IN THE BEGINNING : DARK RETELLINGS OF BIBLICAL TALES BLOG TOUR Guest Post @SharonLHughson @chapterxchapter @month9books

Grief and Marriage: Are you like Job’s Wife?

Here’s a unique perspective on Job’s Wife I shared over on my church’s blog a few weeks ago.
What do you think? Truth or tripe?

St. Helens Baptist Church

Job’s wife gets a bum deal from most people.

Don’t raise your eyebrows at me. Seriously, she faced all the same trials as Job and people don’t cut her any slack.

Why is that?

Grief Bites

Mrs. Job had a bad day. A very bad day. She might have been sewing or cooking or sweeping out the house when the messengers came bearing tidings of distress.

The beasts of burden? All stolen. Fire from the sky burned up all the sheep? Wait. It’s almost shearing season. What about wool  and mutton this year?

Those camels? Stolen! They carried trading goods to the nearest city. All of those things were gone and now no way to transport anything else. What else is left to trade?

Her jaw dropped. She dug at her ears. She couldn’t have heard the servant right.

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Time Management—Are We Busy or Fruitful?

Too much busy-ness stealing your fruit? Here’s some great advice from my Social Media Jedi Master, Kristen Lamb.
Go ahead! Reclaim your dreams…one pebble at a time.

Kristen Lamb's Blog

Image via Flikr Creative Commons, courtesy of elaueverose.

I do a lot of stuff. Actually too much stuff but I am totally woking on that saying “No” thing. Hey, I’m getting there. Two days ago I finally earned my fourth stripe on my white belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For those who don’t know, in BJJ, you are a white belt forever. It takes anywhere from a year to a year and a half to earn a blue belt. My next level is blue belt and I am stoked. 

In BJJ, the blue belt is almost as big of a deal as black belt because most people never get that far.

My Jiu Jitsu brothers.

But I constantly hear people say things like, “Oh, I’d love to write a book. I just can’t find the time.” “Wow, I’d love to do Jiu Jitsu. If I could only find the time.”

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FICTION 101 — #17 — THE SYNOPSIS

For those of my writer friends who dread the synopsis as much as a I do, here is an excellent and concise post on the subject. Ms. Janice Dick includes a checklist of what to include and avoid.
I will be printing this for future reference and suggest you do the same.

Janice L. Dick

Many authors dread writing a synopsis. I admit it takes time and effort, but with a few pointers, a synopsis can become a useful tool for both the editor and the author.

Definition

A synopsis is a concise but thorough summary of a story, an overview that includes all main characters and high points.

Note: A synopsis is not the brief summary for back cover copy. That is much shorter and has a unique function.

Purpose                                                                                                                                                    …

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Parent-Shaming & Mom-Shaming—Has Our Culture of Guilt Gotten Out of CONTROL?

I’m so thankful that I had a wonderful husband to balance my negative attitude toward myself when I went through this “phase” of child-rearing.
Guilt is NOT a good motivator. Making someone feel ashamed is counter-productive (because it generally makes them want to give up rather than do better).
Thanks, Kristen, for once again telling it like it is. And, no, 0 is NOT a size (and don’t even get me started about 00).

Kristen Lamb's Blog

Image via Hyperbole and a Half

It has been a weird couple of months. We had our family business move and then Spawn (my 5 year old) was REALLY ill back in March. Ill to the point of a middle of the night ER visit. Hubby and I didn’t sleep for over a month. And now, I am trying to get back in the groove and I just don’t want to.

I don’t want to be a grownup. I want to color and make a blanket fort. And YES I feel guilty for being a horrible wife and a bad mother.

On some level, I believe all women struggle with guilt, and, when we become mothers, I think the condition only worsens. I was a very different person before I married and had my son. I was always dressed impeccably, had my hair done once a month, and never missed…

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What Makes a “Real” Writer?

Yes folks, I’m a “real” writer even though I don’t have the paycheck to prove it.
Also, just because the IRS will classify my writing as a hobby if I make no profit for three years, that doesn’t make me any less of a writer.
Writers write. I write. Therefore, I am a writer.

Kristen Lamb's Blog

I’m finally home from speaking in Pennsylvania. Was honored to keynote for The Write Stuff Conference and super sad to leave. I get so attached to the writers and miss them when I have to go. Their passion, imagination and enthusiasm never fails to inspire me. I’d keep them and collect them in my basement except apparently this is called “taking hostages” and is “illegal” *rolls eyes*

…that, and I don’t have a basement.

