Summer Reading

I have finally taken the time to review Lightning and Lace, by DiAnn Mills, though I read the book well over a month ago. Shame on me, but that’s what happens when you have several books you’re reading, along with my writing buds manuscripts. Throw in work, choir, family and everyday things that clutter our lives and it’s hard to find time. Sorry, DiAnn. Enough said.

This is the third book in the Texas Legacy series and a most enjoyable one. After meeting the characters in books One and Two, I felt like I knew them personally, and couldn’t wait to see how the final book compared. Not surprising to me at all, was a marvelous story of grief, faith, love and mystery as DiAnn wove the threads neatly together focusing on struggling widow, Bonnie Kahler, and her angry, troubled son, Zach. Travis Whitmore, the new preacher hiding his own past, becomes a pivotal force in helping Bonnie’s son find direction after his father’s death.

Mills has written a fast-paced, and another exciting adventure, full of emotion and surprises. I suggest this one as a very pleasant summer read for your vacation.

SPECIAL DAY

This past weekend was a family celebration as our granddaughter, Maggie (Mary Magdalene Christine), celebrated her First Communion at St. Teresa’s in Grovetown, GA. Maggie is eight years old and the first child of our daughter, Sheri and our son-in-law, Bobby, who watched with pride. Maggie was named after my mother, and what a joy in our life she has become!

Looking quiet grown up but with childhood innocence, she walked down the church aisle in her beautiful dress and veil, representing the bride of Christ, with small her hands prayerfully folded in reverence. What a precious picture she made with her wonderment of taking communion and what it represented. Children are so wonderful and Jesus had a special love in his heart for them. “But Jesus called for them (children) saying, “Permit the children to come to Me and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16 NASB

Afterward, the grandparents, Godparents, priests, aunts, uncles and friends filled their beautiful home with love, laughter and chatter to enjoy a delicious Italian lunch of baked ziti from Mimo’s restaurant, topped off with dessert of a very large white cross cake trimmed with white roses. Everything was delicious! Later, Maggie excitedly unwrapped her gifts then appreciatively passed them around the den, so we could all ooh and ahh.

Everyday throughout our lives, we are making memories for our children and grandchildren, either good or bad. It is certainly better to remember all the good events in our lives that we have celebrated. Like this one that Maggie will always hold dear in her heart and memory.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Rev. 19:7 NASB

I LOVE SWEET ROMANCE!

Sunday afternoon I enjoyed lying in my chaise lounge for hours reading a sweet romance book. There was a stiff breeze stirring the leaves around, and I watched a variety of birds nibble at the birdfeeder. The humidity was less than 35% and for Atlanta, that is spectacular with the temperature of about 76 degrees. An awful lot was on my heart, so being able to totally abandon myself selfishly to reading a good book, and mindless wandering of the mind, I discovered, is good for the soul and for healing the body.
I wondered as I return back to my sweet romance book, whatever happened to the popularity of that genre of writing?
Well, I’m here to tell you that it is alive and well on planet earth. Despite the racy novels of sex, language and violence that cover the shelves at the bookstores, women especially enjoy a good read of sweet, old fashioned romance, where sex is insinuated but not spelled out graphically, be it modern day, or transported back in time to another era. Like my novel, for instance. It’s sweet, and romantic without gratuitive sex. I leave that for the imagination. Which brings me back to the book that I am reading, At Odds With Love, by Betty Neels. A divine love story of a damsel in distress. The pure warmth of the crackling fire, scones and hot tea, place me slap in the middle of the England, and I feel that I’ve come home. The author uses description in such a way that every page is vivid and leaps off the page. This book was written in 1993 and it’s a simple little Harlequin paperback, probably out of print. All I can say is, that is delightful, heart-warming, and don’t we all sometimes just want to read a good sweet romance, much like the Hallmark movies? Well, I do, and my writing buddy, Kelly, said that I must read some of Betty Neel’s books, because I write much like her, she loaned one to me. I’m not even finished with it and I’m singing her praises!
The Mayo Clinic said that one of the top ten ways to reduce stress, is reading a good book, or a good movie which will redirect our thoughts from unproductive worry. Now who can argue with that? If you’d like to learn more about Betty Neels and her 130 popular books visit this website, http://www.mykeep.com/authors/neelsb.html.

