Guest Post by Laura J. Marshall

A love story set in the 17th century

Download on Kindle ( http://amzn.com/B00CHAE3QS)
Free Tuesday May 14th and Wednesday May 15th
Persistent Love:
Christian Romantic Suspense Novella set in 1685, England.

Fear has been Tara’s constant companion since age nine when she witnessed her mother’s murder. Tara’s father moves his family to the ancient castle of Raven’s Cliff, far from the ships that could carry her back to India and the answers she believes lie there. Andrew offers her friendship and guides her gently to the One who will give her peace. Will she find hope for something other than revenge?

A Brief Q&A with the Author, Laura J. Marshall.
Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript for Persistent Love?

A: It took me a month to write the entire story. During the next three years I tore it apart, learned more and more about the craft, and then edited it ten more times. I really appreciated the help and input of my two editors towards the end of this journey.

Laura J. Marshall is the full-time mother of five sons and part-time writer and blogger. She operates a popular blog called The Old Stone Wall. Laura is the best-selling author of the Battle Cry Devotional Series. Visit http://www.LauraJMarshall.com to find out more about Laura’s books.

Bad Chinese Food, a guest post

Is there any better find than when you first unearth a truly great Chinese restaurant? Months of searching for the perfect Moo Shu Vegetable dinner reach their climactic end when you take your first bite of something truly delicious, and all other restaurants fall by the wayside.

Such was the bliss of my takeout experience… until my guy moved. The replacement menu looked the same, but tasted vastly different. And thus, I am back on my quest to find decent Chinese food. This has led me to many a hole-in-the-wall, chain and Thai-Japanese-Chinese tie-ins. Each time, I get my hopes up, dreaming for the deep-fried tofu and spicy peanut sauce with vegetables to magically appear and taste every bit as amazing as the long lost dish that proved to be the gateway drug for me. Alas, my ventures have proved unsuccessful. Anemic noodles, nondescript brown sauce, overpowering soy sauce, and so many disgusting water chestnuts that by the time I pick them out, there’s only a bit of limp celery and two pieces of broccoli to pretend to enjoy. This is not my Moo Shu.

Finding a great book series is a lot like the perfect Chinese restaurant discovery. Every page is delicious, begging you to forget the hour and indulge to your heart’s content. Then when it’s over, you’re left feeling like the egg roll addict you know you are, still jonesing for your next fix. Thus begins your search for the next great addiction.

I’ve set about sating these cravings in two different ways. The first one was to write a four-part fantasy fiction mythology series where frequent Cassandra Clare users, Rowling addicts and Tolkien enthusiasts could jump to safely after closing the last page and still wanting more. Saga of the Spheres kicks off with “The Silence of Lir”, available on amazon or at www.sagaofthespheres.com. There will be no MSG or flavorless duck sauce here. Only the best for fans of the best.

My second project was written to give Harry Potter fans a place to land after devouring the series and foregoing sleep for weeks in their quest to defeat Voldemort. “Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter” is a comedy about the highs and lows of being a fanboy (or fangirl). It is available on paperback, ebook and audiobook through amazon. Harry Potter nuts (of whom I proudly identify myself with) will land safely after coming down from the high of the best-selling series, safely book-ending the experience with a happy little fortune cookie bow.

The Silence of Lir

By Mary Twomey

ASIN: B0087LX826  $.99

Book One

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

Behind the scenes of our spinning earth are keepers of the elements who make sure that tornadoes don’t destroy cities, fires don’t ravage forests, earthquakes don’t decimate towns, and floods don’t take out humanity. They wrestle with the natural elements to ensure that the world keeps spinning smoothly on its axis.

Since the beginning of time, the Sun has been fading, and the light that shines on the earth is dimming, causing the elements to be more volatile and impossible for the keepers to control.

Now they must enlist the help of one man, Finn, to help them bring the light back to the Sun. The keepers war, the North Star steals light from the Sun, and the Moon is in disrepute. The end of existence is coming, and all the while the king, the Moon, Lir, remains silent.

Secrets

By Mary Twomey

ASIN: B0087LX8NK  $3.99

Book Two

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

 

An earthquake caused by Wren and Satchel’s ill-fated tryst brings forth a prophecy that sends the unrest and the Delegation into a tailspin. Immortals on the earth must be abducted and hidden from the North Star’s greedy grasp.

