BLOG TOUR: Where it all began

Yes, really. This is where it all began, with a cup of tea and a wonderful author treating me as if my writing really mattered... Visit Jane Kirpatrick's very appropriately named Words of Encouragement blog at http://janeswordsofencouragement.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-hop-with-sheila-deeth-author-of.html to find out more.

I love Jane Kirkpatrick's books (see my review of The Daughter's Walk). I love Jane's talks (see my report on her visit to Willamette Writers). I love the way she lifts people up--historical people whose stories she tells, and contemporary people who she leads so gently into stories. I love how her novels take well-researched history and bring it to meaningful life, with women empowered and genuine lessons learned. And I love my favorite quote from her talk--History tells us what happened and when, but stories tell us why.

At the end of the Willamette Writers talk, back in 2008, Jane Kirkpatrick encouraged aspiring authors in her audience to think of a clock face. Twelve o'clock represents really smart; three is kind of smart; six, not so smart; and nine is really rather stupid. Then ask yourself, what's 11:59, and can anyone tell the difference between that and 12? Keep writing, she said, so I did.

Thank you Jane. And yes, this is where it all began, with words of encouragement and a cup of tea.

Comments

James said…
kesari tours - Kesari Tours offers exceptional value and services to travellers from all parts and wins their smiles.
Kesari’s vast array of travel services is taking holidaying to an entirely new level.
October 31, 2011 at 4:12 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Connect those Connections

Taken from a talk I gave on Sunday at the Writers' Mill. This is a very low-level approach to getting connected, from one beginner to another... Internet Writing, Marketing and Networking If you’ve got an email address you’re on the internet. If you’ve got a book out or an article in a magazine, you’re into marketing. If you’ve got friends, you’re networking. And if you use Google, you can do almost anything. Google Google is your friend. Google “how to join facebook” “How to join goodreads” “How to join Twitter” etc… Google “facebook badges” “blogger widgets” etc… to spice up your pages. Anything you want to know, a nice simple question to google will almost certainly tell you. But keep safe . Don’t just click on the first link you see. Make sure it looks vaguely genuine. “F*@!book.com/badges” might take you somewhere you don’t want your computer to go. “Facebook.com/badges” tells you all about badges. Why would you want to join all these interne...
Read more

Eternal curse might hide a blessing too.

Image
Today is the official launch day for Toi Thomas's paranormal romance, Eternal Curse, and I was lucky enough to be offered a free preview copy some while ago. The novel creates an intriguing mythology of angelic beings and the Fall, binding it nicely to modern day characters in search of meaning for their lives. There's an interesting blend of the paranormal, faith and science, and the story has a nicely old-fashioned feel with separate underlying tales taking center stage on the way to resolution. So... here's the cover, the blurb, and my review: ABOUT THE BOOK 'You have plenty of time to change your mind. You have not yet seen the monster I can be.' Giovanni has been waiting his whole life to meet someone like Mira, someone from the outside world who might be able to help him. He wonders if there really is help for him as he continues to hold tightly onto dark secrets and even darker memories. Giovanni wants to be hopeful and he wants to accept Mira...
Read more

Author or transcriber, reader or visitor, greatest or least? Meet Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Image
 Today I'm delighted to welcome Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of " I walked with Jesus ," to my blog. I very much enjoyed her short stories retelling miracles from the life of Christ - we clearly have faith and short fiction in common with each other.  I loved how historical, real, and relevant Kathryn's stories felt. You can find my review here:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4904771188 . I'd love to meet the author and chat in person, but inviting her to my blog is the next best thing, so I asked her to let me and you how she finds her audience. Here's what she told me. Why I think my audience is beginning to find me by  Kathryn Elizabeth Jones One of the hardest things to do as an author, other than writing or marketing a book, is to find that often illusive audience. It’s easier with mysteries or children’s picture books, probably because you know who reads them; adults and teens who love sleuthing and children and their parents who love reading....
Read more