Musings from a Writer’s Brain–The Valley of Life—From Promise to Fulfillment by Linda Wood Rondeau

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books, Christian Mystery, Christian romance, devotion, God’s intervention, God’s lessons for us, LInda Wood Rondeau, Musings from a Writer’s Brain, Suspence, Wolf Mountain Legacy

Variations of the same theme:

God doesn’t close a door, but that He opens a window

Failure is God’s opportunity.

When man’s hope is gone, God’s Grace is only beginning.

These sayings all teach us failure and disappointment are not the end, merely God’s redirection.  

Another release and more months of poor results despite dollars and time poured into marketing … wondering if God truly called me to write or is this just my imagination on steroids? Though I remember all these above sayings, I wonder sometimes if they aren’t another form of sour grapes.

Then I recall God’s many interventions, and I feel pricked at how soon I have forgotten them. The twists and turns, bruises and bleeding, I mistake for abandonment are merely speed bumps along the way … lessons God has yet to teach. Perhaps the pain is not from pricks but from pruning … not for success as the world or even Christian publishing interprets but rather for deeper purposes not yet evident.

The works of my hands are not what matters most to God. His quest is not my profession as defined by man. More so, His quest is my heart and my unwavering love.

A valley often stretches between God’s desires for my life and the fulfillment of his promise—in that valley God reveals himself and chases after my whole heart. This valley is called Life, the terrain by which the Lord fulfills his true purpose for me. He permits me to write, but his call is for something greater … fellowship with him.

Abraham looked forward to God’s promise of a son, though the fulfillment seemed as if God had forgotten. As the valley from promise to fulfillment grew wider with each year, the far distant fulfillment stretched his faith. At the right time, after decades of pruning, Isaac was born. Yet, Abraham’s journey did not end. God still had much more to teach him, as well as Isaac and Jacob and all who followed Father Abraham.

Perhaps Abraham’s frustration of delayed answered prayer stemmed from only hearing part of God’s promise, his sights set on the tangible rather than the intangible elements of God’s call, “They will be my people and I will be their God.”

Therein is the valley from promise to fulfilment—the place where God teaches me how much he wants to be my God and how much he desires for me to be his child. “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children” (Revelation 21:7).

WOLF MOUNTAIN LEGACY

by Linda Wood Rondeau

How do you prove you’re not crazy?

What about the 150-year-old ruins atop Wolf Mountain keeps drawing Marci Henderson to the site? Village legend says the beautiful wife of the older railroad tycoon, after setting fire to their mansion, ran away with his accountant. Was there no way to prove Felicity’s innocence? First, Marci must prove she had the right to walk among the sane.  

Dr. Blake Montgomery, a college professor, has come to Collins Bend to work on his book, Adirondack Railroad Development. To aid in his research, Blake hires Marci Henderson, his former student, one he never stopped loving, who is now a widow. When Marci is insistent people are following the two of them, Blake wonders if she is headed for another psychotic episode.

Old emotions surface as the two embark on a suspenseful journey leading them closer to solving the age-old mystery of Wolf Mountain, a journey fraught with suspicion and murder. Along the way, Blake’s faith is challenged, and Marci searches for spiritual truth about the God she had never known.

BUY LINK Also available in print

About the Author:

Linda Wood Rondeau has been fascinated with the beauty, history, and mysteries encompassed in the Adirondack region, the perfect backdrop for Wolf Mountain Legacy. Find out more about the author on her website, www.lindarondeau.com, and signup for her newsletter to stay informed. The author is available to speak to groups, in person or online.

Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MeWe, Bookbub and Pinterest.   

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Musings from a Writer’s Brain–Five Truths from a Scaredy Cat by Deena Adams

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dealing with fears, Deena Adams, devotion, essay, Musings from a Writer's Brain

 

Hi, I’m Deena, and I’m a scaredy-cat.

Now that I’ve let that cat out of the bag, (sorry, couldn’t resist J) I’ll explain. I’ve never been much of a risk-taker. I tend to play it safe and escape pain and broken bones—and a broken heart—any time I can.

