Achieving A Balanced Life

Good Monday Morning!  I hope everyone is ready for another work week.  I am not quite recovered from a full weekend, but that is just the way it goes sometimes.  Monday has come and I'll try to make the most of it.  

If you missed last week's blog post, I hope you will go back and check it out here.  Author Jodie Wolfe honored us, by giving me an interview with her.  I enjoyed the interview and I am happy to say, Jodie and I plan to continue to work together for a while.  We hope to exchange some chapters of our WIP's (work in progress) soon to help each other out.

Today, I plan to talk more about achieving a balance life.  I mentioned this in a past post, but I sort of wanted to give an update on how I have been doing.  Maybe this will even inspire you to start to work toward a balanced life.  This is definitely a WIP for me.  It doesn't happen in a day, a week, a month...I don't think it is something that can be checked off a list.  It has to become an everyday part of life.  So, maybe "Achieving" was not the best word for my title. I guess I could have said: Pursuing a balanced life....or Managing a balanced life....Well, you get the idea.  Whatever you call it, it is hard to do.  In fact, since life is constantly in a state of change, our balance is constantly being thrown...off balance.

First things First-

Reading my Bible everyday and prayer are the first steps to a balanced life.  If I am going to serve the Lord Jesus, my Creator, then I must seek His Will for me each day.  I must read my Bible to know Him and His Will.  I must have a heart of gratitude, reverence and obedience.  God created me for a purpose.  If I am trying to live life without that in mind, then I will be wasting the gift of life He gave me.  We did not create ourselves.  We did not come about by accident.  You will never find fulfillment or joy, if you are trying to live life with no direction, no guidance, no reason or purpose and especially without Jesus Christ. For me, like Jodie, I start the day with prayer.  I ask the Lord to lead me and direct my path.  I can make my plans, but the Lord guides my footsteps.  Some days (not many) go exactly as I planned, but most days, I am thrown one curve ball after another and I have to make adjustments to my plan or ditch it altogether.  When this happens to us, should we give up trying?  No!  We must do our best and make the best out of whatever situation we find ourselves.  Trust the Lord and live for Him and we won't go wrong. https://youtu.be/Jd2DKYKsmm8

Morning Routine-

I have a morning routine I have developed and stick with mostly every day.  I have only had it written down for the last few months and I have added to my list.  I try to check my list every morning as I go through my chores, and mark things off as I get them done.  It helps me remember things my sleepy mind may forget.  My list may look very different from yours, but what matters is if it works for you and your family.  You will see from my picture below, that sometimes I write things in to accommodate jobs that need doing that are not included.  Ooopps- I need to add meal plan for the week and grocery shop. 😣

Zones- #flylady

This was inspired by the FlyLady.  My zones are different from hers and that's ok.  I try to do what works for me.  As you can see from the picture below.  I have made zones of the different areas in my house.  I assign those zones to a day of the week, then on that day, I try to work on that area for a designated amount of time, depending on my day's schedule.  I may choose to clean, declutter, organize or do all of the above in that space, depending on what it needs the most.  

Writing/Editing-

My goal is to make enough progress on the morning routine and zones, that they take less and less time to accomplish each day.  The faster I can get my routines and zones finished, the more time I can spend on my #writing and #editing. If I sit down for hours writing or editing, which I could do without a bit of problem, but haven't taken care of my responsibilities around the house, then life gets off balance.  The other work will build up, take longer to complete the next time and will be a stress inducer for me and everyone else in the house.  Maybe it isn't writing or editing for you.  Maybe it's another type of job or something not work related at all, like: Video Games, Social Media, Reading, Shopping.  You know what it is for you.  None of those things are bad things, in and of themselves, but if you are doing those things to the detriment of other responsibilities, then you are off balance.  When our lives are off balance, we suffer, our relationships suffer, other areas of our lives that need us suffer.