Vespera’s fury erupts as the Unrest begins to splinter off from the Moon behind her back. Attacks that should be used on the enemy target her supposed allies. Seeds of doubt, betrayal and rebellion begin to sprout in the Realm of the Sun and the Moon, causing division, subterfuge, and deadly attacks.

An evil that was locked up centuries ago is unleashed and let loose on the earth. There are those who fight for unity, those who struggle just to stay alive, those who battle for control, but a few begin their secret plans for a revolt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sword

By Mary E. Twomey

ASIN: B0087M0N8M  $4.99

Book Three

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

 

What’s left of the Delegation fights to keep the Order with a man down, and the Unrest in hiding. Three keepers work tirelessly to safely harbor the restless immortals, maintain their elements, and counter Red Flame’s insatiable attacks. The Unrest’s light is dwindling as they remain hidden from Vespera on earth.

Close quarters and unstable power lead to tension and confusion as they try to find a way to be helpful to the Order without being taken out in the process.

Henry cares for Satchel’s son, and trains him to follow in his parents’ footsteps by being ready to defend the light at all costs. Lir’s body is located, Vespera rages her search for more power when she cannot find the Sword of Secrets. Somehow Stella winds up in the middle, a girl without a friend suddenly thrust into the spotlight and forced to accept her lot in life, being the voice of truth when no one will listen.

Though she and the keepers try to fight for the light, it is inevitable that they all may soon lose themselves to the darkness.

Sacrifice

By Mary E. Twomey

ASIN: B0087XI3SS $5.99

Book Four

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

Light is being stolen, immortals are waking, wombats are untrustworthy and a dead body are rising. After a long time of wishing they could jump into the battle, the Unrest finally has their day in the Sun. Unfortunately, that day is filled with almost certain death.

Ash comes into his own and joins his parents to fight Vespera and Red Flame. Henry rejoins his own people, only to find that the lair will never be the same again.

Prophecies are unearthed, lives lost, and lines of loyalty blurred. Stella’s body begins to break down slowly, while Lake loses her immortality.

The sword of secrets fights to find its true owner, though none of the keepers can predict the sacrifice that will come.

About the Author:

Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her husband and two adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.

Connect with Mary:

www.facebook.com/#!/SagaOfTheSpheres

Twitter @shesleepssoftly

www.SagaOfTheSpheres.com

www.JackandYani.com

Other books by Mary E. Twomey:

Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter

ASIN: B00A8QWL3A  $3.99

Best friends Jack and Yani do everything together. After Yani’s thirtieth birthday party, however, she decides to leave town on a spontaneous vacation to visit all the sites of the young adult fiction novels she loves, hoping that when she returns, she’ll have buried the secret flame she has for Jack.
Forced by his friends to go on a road trip to track down Yani, Jack learns a lot about his best friend by reading the novels she’s been obsessed with. From vampire hunting in Forks to searching for wizards in Florida, Jack confronts his greatest fears –that he just might love Harry Potter…and perhaps, Yani.

Mary Twomey’s books have been promoted at dozens of comic book conventions across the globe. She gives seminars on writing fiction, and writes book reviews for www.thechristianmanifesto.com.

For more information on Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter or Saga of the Spheres, including review copy requests, please contact Lynn Jaymes with Sparrow Communications at 646.450.3701 or lynnjaymes@gmail.com.

 

“If she’s not careful, she may find herself being followed by a fandom of her own.”

 – Robbie Fischer, http://www.Mugglenet.com

Shaina Cilimberg, Author, shares about the Deep River High series

“Perfect Forgiveness” is about some possible causes of school shootings and the consequences of a school shooting. It is also a story about love, hope and forgiveness. I feel that with all this bullying going on, there needs to be an awareness and prevention. I lost a friend to bullycide when i was in eighth grade . That was in February, 2002.  It’s not a good thing to experience and you end up wishing you did something to prevent it. I

This book is about a school shooting. I’ve never experienced a school shooting when I was in high school, so I did a lot of research. I heard about Columbine when I was eleven and was shocked. Throughout the years, I’ve heard bullying as the reason. I agree that bullying is a factor in school shootings. I also think there are other factors, because I was bullied and never shot up a school. Lots of people were bullied and never shot anyone.

