My Love Story: When Love Floated into my Life

by Julie Ball

You never know what moment could turn out to be a turning point in your life. For me it was an ordinary Thursday afternoon. Finished with my classes for the day, I had walked to a field nearby for a friendly game of flag football – Baptist seminary students versus Presbyterians. These games were a favorite part of my weekly routine.

This particular game day, the first of the new school year, brought several new faces. After the game, as the gang gathered at Friendly’s for dinner, I sat across from one of the new guys. He ordered a root beer and a root beer float, revealing his whimsical streak. I liked him right off, but I had no idea that in less than two years, I’d be married to him.

At that point in my life, I was struggling mightily with insecurity and depression. Despite my place in seminary and my desire to be part of the presence of God in others’ lives, I couldn’t recognize God’s presence in my own life. I was achingly lonely and afraid of my own imperfections. I had a knack for making bad decisions and my dating relationships, what few there were, tended to be unhealthy. I saw myself as damaged, broken, and defective.

Somehow, the guy with the root beer and the root beer float didn’t see me that way; he saw somebody he wanted to love. And when I realized that (somebody had to point it out to me, actually), the turn in my life that began on the flag football field finished rounding the corner.

Much of what I know about God’s love I learned from “Big Boy” (his affectionate nickname on my blog). He didn’t judge my bad decisions. He didn’t look away in disgust or even get squeamish when I was sick. If he ever noticed my imperfections, he didn’t let on – he certainly never pointed them out. He was comforting. He was generous. He was thoughtful. He was steady. He gave of himself, without making any demands in return. He was a spigot pouring out God’s love in a world that seemed desolate and dry.

Now we’re approaching our tenth wedding anniversary, and he still is all those things, and more. If it’s true that people who are married a long time start to look like each other, I hope my heart is beginning to look like his.

_______________________________________

Julie Ball is a professional wife and mother in Memphis, Tennessee. In her spare moments, she is pursuing her call to ministry and her love of writing. Julie shares her life and her thoughts on her blog, Meeting God in Memphis.

I Love To Bragg On This Author

by Sherry Perkins

I have lived in southwest Louisiana my whole life, except for the seven years I was in the army and lived other places. I have also been a life-long reader and if I was to guess how many books I’ve read it would probably number in the hundreds. Mind you, I’m not one of those who finish four or five books in a month, but I am an avid reader, always have been. No book has touched me personally like “All Over but the Shoutin’.” 

My uncle let my mama borrow it. She then passed it to me. When I next saw my uncle I said, “I can’t put that book down.” He replied of the author, another man named Rick whom he had met at a writing conference, “He’s as country as turnip greens.” The book is “All Over but the Shoutin’,” and the author is none other than the Pulitzer-prize winning Alabama writer Rick Bragg.

Although Rick Bragg was born 12 years before me, reading his life story was like reading my own. They were poor; we were poor. Although I don’t think my parents would agree, now that I’m 41, I know it.

He writes about witnessing a Southern Baptist baptism in a creek and the congregation on the banks singing “I’ll Fly Away.” I don’t know how many of those I’ve been to, and that song is burnt in my memory from my tiny country church. It’s my favorite hymnal.

He recounts his older brother Sam running away from his mama when she tried to whip him, and when she caught up to him, she gave him a whippin’ of a lifetime as he yelled for God! My brother Charlie did the same thing one time as my mama straddled him and whipped him good. Some would call it a beatin’, but it was just a good old-fashioned whippin’ he deserved.

He writes about collecting Coke bottles for change. We did that too. He writes about his dad being a drunk, and I remember mama telling the same of her dad. Although I loved my grandpa to death, like most of us, it’s hard for me to imagine he was a drinker in his younger years.

He talked of his mama taking in ironing and cleaning peoples’ houses. My grandma did that too. There are so many parallels to his upbringing in Alabama and mine is Louisiana that I laughed aloud and swallowed hard to prevent myself from crying, which didn’t work at times. They even got commodity cheese like we did.

