Free Fun

Want a fun day with your kids?

Feed the ducks.

Yesterday I piled the kids in the car with two bags of stale dollar rolls and we headed to the park. I told the kids two days earlier we were going to feed the ducks, so they were on “let’s go” mode when I pulled up from work.

We packed popcorn, water and Off for the biting bugs.

We found a small pond that had about 15 ducks. They were a little skittish when the kids approached. Once they realized we were trying to feed them, they came a little closer to the edge.

I think my kids were a little disappointed. They thought the ducks would eat right out of their hands. After a few minutes they said they were bored.

It’s amazing to me how fast kids get bored. I told them to have patience the ducks would eat when they were ready.

I guess one of the ducks flew off to tell his other friends we had bread, because about five other ducks swim across the pond and skid in front of us. The children started laughing; they couldn’t believe how the ducks were fighting with each other over the pieces of bread. Before we knew it, all the bread was gone.

As we were walking back to our car, I thought about those birds. They relied on God to bring them food. They didn’t have money or a place to buy food. They lived on the pond and what ever food they got was a blessing.

God is good. He knew those ducks need something to eat and he sent us to feed them.

AUTHOR INTRO: T.L. Hines

See Ya On The Net: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

TL Hines: I'm a Montana boy--raised here, went to school here, worked out of state a few years and decided I needed to be back in Montana. Not surprisingly, I suppose, I set my first novel in Montana (and my second one, for that matter). I've worked in advertising and marketing for more than 16 years, and also spent time as an editor of a trade magazine during that period, but I've dreamed of publishing fiction since I was 12 years old. Key trivia fact: as a teen, I was an undefeated 3-0 in air guitar competitions, in which I performed songs by ZZ Top.

As a writer, and a reader, I tend to love crime fiction and slipstream fiction--any work that depicts our real world, but throws in an element of the supernatural or fantastic. Why this is, I'm not sure. But I bet it has something to do with discovering Stephen King at a young age, and watching a lot of Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" and "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" as a young buck.

See Ya On The Net: Tell us about your current book?

HINES: WAKING LAZARUS is a supernatural thriller about a man who has died and
returned to life three times, becoming a cult celebrity in the process. To hide from his fame, he changes his name and hides in Red Lodge, a small Montana town. But when children in the area start disappearing, and when a mysterious stranger shows up on his doorstep, he begins to discover he has the secrets to catching the abductor--buried in the mysteries of his own deaths. For a taste of the story, people can read the first chapter at my website - http://www.tlhines.com/firstchap.html

See Ya On The Net: What aspect of God do you most hope readers will take away after reading your book?

HINES: The book explores the aspect of God I still find amazing: that He works in all our lives, even when we're indifferent or antagonistic toward him. I didn't become a Christian until age 27--I considered myself an atheist before then--and that was the thing that most struck me when I sat down and began to think about my own journey to faith. God had been at work, trying to push me toward Him at many different points; each time I refused, God was patient and gave me another opportunity farther down the path.

See Ya On The Net: What was the most profound lesson you learned while writing this novel?

HINES: Even though you write a book for an audience--for other people--you're also writing it for yourself. You're writing to get something important about yourself on the page, even if you don't know what it is at the time. That, in itself, is a profound lesson: to realize the act of writing itself is as much telling a story about yourself as it is telling a story about your characters.

See Ya On The Net: What do you do to improve your craft?

HINES: I think the single best way to improve your writing is to write. Plain and simple. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's writing. The second best way is to read. Read the genre you're passionate about, of course, but also read other genres to discover what makes stories work. So I write every day, and I read every day. I'm not a big fan of books, tapes or courses devoted to craft. I don't care much for method at all, because I don't believe there is a true method that works for everyone. We each have our own unique method that works best for each of us. It's up to us to discover that method.

See Ya On The Net: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

HINES: I like this question, and it's an easy one for me to answer. Any time someone discovers I'm a writer, he/she always says one of two things: 1) I've always wanted to write; or 2) Oooh, I have a great idea for a book. My answers are: 1) Then you should write; and 2) Then you should write. I wish non-writers would understand that I don't really need more ideas. I have plenty--more than I'll ever be able to write about, because not all of them develop into full, novel-length ideas. So if a non-writer has a great idea for a book, and she's really passionate about that idea, she's the best person to write about it. Make that leap from non-writer to writer. Tons of us do it every day.

