The Internet has made a big difference in the amount of information to which we have access. For writers & authors seeking publication or promotional tips, there's plenty out there. But sometimes it can be too much of a good thing!
Just consider some of these sources:
Websites listing publishers & resources.
Online magazines with writing tips.
Sites that list contests and book festivals.
E-Books
Author websites
Critiquing websites
Yahoo groups and listservs
Websites with marketing tips - and free newsletters
Millions of blogs with tips
Social sites geared toward writers & authors
And Twitter, where everyone provides a link to one of the above!
And so many other resources I failed to mention...
Add to this all of the physical books available, plus book festivals and writer conferences and writer clubs...
Wow... that's a lot of STUFF!
We need to prepare and plan and learn everything possible, but... if I spent all day reading everything available online, I'd never write or promote a thing!
Finding a balance is important. After setting a goal. it's easy to get sucked into the how-to stage and never move past that point. It's also tempting to just skip all that and go for it. Neither plan is productive!
So how do you balance learning and producing? How do you cope with information overload?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Author Diana Wallis Taylor
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
Journey To The Well Revell (March 1, 2009)
by Diana Wallis Taylor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diana Wallis Taylor, San Diego resident, is an award-winning Christian author and speaker who shares her personal testimony to women’s groups. The Lord gave Diana a desire to write a book about the woman of Samaria who encountered Jesus at Jacob’s Well. It was at the edge of the well where the woman of Samaria found the living water of Jesus.
A native Californian, Diana Wallis Taylor graduated from San Diego State University. She has had many occupations; elementary and junior high school teacher, bookshop owner, and conference director for a Christian college. A poet since the age of 12, she published a book of poems, Wings Of The Wind, in 1994, now republished with watercolor illustrations in 2006. She has received awards in songwriting and poetry and her writing contributions appear in various books and magazines. The author speaks on the woman at the well in conjunction with her own testimony. She also speaks on A Walk in the Darkness, on her family involvement in the occult and how it affected her life.
Diana lives with her husband Frank in San Diego, California and between them they have six grown children and ten grandchildren. In addition to her speaking and writing, she serves on the board of the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild and is active in Christian Women’s Fellowship.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She went to the well for water. What she found there would change her life forever.
Marah is a young girl in love with her childhood friend, Jesse. When she is forced to marry an older man, she must abandon her dreams of happiness. At the mercy of men who are often only interested in using her, Marah must fight for survival. Will she ever meet a man who can save her?
The story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well is one of hope, redemption, and a life changed in an instant through a remarkable encounter. Jesus told her "everything she'd ever done," but we are left to wonder at the circumstances that led her life on such a tragic path to begin with. Now from the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor comes the full story of the woman at the well.
This well-researched portrayal of a woman's life in the time of Jesus opens a window into a fascinating world. Taylor's rich descriptions of the landscapes, lifestyles, and rituals mesh easily with the emotional and very personal story of one woman who desperately seeks to rise above the difficult circumstances of her life.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Journey To The Well, click HERE
The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800733096
Journey To The Well Revell (March 1, 2009)
by Diana Wallis Taylor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diana Wallis Taylor, San Diego resident, is an award-winning Christian author and speaker who shares her personal testimony to women’s groups. The Lord gave Diana a desire to write a book about the woman of Samaria who encountered Jesus at Jacob’s Well. It was at the edge of the well where the woman of Samaria found the living water of Jesus.
A native Californian, Diana Wallis Taylor graduated from San Diego State University. She has had many occupations; elementary and junior high school teacher, bookshop owner, and conference director for a Christian college. A poet since the age of 12, she published a book of poems, Wings Of The Wind, in 1994, now republished with watercolor illustrations in 2006. She has received awards in songwriting and poetry and her writing contributions appear in various books and magazines. The author speaks on the woman at the well in conjunction with her own testimony. She also speaks on A Walk in the Darkness, on her family involvement in the occult and how it affected her life.
Diana lives with her husband Frank in San Diego, California and between them they have six grown children and ten grandchildren. In addition to her speaking and writing, she serves on the board of the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild and is active in Christian Women’s Fellowship.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She went to the well for water. What she found there would change her life forever.
Marah is a young girl in love with her childhood friend, Jesse. When she is forced to marry an older man, she must abandon her dreams of happiness. At the mercy of men who are often only interested in using her, Marah must fight for survival. Will she ever meet a man who can save her?
The story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well is one of hope, redemption, and a life changed in an instant through a remarkable encounter. Jesus told her "everything she'd ever done," but we are left to wonder at the circumstances that led her life on such a tragic path to begin with. Now from the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor comes the full story of the woman at the well.