As a new writer, I deal with fears like rejection, failure, inadequacy, being judged, and getting hurt on a regular basis. If I succumb to these fears, I’ll be paralyzed and unable to move forward in God’s calling on my life to write.

When I attended my first writer’s conference in May 2019, I fought against several of the aforementioned fears. What if I make a terrible first impression? What if I choke when someone asks me what I’m writing about? Is my hook and pitch catchy enough? Will a publisher or agent tell me I’m wasting my time?

These are just a few of the possibilities the enemy whispered in my ear during the conference and over the last year and half since I began my writing journey.

As a believer in Jesus, I’ve had to practice what I’ve always encouraged others to do when fear comes knocking. Cling to God and His truth.

Here’s what I’ve learned about my fears:

 

Rejection will come but that doesn’t mean I’m no good.

 An agent asked for a proposal at the conference. I worked hard on it for months and finally hit send on my computer only to receive a rejection about six weeks later. God remined me that my identity doesn’t come from an accepted or rejected proposal but is rooted in Him. And so is yours.

 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 

Failure only happens to those who try.

God asked me to write so I do, and sometimes what I produce isn’t very good. God asks for obedience, not success. The results of our efforts are up to Him, not us. And success in His eyes may look different than what the world tells us.

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

 

My inadequacy highlights God’s glory.

 I’m not perfect. I have many weaknesses and can only do a few things well. God determines which gifts each of His children possess. We’re not granted all of them, so we must fight the human tendency to compare ourselves to others. We’ll lose every time. The beauty of my inadequacy is that God’s glory shines even brighter.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

There will always be someone who will judge me, but only God’s opinion matters.

 I’ve spent way too many years worrying about what other people think of me. Living to please everyone ends with pleasing no one. Someone won’t like my book. It won’t be their style or they’ll find the one typo in a 350-page manuscript and point it out in a review.

We must live for the audience of One, for the applause of One. God is the ultimate Judge we will all stand before one day, so why not let go of the attempt at people-pleasing and just obey God instead?

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

 

As a writer for Christ, I’m going to get hurt.

 Following our dreams and taking risks guarantees hurt. We shouldn’t expect smooth sailing. If we’re writing for God and sharing His truth, persecution is promised. We can take comfort in the fact that when others hurt us, God draws us close.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Be encouraged brothers and sisters. As children of God, we have no need to fear. We are fully loved by God, fully accepted. He never leaves us, and He protects us from enemies. When He looks at His children, He sees beautiful masterpieces completing the good work He planned for us.

So, when fear threatens to immobilize you, remind yourself what God says, and kick fear to the curb. Fear is from the enemy, and the enemy is a liar.

 

About the Author:

Deena incorporates her vast array of experience as a thirty-year Christ follower, a Navy/pastor’s wife, and a court-appointed special advocate volunteer into hope-filled stories.

Her mission to etch hope on broken hearts shines through in her fiction writing and on her blog, The Advocate’s Pen. Deena is an active member of ACFW and several writer groups, secretary of ACFW Virginia, and a multi award-winning writer.

She and her husband live in beautiful Virginia. When she’s not writing, reading, or serving in her church, you’ll find her hanging out with family and friends and doting on her six grandchildren.

Connect with Deena on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Links:  Website: Facebook: Twitter

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Devotion by Olivia Rae

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Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, devotion, Inpsirational Historical Romance, Olivia Rae, stone effigies, Templars, The Sword and the Cross Chronicles, The Temple Church

 

 

Today’s Wednesday Writers guest is Olivia Rae who will be talking about her Inspirational Historical Romance, Devotion and giving us some background on the book’s setting and how it came to be. Welcome, Olivia!

 

A Setting Can Lead to a Series

By Olivia Rae

            I love to read about the past. If something is written over 50 years ago, I’ll pick it up to read. Once I read a story about a golden knight that saved the Cross of Solomon from the Muslims. I don’t know if the story was true or not, but it got me thinking. So I began to write Revelation, which is the second story in The Sword and The Cross Chronicles (Yes, the second story came before the first.).