If you are looking for a true southern story, I encourage you to read “All Over but the Shoutin’.” It will touch you, I promise. Then you will understand how a famous writer like Rick Bragg really is “as country as turnip greens” as my uncle put it. After I read the last word of the last page, I wanted more. Hands down, he is now my favorite author.

____________________________________

Sherry Perkins is president of Bayou Writers’ Group of Lake Charles, Louisiana,  and has had several articles and photographs published. She resides in DeRidder, Louisiana, with her husband, step-daughter, two cats, a fish, and a ball python named Richard Pryor.  Visit Sherry at www.sherryperkins.blogspot.com

Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry (To Our Characters)

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Creative Director Gary Fearon is honored to relinquish Tune-In Tuesday to a mystery writer whose books you’ll love, Elizabeth S. Craig.

_____________________________________________________

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

We all love our characters. What’s not to love? They start out as our own creations, then suddenly come to life on the page. They’re our very own Pinocchios.

But loving our characters means hurting our characters. Otherwise, there just wouldn’t be a story for them.  Who’d read a book where the characters happily go from beginning to end with no problems to overcome or challenges to face?

Let’s take it from our characters’ point of view. What makes our characters happiest? My guess is having more adventures. And the best way to ensure they have more adventures is by writing books that readers love and want more of—books that aren’t boring. Our characters need setbacks.

Great ways to mess up our characters’ lives (at least temporarily):

Big problems:  Depending on your genre, this could mean a murder, a crippling addiction, the end of the world, or the death of a loved one.

Medium-sized problems:  What other trouble can we toss in our characters’ way?  How about a job loss, an aging parent moving in with them, or an unexpected medical issue?

Smaller problems:  To create tension in every scene, we can also build in smaller conflicts—characters who rub our protagonist the wrong way, flat tires, and arguments with friends or spouses.

Remember, we’re doing these things for our characters’ own good.  We’re ensuring they live to fight another day…loving them enough to make them suffer.  Because, for writers, love means never having to say you’re sorry.

___________________________________

Elizabeth’s latest book, Hickory Smoked Homicide, released November 1, 2011.  Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries (2012) for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She blogs daily at Mystery Writing is Murder. 

Follower her on Twitter.

What an Author NEADS is a HOT BUTTON

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

As we continue to share Tom Hopkins’ NEADS acronym found in his book LowProfile Selling, Act like a Lamb…Sell like a Lion, let’s return to the short explanation of the letters.

N – NOW

E – ENJOY

A – ALTER

D – DECISION

S – SOLUTION

I have used it not only as the fantastic sales tool Tom intended it to be, but as a problem solving tool as well. Last week’s blog addressed the first letter N which is for NOW. We used this step to establish where we are. This week we continue with the second letter E which is for ENJOY. We will discover what we enjoy.

In marketing we must find what the customers’ current situation is and then what they like about it. What is it they like, enjoy or are excited about? We want to know this to be sure our product has that feature either as a basic part or an option that can be included. This is one of the easier tasks of marketing when you ask someone, “Tell me what you enjoy most about your current product?” Usually they will light up and can’t wait to tell you all the reasons why they love this thing you are discussing. In sales we call this their “Hot Button”. This is why they buy. The best part is they have told you this is why they buy so you aren’t left guessing. We look for what they enjoy and sell to that.

We too must ask ourselves what we enjoy about where we are and what we are doing now. Tom Peters said, “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” What has excited us, what has us looking for more? Celebrate what you have found to be exciting and enjoyable and look for more of it. Is your “Hot Button” getting published, blogging or book signings? Maybe it is helping others move forward with their writing? Know what your “Hot Button” is and pursue it. Don’t settle for less. Place yourself in a position to enjoy, be excited and celebrate! The excitement feeds the journey.