Exercise and Health-

I try to exercise every day.  YouTube has an amazing amount of workouts for every age and fitness level.  Even if you only have 5 minutes or maybe you have an hour to spare, there is a wide variety of choices for you.  Just about any type of exercise you can think of, is available. There are many different trainers, so you can choose the ones who are the most helpful or motivating to you.  Meal planning, healthy eating, recipes...ignorance is really not an excuse anymore.  The internet has so many sites that can help you, YouTube, Pinterest, and many other sites can help you on your way to becoming a healthier you. Want to get out of the house?  Try walking, running, biking or going to a gym.  Even whole grocery stores are dedicated to healthy eating.  There are communities of people who are out there giving and needing support. Will we all look like models? I certainly don't, but I feel better.  I am stronger and healthier than I would be if I weren't trying.  Just do it.  Don't get discouraged. It isn't a race, it isn't a competition.  It is about you being the best you can be.  Just try.  Below are few of the YouTube Channels my husband and I have gone to over the last several years to help us on our fitness journey.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessBlender

https://www.youtube.com/user/popsugartvfit

https://www.youtube.com/user/jessicasmithtv

Beginner or Advanced, each woman is doing something beneficial for their health.

Choices:

We all make choices everyday.  What do we wear?  What do we eat?  What do we do? If we want good outcomes, we have to choose correctly.

Family-

Making time for my family everyday is essential.  I am better at that in some ways than others.  My family makes Messenger Chat groups to try to keep up with each other's lives.  It is so easy to get busy and starve those relationships, especially with the family members we don't see everyday.  Is that a struggle for you, too?  Whatever way we have to make it happen, we need to try.  Some ways I try to manage this:  Working on our Hobby Farm with my husband.  Talking to my youngest son about his life, while driving him to his various extracurricular activities.  Talking with my oldest daughter, while we watch my grandkids play.  Taking trips to visit my other children and grandson, even if it's just for a few hours, babysitting my grandkids, calling relatives in other states or texting.  I'm much better with the texting and even then, I wait way too long between messages.  You get the idea, though.  Are you making a concerted effort to connect with your family members?  

Friendships-

As an introvert, this is not my strong suit. I just want to mention a few things, though.  Find people who have like interests. Find people who will help you be your best, not your worst.  One thing I have recently done, is join with a lady that is starting to host a Writer's group in her home, once a month.  I plan to attend these meetings for the fellowship with other like minded women.  I hope some true friendships will grow from this.  If you are like me and have struggled with this whole friendship thing, maybe it's because you aren't looking in the right places.  I think that has been true for me.  Trying to be friends with extroverted people who like to do things I don't intend on participating in, will not work for me, it never has.  Maybe we just need to zoom in a little closer, to find people more relatable to us.

Errands, Church, Dr. Appts., .....the list seems endless, if we can get to work on getting our lives balanced, even these things can be accomplished, maybe even enjoyed, without disrupting our whole day.


Nighttime Routine- #clutterbug

Before I go to bed,  I have a list of things I try to accomplish or at least work on.  I have found that the more on this list I get done before bed, the better my mornings go.  Am I just too sleepy or exhausted some nights, yes, but even on my most exhausted nights, I try to do at least a couple things on my list.

https://www.youtube.com/user/OrganizedClutterbug

Wow, so much for my plan to have a short post.  When it comes to writing, I tend to get wordy.  Maybe I should Vlog instead, then I could keep it really short...

Well, if you can find a way to improve in each of these areas, you will be on your way to a balanced (sort of) life.  I probably even forgot some things.  Comment if you can think of some other areas we need to make time for in our lives.  Keep it clean, please.  Just because you think it, doesn't mean you have to say (write) it.  

May God bless you and your family, as you try to find ways to "achieve" balance in your lives.

In Christ,

Sandy

Author Highlight-Welcome Author Jodie Wolfe

Hello! 👋👋👋 Happy Monday Morning!  Thanks for joining me today.  I am so excited about this blog post.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Author Jodie Wolfe.  She is an impressive lady.  It has been an honor getting to know more about her and her work.   

Introducing Author Jodie Wolfe:

Sandy: Will you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Jodie Wolfe: Here's my official bio:
Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) and has been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. She's a contributor and co-founder of Stitches Thru Time blog. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

You're a busy woman!  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule for us.

Sandy: How did your love of writing begin?