            However, the story did not have the depth that it needed until I went to London with my daughter and we went to the Temple Church. The Templars started building this church, which was their headquarters, in the 12^th century. Walking into the church, it didn’t take me long to realize just how powerful the Templars were back then. At one time, the Templars were even in control of the royal treasury. This might be the kernel of truth that started so many Templar rumors and myths you hear about today.  

            As fascinating as all those stories might be, it was the stone effigies that are found in the floor of the church that really had an impact on me. Now I had a clear visual of what a Templar knight probably looked like. Granted my series takes place before the oldest effigy (William Marshall 1146-1219) was ever put into the floor. Yet, I couldn’t get their images out of my head. These knightly effigies gave testament to a very tumultuous time in history. The Templars originally were a warrior monk order whose main goal was to offer protection to pilgrims going to the Holy Land. Many of these early pilgrims were the infirmed and ill looking for healing in the water of Bethesda, and in some cases, the Sea of Galilee. As more and more Europeans came to the area cultures began to clash. More importantly, who was going to control the trade routes from the East? Like now, back then, power was everything. There were saints and sinners on both sides during the Crusades and which may explain why some were immortalized in effigies.  

            My book, Devotion doesn’t have an effigy, but it does tell the story of a knight who was severely wounded and disfigured (check out book five in the series) and a woman whose heart is hard and locked away in a stone, kind of like an effigy to her miserable life. But that is nothing a little faith and love can’t remedy. I do so hope you will check out Devotion. I really did save the best for last.

 

About the Author:

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long, boring days in the classroom go by much faster. Nobody was more shocked than her when she decided to become a teacher. Besides getting her Master’s degree, marrying her own prince, and raising a couple of kids, Olivia decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories by adding in what she’s learned as an adult living in a small town on the edge of a big city. When not writing, she loves to travel, dragging her family to old castles and forts all across the world. Olivia is the winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award, the Golden Quill Award and the American Fiction Award. She has also been a finalist in many other writing contests, including the National Readers’ Choice Awards and the National Excellence in Romance.

Connect with Olivia at Website : Facebook: Twitter :

You can find Olivia’s book at  Amazon:  B&N:   Apple:  Kobo:

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Love in Pictures by Alexis A. Goring

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Alexis A. Goring, book excerpt from Love in Pictures, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, contemporary sweet romance, devotion, Hinckely Yachts and Heavenly Homes, Love in Pictures

Today Wednesday Writers would like to welcome Alexis A. Goring to the blog. Alexis will be talking about yachts and Heavenly homes. I have to admit that she piqued my interest with the yacht, especially when I read the excerpt and discovered the hero owned a Hinckley Talaria 48. So naturally, I went searching for the Hinckley yacht mentioned in the book excerpt. Made me wish I could afford one. She’s also sharing an excerpt from her book, Love in Pictures. Welcome, Alexis!

 

Hinckley Yachts and Heavenly Homes

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

I wrote a book called Love in Pictures. My story’s hero, Logan, is quite the character. His parents are wealthy and generous, so for his college graduation gift, they bought a Hinckley yacht for him to live on.

Hinckley is known as perhaps the best yacht company in America. Its design is smooth, sleek, luxurious and comfortable. If you love the water and you live on it in a Hinckley then you really have it made.

I found out about these alluring details during my story research for Logan’s character. I spoke to a Hinckley representative, told him that I was writing a fiction story, and explained how Logan’s parents bought a Hinckley for him to live on as his college graduation gift. When I shared this, the representative asked me, “Are they adopting?” He asked because he wanted parents in real-life who would give extraordinarily good gifts to him like Logan’s.

All of this inspired me to think. The Bible says that God as our Father in Heaven wants to give good gifts to His children (you and me). Let’s read about it in Matthew 7:11 (NKJV). The Scripture says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

As our Heavenly Father, God wants to give us good gifts—dare I say Hinckley’s included? But above fancy homes to live in on the water, He wants to give us more than the worldly possessions that we desire; He wants to give us eternal life!

The Bible says that this world is not our home. As Christ followers, we are strangers passing through a foreign land. Read 1 Peter 2:11-12 in The Message Bible (MSG). The Scripture says, ^“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.”