As we continue to move into the remaining steps, prepare yourself by having a current and honest evaluation of where you are now and what you are enjoying about where you are now. The next letter is A. Our next post will be about what you would Change!

What I Learned About Twitter From Mickey Mouse

by Shannon Milholland

Hello there Mousketeers! I bring you greetings from the Kingdom Magic built. Number two of my four daughters is competing at Disney World this weekend in a national and then international cheer competition. I get to tag along, see my favorite mouse and interview Mickey about how to use Social Media effectively.


Since his voice is so irritating, it's a good thing this is written. Here's what he has to say...


Shannon: Why do you think some people's tweets are read and others aren't?


Mickey: Well, Shannon, it's like I always tell Minnie, "It's a new day!" Some people tweet the same thing over and over - about their book, their web page or whatever. That's boring. Here at Disney we create new attractions every year because people return when there's something new to see. People who have something new to say, get more loyal followers.


Shannon: If you could give our readers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Mickey: Exceed their expectations. Have you ever seen someone approach Cinderella's castle for the first time? They gasp, shriek, grin or squeal but there is definitely a reaction. We fashioned her castle after the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany because we wanted to deliver more than the public would expect from a theme park. Do the same with Social Media - exceed expectations.


Shannon: I know it's almost time for the park to open so I'll let you go soon but just one more question. What is the most magical component of Disney World?


Mickey: That's easy. It's our staff. Their friendliness, willingness to serve and commitment to excellence keep families returning here again and again to make memories. If you are friendly, willing to serve and have a commitment to excellence you'll get plenty of repeat customers too.


Shannon: Thanks, Mickey, for spending some time with our readers today.


As Mickey would say...Have a magical day!

My Love Story: We March

by Sharita Knobloch

We had been married a few months. My husband and I were enjoying some one-on-one time, which was a rare occurrence due to his occupation with the U.S. Army Infantry.

I was lying on the couch and he was rubbing my feet. Ahhh, total bliss. My sweet man looked at me and said softly, “Hey lover…”

My heart filled with anticipation, preparing for the romantic words that I knew would follow.

“You have great ruck marching feet.”

Um… Thank you? Sigh. This is our personal love story.

For all of you non-military couples out there, let me explain. A ruck march is a real-life training exercise where these soldiers fill a pack (aka their ruck) with all of their gear and march. It is equivalent to literally taking a packed-to-the-brim suitcase, weighing anywhere from 38 to 50+ pounds, strapping it on your back and walking for two to twelve (or more) miles. On purpose. Sometimes just for fun.  

I couldn’t even be upset at my drill sergeant husband’s ruck marching feet comment. From his perspective, it really was a compliment. When it comes to our love story, I am thankful for my ruck marching feet. 

Why, you ask?

Marriage is like a ruck march, whether or not you are in the military. It’s a challenge. There are ups, downs, sweat, tears, and moments that you want to quit. But on the flip side, there are seasons of amazing joy upon reaching a checkpoint or conquering that “hill” that you have been climbing together. It’s a workout—but when you reach your destination, it’s SO worth it.

In our ruck march military marriage, desertion is not an option. Sure, there have been a few occurrences when my husband has had to take my hand and pull me through a desert. Other times, I have had to remind my beloved to stop and check the map. (And we all know how much guys love asking for directions…)

We’ve been through deployments, separated by months of training, dealt with incredibly long hours, and moved to a new time zone. Our entire relationship has been one big ruck march. People ask, “How do you do it?” I really don’t have an answer for that other than God. He is the foundation of our relationship. God is OUR Commander-in-Chief in this ruck march marriage.