However, my book focuses on bullying. Two of the other shooters in my book also bully my main character, Kirk. There are times when he wants to back out of the school shooting, but is either scared into continuing with the plan or finds a reason why he thinks he should do it. Peer pressure is another factor and we see lots of this in Devin and Henry. They are the other two shooters and are toxic friends for Kirk. A lot of this is based on Columbine and the Santana High school shooting. I researched Santana High. I was amazed that I couldn’t remember it from 2001. I only remember reading about someone threatening to pull a Columbine. I don’t know the guy, never have. However, I researched enough to know he feels remorse and some of the reasons behind the shooting. However, someone mentioned on a site there are a lot of things the news didn’t cover about the shooting.   I’m hoping for my next book to be a little more lighithearted than “Crowded” and “Perfect Forgiveness”, but we’ll see.  It’s still about bullying.

The shooting from “Perfect Forgiveness” will still impact a character in “To Be Sane.”

Back to “Perfect Forgiveness”  I believe children should be tried as juveniles, so I speak some about that as well. Whether tried as juvenile or adult, the person is still being punished. I think there needs to be a lot of treatment for people so that they understand how bad their crime was and do not even want to do it again, if given the opportunity.

I want readers to look at how much Josh Summers has changed. He’s very smart, fun-loving and kind. He is a 180 from his character in “Crowded”.   There’s this deepness inside of him and a hint of the innocence you don’t get to see when he was the bad guy in “Crowded”

He changes a lot through “Crowded” as well. I like his calmer character in “Perfect Forgiveness” better and you will too.

So, Kirk has Josh, Emily, Lydia and a new character as friends. They are good friends, the ones people want/should want to have. They are caring, loving, forgiving, fun and honest.

Then, there’s Devin and Henry, who just make Kirk miserable and make him feel lucky to be their friend at the same time. So you will get to see that play out.

Kirk also has a bad home life, another factor in school shootings.  I also think a poor mental health system is part of it, but remember this is just reasons. There are people who are bullied, have/had bad home lives, are mentally ill, are insecure and anything else you could think of and they never shoot anyone. I have Asperger’s and OCD, but I would never do something like this. My book isn’t aimed to justify school school shootings. My book is written to create an awareness of what could be possible causes and to create a sense of empathy. You should care about others. Prevention is one reason, but it goes so much deeper than that. God wants us to forgive and care about others. He wants us to love others. It’s something I struggle with and I’m sure lots of people struggle with it. However, it needs to be taught. It’s also a story of friendship and loyalty. There are people who want to be your friends and are genuine, whether you know it or not. That is also what my book is about. Friendship is beautiful and so is love.

I am hoping to finish “To Be Sane” sometime in 2014. If anyone would like to make an input, like my page “Deep River High Series” on Facebook.

The next book is about two Freshmen at Deep River High. The boy is shy and has suffered bullying in the past. Two of his bullies go on to his highschool. The boy I’m speaking of is Andy Young, who readers may have caught a glimpse of in “Crowded” and “Perfect Forgiveness”. The girl speaks Spanglish, has OCD and Aspergers and she gets bullied too. I am excited about it, but might decide to edit it some more. It is in the works, so to speak.  This book will be more about cyberbullying.

Bullying can be verbal, physical, mental and emotional.

https://twitter.com/longhairrox

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deep-River-High-Series/226787394036230?ref=ts&fref=ts

http://jesusfreak-ponderingsofanamusedwriter.blogspot.com/

Crowded (Deep River High: Book One)

Perfect Forgiveness (Deep River High: Book Two)

Guest Post, Ada Brownell: Broken Hearts; Shattered Youth

BROKEN HEARTS; SHATTERED YOUTH

     By Ada Brownell

Sunday evening I heard a singing group from Central Bible College, and some members gave powerful testimonies. One young man barely escaped an abortionist’s scalpel when his 15-year-old unmarried mother discovered she was pregnant. But she met and was counseled by a wise Christian woman and this boy and his twin brother were saved from death.

Another young man testified about his first visit to church at age 11, when his dad decided to get married. His father didn’t show until they were about to give up. A few days later, they found out why. Police came to the home and arrested his dad because had committed armed robbery just before the ceremony.

Not wanting to live with a stepmother, the boy phoned his grandmother, a Christian, and grew up under her influence and eventually gave his heart and life to Christ.