See Ya On The Net: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

HINES: I think the single most important thing a writer can do nowadays is have a web presence of some kind. It may be a web site, it may be a blog, it may be a Myspace page, but it should be something. Being on the web will make many, many contacts for you, and will help you learn so much about writing by putting you in touch with several different communities of writers. Not coincidentally, those contacts will also help you start building a network of people interested in reading your work. It's all good.

See Ya On The Net: What is a favorite book from your childhood?

HINES: It probably won't surprise many people to find out my favorite book from early childhood was "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I also remember ordering a book called "How to Build Your Own Monster," but was bitterly disappointed when it ended up being comical and didn't REALLY tell you how to build a monster. When I was 12, I discovered an obscure book by a writer few people have ever heard of: "The Shining" by Stephen King. That book made me want to write.

See Ya On The Net: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

HINES: I'm reading an interesting ARC right now called "Shadows in the Mist"by a first-time novelist named Brian Moreland. It's an interesting mix of military thriller and supernatural thriller, and I'm quite enjoying it. Recently, I also put in a few late nights on Ariel Gore's "The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show" and George Pelacanos's "The Sweet Forever." Every book keeps me up reading it, I suppose--I always spend the last few hours of my day reading.

See Ya On The Net: What resources do you use on the net?

HINES: Any I can find. Really. I enjoy blogging--although I'm more of a once or twice a week guy. I envy people who have the energy to blog every day; I'm not that organized. I've started podcasting. I have my main web site, and a special web site for readers called the Other Side--where people can sign up as Volunteer Publicists for my book, in exchange for unique prizes such as a share of royalties or a role in the next book. And of course, the net is the first place I turn to for research or questions. Google early, google often. I spend a fair amount of time in writing communities such as Zoetrope studios (www.zoetrope.com), Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com), and Dave Long's faith*in*fiction community
www.faithinfiction.blogspot.com

See Ya On The Net: How can readers get in contact with you?

HINES: My web site is www.tlhines.com, which includes more than you'd every really want to know. All my contact information is there, ranging from email to Myspace and LiveJournal pages to IM contacts.

AUTHOR INTRO: Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. A finalist for the Christy Award in both 2003 and 2006, and a former missionary to Russia, Susan now writes full time from her home in northern Minnesota.

Everything's Coming up Josey

When Josey Berglund’s little sister marries her ex, Josey heads out of town…to Russia, to teach English for a year. If the snow, the subway, the market and the language don’t send her screaming, her love life just might. Will she survive Russia? Or God’s plans for her?


Visit Susan at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/

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Check out my website for more information, pricing, and what other
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AUTHOR INTRO: Lena Nelson Dooley

See Ya On The Net: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Lena Nelson Dooley: Lena Nelson Dooley is a multi-published author with Heartsong and Barbour. Three of her books were voted as top ten favorites by readers, and this last year she was voted a top ten favorite author. One book took second place in the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year contest in 2004. One book has been on both the CBD bestseller list and various bestseller lists on Amazon.com. She is married to the love of her life and they have two married daughters and four grandchildren. Lena and James love to travel.

See Ya On The Net: Tell us about your current book?

DOOLEY: Is there any way to escape from a pirate ship?

Angelina de la Fuente Delgado, the pampered daughter of a wealthy merchant, is on her way home from a trip to Spain when her ship is attacked by pirates. The brigands capture her and her aunt and steal all the merchandise on the ship. After forcing most of the crew to walk the plank, they sink the vessel into the Atlantic. Brian O’Doule, who is secretly in love with Angelina, is also kidnapped by the pirates. Driven by feelings of guilt for not preventing the disaster, he does everything in his power to protect the women and to find a way for them all to escape. Will Angelina ever see her home and her beloved father again? Or will she be forced to marry the fierce pirate captain, Etienne Badeau?

See Ya On The Net: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

DOOLEY: With all my books, I want the reader to see how other people deal with extreme stresses in their lives and allow God to make a difference.

See Ya On The Net: How did it feel to reach your publishing goal?

DOOLEY: Actually, even though I'm writing books number 13 & 14 this year, I get really excited whenever a book sells. My husband knows that I will be excited the rest of the day. I hope I never get over that flush of excitement. Each new sale is a special gift from God, and I celebrate it.

See Ya On The Net: Any advice for those striving for the same goal?

