The Storyteller | Mary Vee

      Today I welcome author:  Laurie Tomlinson Laurie has become such a great friend. She is a fellow Alley Cat on the Writer's Alley. I had chatted with her lots of times on line, and was thrilled to finally met her in person at the ACFW conference in September. What a lovely lady. :)  At the Gala this year, Laurie won the Genesis award for her book in the Romance category. I'm so happy for her! She is bound to be published soon. So let's hop on board, get to know her, and be able to say, we knew her when!  I asked Laurie to share with us how God has led her on her writing journey. This is what she said: In A Dusty Corner, Out of Site Thank you to my lovely Mary for letting me share my writing testimony! Hope it's encouraging! My journey begins like many other writers' journeys did: devouring paperbacks by flashlight and filling spiral-bound notebooks with characters and stream-of-consciousne

This new game has given those of us who are playing a fun way to get to know each other. And now I am inviting you to play, too! What is the game?  Answer as many of the questions below as you want. Fun answers are definitely permitted, serious ones allowed, and cornier than ever ones preferred. Ready to get started? First, I must credit my friends Casey Herringshaw and Jill Kemerer for tagging me in this game which started this round. 1. How tall are you?   5'4" The perfect height to be too short to reach anything above the second shelf in my cupboard. But, I am wise...I have a step stool. Hah! 2. Do you have a hidden talent? Yes (hiding face in sleeve) I love to act like a kid when around kids. Have even been know to slip into this mode when around adults. I think that is why I was asked to be the K-2nd grade teacher in AWANA. Last Wednesday I even had the adults laughing with the kids. It's amazing how a dab of fun can do that. 3. What's your bigge

Each year our family has a goal to not turn on the furnace before October 20th. Here in the north that can be quite a challenge, and one we have failed in the past.  We've piled on blankets at night, layered up in sweaters during the day, and have chosen something to make for dinner that helps to warm the house. Last night we had chili. Love that word, so ironic. To prepare for the golden moment when the furnace would be given the go-ahead, we changed the filter and tested the equipment. Good thing we did. The blower wouldn't come on. The repairman replaced the switch and told us we were good to go.  I turned the thermostat off after he left and went back to our routine.  This morning I got up and felt so proud of our house. Outside temperatures-- thirty degrees. Inside fifty-five. Yeah, house! We made it past October 20th. I must confess, I treated our family to a warm morning. As the only early bird in the house, I turned the thermostat to sixty, took my hot shower,

Today I welcome author:  Bethany Jett To win a copy of  The Cinderella Rule Scroll to the end of the post  to see how to get your copy. Bethany has such a fun spirit and is dedicated to her calling.  I asked Bethany to share with us how God has led her on her writing journey. This is what she said: Fairy God-the-Father Wishes I sobbed in front of the open pink trunk I’d stolen borrowed from my sister. The dinged silver edges and worn interior matched the beating I’d verbally given myself. The cold kitchen tile seeped through my thin pajamas. With muster, I kicked the side of the case. I needed to quit crying. I needed to buck up. I needed a shower. “God—answer me,” I cried in my head…not wanting to distract my toddlers who were happily ignoring me with Legos. “I’m in the depths of despair.” When you start quoting Anne of Green Gables in your prayers, there may be a problem. My quest for fulfillment

Photo Courtesy Kids have such a purity to their comments. The filter isn't there for them, so sometimes the words may come out harsh or too silly to be sincere. What I love is to hear their questions. Especially when the question is blurted out while others are talking. Sure the child should have waited, but in truth, his mind is so busy, he might have forgotten what he wanted to say. Last Wednesday, I told the story of Hannah and baby Samuel. Kids love stories about heroes and they love stories about babies. We lullabied the baby doll to sleep so I could finish the story. Their sweet young voices showed a genuine sincerity to help the baby rest.  The hero of this story? Well, Hannah, of course. She asked God for a child, groaning from the depths of her soul. Eli, the priest mistook her sincerity for drunkenness. Hannah boldly told him about her prayer requesting a child and her promise to give the child back to God to serve Him. In faith, Hannah believed God would answe

Photo Courtesy In the hotel breakfast area a young woman ate her breakfast. She stood to get a cup of coffee and saw someone. She called out to the person.  Immediately, anyone listening could tell this woman was not a native English speaking person. Her dark brown hair, medium skin complexion, and eastern European accent made me think she might be Romanian or from some country close to there. She used her arms to invite the person to her table. Although, I didn't hear him say anything he must have  communi cated "no". She didn't quit, in fact her enthusiasm bubbled. She picked up her breakfast plate and set it on a table located between them. "We come here?" She moved her arm in a circle over the table. "Big table?" He came from around the corner carrying his laptop and books. He smiled warmly at her. The two set their materials on the table. It took a few minutes to hear what the lesson was about to be. He first mentioned a math prob