Rachelle Gardner and Inspiration

My agent provided a lot of food for thought in her Friday post: Coming to the end of ourselves. If you haven't yet read it please don't miss it.

Different things remind me of life's difficulties. The song, The Climb, by Miley Cyrus reminds me of the desire to conquer those mountains that challenge us when we aspire to complete a book.







The movie that reminds me most about coming to the end of ourselves would have to be Amazing Grace and the story of William Wilberforce.



A book about struggle. I'd pick, The Hiding Place, I'm sure there are thousands. I'll let you help me out with that one. What book have you read that reminds you of coming to the end of ourselves?

What's Holding You Back? GLYNNA KAYE for Blog Pick Friday

Glynna Kaye will take you on a journey that I think a lot of us have experienced. If you are unpublished and questions of worth and ability are nagging you, I encourage you to read her post over at Seekerville. Fear can be crippling. I know. I've been there too. Heck, I'm there now as I struggle to complete my second book in a series.

I met Glynna on line when I was in a fearful place related to my daughter's illness. Glynna became a supportive friend to me and my daughter. Fear can sap our life calling. Don't be discouraged. We can get through this together with a little help from a friend called Glynna and our mighty, capable God.

Part 1: FEAR

Glynna Kaye's Steeple Hill Love Inspired “Dreaming of Home” is a 2010 “Carol Award” and “Maggie Award” finalist, as well as a first place winner of the “Booksellers Best” and “Beacon” awards. Her next books(also set in Canyon Springs, Arizona)are “Second Chance Courtship” releasing February 2011, and “At Home In His Heart” debuting August 2011!

JANE EYRE

My buddies over at Inkwell Inspirations had me thinking about the new Jane Eyre movie that's coming out this spring.  I never saw the 1996 version reviewed here at the IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base). By the way, if you've never visited IMDB it's a site I just love. For instance, this version of Jane Eyre (right) at IMDB looks fantastic and got great reviews: 8.6 out of 10. If you scroll down to the bottom of that page on IMDB you'll see an interesting bit of trivia.

Have you seen any of the movies? Who is your favorite Rochester and your favorite Jane? So tell me. Have you read Jane Eyre? Did you like it?  I have to admit that I don't think I've ever read this book. But now I'm thinking I'll have to do it before I watch any versions of the movie again. I know I saw an old version of Jane Eyre when I was a kid but none of the ones on IMDB look familiar. Any way I'm looking forward to the new version but I want to see the one with Tony Stephens as Rochester because he looks so scrumcious on the DVD cover. 

Jenna Lucado Talks With Michael Hyatt

An Interview With Jenna Lucado

You Were Made To Make A Difference is a new book out by Max Lucado and his daughter Jenna Lucado Bishop. I think this book will be a great influence on teens and although my daughter Meghan hadn't read it, at least I don't think she did, :) she's living it!

This hit home for me because my youngest daugher Meghan is making a difference. She made a decison to attend Youth With A Mission in Tyler Texas before going on to college. Discipleship Training School  Meghan flew to Texas in September for her training experience. On January 11th she and the others in her group flew to Guatemala to spend a month working with the children in the Guatemala City dump. Prior to Meghan's decision to take this path less chosen by most graduating seniors from high school, I'd never even heard of YWAM. I think it's the best decision she's ever made.

Here's some of the gang she's with at YWAM when they were still in Texas. And in the picture at the bottom is Meghan and friend Ida, pronounced Eda, (from Norway). Meghan and Ida were able to spend a few days with us at Christmas before the left to go back to TX and then on to Guatemala. These folks are all making a difference. Please pray for their safety.

                                                            Meghan (left) and Ida (right).

Seekerville Sensation Camy Tang Writes Fast/My Blog Pick of the Week

I thought I'd drop by Seekerville Thursday looking for some inspiration and did I ever find it! Check this out gang. 18000 words in 13 and half hours Go Camy!


Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

The Assassination of Spencer Perceval

Even if you are familiar with England's Regency period (1801-1811) you may not know about the only Prime Minister of Britain (1809-1812) who was assassinated. He was killed on May 11th of 1812. He was 49 years old and the father of twelve children. Twelve!
John Bellingham shot Perceval in the chest when the Prime Minister was on his way to the House of Commons. Bellingham had been unjustly imprisoned in Russia. He worked as a trader and felt the government owed him damages that were never forthcoming. This is why he killed Perceval.







