Writing Non-fiction

The first eleven books I've published have been fiction, and the next one or two will be also. That's what I read the most. However, I began publishing as a magazine writer, so I do have a background in non-fiction as well. Therefore, I'm toying with the idea of publishing a Christian non-fiction book in the near future. I have two rough drafts written.

In fact, I almost wrote a non-fiction history book last year. A regional editor in New England contacted me and wanted me to write for The History Press. He'd been impressed with some of my blogs posted on a page for Yankee Magazine. When he found out that I actually lived in the South, he put me in contact with the regional editor here. I did a book proposal on the traditional culture of the Southern Appalachians, but the editor wanted me to narrow it down to talk about a single topic, such as spinning and weaving. In my research, I'd found the need for a broader book surveying more than one narrow topic, and I felt it would be easier for me to write. Therefore, I declined.

At that time, I found myself frantically trying to write down all the stories that were coming fast and furious, anyway. But the idea of writing a non-fiction hasn't left. The manuscript nearest to being ready is On the Road to Jericho, covering the last journey Jesus made from Galilee to Jerusalem and leading to His triumphant entry, arrest, and crucifixion. His teachings on this trip are especially poignant and meaningful with important lessons for us.

However, I am being extremely careful with my commentary and working hard to see that the book reads smoothly. In addition, I want the messages to come across in a clear, concise manner. It appears this book will be shorter than my others, but it will be over a hundred pages. I'm organizing it so it could be used for devotions or just read straight through. I'm excited to be branching off in this direction, but I'll keep writing my novels as well.

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National Puzzle Day

January 29th is National Puzzle Day. Although doing jigsaw puzzles might not be as popular as they once were, they're still a good way to spend days you're shut inside the house due to bad weather. Studies have found we use both sides of our brain when we work a jigsaw puzzle, and, if you're like me, you'd welcome more brain power.

If jigsaw puzzles aren't your thing, however, there're many other types of puzzles. Maybe you'd prefer Soduku, word finds, or crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzles will also increase vocabulary and language skills. If you're more of a math and number person, then try Soduku.

In fact, most puzzles will help increase memory, cognitive skills, and problem-solving ability. Researchers tell us, the more we exercise our brains, the healthier they'll remain. So what type of puzzle do you prefer? Let's celebrate National Puzzle Day by working on one.

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Compromising

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17).

Compromising can be a good or a bad thing depending on the situation. However, Christians should never compromise their faith. Have we? Most Christians probably have at some point in their lives, and some continue to do so, watering down their faith in the process until they're lukewarm.

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him (1Kings 18:21a).

I'm reminded of someone who went to the same church as I did. A single mother with two children wanted to rent a property the woman had for rent, but the young mother would have her new boyfriend living with her. At first, the woman seemed conflicted over what to do. But in the end, she rented it to the unmarried couple.

No man can serve two masters.... Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

And look at working on Sunday. Several years ago, it would have been unusual to see someone mowing their yards on Sunday or road construction on that day. Few Christians, other than medical and emergency personnel worked on Sunday, either. Now, such things are quite common, and most people treat Sunday as any other day of the week. We hear of scams, fraud, and schemes all the time. And cheating is rampant in our schools.

If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Perhaps this is what is eating away at our churches and our nation today. Maybe we've compromised to the point that we've turned from our moral foundation, and anything goes. Christianity shouldn't be just about dos and don'ts; it's not a set of rules we must follow. Instead, it's what we do with Christ and the condition of our hearts. But if we truly love the Lord and put Him first where He should be, we'll want to please Him. We please Him by obeying His Word. Think about it and apply it to your own life in the way He leads you.

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Deceitful Matters

I just sent my twelfth manuscript to the publisher. Deceitful Matters is a contemporary novel set near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I grew up about 60 miles west of there. I used Wellington, a fictitious small town not far from Winston, for the main setting. But the nearby city, towns, and sites the characters visit are real places.

In the book, Amy Duncan and Seth Conners were just starting to connect in high school when Seth was arrested, Amy’s parents died, and everything changed. They don’t see each other again for ten years, but now someone is trying to make sure they never become too serious about each other again. Who would do such a thing, and will their love survive or will they be torn apart permanently?

