Need a title for my book. Wanna help?

I HATE coming up with titles! But I need one for the next book in the Creek Country Saga.
Book 1 is Wounded Spirits. Westward Storms was supposed to be book two, but I realized I need a book in the middle. SO! I need another title. Ideally one that fits in with the "W. S." Theme.

For book two, think:

Deceit
Regret
Life of sin
Attempted amends
Overcoming Prejudice
Forgiving oneself

For some reason, I keep thinking "Without Sin/Sins", as in Jesus coming upon the adulteress about to be stoned. What do you think?

Any and all suggestions welcome!

Ever Wonder Who You Write Like?

Fellow writer Pepper Basham shared this fun website on her blog. Submit a sample of your writing and the site compares your style with well-known authors to see which your work resembles the most. Of course, I couldn't NOT participate, so I pasted a page of my upcoming release, Wounded Spirits. My writing is supposedly similar to Margaret Mitchell's.

Shall I shame myself and admit I've never read Gone with the Wind? I will now! Actually, I think I'll switch it out with Moby Dick... (Can you hear me snoring?)

You don't have to be a writer to participate. Copy and paste anything at all you've written, then leave a comment and tell us whose style your writing resembles. Here's the link.

Thanks for sharing the fun, Pepper!

Don't forget to subscribe to A Writer's Journey (this blog) and leave a comment on any post this week with a way to contact you for a chance to win children's book Little Big Chief. You can find out about this cute little chief here.

I write like
Margaret Mitchell

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Meet Little Big Chief--the most adorable chief around

From his bouncing black braids to his paunch tummy and sturdy, brown legs, Little Big Chief is 100% lovable.
   

    He was chief of the proud-hearted, fast-running,
    bright-feathered, brave-hunting, Native People

    He’d been a good chief, but now whispers began
    He was getting too old to be head of the clan
 
And there was another problem.

    A great big bear with claws three feet long
    Sprang from its lair singing a fearful song,
    A bear that once before Big Chief had frightened away,
    But now the ugly beast had come back to stay.

No one believes Little Big Chief can fix their bear problem. In fact, they want to trade their chief in for a younger model. It's just the incentive Little Big Chief needs prove he's still proud-hearted, fast-running, bright-feathered, and brave-hunting. Especially brave-hunting.

Little Big Chief’s journey isn’t an easy one, but nothing will stop him from accomplishing what he sets out to do. He never quits, and in the end his wisdom prevails.

A balanced blend of adventure and humor, Little Big Chief is delightful from start to finish.
   
Seth (8yo) giggled at how Little Big Chief thought his loud bear-hunting song had poked holes in the clouds. But, silly Chief, it was only rain!

Morgan’s (6yo) favorite illustration is the chief getting butted of a cave by an ornery mountain goat. It's my favorite too!

Actually, every page is filled with colorful pictures that’ll make the kid in you smile. Illustrator Jessie Nilo did a fantastic job. It was her depiction of Little Big Chief that drew my attention to this book in the first place. The story of Little Big Chief and his bear hunt complete the book's charm.

Author Delores Topliff has created a beautiful hardback book with glossy pages that are sure to withstand those sticky little fingers. She knows how to capture and hold a child’s attention while teaching valuable life lessons.
   
Be on the look out for more of Little Big Chief, as he faces greater challenges. The sequel is coming soon! Delores has generously donated of a signed copy of her fun book to A Writer's Journey. Thanks, Delores!

Subscribe to my blog and leave a comment with your email address and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win Little Big Chief and the Bear Hunt. The drawing will end  on Thursday August 5th.

To order this book, please contact the author.


Quotes from Little Big Chief and the Bear Hunt in italics

To Be Thankful, or Not to Be Thankful...Why is this even a question?

Do you know what really makes my day? Receiving a "thank you" from an author/editor/publisher for a review I've written. But after five years of writing reviews, I would be hard pressed to think of ten "thank yous" I've received. It's sad, really.