Jodie Wolfe: I would say that my love of writing began with two things - writing my first school assignment when I was in second grade and my love of reading which I've had all my life. My favorite books around that time were the Little House on the Prairie series. I soon was writing little stories of my own and the rest is history. ☺

Little House on the Prairie books are a good way to start. 😊

Sandy: When did you make the decision to write your first novel?

Jodie Wolfe: I was thirteen and at the time I was reading a lot of mysteries and decided to try my hand at writing one. It took me a few years, but I finally had a finished product - Laura MacKenzie and the Mysterious Kidnapping.

That's great!  Thirteen and following your dream. Too many of us wait and waste so much time!

Sandy: You have authored and co-authored several novels and novellas now, how do you think you have grown from that first novel, to your latest, To Claim Her Heart?

Jodie Wolfe: That's a good question. I think with each thing I've written, I've learned a little more about the writing craft and ways to tug the heart of my readers.

It really is a learning process.  There is talent that comes naturally, but the skill level can always be improved upon.

Sandy: As a Christian Historical/Romance Fiction Writer, I, of course, love this genre that you write in.  I find it interesting how Authors choose the locations for their stories. Your story, To Claim Her Heart, is set at the Cherokee Strip Land Run, where is that located?

Jodie Wolfe: It's often referred to as the Cherokee Outlet, which was a sixty-mile strip of land in Oklahoma Territory, just south of the Kansas border.

Sandy: How did you choose the location for To Claim Her Heart?

Jodie Wolfe: My mother-in-law always wanted me to write a story set during the time period/place of the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. It meant so much to her since she had several relatives who staked claims during this last great land run in our Nation.

Glass Mountains which is about a mile from the property in my story  (also the 

family claim).

The rock house built into the hillside is on the 

original family claim and the house was built in 1894.

I love it when the Author has some personal connection to their story.

Sandy: Recently, the Cherokee Strip Land Run had its 125th anniversary. Will you tell us about the celebration?

Jodie Wolfe: Unfortunately due to state budget cuts in Oklahoma, there weren't a whole lot of special activities associated with the celebration this year. They did have one in Kiowa, but sadly it was in the early spring and I didn't hear about it until after the fact. I did host a slew of giveaways during this time though. The actual anniversary was September 16th.

I know your readers were glad for your generosity.  Even though there wasn't as much of an official celebration going on, you celebrated in your own way. 🎉

Sandy: Will you share a little about the Cherokee Strip and what the Land Run was?

Jodie Wolfe: In 1893, land that formerly belonged to the Native Americans was opened for settlement. At noon on September 16th, over 115,000 people raced for only 42,000 parcels of land. It was the largest land run in our Nation. There were nine different starting places along the Kansas and Oklahoma Territory borders. People raced on foot, train, horseback, wagon, buggies, and even 
bicycles.

Wow! That sounds like utter chaos, but certainly a wonderful opportunity for those who were successful in claiming a parcel of land.

Sandy: I love how you used your compilation of Mrs. Wiggleworth’s Essential Guide to Proper Etiquette and Manners of Refined Society, at the beginning of each chapter in To Claim Her Heart.  I found it quite humorous.  How did the compilation and including it in your book, come about?

Jodie Wolfe: I thought it would be fun to add sayings at the beginning of each chapter that featured the proper etiquette of the time period and also showed how my heroine, Elmer (Elsie) Smith usually did the total opposite. It made for a humorous contrast. 

Yes, it did and I totally got what you were doing.  Great idea!

Jodie Wolfe: I came up with the fictitious manner book. I had such positive feedback that I created an ebook of the compilation of Mrs. Wigglesworth's sayings. You can find it here.

Sandy: Are you working on any new projects now?

Jodie Wolfe: Yes, I'm working on a story that is set in the town where I live. It's been lots of fun to research and learn new things about its rich history. Its tentative title is Hannah's Quest. I'm also working on finding a home for a story I wrote quite a while ago, called Taming Julia. 

I hope we see those come out real soon!  I will be looking forward to it.

Sandy: How do you balance home, children, grandchildren, work, and everything else the Lord calls you to do?

