 The Importance of Spending Time With God (Guest post by the author) As a teacher, one thing I love about summer is the freedom to go on lunch dates with my friends. I enjoy trying new places and new foods. I look forward to spending time with the people I love. Needless to say, it can be a little disappointing when one of us has to cancel unexpectedly. Knowing how this makes me feel, I often wonder how God feels when we neglect to spend time with Him. I’ve been guilty of silently making the decision to spend more time with God and not following through. We were created for relationships and just as the other relationships in our lives require our attention, so does our relationship with God. In fact, your relationship with God is the most important relationship in your life. And it starts with transparency. If you truly desire a more intimate relationship with God, be honest with Him. Be honest about where you are right now, anything you may be struggling with, your desires, etc. He longs to hear from you, no matter how far away you’ve gotten. Not only does a real relationship require honesty, it also requires consistency. Seeking God on a daily basis increases your desire for Him as well as your understanding of His character. Through this relationship, God provides peace, joy, wisdom and contentment. If you’re having a hard time making the commitment to seek God, I encourage you to start with prayer. Before you even unlock your phone, begin your day by communicating with God. Let Him know you’re thankful. Talk to Him throughout the day and be intentional about guarding your heart. Incorporate worship music and God’s Word in your quiet time. It gives you fresh perspective and clarity at the start of your day. Make your time with God a priority. Just as you look forward to meeting with friends, God longs to meet with you as well. He is our source; the only one that can fulfill our every need. We were created to do life with Him. And apart from Him we simply wouldn’t thrive. Just as a beautiful flower must stay connected to its roots, we must also remain connected to our Father. He desires to spend time with you. Will you let Him in? “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 NLT  Author Bio: Jheralynne is a 23-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama where she studied Early Childhood Education and English. Jheralynne serves at her church and is also a small group leader. She has been a Christian since a very young age, but it wasn't until she got older that she realized her worth in Jesus Christ and truly began to know Him on a much deeper level. About the Book: No matter what your background is, what type of experiences you’ve had, or what mistakes you’ve made, your life is of significance. And regardless of what you may have grown to believe, God created you with a specific purpose in mind. Chosen For Such a Time as This was written to encourage and inspire single women, however, it addresses the issues that many women face today, no matter what their marital status is. This book places great emphasis on the truth that the most valuable relationship you can have is with our Creator. Through that relationship, we are made whole. This life is a journey that comes with blessings, frustrations, laughter and tears. Whether you are married or single, wholeness and contentment in Christ is essential. Despite the season you find yourself in, God has a plan for your life. And He can use you right where you are. Check out her blog! Check out Chosen on Amazon! Enter the giveaway! 
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 If you enjoy historical fiction, chances are you've heard of Sarah Sundin. And if you haven't, you're in for a real treat! Keep reading to enjoy a bit of Sundin's delightful humor, amazing writing advice, and her short-term imaginary friend (poor thing!) Sarah Sundin is the best-selling author of ten historical novels, including The Sea Before Us. Her novels When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award and won the INSPY Award. A mother of three, Sarah lives in California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups. Tell us a little about your younger self. When did you first start writing? Did you always know that you wanted to be an author? Like all avid readers, I considered it and dabbled with some stories—but I knew they weren’t any good. I also wanted to be a ballerina, a firefighter, and a protozoologist (studies one-celled protozoa)—which led me to study science and become a pharmacist. I didn’t start writing seriously until I was thirty-four. Did “The Sea Before Us” turn out how you thought it would? If not, what was different? Yes, it did. I write from an outline, so I don’t have plot surprises when writing. The surprises come in smaller ways—unplanned humor or compelling thoughts, a side character who takes on life, and thematic elements. Did you have any imaginary friends as a child? If so, tell us a little about him/her! At about the age of six, I decided I should have an imaginary friend because that’s what little girls did. So I tried, but I neglected the poor thing and I think she died of starvation. What do you find the hardest in finishing a book? Is it the writing process, the editing process, waiting to hear back from publishers, etc? The outlining process, specifically plotting, gives me the most headaches. I call it a smackdown wrestling match. All the scene ideas and character development ideas have to be placed in an order that makes an engaging plot structure—and also fit the timeline of actual historical events. If you could have lunch with any author, who would you choose? As a people-pleaser, I hate these questions, because I don’t want to leave anyone out! Also, one of the unforeseen benefits of joining the writing community is that I’ve met almost all of my favorite authors at writing conferences—and had lunch with them. Are you more of a coffee or tea person? Depends on the time of day. In the morning, I need the rude jolt of coffee. In the afternoon, I like tea—hot in the winter, iced in the summer (today’s is black tea with black currant). In the evening, just water so I can sleep. Do you write down story ideas as you think of them? If so, how many do you have written down/in your head? I’m not blessed with a lot of ideas—I say the Lord gives me only as many as I need. So when I have an idea, I grab onto it. In this phase, I make a lot of handwritten notes and throw them in a binder. Right now I only have three percolating ideas, all for my next contracted series. After that…she stares into the void and prays for the next idea. What is one thing about your MC that we might not know? There was a childhood incident when Wyatt’s younger brother Adler talked him into doing something rash, and Wyatt broke his leg. This highlighted both their personalities and why Wyatt is so incensed in the prologue when Adler’s sweet-talking puts someone in danger. That never really fit into the novel itself, but it definitely shaped Wyatt’s thinking. What project(s) are you working on right now? I’m waiting on the final page proofs from my publisher for The Sky Above Us, the second book in the Sunrise at Normandy series (February 2019), and I’m at the quarter-way mark in the rough draft of The Land Beneath Us, the third book in the series (2020). Plus, I’m doing early story development for my next three novels. What is one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring author? Relax and take a deep breath. Write and write and write. Learn and edit, and learn and edit. And relax—don’t rush things. The self-publishing revolution has so many positives, allowing stories to be told that might never have found a home. However, it’s led many writers to rush their first novels to print, when they really should have been practice novels. I have two starter novels sitting in my file cabinet. I adored them when I wrote them, and I was convinced they’d take the market by storm. Now I know they’re really not good at all, and I’m glad I didn’t have the option of tossing them on Amazon at the time. Writing, like any profession, takes time to develop properly. So relax and enjoy the process! Connect with Sarah! Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin The Sea Before Us blurb: In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, who pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France—including those of her family’s summer home—in order to create maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt turns into naval bombardment plans for D-day. As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn into something more. But both of them have too much to lose to give in to love . . .  I had so much fun learning more about Sarah! If you haven't read her books, you should add them to your TBR list! Are there any authors that you'd like me to interview? Put your suggestions in the comments! I'd love to hear them! Until next time, friends, keep letting your lights shine!  I'm so excited to be interviewing Taylor today! Taylor is only seventeen years old, but she's already accomplished so much. You're going to love Taylor's bright spirit and cheerful outlook on life. So, let's dive in! Home schooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl, which released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1st. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads. Tell us a little about your younger self. When did you first start writing? Did you always know that you wanted to be an author? I’ve always known that I want to be an author! But...I never really knew it was POSSIBLE until I became a teenager and started researching what it took for a teen (or anyone else, for that matter) to get published. When I found stories of other teens getting published, I decided to get serious about pursuing my dream. However, I’ve been telling stories since I could talk, and I’ve written them down since I knew my alphabet! I wrote my first attempt at a novel when I was thirteen, and I’ve never stopped since. Did “Porch Swing Girl” turn out how you thought it would? If not, what was different? In general, yes. It turned out pretty much like I’d planned. The beginning and the ending stayed fairly consistent with my earliest plot diagram. But the middle...not so much. The general story arc was the same, but I added in a lot more scenes and twists throughout the editing process. Did you have any imaginary friends as a child? If so, tell us a little about him/her! Okay...so, I’m an only child—one might assume I had an entire ARMY of imaginary friends. But I didn’t. Instead my Mom was my #1 playmate!! Whenever I wanted to play “Nancy Drew” or “Little House on the Prairie” Mom stepped in as a character or two. She was an amazing play-actor , and getting to use my imagination with her resulted in an incredibly strong bond. She has been (and forever will be) my best friend!! What do you find the hardest in finishing a book? Is it the writing process, the editing process, waiting to hear back from publishers, etc? The hardest part for me is, without question, the first draft stage. I love planning out my story, and I love editing it when it’s done. But the first draft? No. Thanks. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, which means that I don’t like to write sloppy ANYTHING...even a first draft! I’m somewhat of a pantser, so writing the first draft is a bit of an exploratory process for me. While that is exciting in and of itself, it’s also scary!! XD If you could have lunch with any author, who would you choose? Hmmm...that’s tough! I’d definitely want someone with a heart for the Lord who’s also super talented. It would be so fun if they were a fellow Instagram nerd! So...probably Sara Ella. We don’t write in the same genre, but her books are incredible (that’s coming from someone who pretty much despises fantasy) and she’s just a wonderful person!! Are you more of a coffee or tea person? TEA!! I actually haven’t had much coffee at all. While I absolutely love the smell of it, I do NOT relish the idea of getting a caffeinated buzz for the rest of the day. My brain tends to run a little fast as it is...Therefore, I stick to decaf teas or (even better!) hot cocoa. Do you write down story ideas as you think of them? If so, how many do you have written down/in your head? Oh, goodness! I have waaaay too many story ideas. Probably somewhere around fifteen, but more ALWAYS pop up. The ones that really stick with me actually get made into Pinterest boards! It helps me capture the mood of the story I want to tell. For me, the mood—the “literary aesthetic” if you will—is the most important part for me. As long as I know the mood, the true heart of the story, I know what I need to write. What is one thing about your MC that we might not know? (this can be one his/her favorite things, something you edited out of the book, etc.) My MC is Olive Galloway and, though I have a whole fun bit of family lore as to how she got her name, it never made it into Porch Swing Girl. As the story goes, Olive’s parents had planned on naming her Olivia, but, when she was born, they were delighted by her beautiful, olive-green eyes. A split second decision led to them shortening her name to Olive. Somehow, none of this made it into the book—and her green eyes are only mentioned once! What project are you working on right now? I’m currently working on the sequel to Porch Swing Girl, which releases NEXT APRIL!! What is one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring author? I would love to meet every aspiring author in person, give them a BIG round of applause for their audacity and willingness to dive into such a beautifully difficult industry, and tell them to NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THEIR PASSION. It’s easy to get hung up on sales numbers, post likes, and website hits when really, we write for the love of WRITING, not for the world’s admiration. That’s a hard lesson to learn, especially during the querying process, but it’s such a valuable one!! Where can we find you on social media? You can find me just about everywhere!! I love hanging out with all of you readerly/writerly people, and my favorite platforms are Instagram, my website, and YouTube, though I’m learning to embrace Twitter as well. (You can also find me on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. I might have an obsession with that last one...) Connect with Taylor! Website: http://taylor--bennett.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylorBennettAuthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/writer__taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylor.bennett.author/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Taylor__Bennett/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66039360-taylor-bennett YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY14wY1VlyfoQlEJ_D6kkxQ  I had too much fun doing this interview!! =)
Make sure you grab yourself a copy of Porch Swing Girl and connect with Taylor through one of the links above! Until next time friends, keep letting your lights shine! |
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