Certain urges kick in with this change of seasons, right? We make more soups and start baking certain items, or at least thinking about it.
Some extremely industrious, organized folks have their gifts wrapped and ready (not naming names, Carolyn!) I’m often one who resists putting up the tree too early, but not this year. Last week I started checking our lights.
Do the events of 2020 have anything to do with my behavior? Absolutely!
I rarely share recipes, but here’s one for the yummy cinnamon honey pretzel mix shown above–quick, easy, delectable.
Mix one 11 oz pkg of pretzels in shape you prefer, 3 cups corn Chex, your choice of nuts, raisons, craisins, etc. (I used cashews and walnuts.) Melt 1 cup butter with 1/2 cup honey, pour over dry mix and stir.
*** The photo above is minus corn Chex, didn’t have any in the house, but my make-do inheritance from the Greatest Generation kicked in, and husband likes it anyway.
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 mins, remove and stir. Repeat and cool a minute or so. Toss with mixture of sea salt and cinnamon. Cool thoroughly.
Makes enough for…depends how many other snacks you offer!
On this topic of the holidays and food, here’s a review of one of my latest books:
If you’d like to engage in a bit of time travel,“World War II Holiday Scrapbook” is a nifty way to do it.
Whether you’re a history buff, or crave a bit of nostalgia for holidays celebrated with homemade gifts and packages sent lovingly to foreign shores, this book is for you.
The focus is on the home front. Everything from Christmas treats in the time of rationing to how Christmas was celebrated in the White House.
It’s a lovely read with pictures of much cherished gifts from that time as well as heartwarming stories.
Dana Mentink’s novel FETCHING SWEETNESS features a lovable canine, and sounds refreshing in this time of worry and frustration. I’m glad to welcome her to DARE TO BLOOM. She’s giving away a signed paperback copy (or e-book for international) to a commenter.
Hi, there! I’m Dana Mentink. I’m here to spread around a little sweetness!
In Fetching Sweetness, a novel I wrote for Harvest House, Rhett Hastings is a desperately unhappy corporate mogul, a worldly success. Stephanie Pink is hanging onto an identity that no longer fits God’s vision for her life. Two people who have made a muddle of things are struggling to discover their true identities. Can you relate? I sure can. In this ever changing world jobs, families, past times are being uprooted, changed up or distanced at a moments notice and it’s so easy to feel shaken to the core!
But then… there’s Sweetness, the picture of contentment!
Processed with MOLDIV
He’s just a big goofy dog with bad manners and no pedigree who changes everything. Dogs do that, sometimes. Did you ever wonder why people just adore dogs? Sure they’re man’s best friend, but why it is so precious to enjoy the company of a dog, even a big elephantine and poorly trained critter like Sweetness? Here’s my theory:
-Dogs do not care a fig about what you’ve done in the world. Homeless, helpless, failed and floundering? That tail will still wag when you show up. Dogs are not confused by worldly identities.
-Dogs forgive. Forgot the dog treat yesterday? Used a harsh tone towards Sparky? Didn’t make time to walk your pet? Dogs forgive. Today is a new day, a clean slate and another chance to be the kind of person God made you to be.
-Dogs see your potential. So you’re not in perfect shape? So you didn’t finish school? Get that job? Hang onto that relationship? You have not accomplished the dreams you had for your life? The dog sees the great qualities you still possess even if you have lost sight of them. You were made to love. You were made to comfort others. You were made to make your way through this earth, and share burdens, joys and the Good News (in person or socially distanced…whatever way it works.)
It’s so incredible, isn’t it, to know that no matter how we disappoint, fall down, succeed or don’t succeed, there is nothing that will separate us from the love of the God who made us? Now if that isn’t a sweet piece of news, I don’t know what is!
Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Sourcebooks. She enjoys teaching writing classes at conferences, and loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)
Welcome to author Carol Nemeth with her Faith in the Parks series, where you’ll find suspense and romance. Carol tells us about her writing, and is giving away an e-book copy of Yorkshire Lass to one commenter.
His Perfect Timing
As an author who began writing as a teen, I was confident I would get published early too. After all, my love of writing was as heartfelt and important as any other author’s. Right? No doubt true, my love of writing certainly didn’t guarantee publication. Far from it. Not until our second child’s birth did I finish a novel and attempt publication.
That journey was fraught with disappointment, rejection and self-reflection. My first novel, Yorkshire Lass, was rejected time and again, leaving me to wonder if writing was God’s will for my life. Or had I pushed my plans ahead of His?