Jodie Wolfe: Chuckle. I have good days and not so good days. ☺ It's a little easier for me in that my sons have been away from home for 5+ years now. I'm a retired home educator, so I have a fair amount of free time on my hands now. I do need to guard my time in regard to writing as it's easy to be asked to get busy with other things, and I try to be discerning of keeping time to write and do the things that I feel God has called me to do. It helps to start the day asking the Lord to order my steps to do the things He desires for me for that day.

That sounds like the best way to start a day.  

Sandy: Tell us how to find you, To Claim Her Heart and the other books your have Authored and Co-Authored.

Jodie Wolfe: All of my books are available on Amazon. You can learn more about me here:

Jodie's Amazon Author Page

Purchase Link for To Claim Her Heart

Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest Goodreads

The Following is the back cover of her book To Claim Her Heart:

Here's the official back cover blurb:
In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin David prays for God to guide him to his 'Promised Land. Finding property and preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancée. He hasn't counted on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave. Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading know-how he is sadly lacking. 

Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith's only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land's not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She's willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie's determined to keep it. 

Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.


Jodie Wolfe: Thank you for having me here today, it's been a pleasure! I'd love to offer a free ebook to one of your readers.

Thank you, Jodie!  I'm sure my readers will be excited to have a chance at your giveaway!  I appreciate your time, it has been great fun!  I pray the Lord will bless you and your family as you continue to follow His call on your life.

Alright, you heard her.  She is offering a free ebook of To Claim Her Heart, to one of my readers.  Here is what you need to do:

1.  Comment on this post here on my blog page.
2.  Tell Jodie how much you appreciate her coming and sharing with us.
3.  Push the Follow button here on my blog.
4.  Email me at sandykayslawsonWriter@gmail.com.

I will plan to announce the winner next Monday.   

May God bless you and your family.  Have a great week!

In Christ,

Sandy

Back to the Future

Good Monday Morning!  I hope you are ready for the week ahead, because ready or not... 😁  My work week is starting off with a bang.  I have a full schedule, so I am trying to get my Blog done, before I move on to the next thing.  If you are having a day like me, just take one task at a time and try not to worry about what is next on the list.  Enjoy each moment.  I know, easier said than done, but if a task is worth doing, enjoy doing it, because it will be an accomplishment when you finish.

In today's blog I want to do more than think about life in the 1747 rural areas, small towns and villages of England.  I want to Time Travel back to present day.  I have spent much of my last few years researching and imagining what life was like back in 18th century England.   I thought today I would like to look at what's been going on in modern times, and compare some of the differences.

Look at the picture above.  The area surrounding the road, probably would have been much the same. There is a good chance the road has remained in the same place, but it certainly wouldn't have been paved.  A road back in 1747, would most likely have been a dirt road, full of stones and holes.  Most roads would have been like this, unless, it had been paved with cobble stones, still a bumpy ride.  Cobble stone roads, would probably have been reserved for bigger towns, though.  Sometimes, we may get the experience of a dirt road, but the majority of our traveling, is not so primitive.  There certainly wouldn't have been a car or any motorized vehicle.  Wagons, horses, carts, boats and walking would have been the modes of travel.  The amount of effort and time to travel, would have been a major task.  Even a trip to the next town could have taken a day or two, maybe more.

The first train wasn't even around, until the 19th century.  We complain about waiting at a stop light for a couple minutes, well, some of us do, but traveling for us is really very easy and inconsequential, compared to how it was done in 1747.

Let's talk about shopping.  For most of us, getting groceries, supplies, clothes...just about anything we want, can be accomplished without even leaving our house, if we want.  Back in 1747, everything you needed to survive, took time and physically hard work to obtain.  There were a few exceptions, those born into money, could live a life of ease...sort of.  

If you enjoy camping, you may find cooking over a fire fun, but I doubt most of us would want to do that everyday, with no other options.

Today, most of us may look at a field with sheep grazing and think, "How picturesque!  Where's my camera!"  Back then, this view would have meant, food, clothing, a means of bartering or making money.  This harbor would have been filled with fishing vessels, some for travel or ships full of goods for import and export.  Although there are still sheep farmers, merchants and fishermen at work, there are many of us today out on the water, or taking in the scenery, just for the fun of it.

