Writing to Praise
By Mary Manners
I will
praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
~ Psalm 86:12 ~
Often during the course of conversation the inevitable
question arises, “How long have you been writing?” Well, I’m quick to respond
that I was born this way…with a pencil in my hand.
I cannot remember a time when I didn’t write. In fact, my
earliest memory consists of me sitting on the floor beside the washing machine
in my family’s laundry room and scribbling (I didn’t yet know how to read or
form words, but I could certainly scratch across the paper) because I had a
story in my head that just had to come out and be shared.Since that day, I have never stopped writing. To me, writing is as essential to life as breathing. I am convinced that, prior to the use of my trusty laptop, I killed a forest of trees on my quest to record all of the stories woven through my brain and my heart.
My life journey has led me to many destinations, including a three-decade career in education. I first spent several years working with special needs children before settling into teaching middle school math (go figure…the writer teaching algebra and loving it) and am currently seated as an intermediate school principal with six-hundred adorable and rambunctious children in my care. Add to that a loyal husband and beautiful daughter, and to say I juggle daily responsibilities is a gross understatement. But, what’s life without a boxcar’s worth of adventure tossed into the mix?
So, when do I manage to write? I pen my stories in the
morning, when the rest of the world is sleeping and at night…when the rest of
the world is sleeping. My official work day begins at six-thirty, so I wake at
three to write. My day-job ends at five (on a good day) and I’m happy to say my
husband loves football so following a daily walk together and then dinner, I
write while he yells at the TV. We have fun while we make it work and I’m
blessed by his support.
All joking aside, God has been good to me and I pray that my
writing glorifies Him. Each of my stories is based on a Bible verse, and I
strive to share the message of hope and grace in all I write. Does that mean my
characters never struggle? No. Does it mean they are human? Yes (um, really…they
are). Does it mean through God all things are possible? Yes, I truly believe it
is so.
So, I write and I will continue writing as long as I am
breathing. After all, the two go hand-in-hand.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mary Manners is an award-winning
romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee
with her husband Tim and daughter Danni, and the cherished cats they've
rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus. She loves flavored coffee
and Smoky Mountain sunsets.
Mary was named Author of the Year
by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths,
from short stories to novels—something for everyone.
Learn more about Mary Manners at
her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
| Broken dreams...shattered
hearts...a special recipe... Following the tragic, sudden death of her parents, Kate Spencer broke off her engagement from high school sweetheart Logan Daniels, just weeks before their wedding. She chose, instead, to remain in Mount Ridge, Tennessee to raise her younger sisters and help keep the family together. Now, with her sisters grown, she spends her days at family-owned Sweet Treats Bakery, hiding a wounded heart in the sweet confections she creates. Logan Daniels left town when Kate broke his heart, but now he's come home to claim what he lost four years ago, and he won't stop until he gets what he came for...Kate's kisses. |