We have yet to spend a Valentine’s Day together. This year my beloved will be at Ranger school. But I’m ok with that. We love each other consistently, treasure each other’s company, go on dates and feel inexplicable joy all year long, not just on anniversaries and holidays. We are crazy about each other and madly in love with God. He will be the one to help us reach our final destination in this ruck march marriage. Till death do we part. And until that point, we will keep on marching. “Left… left… left, right, left…” 

__________________________________________

A personal pep-talker and Jesus lover at heart, Sharita Knobloch is a chocolate-indulging, pseudo-running, creatively-sarcastic army wife and writer. She is SERVE intern at Christ Community Church and enjoys every second of it. Sharita blogs daily and hosts a personal ministry called 7Days Time which encourages others to use their time on earth living for God. Whenever she gets the chance, she enjoys hanging out with her beloved drill sergeant husband and their hilarious puppy, Sweet Justus.


Connect with Sharita online on Facebook, Twitter or her blog.

When I Fell in Love

Today our Editor-in-Chief, Susan Reichert welcomes a special guest with a special love story to Wisdom Wednesdays. Please help us welcome, Rosann Cunningham!
________________________________


by Rosann Cunningham

I knew the moment I fell in love with Him.

…it wasn't when my would-be husband kissed me for the first time, though my heart fluttered with passion.  With that one kiss, I knew he was a gift from God.

…it wasn't in the miracle of healing when my lover was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy. Instead, my mind ached with an abrupt awareness of how fleeting this life really is.

 

…it wasn't even when we stood in the presence of God, family, and friends, declaring our love for one another and becoming one with the promise of two simple, yet highly valued words. I Do. It was my fairytale dream come true.

The moment I fell in love with Him was life changing beyond my wildest imagination.

…it wasn't when my husband and I struggled through infertility, only to discover God works in His perfect timing. When we least expected it, we received the blessing of answered prayer with the births of each of our daughters. Our hearts still overflow with joy and gratitude.   

…it wasn't during our three year job layoff, the short sale of our home, our resulting move across country, or our overwhelming concerns over money. God was our compass, our shelter, and our umbrella of peace during the storm.

…it wasn't even when I looked in the mirror one morning not long ago to find a transformed, beautiful work of art - His still unfinished masterpiece, molded over the years - staring back at me.  I'm nearly unrecognizable, but in the most awesome way! His fingerprints are all over me.

No, I fell in love with God the moment I felt His powerful presence in my life. In me! It was the moment I truly began a relationship with Him. A heartfelt, emotional moment when I surrendered it all to Him, for His glory. 

It is a love story of God and me. His mighty hands have held my heart through it all. In the blessings and in the storms. In the lessons and in the rewards. In the joy and in the sorrow. 

There is no greater love than His.

Don't you know…

He loves YOU too! 

_______________________________

Rosann Cunningham is a Christian Author, wife to the man of her dreams, and stay-at-home mom to two delightful little girls.   When she’s not out for a jog or having energy burning dance parties with her daughters, she can be found writing for her blog ChristianSuperMom, and ministering to women whose husbands are in a season of unemployment, at her other website UnEMPLOYED Faith.  Her writing inspiration for both projects comes from a strong desire to glorify God while sharing the heart of her journey through a life of faith.

Love Delivered

In honor of the month of love, Creative Director, Gary Fearon, is pleased to welcome the delightful romance author, Katie Ganshert.

___________________________

by Katie Ganshert

I’m a sucker for romance. I’m in love with love.

Not only do I enjoy writing and reading it, I enjoy watching it too. Given the choice, I will pick a romantic movie every single time. It drives my hubby crazy, especially when he’s in the mood to watch things blow up.

I can’t help myself.

Fictional romance is great.

But you know what’s even greater?

The real stuff.

The stories that aren’t made up. Which is why I love asking couples how they met. I love seeing them smile at one another as they recount their story. And I love sharing my own.

Because it brings me back to the beginning. And it’s not every day a girl gets to marry her crush.

Nine years ago, I was a receptionist for a real-estate firm. And there was this guy. This really, really cute guy. He didn’t work at the real-estate firm. But he came in most mornings to deliver packages. Every time I saw him, he made my stomach all kinds of fluttery. 

