Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Reasons Why The English Language Is Difficult To Learn

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

And don't forget:
22. That depends on what the meaning of the word is is.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday: Cheryl's Writing Advice

Some writers just don't recognize this one crucial aspect regarding why they aren't improving, growing or selling: If you keep writing new material and are mature enough to recognize that you didn't know it all three/ five/ ten years ago, your writing actually improves.

A writer has to grow into their voice.
It's developed. It takes work, effort, time and a lot of crappy throw-away pages. A writer can't actually edit their "voice" in to the pages. I didn't know I even had a voice until my first wonderful God-bless-her editor said I had a Hemmingway style. I wrote it down and then had to figure out what she meant. Put simply (ha): I don't write flowery or beat around the bush. It's kind of like me in person. If there's a simple way to say it or do it, that's what I do.

Trust your instincts on what feels right for you and in developing a story the way you want to see it play out. Underneath the plot are the relationship and the emotions, and that's what you must convey to get readers to connect. Feel the emotion to convey it. Take sufficient time with your story people and their emotional journey.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Today's Guest: Eileen Hinkle Rife


CHOSEN ONES
Eileen Hinkle Rife
Book Three in the Born for India trilogy
OakTara Publishing
March, 2011

"Healing words for hurting hearts," is how Eileen Rife describes her books. Whether through fiction or nonfiction, Eileen wants readers to come away with love that extends beyond themselves, faith that can see the impossible, and hope that endures against all odds.

As a child, Eileen loved writing and telling stories. Walking to school every morning, she created characters, then talked to them as she ambled down the road, which was often her way of dealing with grief and loss. After the death of her brother, Eileen learned to empathize with the underdog. Many of Eileen's stories revolve around issues that many find difficult to talk about—death, homosexuality, sex trafficking. Through her characters, she offers readers an opportunity to draw close, peel back the layers of their own hearts, and examine what lies within.

And added to the mix—romance, always a romance around one corner or another!

An alumna of Christian Writers Guild and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Eileen has published several non-fiction books, written newsletters, a marriage column, and over ten church dramas. Her byline has appeared in magazines, such as Discipleship Journal, Marriage Partnership, Mature Living, Christian Home & School, Drama Ministry, and ParentLife, as well as other print and online publications. Her fiction works include Journey to Judah, Restored Hearts, and Chosen Ones in the Born for India trilogy released by OakTara.  She and husband, Chuck, a licensed professional counselor and marriage/family therapist conduct marriage seminars for churches and organizations in the States as well as overseas. They have three married children and six grandchildren, all serving the Lord in mission work.   

Visit Eileen: 

 A couple in crisis.
A child taken captive.

Life in Chennai, India is complicated. While Maggie and Gavin Munsfield adjust to a new baby, missionary friends Dan and Yvonne Pratt experience the heartbreak of infertility and miscarriage. When their lives intersect with a young girl caught up in the horrors of sex trafficking, each of them will receive a precious gift. But will they find it in their hearts to accept an outcome so different than what they expected and hoped for?

“Highlights what may be the worst human rights violation in the 21st century—human trafficking.”  - Barbara Everett, Director, Destiny Rescue USA, Inc

“A shocking portrait of a tragic, real-life crime in order to bring hope and healing to those who suffer from sexual abuse.”  - Dr. Tim Clinton, President, American Association of Christian Counseling

“Captures the flavor of India and ‘speaks up for those who cannot speak for themselves.’” – Betty Anne Bantz, author, Secrets of the Heart series


 Thank you for the update on your newest book, Eileen!

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Wanna smooch now?

My grandpa used to say, "It would be easier to make a new one than to clean this one up."