Scribbles

Letters from Home - grab your hankie!

I've been catching up on a few things and was able to read through the contest entrees for the Nightingale contest! Sniff, sniff, *blow nose*. Oh my - these are beautiful. Do yourself a favor and read through some of these letters. Who knows ... one could be written for YOU!

Doreen writes to her mom: I don't really tell you that I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for your life! Thank you so much for being there always when I need you.

Edna writes to a family member in Iraq: Take care while you are in Iraq and please let God be your guide so that He may help you. 

Casey writes to her friend Amber: Focus on one thing at a time and let all the other worries of life pass you by. Nothing is as important as what God puts in front of you to do at that exact moment, so ask Him what He wants you to do today and chase after that with all your mind, heart and soul.

Barbara writes to mom (age 92): I've always been thankful that God chose this remarkable lady to be my mom

Christine writes to her young daughter: You are such a special girl.Thank you for everything that you do.

Robin to an unknown soldier: Comfort. I laid the casing in my purse and carried it with me for years. Many times it offered me an opportunity to share the certainty we have of eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.

Tina to her in-laws: I look at you today, you both are over 80 years old, and you never stop loving or supporting us. I have been blessed to have known you and I am even more blessed by the love you have shown me over the past 35 years. If being a Christian is being "Christ like" then you certainly are a Christian. It isn't a status...it's a way of life.

Click here to read the rest and ENTER THE CONTEST FOR YOURSELF!

I took a vacation!

Yes, it was right in the middle of a busy season, but frankly....I needed it.  I flew down to Isla Mujeres (off the coast of Cancun) with my hubby and my brother and his wife for a week.  Oh, to dig my toes into the creamy white sand, to let the sun soak into my skin, to drink in the salty tang of the ocean. 

   

To read. 
   
Yes, to read!  I brought along three books and finished them all.  Thankfully, I loved two of them (the third, not so much.  I left it in Cancun!).  The first book, Maid to Match, by Deeanne Gist, one of my favorite authors, delighted my heart.  It's a wonderful story about a maid in the Biltmore (Vanderbilt) Mansion in North Carolina.  I'm writing a story set in the gilded age (1890's-1920) , and Dee's writing, always eloquent, always so well researched, delivered me into that era flawlessly.  If you are looking for a delicious beach (or, okay, cozy fire) read - check out Maid to Match. 
   
I also read a book sent to me for review by the folks at Hachette that just might be the best non-fiction self-help book I've read all year.  It's a simple book, with straightforward biblical thinking:  Power to ReInvent Yourself by Jason Frenn.  The subtitle reads: How to break the destructive patterns in your life. 
   
Thankfully, God has long been at work breaking the destructive patterns in my life, but I found this book to be a refreshing reminder of the freedom in which He longs for us to live.  Although I knew many of the principles, the accessible way he delivered his message awakened my mind to the transforming power in Christ that I often forget about. So often, I listen instead to lies -- things Satan wants to put into my life to deflect me from reaching out to God.  "You're too busy to eat healthy and exercise - just give into the truth.  Go ahead and use that credit card - everyone else does!  Or, the worst...yes, you desperately need new shoes, after all you have nothing to wear!"  (okay, those are just a few, but the ones that seem to come back to plague me).
   
When I construct books, I often use the concept of "lies my character believes" to launch them on their journey...and in the end, the truth sets them free.  A simple, easy equation.  So why couldn't it work in my own life? 
   
It can. 
   
I believe God is in the business of breaking us free of lies.  And He's given us the book of truth to accomplish it.  I've long been in the habit of writing down truth (verses) from my daily bible study and posting them on my cupboards, my computer, on my bathroom mirror.  It seeps in, then, and breaks apart those lies.  But the biggest lie I think I - and others - grapple with is the lie that if we break free from our destructive habits, there won't be anything on the other side as enjoyable to fulfill us.  Think about it - people don't give up their credit card because they fear God won't provide.  They don't give up their chocolate chip cookies because they believe God can't satisfy.  They don't give up their bad relationships because they believe there is no one else out there for them. 
   
And that lie can only be broken with a recognition of God filling you with Himself.  Delighting you...and delighting in you. 
   
As I go into thanksgiving, it's a great opportunity to look back over the year and see the truth.  To write down all those moments in 2010 that God has provided.  That God has delighted.  That the truth has won. 
   
To give thanks for a God who doesn't give up on us, ever, who breaks us free, and reinvents us every.  Hey, that sounds a lot like Isaiah 61! 
   
I'm very excited to announce my new book - Nightingale! It's about exactly this concept...God breaking us free from our prisons.  It's about a scarlet woman trapped in her past, who meets a wounded warrior trapped by his future, and how divine fate frees them both.  It's a historical, set WW2 Wisconsin, written in part in letters.  I hope you enjoy it.

May you see the truth this season, and may it set you free. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Susie May

Win a FLIP HD Camcorder in the Letters From Home Contest!

The blog tour for Nightingale is under way - check out what the reviewers and saying here!

 

Nightingale is about letters, the power of written correspondence to convey thoughts and emotions to those far away. And sometimes near. Letters are forever, they are something we savor and pull out to read again and again. They are often cherished and kept in a special place.

To celebrate the release of Nightingale, we'd like you to write a letter. One grand prize winner will receive a Flip HD Camcorder. 5 runner's up winners will win a signed copy of Nightingale. There are two ways to enter the contest by writing letters.

 

1. Write a letter to a soldier. At the end of the contest we'll print out and mail your letter for you.

 

2. Write a letter to a friend, loved one, family member, enemy. Tell them something you wished you'd told them before. Tell them you love them, or maybe how they touched your life. Perhaps an apology is in order or a thank you. Or perhaps you'd like to relate a funny tale or just share life. Whatever it is, submit it here along with your email address and we'll send it for you.

