Craving the Supernatural

When the Heart Cries
Hannah Lapp was born and raised in an Old Order Amish home, without electricity, a telephone, or the right to follow her heart. Without her parents' knowledge, she's been in love with Mennonite Paul Waddell for years. When he asks her to marry him, she accepts, even though to do so will cause her family to avoid her for the rest of her life.
Before Hannah and Paul reveal their relationship, tragedy strikes. In one unwelcome encounter, all that Hannah has known and believed is destroyed and she faces losing everything: her family, her fiancé, and even her faith in God.


Cindy Woodsmall is an artisan! The world she creates in When the Heart Cries will tug and pull at you the entire read. Characters with lion-heart courage—that grip you and don’t let go for the entire book—are as relentless and deep as they are vivid. A heart-wrenching story that steals my breath, mists my eyes, and stirs my heart. You won’t be disappointed with this book!!

Hey, y'all! Jeff Gerke, the former fiction manager for NavPress and once-helm-director of Realms, has gone freelance. This is awesome news for those of you who need an intense, highly-qualified critique of your manuscript. I'm telling you, Jeff gave me *awesome* help on my manuscript that was under consideration at NavPress. He worked with me and was ever so gracious. I highly recommend you consider contacting him for either a synopsis review or manuscript critique. Contact Jeff at jeff@jeffersonscott.com

Oh--and be on the lookout. This man has a great new website coming. I plan to promote it here!

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Well, my twin/clone Dineen tagged me on a meme created by "the secretly wants to be a suspense writer but writes chicklit," Meredith Efken. I'm supposed to answer one these three questions and then tag five people. So, without further ado, here goes.
1. If you could write a novel about any subject, what would it be? (Just the subject–don’t give away your plot idea!)
2. If just the thought of having to write anything gives you hives, what would you like to read about in a novel that you’ve never seen done before?
3. If you hate reading fiction (you can get counseling for that, you know), what subject might make you change your mind or try it anyway?

Okay...lemme see...three doesn't apply to me (come on--there's entirely too much reality in teh world, grant me my one escape!). Two--well, I only get hives when I *don't* write (can we say hypergraphia??). So, like Neen, one it is.

First I was going to say a contemporary about autism, but I'm already doing that. Then, I was going to say a really kewl spy story--but yep, did that too. :-D So, I think for me, I'd want to write something to do with Egypt and archaelogical digs. I'm totally smitten with ancient Egypt for some reason (no, not their paganism...). Anyway, I think that's what it'd be.

Okie day--now the punishment...er, I mean tagging. I have to tag five people. So, I tag...Jen Tiszai, Beth, Shannon, Stuart, and Steve M.

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Well, the other day, I was pouting. LOL I got three rejections in the span of four days. Pretty depressing. Part of what is so frustrating, is everyone telling me I'm "such a good writer." BAH! If taht were true...nah, I'd better not. I'll get in trouble. tee-hee. Seriously, though, I went and prayed. I told God that I felt like I was being teased, although I *know* that is not His heart. I had a long period where it felt like nothing was happening in my writing, then this summer, it was like the floodgates opened--requests for fulls!!--then it was like I hit this vacuous pressure...and to me, it felt like the doors had closed again.

So I prayed. And in a flash, I had the image of a funnel, as if God was showing me that all those oepn doors ultimately funnel down to His answer. So, it's not a shut door, as I thought, but a process of thinning and refining. :-D

Someday, my hubby will be in the FBI. And someday...I'll have an agent and a contract.

Until then, I think of Sir Winston Churchill who said, If going through hell, keeping going! :-D

Well, I had someone email me and say, Wow, Ronie. You've been going through a lot. And it hit me that my posts have been about trials and tough times. Since life is about much more than the trials, let's concentrate on good stuff.

So, I thought I'd start a tag list...you know, one of those dastardly things where you tag someone and make them follow suit. Mwuh-hahhahahaahaha. :-D So often we see the trials in our lives, the bad times, but I want to focus on the good things, the blessings. Thus, we're going to count off our blessings like this:

1. A friend who has blessed me: (there are so many...) Dineen
2. An unexpected gift: an editor recommended my work to another editor
3. A kind word shared with me recently: "I EXPECT good things [for your writing]; you've honed your craft." from aforementioned editor
4. Something that makes me stop and praise God: my friends
5. Something I'm looking forward to: ACFW conference
6. A particular part of me I'm pleased with: my determination
7. Something in my life that I wanted but never expected: twins
8. A place that moved/moves me: Los Alamos Lookout, New Mexico
9. One thing/person that always makes me smile: my hubby
10. Most recent "love note" from God: I needed to talk to my Clone very badly and she called--and she totally "got me" as soon as I started talking. HOW KEWL IS THAT!?!

So...knowing how much my friends will KILL me for this, I'm tagging: NEEN, HEATHER (who won't do it...), SHANNON, BETH, LISA, JENNIFER T., Ron, and Stuart. :-D

This morning, I woke up with this song on my mind:

Something On My Mind (by Hawk Nelson)
Take the train,
Go separate ways,
And leave it long forgotten.
I'll hang my hat,
and I won't be back.
On my way out,
I'm feeling lame.
Am I to blame?
Or am I just too jaded?
And I won't be back,
what'd ya think of that?

When it feels like life's wastin' away,
I can say: that when
There's something on my mind,
It takes my concentration.
Just wanna lay it on the line,
Avoid all confrontation.
I'm gonna say this one more time
for all my generation,
you'll never, ever pull my lever
not today and not forever (not today and not forever)

Those last two lines are the ones that were repeating over and over in my head when I woke up. As I sat in bed, a whisper against my heart said: Don't let him yank your chain.

I didn't need an explanation. I knew what God was referring to:

I was broadsided this last week. No, no, not by a vehicle...by, as my mother used to call him, Old Slewfoot, the devil. He came at me, plaguing me with lies I didn't expect: you messed up; God isn't happy with you; you done, finito, terminaste. :-( And it stopped me like an old steam locomotive chugging to a stop. I pulled back, mournful and grief-stricken that I might have stepped off the track. I prayed and groaned and moaned (don't believe me? Ask Dineen! or Heather! or Shannon! or Beth!--how embarrassing!!!!).

Anyway, I am blessed with amazing friends who were praying hard for me. Those prayers rescued me. I can see now those claims for what they were: LIES. I gave it to God and have pressed on with my writing and the direction God gave me.

And so it is...I pray that my eyes are opened, that the scales are gone, that I can see things once gain with a perspective that is the Lord's.

So, tell me...is the devil yankin' your chain? Telling you that you're a bad mother? A horrible writer? A wash up? As I am fond of saying...KICK HIM TO THE CURB!!! Grip the Truth--You are God's child, completely accepted, totally forgiven, unimaginably loved!!