(For the duration of this post, I'll be referring specifically to the books I review for review sites. Not the reviews I write as a personal favor to the author.)

I'd like to say I'm the ideal Christian and never think of myself while helping other authors promote their work, but that, of course, would be a lie. I'm human, and it becomes discouraging when months go by without a single "thank you".

Today (Monday), I received a personal email from the brains behind Delivered, the novel I reviewed that's featured on Title Trakk this week. The note was short, but sincere and it did the job. It made my day. Guess what? I'd review another of her books in a heartbeat if she asked. Why? I like to help authors but LOVE to help authors who are personable and grateful.


A few years ago, I volunteered to write a review for a debut, small-press author. The book was excellent, and I said as much in my review at Title Trakk. Not long after, the author contacted me to say how thankful she was. It was the first "thank you" email I'd ever received (Yes, you did the math right. I'd been reviewing for two years.) From that simple review and follow-up email, I gained a sweet friend and eventually--because of her recommendation, support, and encouragement--my own contract. That author was Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of The Choice. Thanks again, Suzanne. You're a doll!

When the dear ladies at Title Trakk sent out a message asking if anyone would review Delivered, I had to review it. I knew the authors needed all the support they could get, AND I had a pretty strong feeling that I'd be thanked. I wasn't wrong on either count.


Now here's something interesting to take note of--Most of those who have contacted me over the years to say they appreciated a review were small press.  I don't intend to stereo-type here, but this is a pattern worth noting. What does it tell us? What does it tell you?

Marketing isn't easy for any author, but it's especially hard work for the small press author. I should know. But no complaints here. I have learned so much and one of those is to be immensely grateful for every bit of help I receive. I wouldn't trade that for all the publishing house-generated  bookmarks in the world.

So, I ask--
Has the small press author learned lessons in gratitude the authors from large publishing houses are not as apt to be exposed to? Have those large press authors that had "humble" beginnings grown complacent over time? Do they now take reviews and reviewers for granted? Or is it just a whole lot of bad luck on my part to rarely be thanked at all much less by the more well-known authors?

May I ask a favor of all my fellow authors out there? No matter who you are or how you're published, never take a reviewer for granted. Make the time to say thank you. After all, we're here for you. (and a little for ourselves too!)

My own small press debut novel, Wounded Spirits, releases this November. I plan to be very grateful. Y'all hold me accountable to that when I'm a New York Times best-seller, ok? ;)

What the School Year Holds

Don't you just adore school supplies?! Rows of colorful folders and shiny lunch boxes. Perfectly tipped crayons whose smell rockets you straight back to pigtails and kindergarten. Pink Pearl erasers that beg to be doodled on.

Hey, what ever became of Trapper Keepers? Remember those? Only the cool kids had them.

Speaking of school supplies...Wal-mart has a deal going on right now that you shouldn't miss. Lined, spiral-bound notebooks for $.15. Pocketed folders for the same price. Time to stock up! After a $5 (and some change) rebate, Staples is selling reams of printer paper for $.1. Yep. One cent. But only through tomorrow (7/28), so make sure you head over there.

I think we're stocked up in the Gardner household. Except for Seth's math, which I have yet to order (keep forgetting!!), we're just about ready for school on Wednesday. I promised yesterday I'd chat about what we have coming up in our school year. I think this year is our most diverse homeschool year to date, curriculum-wise. but I'm really excited about it.

We're using My Father's World again, but we're using the First Grade course for Morgan and the Exploring Countries and Cultures for Seth. Ideally this is a multi-level program, but this year, it just didn't work out for us. The ECC is too advanced for Morgan, and I don't want to push her too hard.

My Father's World uses a mixture of the Charlotte Mason, classical, and unit studies methods. We love it. Each subject works together beautifully to reinforce and build upon the yearly theme.

Seth's ECC has a year-long focus on geography. While studying Kenya, we'll learn about grasslands in science, and David Livingston in Bible. Art and music will also focus on whatever part of the world we're studying. The books they'll use are real books (or living books). Usborne science books, for example. We have a huge stack a beautiful new books, we're just dying to dig into.


