The Two Minute Drill You Won’t Need a Helmet For
March 30, 2007
Are our routines only for our mornings and evenings? After all, there’s a whole lotta time between those hours. A lot of little chunks of minutes here and there. What do we do with those bits of time?
I have a two-minute drill I do only when it’s cold outside. After I get home from dropping off Child One at school, I make myself a cup of French Vanilla coffee. Yeah, the instant stuff. It’s cheaper than Starbucks and still tastes good.
Anyway, I microwave the water for two measly minutes. But I’ve found something interesting.
In the two minutes it takes my water to heat up, I can clean my kitchen.
My son’s breakfast dishes (plate, silverware, glass), anything left out from late-night snackers (grrr), and anything else that needs tidying up on the counter (cutting boards and knives from cutting up fruit for lunches, potato chip crumbs, and other odds and ends from lunch stuff that couldn’t be done the night before) — all of that usually takes less than two minutes to rinse off, stick in the dishwasher, and wipe down counters.
And we’re not talking a little mess. Crumbs all over the counter. Empty bread bags, apple cores and fruit labels. Plates and forks covered with sticky syrup. Sure doesn’t look like it’ll take only two minutes.
But that’s the fun thing. Sometimes you surprise yourself, because sometimes those jobs that look awful don’t take nearly as long as we think.
Try it the next time you have a few minutes to spare. What task in the room you’re waiting in needs to be done? Even if you don’t finish your two-minute drill before your time is up, the job is now partly done.
And you didn’t need a helmet.
- Don’t forget — Saturday’s the last day to leave a comment to win a free book!
- On Monday — Winners announced!
April’s Master Plan
March 28, 2007
Hard to believe it’s time to be planning for April, but it is.
I don’t have an author interview today (collective moan from the audience), so I’ve decided to tantalize you with what’s in the works for April. We’ll be having interviews with laugh-out-loud lit writer and editor-extraordinaire Meredith Efken, hilarious yet realistic mystery writer Sharon Dunn, and home organizer/mystery writer Cyndy Salzmann. Yeah, I’m curious how you combine those two, as well.
And again there will be free books, at least one, maybe more. Can’t reveal the details yet. Come back in April to find out.
I will be offering something new next month — a chance to win a free 25 page critique from Affordable Novel Critique Service, my own editing service. If you’d like to enter the contest, please let me know by leaving a comment at any time during the month of April (today won’t count!), and I’ll draw names for a winner at the end of the month. You can read all about my service on the Affordable Novel Critique Service page.
Also I have a guest blogger or two coming. I’m excited about these, and no, it’s not because I get a day off blogging! I think they’ll both have some fun and helpful words to offer, whether you’re a reader, a writer, or both.
Have a great Wednesday, everyone.
Not Your Childhood Tooth Fairy
March 26, 2007
I believe the tooth fairy of my childhood has retired.
Remember finding that shiny quarter beneath your pillow when you woke the morning after you lost a tooth? Or that crisp dollar bill? How cool was that?
I’ve recently been on the other end of the tooth fairy business. In the past seven months, both of our kids have lost their first tooth. And, boy, is it good to be them.
Child One received a video game for his first tooth. Yeah, a video game.
And the tooth fairy didn’t stick it under his pillow. Nope, he met dad on the way home from work and passed it on to him to give to Child One.
Child Two received a roll-up piano keyboard. The tooth fairy did manage to sneak that one under the pillow, not that Child Two had to wait for the next morning to look there and find it!
So I’m curious. Any of you have the same tooth fairy as we do? Any evidence that the tooth fairy of my childhood just relocated? Share your stories, however new or old. I’d love to hear them.
Feel the Burn
March 24, 2007
Before I felt the burn, I felt the dream.
I’m one of those writers who’s “known” since third grade that I was going to write Christian fiction. That’s what God wanted me to do so it was going to happen.
Then I started writing.
Eventually I overheard myself repeating something as I wrote. “This scene is good, not quite like a published novel, but I’m tired. I’ll fix it next time around.”
After three or four rewrites like this, I realized my book had hit a ceiling. It wasn’t enough to have the dream or the call. I had to do the work. But how?
I eavesdropped on myself during the rewrite, waiting for that nasty procrastinator to appear. Didn’t take long. But this time I hijacked it.
Nope, I told it. Your little editing brain is staying right here in this scene, and we are SO not leaving till this reads like a published novel!
I was in chapter one for three weeks.
By the end, I was exhausted. I had studied what I’d written and analyzed what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and what I needed to do to make it work. I grit my teeth and kept writing when scrubbing the bathroom floor sounded like crazy fun.
When I finished, I moved on to chapter two. Spent one week there.
Then chapter three. Another three weeks.
At this point, I was frustrated. So I was emerging with something far better than anything I’d ever written, but writing this way would take forever. Was this what real writing was like?
I kept going, and somehow my rewrites began to take less time. Chapters four and five flew past in less than a week. Chapter six a few days, chapter seven a day. I began to worry. Had I subconsciously reverted to procastinating?
As I read my finished chapters, I realized what had happened. I’d pushed through the burn of excercising new writing muscles.
I’d become a stronger writer.
In the past I had always stopped when the writing got hard, and so I’d plateaued. By forcing myself to stay with a scene until it worked on every level, I’d excercised writing muscles I never knew I had and in the process learned a whole lot about the novel.