I prayed, If it’s not Your will for me to continue writing and pursue publication, then, Lord, please take away this love and desire to write. It never went away as I continued praying and submitting my manuscript. More rejections followed. One publisher gave me hope as they made manuscript suggestions with the idea they might take it. They didn’t.
Disappointment again filled me. I kept praying, but God was silent. Even in His silence, my desire to write and to publish my novel showed me He hadn’t said no. He was telling me to wait. Like most of God’s children, I struggled with waiting for His perfect timing.
Our daughter was born in 1990, and I began Yorkshire Lasssoon after that. It was finally published March of 2016, nearly twenty-six years after it was finished. I may never know all the reasons my Abba Father led me on that disappointment-fraught journey to publication, but He taught me some things.
His timing is always perfect, and I must trust His timing. The details of my life are better left in His hands to work out the proper time for them to happen. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
I discovered God has our best interests at heart. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” He didn’t withhold publication from me because He was angry or being mean. Whatever His reasons, He chose 2016 to publish my first novel. Since then we’ve published eight more books. He’s blessed me in ways I never expected.
American Jessica Montgomery arrives in WW I England to be greeted with the horrible news that local vagrants and homeless folk are being found murdered. With a killer skulking through the North Yorkshire Dales, she and Grandmother Morag McDonald fear for the safety of the orphans living at Hope Orphanage. With the help of local Dr. Garth Samuels, they do all they can to protect them. Is it a deranged individual who is the harbinger of death or could it be something far more sinister? As they search for answers to end the horror, Jess learns who she can and cannot trust, but it may be too late when she finds her own life in danger.
A native North Carolinian, I always loved reading since childhood and making up stories since junior high school. I worked in the National Park Service and served in the US Army where I was stationed in Italy. There I met the love of my Life, Mark Nemeth, also an Army veteran. After we married, we lived in various locations including North Yorkshire, England. We now live in West Virginia, where in our spare time, Mark and I enjoy camping and sightseeing. We’re active in our church and enjoy our two grown children, son-in-law and three grandchildren. I’m a member of ACFW and have written and published nine books.
People like me get excited about books for writing, so I’m thrilled to welcome Zoe McCarthy this week. For years, I followed her helpful blog posts that explained grammar and usage in a hands-on manner, and now has compiled them into a text that I’ve enjoyed perusing. And she is giving away a
My review: This volume literally (pardon the pun) bursts with necessary information for both fiction and non-fiction writers. Through the years I’ve consulted various grammar handbooks, and also used several in instructing college writing classes. I can heartily recommend this one. Concise and filled with down-to-earth examples, it offers treasure to serious writers.
I congratulate the commenter who wins her giveaway of a signed copy. To qualify, just leave a note for her in the comment section. And here is Zoe:
“You need to turn your blog posts into a book on writing,” an editor told me. Then a few weeks later, literary agent Diana Flegal said the same thing. She later wrote, “Since the market for fiction writers is tougher than ever, I bugged Zoe, and her agent, for a Zoe McCarthy writing book.” So, I took these professionals’ advice and created Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days.
On the eve of Halloween, I’ll share scary challenges that confronted me and snippet assurances I received in endorsements.
Overwhelming material.I’d researched and written over 150 posts on writing topics I’d used in writing my seven inspirational romances and teaching writing workshops. I didn’t want to dump posts into a book. How could I organize so many posts into a coherent guide for writers? Scary. I wish you could’ve seen the posts’ print-outs stacked into meaningful piles covering my office floor and furniture. Editor coordinator for Pelican Book Group, Jamie West, wrote, “A concise, detailed, step-by-step resource for all writers.”
Daunting dream. How could I structure the book to help writers get their manuscripts in shape and guide first-time writers in writing their stories? I wanted to free writers from experiencing rejections like I’d received on my journey. Freelance editor Denise Loock wrote, “If you follow her advice and implement her strategies, a publisher will be much more likely to issue you a contract.”
Perfection. Since Tailor teaches writing, I wanted it to be perfect. Recently I spotted a typo in one of my examples.Ugh. I wrote, “I didn’t steal this heroine.” I meant a drug, not a woman. Multi-published author Tanya Hanson said, “As an English teacher, I can attest that her tips on good grammar and her hints for excellent sentence and paragraph structure are spot on. But as an author, I also appreciate her ever-present advice that excellent skills are not enough: you must tell a good story, too.”
Confidence. No scary ghost can attack me on one aspect. I believe in Tailor. Multi-award-winning author and president of Word Weavers, Eva Marie Everson, penned, “Zoe McCarthy’s book is a fresh and innovative refocusing of your novel or novella. Through a few simple—and fun—steps, Zoe helps writers take their … manuscripts to a spit-polish finish.”
