Time Zones

This is a small blog that's been around for many years, and I know I'm not a very regular blogger. Not one of the three times a week gals, or the everyday blogging gals (although I did blog every day in October 2011!). I'm a small-time blogger here at Fresh-Brewed Writer (and for that matter, The Chaplain's Wife), and I am okay with that. I can handle small. I can control small! It's big and bigger that overwhelms me.

So it's with no small amount of irony that I point out that the past two duty stations my husband has had have been in the two largest states in the U.S.: Texas (we were there for one year while he was in a school program) and Alaska (where we currently live). Big and bigger. Vast, amazing landscapes that both tantalize the senses and overwhelm the sensibilities. 

And now, a time zone that's three hours away from my family.

I have been reading online this morning about God-sized dreams. I'm still a bit iffy about the whole idea of God dreaming. Does He dream? I know He plans, He ordains, He destines. I think this is something I need to study more...

Anyway, I know I have dreams. Far-out-there, outlandish dreams that require a whole lot of work and dedication, which I can't seem to find because it's too big. It's too "out there" for me to grasp. I know the wisdom of goal-setting: big goals broken down into smaller ones, manageable tasks that one can accomplish and feel successful. But the big picture looms like the mountains around my home, taunting me with impossibility. With grandeur too much for my small, busy life.

I was able to achieve two small publishing successes in the past year, and while that feels great, I don't want it to stop. But what have I done in the meantime? Not a whole lot of writing. Certainly no marketing of my own writing, only for others.

When we moved here, the door to my former career was swung wide open, and I stepped through. I'm back in the classroom, this time teaching college-level composition to adults for a university's external campus (and wow, Alaska is very external!). This is a "sweet spot" I didn't even know I missed, that I feel each week as I stand in front of my students, teaching them about writing and documentation and research, about poetry and Shakespeare and modern prose. And I love it.

But it's not writing. It's not article or novel or book writing.

So I wonder, figuratively speaking, if my dreams are just in a different time zone from where I'm living.

Beyond Molasses Creek

About the book:
Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.


About Nicole:

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information.

Link to buy Beyond Molasses Creek

Pattie's Review:

This is the first Nicole Seitz book I have read, and both the story and the poetic language drew me in immediately. The language is evocative and beautiful and, in places, haunting. I enjoyed reading the story, and while it took awhile to get into the story due to the shifting narration, once I was there, I was intrigued.

I was a little surprised that as a Christian novel, this book didn't really have a blatant salvation moment. We're never quite sure if the narrators ever accept God as The One True God, rather than continually searching among the Hindu gods for peace and enlightenment. Nevertheless, there were characters for whom Christian faith was a certainty.

Overall, a good women's fiction novel.


About the Party:
Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous "Friendship" Facebook party! She'll be giving away a ton of great stuff (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole), and more!

CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on February 16th for a book chat, story sharing and prizes! Hope to see you there!

Save the Date! 2/16!

Read what others are saying about the book here.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, Nicole Seitz, and LitFuse for an advance review copy of this novel. 

Blue Moon Bay

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Blue Moon Bay Bethany House (February 1, 2012) by Lisa Wingate

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, magazine columnist, popular inspirational speaker and a national bestselling author of sixteen books. Her first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, is in its eighteenth printing from Penguin Putnam. Tending Roses is a staple on the shelves of national bookstore chains as well as in many independent bookstores.

Recently, Lisa’s Blue Sky Hill Series, set in Dallas, received national attention with back-to-back nominations for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for A Month of Summer (2009) and The Summer Kitchen (2010). Pithy, emotional, and inspirational, her stories bring to life characters so real that readers often write to ask what is happening to them after the book ends.

Lisa is one of a select group of authors to find success in both the Christian and mainstream markets, writing for both Bethany House, a Christian publisher, and NAL Penguin Putnam, a general market publisher. Her bestselling books have become a hallmark of inspirational fiction. Her works have been featured by the National Reader's Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, Crossings Book Club, American Profiles and have been chosen for numerous awards.

When not busy dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women's literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteer mentors teach adults to read. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Heather Hampton returns to Moses Lake, Texas, to help facilitate the sale of a family farm as part of a planned industrial plant that will provide the area with much-needed jobs. Heather's future fiance has brokered the deal, and Heather is in line to do her first large-scale architectural design--if the deal goes through.

But the currents of Moses Lake have a way of taking visitors on unexpected journeys. What was intended to be a quick trip suddenly morphs into Valentine's week--with Blaine Underhill, the handsome banker who just happens to be opposing Heather's project. Spending the holiday in an ex-funeral parlor seems like a nightmare, but Heather slowly finds herself being drawn into the area's history, hope, and heart.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Blue Moon Bay, go HERE.

Pattie's Review: will be forthcoming in future weeks, as the book arrived just a few days ago and I'm grading research papers and prepping for final exam administration this week.

CFBA presents: Song of My Heart

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Song of My Heart Bethany House (February 1, 2012) by Kim Vogel Sawyer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and numerous grandchildren.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured and can't work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity to use her God-given singing talent--though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job.

Thad McKane comes to Goldtree at the request of the town council. The town has been plagued by bootlegging operations, and Thad believes he can find the culprit. After he earns enough money doing sheriff work, he wants to use it to pay for his training to become a minister.