A painting depicting the assassination of Perceval. Perceval is lying on the ground while his assassin, John Bellingham, is surrendering to officials (far right). Wikipedia

There are many sad and interesting aspects to what let John Bellingham to shoot Perceval. I've found two links below for those of you who are interested in learning more about this case. Was Bellingham insane? Were the events that led to his imprisonment in Russia partly responsible for the shooting of Perceval? There is much to be studied, but I can't help but think this tragedy could have been averted. But then again, maybe not. Hindsite is always 20/20. Bellingham's family begged him not to go to Parliament that day. Could they have stopped him? Should they have notified a constable?
More Details on John Bellingham

John Bellingham was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. On 18 May 1812 (7 days after Perceval's shooting), John Bellingham was executed in front of Newgate Prison; the executioner was William Brunskill. (Copied from the above link).

The Newgate Calendar and John Bellingham
He persisted in denying any personal enmity to Mr Perceval, for whose death he expressed the greatest sorrow, separating, by a confusion of ideas, the man from the Minister; and seemed to think he had not injured the individual though he had taken away the life of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. (Copied from the above link).


What makes situations like this even more disturbing is when we consider what was not known during this time period of the Regency. Remember, King George III was considered insane because of his behavior, but because no one was aware of his very real illness with (Porphyria not to be confused with Pyphoria) we may never know all the tragic consequences related to mental illness of this time.

I have no way of knowing if Bellingham was insane or not, but I suspect that he was indeed. Please share any information or thoughts you have pertaining to this subject.

The C.S. Lewis Bible

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” C.S. Lewis

I recently discovered that there is now a C.S. Lewis Bible.







Photobucket

I've been considering getting a new Bible this year as my Bible study group and I read through the Bible in a year again. I think this Bible is the one I want, and I'm sorry to say that I dislike the cover a lot! For someone as creative as C.S. Lewis was I would have thought the cover would be so beautiful and dramatic. Instead, not so much.

If you go to the reviews at the on-line booksellers I think you'll see that people like what's inside. So, I'll probably get it. But I really wish it had a more inspirational cover. I guess since I just got my first book cover and love it I'm paying more attention. Although I've always enjoyed cover art. I hope that the people who designed this cover won't take too much offense at this comment and I hope they come out with another cover that is as creative and fascinating as the man who inspired it.

What do you think? Have you purchased this Bible? Did you know about it? Does a cover make that much difference? Should it?

SPECIAL EDITION/MY COVER ART

Today I get to share the unveiling of my first book cover with you. Secrets of the Heart: The Ravensmoore Chronicles, Book One, is becoming a reality for me. I'm so excited!

Bill Johnson and his team at Strang Communications created this cover. I've never met him, but he's obvioulsy excellent at his job. That's a historical romance cover that I'm proud to say hugs the words of my story. The cover perfectly reflects the elements of mystery and suspense in this novel, a wonderful creation for what awaits you on the page.

When I first started writing, more than twenty years ago, I didn't expect the journey to publication to take so long and be so hard. I really didn't. :) But something inside me refused to give up as I realized I was in for the long haul.

I know now, looking back over the last twenty years that I wasn't ready for publication when I thought I was, and I can say now that I'm glad I wasn't published earlier. I think that's true for many of us. I had so much to learn, and now I feel like I've even more to learn; it never stops. We never stop learning and growing in this business of writing. If you do, you're doomed. There's no time to sit back and say, I've made it. But there is time to sit back and study a long imagined book cover and know that in the next few months it will hold the words to the story I created and am anxious to share with you. Secrets of the Heart

I hope I'm still writing and still getting published twenty years from now. Can you imagine what the publishing industry will look like twenty years from now? I wonder what will replace the Kindel and Nook?

I'm hoping in this New Year that you will pursue your dreams with all the passion and enthusiasm that you can muster. If you're writing a book, WRITE IT! If you're building a business, BUILD IT! If you're afraid, DO IT ANYWAY! Do what you have to do to accomplish what you feel called to do.

