Such A Gorgeous Day

Wow, are we having a gorgeous day here or what! This entire weekend is supposed to be above 20 degrees celcius (around 25 tomorrow). It's like summer out there - only there are no leaves on the trees, no flowers, no green grass (lots of brownish grass though).

Over the past few days (well, since Wednesday really, and not including yesterday) I've managed to write over 11,000 words! I wish I could say that word count was on my novel. Sadly, it's not.

I'm doing up my observation journals from the first half of my teaching internship. I really should have been dilligent and written them after every day I observed (which only one day a week), but sadly, my procrastinating behaviour overcame all senses and I didn't. Now I am stuck doing it all "last minute". It is totally my own fault, and I'm not even going to try to blame someone or something. It's all me.

I've got about 4 1/2 more of the journal sheets to finish, and six 2 page journal entries to do. I have notes that I've taken throughout my observations, so it's just a matter of putting things in order and using them to create my entries. I have no clue what I'll do with the six journal page entries. They provided some links about certain things such as classroom management, multiple intelligences, lesson planning, etc., and these journal entries are supposed to focus on these - one topic per entry.

I also have to do a form of journal for the teaching internship as well. I'll have to try to get that started this weekend (maybe Monday at the latest), and keep up with that so I don't fall behind. I'll also have to take that to Australia with me when I go to do my second half of the internship program there, and I don't want to be stuck doing all those up last minute...

Well, I must get back to my journals so I can get them done up. I just hope my procrastinating nature doesn't take over again.

Wishing The Words Would Come

On the weekend, well more accurately it was Thursday evening or Friday of last week, I checked out the weekly challenge topic over at Faith Writers. I opened Microsoft Word, feeling inspired to begin a short story - something I hadn't done in ages because of the vast amounts of homework/assignments/presentations I've had this year.

I came up with a tentative title for the story and began. I managed to get a little over a paragraph - 110 words, actually. Then I had to stop, to think, to decide what I wanted to say and how. I set it aside to work on a quick piece for Fiction Friday (two posts ago), where the idea is to write without correcting mistakes, etc., the object being to help the creative juices flow. It was OK, definitely not my best work; however, considering I haven't written in so long, I thought it wasn't too badly done for something off the top of my head.

At any rate, I pulled open my idea for Faith Writers a few minutes ago and reread what I wrote. Here's my problem. I'm stuck - already. I think I know where I want to go with this - scratch that, I do know where I want to go with this. However, I just don't know how to get there. Perhaps I'm just tired (it is 10:07 pm), perhaps I'm out of practice, or perhaps I'm just being lazy. I do have until Thursday to submit it, though I'd have to do it Wednesday evening since I'll be at school doing my teaching internship at the cutoff time...

I have a maximum of 750 words to use. That's not really a lot to work with. However, I've done it before and I can do it again. I just need to figure out just what I want to say in a descriptive, metaphorical sort of way...

Time to get back into the "practice" of writing. I hope my evenings won't be too filled with lesson plans and preparations for the classes I'll be teaching, and I'll be able to work at my writing. I guess I won't know that for sure until I get into the internship more. Up until now, I've only observed the class and helped out here and there. This time around I will be starting the actual teaching portion of the internship (though we'll be eased into it somewhat).

I also need to pull up my Word documents and get thinking about where I am in the novel I had been working on, and start writing at that again. I really like the idea I have; I just have to work at it and polish the writing, probably fix characters, plots, etc. And I may need to do some more research as well.

However, for tonight I think I will shut the computer down for the night, think about the direction I'm heading with the Faith Writers story, and get to bed a little early. My first day of the internship is tomorrow and I don't know if I'll be doing any of the actual teaching or not.

CFBA Book Review - Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker

*** Scroll down past the book review for my Fiction Friday entry....

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Boneman's Daughters
Center Street (April 14, 2009)
by
Ted Dekker



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), Obsessed, Renegade, and Chaos.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Would you kill an innocent man to save your daughter?

They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who’s abducted six young women. He’s the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.

Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife have written him out of their lives.

Everything changes when BoneMan takes Ryan’s estranged daughter, Bethany, as his seventh victim. Ryan goes after BoneMan on his own.

But the FBI sees it differently. New evidence points to the suspicion that Ryan is BoneMan. Now the hunter is the hunted, and in the end, only one father will stand.


If your an avid Dekker fan, and would like wallpaper and counters for your blog, go HERE.

You can listen to an audio clip HERE

Watch the VIDEO:




If you would like to read the first chapter of Boneman's Daughters, go HERE

Fiction Friday

Here is my entry for the Fiction Friday over at the Write Anything blog. It's been awhile since I've been able to do any writing, so this is the first piece I've done in awhile.

How Fiction Friday works:

Fiction Friday is easy to do.
Every Thursday, just check this page for this week’s theme or challenge.
Spend at least 5 minutes composing something original based on the theme or challenge.
But, remember, no editing. This is to inspire creativity not stifle it.
On Friday, simply post what you wrote to your own blog.
Then come back to Write Anything and leave the link in the comment section below.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’ll Never Do That Again!”

