Lemons or Lemonade...Writing Through Adversity by Mary Manners

Are you a lemon or a lemonade sort of person? I think most writers, as least those who are in it for the long haul, develop skills that allow them to turn their lemons into lemonade. You see, we writers pen stories filled with close-knit families, life-long friends, and happily-ever-after's. But real-life isn't always that way. Sometimes the car stalls, you have a spat with your best friend, it rains on a wedding day, or someone you trusted betrays you.

Those times are when it's most important to remember the reason you became a writer. If you're like me, writing is a love, a passion...a safe haven. It's a sane place to go when the world around me becomes less-than-sane. That said, it's easy to let the storms of life detract from what needs to be accomplished. Don't get swept up in them. Hang on and know that however rough the storm may be, God is in control and you will get through it to safe shores.

So when adversity strikes take those lemons and turn them into lemonade. Write the next chapter. Turn those experiences into wisdom and keep writing. Make lists and stick to them, if it helps. Be tenacious and protect your time. Think of writing like eating and breathing. Then write some more. Soon the clouds will break, the sun will shine again, and the lemonade you made is sure, in the end, to be delicious.

~~~~~

Veiled Gems

LILA BROOKS BELIEVES IN HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER FOR EVERYONE BUT HERSELF...

She coaxes her dream of opening a wedding shop into reality when she commissions Morgan Holt to transform a run-down Victorian house into an all-inclusive bridal boutique, Diamond Knot Dreams. Clover Cove’s residents have whispered that the house is filled with spirits, but superstitions have no place in Lila's life.

Morgan Holt spent the better part of his youth transplanted from one foster home to another. Separated from his older brother, Gunnar, at an early age, they’re reunited shortly after Morgan’s arrival to Clover Cove. But the last thing Morgan wants is to trust his heart again to a family—or a woman as beautiful as Lila Brooks. He has plans to finish work on the Victorian and then ride off into the sunset, a move he’s perfected over the years.

Soon Lila and Morgan have a chance at their own Happily Ever After, but will events from the past destroy their future?

~~~~~

Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and their rescue dog Axel, mischievous cats Colby and Rascal, 8 rambunctious chickens, and 13 fish.

Mary writes stories full of faith and hope. Her books have earned multiple accolades including two Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold, the Heart of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

Mary loves long sunrise runs, Smoky Mountain sunsets, and flavored coffee. She enjoys connecting with reader friends through her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

Moses's Ad-Lib Routine by Peter Leavell

“Mr. Leavell, I don’t know if I should write! Has God called me to write?”

The God of Abraham, Moses, and King David is your God, too.

No pressure.

I mean, it’s not like God wants you to create a real universe, but you are to serve—we truly want to serve—but how?

Because figures in the Bible showed God their faith by doing…what? Creating a nation? Leading that nation to the promised land?

What are you called to do? Have your first child in your 9th decade? Write a work comparable to the Pentateuch while listening to the complaints of over 1,000,000 people on an extended camping trip?

Like I said, no pressure.

It’s lovely to hear that God’s on our side and wonderful to know His power, but these stories are hard to translate into action. Why?

We don’t really know exactly what we’re called to do. Called to be, maybe. However, not many of us had a prophet of God tell us we’re the next King or Queen of anything. Are you kidding? I can barely convince anyone to put the seat down after going to the bathroom.

Moses~Envato

In fact, preachers explain predestination and expound on knowing God’s will. But reading the Bible, I get the idea that the characters are kind of making it up as they go while getting vague directions from angels/prophets/God. For example, God in a burning bush telling Moses to free His people was a rough outline—there was a TON of ad-lib Moses was going to need to do. No wonder the he was nervous.

You asked an important question at the beginning of this blog. That’s the right question.

Past is predestination. Future is free will. And I’m stuck in the middle with you.

So…what? How then shall we find our way?

—Read the Bible until you know it back to front. I’d love to hear your excuse why you’re not doing this, because it’s invalid.

—T.S. Eliot claimed the great maxim of the Greeks—'Know Thyself.' Learn who you are, what you like, what your skills are. They’re gifts. Use them. Enhance them with prejudice.

—T. S. Eliot also claimed at the end of his life that it’s not so much ‘Know Thyself.’ Rather, it’s ‘Know Thy God.’ If those words don’t move you, I can do nothing more.

—Don’t sin.

—Is there a path for you? Indeed. Are you sure to know what it is? Not really. Not until it’s over. You know ALL the verses. But I’ll tell you a secret. Even the most God fearing, successful people are making this up as they go. That’s the Spirit for you, helping, prompting, directing. But not all of it. Not everything. It wouldn’t be called faith if you knew everything.

So, ask me again. “Mr. Leavell, has God called me to write?”

If you ask the question, what do you think the answer is? You’re asking because it’s a desire of your heart. A prompting.

So, go write. With everything you've got!

The end.

Am I called to write? YES! Could it be that easy? #seriouslywrite #writerslife @peterleavell

Is God calling me to be a writer? #seriouslywrite #writerslife @peterleavell

Past is predestination. Future is free will. And I'm stuck in the middle with you. So should I be a writer? #seriouslywrite #writerslife @peterleavell

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history and currently enrolled in the University's English Lit Graduate program, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. A novelist, blogger, teacher, ghostwriter, jogger, biker, husband and father, Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com.