And because I continued to push myself, being business-like about my words, the writing became easier. Not easy, of course, but easier because those muscles that had ached with their first use were now in shape. I could identify quickly what was wrong with my writing and how I should fix it. I could move faster through a manuscript and find behind me polished writing that breathed.
Where are you at in your writing? Have you felt the burn? Have you pushed through a scene until you learned some technique, understood a writing element, and left with your story ready for the world?
Don’t be satisfied with this round of rewrites. Push on. Feel the burn. And watch your writing muscles grow.
The Key to Successful Routines
March 23, 2007
Isn’t this a gorgeous picture? Katie Johnson, an “amateur” photographer and fellow ACFW writer, took this. If you love nature photos, check out her blog HERE. She’s got some amazing shots.
Last Friday, we talked about morning routines that got us up and going and made us efficient throughout the day. If you created a routine or got back into a routine, I’d love to hear about it.
I promised to share my evening routines, so here they are.
- Straighten hot spots for five minutes (this is a Flylady term for areas where clutter piles up. Boy, you should see my desk right now!)
- Check calendar
- Start making tomorrow’s to-do list
- Pack launch pad (gather everything we need when we walk out the door in the morning — dry cleaning, Walmart return items, grocery list, etc. — and put it by the door)
- Pick out clothes for tomorrow
- Make lunches
- Set the counter for breakfast
- Take meds (yep, those pesky things again!)
- Go to bed on time.
There it is. Doesn’t take real long, maybe twenty minutes. Making lunches probably takes the longest. If I do those things every night, my house looks fairly neat when I go to bed and I’m not greeted by a mess when I make breakfast the next morning. Just a much more pleasant way to start the day, isn’t it?
Well, it would be if I did my evening routine.
I don’t know if I’ve already told you that I don’t have it all together so I better do that now.
I don’t have this all together.
Really. Read here for my story. I’m trying to go back to those old routines that worked so well, and let me tell you, my evening routine is the hardest thing to get back into.
Why is that?
Only thing I can figure is because it’s the one time of the day when I can have some quiet and time to myself. Iget lost in a book, that pesky Star Wars Battlefront game, or something online. Just one more game, I tell myself. One more chapter. One more blog. One more –
Before I know it, my eyes are crossing because time really does fly when you’re having fun!
Ugh. Try to get up the next morning on not enough sleep.
If you’ve had trouble getting your morning routine to work for you, consider this possibility — you’ve been staying up too late.
We all do it. We go to bed exhausted, have only a handful of hours to sleep and then expect to get up — on time — the next morning and function. Nope. Not happening.
Getting ourselves in bed on time is such a “duh” idea, but I know it’s the one thing I struggle with on a nightly basis. Getting to bed on time, whatever that time is for you, is the key to getting us started the next day and getting that morning routine going. No sleep, no energy, no accomplishment.
So. Your turn again. Do you have an evening routine? Tell us what’s worked for you and what has not.
Plan on starting an evening routine? Remember, start small, maybe even with just getting to bed by a certain time. Again, feel free to post it on the blog any time.
And it’s my bedtime right now. So I’m off — after I straighten the hot spots, check my calendar . . .
- Don’t forget to post a comment before the end of March for a chance at the 2007 Christian Writers’ Market Guide and Linda Nichol’s In Search of Eden
- On Monday — not your everyday tooth fairy
Interview with Christine Schaub
March 21, 2007
I’m finding that when it comes to historical fiction, I prefer a story based on real-life characters and lesser known events. Christine Schaub, author of the Music of the Heart series, has taken the stories behind “It Is Well with My Soul” and “Amazing Grace” and written a novel on the events that led each man to write the words to the songs. Her stories, seasoned with the right amount of period detail, immerse the reader in another time and place — and in the lives of people who penned songs that still speak to us today.
I must admit to being partial to Finding Anna, book one in the series. “It Is Well” is my favorite hymn and being a Chicagoan who loves the city and its history — well, needless to say, Finding Anna is a book I plan to reread more than once. Please visit Christine’s website at www.christineschaub.typepad.com for more info on her books and her blog.
Finding Anna
She’s lost almost everything.
It has all happened so quickly. First the fire. And now this.
She stands back and scans the faces of the arriving passengers. When she sees his face, she will know if their relationship is over . . . or has only just begun.
***
Forty-seven degrees latitude. Thirty-five degrees longitude. Three miles deep.
This is where it happened. This is where his life was forever changed.
Grief, hope, terror, relief — the emotions are heavy on his mind, his body.
He picks up a pen and a piece of stationery and begins to write . . .
The Longing Season
In the 1740s, British culture allows few options for the son of a merchant ship captain. And in a time of war, a man with John Newton’s experience must serve the king. But Newton, a man who quotes Virgil and curses God with equal fervor, is interested in serving only himself.
Mary Catlett simply cannot believe her childhood friend sailed away on a British warship and vanished in Africa. In desperation, she takes a step that will change her life and call her lost love home. But will he arrive in time?
Newton’s odyssey takes him from the West Africa gold coast to the banks of Newfoundland to the heart of the Atlantic before he finds what he’s spent his entire life longing for: deliverance.
In an account that challenges popular myth, Schaub continues the Music of the Heart series with one of the greatest redemption stories of all time, the story of “Amazing Grace.”
