Lil’s Life Lessons

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 EVERYBODY’S INSECURE!!

I’ve wasted a lot of time in my life feeling insecure about myself!

And what a waste it was!

That insecurity took many forms: shyness–feeling bad about myself–not willing to put myself out there–building up walls…and the list could go on and on.

This is a lesson I learned from my husband!

Don’t get me wrong–I’m sure he has his own insecurities but he ignores them. He’s never too busy to talk with others, share his life, or make them laugh. And these are people he doesn’t even know!  When I first started dating him, I was amazed at how willing and open he was to share with others–strangers.  As I watched, I saw all sort of people from all sorts of walks of life open up and share back with him.

I saw their faces light up in delight as someone noticed them–maybe for the first time that day!

Slowly, I came to the realization.

EVERYBODY’S INSECURE!  None of us get through this life without picking up some baggage all the way except for may the narcissist!  That baggage can drag us down. That baggage can isolate us. But it doesn’t have to!

When you’re in a social situation and you feel those insecurities swimming up to the surface, take your foot and push them back down where they belong and know that everyone else you’re looking at is dealing with their own insecurities, but you can’t see theirs.

But make no mistake they have them!

So… ignore yours and go make a point to make someone else feel more comfortable in that moment.

Before long, it will become a wonderful habit!

You’ll feel more connected to others and if nothing else you’ll feel good when you make someone else smile!

LIFE LESSONS FROM LIL

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I’m a writer! That means I use words to process my ideas, my thoughts my emotions and my life experiences!
And lucky you, I want to share my words with YOU!

We all know we learn from our mistakes!
So, WOW!! I’ve learned a lot in my 57 years! I’ve made more mistakes than I care to admit but the truth is the truth and if I can share some of them with my readers from time to time in hopes of saving you from making the same stupid mistakes, then I will gladly do that!

Jesus used parables to teach his followers godly truths and principles. He knew that a good story could teach his followers without them having to experience all the pain and problems of going through the experience themselves . That’s my goal as well.

In other words, learn from MY mistakes!

TODAY’S LESSON:  SICKNESS DOES NOT HAVE TO EQUAL SELFISHNESS!

I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing makes us more selfish than being sick or injured for an extended time. We become consumed with our needs. What we want–when we want it–how we want it! It seems reasonable at the time–after all, we’re the one suffering. Why shouldn’t the people around us cater to us–to our needs–to our problems?

But really?

The problem is the more focused we become on our problems, the more focused we become on our problems!

And that is not a good thing!  If the only thing we think about is our problems, then they get bigger and BIGGER and BIGGER!

My advice–each day find a way to do something nice for someone else! It truly will make you feel better!

Take a minute away from your own misery to add a smile to someone else’s life!

THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP

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Today’s post is part of an ongoing blog hop called THE NEXT BIG THING. The purpose is to talk about the NEXT project you’re working on rather than promoting a book already published. At the end of the post you will find the next blogs in the blog hop. Check them out now and next week when the post the answers to the questions.
What is the working title of your book?
BETRAYED.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Actually, it’s the second in my Sisters By Choice series. The first was DECEPTION. This is a follow-up story with one of the characters from DECEPTION.
What genre does your book fall under?
Romantic suspense with more emphasis on the suspense but still plenty of romance as well.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Angelina Jolie would be great for Maria. For her love interest, I’m seeing Richard Gere or Mark Harmon.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
All a terrified mother wants to do is give her daughter a happy normal childhood, but the nightmare
isn’t over–her dead husband just called from the grave
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My publisher is HarbourLight Books, a division of Pelican Books.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took longer than it should. I ended up with a 3-month writer’s block in the middle of writing it.  Along with that my husband had a triple by-pass–maybe that’s where the writer’s block came from. Either way, I would say it took about 7 months–much longer than normal.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Maria is the wife of the terrorist from DECEPTION. As I wrote Deception, I kept wondering what kind of woman would be married to a terrorist and that was the beginning of the story.
The next stop on THE NEXT BIG THINK blog hop is Terri Nightswonger and you can find her blog at:   http://terrinighswonger.blogspot.com/  Don’t forget to stop there next week!
God Bless and Good Reading!