I included some mystery and intrigue in the historical novel, When Winter Is Past, but Deceitful Matters has the most mystery of any book I've published so far. My focus is not entirely on the mystery, however, because my novels are character driven and not plot driven. I do read mysteries now and then, and I like to occasionally use some of these elements. Readers loved When Winter Is Past, and the book has done very well. I'm eager to see how Deceitful Matters will do. It should be out sometime in February or March.

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The CIA Begins

As World War II drew to an end, the need for a national intelligence gathering agency became more pressing. Earlier attempts at a successful group hadn't lasted, but on January 22, 1946, President Harry Truman established the National Intelligence Authority, which was to become the Central Intelligence Agency about eighteen months later.

The CIA is actually a civilian agency created to gather, process, and analyze information on foreign nations that could prove crucial to the security of the United States. The CIA reports to the Director of National Intelligence and provides intelligence information for the President and his Cabinet.

CIA Headquarters, Langley, VA

Unlike the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the CIA has no law enforcement authority. But it is the only agency sanctioned by law to carry out covert operations as ordered by the President. Since the 911 attacks, the CIA has mushroomed in size and budget. In addition to looking for physical threats, it also watches cyber-operations. The agency has grown immensely since its beginnings on January 22, 1946.

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Flourish

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree (Psalm 92:12a).

There are many different kinds of palm trees, over 2,500 species. Most of them grow in warmer climates, but they are remarkably diverse and flourish from rainforests to deserts. Palms are some of the best-known trees and have a long history of cultivation for their foods, medicines, wood, and large leaves. If we choose to live the righteous life God wants, He promises that we will flourish like the palm tree.

he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (Psalm 92:12b).

The cedars in Lebanon could grow large - 130 ft. tall and over eight feet in diameter. Most of the massive building projects in the Bible used cedar wood from Lebanon (such as Solomon's temple) because it was the best. These trees grew straight and tall, just like we should stay on a straight path, growing toward the Lord. They were substantial, deep-rooted plants; and so should our faith be.

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13).

When we belong to the house of the Lord, God promises that we shall flourish within His courts. It is a privilege and joy to be part of His family and to share the gospel message. We should be so full of His love and presence that it naturally flows from us for all to see. We should be a living testimony to our Lord.

They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (Psalm 92:14).

Our faith will produce fruit. It's what real faith does, and it comes naturally. When we love God and follow His will, good works come naturally. As James points out, faith without works is dead (see James 2:14-26). And as we mature and produce much fruit, we'll be blessed. Such a strong relationship with the Lord is a blessing in itself. So flourish in the Lord!

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Beat Those Stories

I got an email from a friend in a writer's group this week. Something she'd read in a how-to book on writing caused her enough concern that she sent out an email to the entire group. The tip said she should use "said" as a dialogue tag rather than  denote it in other ways, such as "implied,: "stated,"  "responded," or other synonyms.

This is true if you need to use a tag. Readers are used to seeing "said," and it doesn't cause them to stumble or stop the way other words for the same thing might. When an author writes in a way that causes the reader to pause and consider the writing, it pulls them out of the story. A good writer wants the reader to live the story with the characters and not be jerked out of it.

However, it's much better to use beats and not use tags at all. This is where a character's actions around the same time as the dialogue tells who's speaking. For example, "Linda crossed the room with a determined stride. "Why are you here, Paul?" The better writers use beats much more than they use drier tags. They're cleaner, crisper, and clearer. It's also more fun for the author and reader.

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National Hat Day

January 15th is National Hat Day. Men have been wearing some sort of hat to cover their heads for a long time. The first record of it comes from ancient artwork in a tomb in Thebes from about 3200 BC. We know men also wore hats in ancient Greece and Rome.

In Medieval times, hats marked the social status of the wearer, as well as denoted certain groups. For example, the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215 required that all Jews wear a special hat to signify they were Jewish. Anti-Semitism began well before the Inquisition or Hitler.

The 1700's saw bicornes and tricornes, with some sporting large plumes. Then, London society made the top hat popular for a time and this drove the fur trade

in America and made it lucrative. Two famous hatters came out of London during this time, James Lock and Company and Sharp & Davis. Hat collectors still look for these.

