Year End Review by Susan Tuttle

Christmas has passed, and the New Year has started! I love this time of year. For as fast as it seems to blow by, there’s also a sense of slowing down and surrounding yourself with family and friends. Great memories are made as we enjoy one another’s presence, look to our past year, and contemplate our future.

 

And that’s exactly my challenge for todayJ Writer friends, take a moment to look at the goals you set for 2016. How many did you meet? How many did you miss? And if you did miss some, were they realistic to begin with or did procrastination get the best of you? Be honest! Then readjust for this year as needed. 2017 is a brand new slate, so take what you learned from 2016 and apply it.

 

Most of all, don’t forget to celebrate your successes—big or small! And have a very happy New Year friendsJ

 

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.

 

Secrets to Writing the Powerful Pitch by Molly Jebber

UPDATE: Hi, Molly's fans! The hostesses at Seriously Write love having you visit. However, it's our policy that we do not host a giveaway or take comments as entries. I'm sure Molly would be happy to direct you to another site to enter her drawing. Thanks for reading her post and for understanding!

It's a new year and maybe, for you, the beginning of a new story or proposal. If you have difficulty creating that pitch sentence or paragraph, author Molly Jebber has some advice to make it easier. -- Sandy

Molly: Having trouble writing your “elevator” pitch?

Determine your external and internal conflict for your heroine and hero. What has happened in their past to cause them not to trust or maybe they are afraid of commitment. Why? What will keep them from having their happily ever after? 

In Two Suitors for Anna, adventurous Noah proposes marriage to Anna and insists they leave their community to experience living in another Amish location. She loves her family, friends, and job in the quilt shop. He takes her hesitation as rejection and leaves. Daniel arrives and offers friendship to Anna. She’s falling in love with him, when Noah returns and asks for forgiveness and another chance. She’s torn. Who will she choose?

Anna, Noah, and Daniel face family, trust, and many other issues and problems to make things worse before they get better to show you their fears, weaknesses, and strengths molded by their pasts. When you have your external and internal conflicts for your hero and heroine, use them to write a two paragraph pitch you would give to an agent or editor or bookstore manager. If you struggle with it, you don’t have a strong enough conflict for your main characters. Deepen the impact of their past event causing them to have a trust issue. Now what will keep them apart? A job? Location? Children or no children? These are just a few examples.

I wrote my pitch for Two Suitors for Anna right after I’d determined my external and internal conflicts. I worked with the paragraphs to strengthen them for about an hour, and then I left it alone for a day or two. I rewrote it again, saved it, and created my outline. When my pitch is strong, I don’t experience writer’s block while writing my outline and story.  

It took me time to get to this place in my writing journey! I hope this helps you. My goal is to share with you what has worked for me in eliminating frustration and discouragement while writing my story. Wishing you an exciting writing journey and much success!    