Columbine Trail

A long time ago, my brother, Jess who wrote novels, said to be careful who I allow to read my manuscript. In fact, only a few should have that privilege. Pretty much, I've only let my critique partners read my first unpublished book. It has been written into a screenplay, and I have signed an option to that effect. Last week once again, it was requested by a well known producer for a TV movie. That's requested, folks, not sold. You bet I was excited, but in the long run, it may not be optioned. Where am I going with this? Well, back to the warning--I let someone outside of my critique group read the script, and before they were even a few pages into it, they told me that my story was predictable! Death to a writer's ego and hopes!! I asked the person, how could you know? There are a couple of sub-plots and a surprise, but you haven't read them yet. Predictable to me, means the guy's gonna get the girl, maybe a cat and mouse game, but what separates different love stories from being the same ole thing, is what goes on in between, and what challegenes they will face to reach their ultimate goal. Well, I've learned my lesson, Jess, and I won't do that again. But if anyone has read this far and would like to read what my novel is about, keep reading. I refuse to lose hope, and my second book is half-way completed, with my third idea and title simmering. After all, if a screenwrite saw much promise and it has been requested twice for submission, how far off can I be? See what you think below.

There’s a saying in the Old West that “A Man don’t have thoughts about women till he’s 35. A’fore then, all he’s got is feelin’s.” For me, the wit and wisdom of the Old West provide an endless treasure store of great story potential. My story, Columbine Trail, is unique because it chronicles the hardships of the first attempt by a female of a working ranch to move cattle from the Yampa Valley to Denver, Colorado. The main character relies on her faith in God for strength and guidance, which ultimately shapes her character and her future. Here's a brief synopsis:

In 1892, a cattle drive is no place for a
woman. Yet delicate southern belle,
Crystal Clark, is forced out of her
comfort zone. She will brave the dangers
of the Colorado Yampa Valley with the
strength of her faith and her determination
to succeed. Crystal is not the perfect Christian,
but God ultimately shapes and refines her
character as she battles the harsh realities
of managing a ranch, personal tragedies, and
her growing feelings of her engaged handsome
foreman.

Luke Weber is used to managing drovers,
cattle, and his own time. He thinks
Crystal is beautiful, but green as a spring leaf
on an aspen tree. He has never given
God free rein in his life and has no place
for a tenderfoot, no matter how much
she occupies his thoughts. But suddenly,
the tenderfoot is his boss, and he must
choose between the cattle baron’s daughter
and the spunky southerner.

Columbine Trail is the romantic story of a
female’s first attempt to move cattle from the
Yampa Valley to Denver. This story reveals
God’s refining touch on the lives of two
headstrong people in everyday challenges,
from managing big life issues to controlling
tempers, will and desire.

I'd enjoy any and all comments. You can do that anonymously if you choose to; it's not hard to do. I'm tougher that you think-a regular Steele Magnolia!

TRICIA GOYER BLOG TOUR

I am happy to host a blog tour for a great writer whose newest book is out.

Tricia Goyer has written Valley of Betrayal about the Spanish Civil War.

I was priveledged to read her novel, Dawn of a Thousand Nights, last year and the newest novel is book one of the Chronicles of The Spanish Civil War series. Tricia lives in MT, a place near and dear to my heart.

The Story Behind the Novel:

A few years ago when I was researching for my fourth World War II novel, Arms of Deliverance, I came across a unique autobiography. One B-17 crewmember I read about claimed to make it out of German-occupied Belgium after a plane crash due, in part, to his skills he picked up as a veteran of The Spanish Civil War. Reading that bit of information, I had to scratch my head. First of all, I had never heard of the war. And second, what was an American doing fighting in Spain in the late 1930s? Before I knew it, I uncovered a fascinating time in history—one that I soon discovered many people know little about. This is what I learned:
Nazi tanks rolled across the hillsides and German bombers roared overhead, dropping bombs on helpless citizens. Italian troops fought alongside the Germans, and their opponents attempted to stand strong—Americans, British, Irishmen, and others—in unison with other volunteers from many countries. And their battleground? The beautiful Spanish countryside.
From July 17, 1936-April 1, 1939, well before America was involved in World War II, another battle was fought on the hillsides of Spain. On one side were the Spanish Republicans, joined by the Soviet Union and The International Brigade—men and women from all over the world who have volunteered to fight Fascism. Opposing them, Franco and his Fascist military leaders, supported with troops, machinery, and weapons from Hitler and Mussolini. The Spanish Civil War, considered the “training ground” for the war to come, boasted of thousands of American volunteers who joined to fight on the Republican side, half of which never returned home.
Unlike World War II, there is no clear line between white and black, good and evil. Both sides committed atrocities. Both sides had deep convictions they felt worth fighting and dying for.
Loyalists—also know as the Republicans were aided by the Soviet Union, the Communist movement, and the International Brigades. If not for the weapons and volunteers from these sources their fight would have ended in weeks rather than years. While many men fought side by side, their political views included that of liberal democracy, communism and socialism. The Catholic Basque Country also sided with the Republic, mainly because it sought independence from the central government and was promised this by Republican leaders in Madrid.
Nationalists—or Francoists were aided mainly by Germany and Italy. The Nationalist opposed an independent Basque state. Their main supporters were those who believed in a monarchist state and fascist interests. The Nationalist wished for Spain to continue on as it had for years, with rich landowners, the military, and the church running the country. Most of the Roman Catholic clergy supported the Nationalists, except those in the Basque region.
During the Spanish Civil war, terror tactics against civilians were common. And while history books discuss the estimated one million people who lost their lives during the conflict, we must not forget that each of those who fought, who died, had their own tales. From visitors to Spain who found themselves caught in the conflict, to the communist supporters, Basque priests, and Nazi airmen . . . each saw this war in a different light. These are the stories behind A Valley of Betrayal.