For years, English society drove hat styles in America. However, after the Civil War, the western hat became popular in the States. The first cowboy hat was worn in Texas, but other Western regions adapted their own versions. The cowboy curled his wide brim or rolled it up on the sides to make it less likely to blow off in the wind. Stetson began producing their western hats after most of the style changes had

been made. To this day, the name "Stetson" is synonymous with the cowboy hat.

The baseball cap is probably the most popular style of hat today. No doubt the future holds others to add to their long history.

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Here I Am

            A few years ago, I received a completely unexpected e-mail.  A high school for missionaries’ children in the Philippines needed an English teacher for a semester to fill in for someone on leave.  I liked to travel and had done volunteer mission work before, but this was not a good time for me.  I had many fall craft shows scheduled, I was planning to enter the county fairs for the first time in a while, and my mother was about to have rotator cuff surgery; and she was in her late 70’s. I felt sure someone else would respond to them.

            Several weeks later, after more email pleas, I emailed the high school thoroughly expecting them to reply they had already found someone. I was mistaken. They wanted me to come. Apparently, they'd found my name in a database of teachers from where I'd volunteered for a building trip to Guatemala with a Wycliffe group. One of the trip's goals was to explore where we might fit in the mission field. Most likely, I had been tagged as a teacher.

           But, my mother still needed to have surgery, and I'm an only child. She had an appointment for a second opinion that week. The doctor and she decided not to do the surgery.  I began to wonder if I was supposed to go. And to top this off, the series of lessons I was teaching in my adult Sunday school class revolved around the theme, “Here I am, Lord; send me.”

            I decided to check into what I would need if I went—a work visa from the Filipino Embassy in Washington, which usually took six weeks or more; a birth certificate (I knew I had mine, but it was buried in a box somewhere and would be impossible to find); and a physical with lung x-ray.  Well, that did it!  It would take at least six months to get an appointment for a physical with my doctor.  But, I would call, just to be sure. The appointment nurse said she had just had a cancellation, and could I come tomorrow at 3:00?  Wow! Now I knew I felt the hand of God.

            With a sincere prayer, I waded through my storage room and put my hand on my birth certificate within five minutes.  Double wow!

            I quickly filled out the paperwork and mailed it off to the Filipino embassy. The visa came back in a week. Triple wow!

            I left my craft booth costs to be counted off income tax, set up my finances to pretty much take care of themselves, put my phone on vacation, and I was on my way to the Philippines about three weeks after I had first contacted them. Never underestimate God!

           There are at least four main incidents in the Bible where the answer was "Here Am I, Lord." Abraham said this when the angel called out to him to stay his hand from stabbing his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice (see Genesis 22:11). Moses said something similar when he heard the voice at the burning bush, although he hesitated when he heard that God wanted him to return to Egypt (see Exodus 3:4). Samuel said it to Eli, and then when he realized God called him, he was willing to do whatever asked (see 1Samuel 3:4-10). Then, Ananias answered in this way when the Lord told him to go to Saul so the eyes of this man who had once persecuted Christians could see again (see Acts 9:20-21).

           As in Isaiah 6:8, this is the correct answer when God calls us, and he does call us. Our answer should always be, "Here I am; send me." There's no greater feeling than to be doing what God wants, to be in His will. As in the call to the Philippines, I've learned to answer, "Yes, Lord."

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The Pull to Write

When I get busy and I don't write for a week or more, I feel pulled to get back to it. The longer I go without writing, the stronger that pull becomes. For some reason I don't quite understand, I need to write. I'm my happiest when I can find a good block of time to write each day and I can see the word count and pages mount up.

For me, writing isn't a chore but a joy. I have fun creating my stories and live them with the characters. From what my readers tell me, they live in the stories, too. I never have to go looking for ideas to write about. The ideas always come to me. I usually have a number of ideas rolling around in my mind at any one time. I think through an idea, have the setting in place, and get to know the characters well before I ever begin writing.

Of course, part of this is that I feel called to write. I constantly pray that God will use it to glorify His name, reveal His truths, deliver His messages, encourage, and inspire. That's why I'm a Christian writer and why I donate all my profits to a scholarship for missionary children. I can look back and see how God was schooling me to become a writer from childhood, but of course, I didn't know it at the time. God is good.