No air conditioning, no electricity, indoor plumbing was just starting to make the scene and was the exception, rather than the rule.  Certainly, our hygiene habits today are much more thorough than they were back then.  The life expectancy was around 40 years old.  Today, our life expectancy is around 85 years old.  Hmmm, I wonder how we are using our extra years.  Are we wasting them?  Are we making the most of them?

                   

Some people may look at this second picture and say, "This bathroom is too small and too dark!"  Look at the outhouse.  Many people around the world today, still have bathroom situations like that or worse.  Personally, I am extremely thankful for modern bathrooms and in America, public bathrooms we don't have to pay to use.  

Our medical advances are too numerous to even begin to talk about, but there is a good chance I would have died giving birth to my first child, much less giving birth to four of them, without a miracle and that was in the 20th century! Today's medical advances are astounding.  Back then, many believed bathing more than your face, arms and legs was dangerous.  Be thankful...very thankful...for our modern medical knowledge.

Wow, I need to take the kids there, we could have fun playing in that!  Um, in 1747 that may have been someone's bathtub or water source.  

I would love to go visit North Yorkshire, England one day, but it won't be the way I have imagined it for so long.  Some things have probably stood the test of time, but so many things change, so I would still have to use my imagination to "see" what life would have been like there in 1747. 

 What have I learned by coming Back to the Future?  I have learned that we have been blessed in so many ways.  Was life all bad back in 1747?  I don't think so.  In fact, some things may have been much better.  A slower pace, less hectic living, and more of the beautiful world not covered up with progress.   I think we can benefit from comparing present day to times past.  Real people really lived then.  We can still learn from them, what to do or what not to do.  Let's learn our lessons well.  Make the most of what we have been given today.  The hard work of yesterday, helped to make it possible for you to enjoy the life you live today.  What kind of life are we building for those who may come after us?

I hope you will look around you today and be thankful for God's many blessings.

In Christ,

Sandy

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ACFW 2018 Conclusion-Lessons Learned

Happy Monday and welcome back for our last ACFW 2018 series post.  If you are new to sandykayslawsonWriter.blogspot.com, then I am so glad you came! You may enjoy going back to read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series or catch up from the beginning of my blog, back in February '18. 

Today I would like to talk about the top 5 things I learned at the ACFW 2018 Conference.  Some of the things, I had heard before, but they were emphasized so much in my classes, I thought them important enough to include, since some of you may not have heard it before.  At the end, I plan to update you on some of the things, I have been working on since the conference.

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”

—Ernest Hemingway

Lesson 1.

Learn how to take rejection.  Encouraging, huh?  I was surprised how much this...advice...forewarning...was talked about.  Evidently, rejection by Literary Agents, Publishers and even Editors is more the norm than not.  The encouraging part is that, many well known Authors (Debbie Macomber, for instance) today, spent years being rejected, before one day someone gave them a chance.  Did they keep submitting the same thing over and over?  No, if they received feedback, they used that to make their work better or they started over, using what they had learned.  I hope to send my Proposals out in the next month or so and I am bracing myself, just in case.

Lesson 2.

Show, don't tell.  I heard this phrase over and over again, while at the conference.  I had learned this early on in my writing journey, so hopefully, my writing will reflect that.  What does this mean?  When writing fiction, we want the reader to be able to see with their minds eye, the story playing out in their head.  If I show you the story, it's easier for you to picture the story as if it is happening at that moment.  If I tell you the story, you will feel more separated from it, and be less likely to "see" the story as it is being read.  For, example: I did not enjoy my History classes, when I was in school.  It was so boring to me, just a bunch of lifeless facts, I had trouble relating to.  When I discovered Historical Fiction, history became my favorite subject.  I understand all the characters are not historical figures, but there is enough history in them, that I was finally able to understand and learn those lessons that I never could learn, when being told instead of shown, all those years in school.

Lesson 3.