Aspiration.I hope Tailor will lessen fear of writing. Bestselling cozy mystery author and Twitteriffic owner, Elizabeth Spann Craig, wrote, “Zoe M. McCarthy’s step-by-step reference guide leads you through the process, helping you fight feeling over-whelmed.” I smiled.
Today we welcome Jeff S. Bray and his Hallmark-type novel. Having a male romance author here is unique, so I asked Jeff to share a little about his journey. Enjoy, and please see below for qualifying for his GIVEAWAY of a free signed copy of Little Reminders.
Little Reminders, as with most of my writing, began with a dream. However, the final product came out quite differently than the dream. Yet, two components remained the same, the characters and the premise of the novel that developed. I don’t want to give too much away, but the ‘reminders’ weigh heavily within the dream and the novel’s entirety.
I really wanted to have fun with this one, since my first novel The Five Barred Gate was much more serious. It was about our freedoms as Christians being taken away from us and takes place in a dystopian world where being offensive to another person is illegal. I know that doesn’t seem so far-fetched. I wrote TFBG in 2016 and watched the world decline after it was released. Talk about seeing my writing unfold before my eyes.
So, with Little Reminders of Who I Am, I wanted to do a 180 through writing a love story, a true Hallmark-Saturday-in-your-pajamas book. And I do believe this novel delivers in spades.
My love for food comes from eight years of working in restaurants, which becomes evident in Little Reminders. By default, this makes me the cook in our family, where I am also a stay-at-home-parent of four boys and one girl. My wife goes to work, while I stay at home and run our household. Well, that is a half-truth. As a freelance writer, my job allows me the freedom of being at home.
When I am not fulfilling a client’s demand, I am promoting Little Reminders, penning my next novel, or writing a blog for my website, Moments for the Heart. I enjoy what I do and have had a passion for writing since I was in high school. I would love for you to visit my website, follow me on my FB page, JeffSBrayAuthor, and check out Little Reminders of Who I Am. In fact, I am going to make this interesting. If you complete the following two steps, I will enter your name into a drawing for a free signed copy of Little Reminders of Who I Am.
Second, leave a reply to this post saying that you have liked my page.
That’s it. Do those two things and you could win a signed copy of my new release Little Reminders of Who I Am. Thank you again for your time and support.
The cold has come, the sun has gone…it’s time for pumpkins! The other day I cooked one and made pumpkin bread, a perfect break from editing a manuscript.
Topped with melting butter, savored with a mug of hot tea. Oh my–the simple joys of the season. I’ll get back to my work soon, but the enticing aroma of pumpkin bread baking is calling me…
Susan Count brings one of her middle-grade novels to us today. What a fascinating story of her writing method and how the idea for the FIREFLY WARRIORS came to her–and she’s offering a GIVEAWAY, too. Commenter’s choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a signed paperback of this book.
This story is overflowing with information for young scientists, and the author integrates ways modern laws can be used to protect endangered species. What a great Christmas gift for a grandchild!
Now Susan shares her writing story with us:
Oh what fun it is to be a middle-grade author!
Selah’s Sweet Dream was my first book. I was 62. I had NO idea about craft, so I didn’t write it with middle grade in mind—it just turned out to be the voice of the story. Then a friend read and loved it, so I wrote to Dandi Mackall—you know her as a well-respected Christian children’s author. Bless her heart—she answered me. At her prompting, I joined SCBWI and worked with a critique group for two years on the novel. At the end, I was in love with the process and couldn’t stop writing. I still have that problem today.
I prefer to fabricate stories in a quiet zone. Out my window, my mind wanders across the forest and keeps me in a grateful state of being. I write at a fabulous antique desk that has secret compartments filled with horse story ideas.
My schedule changes with the seasons of life. The sunniest of times is when I can equally balance the best things in my life—riding my horse and writing my stories. When the weather is bad, I write more. If it’s glorious, then I ride more.
I’m not a fast writer because I re-read and then listen for the next line. Editing is my super-power but plotting is the greatest fun. I write the story beats on sticky notes and plaster them on a glass sliding door. I especially love to plot with my grandchildren. They are full of fun ideas. I have to keep asking them “and then what could go wrong” because they will stick a happy ending into every scene. How delightful to be a child. I feel strongly this age should have their hearts and minds sheltered from the world’s evils. If it were up to me, I’d keep them innocent for as long as possible.