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Paper Dolls Collection

My mother looked up at me from where she'd been sorting through some boxes in the attic in an effort to clean out and downsize. "Do you want your old paper dolls?" Her expression said she hoped I did so she wouldn't have to decide what to do with them. I looked to see what she had. Did I want them? Yes! Yes! And yes! She held up Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Oklahoma from the movie, and Annette Funicello still intact on the back of a 1950's Cheerios box. 

I longed for my other paper dolls from all those years ago, but they'd disappeared over time. To compensate, I began buying interesting paper dolls wherever I found them. They were inexpensive, easy to store, escalated in value, and made a satisfying hobby. I even found some old ones in small, independent stores that didn't have a big turnover in all their stock. 

As our society has become more technology oriented, paper dolls have lost their popularity and are becoming harder to find. However, that just makes the ones collectors have more valuable. I've added some interesting ones, like Snow White, Trixie Belden, Rainbow Brite, Princess Diana, and Mickey & Minnie, etc. It will be something I can pass along to my children and grandchildren that will become more valuable all the time.

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Making a Difference

...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

If you were not a part of your church, would it be noticed? Do you make a difference there? Would the church look different without you? If every Christian across the world had the same commitment as you, would the church survive? These are important questions we all should answer for ourselves.

...have compassion, making a difference (Jude 22).

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For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9)

Sometimes we lose track of the fact that nothing we do on this earth, except what we do for Christ, will survive for long. Our whole purpose in being here is to glorify God and further His kingdom. We are not here to glorify ourselves, accumulate wealth, gain power, or have worldly success. All those things will mean nothing in the end.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).

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...Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:40).

We should value our relationship with God, put Him far above anything else in our lives, have our minds on spiritual things, and keep our focus on our Lord. If we follow Christ and listen to the directions of the Holy Spirit, life becomes richer, fuller, and more meaningful. Then, we begin to become the person God designed us to be. And the good works we do out of our love for Him and others will last into eternity.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12a).

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Event Venues

Since I published my first book about three years ago, I have always had presentations and book signings scheduled. There's never been a time I didn't have an event coming up and usually many of them. I know some authors don't bother with such things anymore, relying mainly on ebook sales, but I've found my print sales to be good. It's another way to get my books into the hands of readers, many of which still prefer a traditional book. I appreciate the ebook and audiobook sales, but I don't want to overlook the print version.

I find I also enjoy speaking to groups and talking with people about my books. It puts me in direct contact with my readers, and their enthusiasm encourages and inspires me. I've learned specifics on what they think about my books, what they particularly like, and how a book has affected them personally. This information has made me a better writer. Talking to groups fills my writing tank to keep going strong.

As I use most of my contacts, however, I can see scheduling events might become more difficult in the future, and I would like to branch out. If you know of a church, civic group, book club, or gathering in the eastern half of the United States who would like for me to come, speak, and bring my books, please contact me. (I also speak to writers, and so far, I'm still not charging.) You can find the contact information on that page tab of this blog. The Events tab will also tell you where I'm scheduled. Since all of my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children, many charitable organizations have me speak. I've even done several regular church services, as well as special programs. I eagerly look forward to where I'll be going in 2018.

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New Year's Day

Celebrating the beginning of a new year is an ancient custom dating back to at least 2,000 BC. It is believed to have started in Mesopotamia (in what is now Iraq). Then, it was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox (in March for us). The date for celebrating varied throughout the years, but New Year's Day was usually recognized in some way.

The Julian calendar had miscalculated leap year, and the date for Easter drifted, causing a new calendar to be adopted. The Gregorian calendar, which is still used today, corrected this; and it was adopted in 1582. It set New Year's Day as January 1. However, not all countries adopted the new calendar immediately. It was widely accepted in predominately Catholic nations, but Protestant ones were slower. For example, Great Britain and its American colonies didn't completely adopt the reformed calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire officially celebrated the New Year in March.

To complicate matters, however, the countries of Western Europe adopted January 1 as the day to celebrate the New Year before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. In Tudor England, New Year's Day was celebrated along with Christmas Day and Twelfth Night, as the three main events of Christmastide. But however one looks at it, New Year's Day has been celebrated on January 1st for many years.

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