Writing Through the Storm
By Mary Manners
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..."
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
I recently heard a quote by former Lady Vols Coach Pat Head Summitt about perseverance. She said, "You can't always control what happens in your life, but you can control how you react to it." Those profound words hit home for me.
Recently, my life has been bombarded by unexpected events. My mom has been battling an illness that is slowly taking her life. My mother-in-law is currently hospitalized with complications from a heart catheterization and complications due to diabetes and congestive heart failure. My daughter has begun a new job hours away that has limited her ability to come home and I miss her. My husband also just began a new job and his work schedule is challenging. One of these events might be considered difficult, but together they present a maelstrom.
How have I coped? By reading more, studying the Word more, and turning to my Savior for guidance. I also cope by writing. Yes, it is often daunting to focus on my work-in-progress, but escaping to my writing bubble offers a sense of calm amid the storm. I have, in fact, learned to write through the storms of life. There is no perfect time to write...simply time carved from a brain-bending schedule.
So, the next time the storms of life take you by surprise, take heart, dance (or write, or read) on and trust that those storms will surely pass.
~~~~~
When Caroline flees Chicago
following the brutal murder of her husband, the last thing she expects—or
wants—is to fall for Matt Carlson, a builder with strong roots in the small
town of Mountainview, Tennessee. She needs to focus on raising her six-year-old
daughter and protecting both their hearts from ever being shattered again.
Matt is struggling with issues of his own…guilt over the death of his wife and the responsibility of raising a cynical teenaged nephew who is dropped on his doorstep, abandoned by Matt's alcoholic sister. He doesn't have time to fall in love, yet he can't help being drawn to the woman who is ready to defend her home—and her daughter—with nothing more than a feisty attitude and a broom handle.
Can Matt's help and friendship convince Caroline to trust again…and when Caroline's daughter goes missing, will Matt be able to find the girl before it's too late and he loses everything he loves…again?
Matt is struggling with issues of his own…guilt over the death of his wife and the responsibility of raising a cynical teenaged nephew who is dropped on his doorstep, abandoned by Matt's alcoholic sister. He doesn't have time to fall in love, yet he can't help being drawn to the woman who is ready to defend her home—and her daughter—with nothing more than a feisty attitude and a broom handle.
Can Matt's help and friendship convince Caroline to trust again…and when Caroline's daughter goes missing, will Matt be able to find the girl before it's too late and he loses everything he loves…again?
~~~~~
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.