I never prepare a speech. I’ve tried. But I am too ADD and end up ignoring/forgetting everything I prepared, so why not save time? Also, I present quite often and never want attendees to feel like they will hear the same things from me. Every class, every presentation is new. I love listening to those around me so my content fits better because it’s custom made.

This said, when I arrived in Pennsylvania, I had no…

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Happy Book Birthday Accidental Valentine! My Fiction Debut!

Happy Book Birthday Accidental Valentine!

Accidental Valentine

Author:  Various Authors

Publisher:  Roane Publishing

Release Date:  February 13, 2015

Keywords:  Contemporary, Romance, Valentine’s Day, Short Stories, Anthology, Sweet

Guiding Hearts by Claire Gillian
Description: Is a lonely woman’s GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart?When Jemma Ernst’s GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can’t seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.

Better Latte Than Never by Katrina Sizemore
Description: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life.

But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers.

Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.

Dream Architect by S.L. Hughson
Description: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps Ashlin Taylor at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. Dylan Cutright focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties.

After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction. Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. Which confuses Ashlin since whenever she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her – reasons unknown.

Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together – alone – on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?

One Hot Angel by Jaylee Austin
Description: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?

Rock My Bones by Wendy Sparrow
Description: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact.

You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones.

Purchase Links:

Amazon    BookStrand     CreateSpace   Smashwords

Tour Schedule

Book Blitz & Tour-Wide giveaway: A paperback copy of Accidental Valentine and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

My Personal Giveaway

An electronic ARC of this anthology

To win, all you have to do is comment on this post before Monday, February 16, 2015, with a romantic anecdote OR one place you love to read on your electronic reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

*My apologies for this duplicate post if you follow me at my new blog. I know some people don’t, and I wanted to make sure to share my excitement with them. Everyone loves good news, right???

Please follow this link to my new website and sign up for my newsletter, so you’ll never miss sharing my celebrations again.

Read Chapter One of @JenniferMEaton ‘s FIRE IN THE WOODS for free! Question and answer session after. @Month9Books

This is THE BEST YA science fiction story I have ever read.
Check out the first five chapters FREE this week. If you can make it to Friday without buying the book, you have more willpower than I do.
For more information, you can read my review on http://www.sharonleehughson.com/blogs/fire-in-the-woods.

Jennifer M Eaton

Woo-hoo! Here we go.

Day one of five chapters of FIRE IN THE WOODS. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

The walls shook.

My favorite sunset photograph crashed to the floor. Again.

Why the Air Force felt the need to fly so low over the houses was beyond me. Whole sky up there, guys. Geeze.

I picked up the frame and checked the glass. No cracks, thank goodness. I hung the photo back on the wall with the rest of my collection: landscapes, animals, daily living, the greatest of the great. Someday my photos would be featured in galleries across the country. But first I had to graduate high school and get my butt off Maguire Air Force Base.

One more year—that’s all that separated me from the real world. The clock wasn’t ticking fast enough. Not for me, at least.

Settling back down at my desk, I flipped through the pages of…

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Are We TRULY Thankful? Unseen Blessings that Can Change Our Lives

I love how Kristen displays her “attitude of gratitude” in her blog posts.
If you can read through her list of “I’m thankful” statements without crying, you probably aren’t as hormonal as me *sighs, sniffles, wipes tears, blows nose*
I am thankful that my house hasn’t sold because it means I have a home filled with wonderful memories.
What are you thankful for?

Kristen Lamb's Blog

PLEEEEAAASE. Just ONE enchilada. I will love you FOREVER!

One thing I’ve learned is that happiness is a fleeting shadow. Contentment and gratitude are all that last. When circumstances dictate how we feel? Just accept that life is going to feel as if we are strapped to Hell’s Tilt-A-Whirl.

Because cats will never puke on tile instead of carpet, cars break, sinks leak, pipes bust, bills come, illness happens, kids act up, family WILL make us nuts, work will suck, some people will NEVER learn not to CC ALL in an e-mail, and the news will always be filled with the worst examples of “humanity.” EVERY network will spew doom, gloom, division, hate and hopelessness.

On the other side of that?

We also live in a society that tells us everything should be a highlight reel, that everyone ELSE is living a highlight reel, when truth is? That’s a…

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Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.

The amazing wisdom of an inventor and savvy businessman…

Don Charisma

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«Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.»

— Henry Ford

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Charisma quotes are sponsored by DonCharisma.com – you dream it we built it … because – “anything is possible with Charisma”

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