Writer Of The Day–Cheri Swallell

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My writer of the day is Cheri Swalwell, a wife, mother, and avid reader, but first and foremost she is a Christ follower. She has a degree in Psychology and has been blessed to be a guest on a variety of blogs including Christiandevotions.us, Circle of Friends, and Crosswalk.com/family. She is a regular contributor to book fun magazine. If you want to hear more about the heart she has for marriage, parenting, and relationships from a Christian perspective, feel free to “like” her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/cheri-Swalwell. She loves to interact with her readers, so she would love to connect at clSwalwell99@gmail.com.

And without further ado, Here’s Cheri….

 

Thank you so much for the privilege of being a guest on Tiaras and Tennis Shoes.  I would love to share with you today about my devotional, A 40 Day Habit Between Friends: Taking it to the Next Level, that released in November 2012 on Amazon.

This book originally began as various posts for a blog that I created in October 2011.  When I started receiving such positive feedback and someone suggested I take the posts and turn them into a devotional, the idea was born and God graciously opened the doors to allow it to happen.  Below is a portion of the very first post that was created for the blog while I was hanging out laundry, thinking about the suffering of some of my friends. I pray it will touch your life and you will want to read the whole devotional.

Give or Allow?

James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Quite a few of my friends lately have been going through some really rough times. I mean, real, gut-wrenching, ‘don’t want to get out of bed’ struggles.

I overheard someone tell one of them, “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” Even though that message was meant to encourage, I personally couldn’t agree with that statement, and here’s why. That implies that God is the one giving us the bad times, the hardships, the pain; and the God that I know and have come to believe in doesn’t do that.

Instead, I like to think in terms of this sentence, “God doesn’t allow more than we can handle.” That statement conjures up an image of God and Satan fighting head to head; Satan and his cronies being the ones that are trying to make life miserable and God only allowing them to go so far before He steps in and says, “Enough is enough.”

 

For the rest of Give or Allow, as well as thirty nine additional inspirational devotions, feel free to go to: http://www.amazon.com/40-Day-Habit-Between-Friends/dp/1481033069/ref=&tag= cheswaficfrot-20* for easy ordering. 

*Affiliate Notice:  If you purchase my book through the above link, I will receive a small commission. Thank you ahead of time

SHORT BLURB:

Do you ever feel like life is out of control and you just need a chance to stop and catch your breath? If you wrestle with questions such as fear versus faith or how to find balance in such a fast paced society, then A 40 Day Habit Between Friends: Taking it to the Next Level is a great solution.  Get ready to relax with a series of forty devotionals taken from the author’s blogs where she just talks to you, friend to friend, about life’s challenges with a spiritual perspective.  It’s small enough to fit in your purse or briefcase, great to give to a friend who needs some encouragement, and reasonably priced so you can pick one up for yourself at the same time.   Available at amazon.com.

 

Talk about talented!

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The very talented Christine Lindsay is my guest blogger today. Not only is she a published author but she also creates book covers, including her own. Let’s hear what she has to say…..

One of the advantages of working with a small and new press is that they often work with the authors to create the front covers. With writing and art fixed on the same side of the brain, writers are often visual artists as well, as I am and so is my publisher. But the MOST FUN I ever had in my life has been in helping WhiteFire create the front covers of my first two books with them.

It all started out when WhiteFire emailed me with pictures of models they thought would fit my character in Book 1 of my series, Twilight of the British Raj. Book 1 Shadowed in Silk had a character by the name of Abby Fraser.As I looked at the model’s photos, they reminded me of my birth-daughter, Sarah, the child I had relinquished to adoption when she was three days old and whom I was reunited with 20 years later. I sent them photos of Sarah, and WhiteFire thought she was beautiful, so that’s what started my deep involvement in my own covers.

This also allowed me to use the sari silk that I had purchased in India on a writing missions trip for the cover. So I hired a photographer and we did the photo-shoot in my home. My birth-daughter Sarah was delighted to help. I put together two costumes for that cover—a western one and an eastern sari. I borrowed the straw-boater hat from a lady at church, and bought the skirt and blouse at a thrift shop. The jewelry was handed down to me from a great-aunt, and was actually from the Titanic era.

Here are some of the photos we took that day.

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Christine Lindsay

I sent those photos to my publisher as well as photos taken in India during my missions trip which they used as backdrop. And here is the final result of that book cover, back and front.

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Then Book 2 came along. And I asked if my daughter—the girl my husband and I have—could be the next model on Captured by Moonlight.

After seeing Lana’s photo, WhiteFire was delighted to have me do the front cover for that novel. Now the main character in Captured by Moonlight is Laine Harkness—who in no way is anything to do with my daughter, Lana. I just liked the names.