Recently I was able to interview Christine about her novels.
SB: Christine, share with us what sparked the idea for Finding Anna and The Longing Season.
CS: In 1994, a music minister asked me what I knew about the story behind “It Is Well” — could I turn it into a drama? I did some research, then wrote and performed a five-minute monologue that was rather like Paul Harvey’s “Rest of the Story.” A pianist “noodled” movie-soundtrack music behind me, I walked out in period dress and told the tale . . . and the “Hymn Lady” was born!
I told a dozen hymnstories at various venues for years until I got the idea to turn them into made-for-TV movies. In the process of shopping that idea around, I was offered a series deal for historical fiction.
SB: Are you picking your favorite hymns or hymns that have incredible stories behind them?
CS: I’m sorry to report that my favorite hymn, “Pass Me Not,” has no dramatic story behind its writing. And that’s really the requirement — high drama — to expand a story into 50,000+ words with subplots and minor characters and a reason to keep readers turning the pages. Likewise, some of our most famous hymns — “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” — are simply inspired poetry with no tragedy or loss attached to their writing. And then others, like “It Is Well,” “Amazing Grace,” and “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, ” are ripe for the telling because so much is going on with their writers and their eras.
SB: What was researching these two books like?
CS: Well, I was forced to travel to Chicago, New York City, London, Chatham, Kent (and I hopped over to Paris) to get the details right. Isn’t that just terrible?
Fortunately, all these towns had historical societies, rare-book collections, and knowledgeable librarians that made researching a joy. Many times, the “person” research is already completed through previous biographies/autogbiographies, but the period details of specific towns, specific trends are harder to find.
For instance: What did a typical middle-class Chicago family eat for breakfast in 1872? That detail took me weeks to find.
SB: What do you want readers to take away from these books?
CS: I hope my readers will feel like they’re living in the era I’ve descried and empathizing with the men who suffered enormous tragedy and loss, yet had the presence of mind to pick up pens and write words of hope and comfort we still sing today.
SB: Christine, that was just how I felt reading these books. As a Chicagoan (okay suburbian!), I found myself pulled right into Finding Anna and the Chicago of the 1800s, although I did laugh when Horatio Spafford worried about the worth of his land after the Chicago fire. If he only knew! What was the most interesting thing your research uncovered?
CS: I was most impressed with two things: (1) That so few people died (~300) in such a horrific fire, and (2) that the indomitable American spirit kicked in immediately — much like it did after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Americans have a unique determine to not just recover, but to emerge stronger, optimistic, fearless.
SB: In the epilogue of Finding Anna, you mention that the Spaffords’ church taught that suffering or sorrow was a result of sin. Discovering that adds even more depth to the words of “It Is Well.”
CS: Believe it or not, that mindset of “suffering = sin” still exists in some church denominations today. I think it’s hard for Christians to believe that they must endure suffering and sorrow when they’re checking all the boxes of Christian living. Bible reading? Check! Prayer time? Check! Church attendance? Check! Loving my neighbor? Check! So why am I sad/broke/sick?!
Jesus told us, “In this life, you will have many trials and tribulations . . .” Notice Jesus didn’t preface that statement with “If you choose to sin, expect . . .” He meant what he said to his followers then, and we have to believe it as his followers now.
SB: I don’t think I’d ever heard the story behind “Amazing Grace.” In The Longing Season, John Newton’s life seems to be one of extremes — extreme suffering and then anything he wants. How did that seem to play into his eventual decision to serve God?
CS: Well, he didn’t have anything he wanted. He had material things, but he didn’t have hope, love, peace. Worse, he seemed to be resigned to a life without the intangible things. We never hear of people who are resigned to hope, but dream of hopelessness . . . or resigned to being loved, but long to be unloved . . . or resigned to peace when they really want turmoil. So outwardly, Newton appeared to be successful, but inwardly he was an utter failure . . . and knew it. Cue a horrific storm at sea, and a man begins to embrace real change.
SB: Are there any more books in the series or other projects you’re working on?
CS: It’s still my primary goal to turn these stories into movies. The film climate is ripe for both biopics and faith-based themes, and I’m actively working to get Hollywood’s attention. The better Christian films perform in theatres and on DVD — films like “Facing the Giants” and “One Night with the King” and “Amazing Grace” — the more likely my stories will be picked up.
I’m a rather reluctant novelist — novel writing has never been my dream and my publishing experience has not been good. But I would be inclined to continue the series with the right story and right incentive.
SB: Thanks for the chat, Christine. Is there anything you’d like to add?
CS: I call my writing style fauxography — part biography, part fiction. I find and include as much fact as possible, bu straight “fact” doesn’t always make good storytelling. So I invent subplots and minor characters to help move the story along. The main characters and plot points are as true as I can make them, and I hope the blend of fact and fiction works well enought that readers are not constantly asking, Did that really happen? If I did my job well, they’ll just believe it.
SB: I know I found it believable. Thanks, Christine.
- On Friday — the most key part to an effective routine
- Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the 2007 Christian Writers’ Market Guide and Linda Nichol’s In Search of Eden.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
March 19, 2007
Late March and early April — even a spring blizzard couldn’t ruin this time of year.
Why’s that? Because it’s March Madness with Major League Baseball (go, White Sox!) right around the corner!