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

How do you go about creating your elevator pitch? What do you find most difficult about it?

 ~~~~~~

Molly Jebber writes Amish Historical Romances. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s HEA
column, and “Change of Heart” made Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Ten List in spring of 2015, and her books have received 4.5 star ratings from Romantic Times. She’s on Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll and she receives rave reviews in numerous magazines and media across the country.
She’s a touring speaker for Women’s Christian Connection, and she speaks to many other groups about Amish history and their traditions, writing, marketing, publishing, and about her books.
Her keepsake pocket quilt series, “Change of Heart”, “Grace’s Forgiveness” and “The Amish Christmas Sleigh” are available in print in stores and in ebook formats. “Two Suitors for Anna” releases January 31, 2017, and “Amish Brides” releases May 31, 2017 in stores and ebook. She’s just signed a new contract for four new books! Visit www.mollyjebber.com for a complete list of her books and speaking events.

Tears in a Bottle by Laura V. Hilton


The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:6

Laura V. Hilton

The winter months start a whole slew of birthdays and anniversaries in my family. My uncle was born near Thanksgiving, two aunts’ birthdays and mine are in December, two anniversaries—my parents and my husband’s and mine in December—a grandfather’s birthday, a grandmother’s birthday and my middle daughter’s birthday in January….

I woke up this morning, and the first thought that came to me was “Today is December 30. Happy birthday, Aunt Leota!” Aunt Leota has gone on to glory almost thirty years ago, but she is still remembered.

And that made me think about my heritage. Uncle Lundy and Aunt Leota used to go on mission trips to countries in South America (generally, Brazil, but maybe one or two others) when I was a small child. They brought back hand-woven purses and ponchos for my sister and I, native dolls for us, and a whole bunch of stories about their experiences and how they were able to help build houses for people, or build a church, or how they witnessed to so many people while they worked.

It makes it all the more amazing when you think that this uncle was the firstborn son of my Ex-Amish grandparents. Neither of my grandparents were saved when they left the Amish, my grandfather dabbled in various religions (none of them Christian) trying to get away from the Amish ‘god’ he was raised with. A god that was demanding and not loving, a god that took and didn’t give. He was saved on his deathbed. My grandmother had a long road until she discovered the goodness and grace and mercy of God and was saved—my uncle, aunt, and mother were all young adults by then—and they were saved in the same tent meeting as my grandmother.

And that made me think of my uncle. A more godly man than most. I loved him like crazy. Admired him for his missions’ work, his devotion to God and the church, his support of missionaries and preachers, and the way he led his family in devotions and prayer.

But before he was saved, he lived like the world. He made decisions that broke his mama’s heart. He got a bad reputation, and good girls were warned to stay away from him.

But God…

And because of God, because of His loving kindness, mercy, and grace for my family He reached down, drew my family to Him, and as a result I was born into a family that loved God. That worshiped and adored Him. That lived to serve Him. I accepted Christ as my Savior at a very young age. I strive to raise my children with the same values, with the same heritage, with the same love of God.

Satan wants the first born, because he knows that belongs to God. My oldest son, named after my missionary-minded uncle and my dad who was called into the ministry, has been claimed by the devil. He is living a life that probably would rival my uncle’s before he was saved. Maybe even worse, since I’m not sure drugs were readily available all those long years ago. He is breaking my heart. I’ve prayed and prayed. I’ve talked to him. Dragged him to church. Had other minister friends talk to him. Nothing seems to reach him. Not even losing his vehicle, losing jobs, and spending time in jail.

The Bible also says in Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV):  Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Today I am clinging to that promise. I don’t know what will happen with my son in the next year. The way things are looking, it will be more jail time. But God meets people in jail. And maybe, someday, when he reaches the bottom, God will reach out to my son and he will reach back and embrace Him with all his heart and all his soul and all his mind—and live up to his family heritage.

If you are facing a heartbreaking situation in your own life, due to your decisions or to your child’s, or even your spouse’s, then know that God cares. He hears you. He loves you. And He will give you strength.

Psalm 56:8 (NKJV) You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?

About the Author

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and three of their children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom, and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. Laura also has two adult children.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series withWhitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Bird House in September 2015. See below for information on Laura's latest, The Amish Firefighter. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.

Connect with Laura
http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit her blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ &http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Laura_V_Hilton or@Laura_V_Hilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ver