So tell me: How do you like the cover?
What step are you going to take this year to build your own dream?
What is the publishing business going to look like twenty years from now?

If you love historical romance with a bit of mystery/suspense, stop by once in awhile and catch up on the latest: Jillian Kent Blog I'd love to have you follow me through my Google gadget so I can check out your blogs as well.

A GIFT CARD FOR YOU ON MY BIRTHDAY/CELEBRATE WITH ME!

If you visit this blog at all you know I'm writing a series of books set during England's Regency Era. That's the time when King George III was no longer able to rule because he'd gone mad. It was really Porphyria and you can learn more about this disease today at the Porphyria Foundation

If you're interested in this time period in history make certain you watch, The Madness of King George. So what happened when George III could no longer rule? His son, George, took over his father's duties, which made him the Regent. Regency Acts

So what's all this have to do with romance? Everything! The Prince Regent, also known as, Prinnie or Prinny (I've seen it written both ways) to his friends, was a man who liked to party. No wonder Georgette Heyer fascinated so many of us with her novels. Georgette Heyer  I'm currently reading, The Grand Sophy. And of course Jane Austen wrote and lived during the Regency period.

The first book in my series is titled, Secrets of the Heart, The Ravensmoore Chronicles, Book One.




GOOSEBUMPS. Oh Mr. Darcy.

And then we have:



There is so much to discover about the Regency and so much to imagine and write about. I can't wait to share my books with you. I'll soon have a book cover to share with you and a different kind of Regency novel I'm hoping you'll enjoy.

So what's the most enjoyable historical romance novel you've ever read? What was it that captured your imagination?

AND because today is my birthday :) I'm giving someone who leaves a comment a gift. I'll send you a $20.00 Amazon Gift Certificate to spend on your favorite romance novels. I'll pull a name at random. Sometimes giving is better than receiving.:)

TED WILLIAMS/GOLDEN VOICE/GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Blog Pick of the Week/The Character Therapist

Happy Friday! Need a therapist after your long week at work?

If you haven't met Jeannie Campbell, LMFT you should. I suggest you go to this blog immediately and see what she's up to. You won't be disappointed. The Character Therapist's Blog

Jeanne has helped me diagnose a character problem in the past. And her character motivations Part I is just what I'm looking for as I work on my current project. Get in line gang. I need the couch.

Be A Wisdom Seeker

Matthew 7:7   “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

This is one of those scriptures in the Bible that I believe is miss used at times. In other words, I don't believe you'll get everything you want just by asking for it. God is not a Santa Claus handing out presents. But I do believe that if we honestly seek wisdom through prayer and study of the Word then God will open the door, but it might not be the door you thought it would be and the timing might not be what you expected.

This year as we make our resolutions, set goals, and decide what is most important to us in the year 2011, I encourage you to seek wisdom. Every morning before my feet hit the floor (when I remember) I pray for wisdom. Wisdom to make good decisisons through the day, wisdom to use my time well, wisdom to counsel my students and my children, wisdom to write the words for my current work in progess with an open heart and an ear for God's leading.

I don't make New Year's Resolutions anymore. I set measurable goals and I do it throughout the month of January. January is special for me because it's my birthday month and with a new birthday in mind I plot my course for the year knowing full well that it may not go as expected; I don't think it ever has gone as expected. :) But whatever happens this year I will diligently ask, seek, and knock.

Dictionary.com says:
Wisdom –noun


1. the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

—Antonyms
1. stupidity. 2. ignorance.

I pick a meaningful scripture every year that extends through the entire year that I contemplate and try to remember in my daily comings and goings. This year it will be:

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.-Provebs 20:15.

After choosing this scripture I then choose another scripture for each month before it begins. I may choose a quote that I love to go along with it. I'm behind on this one because I came down with a rotten cold so while I'm on the mend I will think this one through. Off the top of my head I'm sure it will have something to do with time managment. In fact I think there is a scripture that says something like making the best use of our time even in these difficult days. Anway, I have to ponder this one a bit longer.

So what scripture would you pick for yourself this year that extends through the entire year and then what scripture or quote for this month of January?