I’m sure you heard it yesterday at church and everywhere else you went, people comparing the sad state of their brackets. I must take a moment and brag on myself (since by the end of next week I may have nothing to brag about!), but as of right now my brackets are — big grin — beating my husband’s brackets!
In our house that’s huge because there’s a trophy up for grabs. Yep, that’s it there in my sad attempt at photography.
Each year whoever picks the most wins in the Final Four tournament gets their name put on 
plaques on the base of the trophy, and the loser has to take it to the trophy shop to get it updated.
I’m sure hoping this is my year to win.
So ‘fess up, blog readers! How many of you are into the Final Four? Baseball? Sports in general? This sports nut would love to hear your about your favorite sports memory, moment, or team — even if it is that baseball team from Chicago’s north side!
Philosophy of Routines 101
March 16, 2007
For those of you freaked out by the title, rest easy. We are not going back to school.
Last Friday, I said I’d share my routines with you, and I will, but first it’s probably best to get behind the reasoning or philosophy of why routines are good and not evil, boring chores.
Let me ask you this. What did you do when you got up this morning?
I bet it went something like this:
- You showered
- Dressed
- Did your do
- Put on makeup (unless you’re a guy)
- Ate breakfast
- Brushed your teeth.
What is all of that? It’s a routine, a simple list of things you go through every day without thinking, without standing in front of the mirror gripping your hair in both hands and wailing, “What do I do next?”
Now picture the day you don’t do that routine. You don’t shower (shudder), you don’t get out of your PJs, you don’t fix your hair or your face, but you do brush your teeth since your morning breath was getting to you.
There may be some people who function well in their PJs and sporting a bed-head hairstyle, but I know I don’t. It’s hard to get motivated. Until I’m cleaned up and dressed, I’m still in that I’ve-got-nowhere-to-go-no-one- to-see-and-nothing-to-do mood. And nothing gets done.
So Philosophy of Routines 101 states that we all need a morning routine to do when we get up in order to get ourselves moving and productive. If gives us a routine that, after enough days of doing it, we do without thinking — and we get to the point where we do it fast. It doesn’t consume our time like it does when we reinvent the wheel of starting our day.
Here’s mine.
- Get up and weigh. (Sigh. I know they say not to check the scale every day, but for me if I don’t check it, I start gaining weight.)
- Laundry check
- Take meds
- Devotions
- Get beautiful (Shower, hair, makeup. Got to credit my mother here who always says, “Well, it’s time I got beautiful.”)
- Wake kids
- Finish lunches
- Get dressed
- Make bed
- Check calendar
- Finish the day’s to do list
If I do those things when I get up in the morning, I’ll be ready for whatever comes. If the mailman needs to drop off a package, I won’t race to brush my teeth before I answer the door and hope he doesn’t notice I’m in PJs. And with the last thing I do being finalizing my to-do list, I’ll be more likely to get started on that list than to end up on the couch playing my son’s Star Wars Battlefront video game.
And the day progresses with me getting most of my list if not all of my list done — which leaves me with no stress because it’s tax day eve and I have yet to gather tax stuff or because I’ve got friends coming over and I haven’t cleaned my house in three weeks. And when my list is dwindling or I need a break, there’s no guilt sitting on that couch for a few Star Wars Battlefront games!
And it’s flexible. That routine is my Monday through Friday. Obviously I don’t make sack lunches on Saturday or Sundays, and I definitely let my kids (and me) sleep in on Saturdays. Do still brush the teeth, though.
Why is a routine important? It gets you ready for the day — you’re dressed, you feel presentable to the world, and you’re prepared to do the things you need to do — and usually it won’t be anywhere near noon.
Now it’s your turn. What is your routine?
Word of advice here — again, don’t try to build Chicago in a day. This wasn’t my routine the first day I decided to tackle this project. Remember, we’re fighting lifelong habits here and so it’s okay to take it slow. Maybe you just need to start with getting beautiful (or handsome), checking your calendar, and making your to do list. Don’t get trapped into scheduling your whole morning (all of you SAHMs). Give yourself some room for life to happen and mess things up.
Take the next week and work on your morning routine. Maybe print it out on a piece of paper so you can cross off each item as you finish it. And let me know how it goes! Feel free to post it here and tell us all about it. I love hearing from you all.
In the meantime, it’s time for me to go. Got my evening routine to get started . . .
- On Monday, the most wonderful time of the year?
- Don’t forget to leave a comment during the month of March for a chance to win a free book!
Interview with Kacy Barnett-Gramckow
March 14, 2007
Kacy Barnett-Gramckow has taken the time period of the Genesis flood to the Tower of Babel and turned it into a three-book series called the Genesis Trilogy. I read the first book, The Heavens Before, about a year ago and loved it. One thing I enjoyed about it was that she took a Bible character we know existed (and that’s about all we know!) and gave her a name, a history, and a story that showed how the world and people in it might have been before the flood. The following books, He Who Lifts the Sky and A Crown in the Stars, follow the family of Noah and their descendants in the new world.
The Heavens Before — Chaos will erupt as the fountains of the earth open. Only eight humans will emerge alive.
Birds of many colors flew above the flowering grasses, twittering and singing songs as varied as their feathers. Annah imaged them singing, “A human! A woman! A nothing!”