We’d exchange friendly hello’s. I’d sign for the package. He’d leave. And I’d fan my face, quite certain he didn’t know I existed.

Until one particular day. It was around lunch time, so I was walking out of the office when this cute delivery guy was walking in. I smiled and expected him to go inside, only instead, he did an about face, walked with me to the elevator, and asked me out.

What was my suave reply?

“Do you even know my name?”

I forgot that I signed for the packages each day. Of course he knew my name. I also forgot that my signature is horrid. So when he said, “Yeah. Your name is Kate” I thought, “Close enough!” Even though nobody had ever called me Kate. I had always been Katie.

I wrote my name (Kate) on a gum wrapper, along with my number.

The next night, he called. We set up a date. And I discovered he is just as wonderful on the inside as he is on the outside.

Nine years later, he still has the gum wrapper. And he still calls me Kate.

I have to admit, every time I write a hero in my novels, they tend to reflect bits and pieces of my real-life love. My cute delivery guy-turned-husband.

___________________________________ 

Katie Ganshert is a slightly-frazzled, ever-inquisitive Midwest gal who’s passionate about Jesus, her family, writing, and all things romance. Her new novel WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER is available for pre-order. When Katie’s not plotting ways to get her hero and heroine to fall in love, she enjoys watching movies with her real-life hero, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, hanging out with the crazy but lovable junior high students at her church, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels and coffee. 

What an Author NEADS

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

Tom Hopkins wrote a fantastic sales book called Low Profile Selling, Act like a Lamb…Sell like a Lion. In that book he presents a sales tool which I found very helpful. I have used it not only in sales but in many situations I have come across in life as a problem solving tool. Over the next few blog entries I want to share it with you. First let’s look at Tom’s acronym NEADS.

In sales it is important to evaluate the current situation. The current situation is where you are now. So the first letter N is for NOW. What do you have now or where are you now? You must know what you have or where you are at this point before we can move forward to where we want to be. Just as your GPS must know your current position and your desired destination before giving you a route, we must do the same.

In life we also must evaluate where we are now. Take any current situation and ask yourself, ”Where am I now?” George Bernard Shaw once said, "The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor he takes my measure anew every time he sees me, whilst all the rest go on with their old measurements, and expect them to fit me." Like George’s tailor we must stop and take measure of ourselves, our growth, our direction and our abilities. We must evaluate our current position before we move forward.

Take some time to sit quietly and look over your current position. Be very honest with yourself and evaluate if you are where you want to be, need to be or had hoped to be at this point. Once you have done so we will take the next step. To help you see what may lay ahead here are the remaining letters in Tom’s acronym. Look them over and if you like you may want to visit the video website below*.

N – NOW

E – ENJOY

A – ALTER

D – DECISION

S – SOLUTION

Prepare yourself for the remaining steps by having a current and honest evaluation ready and in front of you for the next letter, E. Our next post will be about what you enjoy!

*Click the word "Video" to view

When You Have Peas, Make Split Pea Soup

by Shannon Miholland, Social Media Director


There once was a fair maiden tortured each night by a single pea placed under her mattress. Like any girl, I appreciate a good fairy tale but this one was just too far-fetched to appeal to me. I wonder though if we sometimes allow our attitude toward Social Media to become little peas that impede our success as an author.


Facebook is too hard to use. They change their format and options too often.


I'm too busy to use social media.


I'd rather put my time into writing than building a platform. If Stephen King can do it, so can I.


Why would I want to connect with total strangers?


Twitter is too limiting. Who can say anything substantive in 160 characters or less?


Night after night the maiden failed to get sleep. Like her, day after day we can stifle our results. Or we can take the peas out from under our mattress. Take an honest look at them and realize we're letting such a small thing keep us from big results.


When you have peas, make split pea soup instead!
_________________________________________


Recipe for Crock Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup


1 (16 oz) bag split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
1 Tbl seasoned salt (or to liking)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups hot water.


