Exciting News . . . 

Back in 2004, my first book was published. The Purple Heart is a juvenile chapter book about a 12-year-old boy named Darin and his friends. I published book two in the series in 2006: Boot Camp. At the time, I wrote a third book Anchors Away, but it was never published.

Recently, I bought my rights back for those books and plan to publish the series on Amazon as paper back books and eBooks. I’ve updated them and purchased new covers. All I have left to do is get the third book ready to go.

But . . . yikes! When I opened the third book, I realized I’d written a 40,000 word whopper of a juvenile chapter book—an intriguing mystery with Darin and his friends, set on a cruise ship. No problem there except the first two books in the series are less than half that size. What’s an author to do?

Talk about writer’s block. I tried to think of how I could increase the word count of the first two books without totally rewriting them. Nothing came to mind. Finally I gave up and went to bed. Before I slept, I prayed and asked God to help me think of something.

Well, I woke up with tons of ideas! Bottom line, as I looked through the third (longer) book, I found many scenes that I could set up in the first two books. For example, in book three, Mom’s wallet is going to be stolen and her great-grandmother’s opal ring is inside the wallet. Darin and his friends set out immediately to solve the mystery.

So … in Book One, I’m going to add a scene where Darin’s mom receives the opal ring. This will set the stage for how valuable it is to her – and why she’ll be so devastated in book 3.

In Book Two, Darin wins a contest for an essay he wrote about teamwork. So … in Book One, I’ve written a scene where he finds out about the contest and actually writes the essay. 

In Book Three, Darin struggles in his relationship with God when he learns someone has cancer. How can God let bad things like that happen? This is a BIG deal in Book three. So in book one, I’ll lay the groundwork for it- Darin will just start questioning why bad things happen. Then, his search for an answer will grow deeper and more important to him in book two, so by book three- the reader will know Darin’s heart and be able to relate to his frustration and confusion.

Whoo-hoo—God did well answering that quick prayer, didn’t He?

Needless to say, I’m hard at work writing all this new material. If you know of 9-12 year-old readers who enjoy mysteries, let me know and I’ll keep you updated on the series. And be sure to join my newsletter if you haven’t already. I would LOVE to share my writing life with you and get your valuable input when I have decisions to make for my characters.

Blessings to all! Barbie

PS: When you sign up for my newsletter, you get a FREE eBook of Biz On the Go—the first in my series of three: A Second Wind. (Women’s Contemporary Fiction)

Ticket to Ride

For the last year, I’ve been taking my elderly neighbor grocery shopping, to doctor appointments, to church, and anywhere she needs or wants to go. She is no longer able to drive and requires assistance with walking. I’m thankful for the opportunity to minister to Donna in this way. 

The other day the Lord showed me a powerful lesson about my time with Donna. Though I’m basically her ticket to a ride, our time together is so much more than that. When we are together, we laugh and talk and get to know each other better. Donna’s husband is dying of cancer. My husband died of cancer 15 years ago, so I know the path she is walking. I allow her to talk openly about her sadness, fears, and questions. I take time to stop for coffee and pancakes with Donna because I know our trips are the only time she gets out of the house. I hug her and hold her longer than I normally do others. We talk often about God and His role in our lives. These are my favorite times.

What God showed me is that Jesus is the ticket to our ride to heaven. Right?

But He’s so much more. The ride includes His fellowship, encouragement, strength, direction, etc. The Lord and I laugh and talk and get to know each other better as we spend time together. He knows the path I am walking and is there to wipe my tears and answer my questions. He holds me in His arms when I am hurting or when I just need to know He’s there. 

How about you? Does your salvation mean more to you than just fire insurance? Are you enjoying the daily walk with God? I hope so. Take time in the busyness of life to enjoy God’s presence. Place your hand in His and listen for His instruction and guidance. He cares. He loves you so much! 

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
James 4:8 NIV