The Storyteller | Mary Vee

One week remains to the ACFW conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. This conference is a huge opportunity for writers to network, present their current works, and learn new skills.  Practice: The Great Lakes Chapter of ACFW held a meeting in August giving those who came opportunity to practice their pitches for the conference. Wow! It really helped. I was able to practice with my friend Peggy. I met her at my first conference, Write to Publish in Chicago.  It is so amazing how God holds precious friendships together despite distance. Network : I am excited to meet friends I've only known through the Internet. Last year I recognized them from the little pictures by their posts (and the name tags). We greet each other, cheer, share our hopes and dreams for the conference, snap pictures, and turn to meet someone else. There are so many people there. Every moment is a great opportunity to connect with new friends. Present current works : I was surprised...

I want to share this book review of Love's Miracle by Sandra Leesmith with you. Before I do, I need to first say I think the book was incredibly well written. I will tell you more about that soon. But, secondly, I need to say, in my opinion, this is a book for the ABA (American Book Association) market.  Love's Miracle by Sandra Leesmith tackles a difficult topic, PTSD as it relates to soldiers who come home from action in war. Leesmith's gift of understanding in this issue far exceeds expectation. My father returned from war. My siblings and I knew there were times when we popped out of a hiding place, and truly surprised him, his arm could fly and hurt. Not intentionally. It was an instinct that could have saved his life during duty. My husband still has those dreams causing him to cry out. I don't know if Leesmith had the college training required for this topic or if her expert research skills is what rendered this outstanding, very believable, and heart ...

Today I welcome  Jody Hedlund, whose characters nagged her until she wrote their story. Enter to win Jody's  September 2013 release, Rebellious Heart Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter. I keep a close eye on books about to be published. When I saw Jody's book would be released in September I just had to invite her to visit with us. I am so deeply honored she said "Yes." I asked Jody to share with us the journey God has led her on for her writing career. Here is what she said: I Knew I Was Getting Close! Like many writers I was born with a pen in my hand. I filled notebooks with stories when I was growing up. My passion for writing followed me into adulthood. I wanted to be an author. But like most aspiring writers, I struggled to know how I could use my gifts and abilities in a career. When my college years came, I knew I would need a career that could pay the bills while I worked on my novels. So I went to Tayl...

I'm taking a deep breath as I reveal my one sheet for the ACFW conference only two weeks away.  The Michigan chapter of ACFW held a one day session in August to teach us how to make our one sheets. Many, many tweaks later, I had this product. It's really important to connect with others in your field. We all seem to have a bit of knowledge about at least one topic. Going to classes, sessions, meetings, gatherings, whatever you want to call them, is a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests and have something to share with you. Of course, you, in turn, have an opportunity to share back. At the Michigan ACFW One Sheet session, I also met people who previously only had a tiny icon photo on the Internet. I read their posts, but didn't know anything else about them. These men and women became real. I heard their voice, their laughter, and saw their personality. What a treasure. Friend, what group has benefitted you? Where have you physically met people ...

There once was an older gentleman who sat alone in his wheelchair. From morning to evening he sat, waiting. He lived in a lively nursing home where the activities directors loved to keep the residents engaged, laughing, and speaking. Often the gentleman sat in his room listening to men and women down the hall. He wished someone would think to take him there.  Years before the gentleman had lost interest in physical activity for years, choosing to sit in his apartment and watch television alone. He watched several episodes of his favorite show and forgot to eat meals left for him in the kitchen. The apartment manager introduced him to other neighbors his age. He didn't feel like visiting any of their apartments, he might miss one of the shows. Periodically, the neighbors came for a visit, but after a while they stopped visiting.  As the years went by, his legs could no longer support his weight when he attempted to stand. He wished someone would visit, maybe watch a sh...

Today I welcome  Vickie McDonough, whose characters nagged her until she wrote their story. Enter to win Vickie's  July release, Whispers on the Prairie Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter. Vickie is quite an accomplished author. She has twenty-seven books/novellas published. I am pleased to introduce her to you. While we chatted, I asked her to share with us how God led her on this great writing journey. This is her answer: The Story That Kept Me Awake at Night Thank you, Mary, for inviting me to be your guest today. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved to read. When I was young, I read every book I could find that had a horse on the cover. Then I graduated to Nancy Drew books, and later, when I was the frazzled mom of four teenage sons, I discovered Christian romance novels, and fell in love with them. As my boys got older, I started praying that God would help me to start a home business—something wh...

I especially enjoy reading the longer books. My home library isn't crazy full of books like War and Peace, but I do have and read the full version of Gone With the Wind. Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell is a down-to-earth four hundred page book that sinks it's teeth into western pioneering community times. Just like Little House on the Prairie and Ann of Green Gables, this book addresses real life issues and doesn't hold back. Katherine's strong spirit fueled her drive to keep up the boarding house she and her husband bought before he died. There were times when the work load and caring for her two daughters tested her strength, but she managed.  Surprised to hear her mother would soon arrive for a visit, Katherine pushed away memories of their troublesome past. Her mother arrived announcing her trunks needed to be brought in and she needed to go to her room at once. One look at the number of trunks revealed the stressful truth, Momma came to stay. T...