Thanksgiving should never end!!

Hello girls and guys. Sorry I’ve been away so long. Life has a way of filling up your time before you know it. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day…and enjoyed all the good food with the family.

Thanksgiving Day is over, but reasons to be thankful continue to soar. God is so good. Our Thanksgiving holiday was looking to be promising, Our daughter was flying in from California to spend almost two weeks with us, and we had a new grandbaby to join us at the dinner table, as well as the rest of the kids, grandkids, and son & daughter-in-laws.

Unfortunately before the big feasting day arrived, things went south. A dear family member had a major surgery. During the waiting, my husband became so ill; his doctor had us take him to the emergency. Then while a procedure was being done on him the next day trying to make him better, our daughter home for vacation collapsed in the lobby of the hospital. She was immediately admitted to emergency room, and she too was operated on the same day. As sad as all of this sounds, good came from it and more will. Trials we go through become testimonies later. We all just have to hold on tight to God’s promises and know that He is with us through it all. This too shall pass. He loves us and promises our later will be greater than our past. We’ve had so many good days over the years; it’s hard to believe things can get better. But they can and they will—that’s a promise from God to those who believe, trust and follow Him.

So keep on thanking God as days go by no matter what the circumstances are around you.

Look what is only a few weeks away. Christmas!! The best time of year—the best day of celebration! Christ’s birthday! He is the reason for the season, and I so look forward to this time of year. I love the lights and decorations. I love the joy of giving. And who doesn’t love the caroling and all the Christmas movies. Well some of you may not like all those sappy movies, but I do. I love happy endings. Peace, joy, good will to men. Just saying those words as I type them, brings a smile to my face.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas.

This Friday (12/13, 5-10 pm) and Saturday (12/14, 4-10 pm) I’ll be down in Marrero, Louisiana at the Imagine Christmas Bazaar & Craft Show. Admission is FREE. This will be my first year in attendance although it will be their 9^th year. They had over 2500 in attendance in 2012. I’m looking forward to being a part of it in 2013. I’ll have all my books available (as well as a few Christmas Specials) and look forward to meeting you. It’s always a blessing to get to know my readers. So drop on by.

They have so much going on. There will be an inflatable park for the kids, Bazaar & Craft show, Christmas Trees decorated, Pictures with Santa, give-a-ways & door prizes, outdoor stage performances, a special indoor performance “Home for the Holidays” Christmas Show (seating is limited), face painting, balloon twisting, sleigh rides, roasted marshmallows, concessions. Go on line to secures your seat at the “Home For The Holidays” showing. CLICK HERE I hope you try to make it. It looks to be a lot of fun for the whole family!!!

A few weeks ago I was at the Livingston Festival. It was great. The festival pulled in a huge crowd and everyone looked to be having a blast. In the Author Rows tent I met some people who already read Deborah Lynne books, and a good many more who purchased one or more of my novels. Hopefully they too will become followers of my books. Two teenage girls made my day. Both got excited when their mother not only bought the first book in my Samantha Cain series, Be Not Afraid, but their mothers purchased book two & three as well…Testimony of Innocence (released 2012) & The Truth Revealed released November 2013. Both girls seemed very excited about going home and starting to read Be Not Afraid knowing they had both Testimony of Innocence and The Truth Revealed, ready to read in order. Book 4 – Against Her Will will be released in 2014.  

Again – Have a very Merry Christmas.

Now for you writers who read my blog, this is for you. As you know, I belong to American Christian Fiction Writers, a national organization. They teach on-line classes through the website to its members. I’d like to share some information on one of the classes I took, hoping it will help you grow your novel as you grow in your writing. Sorry to say, I didn’t note who taught this class or even when it was posted. I would like to thank her for her time and pray she doesn’t mind me passing some of her knowledge on to you. If you already belong to ACFW, you can check out all the courses they’ve taught through the archives. I suggest you do. If you don’t belong to ACFW, it’s a great organization to hook up with as a writer.

Layering Your Novel:

What is layering? It is a mix of elements beneath the surface of the main plot and characters. It’s used to create a richer reading experience. When we read a story that touches us on several layers, it enhances our reading experience, and this is what you want your readers to experience.

Some layering elements are subplots, texture, subtext, foreshadowing, and symbolism. When you understand the purpose of layering, it will help you understand what is should achieve.

You add layers by adding more highs and lows. Layering also takes some of the pressure off of an emotional main plot so it won’t exhaust the reader. It extends the main plot as well as helps you control the pacing of your story. It also gives your fiction a better representation of the complexities of real life.

Have I got your attention? On my next blog we will go into layering one step at a time. When I do this, I will have the name of the original author who taught this to me and will share her name as well as give the date she taught this. So stay tuned for next month’s blog.

Have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. I do plan to post another blog before the New Year…if all stays well…which it will!!

Bye now!