If you'd like to read to read the first chapter click on the link below. http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2007/02/its-here-its-here.html

For Tricia's website, click here. http://triciagoyer.com/

Step Into Spring

Don’t you just love springtime? Atlanta has been experiencing a taste of spring with cold nights but gradual warming during the day. Daffodils are nodding their yellow faces in the gusty breezes, and redbud trees have just started to pop out with pink blossoms, while the Bradford pear struts her white finery like a bride waiting for her groom. The South is a magnificent place to be this time of year with bright yellow forsythia bushes as bright as the sun, however, the best is yet to come –delicate dogwood and the many varieties of azaleas. This painting is one that I did a while back, but it makes me think of my mama. She loved flowers, and always had a small patch of brilliant red and yellow cannas and a myriad of other flowers in front of her tiny apartment in Gulfport, MS. She taught me a lot about nature, flowers and trees. She also loved growing vegetables in earlier years. My mama was a strong influence in my life, and was keenly intelligent. She could spot a fraud a mile away. She had little education but was able to express a deep sense of her love of nature, and was grateful that God had created such a beautiful world for us to live in. She inspired this painting. Since spring is Tuesday, I wanted to share it. This particular one hung in the gallery at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church along with the caption below. You can read more about the gallery, and view another of my paintings at this website. http://www.jfbc.org/glimpses_gallery/artgallery/with_flash/html/index.html

TITLE: My Peaceful Garden-As a child of an alcoholic father there were many times when my brothers, sisters and I weren’t sure of our future or even our next meal. My mother would open her Bible and read to us the scripture, Matthew 6:28, “…see the lilies of the field…” That verse has stayed with me throughout my life to trust our Heavenly Father for our needs, when we stay obedient to him.
TYPE OF WORK: Acrylic

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:28- “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all His splendor was dressed like one of these.”

REMEBER TO FORGET

Deb Raney’s latest romance is aptly named for a heroine who must forget her previous life, and a hero’s struggle with the haunted memory of his wife and child. In true romantic style, Deb has written a sweet love story surrounded by delightful characters set in a small fictional town, but so very believable that you long to live there.
The town of Clayburn is filled with such comfortable peace and likeable citzens so strong in their faith, that Maggie glimpses what real happiness could be like, and is desperate to have. With a taste of suspense and mystery, Maggie stretches beyond herself to embrace faith, and a second chance at life and love. A touching story that will surely capture your heart, and you’ll find hard to forget that.

Gift of Love

My life has never been busier, and in the midst of it all, Sarah Beth Lott entered our world on January 18th. She came a few days before my birthday and was indeed a gift of love between my son, Jared and his wife, Amy. As always, I am awed by a new baby and consider it one of the greatest miracles that God has created. What could be more delicate and infinitely made? What grandparent would not love this tiny 5 lb. 6 oz. baby that decided to arrive 3 wks. early? What dreams and desires must her parents have for her already? What tenderness pulls on the hearstrings when I hold her close and breathe in her sweet baby smell? Sweet Sarah is what I call her and she has captivated my heart. This is the baby of my baby--what an odd feeling...flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone.
This is the 4th grandchild for us and I was so excited when I first saw her, that the nurse thought it was our first grandchild. No! Each one is uniquely and divinely made. God knew each one before they were born. That's incredible enough to bring tears to my eyes. So here's to Sweet Sarah and to my other equally precious grandchildren, Maggie, Angelina, and Peter. I love you all! Mimi --Isaiah 44:24