WhiteFire with my suggestions had a dress designed for the cover by Jordan Newhouse to fit the year 1922. My editor at WhiteFire, Roseanna White, chose the background which she purchased from iStock. The back cover was a photo I had purchased for the book trailer for Shadowed in Silk, and we used it for this book too by adjusting the color.

Here is  the final results of that shoot.

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I forgot to add the links to purchasing the books for any of your readers if you
would add that to the end of the post.

My website is www.christinelindsay.com

Book
Link for Shadowed in Silk   Ebook is only $4.02

Book Link for Captured by Moonlight  Ebook released Feb. 15, Printed paperback comes out May 15,
2013.

Thanks, Christine for sharing your creative process with the rest of us.

GIVEAWAY GALORE!

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This is an amazing giveaway with more than $2000 in prizes to celebrate the launch of Crossreads. Be sure to scroll to the end of this article to enter the Crossreads Rafflecopter Giveaway.

Crossreads is a new site that you will love whether you’re a writer or a reader! Staci Stallings is one of  the brains behind the scenes and this isn’t her first  project. She does numerous activities to promote Christian books and the people who write them. Staci follows God’s principle of doing good to tohers. In return, God has blessed her writing career.

Staci Stallings is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.

Come over on Feb. 12-14, and enter to win one of 169 virtual baskets of ebooks, gift cards, and other prizes!

Click here to enter
the CrossReads Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winners are….

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I’m sorry this is a week late posting but I’ve been sick. But I’m feeling better now and so the winners Amazon gift cards in my BLOG CRAZY CONTEST ARE:

$20 winner

Karen 5026

$10 winners:

readrand

Pat Dyer

$5 winners:

Supporting Godly Women

joeym11

Faithfulacreshomestead

Jackie Layton

Holly Michael

ekjerkyforthesoul

Robert daugherty

Lee Carver

To claim your prize, email me at lduncan512@aol.com.  That way I have your valid email address to send the Amazon Gift card. Thanks for following my blogs.

 

God Bless and Good Reading.

And the winners are….

Leave a comment

I’m sorry this is a week late posting but I’ve been sick. But I’m feeling better now and so the winners Amazon gift cards in my BLOG CRAZY CONTEST ARE:

$20 winner

Karen 5026

$10 winners:

readrand

Pat Dyer

$5 winners:

Supporting Godly Women

joeym11

Faithfulacreshomestead

Jackie Layton

Holly Michael

ekjerkyforthesoul

Robert daugherty

Lee Carver

To claim your prize, email me at lduncan512@aol.com.  That way I have your valid email address to send the Amazon Gift card. Thanks for following my blogs.

 

God Bless and Good Reading.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

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Today’s WRITER OF THE DAY is H. L Wegley. His debut novel, HIDE AND SEEK, recently released. If you love suspense, thrillers, and romance, then this is the book for you! I enjoyed it!!  And he’s giving away an ecopy of the book. All you need to do is leave a comment and you’re in the drawing for the free ecopy of the book. How easy is that???

H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. He is a Meteorologist who worked as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics at Pacific Northwest Laboratories. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he worked more than two decades as a Systems Programmer at Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 46 years enjoy small-group ministry, their seven grandchildren, and where he pursues his love of writing.

Let’s take a look at the FIRST LINES:

6:00 a.m. Saturday, March 18

Never practice unwise behavior.

Lee Brandt made that vow as a teenager the same year he swore off dating. Now, here he was thirteen years later parked on a secluded road with a member of the opposite sex.

I really hate irony.

He glanced at the woman sitting in the driver’s seat. Jennifer Akihara was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. She was also the most intelligent. Most guys would die to be sitting here on this Western-Washington mountain road with Jennifer. When he glanced into the passenger-side mirror, it appeared likely that he would.

A vehicle slowed on the highway, and a blast of air left his lungs.

Jennifer’s gaze froze on the rearview mirror and she gasped.

Those lights had pursued them most of the night.

The vehicle turned towards them.

That sent his heart racing.

In an instant, their dead-end hideout turned into a trap.

Jennifer cut the engine and Lee took her hand. Despite the rising panic, awareness of their first touch etched an indelible mark in his memory.

So, what do you think? Definitely intriguing. And that’s just the start of the action!

What’s your favorite type of book to read? Suspense? Romance? A little of both? Don’t forget to leave a comment if you want to win the book! Winner will be chosen on Sunday, Feb. 10!

God Bless and Good Reading!