Both of these young men are preparing to become worship leaders.

American children and young people today are at risk more than any time in history. Not only do many have parents who’ve never heard the gospel or rebelled against it, they are subject to wickedness and brainwashing unequaled in our nation since the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

I was somewhat surprised several years ago when our youngest son, attending a Christian college, thanked me and my husband for staying married. “Most of my college friends are from broken homes,” he said.

As a newspaper reporter and free lance writer, I’ve interviewed the angry unmarried teen moms, grieving women who’ve had abortions, kids in trouble with the law, parents of suicide victims, and juveniles in mental hospital wards. I’ve interviewed experts on many angles of the problems, including sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol and drug addiction.

Of course, I’ve also written about the achieving, well-balanced, often Christian youth who turn away from such things.

Yet, I can’t forget the heartaches that affect too many youth today. More important, I need to remember this generation of youth struggles for faith in God—partly because they don’t know enough about Him.

I’ve worked with youth much of my life and written for Christian youth publications. My book, Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, is a story about youth who struggle, but also some who believe they can do anything through Jesus Christ. Most of the problems happen to Joe, but he has a group of friends—actually the Gallant Guardians–dedicated to God and committed to preventing and solving crimes using ordinary, harmless weapons.

Will they find his parents and stop the radicals, even though the dangerous group dedicated to erasing Christianity from America uses robot guards and real weapons?

Do you have a mountain of problems? See how Joe found the answer to his.

Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult  http://buff.ly/XeqTvH or https://www.createspace.com/3962829

The book also is available at Barnes&Noble.com and is listed on GoodReads.

Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult

By A.B. Brownell

Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is dedicated to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?

Teens. No fantasy. No wizard. Suspense. Christian payload. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult http://buff.ly/XeqTvH or https://www.createspace.com/3962829

The book is also available at Barnesandnoble.com, and is listed at Goodreads.com

 

To learn more about this author’s books: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com

 

Ada Brownell bio

A.B. Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily newspaper reporter. She has a BS degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo., where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to free lance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books.

You also can connect with Ada Brownell here:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries

Twitter: @adellerella

     Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com

Interview with Donna Goodrich, author

Here’s an interview with author Donna Goodrich:

· It’s been said that writers must first be readers. What genres do you read most?
I like mysteries best, but also read light romance novels and biographies.

· Who are your favorite authors, and what makes them special to you?
In the secular market, Mary Higgins Clark; religious market, Max Lucado.

· When did you decide you wanted to write?
I think I always knew. I enjoyed the essay-type questions in school, and wrote my first poems at 9 years old.

· How many books have you written, and how many of them have been published?
29; 21 published, plus edited two anthologies, and self- published 1 writers’ club booklet.

· Can you tell us what you believe has had the greatest influence on your writing?
It would have to be “who”, not “what”, and that would be my mother, our children’s librarian in my hometown public library, my 5th-6th grade teacher, and my book editor boss at the publishing house.

· How do you prepare to write a book? Did you do any special research?
I keep notes for a long time until I get time to sit down and write the book. I also use personal experience and stories from others, plus quotations from books I’ve read.

· How long have you been writing?
65 years.

· What genre do you usually write?
Everything—devotional, how-to, self-help, biography, etc.

· Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
I’d like to mention my last two if that’s okay.
1) A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Book for Christian
Writers is taken from all the conference workshops I’ve taught over the years. I wanted something to offer all the people who called saying, “I want to be a writer. How do I get started?”
2) The idea for The Freedom of Letting Go came from the fact it took me 11 years to let go of my mother after she died. Then I realized it wasn’t just letting go of her, it was the whole principle of letting go of many things: grief, guilt, hurts, success, failure, children, material things, worry, doubt, fear, then the book ends with The Land Beyond Letting Go.

· How do you get an idea for a book?
I have more ideas than I’ll ever have time to write. I see the needs of people around me and would like to help meet those needs.

· What one piece of advice would you give to a beginning writer?
Find a local writers’ group and join. If there isn’t one in your area, start one. Also (and I know this is two!), try to attend a writers conference.

· Do you have any favorite inspirational quotes?
“We are called to write, and I feel we will be held responsible at the Judgment for the people that we could have helped but didn’t because we didn’ t write what God laid on our hearts to write” (Harold Ivan Smith).