Amish Firefighter
by Laura V. Hilton

A Beautiful Young Woman Banished from Home
Abigail Stutzman thought it was bad enough being dropped at the nearest bus station and sent to live several states away with some relatives she'd never heard about, much less met. But now, just a week after her arrival in Jamesport, Missouri, she finds herself at the scene of a barn fire. An intentional barn fire. And all fingers are pointed at her. She's desperate to prove her innocence and protect her reputation, but nobody's making that easy to do. And God certainly doesn't seem willing to help.

A Brave Firefighter with an Agenda of His Own
Sam Miller is in the process of turning over a new leaf. Determined to atone for the follies of his past, he is a volunteer firefighter, an EMT, and a doctor-in-training. When local barn fires escalate, everyone suspects arson. And since the Miller family are among the victims, no one is more determined to see the perpetrators brought to justice than Sam.

A Kindled Flame Neither One Could Have Anticipated
When their paths first cross, at the site of a barn burning, the emotional intensity rivals the warmth of the flames. Soon, they must decide whether this fire is one they should feed or extinguish. And they'll discover that the truth can prove more dangerous than a blazing inferno.

Journaling Hope by Annette M. Irby

Happy New Year 2017 banner on blue with stars and ornaments*

Happy New Year, dear friends! 

The new year can bring so much hope, can’t it? My personality tends to vacillate between glass half-full and glass half-empty, but at the new year, I’m a glass half-full thinker all the way! 

Like many of you, no doubt, I’ve seen that some years are much harder than others. If you’re coming out of a challenging year, I pray you’ll grab on to hope that God is at work on your behalf. Recently, during a supremely challenging season, I held on to the following truths about God. I journaled about them, writing them out. Reminding myself. They seem simple, but the following phrases were a lifeline for me. If you need encouragement right now, I pray these encourage you. 

1. God sees. 
2. God knows. 
3. God cares. 
4. God is working on my behalf. 

First, God sees. Maybe you’ve suffered injustice. God saw that. Maybe you’re patiently waiting for your breakthrough. God has seen your patience. Perhaps you’ve prayed unceasing about your situation. God saw that too. What’s more—He honors those prayers and your patience. 

Second, God knows. Not only does He witness what happens in our lives, He understands how those situations relate to us. He knows us. Intimately. He knows our situations. He is not unaware or uninformed. We don’t even have to express it—all that pain or anger—though we can put it into words, if we want. (Raise your hand if you journal like I do. Writing is cathartic, isn’t it?) 

Third, not only does God see and know, He cares. Deeply. Because He can see the impact of those hurtful things in our lives, and He knows how those hardships hit us personally, He has compassion. In fact, in my experience (both at salvation and so many times since) He is moved by that compassion. He can’t help Himself. He rescues. If you write out the list on this blog in your journal, feel free to add: God rescues. He loves to rescue. And whether our pride likes it or not, we all need rescuing at times. Jesus is the Redeemer. He is satisfied (His work is His food—see John 4) in rescuing, redeeming, saving. This truth—God cares—got me through that aforementioned season. I kept telling myself: God sees; He knows. He cares. And… 

Fourth, God is working on my behalf. Oh, if I didn’t believe this I’d be lost. The tricky part is we can’t always see Him working, so we feel we aren’t seen. That God doesn’t care. That God doesn’t know. We have to remind ourselves of our list. You know what… I need to amend my list. Here’s my new list: 

1. God sees. 
2. God knows. 
3. God cares. 
4. God is working on my behalf. 
5. God rescues. 

I can say that because He rescued me and others from that situation I mentioned. In fact, He did the impossible in order do so. Just ask. Like the characters we write about, sometimes we need to get through a situation. Sometimes we need rescuing out of a situation. What do you need? When Jesus walked the earth, He asked a certain question as recorded in the gospels a few times: What do you want Me to do for you? Try journaling your answer to that question. God likes to both place desires in our hearts and then answer them, fulfill them. (see Ps. 37:4) 

Do you need hope today? Try pondering this list. Perhaps write it out. Pray through it. See what God shows you. I’m thinking a year from now, you may see how He has shown up in your situation. My journaling review showed a stark contrast between the depths of that situation and following His rescue. 

Until God manifests His work, hang on to hope. Don’t let go, even if the cord frays. The more you entertain hope, the stronger that cord that’s holding you will become, until it’s strong enough to pull you up and out of your situation. 

God is the God of hope. He will help. 

Have a blessed and hopeful new year, friends. 

Your turn: Have you journaled through a difficult situation? Do you treat your journal as a prayer tool? Do you write out God’s answers? How has a journaling review shown you changes from one season to another? 

~~~~~ 

Annette M. Irby

Annette M. Irby is a freelance editor and Christian fiction author who dabbles in gardening and photography. She has recently fallen in love with her grandson. She enjoys spending time with her family and husband of over twenty-five years. You can learn more about Annette by visiting her website or her page here on Seriously Write. 











* photo credit: the awesome people at Pixabay.