Morgan's year is very basic. Phonics and Math-U-See will be her main priority. It'll be perfect for her.

We'll be using Hymns for a Kid's Heart for our hymn study throughout the year.

For Spanish, I'll be teaching from a curriculum I've written based on the Charlotte Mason method of teaching. We had great success with it last year and look forward to picking up where we left off.

We're trying something new for Seth's math. Teaching Textbooks is a CD ROM based curriculum. I needed something that was self-assisted to give me more time to work with Morgan, and I think this is just what I was looking for. I'll let you know how it goes! They way I figure, if it's on a computer screen, it'll be a hit with most any male.

We're trying Shirley English this year. Abeka just wasn't cutting it. They asked for sentences and stories to be written without teaching HOW to do so. Kinda backwards, huh? The main concept they teach is "a sentence must be a complete thought," which to a second grader is an ambiguous concept. Even for my brainy little man.

In Shirley English by third grade, kids are taught to identify parts of speech based on a series of questions/jingles. They're taught right off the bat which are needed, where, and when. They're actually handed the tools before being expected to build. I have high hopes for it. I know there are some die-hard Abeka fans out there who are more gritting their teeth right now. I'm glad it works for you, but for us...it just didn't make sense. I actually grew up on Abeka and swore by it for years...until I started teaching it. Now? Not so impressed.

Seth's learning cursive this year! How fun!! We're going to try Handwriting Skills Simplified. It was cheap. It got great reviews. Nuff said.

A friend of mine recommended Sequential Spelling, and after looking into it, I'm really excited to start. Instead of teaching the kids to spell random words, Sequential Spelling uses word families.  Act, fact, tract, attract, distract, extract, subtract, contract. Based on what I've learned after three years of homeschooling, the young mind retains better when taught using patterns. I'll let you know how it goes.

Of course, we'll squeeze in piano lessons, Bible memory, math drills, and all the other extras that go along with a school year.

If there's anything at all I've learned both from being homeschool and teaching homeschool, it's this--BE FLEXIBLE. So here's my unsolicited advice to families new to homeschooling--if something isn't working for you, dump it. Whether that be your morning schedule or that $130 math curriculum you've chosen. If it ain't workin', it's gotta go. Never feel obligated to continue with something that makes you or your child miserable. Homeschooling is hard enough without those added pressures!!

Also. There are so many wonderful resources and curricula out there to choose from these days. Don't limit yourself to the big names just because there's less thought involved in the buying process and prep work. On top of that, your pretty package will have a hefty price tag. But it's more than just the money. Each child has different academic needs and the best way to fill those needs is to handpick each subject, not buy a "curriculum in a can."

So take the time. Go exploring. Be Daring. Climb out of that can. You'll be so glad you did!

(This is me, getting off my soap box.)

And that, my friends, is our school year in a not-so-tiny nutshell. Your turn! What do you have planned for your homeschool year?

Review of "Delivered"

It's Monday again! Hard to believe July is almost over. The kids and I start school on Wednesday. Yeah, it's a bit early, but schedules are a good thing when Daddy's deployed. A very good thing.

If you're interested in what curricula I'm using this year, stop by tomorrow. I'll be chatting about what I have planned for the kiddos.

My review of Delivered is featured on Title Trakk this week. Written by a collaboration of authors, this is one of the most unusual fiction books I've read.

Check out my review here.

HEAT Trainer Ft Dix, 108th Division

Check out what Jim's been up to today. He said it was really cool.

Second Round Edits

Hello My Darling Friends and Fans!

Thanks to second round edits on Wounded Spirits,
I've been a little scarce this week. But it's done! I've sent it off and shouldn't see it again until it's bound and in my hands.

At least, I think that's how this works. I could be wrong! There's another round of edits, but I don't know how involved I'll be in the process.