DOOLEY: Keep on, keeping on. The only writers who sell books are those who submit. . .submit. . .submit. However, you should always keep your eyes on the Lord and listen to His voice. Maybe what you're going through right now is the process, and to Him the process is important. We grow as writers and as Christians through the process.

See Ya On The Net: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

DOOLEY: That it is a real job. A writer works just like they do, maybe even more, for every penny they earn.

See Ya On The Net: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

DOOLEY: Make yourself visible--on the Internet, at local bookstores, at conferences, etc. Partner with your publisher every way they make available.

See Ya On The Net: What is a favorite book from your childhood?

DOOLEY: Most of the children's books I read were way before most of the reader's times. The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. Any Nancy Drew book. Then as a teenager, I loved Gone With the Wind.

See Ya On The Net: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

DOOLEY: Web of Lies by Brandilyn Collins

See Ya On The Net: What resources do you use on the net?

DOOLEY: I use the Internet a lot for research. It's valuable to a writer of historical fiction, but I even use it for contemporary books, too. I have a web site which is very active, which includes a monthly newsletter. I also have a blog where I interview a different author each week. I give away one of my books every month on my web site, and on the blog, we give away at least one book a week.

See Ya On The Net: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

DOOLEY: I have contact information on my web site:

www.lenanelsondooley.com

It has a mailing address and e-mail address on the web site.

My blog address is:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WRITERS

Every day I’m introduced to a new writer. It amazes me how many people are out in the world telling their stories.

As writers we believe this job is a solitary job, but if you think about it, it’s really not. There are many others just like us. Yes we write alone, but there are ways to connect with those who feel as we do.

The internet introduced me to those kindred spirits. The ones who understand waking up in the middle of the night because a thought won’t let you sleep. Those who get, writing on a napkin while eating lunch. Are those who can feel your pain when you receive another, “This isn’t for us” letter.

To my fellow writers keep striving for the dream. Keep writing your stories, one day they will be appreciated.

Race For The Cure

Last Saturday I experienced my first walk for breast cancer. For years I’d heard of this race, but never participated. Our church registered a team and I decided to join. We met at the church at 5:30 a.m. I’m not a morning person, but this morning I was wide awake and excited for the cause. Everyone had on their Race for the cure t-shirts and we boarded the church bus for downtown St. Louis. We parked in the City Hall parking lot, sang a song and then prayed.

I was amazed at how many people were participating in this race as we walked to the registration tables. We had one person to register and while she did, we were given pink papers to walk in someone’s honor.

I walked in memory of:

Gloria C. A co-worker who was my first contact with breast cancer.
Precious B. – a co-worker who lost the battle a few months ago.

In Celebration of:

Mae J. – My aunt who is fighting the battle
Trellis J – A church member who is fighting the battle
Fran G. – A church member who is a survivor
Minister Pat – A church member who is a survivor
Alveria W – A church member who is a survivor

We took group pictures and headed off to the vendors. There were many vendors giving out little treats, like scarves and towels. What impressed me was how kind everyone was. I’m use to the pushing and shoving you see at the big expos. No one was like that; everyone was trying to help someone receive a gift.

While going to the vendors, I was separated from my team. There were so many white t-shirts there was no way I could find them. Not one person I knew came by me. I stood in the middle of the street and said, Lord what am I going to do? I don’t even know where the race starts.

Helpful hint for races or any activity where you in a group: Get the members telephone numbers, that way if you’re lost you can find each other.

Of course I didn’t have anyone’s numbers. However, the Lord was looking out for me because my sister was also participating in the race with her job and she came walking up the street. THANK YOU JESUS. We ended up walking together. I know it was God who wanted us to.

I had a bag full of goodies and the race was about to start. I highly recommend taking your goodies back to your car before the race starts, but since I didn’t have time, I walked with mine.

The race was amazing; at first we were walking really slowly. We couldn’t figure out why everyone was walking so slowly. Then we hit a dip and we were able to see who was ahead of us. A block full of white and pink shirts were walking and running. We all did a deep AHHH!, because we didn’t realize it was that many people ahead of us. A few blocks of walking we looked behind and another AHHH!, escaped us as we saw the many people behind us.

I think what affected me the most about the race was the many survivors who were young. When I think of breast cancer I think of older women, but this disease doesn’t discriminate it touches all ages.

My sister and I walked and talked and before we knew it, we were crossing the finish line.