The Bible also says that in Jesus Christ’s Father’s House there are many mansions. Read John 14:2. He is preparing a place for us to live and it is out of this world, literally because that place is Heaven.

Living on the water in a Hinckley boat here on Earth sounds amazing but living in Heaven and being in the presence of God for eternity sounds so much better!

The Bible advises us to store our treasure in Heaven not on Earth, as Scripture says in Matthew 6:19-21. Therefore, I am setting my sights on my heavenly home. What about you?

~*~

Love in Pictures

By Alexis A. Goring

Wedding photographer Michelle Hadley has a passion for diversity and believes that love comes in all colors. So, she’s working hard to convince editors to feature her clients’ images on the covers of the mainstream bridal and wedding magazines.

Despite having a career that focuses on celebrating forever love, Michelle has never actually been in a romantic relationship, and she’s not looking for love, until she meets the one man she cannot forget.

Since his fiancée broke his heart, Logan Emerson’s focus has been on his career. He’s won awards for his work as a print journalist and dreams of greater success on television as a broadcast journalist. But his personal struggle presents many challenges that might prevent his dreams from coming true.

Michelle doesn’t date often, and since his heartbreak, Logan has shied away from the dating scene. But something about Michelle awakens Logan’s desire to love again.

 

~*~

Chapter 7

(Story Excerpt from Love in Pictures by Alexis A. Goring)

Michelle tugged at her snug top and pale-blue skinny jeans as she strolled down the dock to the boat Logan had described. She hoped that she wasn’t overdressed—or underdressed. A cool breeze blew through her hair, and the fresh scent of the bay refreshed her soul on this sunny, early summer day.

Though she’d lived here all her life, this was her first time in the marina. She’d never met someone who lived on the water. This was a new experience.

She stopped when she reached a boat that resembled the one in the picture Logan texted her yesterday. It was more gorgeous and expansive in real time. Clearly this was more than a boat. Not knowing much about yachts, Michelle lacked better words to describe this sleek, smooth creation painted in white with blue and gold trimmings. As she reached out to touch it, Logan emerged from the lower deck.

He waved. “Hey there.”

“Hey.” She smoothed the cool fabric of her comfortable boat-neck top, hoping it wasn’t too much. “I didn’t know what to wear. This is my first date on a boat.”

He gazed at her with his beautiful sea-blue eyes then encircled her waist and drew her in for a hug. “Don’t worry. You look beautiful.”

Michelle’s heart somersaulted. He steadied her in his embrace. “You okay?”

Michelle gathered her wits and focused her attention on the horizon. “Does she have a name?”

Logan chuckled. “Yes, she does. Her legal name is Talaria 48. She’s a Hinckley.”

“Hinckley?”

“Yes. Only the best boat maker and yacht experience in America.” He stepped ahead of Michelle on the slip then turned and reached for her. “Come aboard, my lady.”

Michelle’s neck warmed. She placed her hand in his and stepped onto the swaying boat.

She allowed him to continue holding her hand until they settled into the cockpit where he had prepared a light dinner. The aroma of apricot-glazed baked chicken mixed with the scent of fresh salad drizzled with lemon vinaigrette and sweet sparkling apple cider. By the looks of it, he was a very talented chef.

He moved so that Michelle could take a seat then settled across the table. He reached out and took Michelle’s hands into his. “I’d like to pray, if that’s okay.”

Michelle’s heart warmed. He was a man of faith in God too? In a world where it looked like most men threw chivalry out the window, Logan was slowly but surely becoming her knight in shining armor. Not that she believed in fairy tales and happily ever after romances . . .

~*~

Want to read more? You’ll find Love in Pictures at Amazon

 

 

About the Author:

 

Alexis A. Goring is a writer at heart who loves the arts with a passion for the color purple and an affinity for the serene color blue.

She earned her B.A. in Print Journalism and her MFA in Creative Writing. Alexis is an established author, blogger, editor, writer, and photographer who enjoys exploring matters of the heart.

Love in Pictures is her second book published by Forget Me Not Romances.

Alexis hopes that her writing will connect readers with the forever love of Jesus Christ.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex

Website: https://alexisagoring.jimdo.com/