Jennifer Slattery: Drawing Nearer to Our Children's Hearts Through Creation Walks

This week, More Reason To Write welcomes Jennifer Slattery as she talks about the command of intentional parenting and introduces us to her upcoming novel, Beyond I Do. Jennifer writes Missional Romance for New Hope Publishers, a publishing house passionate about bringing God’s healing grace and truth to the hopeless. Her debut novel, Beyond I Do, is currently available for preorder at a 26% off discount. You can find it HERE. Jennifer also blogs at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud. 

 

Drawing Nearer To Our Children's Hearts Through Creation Walks

I’m not a fan of parenting horror stories. My what-if brain doesn’t need any help. What I need to hear, rather, is not what can or has gone wrong but rather, what I can do to parent well.  

Though I know there’s no guarantees when it comes to children, I’ve learned every story goes haywire when left on its own. But one that’s crafted with love, patience, consistency, and truth? Now those are the kind of stories memories are made of. 

If you’re a parent, you’re probably familiar with Deuteronomy 6:6-9:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (NLT).

This passage is more than a command. It’s an invitation to draw near to our children on a heart-to-heart level as we share the deepest part of who we are—our faith. It is an invitation to connect, to explore, and to rest in our relationship in the hands of our Father.

When our daughter was young, we spent hours strolling through the neighborhood, hand in hand, crunching fallen leaves, and picking flowers. Everything enchanted her and evoked innumerable questions.

As she explored God’s creation, I used the opportunity to introduce her to the Creator. We talked about the different colors before us. I told her of God’s love displayed in each chirping robin and fragrant flower. Her eyes would light up with childlike wonder, and her gaze would drift to the sky.

She’s sixteen now, and while many of her peers are pulling away from their parents, she and I continue to enjoy long, leisurely strolls. They’re cherished times between her and I. Times where she unveils her heart and shares some of her deepest dreams and fears. And like when she was a toddler, it isn’t long before our conversation turns spiritual. For us, talking about God comes naturally. It’s part of our relationship’s DNA.

Fourteen years ago, I had no idea what a beautiful tradition our creation walks would start. Not only have these special moments strengthened her faith; they’ve melded our hearts together as well.

 

Beyond I Do:

Marriage . . . it’s more than a happily ever after. Eternally more. Ainsley Meadow’s encounter with a woman, her child, and their abuser sparks a passion that threatens her engagement. Will seeing beyond the present unite her and her fiancé or tear them apart? Raised by a hedonist mother, who cycles through jobs and relationships like wrapping paper on Christmas morning, Ainsley falls into a predictable and safe relationship with Richard, a self-absorbed socialite psychiatrist. But as her wedding nears, a battered woman and her child spark a long-forgotten dream and ignites a hidden passion. One that threatens to change everything, including her fiancé. To embrace God’s best and find true love, this security-seeking bride must follow God with reckless abandon and realize that marriage goes Beyond I Do.

***

Beyond I Do is available for preorder at a 26% off discount. Visit with Jennifer online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.

4 Lessons the Series "24" Can Teach Writers

One of most writers' favorite pastimes is studying the craft via favorite novels and movies. We admire the way one author plots twists and turns, the way another builds romantic tension, the way a third suspends our belief against the impossible. Movies and television dramas offer mini-courses in these how-to's. One of those is the Fox television series 24, which is a must-watch for anyone who wants to improve their skill at heightening conflict in their stories -- no matter which genre you write in.

 

Have you ever been told or sensed that your story doesn’t hold enough conflict? Have you ever had difficulty determining your protagonist's black, blacker, or blackest moments? Have you even thought there could be so many dark moments?

Here are the Lessons Capsulated in 24

24 is a thriller, and while not every genre flies ahead with such non-stop tension and breakneck pacing, there is a lot to be learned from a story that manages to accomplish it so nearly flawlessly.

First, the show always starts in the moment. There is no slow, melodramatic build-up in 24. Based on the idea of each episode being one hour of a 24 hour day, the kick-off happens in the first moments, and the first hour-long episode steamrolls ahead. Even if the genre you write is a gentle romance, something has to happen right away, there has to be that opening moment, that emotional ignition switch, which will generate greater conflict with each scene. 

Second, things always get worse. One problem for Jack Bauer or the nation isn't necessarily solved before another occurs. It isn't enough that Jack might be leaping across the tops of buildings in a race against pursuers to rescue the president from an assassination attempt (BAM!), he is usually simultaneously in phone conversation with tech wizard pal Chloe averting a terrorist attack on a major metropolitan area (BAM! BAM!) and planning the demise of an international criminal who kidnapped or murdered his friend (BAM! BAM! BAM!). I believe that with every element written in the script, the writers of 24 sit back and say to each other, "Before we go on, what will make this situation worse?" And they hold nothing back. As a result, there is no knowing who will live, who will die, who will turn traitor, who will regret their choice too late, or which way the plot will twist.