Annah has not spoken a word in the years since she witnessed her father’s brutal murder. Now a young woman, she is desperate to escape the cutthroat society that considers her mad. Then she has an unexpected encounter with a young man who is different from the rest. His name is Shem, son of Noakh.
The Heavens Before retells the enthralling biblical acount of the Great Flood — as seen through the eyes of a courageous woman. Brought face to face with an ancient evil, Annah dares to believe in the Most High, the God who is nothing more than foolish legend to the people of her settlement. In a world of astonishing beauty and appalling violence, a world unknowingly speeding toward disaster, Annah’s choice will have unforseen consequences.
He Who Lifts the Sky – They will follow anyone to get away from the Most High. But their great king has feet of clay, and he is leading them to chaos and destruction.
Keren heard her own breathing, ragged and harsh. Trying to muffle the sound, she covered her face with her hands. Be calm, she told herself. O Most High, please save me now, as You saved I’ma-Annah.
Nimr-Rada is determined to use Sharah and Keren, Shem and Annah’s great-granddaughters, in his plans to challenge the Most High. Sharah is all too willing to fill such a glorious role, but Keren will not be so easily enticed.
He Who Lifts the Skies retells the biblical account of the building of the tower of Babel. The Mighty Hunter, Great King Nimr-Rada, offers mankind freedom from the judgment of God. But Nimr-Rada’s promises of freedom 
will only bring his people enslavement to a false god, and to Nimr-Rada himself. Keren must risk death to defy the Great King and end his tyranny.
A Crown in the Stars — United in their pride, the people of the Great City built the mighty tower of the sun to challenge the very heavens.
When an act of carelessness traps Shoshannah in the city of her mother’s enemies, she wonders if she will ever see her family or her beloved Kaleb again. Meanwhile, the Most High is planning a stunning response to the Great City’s rebellion.
The bittersweet conclusion of The Genesis Trilogy, A Crown in the Stars retells the remarkable biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
Recently I was able to interview Kacy about the Genesis Trilogy.
SB: Kacy, what made you choose these particular Bible passages to write about?
KBG: Easy! Lack of stories in the market. When I initially researched the Genesis Flood, I couldn’t find any novels dealing with Noah or Genesis. Nor could I find any stories about Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. There were, however, tantalizing secular references in ancient translations referring to a great flood that complimented the Genesis accounts; I couldn’t resist.
Ironically, less than two months after I finished writing The Heavens Before, a friend loaned me a coy of Ellen Gunderson Traylor’s Noah. I was very distressed, thinking I’d wasted my time until I read Ms. Traylor’s work and realized that our storylines were quite different, though Bible-based. Noah is speculative fiction, whereas The Heavens Before takes a very traditional approach. Gilbert Morris also wrote an adverturesome Noah shortly thereafter. More recently, Douglas Hirt wrote a neat high-tech version of Noah’s story, offering yet another angle on the Genesis Flood. I’ve met Mr. Hirt at several author events and we’ve kidded eah other. His is the “guy” version of Noah’s Ark, and mine is the “gal” version. (But guys are reading my books despite the romance.)
SB: It’s always interesting to hear what initially inspired a story. What seed started the idea?
KBG: My husband and I were studying the creation/evolution debate with our sons and we enjoyed all the different science videos so often that I became fascinated with the Genesis story itself. When I started digging into my history books and ancient accounts of the Flood . . . I was hooked.
SB: What was your goal in writing the seriesf?
KBG: At first, I simply wanted to reveal Genesis and Noah’s story through the eyes of his daughter-in-law, Annah. But during my research I found some very intriguing references to the origins of goddess worship and to Babel, which led to He Who Lifts the Skies and A Crown in the Stars. I wanted readers to experience the origins of goddess worship through an orderly, logical sequence of events.
SB: You must have done a lot of research.
KBG: I love research! The six-year-old in me really adored looking at all the glowing gold and shiny rocks when I studied goldsmithing. Basket-weaving books made me want to climb the nearest willow tree to harvest branches, and the ancient recipes were equally fun. I made grain cakes, lamb, barley soups, and a few other inspirations for my family. They enjoyed most of my efforts.
DNA, however, was the most fascinating yet intangible part of my research. I couldn’t explain the DNA aspects of Genesis except to portray the effects of a diminished gene pool after the Flood. (Decreased life-spans and the emergence of different races.) When you learn how complex our “basic” genetics really are, it’s impossible to not wonder about the thoughts and ways of the Lord.
SB: Was there any interesting tidbit you learned that never made it into the books?
KBG: Oh, yes. Two, actually. First, back to the DNA. A secular scientist, Cynthia Kenyon, has published some fascinating research on the daf-2 gene and its effect on longevity. By suppressing the effects of the daf-2 gene, Dr. Kenyon was able to more than double the lifespan of the C. elegans worm in her laboratory, leading to speculation that the gene has a similar effect in humans. (Leading to pre-flood lifespans?) Readers can check the daf-2 research at home on their computers.
Another fun morsel I found during research is what I consider the Miao People’s Genesis Poem. I would have loved to find additional resources supporting this work; it would have been terrific to slide little details like this into the trilogy. If readers have any additional “outside” sources to support this epic poem, I’d enjoy hearing from you.
SB: I’m sure there are those who dislike taking Biblical stories and fictionalizing them. What is your approach to writing fiction that is still accurate to the Bible?