· What is your writing schedule like? Do you write only when inspired?
I have no schedule, just fit it in when I can. I edit and proofread for publishers and writers and these jobs usually have deadlines. I also care for a disabled husband.

· Did your parents encourage your love for reading and/or writing? If not, where did encouragement come from?
My dad left when I was 11, but he and my mother both gave me a love for reading. My mother should have been a writer. She gave me a lot of ideas for articles and books. But my greatest encouragement came from the children’s librarian at our public library. She introduced me to The Writer magazine when I was 9. Also I was in what would be known as an accelerated class in the 5th and 6th grade, and that teacher encouraged me a lot.

· Do you like the promotional aspect of being a writer? What are your best promotional tools?
That’s my weak spot. I need PR person! I know what to do; just don’t take the time to do it.

· How did you study the craft of writing?
I took journalism one year in the 10th grade. Mostly it was on-the-job training: secretary to a book editor, magazine associate editor, newspaper reporter and columnist, and attending many writers’ conferences.

· Do you read books on the craft of writing? If so, what are your favorites and why?
Not many. Favorite is You Can Tell the World, an out-of-print book by Sherwood Wirt.

· Are you a plotter or a panster? Explain your writing process.
I sort of outline, at least my main ideas. I keep folders for various chapters and drop things in these folders—ideas, personal experiences that fit, quotations, etc.

· What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have any hobbies?
I like music, reading, and crossword puzzles.

· How did you get your first book published? How long did it take? Was this the first book you had written?
I sent 30 puzzles to a Sunday school paper, and they wrote back they’d like to put them in a book. It sold for 29 cents, and before it went out of print, had sold approx. 150,000 copies. The first that sold that I actually wrote was Winning Souls Through the Sunday School a devotional book for S.S. teachers.

Donna Clark Goodrich
_www.thewritersfriend.net_ (http://www.thewritersfriend.net/) _http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com_ (http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com/) (blog appears every Monday)

_www.thewritersfriend.net_ (http://www.thewritersfriend.net/)
“A Step in the Write Direction–the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers”

In a message dated 3/25/2013 10:27:55 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,

The Writer’s Friend – Donna Goodrich – author, editor and proofreader

www.thewritersfriend.net

Donna Clark is the author of 20 books, including the newly released A Step in the Write Direction: The Complete How-to Book for Christian Writers.

We’re All Role Models, a guest post

We’re All Role Models

1 Timothy 4:12

Set an example for the believers in speech,

in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

 

I’m a mess!  There’s no doubt about that. I sometimes put my shirt on inside out or backwards. On a really bad day it might be both. I’ve been known to walk around with tags on my new clothes until someone takes pity on me. Most days, my husband gives me a once over to make sure I’m suitable to be out in public.

I tell you this for one reason. I want you to understand, I am not the person people come to in search of fashion advice. Anyway…the other day my husband and I went to a professional photographer.

When his turn came up for individual pictures, I kept fussing with his clothes, rearranging collars, zippers, and other things. We laughed as I explained to the photographer how out of character it was for me being the one adjusting his clothes. I told my husband, it was just that I could see things from a distance that he couldn’t see.

That’s how it is with God. He sees us from a distance and he sees what needs to be adjusted so that we can be a good example for other believers and nonbelievers as well. Perhaps, we’re too judgmental, too impatient, or need more compassion. A tug here, a tug there, a straightening of the collar.

Minor adjustments are usually okay with most of us. It’s the big adjustments that hurt. The big adjustments can change our lives in ways we never imagined. Still, His adjustments are for our own good, but it’s not necessarily easy, comfortable, or even welcome.

Whether we like it or not, we’re all role models. Someone somewhere is watching us, waiting to see if we are going to live our faith or just talk about it.

Are we willing to allow God to make those adjustments so we can be an example to others even if they’re painful? Or are we going to fight him every step of the way?

The choice belongs to each of us. Maybe, you think, you don’t need to change or improve anything. Maybe, maybe not….I’ll let you decide for yourself, but as for me, I know I need His adjustments, I’m a mess.

 

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY:

 

Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.

 

Lillian is a multi-published author. Her most recent releases include, The Christmas Stalking, Deception, and Pursued. Betrayed will be released in 2013. She writes the types of books she likes to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch of romance.

