TUESDAY EVENING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

This last Tuesday evening, I had a book signing at the local library where I work! It went very well and I wish there had been a better picture of me alongside this table, but alas, they were all very "interesting." Seems I was always caught with my mouth open! Well, it was a speaking engagement after all!

I talked about my two books and then a bit about the third in the series that I hope will be out later this spring. I used the example of my grandma's diaries to encourage people to journal down everyday events and family history for the sake of the future generations. I also spoke a bit about the traditional values in my books and how I think we need a return to good moral stability and the values that made us a great nation.

I had a great time, though I felt a bit nervous speaking on a topic as opposed to teaching Sunday School or giving a sermon. This was a little different and it's been a while since I did this kind of speaking. But once I got started, it went quite well. People asked lots of questions, which made it easier and I guess I'm a born talker! Wish you all could have joined me! Blessings, LORI

ONCE UPON A TIME.....

I thought "Once Upon A Time," was a good title for this fairytale picture! Who is the young couple? This is a picture of Clint and I headed off to the prom in 1979, I believe! That's the year I graduated. We never went to any of my proms, so it was a Centreville High School event, I'm sure. This dress is one of my all-time favorites. It was a voile fabric with rosebud clusters in the print, very sheer and airy. I loved the sleeves and collar. Two years ago I made a reproduction dress of the same basic pattern (the dress in the picture was purchased) and posted pictures of it on this blog. I love, love, love the style! and love how the flowering bushes in this picture mirror the dress fabric. I don't like my hairstyle, though. Too tightly pulled back. We were only about 18 then. My how time changes things!

In response to a comment on the last blog, I'll explain a few details. Clint and I are doing some traveling/speaking engagements since resigning our pastorate of 18 years last month. So far, we've spoken in three different churches and are going to a church in northern Indiana next week. In addition to that, the pressed flower pictures and tatting I posted recently are a hobby of mine that is now helping to supplement a little here and there, bringing in a little extra cash!

There was a question about my job as well. I am currently working at the public library in our old hometown--12 miles from our house. I wanted this job for years!When the kids were growing up and we were in the library every other day or so, I thought, "someday I'd like to be a library clerk in this library." The same week our resignation was final I was hired! It was one of the amazing confirmations that God used to bless us as we were stepping out in faith and starting a new chapter of our lives. I work two days a week and that's just right for me! And, yes, I continue to write. I'm working on the third in my courthip fiction series, "The Call From a Distant Field." This book takes place mostly in Africa and follows the families from the first two books as the years unfold. Many of the details for writing this book were reflections of things I noticed on my 10-day trip to Africa in 2004. I hope it will be out in the next few months. It's almost complete and we're in the process of designing the cover. I will be speaking at the library on Tuesday evening this week as part of their "local authors" series. Any of you that are in the immediate area are welcome to attend and cheer me on! I'd appreciate the support! I'll be signing books as well, talking about my new book, and giving background on the other books. Thanks to all of you for the lovely comments--I've got lot more projects to post about whenever I finish them! Blessings, LORI

WHERE'S THE POST?

I suppose some of you have been wondering why I haven't posted as often as usual lately. Well, this week the reason is that someone borrowed my camera card and I haven't been able to take pictures to make the posts more interesting. And to add to that--there isn't much interesting going on here right now! Winter in the north can be rather confining. I've experienced that more than ever this year. Without the chicken chores to do, I don't even get outdoors as much as I used to in other years.

The slowed economy has affected us a bit and we stay home more often than we used to. For instance, we usually went out to eat at least once during a weekend and I noticed last week that I was watching the same television program on a Saturday evening for the fourth week in a row! Now, that's unusual!

I even got out my Old English course a few days in a row and studied a bit. Kori and JT got me this course for Christmas a few years ago and I haven't finished it. I love to study the roots of our language--to me it is fascinating.

So, being kind of "closed in" there is less to post about! However, I have been writing on my series and am getting close to completely finishing the third book. I am in the "tweaking" stages, adding chapter titles, checking wording, etc. Soon it will go to the proofreader.