KBG: Above all, I want to honor the Lord and His Word. If a thought or plot doesn’t mesh with the Biblical verses then I don’t use it. The Bible is exciting enough without human embellishment, and (author paranoia kicking in here) it would be really unnerving to feel that the Lord is shaking His head at me.
SB: Would you share any reader mail that’s touched you?
KBG: I’m always delighted to hear from readers, and it’s fun to know that my books are in lands that I can only dream of visiting someday. Usually readers email one question: “Are you writing more books?” The most humbling notes I’ve received are when readers write, “I’ve started reading Genesis.” Wow! Or “Your books made me truly understand God’s grace.” Gulp. Recently, one reader made me chuckle when she echoed my own feelings after I finished writing the trilogy: “I don’t know how I can be homesick for someplace that I’ve never been.” Above all, the reader I pray for the most wrote: “I experienced abuse similar to Annah’s.” That one hurt.
SB: Do you plan to write other Biblical fiction? And what project are you working on right now?
KBG: I’ve written a number of short articles that have garnered some editorial interest, and I’ve completed one New Testament story, which is floating around in the publishing world right now. Also, my agent and I have been pondering a joint non-fiction project we’d both enjoy. In addition, there’s at least one more Old Testament story I’d love to dig into, but right now I’m booked up — no pun intended — with the dayjob and my son’s home-schooling. One more reason to enjoy summer. I’ll have more writing time!
SB: Not to mention some warmer weather! Thanks for the interview, Kacy. Is there anything you’d like to add?
KBG: To our Dear Readers: Thanks for writing; I love hearing from you! Catch my website — shared with my editor-husband — at www.gram-co-ink.com. Last but not least, Sally, thank you so much for inviting me to visit; it’s been a pleasure.
Gods and Kings
March 12, 2007
We have a winner!
Janette, you won Mary DeMuth’s Wishing on Dandelions. Congrats, and thanks for tuning in. I’ll make sure the book gets to you shortly. Hope you enjoy it.
Our Sunday School class is studying the book of Isaiah. Have to admit, my initial reaction was not one of elation. Isaiah’s a pretty deep book. I’ve read it a number of times during my devotions, but there’ve definitely been sections I struggled through. And now our class is studying all sixty-six chapters.
Hm.
But so far, I’m really enjoying the class. We’re only in the first few chapters, but a clear groundwork has been laid for God’s anger with Israel’s sin. Israel has rejected God and practiced evil, even as they go through the motions of worshiping God, and God tells them right in the beginning of the book that He has had enough. He calls them children who’ve rebelled. He calls them people of Gomorrah. He says they’re not even as smart as an ox or donkey who know who their masters are.
Ouch.
When you study the history of Israel during this time, you discover that they were worshiping numerous idols and even dragging some of those idol practices into the Temple. Can you imagine how that must have hurt God? They abandoned Him for twisted, evil, and sometimes inhumane behavior.
And yet, after all those harsh statements about Judah, God offers forgiveness in that amazing verse that says, “Come now, and let us reason together . . . Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow.”
How does this relate to fiction?
I recently picked up Lynn Austin’s Gods and Kings. It takes place during King Ahaz’s reign in Judah. That would be King Ahaz — one of the four kings during whose reign Isaiah prophesied.
The book is intense in about three places, and when I got to the point where I realized what was happening or about to happen, I’ll admit I skimmed. But the book showed clearly how wicked and twisted the tribe of Judah had become. Their worship of other gods was not just wrong in that it abandoned God but in that it was horrible and repulsive. And Isaiah enters the picture, speaking God’s warning.
Isaiah is by no means the focal point of Gods and Kings — that belongs to King Ahaz, his son Hezekiah, and the idol worship of Judah. Hezekiah, the fourth king Isaiah prophesied to, is a child growing up in the book and became a king who did serve God. I had to keep reading to see what might have made the diffrence between Hezekiah and his Molech-worshiping father, Ahaz. Despite its few difficult scenes, I found Gods and Kings almost impossible to put down.
I don’t usually read Biblical fiction, but this story seems to stay true to the Biblical texts. Lynn even lists several passages in the Old Testament for you to read, and I do suggest you read them at some point as you read the book. I highly recommend Gods and Kings for an entertaining, well-written read that grabs you from chapter one and doesn’t let go. Check it out, and when you finish, drop me a line here and tell me what you thought.
- On Wednesday, an interview with Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, author of the Genesis Trilogy
- Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a free book
How Routine It Is
March 9, 2007
Have you seen that show “How Clean Is Your House?”
Kim and Aggie, two British women who are professional cleaners (is that a step up from a maid?), supervise cleaning the homes of people who’ve let their house go.
I mean really let it go.
We’re talking bathrooms that haven’t been cleaned in many moons. Bugs in the freezer. Rooms filled floor to ceiling with stuff. And a number of other truly gross problems I refuse to mention.
The stars of the show hire professional cleaners, and before long the home is an attractive house we’d all love to live in.
Ah, happy endings.
Or are they? What does that house look like a year later? Six months later? Okay, a month later! Was it still comfortable and inviting? Or were the bugs and trash taking over?
Before we go further, I want you to know that this will not be a blog on keeping house. In the comments last Friday, Terri wondered if maybe we could get too caught up in the things society tells us we “have to do” and in doing that neglect the people who really matter.