“So, what happened?” Karen sat on the edge of her seat, leaning towards her best friend, Cindy, who sat on the other side.

Cindy examined her eccentric friend. Karen was taller than most, but that didn’t stop her from wearing the highest heels she could find. Today Karen’s wardrobe consisted of a peacock-blue peasant blouse with numerous brightly coloured beads around her neck. Her black skinny jeans hugged her lithe figure like a second skin.

"Why did you paint your nails all different colours?” Cindy was curious. She didn’t want to talk about the previous evening, but she didn’t want to hurt Karen’s feelings. After all, Karen went to so much trouble to fix her up with Mike.


“I couldn’t decide what colour I wanted to use, so I chose them all.” Karen reached up with her multicoloured fingers to pull the edges of her white straw hat down over her ears. “Enough about me though, what happened with Mike?”

Cindy shrugged and sipped her steaming cup of coffee. “It was ok, I guess.”

“Just ok? Come on, Mike is totally hot, he’s a fabulous kisser, and he makes the best taco salad I have ever tasted!” Karen could barely contain her excitement.


“You’re right Karen, Mike is hot and the kissing was pretty good.” Cindy furrowed her brow as she slouched against the back of her seat, folding her arms across her ample chest. “But what does taco salad have to do with whether or not he’s a great guy?”


“Nothing. I’m craving taco salad and I just remembered he makes the best.” Her bright red lips parted, revealing pearly white teeth. Her smile was equal to that of Julia Roberts. Leaning over, she reached for the menu that was propped up behind the napkin dispenser. As she did, her hat fell to the seat beside her, and her mane of what was supposed to be long, luscious chestnut brown spilled around her shoulders.

“Oh my gosh, Karen! What did you do to your hair?” Cindy’s eyes grew wide and she tried to stifle a giggle.


"I was experimenting with some different hair dyes. I wanted to create my own signature colour, so I mixed a couple of different shades together. ” She was mortified of what had happened, and quickly gathered her hair up into a quick pony tail and tugged the hat back into place, hoping no one else in the cafe had noticed.


“At least tell me it’s temporary.”


Karen said nothing. She pretended to scan the menu. “I think I’ll have the taco salad.”


“Why on earth would you do that?”


“Because I like taco salad, and I'm craving it.” She looked up and smiled as though nothing had happened.


“Not the salad, silly. Your hair. Why would you experiment like that; you’re not a hairdresser.”


“What can I say? I took a chance and I totally messed up. My hair is a disgusting shade of puke and I can’t get into my hairdresser for another week. I don’t know what I’m going to do until then. But I do know one thing. I learned my lesson; I’ll never do that again!”

School's Out!

I finished my last class today at 5:45! It feels so weird to be done - no more papers, critiques, etc., but PLENTY of lesson plans in the future!

I start my teaching internship as early as this coming Tuesday. Those of us doing the internship in the Spring have a meeting on Monday to find out more about it. I did manage to find out what school I will be at - the same one where I did my observations, and I'm pretty sure I'll be in the same class as well (though I don't know that for sure yet).

I am now hoping that I will have some time to get back to the things I enjoy - writing, crafting, and photography (among other things). I still have to finish my portofolio tomorrow and hand it in then as well (not much left to do on it), and on the weekend I'll have to do up my observation journals and hand in Monday when I go for the meeting. However, that being said, the rest of the weekend I plan on doing some writing and knitting...oh, and making some cards as well.

Anyway, just wanted to post a quick update. I hope to be back soon with some writing news!

CFBA Book Review - The Secret by Beverly Lewis

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Secret
(Bethany House May 1, 2009)
by
Beverly Lewis


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Bev seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and playing with their three grandchildren. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."






ABOUT THE BOOK

In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep in the night? Why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, everything Grace assumed she knew is shattered.

Her mother's disappearance leaves Grace reeling and unable to keep her betrothal promise to her long-time beau. Left to pick up the pieces of her life, Grace questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment.

Heather Nelson is an English grad student, stunned by a doctor's diagnosis. Surely fate would not allow her father to lose his only daughter after the death of his wife a few years before. In denial and telling no one she is terminally ill, Heather travels to Lancaster County-- the last place she and her mother had visited together.

Will Heather find healing for body and spirit? As the lives of four wounded souls begin to weave together like an Amish patchwork quilt, they each discover missing pieces of their life puzzles--and glimpse the merciful and loving hand of God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Secret, go HERE

CFBA Book Review - Deadlock by Robert Liparulo

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Deadlock
Thomas Nelson (April 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. Readers of his action-thrillers were not surprised when his visual storytelling style caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers released in January, and number four, Timescape, comes out in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

He is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects a bit of the supernatural into his gun-blazing stories. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on the critically acclaimed short story he contributed to James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.


ABOUT THE BOOK

John Hutchinson thinks it's no coincidence that Brendan Page runs this modern Praetorian Guard, and that the billionaire military industrialist must have had something to do with the atrocities his son Declan committed in Canada. The Canadian and U.S. Justice departments disagree, but Hutch has been digging for dirt ever since.