I have an upcoming speaking engagement in March and I'm getting ready for that already. I'm doing alot of tatting so that I will have bookmarks to sell along with books.

So, for now that's about it. Longing for my garden........ Stay tuned and keep the faith! Blessings, LORI

MORE ENCOURAGEMENTS

I need to add a little to one of yesterday's answers. I also remember that my parents got me a diary for my 7th or 8th birthday. I was probably in first grade and just learning to write. Because I had an especially hard time remembering which way the "b's" and "d's" were supposed to face, there are several interesting entries that go along these lines--"fed my bog and went to ded," or things like that! But that diary led to journaling......

I try to recommend as much as possible, to Christian women especially, that you begin to journal during your devotions. Buy some type of writing paper or ready-made journal that you are comfortable with and keep it with your Bible. I often use the cheap school notebook type tablets that can be purchased at many stores this time of year for 15 cents and up (approx.) if you shop around. I stock up on them and keep them handy. When you use a journal to record your thoughts during your Bible reading time, it becomes a record of how the Holy Spirit is prompting you. No one else has to read your entries and that's a great place to practice writing! Before long you will see a "thread" of God's encouragements to you.

My first and second books, "The Fields of May," and "A Sturdy Fence," ( the second one due out in early December) were written in these cheap notebooks. I did a little writing each night before I went to bed and then read, re-read, tweaked, edited, and repeated the whole process for about 10 years! Part of the lengthy delay in publishing was due to the typing that had to be done. I couldn't turn the manuscripts to someone else to type because I was the only one who could decipher 10 years worth of scribbled corrections, arrows, and out of order pages! It shouldn't have to take that long. With the aid of the computer, book three was written over a time period of about 6-8 months. I started book 4 yesterday and it's already about an eighth of the way done--or so---who knows at this point? The whole outline is complete already.

I am learning all the time and my advice to others is 'just start writing', especially in a journal. Your individual style will develop quickly. I see a difference just from my first book to my second to my third, and so on. Yet, my own sort of individuality still shows through. The old-fashioned, flowery, descriptions of places, clothes, furnishings, or courtship proposals are my favorite thing to write! I love the descriptive paragraphs!

I encourage you to develop a time of Bible reading every day. The journaling will be a part of that. That leads to more writing! Blessings, LORI

WRITING

Because I get alot of quesstions about writing, ( and the gardens are pretty quiet right now!) I thought I'd add a little discussion for a few days to my blog concerning how I got started writing and try to answer some of the frequent ??? folks ask.

Question 1: How did you get started writing?

Answer: I always enjoyed creative writing in school and one lesson in particular stands out to me. In sixth grade our English teacher had our "rows" each work on a story. The person at the first desk made the title, the second desk in the row set the time period, the third set the place, the fourth the character, and so on, without consulting each other. We then grouped up and wrote a story from that! It was fun, wildly funny, and VERY memorable! It got me started with loving to work with my imagination.

Question 2: What is your book about?

Answer: So far, all my books are fictional stories about Christian courtship. That's what we discussed for a few weeks on the blog--check all the labels to review that discussion. PS: I finished book three this morning--hooray!

Question 3: How do you go about writing a book?

Answer: With "The Fields of May," I saw one scene (in the middle of the book) in my mind and wrote the whole book around that. The same thing happened with book three and now book four--the outline of which I completed yesterday--hooray again! Usually I write scenes and then fill in the details to connect them. Book three was so far the easiest to write. It's the first I've done directly on the computer. "The Fields of May" and "A Sturdy Fence" were handwritten in journals over a ten year time period and I transcribed them onto the computer just in the last few years. NEVER AGAIN--IT'S ALL ON THE WORD PROCESSOR FROM NOW ON!

I'll answer a few more questions tomorrow. If you have one, please ask me by leaving a comment, I'll try to answer. Blessings, LORI