!

I love the movie "The Family Man" staring Nicholas Cage.  It's about a man who leaves his girl for the career of his dreams, and afterward, is given the chance to go back and experience what it would have been like to marry his girl and have a beautiful family and life with her.  I cried my eyes out at the end, because I get it.  I get that if I had been stupid and chose to disobey God, I wouldn't have my wonderful life with David and Micah. 

Getting back to your Christmas wish...  Is it possible that your wish could drive you away from God?   Distract you from fulfilling your purpose?  If you won the lottery...if you got the liposuction and plastic surgery that could transform you into a candidate for Miss Universe...would you keep reaching for God?  Or would you find yourself drowning in bigger problems than you already have?  If God allowed you to go back in time and correct your mistakes...would you truly be a better person?  What of the ministry opportunities you have because of those bad decisions?  And that career you're so sure you want -- maybe having it would keep you from fulfilling the unique purpose for which God created you and placed you on the earth.

Consider my example: if God is saying no, it's for a VERY good reason that you can't see or understand right now.  God is never wrong, and He always has your best interest in mind. 

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord.  "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8-9 (NLT)

Undercurrent: A Book Review

I was reading two other novels at the same time that I was reading Undercurrent, and this is the book I kept reaching for.  I loved it.  Not just because I have a taste for time-travel novels -- Michelle Griep tamed the writing critique beast in me.  I was able to stop watching for pace, plot and writing style, and lose myself in the story as a reader.  I thought for sure I knew how this book was going to end, and Michelle completely surprised and delighted me. 

The history was wonderful!  Michelle dotted all her "i"s and crossed all her "t"s in researching the Viking period.  I learned everything from the details of their clothing, to the bear grease they used on the door hinges of their longhouses. 

Because of the "Tazarn and Jane" start to the book, there isn't a lot of dialouge, but Michelle more than makes up for it with the humor she weaves into her writing.  Seriously, she had me laughing out loud several times!  Here's a couple of my favorite lines from the first chapter:

"She tried to side-step the girl, but Tamy mirrored her action as if they danced."

"Cassie stepped back before a fine spray of saliva could land on her and waited for the snort.  Tammy didn't disappoint."
 
The characters were awesome and memorable.  Cassie is clumsy, sarcastic, and always embarrassing herself in front of her new viking friends.  And Ragnar -- I loved Ragnar!  You can feel his passion for God and his love for his friends.  One whole side of his face is scared, and he is understandably self-conscious about it.  He's always smoothing his hair forward to cover the scar, and believes that no woman will ever be able to love him because of it.

Now, this is an "edgy" read because of an attempted rape and a viking "getting it on" with his woman (there are no details), plus there is a lot of blood, gore and violence throughout the story.  (It's 900 A.D. -- go figure.)

The romance scenes didn't happen until close to the end of the book, but it fit -- Cassie was coping with the idea of being in 10th century Norway through the majority of the story, and it took time for her to adjust and fall in love.  And wow, what a kissing scene!  Michelle certainly knows how to write them!  I had to go back and re-read it!

Definately 5 stars.  And its going on my shelf of favorites to re-read.

Midweek Writing Challenge: Sick Note

Writing Prompt: Write the most creative, unique and memorable "sick note". This can be written for the hope of excusing yourself from school or work. 

Goal: Keep it short, to the point and ...have fun! 

********************************************************************

Dear Employer:

You can imagine my surprise when I awoke to find that someone had spray-painted every bit of my clothing with graffiti.  I don't believe you would appreciate me coming in to work wearing graffiti-decorated clothes, so please excuse me from work today so that I can go shopping.

Sincerely,

Gwen 

Blog Award: Introducting the Earl of Altamont

Many thanks to Faye of Labor Not In Vain for honoring me with the "Tell Me About Yourself Award" for my blog "The Way of Impressions"!  Faye reviews Christian Fiction books with a thoughtfulness and attention to detail that all bookworms can appreciate.  I'm always looking forward to her next review!

Ok so the rules for accepting this award are simple.

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Give the award to 15 other bloggers.

Since I've already received this blog award and revealed 7 things about myself, I thought I would be different this time around and reveal 7 things about the Earl of Altamont, the hero of my story "The Way of Impressions".  (After all, he and Louisa get the credit for this blog award ;-)

Ok, my lord, you're on.

I beg your pardon, Madam?

I mean, proceed...go ahead and share seven things about youself.

Very well...

1. People look at me and assume that I box.  The truth is, I'm not a fighter, and I detest duels.  Rather, I enjoy working with my hands.  I'm in the process of building a town near my home in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland.

2. I am terrified of being on a ship.  My father, the late Earl of Altamont, took me on a trip to France when I was a wee lad.  While playing on the deck, I fell overboard and had to be rescued.

3. I love seafood.  Salmon topped with shrimp and crawfish broth has to be my favorite.

4. While I am a Protestant Christian, methinks 'tis wrong for Great Britain to deny Catholics landownership simply because of their beliefs.  For that reason, some of my Irish countrymen believe I secretly side with the rebels, but I in no way support the seperation of Ireland from Great Britain.

5. I am eight and twenty and still unmarried.  I suppose I've stalled in choosing a wife because most ladies of quality bore me.  But just the other day, I met a young woman of quality who is turning my world upside down.  I continually find myself in disconcerting situations with her family.  I'm sure they think that I'm a navie fool.