A very good point, Terri, and I want to make it clear that I have no desire to be the next Martha Stewart or June Cleaver. This isn’t about becoming more like Martha than Mary. Instead, it’s taking the huge job we women have of running our homes and turning it into a smaller, more manageable job that does not control us or stress us out. And that will leave us free to do the many other people-oriented things that matter. For me, that’s my family, my friends, my writing, my church.
Think about making your work take up less of your day, less of your life. What would organizing your home and life give you time to do?
We have to admit that the shape our home is in has a tremendous effect on us, right? If we’re disorganized, it’s hard to get to our meetings in time with the notes or projects we’re expected to bring. It’s hard to get anything done when there’s clutter everywhere and we can’t find what we desperately needed fifteen minutes ago. We don’t function well when the counters are piled high. I mean, who wants to cook and add more to that?
So what’s the answer? Is there even an answer?
I say yes. The answer is routines.
Routines. A rather boring word we all run from.
No, don’t run! Come back. Routines are your friend! Routines free up your day, your home, your life, leaving you time for your family and even for yourself. In fact, that’s part of the routines, making time for you. And that’s not as selfish as it sounds.
Routines were what made last summer so pleasant for me. And my routines where what I abandoned when I started my rewrite. Now I’m slowly starting those routines again.
That’s part of the secret — start slow. Chicago wasn’t built in a day, and neither can we expect to change lifelong habits in a day, a week, or even a month. Come back next Friday and I’ll share my routines with you and show you how to create your own routines that will slowly take you from stressed to hope.
- On Monday — Lynn Austin’s Gods and Kings
- Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win one of three books!
Interview with Mary E. Demuth
March 7, 2007
Mary DeMuth’s first two novels have received high praise. Sharon Hinck, author of The Secret Life of Becky Miller says about Watching the Tree Limbs, “In the tradition of Secret Life of Bees or Peace Like a River, Watching the Tree Limbs immersed me in a wounded yet grace-filled-world. . . . The writing is evocative and compelling — a heart-changing story.”
And Susan Meissner, author of the Rachel Flynn mystery series, says about Wishing on Dandelions, “Mary DeMuth’s finely drawn, multi-dimensional characters are allies to cheer for, scoundrels to loathe, wounded souls to tenderly embrace.”
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Mary.
SB: As a writer, I dream of having a way with words like you do, Mary. Your writing just flows. How much work was it to make the writing so smooth?
MD: I hear and see the story before I put it on the page. I also have a terrific critique group, Life Sentence, who keep me on my toes. They are well acquainted with my voice and are quick to point out when I’ve strayed.
SB: Life Sentence — I like that. You dive into some touchy topics in these books — sexual abuse, interracial relationships. What do you hope a reader takes away from these stories?
MD: First, a great story. I want my readers to not be able to put a book down. I love to add lots of suspense in a book, to keep the story moving. Beyond that, I want them to see the very real activity of God in the lives of ordinary folks.
SB: As a Northerner, I don’t think I’ve really witnessed racism. Have you found cities like Burl, Texas, the setting for the books, to be real?
MD: Yes, we moved from Seattle (I’m a Northerner, too) to East Texas several years ago. I was shocked to see racism in blatant forms there. Mostly, folks were kind, but there existed a strange undercurrent of racism I had never experience in the North.
SB: When I first heard the book dealt with sexual abuse to a young girl, I put off reading Watching the Tree Limbs. But when I read it, I found it not at all graphic and that the sexual abuse was, in action, only a small part of the book. What would you say to readers who might not pick up your book because of the topic?
MD: Just what you said. It’s not graphic. I feel it’s my duty to love my reader well and not put them through things that are too graphic. I’d also say you can’t shine the spectacular redemption of God if there is no black backdrop to shine it upon.
SB: Will there be any more Maranatha stories?
MD: As of now, no. I want to write the rest of the story but would need to be offered a contract to do so!
SB: A contract would be helpful! What projects are you working on?
MD: I’m finishing up a novel and working on starting a three-book novel series.
SB: These two fiction novels are not your only published books. What else have you written?
MD: Ordinary Mom Extraordinary God, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and this summer Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture.
SB: I know a number of Christians who didn’t grow up in Christian homes and want to raise their children in a much different manner than the one they were raised in. Tell us more about Building the Christian Family You Never Had.
MD: I wrote that book out of obedience. I tried to put it down several times. It was excruciating for me to write, particularly because I tell the story of my upbringing. It’s my prayer that in sharing that story, readers see just how far God goes to redeem folks. I wanted to offer hope to those who didn’t want to duplicate the homes they were raised in. You don’t have to make the same mistakes your parents made . . . all by God’s grace, of course.
SB: You and your family just returned to the States after being missionaries in France. What’s the best thing about being back, and what do you miss the most about France?
MD: Best thing: everyone speaks English here! I felt myself dying in France. Not being able to communicate to someone like me who is built to communicate was very, very hard. I miss the pace of life in France the most. The U.S. is crazy-busy!
SB: I know that last part’s true for me. Thanks for the interview, Mary. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
MD: Thanks for having me! I so appreciate it. I pray my books are a blessing to you all.
My pleasure, Mary. Now about that free copy of Wishing on Dandelions. Just enter a comment between now and this coming Sunday night, and I’ll pick one commenter’s name from a hat. The winner will be announced Monday.
