Wednesday, January 07, 2015

About Books. And Prayer.

I have started tracking my steps again.  We'll see how long the pedometer works this time.  I know I need a new pedometer that is reliable, but until I win a Pioneer Woman FitBit give-away I'm sticking with old (semi) faithful.  I'll have totals at the end of January.  For now, let's talk about something else I love.

secret library
Photo from daydreamreader.com

 My name is Virginia and I love books.  It's not a problem.  Really.  The fact that I create "bookshelves" out of floor space is not a big deal.  Books are friends AND food.  Or something.

I discovered a few new Christian fiction authors last year.  One of my new favorites is Lisa Wingate.  A highlight of my Pinterest life was when she not only noticed that I had one of her books pinned on my Book Board, she liked it and re-pinned it!  Lisa Wingate is a very generous author.  She promotes other writers on the Tyndale House blog she helps maintain, on her Facebook page, and on Southern BelleView Daily.  That generosity appeals to me.  I like the recommendations that are made for other authors I have yet to meet.  I also like this spirit of sharing new authors with her fans, and sharing her fans with other authors.  Did that make sense?  Read it again and see if you can make it come straight.  Got it?  Okay.

In December I was reading the blog and was introduced to Jolina Petersheim.  This lady writes Plain fiction.  Plain as in Old-Order Mennonite.  I like Plain fiction but I am VERY picky about it.  So far the only authors I really enjoy are Beverly Lewis and Cindy Woodsmall.  I've tried others, and haven't been able to finish most of them because they are so poorly written.  I was a little uncertain about trying another one, but decided to risk it.  The first book, The Outcast, is touted as a modern-day re-telling of The Scarlet Letter.  I don't care for modern-day re-tellings as a general rule, but I decided to forge ahead anyway.  I am glad I did!  I enjoyed this first book so much that a) I finished it and b) I already have the next book, The Midwife, ordered from our library.

A day or two after I ordered it from our library, I was back on the Southern BelleView Daily blog and read that Jolina Petersheim's husband was going through a health crisis (she shares the story on her blog), and I began to pray.  It is interesting to connect with an author.  I think that connecting through prayer is one of the best possible connections to have.  Having had this opportunity to pray for Jolina and her family has been a good reminder to me to pray for other authors I read and enjoy.  Sometimes we have the privilege of praying over a crisis that is shared through a blog or a Facebook post.  Sometimes we have the privilege of praying over something that the Holy Spirit whispers to us.  Sometimes we are able to pray over the family who are keeping the house going while Mom or Dad finish up the latest book.  Sometimes we can pray that the book itself will be what God wants it to be, and will honor Him and reflect Him clearly to the world.

In a small and peculiar way, I get to be a part of something I love;

A new good book!

5 comments:

Lisa Wingate said...

Thank you! I really can't tell you how much I love this and I appreciate those prayers. On days when the writing business is frustrating, it never fails that I'll get an encouraging message from a reader-friend on Facebook, Pinterest, or elsewhere. That is such a blessing!

Thank you for taking these journeys with us!

Hugs!
Lisa

Shaina from Tyndale House @Crazy4Fiction said...

So glad you've found some great new christian fiction that speaks to you! Us ladies at Tyndale House @Crazy4Fiction definitely feel blessed to publish with such wonderful, talented authors.

Shaina, Tyndale House @Crazy4Fiction

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to pray for my husband and our little family. I cannot tell you enough how important those prayers are and how they've lifted us up over these past two weeks. I always love connecting with readers, but especially through connections like these. Thanks again. With love, Jolina

Shellie Tomlinson said...

What a wonderful blog post, Virginia! Thank you for the kind words about my fellow authors' work. I think Lisa Wingate and Jolina Perersheim rock, too! It is especially heartening to know you're joining us in prayer. Blessings~```

Cindy Thomson said...

What a blessing to have readers pray for us. We certainly can use prayer and you are the reason we write. Thanks for sharing.