Time will tell! Or my editor. :D

Next up on my agenda? Order business cards, finish plotting the sequel to Wounded Spirits, continue to polish Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang, and prepare for the ACFW Conference!

Clay, Marble. or Somewhere in Between?

Every mother molds her children. For better or for worse, they become exactly who she molds them to be.

Whether it's come about through negligence or diligence on our part, our children are a reflection of our parenting efforts (or lack thereof).

For me, on a practical level, this means staying focused. I never out-grew the little girl who loses the trail because she scampered after a passing butterfly. Kids need accountability and consistency in order to permanantly engrain those essential self-discipline paths through their brains. But if I can't keep them accountable because I get distracted...? It'll show in the wash.

I think of children as clay when their young and turning into marble as they grow older. Both can be molded and shaped into an object of beauty, but the first is much easier to work with.

Staying focused while the kids are young pays off in the later years.

 How does "molding your children" apply in your life?

Healthy = Expensive...or does it?

Today, I'm over at Reflections in Hindsight. Here's a peek at the blog...

Last year, I came to the conclusion that a cook could do one of two things--cook healthy or cook cheap. Never both. Let's face it. At the grocery store, the healthy food is the expensive food. No fair! Waaa!!

When I finished grumbling and whining, I began a desperate online search for some way to reconcile the two greatest needs in my home kitchen. Read more...

Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon

It’s 1935, and adventurous, cracker-jack pilot Kate Evans would give Amelia Earhart a run for her money. The Alaskan wilds call to Kate like a siren to a sailor, but will her career as a bush pilot be snuffed out before it’s begun? Alaska’s airways are like no other and Kate’s piloting skills are pushed to their limits. So is her bravery as she’s confronted with her one indomitable fear—water landings.

Paul Anderson has found refuge from his past in the Alaskan wilderness, or so he thinks. His memories are inescapable. The new mail carrier has caught his eye, but the walls he’s erected around himself might be too thick for even him to knock down. Winning Paul might be Kate’s greatest feat yet.

In “Touching the Clouds” you’ll discover one the most untamed portions of our American heritage. You’ll take a peek into the minds of those who set out to discover and conquer. Kate is the perfect example of the pioneering American spirit. I loved her.

Hers is a love story with her plane, and I felt every exciting jolt of turbulence right along with her. Author Bonnie Leon has expertly depicted the Alaskan frontier in all its brutal and rugged splendor.

I look forward to book two in the Alaskan Skies series.

Thanks to Baker Publishing Group for the free review copy.

The Perfectly Organized Pantry in 5 Easy Steps

Over at Reflections today is guest blogger Bethany LeBetz from Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Whenever my life feels frazzled and out of whack, I usually head over to Bethany's blog to get some inspiration on how to regain a tiny bit of control. She never lets me down. She's my homeschool hero!

This week, she's giving away a super cool portable labeler just for leaving a comment on her post. Enter the drawing again for posting on FB, Twitter, or your own blog. The drawing ends tomorrow, so  head over there NOW! No, wait. Read what she has to say about organizing your pantry first.

The Perfectly Organized Pantry in 5 Easy Steps

What's Happening at Reflections

If you ever wondered how a book is co-authored, head on over to Reflections in Hindsight for a chat with authors Anita Higman and Janice Thompson. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker and Lynda Randall's latest gospel CD!

Making Work At Home Work

WorkAs you may remember, I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger.