 

To learn more about Lillian and her books, you may visit her at www.lillianduncan.net or connect with her on a variety of social media sites. Her blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes can be viewed at http://www.lillian-duncan.com. She also has a devotional blog atwww.PowerUpWithGod.com.

The Decisions of Daniel Elliot: Superhero

Please welcome with me R.M. Strong, along with Daniel Elliot, the main character from her latest novel, Flash.

Flash is the sequel to Karis, a novel about a teen superhero.

Hi, I’m Daniel Elliot. I noticed Tamara has been doing a lot of these interviews lately, so I thought I might pick up some of the slack since I am part of the story, too. You should be glad I’m here and not her, too. She absolutely hates these things, and always has; you’d think that she would have gotten used to talking about herself by now, but no. So, I volunteered to talk about my very favorite subject in the world—Tamara.

I met Tamara right after she went to live with Paul. She was clearly in a lot of pain, but I felt an instant connection with her. Finally, I thought, I had found someone who would come to see life as I did. People who have gone through what Tamara and I have view life differently. Oh, sure, friends and family try to understand, but they really can’t. But here was someone who lost her parents at the same age I did. Granted, not in exactly the same way—my parents were killed in a shootout with the PyramidCity police department and hers were killed by one of Kingston’s supervillians—but they were close enough.

I thought she would start seeing the world the way I did, but it ended up being the other way around. After three years and a very close encounter with the Grim Reaper, I realized that I was the one who was changing. I eventually looked into that ‘God’ thing that she’s always going on about and made a decision to follow Jesus’ teachings. I wonder what she’ll say when she finds out?

I’ve since heard the term “missionary dating” thrown around a lot at church. All I can say about that is that I would have loved it if she had tried that with me, because I would have eventually gotten what I wanted from her. But, she stayed true to her annoying little convictions and shot me down every time. And you know what? I’m so glad she did. If it wasn’t for her example, I would have never decided to follow God’s teachings.

Now, all I need to do is to tell her. Wish me luck!

Guest Post – How High Is Your Wall?

I think there may be a few of you who will need this post, this book and this woman’s wisdom as much as I do right now! Welcome with me my guest Laura Marshall!

How High Is Your Wall?

By Laura J. Marshall

I can’t see over this wall.

Many days it is like a fortress protecting me from the outside world, against more hurt and disillusionment.

Most days it is like a prison.

If I peer down I can see some of the first bricks that were laid.  A few are from when I was in 1st grade and I lost my two front teeth playing Red Rover.  The kids called me names.  There are more next to and on top of those, the ones that were built when my parents divorced and I built as I grew.  Cracking and old, yet they still remain and hold up the others I have added over the years.

I noticed today there were new bricks…still wet with cement.  I cried to see them.  NO!   They weren’t going to hem me in anymore.

I tore at them with my hands.  I embraced the person they were intended to keep out.  I put my pride behind me and forgave.

I tried to see life from their view.  The bricks loosened and came down.

There are moments where someone can smile at me, just waiting on me behind a counter or opening the door for me and I feel another brick fall.

It is amazing how fast they fall with a little kindness.  The bricks come down even more quickly when I extend myself over the wall and reach out.  I’ve seen extraordinary things happen, like a door suddenly appearing in my wall or a window being thrown open.

Many times the people that have loosened my bricks don’t even know it….a little kindness, compassion, or mercy can affect so many.

I have little ones now.  I’m a Mom with a capital M.  Today a few bricks fell when my 4-year-old brought me the first daffodils of the season, gripped in his muddy hand.  I pray he hasn’t started his wall yet and that over the years he learns how to knock bricks down and to not rebuild.

 

Bio:  Laura J. Marshall is a writer and mother of five boys.  Her first nonfiction book is called A Mom’s Battle Cry for Rest: Battle Cry Devotional Series.  You can find out more about Laura and her books at www.LauraJMarshall.com

 

A Mom’s Battle Cry for Rest: Battle Cry Devotional Series is FREE today, Thursday 02/28/2013, on Kindle today.  Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Moms-Battle-Devotional-Series-ebook/dp/B00BI2HMDM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361756053&sr=8-2&keywords=a+mom%27s+battle+cry+for+rest

Guest Shelley Hitz Shares About Her Free Book and Giveaway!