6. I love the theatre.  I'm designing a theatre for the Westport village, and I'm very anxious to start building it.

7.  I don't care what the fashion in Paris is, I will never wear ruffled shirts.


Wow, that's all very interesting, my lord.  What blogs do you want to pass this award on to?

Pardon, Madam, but what is a blog?

Never mind...I'd better not try to explain that.  Okay, so on Lord Altamont's behalf, I'm going to pass this award on to the following fifteen blogs:

1. A Day In The Life Of An Apiring Author
2. Chrisitan Girly Girls
3. Cornhusker Academy
4. Debra's Reading Corner
5. Faith, Friends, and Frappuccinos
6. Fiction Addiction Fix
7. Footnotes: Novel Inspiration from History
8. InSpire
9. Jesus & My Orange Juice
10. Karin Kaufman's Blog
11. medieval research with joyce
12. Steps
13. Stuff & Nonsense II
14. What In The World R U Doing 4 Christ's Sake?
15. Writing to Distraction

Book Launch for "The Good Fight"

To celebrate the release of her Romantic Suspense novel, "The Good Fight", Shawna Williams is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, and a Kindle (or an equal value Amazon gift card - winner's choice. :-)

It all ends December 7th, so head on over to her blog, My Father's Oldsmobile, and join in the fun while there's still time!

Cover blurb: "Roger Talbot's life is defined by his devotion to public service.  Having just successfully prosecuted a brutal murder case, Roger turns his attention to discovering the shady dealings of Niles Parker -- the town's former mayor, Roger's old boss and the father of the woman Roger almost married.

Pennye Carrington ran away from Port Delamar with plans never to return.  However, learning that her brother had murdered a family member of a famous movie star changed those plans.  Pennye comes back with the hope of bringing stability to a family in disarray, but facing the torment of her childhood may be more than she can handle.

Roger's mission to bring down Niles Parker and Pennye's desire to keep her brothers out of trouble create a middle ground, where two people who couldn't be further apart, embark on a danger-filled journey of discovery to find themselves and each other."

Purchase Shawna's e-book for only $5.99 at http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Fight-ebook/dp/B0061YJAKU.  It released November 1st, so it's available now. :-)

A Child-like Faith

"Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:2-4 NLT

Meet Micah.  He's a happy fifteen-month-old boy, just starting to master the art of walking backwards and getting into trouble.  His latest fascination is doors and cabinets, and tupperware is the ultimate good time.  He has it good.  I mean, his only concerns are shots, vegetables and bedtime.  He doesn't have to work for a living, he doesn't know what money or bills are, and he's oblivious to the perils of our fallen world.  All Micah knows is that mommy and daddy will take care of him.

God brought Micah's simple trust to my attention this past week, while I was struggling with the approach of yet another storm.  I'm not talking about the rain, wind and thunder kind.  (Although we'd love some of that here in Texas.)  I'm talking about the fun character-shaping challenges that life is always throwing at us.  I once heard someone say, "if you're not in a storm, you're headed for one".  How true.  If it's not one thing, it's another.  And it will always be that way until Jesus returns to make the world right again. 

Shamefully, I realized how un-childlike I have become.  The whole reason I was grumbling about the approaching "storm" was because I like to understand how things are going to be taken care of.  I want the comfort of knowing when, what, where, how, and why.  I don't want to "live by faith".  But, oh wait - that's what we're called to do as Christ's followers...  Boy, do I have some work to do!

How do we as knowledgeable grown-ups return to a simple, child-like faith in our heavenly Father?  It's not like we can go back to being ignorant of what it takes to live in this world.  How do we make ourselves stop worrying about the things that we need, and let the Father worry about them?   

I'm imaging a four-year-old boy with his eye on a toy truck for Christmas.  He points at the truck.  "Daddy, I want that for Christmas!"
His daddy smiles down at him.  "If that's what you want for Christmas, then that's what you will get."
The little boy smiles contentedly, and holds his daddy's hand as they leave the toy store.  He doesn't understand that his daddy is struggling to make ends meet because he is unemployed.  He doesn't understand that the car payment and rent is far more important than what he wants for Christmas.  He is oblivious to the real dilemma of how his daddy is going to afford that truck.  All he knows is, Daddy said that he would get it for Christmas.  And he believes his daddy. 

That's the kind of child-like faith God wants us to have in Him.  Unconcerned about how its going happen, only assured that it will happen.  We can get this kind of faith by soaking in the Word.  By dwelling and meditating on God's promises until we believe them.  I mean, REALLY believe them - like a little boy would believe his daddy.

(Paraphrased)

Matthew 6: 25-34 - Don't worry about your daily needs.  Instead, make the Father's kingdom your business and He will take care of yours.  Take one day at time.

Matthew 7: 7-11 - When your children approach you for something that they need or want, you don't mock their requests with useless or terrible gifts.  God won't either.

Romans 8: 32 - God did not even spare His only Son in saving us!  So what good thing is He going to hold back from us?

Philippians 4: 6-7 - Pray about it instead of worrying about it, and pray with a thankful heart in all circumstances.  Then God's peace will chase your anxiety away.

Philippians 4: 19 - God will meet all your needs in proportion to His magnificent riches in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4: 16 - Let us approach the throne of our wonderful God with confidence, and receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

1 Peter 5: 7 - God loves you, so give your worries and cares to Him.

1 John 5: 14-15 -  If we ask for anything that God would be pleased to give us, He hears us.  And if He hears us, we will have whatever we've asked for.