Walking across the finish line was wonderful and exhilarating. I use to walk a mile a day but I haven’t done it in months. My hubby kept teasing me that I wouldn’t make it, but I refuse to give up. Walking at the pace we did didn’t strain me or tire me out, so I was comfortable the whole race. It did make me realize I need to get some exercise back in my life.

Next year I plan on signing my daughter up, I think its time she learned about supporting a good cause.

To all those who supported the Race For The Cure, thank you and look forward to walking with you next year.

St. Louis is the #1 city with 65,000 participants.

AUTHOR INTRO: Mata Elliot

See Ya On The Net: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Mata Elliott: My name is Mata Elliott. I’m 38 years young, married 12 years, and I have one son. When I’m not writing I enjoy taking long walks, reading, and eating chocolate. I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a pencil and form words. I considered the idea of writing a book at a young age and actually started writing a novel as a teenager. I never got past the first chapter and soon threw out the idea. At the age of 29 I started writing Forgivin’ Ain’t Forgettin’, and this time I couldn’t put it down until it was finished.

See Ya On The Net: Tell us about your current book?

ELLIOTT: Forgivin’ Ain’t Forgettin’, published by Walk Worthy Press, is my debut novel. It is the story of a young woman living with a painful secret. Years ago when she was a college student she made a decision that has haunted her since. Trapped by guilt, regret, bitterness, self-doubt, and unforgiveness, she is unable to love herself and the man God has put in her life.

See Ya On The Net: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

ELLIOTT: I would like readers to come away encouraged. Knowing that God is a loving and forgiving God and that He wants us to not only forgive others but also ourselves. Once we ask God for forgiveness it is done. Nothing anyone says about your past matters. You are forgiven. I also hope to send the message to any woman that is hurting that she does not have to suffer in silence or live in oppressive isolation. It is not true that no one else is going through what you are. Pain is pain, so find a safe person to talk with and get help.

See Ya On The Net: How did it feel to reach your publishing goal?

ELLIOTT: Wonderful! I still can’t believe it some days. When I first began submitting my manuscripts and received rejection letters, naturally I felt discouraged and wondered if I should keep trying. God spoke to my heart and reminded me that He’s in charge of the doors of my life. Seek Him, trust Him, and obey Him, and He would open the door He had for me when He was ready.

See Ya On The Net: Any advice for those striving for the same goal?

ELLIOTT: Yes, do not listen to negative words. Stand on the promises God has given you regarding your writing (which may be different than the promises He has given others) and hold onto those promises no matter how many rejections you may receive. While you’re waiting to hear good news, keep learning all you can about writing and the industry, network with others writers, and keep God first in your life.

See Ya On The Net: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

ELLIOTT: Writing is a full-time job. I may be at home during the day, but I’m not home watching television or painting my toenails. I am writing. And even if I’m not sitting at the computer, I am doing things like reading and researching, which is all a part of constructing a novel.

See Ya On The Net: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

ELLIOTT: I am new at promotion but I’m already learning that you have to be proactive. This is my new motto which I overheard one writer say to another, “Everybody wants your book.” Of course we know not everyone really does, but it’s a good way to psyche yourself out during promotion. I live in urban America so I’ve been approaching people who are waiting for buses and subways and telling them about my book as I hand them a bookmark. The results have been positive because people love free stuff. No one is more introverted than me, so if I can step out and promote, you can do it too! Tell everyone about your book!

See Ya On The Net: What is a favorite book from your childhood?

ELLIOTT: One of my favorite stories from childhood was Charlotte’s Web. I must have read it a hundred times. I love animals and always have so I’m sure my fascination with the story was because of the animals. Growing up in the city, it was nice to have a glimpse into the life of Fern, one of the main characters and a little girl who lived on a farm.

See Ya On The Net: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

ELLIOTT: Francis Ray’s Trouble Don’t Last Always. I love a good romance and this is one I found difficult to put down.

See Ya On The Net: What resources do you use on the net?

ELLIOTT: It varies. When I’m writing a story, if I need medical information I go to WebMD or something comparable. If I need help with a Bible verse, I often visit Crosswalk.com. The resources on the net are limitless it seems, so if I have a question I’ll simply Google it and I usually find something beneficial.

See Ya On The Net: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

ELLIOTT: I love to hear from readers. They can contact me or sign up for my mailing list at info@mataelliott.com. And please visit my website http://www.mataelliott.com/.