 

Enter here or at the SHARE page on the Brothers in Arms website. Or simply click on the button that says ENTER TO WIN.

The grand finale

Football season is over. 

I think we need to pause here for a moment of silence, of mourning…of WARMTH.

It was getting COLD sitting out there in the stands. 

But my boys are worth it. 

However, it was with great sadness that I couldn’t attend the final game of the season – the first playoff game.  A five hour drive (one way), the game fell on a Tuesday night two days before I left for a big conference.  Regardless of how I tried, I couldn’t make it work.

So I sat in my kitchen.

Alone.

Wrapped in a sympathy scarf.  (a huge thank you to my pal Darlene Guinn for her compassion in outfitting me with my specialized Football Mom scarf!)

See, we had the storm of the century that night.  Driving rain, 50 mph winds, 34 degrees.  I shivered just listening to it on the radio.  Peter said he couldn’t feel his arms five minutes into the first quarter.  The refs had to hold the ball down until the center could take it for the snap.  The fact that the Vikings even completed a pass is nothing short of a miracle. 

And, speaking of miracles, God showed up.

The team shivered their way through the half-time pep talk, trying to find some warmth from the bus heaters.  Peter said he’d never been so cold in his entire life.  (And let’s remember, we lived in SIBERIA once upon a time!)  As they were exiting the bus for the second half, the heat hadn’t touched their core. 

But see, God is on my side.  My MOTHER’s side.  He might not care about the score, but He cares about my son.

As they stepped onto the field, a nearby transformer exploded from the storm.

The lights on the field blinked out. 

The team had to retreat to the bus for another thirty minutes until they found a backup. I think had they continued onto that field, the entire team might have ended up in the ER, suffering from Hypothermia. (And let’s add here, that the coaches were pretty cold too).

However, by the time they took the field again, they could feel their toes, their arms, their fingers.  And their spirits. 

No, they lost, but the boys played their hearts out.  They ended well, albeit cold.  I was proud.

I worried/prayed/paced him home, still up when he pulled in at 3am.  Then I wrapped him in a blankie and poured hot cocoa down his gullet.  Because that’s what we mothers do, donchaknow.

So, the season is over.  Basketball is on the horizon.  I leave you with this, a glimpse of the fun.  (it’s just a sort of flaky home video, but it captures the fun in the stands – as well as my husband’s Vuvuzella!  Pay special attention to big #33!)

This has been your Cook County Vikings Football Mom report.  Thank you for tuning in.  See you next year!

Great new fiction!

Legacy of Lies by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Secrets Buried Deep! Evidence from a decades-old murder is the last thing Nicole Keller-Mattson expected to find in her grandmother’s back yard, but the finger-pointing and accusations leveled at her family came as no surprise. Everyone in Ellington is eager to blame the Kellers—but after an attack leaves Nicole’s grandmother in a coma, only Nicole can clear the family name. With the assistance of police chief Rich Hendricks, she stands a chance of solving the mystery . . . if she’s willing to accept Rich’s help. Nicole lost her policeman husband in the line of duty—getting close to another cop is too painful. But keeping her distance could be deadly.

WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT LEGACY OF LIES:
I’ve always been fascinated by social dynamics in a small town. Having lived in rural communities all my life, I’m intimately familiar with the unique politics involved. Crafting a story about the shadow cast over a town by its founding family came readily to me. I was particularly interested to explore the affect past sins and secrets can have on a tight-knit community and how the illusion of power is always trumped by the immutable laws of God.

We do reap what we sow, no matter how grand and invincible we imagine ourselves to be.

The scripture I used at the front of the book was Psalm 37:
10 – 11 from the NIV version of the Bible: A little while and the wicked will be no more; Though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

I comfort myself with these words quite often when I see the injustices in the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill Elizabeth Nelson writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith, earning her the tagline: Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth. She was delightfully astonished this year to receive the prestigious Carol Award in the Short Contemporary Suspense category for her 2009 release, Evidence of Murder. Jill speaks regularly at conferences, writer’s groups, library associations, and civic and church groups. When teaching classes for writers, she thrills to bring the Ahah! moment to her students as they make a new skill their own. Jill and her husband live in rural Minnesota where they raised four children and are currently enjoying their first grandchild. Visit Jill on the web at http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com for book giveaways, excerpts, and information.

A Prairie Christmas Collection

from Barbour Books
by Tracie Peterson, Deborah Raney, Tracey Bateman
and other favorite Christian authors

Settling the vast open prairies, weathering winter storms, and finding joy to celebrate during Christmas epitomizes the pioneer experience. In a unique collection of nine Christmas romances, Barbour Publishing brings readers A Prairie Christmas Collection where they can relive a prairie Christmas with all its challenge and delights as penned by multi-published authors, including Tracie Peterson and Deborah Raney. Featuring deckled-edge pages and a foil-stamped cover with fold-under flaps, the collection makes an ideal gift for the romance reader.

In this holiday romance collection, the warmth of Christmas will radiate new love from the high plains of Minnesota and Dakota Territory, across the rolling hills of Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, and down into the flats of Kansas. Filled with inspiration and faith, each story will become a treasure to be enjoyed again each year. Along with Peterson and Raney, other contributing authors include Tracey Bateman, Pamela Griffin, JoAnn A. Grote, Maryn Langer, Darlene Mindrup, Janet Spaeth and Jill Stengl.

For more information see Deborah Raney's website at www.deborahraney.com.