Review of The Winter Pearl

If you enjoy reading historical novels, you will want to read Molly Bull’s The Winter Pearl. It’s a wonderful story of a girl, Honor McCall, on the run in Colorado 1888 from her cruel Uncle. This is a sweet story of love and forgiveness. I had never written to a publisher about a book before, but I wrote them about this book last year after reading it. I never expected this book to have such a strong effect on me! At one point into the story, I had to lay the book aside because I couldn’t read through my tears. This took me completely off guard! Molly allowed me to see inside the head, and heart of an alcoholic, through a secondary character named Lucas. To be quiet honest, I have never had a lot of sympathy for people who abuse alcohol or drugs, or even food. I knew that this was a fault of mine because I was a child of an alcoholic father. In the past, I had prayed that God would give me more compassion for these people. Who knew that it would be through this book?

I could tell that something in my heart was slowly changing, after the first couple of chapters. Lucas was on his third drinking binge. The reader is able to see deep into his heart for what he truly is, ashamed, and feeling worthless. He knew that he did not live up to his parent’s or sister’s standards. Lucas figured that he didn’t really matter to anyone, and no one cared what he did with his life. The story began to make me understand what it must feel like to be in his shoes. Something I never thought about before with my own father. Molly made me care about the Lucas, and taught me something about having compassion for people who are addicts, through Pastor Kline, his wife, and Lucas’s sister, Regina. My contempt for these kind of people was replaced with compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.

Kudos to you, Molly, as your book hits the bookshelf in mass market this month. Put this on your definite read list!

WRITERS THAT ENCOURAGE

Here's a picture of my brother, sitting with his dog, Cliff. Many times he would meet his wife there for lunch. He loved Glacier Na'tl Park and couldn't wait to show it to me. Because of the terrrible fires, I had to cancel a trip to Glacier that summer. After his death, and a writer's conference that I attended in Denver, I traveled on to MT to see where he lived, his writing cabin and his wife, Slyvia. It was so beautiful that I could hardly stand it, and his presence seemed so strong. He was Deputy Superintendent of the park with a huge responsibility, especially during one of the worst fires in Glacier history. I met the Superintendent, his boss and close friend, Mick. It was very evident that they were close working partners that dealt with a lot of stress during that fires. They were responsible, for the park, surrounding homes, and many lives. The experience changed them both forever. While it was still beautiful, the evidence of the fire on the park was everywhere. We were escorted by two park biologist to a remote area near the Canadian border to collect Ponderosa Pine seeds that they were planted. When mature enough, they will be transplanted to the grove near the river in his memory.

I wish everyone could have known Jess. He had great wit that shown through in his 7 books, and in everyday conversation. He impacted my life as a steady father figure, never shirking responsibility to his family. He constantly read my writing, and showed me how to improve it, and encouraged me to never give up. I feel so lucky to have had a brother like him! I hope that I continue to write, but to also be the kind of encourager to my writer friends, especially to the ones that meet here in my home.
This year will mark the 5th year of my critique group. I plan to post a picture of his last book on a future blog.

His death was caused by the Hantavirus. A deadly disease contracted from the deer mice and, incidentally, is more prominent in MT and New Mexico. A very tragic and sudden death. I'll save that for another time perhaps. You can look up his titles on Amazon.com under the pen name of Jess McCreede.

Whether you or a writer or not, make everyday count for something. Pursue your life with enthusiasim and each day as a gift from God. Our life is as a vapor and will soon disapear...James 4:14

IN MEMORY OF JESS MCCREEDE

I’ve been sick for 4 days with a stomach virus, and had to endure a New Year’s feast of tea, rice and toast, instead of the usual delicious southern meal of ham, black-eyed peas, and of course, collard greens for prosperity! Though this is not how I would choose to spend my last 4 days of vacation for the year, it did give me plenty of time for quiet reflection.

But what was uppermost in my mind was today, was that today would have been my brother, Jerry’s 64th birthday, had he not tragically died over 2 years ago. Every New Year’s Eve, a few minutes past midnight, I’d call and wish him happy birthday. Seems so odd now not to be able to do that. Several nights ago, I dreamed that I was making him a batch of cornbread when he walked in looking so healthy and happy.