Layer ingredients in crock pot in listed order. Do not stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours. Serves 8. Enjoy!

An Author to Love

by Lucy Merrill

Who doesn’t love a love story? Even guys who demand car chases and explosions in their reading and cinematic excursions like a bit of romantic byplay in the mix. Love has explosive possibilities of its own, amply displayed in works from Anna Karenina to Fatal Attraction.

There’s a lot of comedy potential in the perilous course of true love, too, and most lovers of love stories enjoy a good laugh as much as a good cry. If you do, let me introduce you to one of my favorite authors, the great humor writer, P.G. Wodehouse.

Wodehouse, known as “Plum” to friends and family, published a mountain of novels, short stories, plays, and even song lyrics. While he wrote from the early days of the 20^th century to his death in the 1970s, his characters live in a world stuck in time, where it is always 1912, or maybe 1925. It’s so hard to tell.

Whenever they are set, Wodehouse plots are rarely lacking in romance. In fact, love makes the Wodehouse world go round, as his characters are constantly pursuing—or occasionally on the run from—tender entanglements.

Plum’s best-known character, Bertie Wooster, who had a complete life support system in his valet, Jeeves, was always finding himself engaged to one ghastly girl or another through no fault of his own. Getting unengaged to the one who read Nietzsche or the one with a laugh like a sergeant-major provided plenty of plot pitfalls.

Then there’s Bingo Little, who was, as Wodehouse puts it, “susceptible.” Poor Bingo fell in love with the merest flutter of a mascara’d eyelash. This landed him in all sorts of sticky situations, from getting sideways with bookies to giving revolutionary speeches under the cover of a fake mustache.

To describe a Wodehouse plot as stark and realistic would be trifling with the truth. They are wonderfully absurd. But the author’s wry and witty style provides real laughter and imbues the whole with good humor. His writing twinkles.

There’s a danger in throwing in a few examples about now. How to pick one or two? I’ll inevitably overlook a favorite. (This sort of narrator hand-wringing goes on a lot in Wodehouse stories.)

How about this description? “It is never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine.” Or this: “It was a harsh, rasping voice, in its timbre not unlike a sawmill.” Or this: “Like so many substantial citizens of America, he had married young and kept on marrying, springing from blonde to blonde like the chamois of the Alps leaping from crag to crag.”

Or perhaps this bit of plot exposition: “It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.”

My Valentine’s Day recommendation—this year, have a little Plum with your champagne and chocolates.

________________________________

While an office drone by day, after 5 p.m. you'll find Lucy Merrill, freelance writer, blogger, and aspiring novelist, knee-deep in the writing life. Lucy lives in Birmingham, Ala., with a tolerant husband, who rolls his eyes at her only occasionally. She welcomes friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Dragon or Mouse?

by Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief

Dragons have spiritual significance in certain religions and cultures. Some revere dragons; they feel they represent nature and or religion. Some even associate them with wisdom.

Mice we think of as a small mammal, and to some they are pets. To large birds, they are food. These little creatures also invade our homes for food and shelter.

What do you think of when you think of a dragon? I will admit I certainly would not think of them as having wisdom. They are big, and fire pours out of their mouth creating havoc and poisoning the air.

Of the two, I would think the mouse has more wisdom, certainly smarter; it sneaks into our homes for survival.

We humans are similar… either we come on so strong it turns people off or we are so timid no one hardly knows we are around.

Somewhere between the dragon and the mouse there should be balance. For a writer it is important to overcome some of your shyness and tell people that you are a writer. So don’t be a mouse. Tell them what you are writing.  If the book is at your publishers announce it to the world and give them the release date. Be a little more ‘dragonistic’ (I like this new word)! Just don’t go totally dragon on us and forget there are others who are writing too.

____________________________________________

Do you want to learn how to sell more books? Subscribe to Southern Writers Magazine today and find out how.