Thad is immediately attracted to the beautiful singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house, but when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes, he begins to wonder if she's far less innocent than she seems. And when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes he's come to investigate, is there any hope the love blossoming between them will survive?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Song of My Heart, go HERE.

I just received this book a few days ago and because of my work schedule I wasn't able to read this book yet. I will get to it soon, and review at a later date. Special thanks to CFBA, the author, and the publisher for a review copy of the novel, and I will review it soon!

I need to use my planner more...

Guess what I did? As my mom would say, I snookered myself.

Twice this week I realized I had not used my planner - my nice beautiful new 2012 black shiny planner with writers' quotes throughout - to its best advantage.

This is my busiest week. I teach for a university that holds 11-week semesters. This is week #11, which means I'm giving two different final exams (which are not.quite.ready for copying) to my 30 students (10 in one class, 20 in the other). I also have about 25 term papers in my possession that need to be graded by the end of the week (again, between the two classes). Grades are due next Monday by noon, but I have a doctor's appointment that morning at 9:40 a.m.

I have a stack of seven review books (not including the four on my Kindle which don't have deadlines attached). Two were unsolicited ARCs, one was a gift ARC from the author, and one was a late-arrival that was supposed to be reviewed sometime in January when I got around to it, but I forgot. I had three books arrive in the past four days (ah, the joys of media mail to Alaska) for which reviews are due--you guessed it, this week.


Indeed, I am very, very behind.

So you will see two CFBA posts this week, that unless I stay up late every night to finish the books, will remain unreviewed until my break between semesters (that would be starting after noon on Monday Feb. 13). The third book due this week for LitFuse, I might just be able to squeeze in when I need breaks from student papers. Or when I'm eating lunch. Or something.

And with that...off I go!

Friday Felicities

Becky wrote about Nattie here.

• Dark Roast Coffee
• International Coffee Creamer
• Journaling in a beautiful book with a great gel pen
• Brand-new comp books
• Writing
• Reading
• The Library

The Shadow of Your Smile

Welcome to the LitFuse sponsored blog tour of Susan May Warren's The Shadow of Your Smile.

About the book: The Shadow of Your Smile

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

About Susan:  Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com. 

Link to buy the book: Click here to purchase The Shadow of Your Smile.

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)
• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Blog tour schedule: Click here to visit other reviews for this novel:
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13448479

Enter 1/9 - 1/28.

Pattie's Review:

I was intrigued by this novel from the beginning, because it has a much different tone than previous Deep Haven novels. Right away I knew the marriage was in trouble, and I was all set to blame Noelle for hiding things. Of course, it is never just one spouse, just as in real life.

There were some tears shed during the course of reading this novel. Most visitors to my blog do not know that I am an adult child of divorce; by this I mean that my parents divorced when I was an adult, after 35 years of marriage. It was a very painful and horrible time for our family. So any story dealing with divorce and infidelity (even just a hint) always touches me very closely. To be honest, I would have slammed this book had it turned out differently than it did--I trust Susan May Warren to deal with things justly and in a Christian spirit.

I would not classify this book with Warren's comedies or heartwarming stories. I'd call this real life fiction, dealing with an interesting premise that is never quite solved to my satisfaction, but is probably more true-to-life than any other Christian fiction novel you'll find out there on the shelves.

Overall, I would say this is a good women's fiction novel, well-written, multi-faceted, with believable characters; a good read for both Christians and non-Christians alike.

____________________________________________________________

***Thank you to LitFuse, NetGalley, and the author for a Kindle copy of this novel.***

**FCC Note: I received a ebook galley copy of this novel
in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Cards Galore!

I entered a contest on this post at (in)Courage, and wow, guess what? I won!!! The FedEx truck just pulled away from my street a few moments ago in the darkness...leaving this on my porch:

I will be blogging about sending cards later this month.

Listening...for joy

Just a few of the Joy Dare items from my journal:

Three lines I overheard that were graces:

"I thought you would have some partial paralysis in your face after surgery."


"I love you."


"I prayed for you."

Listening and Challenging

Melanie from "Only a Breath" designed this for me:

I found her blog on Twitter, from a link that linked to this post: One Word

What a gift, to be given something (from someone I do not know) that is so lovely that I could never, ever make on my own. This is so special to my heart.

Thank you so much, Melanie!!!!

Just as a quick check-in, I'm doing pretty well, physically and with my listening. It's hard when you're as active and as healthy as I've always been, to force yourself to rest. To relax, to take it easy, to conserve energy. Especially when the simple act of conversation takes a lot more concentrated effort than it used to!

I haven't really done a formal declaration of a Proverbs 31 challenge this year, because I have some other challenges going on (take a look at my January posts and you'll see what I mean). But since I was given the incredible gift of reading my friend Sara's manuscript for My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife (and subsequently reading the published book), I have to admit that it has always been in my mind and heart. It's like, in a weird way, sometimes I step outside myself and watch myself interact with my husband and daughters, and wonder if I could be better, if I could really stop doing what does not work, and start finding out what does work and doing that instead.

In this season of rest and recovery in which I find myself, I am grateful for the extra help I'm receiving around the house from my family. When I'm stronger, I'll do more, but in the meantime, working on my heart and my attitudes this first week of 2012 has been a very, very good thing.