Brendan Page has some dirty not-so-little secrets. he's built an empire on supplying futuristic weapons and highly trained soldiers to the world's most powerful armies. But he's saved his most destructive weapons for himself.

When Hutch discovers the secret of Page's success, Page decides to teach him a lesson. But the operation goes terribly wrong, and Hutch's son is kidnapped. While a lone man stands little chance against the best black op soldiers ever issued M-16s, Hutch manages to survive longer than Page anticipated. As far as Hutch is concerned, high-tech helmets, machine guns, and hand grenades are nothing compared to a man determined to save his son. It's a lesson he sets out to teach Page-and one that he can only hope works as well in the real world as it does in his heart.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Deadlock, go HERE

Happy Easter

Just a quick note to say I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, a.k.a. Resurrection Sunday. I am so thankful that Jesus gave His life for me - for all of us - and that He was willing to die on a cross so that I could have eternal life. Praise God for raising Jesus 3 days after He died! Hallelujah!

I am now reading the second book of the prequel (by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins) to the Left Behind Series. This one is called The Regime and is mostly about the rise to power of Nicolae Carpathia. Rayford Steele is in this one as well, as is his wife and kids. Buck has also been introduced as well.

I am not half way through this one yet, but I am enjoying it. I should hopefully be able to finish reading it once my classes are done this Thursday - until then, I'm not sure if I'll get much chance to read. I'll also have to see about getting the third book as well. These books, as I may have mentioned before, lead us up to when the rapture happens.

I still have a ton of books to read, and now that school will soon be out, I am hoping to get more reading done. I am also hoping to get back into my writing. I have missed that - especially when I would get an idea or inkling to write but I couldn't because I was in the middle of working on lesson plans, presentations, papers, etc.

But, for now, I must get back to working on my section of one of two presentations I have at school when we return on Tuesday. Still have my portfolio to do as well as a few smaller assignments. So, by Thursday evening, I will be done my school work and will start into my next phase - my teaching internship (the first half here in my city, and the second half in Australia)!

At any rate, I hope you have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

CFBA Book Review - My Son, John by Kathi Macias

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
My Son, John
(Sheaf House Publishers April 2009)
by
Kathi Macias


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathi Macias is an award-winning author of more than twenty fiction and nonfiction books. She has also ghostwritten and collaborated on books for a number of well-known individuals. She is a staff member for The Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service and a member of The Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, Christian Authors Network, American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers Fellowship International, Advanced Writers/Speakers Association, for who she serves as membership chair, and orange County Christian Writers Fellowship. She is the 2008 winner of AWSA’s Golden Scroll Award.

A Former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Macias is a credentialed minister and served as an associate pastor at a large church in Southern California, where she did biblical counseling, trained small group leaders, and oversaw support/recovery ministries. She is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and has appeared on several radio and TV programs.



ABOUT THE BOOK


Murder.

Could there be a more chilling word?

Could it be any more horrible than to have a loved one killed, brutally and heartlessly, without obvious reason or motive?

When Liz Peterson's elderly mother is found viciously beaten to death in her home, Liz and her husband, Charles, along with their grown son, John, and teenage daughter, Sarah, are horrified beyond words. Their previously predictable, respectable lives seem to have vanished without a trace, as they struggle to make sense of a senseless act.

And then a second blow-more devastating, if possible, than the first-rocks them to their core. John is arrested for his grandmother's murder. As what's left of the Peterson family begins to crumble under the weight of loss and accusation, the Petersons' longstanding Christian faith is put to the test in a way they could never have imagined, and unconditional love is stretched to its limits. Will family ties and relationships withstand such a crushing blow, or will evil succeed in dividing and conquering this once close and inseparable family?

Watch the chilling trailer!!



If you would like to read the first chapter of My Son, John, go HERE

Reading A New Book

The other day I began reading a new book. I started "The Rising" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. This is the first book in the trilogy of the books that take place before Left Behind. I'm not half way into the book yet, but I find it to capture my interest and keep me reading.

In this book, Rayford Steele is a young boy and Nicolae Carpathia is born. Aside from Viv Ivins, none of the other characters have been introduced yet - though many of them wouldn't be born at this point. I don't like to give things away, so I don't want to comment too much on the storyline. However, I will say that it had me confused. I had set the time for Left Behind to be in the late 1990s (roughly) at about the time when the books were out - or when I started reading them. What confused me is that in this book, the time is very current and talks about cell phones and the Internet. I would have thought when Rayford was a boy these things did not exist. I should go back to see if the Left Behind series is set in the future...then the timeline might make sense to me.

At any rate, I am enjoying the book and would like to get back reading it soon. However, I will be pretty well swamped with school work over the next couple of weeks. These are the last few weeks I will be in school, and then my teacher training will begin. I am also hoping that I'll have free time in the evenings (aside from preparing some lesson plans or whatnot at times) so that I can do some reading and writing and some crafts that I've been aching to do.

The life of a student sure does not allot for much free time. I hope being a teacher will give me some time in the evenings, though I do know it is a busy profession!

Must get back to homework for now. Have a glorious Christ-filled day!