You’ll enjoy both of Mary’s books. I found the writing beautiful, the characters strong, and the plot gripping. And her non-fiction books sound good, too, even to a fiction fanatic like me. If you’d like to read more about Mary and her other books, please visit her website at www.relevantprose.com.
Watching the Tree Limbs — Knowing something bad will happen if she misses, nine-year-old Mara keeps her daily appointment. And she’s never told a soul. But her Aunt Elma dies anyway, leaving her orphaned once again. Whisked away to the big white house, she discovers she’s not the only one with secrets. Strange Mr. Winningham appears for only dinner, but she’s sure he comes to her in her dreams. Zady, who looks just like the nice lady on the syrup bottle, won’t give her any answers, but she packs her lunch every day and even lets her go to church with the rest of her family. Caught in a maelstrom of lies and deceit, Mara carefully picks her way through the wreckage of a lost childhood until the day something magical happens underneath the pecan tree.
Wishing on Dandelions — At seventeen, Natha admittedly has some trust issues. Thought the abuse by a neighbor boy has stopped, Natha is anything but healed. Now her best friend has left for college, the trials of dating have begun, and God, ever since he spoke to her underneath the pecan tree years ago, has remained elusive. So when brash Georgeanne Peach blows in to take over the only place that’s ever felt like home, leaving a trail of peach fabric swatches and cloying perfume, it’s easy to understand how something like a little ol’ tornado might not be a big deal.
Like every teenager, Natha tries to sort out the confusing layers of love — of friends, of family, of suitors, and, desperately, of God. Natha struggles to find herself befor the darkness of the past pulls her back to the shadow of a girl she used to be.
March Book Giveaways
March 5, 2007
Welcome back to my blog, devoted to all things fiction. Over the course of the month, I plan to talk about two things — fiction and finding order in life. And yes, finding order relates to fiction in that it helps me find more time to write more fiction — and match those socks.
I’ll be giving away a book or two each month to blog readers who leave a comment during the month. Yep, that’s it. You can tell me how magnificent my blog is or admit that you’re a sucker for a free book. I sure am.
For March, I have three books to give away. For other writers who have tuned in, I’m giving away the 2007 Christian Writer’s Market Guide. Very cool if you’re a writer.
If you’re not, never fear. I have two novels for you — Wishing on Dandelions, Mary DeMuth’s second novel, and Linda Nichol’s In Search of Eden. I have yet to read Linda’s book, sniff sniff, but she’s an excellent writer as is Mary, and I know the winners will enjoy the books.
I’ll announce the winners of In Search of Eden and the Market Guide on Monday, April 2, so check back if you haven’t left a way for me to contact you. Better yet, stop by every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. To see how to win Wishing on Dandelions you’ll need to tune in Wednesday when I’ll be interviewing Mary about her novels Watching the Tree Limbs and Wishing on Dandelions. See you then.
Catching Up
March 2, 2007
Lately I’ve had a nasty feeling shadowing me.
You know the one. That headache you get from the laundry basket overflowing with clean, unfolded laundry, a full week of unopened mail stacked on the desk, the three shirts that need buttons sewn back on, and the church nursery schedule that should have been filled out two weeks ago.
Help! I’ve fallen behind, and I can’t catch up!
I calm down, remind myself that tomorrow is another day, but as it turns out, it’s just another day to fall behind. More mail joins the stack, the shirts still need buttons, the laundry is half-folded (who needs matched socks, anyway), and now I must decide — do I go grocery shopping so we can eat or fill out that nursery schedule?
Add to it the overflowing hamper, the bathroom that needs cleaning, and the writing cloud hanging over my head because I’m three weeks behind the writing deadline I’ve already moved back once.
Don’t you hate days like that?
I don’t like having to choose something important to sacrifice. I dislike feeling as if I’m doing a little bit of everything and doing none of it well. I’d like to discover that it is possible to accomplish everything that matters — and still have some sanity at the end of the day.
You, too?
Last summer I began to wonder if I should put my fiction writing on hold until my kids were grown and gone. I prayed about it, asked God if, gulp, that was what He wanted, and asked Him to show me what to do.
Less than a week later, He sent a book across my path that showed me that disorganization was the center of my struggles. There was no set pattern to my days, no schedule as to when things should be done. I was reinventing the wheel every single day.
Over the summer I took the book to heart. Within a week, I found time freed up, items where they belonged, the weekends free to goof off with my family, and my home neater even though I cleaned less. That nagging weight of falling farther and farther behind vanished.
Wow.
And then I busied myself with a rewrite on my novel. I thought I’d finish it in a few short weeks, so I dropped everything I’d learned to concentrate on the book.
Big mistake.
I fell back to old habits of deciding what must be sacrificed, what could wait, and what needed immediate attention, and now that nasty feeling has returned. I don’t like it. I want to go back to the things I learned. I want to grab that peace and order again.
Maybe you want that, too. If so, climb on board with me. Over the next several months, I’ll share my return trip to organizational heaven along with the things that have and have not worked.
And before long, we’ll find matching socks in our drawers, our desks mail free, and those buttons we lost months ago — right next to our dreams and sanity.
Come back next week, and I’ll share where it all begins.
On Monday--find out how to win a free book!