Third, every character has back story. It isn't tossed at us up front, but we learn that every player has emotional stakes, something in his life now or from his past that will give his or her decisions greater impact and lend even more tension to the unfolding drama. What gives Kate such courage? She's a widow, whose husband died in prison after being condemned for being a traitor -- which, it turns out -- he wasn't. Why does Mark give bad policy advice to the president (which endangers everyone) and make rash decisions outside his given authority? Not because he's bad at his job or wants to dishonor the president, but because he's terribly jealous of Jack's previous relationship with his wife Audrey (the president's daughter) who married Mark when she thought Jack was dead. He knows Audrey still cares for Jack more than she will admit, and that Jack is willing to die for her.

Fourth, there are no loose ends except for one. Every character's situation is resolved, even if it isn't. Say what? We are given conclusions -- not happily ever after conclusions -- but we see where each character is heading at the end of the 24 hour period. The package is tied up, but not neatly. This one is sent to prison, that one to retirement, another to an unmarked grave... Even Jack Bauer, who never gets a happy ending, moves on -- to another season, we hope. His role is the only one we're left wondering about. We can see what he's facing (he might be off to self-exile one season or imprisonment and torture the next) but we don't know what the outcome will be. Yet, the writers of 24 have made us believe that Jack will overcome -- somehow -- even though the scars will be deep. 

We are satisfied, even while we are left yearning for another chapter, another chance to "Live Another Day".

24 is a brutal series. If you're squeamish when it comes to television, you might have trouble with it. But if you can handle high tension and fast-paced action, you can learn a lot about what it takes to create greater conflict for your characters. Writers should watch.

Blog Hop! Beauty & The Beast Re-Imagined

I've severely neglected my own blog lately in lieu of doing some group blogs. So what better way to kick-start it again than to be part of a Blog Hop? I'm excited to have been invited by Marcy Dyer to join in and answer a few questions about what I write, how it's different, and some insight into my writing process. Please stop back at her blog and see what she had to say about these things as well.

Also, after the interview, I'll be introducing several fellow authors who have books worth checking into. The beauty of a blog hop is to help YOU discover new authors and titles waiting to take you on an exciting adventure.

Without further ado, here we go!

What am I working on?

I'm in various stages of several projects, but my main focus is on a post WWII romance called The Love Coward. Don't you love the title? It's about a man with commitment issues who jilts his girl at the altar leaving her burned once too often. Then there's his best war buddy who's turned up for the wedding-that-didn't-happen and is still hanging around town, and her closest childhood friend who'd like to be something more. Which one is the love coward? That answer is being revealed to me as I write. I love the process and the revelations that unfold!

How does my work differ from others?

I'm going to use that question to specifically address my new release, TREVELYAN - A Tale of Beauty & the Beast, because you might wonder, Why another re-telling of a fairytale that's been told so many times over? The answer is because the original children's versions left me unsatisfied. I know Disney came out with their big epic, yeah, yeah... But according to my historical research, the original 1600s French version contained a story of warring faeries, and Belle was one of 12 siblings. How epic is that! I decided that there was plenty of room to tell a broader fairytale while remaining true to the original story. What were the roles of Belle's siblings (of which she has five in my version)? Who were these warring faeries, and why did they fight? What other unimaginable creatures might have existed in a lost kingdom? Why were Belle's sisters jealous of her and what of their own romances? I felt these were just a few of the questions that needed to be answered. Besides that, the story needed an elven touch.

Why do I write what I write?

I wrote Trevelyan in order to fulfill my own desire for a more satisfactory completeness to be given to the story and to entertain my kids. Usually I write historical fiction (of which Trevelyan isn't actually, but the setting is somewhat medieval). I write historicals because I love to imagine what it might have actually been like to experience life, romance, and adventure in the context of different time periods and events.

How does my writing process work?

I am by-and-large a "plotter" meaning I use outlines and synopses of scenes to build my story. This is as opposed to someone who is a "panster", meaning they just sit down to write and let the story unfold as they think of it. Truthfully, most of us are a little of both. I enjoy studying story structure, so I like to think of those parts of the story that show major turning points, and then the under-girding scenes that string those events together. I usually begin with a very skeletal 15 point outline that shows these events. In between all this, I study history, searching for key moments, events, and bits and pieces that can be included to enrich the story. I consider at the beginning what the main characters' physical, spiritual, and emotional goals are, and what occurrences will interfere with the characters attaining them. Usually through this process, and while I write, themes will emerge which I can then go back afterward and capitalize upon, if it can be done subtly. I write fairly slowly. Some days I accomplish great chunks of 3000-4000 words. Sometimes I go a couple of weeks with very little. I usually write in the morning, but I allow real life and loves to dictate whether or not I can stick to that schedule.

