Sheila's Guests and Reviews

It doesn't look like my efforts have improved the queries reaching my site, but I have to admit, coming up with a catchphrase feels nice. (And I do thank you for your encouragement.) Now I can label my advertising materials more appropriately, and the timing's great since I have my first Christmas Bazaar coming up next weekend. I've even updated my Lulu storefront to match - http://stores.lulu.com/sdeeth - and I like the new version much better. My next job will be to make sure all the colors of the headers are the same, and then to update my blogs so their colors match too. Soon, I hope... Meanwhile it's November and I still haven't written my first poem-a-day for the Poetic Asides challenge . But I have posted two Mayflower drabbles on my drabble blog . Time to wax lyrical I think... Poetic Asides to the rescue...

I've had another busy and productive day at The Muse Online Writers Conference . I'm really enjoying the chats and workshops there. And they even persuaded me to buy a domain name - at last!!! So now, if you type www.sheiladeeth.com into your browser you'll end up on my home page. Meanwhile I've got the first part of the math book (no, it's really not just math) almost ready to send out. The scifi novella's ready - I'm just trying to take enough deep breaths before I push the button. And I'm polishing the picture book stories... Oh, and it's nearly November. Really! Honestly. So if you're looking for a way to make a bit more of Thanksgiving at home as well as in the stores, you could give my Thanksgiving book a look - Thanksgiving! From Eden to Eternity in 100 words a day . Hundred-word stories and bright-colored pictures for every day in November. (Click here for review.)

For more Thanksgiving drabbles, please go to my Gather page . Or to order the Christmas and Easter drabble books, please go to my Lulu page . (Just give me a couple of days to make sure the next proofs look okay.) Thanks! And thanks for visiting my blog.

5. Melchisedek The king looked out over the plains where soldiers too numerous to count were filing by. “Keep watch,” he told his royal guard. “They’ll not climb up to us here.” Mobs of violent tribesmen followed, hardy and wild. “Keep watch,” said the king. “They’ll not climb up to us here.” Then sounds of fighting shattered the sky, tribesmen and soldiers, bright swords, screams like eagles, and clattering thunder like hooves. The rag-taggle nomads returned in triumph and the king went out with bread and wine to meet them. “God has blessed you,” Jerusalem’s king greeted Abraham. “Always,” was the reply. Thank you God for food and drink, good fortune and godly blessing. © 2008, Sheila Deeth

4. Tower of Babel The children of town and gown, of farmers, traders and fishermen ran round the building site. They pretended to be animals, angels and demons, or fairy folk. And the tower grew taller and higher every day. “We’re going to climb all the way up to heaven.” “Then we’ll see God.” “Maybe angels.” “Or monsters instead.” When children argued it always ended in another chasing game. When the grown-ups argued, traders broke agreements with fishermen. Farmers got into fights with the professors. Then they stopped building their tower, and never found out if there was a God in heaven after all. Thank you God for the gifts of all our different languages and cultures. © 2008, Sheila Deeth

2. End of Eden The air was warm; the sky was clear; the rain fell softly in due season. Berries ripened on bending trees, scenting the air with the savor and flavor of food. Sweetness and light was Eden’s delight, and the only rule was to obey the Lord. “But why obey?” whispered the secret, slithering voice. “Why not make your own new laws? Why should somebody else be in charge of you?” The air was hot; flames poured from the ground; gray ashes rained from the sky. “You’ve set your rules,” said the voice of the one who knew. “Now live by them.” Thank you God for freedom and failure and forgiveness. © 2008, Sheila Deeth

My Christmas and Easter Drabbles will soon be available in book form from www.lulu.com/sdeeth . I thought I might celebrate by drabbling Thanksgiving this year. 1. Creation In the beginning, God said “Let there be light.” God’s word created time and space. God’s word made galaxies, stars and planets, watered the ground, planted seeds, and defined the laws that cleared the cloudy skies. God’s word designed the insects, fish and birds, made animals and man. And then God spoke to man and told him how it all began. In the beginning, God kept it all in balance, all of time and space and nature, every plant and every living thing, every atom, every molecule, every constant, every law. In the beginning, God saw, and it was good. Thank you God for science and nature and life and the wonders of creation. © 2008, Sheila Deeth