Real Life is Better Than Fiction

I always loved Easter. That was the time of year I could always look forward to getting a new dress. There would be lots of treats in the baskets that my mom hid around the house after we went to bed on Easter Eve. There would be so much candy that my mom would freeze some to make it last longer. I enjoyed coloring eggs with my siblings. One year I thought it was cool to crack my eggs on my knees. I picked one out of my basket and gave it a whack only to find out that it was a taw egg. My suspicions were that my brother did that on purpose, although I’m not sure he would admit it even now. There were the pictures as if this was the only time of year us kids were all dressed up and looking decent. We always went to my Grandma’s for dinner where she prepared too much food. My favorite was her Cole slaw. Yum! My least favorite was her picked eggs. Yuck! The weather could be anything from beautiful and springy to freezing cold and wintery. Some years my mom let us girls ski...

Not Guilty by Teresa Pollard and Candi Pullen Not Guilty is the story of a young girl, Carrie Shepherd, who is raped and becomes pregnant. This story is set in the 1970’s, but its message is not obsolete. The theme running through the book deals with perception and judgment by others, mainly Christians. Many Christians are quick to jump to gossip and draw conclusions without knowing the entire story. That theme applies to much more than just an unknown rape. It could apply to many situations in everyone’s life. Because of the plot of this book, it is recommended for late teens to adults.   The book does include discussion questions for each of the chapters. These would be great to use in a book club or Bible study group. I did enjoy the story, but there were a lot of characters to keep up with. Fortunately, the epilogue is a list of characters and a brief description of what happened to them after the book ended. Scripture is used throughout the book and gives the reader a...

  As part of National Reading Month I wanted to write a post on how you can help authors (not to mention, make their day!).   It doesn’t matter how good of a story one writes, writers need readers. Authors rely on their readers to make their living. It doesn’t matter if you know writers personally or not; you can still be a great help to them. How? You may ask. There are many ways that readers can help writers become successful. #1 – Purchase a book. This is the most obvious way you can help a writer. Buy their book, but be careful not to buy pirated copies – yes, there are A LOT out there. I can’t tell you the number of horror stories I have read from authors whose work is in print or in ebook form and they are receiving nothing from it. I read one such story just this morning. If you are given a copy, buy a copy to give away. If you don't see it at your local bookstore, ask about it. Sometimes it may need to be ordered. If stores get repeated requests for a certa...

Going along with the theme for the month today is all about the authors. There are some authors I just read over and over again because I enjoy most everything they write. They don’t write the same plot for every book. Instead they use their imaginations to come up with something new. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite authors. Karen Kingsbury – I kind of jumped on the Karen Kingsbury wagon a little late. It wasn’t until we chose one of her books to read in our church book club that I actually picked up one of her books. I really, really liked it! After I read it I was reading through a blurb in the back of the book where she said that she takes events from real life and turns them into her stories. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I enjoy her so much as I do the same in my own writing. Then one of my editors that I do reviews for sent me a different one. Okay. I was hooked. I still have a long way to go to read all of her books, but I may get there some day....

Last month I launched my new book “Come Eat at My Table.” I have received many reviews and thought I’d share some of them with you. In case you have been on the fence about purchasing a copy, maybe these will help you decide.   “This book captivated my heart and soul with the family dynamics and how they worked as a unit. Karin was a submissive wife, a loving mother and a devoted friend to all that needed her to listen to them. The girls were outgoing and sensitive at the same time to their family issues. And the dad was a supportive, loving, provider for the whole family. This book gave great insight for those who do not put their trust in Lord to really look at themselves and where their faith lies. It's also good for those who have a hard time forgiving others to look at themselves and see where they can improve in this area. It's a suspenseful book hard to put down waiting to see what happens next. A great book for all to read.”   “A breath of fresh air is ho...

March is National Reading Month. I have always loved to read and think it’s appropriate there’s actually a “holiday” for it. I read a lot. I thought one of the things I would focus on is some of my favorite books throughout the years. I can’t tell you I have one favorite because I don’t. Even if I did, that favorite would probably change and I changed and read more. So here is a list of books that I consider worth the read.    The Giving Tree – This was one of my favorites as a child. I don’t know why. Perhaps it was the simple drawings. Perhaps it was that the tree gave and gave of itself until it had nothing left to give. It’s a sweet story about life-long friends.     Little House on the Prairie series – This was also one of my favorites growing up. I have to admit that Laura was my hero. I wanted to be like her. I often wore my hair in braids as she did. I even dressed up like her for Halloween on more than one occasion. I watched the show religiou...

The month long promotion is over, but you can still win a copy of the book. Check out Goodreads and enter to win a copy. Goodreads Book Giveaway Come Eat at My Table by Ruth O'Neil Giveaway ends March 09, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win