POV or point of view matters.  As a reader, I rarely think about how the POV is written, but if I see something written with an awkward or inconsistent POV is can be confusing or disruptive to the flow of the story.  The common POV's for a story are 1st Person and 3rd Person with narration.  First person POV would read more like a diary.  The story would be told from the point of view, of the person telling their story.  Third person point of view with narration, is told from the point of view of one or more of the characters, with a narrator, adding in an outside perspective.  The point of view character's thoughts, can be heard, also.  In this POV only one POV should be used in a scene.  This is a difficult lesson to learn and even seasoned Authors can make mistakes here.  It is so easy to jump into another characters mind, when you aren't supposed to.  Point of view is like reading minds.  I should only be able to read one mind per scene.  

Lesson 4.

Weasel Words are not your friend, when writing. What are these pesky words that need to be used as little as possible?  Weasel Words: was, were, adverbs, just, very, suddenly, that, it (if vague).  The first thing I did, when I got back home, was to do a search in my novel for the word was.  AHHHH!  Almost every page had at least one was, on it!  Yikes!  So, I start rewriting every sentence that has that word.  If I find another Weasel Word while I am writing, I go ahead and change that, too.  But guess what, I will need to go through each Weasel Word and correct my rookie mistakes. It is not easy to write without using those words.  Next time you write something, look back to see how many times you use them. 😲

Lesson 5.

Know my main characters, inside and out.  Know myself inside and out.  I have to be able to know how we think, act, respond, react, etc. and why we think, act, respond, react, etc. the way we do.  The  teacher suggested using the Myers-Briggs personality test to create my characters.  I personally thought this was GENIUS!  I wrote a post about this personality test several months ago.  Here is a link. 

Even if you aren't a Writer or Fiction Writer, taking the test can really help you understand yourself better.  I know it helped me.

Trying to condense what I learned at the conference into these five short paragraphs, was pretty daunting, but if you are able to use any of these five lessons to help you in your own writing, or maybe just to help you understand why a Writer may write the way they do, then I guess I succeeded.       As I looked back at my notes, I realized what a horrible note taker I am! 😕 Trying to read my chicken scratch and make sense of it, was not easy.  I did my best though, to take that mess, and make it understandable for you. (And not bore you to death...😅)

Updates: I have been busy since I got home from the conference.  Beside writing my Monday blog posts, I have been trying to correct my Weasel Words on my manuscript.  It is time consuming, but I am feeling pleased with the results so far.  I am really glad I learned some of these lessons, before I got too far along in my second book, so hopefully, I won't need to make so many corrections on it.  Also, I have been researching website builders.  As I mentioned in a previous post, having a website where I can send out a newsletter, connect with Readers and keep you updated on my books, my life, my journey, is a necessary part of building my Platform.  The number of emails and followers I have, could make or break a deal with a Publisher.  In addition, I have been asked to speak at a newly formed Writer's group this month.  I am excited and nervous, because I am still pretty new to the #WritersLife, but maybe I'll have something to offer worthwhile.  Lastly, I am preparing my interview with Author Jodie Wolfe.  I plan to post that interview here soon, so be sure not to miss that.

Well, that's all I have this week.  I hope you will join me again next week (Lord Willing).  Comments and questions are welcome as always.  May God bless you and your family.

In Christ,

Sandy

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ACFW 2018 PART 2

Welcome back to another Monday morning blog post.  I hope everyone had a good last week and you are ready to tackle this one.  This week, I am continuing with my recap of what happened with me at the ACFW 2018 Conference in Nashville, TN, by sharing with you my Journal entries, while I stayed at the @Opryland Resort, next door to the Grand Ole Opry.  It was a fabulous hotel, absolutely beautiful. The little time I had to just walk around and enjoy the venue, was thoroughly enjoyed.

                 

       

If you are a first time visitor, you might find it helpful to go back and read last week's post, before you continue. 

9/22/18

Saturday morning 6:46am-I stopped writing in my journal last night, when @MaryConnealy came to sit down right next to me, to work on her latest book!!! It was so cool to sit there for an hour listening to a live band play and sing worship music, while Mary and I worked on our books beside each other!  