To say that I loved him would be an understatement. He was funny, smart, gentle, and a great writer, as well as my mentor and friend. When he died suddenly, my world, as I knew it stopped, and so did my breathing…I could tell you all about him, but instead I'll post a copy of the fellowship that was established by the National Park Service, in his honor below. You can read about what an incredible person he was and how he touched many lives. You might even decide to donate to this fellowship fund. Maybe you know a student that can apply for this Fellowship. His memory will live on in my heart, and through his work others will eventually benefit.


Announcing the Jerry O’Neal
National Park Service
Student Fellowship
2007 Call—
Applications due
January 15, 2007
Applications are now being accepted for the Jerry O’Neal
National Park Service Student Fellowship. Jerry O’Neal was
a scientist, poet, and writer. He had a deep love of nature and was an outspoken proponent for the need to have sound science to support resource management decisions.
Jerry began his nearly 30 years of public service as an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service and was the regional toxicologist for the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in Atlanta. He joined the National Park Service in 1998 as chief of science and resources management at Mammoth Cave National Park and later served as chief of the resource management program for 64 parks in the Southeast. He became deputy superintendent of Glacier National Park in 2002 where he was actively engaged in a range of environmental management projects and was a key park official during the wildfires of 2003. Jerry grew up in a poor family from the south and was the first to attend college. Education cultivated his commitment to preserving the natural world. In keeping with his model of learning as a way of improving one’s life situation and fostering environmental stewardship, the fellowship aims to provide educational assistance for students seeking to understand natural and cultural resource issues and how these intersect with human values. Special consideration will be given to proposals that address the following:
1) natural resource issues such as aquatic ecology, fire ecology, invasive plants, and other landscape processes
2) cultural and historic resource studies, including the integration of cultural and natural landscapes
3) social science that informs resource management about one of the natural or cultural topics listed above or that addresses visitor impacts to park resources Eligibility: Graduate students or superior upper division undergraduate students (3.5 GPA or above) in fields applicable to understanding and management of Glacier National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Historic Site. The fellowship is available to students at universities and colleges within the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem
Studies Unit (RM-CESU): University of Montana, Montana State University, Salish Kootenai College, University of Calgary, Colorado State University, University of Colorado at Boulder and at Denver, University of Northern Colorado, University of Idaho, Utah State University, Washington State University, and University of Wyoming.
Jerry O’Neal National Park Service Student Fellowship Application Procedure:
Applications for 2007 must be postmarked by January 15, 2007
All applications must include:
• 2-page resume (with current contact information; name of major professor or academic advisor, program, and institution)
• Photocopies of all college transcripts
• Project proposal (15 pp. maximum) including statement of need; objectives; study area; methods and relevant literature summary; proposed timeline; relevance to resource conservation in one of the three eligible parks; and anticipated research and educational product(s) (e.g., thesis, publication(s), report to park, presentation to park managers, CD, public lecture)
• Project budget including salary; equipment; supplies; travel; laboratory analyses; and any other budget categories. Include written justification for each budget item and state any other funding sources available, if any
• List of cited references
• Additional support requested from park (s), if any (e.g., housing and dates needed, transportation, assistance with equipment or park access)
• Statement(s) of support (email messages ok) from appropriate park personnel addressing the relevance of the research to park management
Applications will be judged on the relevance, technical soundness, and feasibility of the proposed study; qualifications of the student; and clarity and completeness of the application. Proposals may cover a one-time
survey or project or a clearly defined portion of an existing research project. Projects may be completed in one or more field season(s). Studies may occur in one or more of the parks’ ecosystems and adjoining lands.
Projects must comply with appropriate agency regulations and permits (separately administered from this fellowship). Fellowships will be awarded in the range of $1,000-$5,000 per project. Awards may also include housing if available. Students are expected to provide a final project report and copies of any publications as a result of the research. In addition, they will prepare a one-page, illustrated project summary, suitable for the general public and an additional educational product to facilitate information transfer beyond the scientific audience (e.g. a presentation to site managers, a public seminar, CD, or non-technical article).
Send to: Jerry O’Neal NPS Student Fellowship
c/o Lisa Gerloff
Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
College of Forestry and Conservation
32 Campus Drive
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
Email: lisa.gerloff@cfc.umt.edu
For more information contact:
Lisa Gerloff, Executive Coordinator, RM-CESU,
406-243-5346 or
Leigh Welling, Director, Crown of the Continent
Research Learning Center, Glacier National Park,
406-888-7894