TITLE:

A Life of Gratitude: Free Kindle Book & Giveaway

POST HTML:

By Shelley Hitz

About the Book:

A Life of Gratitude: How to Overcome Self-Pity and Negativity

During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. As I did, I sensed Him leading me to do a 21 day gratitude challenge.

Over the course of the 21 days, God began to change me as I spent intentional time being grateful for all I had been given. I did this through writing in my journal each day and also sending a hand-written thank you note to someone different each day. This also led me to writing out 21 prayers of gratitude and compiling 21 stories of gratitude.

I want to share what I learned with you in the pages of this book which includes:

• 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge
• 21 Prayers of Gratitude
• 21 Stories of Gratitude

What to Expect On Each Day:

• Read my personal stories, struggles and reflections.
• Read one scripture and one quote about gratitude.
• Apply one personal application step from the challenge.
• Read one prayer of gratitude
• Read one story of gratitude

Get Accountability and Encouragement

Along with the 21 day challenge, I also started a private Facebook group to provide accountability and encouragement for myself but also for others who decide to join me in the challenge. You will get access to this group as well. It has been amazing to see God at work in each of our lives.

Will you join me on this journey to gratitude?

 

Download on Kindle

FREE on Kindle 2/27/13 & 2/28/13)

Purchase Paperback | Purchase Large Print Paperback | Purchase Audiobook

 

Shelley Hitz

Shelley Hitz is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.

Follow Shelley Hitz
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Enter to Win a Paperback Copy and Coffee!

Enter below to enter a paperback copy of “A Life of Gratitude” and a $5 Starbucks gift card, sponsored by author Shelley Hitz!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
Share this FREE book and giveaway with your friends!

Guest Post with Staci Stallings

What Are Faithful Friends Worth?

The Gospel reading last week was about the paralytic man who was carried by his friends to Jesus.  I love the spin our pastor put on the story.  “What is a faithful friend worth?”

Wow.  Good question.

Here is this man who literally cannot help himself.  Now, note, his friends are working on the situation.  They are not back home feeling sorry for their friend.  They are ACTIVELY trying to find a solution.  Plus, there’s more than one of them.  His friends hear that Jesus is in town, and they pick the man up on his mat to carry him to Jesus.

Do you have friends like that?  Do you have friends who will carry you to Jesus in faith?  Do you have friends who ACTIVELY look for ways to help you?

If you do, then you know the worth of those friends.

As Mastercard would say they are… Priceless.

You cannot put a price on faithful friends.  You really cannot because what they give you, no money can buy.

They give you hope when things look the bleakest.  They give you words of peace and comfort in times of trouble and strife.  They are faithful when everyone else has gone.  They are ACTIVE in your life.  Not just when things are going good, but even when you’re hopeless lying on a mat!

I also love that they worked together.  Notice this didn’t devolve into fights about how to proceed or what to do.  They saw the problem and the solution, and they teamed up to make it happen.

I think often there are stories in the Old Testament that parallel stories in the New.  The parallel for this story is the story of Job and his friends.

Note the difference.

Job’s friends tried to talk him OUT of loving and serving God.  They told Job that obviously it was some sin he had committed that heaped the condemnation and punishment on him.  In short, they were the antithesis of these faithful friends.  The faithful friends did not look at the cause, but for the solution.  They didn’t condemn the man.  They helped him.  They didn’t sit on the trash heap with him and commiserate about the hopelessness of the situation.  They picked him up and carried him to God.

The amazing thing is what happened once they got to Jesus.

See, I think some of us would be friends like this if it was easy to be so.  If all we had to do was say a few prayers or a few good words, we could probably be that kind of friend.  But what happens when we get them to Jesus and there is a barrier?  What happens when getting our friend to Jesus is not easy?

Do we say, “Well, we tried.  Good luck”?

Or are we, like the faithful friends, willing to go to all lengths to get our friend to the feet of Jesus?  No matter what.  Think about climbing that roof, and figuring out how to cut that hole, cutting the hole, lowering the friend down… These friends were COMMITTED friends!

Do you have faithful, committed friends?

Are you a faithful and committed friend?

Both are great questions and both are important to work toward.  After all, friends like that are priceless!

Copyright Staci Stallings, 2012
Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.

Come over on Feb. 12-14, and enter to win one of 169 virtual baskets of ebooks, gift cards, and other prizes!

Click here to enter
the CrossReads Rafflecopter giveaway