(Continuing from last week's post.) Ok, I’ll finish what I was saying.  The Editor, @GinaWelborn, asked if I would be willing to write Novellas that would be branches off my Novel, Hope for Charity.  I had never thought of doing that before, but the idea did appeal to me. (What do you think?) Anyway, she asked for the first 3 chapters of my book, my Pitch, Synopsis and Proposal to be sent to her Publishing Agency, Forget Me Not Romances.  I have since found out that they are an Indie Publisher, which is an independent press or smaller publisher not a part of a big conglomeration. This is not a bad thing, just something to consider. She also suggested I talk to a Literary Agent, @TamelaHancockMurray that they sometimes work with.  It was a great first meeting and it was really nice to receive such positive feedback.  At supper, Tamela, the Literary Agent, she wanted me to meet, was at the table next to mine.  So, I built up my courage and approached her.  I told her about my meeting with the Editor, told her the Editor’s name and that she suggested we meet.  Tamela said her schedule was too full to meet at the conference, but she wants me to send my Proposal to her.

The classes I had yesterday, were amazing.  I learned so much in each one and I really am excited to take what I’ve learned and put it into practice.  I have four more classes today.  One of them is being taught by @DiAnnMills!  Ok, one last thing, before I have to go get ready for the day.  Yesterday, I talked with DiAnn Mills, @ColleenCoble, Mary Connealy, @Kathleen Y’Barbo, @RachelHauck who is also leading the Worship service.  I never thought I would be in such close proximity, to such big names in the Christian Writer’s world, much less walking to classes with them and having conversations.  I can’t even say, just how special this is to me.

At 10:30am I have a meeting with another Literary Agent, @LindaGlaz, so hoping that goes well, too.  Praying God will lead me to just the right one that is meant to work with me.  Wow!  The Linda Glaz said my Synopsis was done very well and she wants me to send my Proposal to her!!  We had a great conversation about my book, my second book in progress and my efforts in the platform area.  I am so stoked!  This doesn’t mean that she will represent me or that the others will want to represent me, but when I send my Proposals in, my foot will be in the door.  I was hoping for one person to tell me to send them my Proposal, but three is beyond my expectations…

My four classes: 1.) Historical Fiction moderated by @SarahSundin, 2.) Writing with Compelling Emotional Tension- DiAnn Mills, 3.) Face Off: Plotter vs. Pantster- @LynetteEason and @CarrieStuartParks, 4.) Engaging the Culture Through Fiction- Colleen Coble, were great.  I have learned so much! Did I already say that?  Well, I did and I can hardly wait to get home to start implementing my new found knowledge into my books.  

6:00pm-The Gala…the last event of the Conference, where Authors win their awards.  During the dinner, I sat by a lady, Cara or Kara (ugh, I so wish I had written her name down).  We had a great conversation.  I did give her my card, so maybe she'll see this and let me know.  Remember her face from her picture below, if you like Women’s Fiction, you may see her someday soon.  

One of my very favorite Authors, @TameraAlexander, won two 2018 Carol Awards for Historical Romance and Short Novel.  I had no doubt she would.  It was so nice, when she saw me after the ceremony and gave me a hug.  I can’t believe she remembered meeting me the day before.  She took a picture with me and even let me take a picture of her awards!  Colleen Coble also came up to me and hugged my neck.  These ladies, that I have looked up to for so long, are so sweet and....well, just regular people! Ha!  Talented...Yes!  Successful...Yes!, but still regular people and so easy to talk with.  I love them even more now.  I found Kathleen Y’Barbo and got a picture with her, too.  Just so glad to have the opportunity to meet all these ladies, that have done so well in our field.  They have set a really high standard.  Hopefully, one day I can be on their level.

Tamera Alexander and Sandy

Tamera Alexander's Awards

Sandy and Colleen Coble

Sorry, my pic with Kathleen Y'Barbo turned out blurry.

One last thought, my whole life I always felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere.  I didn’t know anyone else like me.  This conference was full of people like me and I felt like I finally found a place where I fit in. That was a really good feeling.  I’ll make every effort to make the next one. Thanks @ACFW, for the experience, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

Next week, I hope to share some of the things I learned in my classes.  That may appeal to other Writers more, but I hope you will join me anyway.  I will also try to give an update on the progress of my books and other things I am working on.  Coming soon...I plan to post my Interview with Author @JodieWolfe (), check her out, a very impressive lady!

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Have a great week and come back to see me next Monday (Lord Willing)!  May God bless you and your family.

In Christ,

Sandy