Thanks for stopping by on the hop! Here are more authors and books I'd love to tell you about. 

Katie Mettner

Katie Mettner grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and moved to the Northwoods where she now resides with her husband and three children. Katie writes spicy Christian romance and is the author of The Sugar series and The Northern Lights series. Her stories are a reflection of her love for family, intricately woven with life experience. When the gales of November blow early you can find her at the computer with a cup of joe working on her next adventure.

 

Psalm 23: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…..
A lifetime ago Grant Harris was an Australian surfer at the top of his sport, until one wave changed everything. Fifteen years later, Grant has become bitter, lonely, and disillusioned. Hoping to jump start his career he accepts a position in Duluth Minnesota, with no way of knowing how quickly his life was about to change.
A lifetime ago Carla Coffers was a runaway teen with no family, no money and no hope for a future. Fifteen years later, she’s a successful business woman as owner of Carla's Kinky Café, on beautiful Lake Superior. Her friends think she’s got it all, but Carla still yearns for the one thing she never had.
A cup of coffee, a car, a confession and a cross come together to grant them redemption from their past and hope for the future. 

 Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 Learn more about her work at:

 http://www.katiemettnerbooks.com/

http://katiemettnerbooks.blogspot.com/

Susan Braun

Susan Braun has been writing since childhood, but began pursuing it seriously about three years ago with a memoir of growing up Baptist in a small town, called  I Love to Tell the Story. She was inspired to write this book as a way of passing along memories in a humorous way to her three girls, but she found that writing was addictive. Her experience as an elementary teacher led her to write for children: two Christian beginning reader chapter books, a biography of "Mad" King Ludwig for teens, and a biography of Kate Middleton for elementary and middle school students. All of Susan's books can be purchased at Amazon.

She blogs at Girls in White Dresses, where she keeps her writing sharp by sharing "a few of my favorite things" each weekday. You can also keep up with Susan's writing through her Facebook page.

Is it possible to emerge unscathed from an evangelical upbringing? Yes, as surely as David slew Goliath!

I Love to Tell the Story is Susan Barnett Braun’s account of growing up Baptist in a small midwestern town, touching on many cultural icons common to those who came of age in the 1970s. Braun recounts childhood obstacles, which loom as large as the walls of Jericho in her eyes. She encounters a trio of Sunday school mean girls who make King Herod look tame. She worries about being “ugly as sin” due to her chubbiness, glasses, and braces. She’s so consumed with the idea of Jesus’ imminent return that she wonders whether it’s even worthwhile to brush her teeth at night.

Humorous, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, I Love to Tell the Story will stay with readers long after the last Vacation Bible School craft stick cross has fallen apart. 

Tommie Lyn

 

Tommie Lyn has made her home in the beautiful Florida panhandle for over 39 years. Her husband of 51 years (who was her high school sweetheart) retired from the Navy after being transferred here from Okinawa in 1975. Five of her novels and some of her short stories are set in the panhandle.

 

An avid reader since childhood, she began writing fiction eight years ago and writes short stories and novels in a variety of genres: historical, mystery/suspense, supernatural thriller and mainstream fiction.

 

Ten of her novels are available in print and ebook format for purchase from Amazon.com, and other online book retailers.

Find her at Tommie Lyn Writes.

A boy with dreams of adventure…a girl with a traumatic past…and a prince determined to take a throne… 

Ailean MacLachlainn, the son of a poor crofter in Scotland’s highlands, wants a life of adventure. He often daydreams of being a respected warrior of his clan. And he battles rival Latharn Cambeul in the game of camanachd…and wins. But Ailean meets a girl, and a shy smile and a glance from Mùirne's blue eyes turns his head. He wins her love, and his rivalry with Latharn is no longer a game with a camanachd stick, now they fight with swords. 

Ailean gets his wish to become a warrior when Bonnie Prince Charlie comes to raise a Highland army in the attempt to retake his father’s throne. Ailean’s clan chief involves his clan in the uprising, and sets Ailean on a course toward a destiny he could never have forseen. 

What happens when a man’s dreams turn to dust? And when a man loses everything, does he have what it takes to go on? 

HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN is the stirring tale of one man’s remarkable journey through life. A story of adventure and love…of faith, loss, and redemption.

 

High on a Mountain is currently free as an ebook on Amazon and other online book retailers.