Expanding and Contracting: Managing Your Stress Level
By Mary M. Byers
My work is seasonal. I make about 30% of my income for the entire year in one month! That's
the good news. The bad news is that it can be stressful getting through such a busy time. That's
where the concept of "Expanding and Contracting" comes in.
Expanding and contracting requires making a conscious decision regarding how big your life
view is going to be at any given time. For example, I once had a speaking engagement in my
home town. Since my mother lived there, I decided to take my children along so they could
spend some time with grandma.
Several weeks before the engagement, my world view was still large. I could look at the
calendar for the entire month, make plans for later in the summer, and keep an active “To
Do” list for the week. As the engagement approached, however, I narrowed my focus to
getting my presentation ready and getting myself and the kids packed. The day before our
departure, getting out the door and to Grandma’s house was ALL I focused on. As soon as my
presentation was over, however, I was able to expand my focus again and begin planning for
our next trip—a family vacation.
You’ve probably used these concepts of expanding and contracting without even knowing
it. Think about the last time you had friends over for dinner. When you called to extend the
invitation, your life view was still large. As you approached the day of the meal, your view
contracted as you began to plan the menu and make your grocery list. The day of the event,
your view likely contracted even more, to the point of being focused on straightening the house
and getting the food prepared. After your guests arrived, your view could begin to expand again
and by the time they left, you were probably already thinking ahead to what the next day would
bring.
Expanding and contracting your view is extremely useful in staving off stress. As I view my
calendar some days and an overwhelmed feeling starts creeping over me, I simply take a
deep breathe (or two, or three, or ten, depending on the situation!) and ask myself, “How can
I contract my focus?” Doing so keeps me from being paralyzed and gives me a focal point
toward which to direct my energy. It's an extremely effective means of staying sane when you're
running a home and a business under one roof. Having a laser focus is necessary sometimes
just to get you through the day.

What techniques do you use to help you get through your work-related
busy times? E-mail me at http://www.blogger.com/mbyers@marybyers.com and I'll share your tricks in my next
post. Until then, now that I'm done traveling for awhile, I'm expanding my focus again and it
feels good!

______________________

Mary Byers is the author of Making Work at Home Work: Successfully
Growing a Business and a Family Under One Roof. You can learn more about
making work at home work by subscribing to Mary’s free blog at http://www.makingworkathomework.com/. Interested in
more articles like this? Join the blog ring here.

Check Out My New Blurb

On the frontier, Adela McGirth’s life is simple, rugged, and exactly to her liking. Her greatest concern is whether to marry the settlement’s most eligible young officer. When a distant war among the Natives spills over into a nearby skirmish, life takes a perilous turn. Deep in enemy territory Adela must choose between the man she loves and a baby that has yet to be born; will she be strong enough to wait on God's provision?

A peace-loving yet loyal Creek warrior, Totka is forced to align with the extremist Red Stick faction whose purpose is to eradicate the Whites from Creek soil. In the midst of battle, Totka is assigned to protect those he is expected to hate--and kill. Life was simpler before his enemy became a beautiful face with a quiet strength and dignity he cannot resist.

Having lived a life plagued with death and loss, Zachariah McGirth is a man on a mission - he'll have his revenge or die trying. Blinded by grief, he can't see his way clear of yet another tragedy. Why has God taken everything from him...or has He?

Their lives molded by the course of history, can these Wounded Spirits learn to rely on God's grace during one of the bloodiest conflicts in the South?

Plan a Little, Save a Lot

I'm at Reflections in Hindsight today chatting about saving money at CVS. If you don't know about how to save money at CVS, you really need to come find out!

Leave a comment and subscribe to Reflections during the month of July 2010 for a chance to win one of these two prizes:
Boneman’s Daughters by Ted Dekker
Lynda Randall’s latest gospel CD

Get Out of My Head!

You know the feeling. You've finished an awesome book, a one-of-a-kind book, and now you're depressed. Your friends are GONE!! Bwaaa!
Imagine that, but worse.
The last several weeks, I've been so immersed in Wounded Spirits, my characters sort of took over my brain. The whole "rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn" passage totally applies here--kinda. I do cry with them. I even dream about them, as if they're my real friends.
But all good things must come to an end. Sadly.
Today, I'm attempting to shift gears into the land of the living. It's not easy scrubbing bathroom gunk when I just want to visit with my friends.
I sound like a nerd, even to myself. I promise I do have real-life, breathing friends...somewhere out there.
Any of my friends interested in an evening out?

Today's question: What was the last book you read that depressed you to turn the last page?