My new release, The Firefly Warriors Club,is a major departure from the horse books I normally write. The story came about after the bushes in the forest surrounding our home came to life with thousands of twinkling lights. We’d never seen such a spectacular show and have not seen one like it since. Then I learned that many children have not only never seen the miraculous firefly, but have never heard of them. God filled our world with delights and clues to His existence. It’s our job to draw young readers near to the light.
It’s the loveliest time of year here. Last night’s rain brightened the colors, making today perfect for a walk into the countryside. But if you trek down our front steps, beware!
While I long for a several-mile hike, my regimen of icing my leg after very short ventures may remain for some time. Someone who remembers her own post-surgery frustration reminds me, “The doctor said inflammation and swelling is actually a good sign…it means there’s healing.”
I wish this knowledge automatically made me more patient with the process, but something I read recently gives me food for thought. Soren Kierkegaard, a nineteenth century Danish philosopher, wrote:
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.”
This has been my m.o. for decades, and I doubt I’ll ever lose the desire to walk. But right now, I’m stymied. The one thing my doctor advised, “Walk, walk, walk!” and which I really want to do, brings considerable pain.
With the weather so gorgeous, venturing out for brief periods helps, knowing my ice awaits me. Viewing the golden/persimmon/chartreuse/scarlet-orange spectacle all around our home helps, too. Normally I’d be out there raking away, but this is my year to sit back.
We’ve all endured some “sitting back” during 2020, haven’t we?
Meanwhile, one Danish philosopher’s life instructs me . . . he lived to be only forty-three, yet contributed to the world of thought long after his passing. Things may not be exactly as I wish, but lovely day of life can take first place on my gratitude list.
I’m happy to welcome Carole Marie Shelton, an award-winning writer. She’s the author of middle grade novel, Cosmic Chaos (Ashberry Lane, 2015), and the author of a soon-to-be-released picture book, Sasquatch Loves Bacon Day!(Clear Fork, 2021). She and her four children live in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy hiking and seeking new adventures. Carole is giving away TWO COPIES of Cosmic Chaos to commenters–great Christmas gift for a middle-grade child!
Our world was suddenly turned upside down. I was in the process of writing two separate middle grade novels, while also researching an idea for a sci-fi novel when I received a call that urgent help was needed. My extended family had an emergency, which resulted in my young cousin coming to live with us.
We knew it would be temporary, we just didn’t know how long. We welcomed him with open arms and enjoyed having him in our home. And through each day, every moment of his time with us, there was this quiet fierceness emanating from him with determination to get back to his mom, no matter what.
It occurred to me that this was the same goal of the main character, Logan, in my science fiction story idea — to get back to his mom. And Logan is close to the same age as my cousin. I decided this was the time to write Cosmic Chaos, not later. I needed to write while I could see and experience the intensity and longing coming from this young man so I could accurately apply it to my story.
I finally completed the first draft about two years after Logan returned to his mom and the book was published just a few years later in 2015 by Ashberry Lane. I’m so thankful for my cousin’s stay with us; otherwise, that science fiction story idea may have never been written.
Cosmic Chaos is a sci-fi middle grade adventure novel intended for older elementary kids:
Twelve-year-old Logan lives inside the Luna Biodome on the moon. Not only is the moon dust making him sick, it also sets him apart from the other kids. While Logan is inside his new robot’s interactive program, his illness disappears and mysteries occur that he can’t explain.
When Logan meets an annoying, yet undeletable program character named Amy, their misadventures awaken him to a glitch — a secret that could return him to Earth to track down his missing mother. But only if Amy will cooperate before the moon’s lockdown and before the new robot destroys him.
The word Rambunctious first appeared in print at a time when the fast-growing United States was forging its identity with optimism and exuberance. That era, the early half of the Nineteenth Century, also birthed words like rip-roaring, scalawag, scrumptious, hornswoggle, and skedaddle. Did Americans alter the largely British rumbustious because it sounded too stilted? Rumbustious, which first appeared in Britain in the late 1700s just after early Americans signed the Declaration of Independence, was probably based on robustious, a much older adjective that meant both “robust” and “boisterous.”
This week Lance sent me some shots of a normally rambunctious animal, but right now, cold has settled over our area. This plump specimen seems ready to rest. Our courtyard, our best attempt at an English garden, provides ample place for that, especially this year when I cannot get out there to trim and haul away summer’s faded bounty.
In more rambunctious seasons of my life, I might’ve run out and clapped my hands, yelling “Shoo! Shoo!” to avoid having to deal with a passel of baby bunnies next spring. But now, I look out the window in search of beauty, and find incredible creatures like this hidden away.