This well-researched portrayal of a woman's life in the time of Jesus opens a window into a fascinating world. Taylor's rich descriptions of the landscapes, lifestyles, and rituals mesh easily with the emotional and very personal story of one woman who desperately seeks to rise above the difficult circumstances of her life.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Journey To The Well, click HERE
The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800733096
Monday, March 09, 2009
My Mentor, My Friend, p.m. terrell
We meet so many wonderful people during life's journey...
I met Trish a couple years ago through the Internet. I stumbled upon a website featuring her book, Take the Mystery out of Promoting Your Book. Upon noticing that the site accepted outside material, I emailed the webmaster and aksed if I could submit my Road Warrior essay. A nice person named Trish responded and I sent my article.
I joke that I used to be a blonde. Well, it took two months and several emails with this lovely person before the truth hit me - I was conversing directly with author p.m. terrell!
She invited me to come hear her speak at the Robeson County Library in Lumberton, NC, where I finally got to meet Trish in person. (She is also president of the Friends of the Library for Robeson County.)
I also discovered Trish is a co-founder of the Book 'Em Foundation and she put me in contact with the other co-founder, Mark Kearney, and encouraged me to attend the event in
2007. That year I had a solo talk and was on a panel discussion with Catherine Coulter and Ellen Hopkins, and this past year, I was also able to participate in a panel discussion and a new solo talk. My first appearance really kicked off my school visits as well.
Trish has led me to many other events as well, both in N. Carolina and S. Carolina. She also arranged a visit to the Robeson County Library last year (this is one library that does visits right, too) and I'll be visiting again next year. Most important, Trish was kind enough to contribute a chapter to my upcoming book, "Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK!" and it is currently featured on her website.
While all of these opportunities are incredible and I am forever in her debt, that is not what I value most about Trish.
We all aspire to be that person that everyone loves, who possesses charisma and charm and touches everyone with his or her presence.
Trish is that very person!
I have met some big-name authors, many who were media-trained by professionals, but none hold a candle to Trish. She is the most genuine and encouraging person I have ever known! I cannot picture Trish with anything but a smile on her face. She's positive, upbeat, and possesses the most youthful spirit. Trish is so giving of her time, and I am so grateful she took a few moments to encourage a young author in need of guidance. I've tried to repay her kindness by buying her books for family & friends and mentioning her at every seminar I give, but it cannot equal what Trish has done for my life...
So thank you, Trish! You are a dear friend and an incredible example of the beauty of the human spirit. Hopefully one day I can pass along to another new author the gift you so freely gave to me...
Please visit Trish at her website: pmterrell
And visit the Book 'Em site: Book ‘Em Foundation
I met Trish a couple years ago through the Internet. I stumbled upon a website featuring her book, Take the Mystery out of Promoting Your Book. Upon noticing that the site accepted outside material, I emailed the webmaster and aksed if I could submit my Road Warrior essay. A nice person named Trish responded and I sent my article.
I joke that I used to be a blonde. Well, it took two months and several emails with this lovely person before the truth hit me - I was conversing directly with author p.m. terrell!
She invited me to come hear her speak at the Robeson County Library in Lumberton, NC, where I finally got to meet Trish in person. (She is also president of the Friends of the Library for Robeson County.)
I also discovered Trish is a co-founder of the Book 'Em Foundation and she put me in contact with the other co-founder, Mark Kearney, and encouraged me to attend the event in
2007. That year I had a solo talk and was on a panel discussion with Catherine Coulter and Ellen Hopkins, and this past year, I was also able to participate in a panel discussion and a new solo talk. My first appearance really kicked off my school visits as well.Trish has led me to many other events as well, both in N. Carolina and S. Carolina. She also arranged a visit to the Robeson County Library last year (this is one library that does visits right, too) and I'll be visiting again next year. Most important, Trish was kind enough to contribute a chapter to my upcoming book, "Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK!" and it is currently featured on her website.
While all of these opportunities are incredible and I am forever in her debt, that is not what I value most about Trish.
We all aspire to be that person that everyone loves, who possesses charisma and charm and touches everyone with his or her presence.
Trish is that very person!
I have met some big-name authors, many who were media-trained by professionals, but none hold a candle to Trish. She is the most genuine and encouraging person I have ever known! I cannot picture Trish with anything but a smile on her face. She's positive, upbeat, and possesses the most youthful spirit. Trish is so giving of her time, and I am so grateful she took a few moments to encourage a young author in need of guidance. I've tried to repay her kindness by buying her books for family & friends and mentioning her at every seminar I give, but it cannot equal what Trish has done for my life...
So thank you, Trish! You are a dear friend and an incredible example of the beauty of the human spirit. Hopefully one day I can pass along to another new author the gift you so freely gave to me...
Please visit Trish at her website: pmterrell
And visit the Book 'Em site: Book ‘Em Foundation
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Broken Vessel, Angie Breidenbach
Occasionally during our journey, we meet someone possessing the same spirit of God. That person causes us to pause and reflect, and we quickly realize he or she was placed in our path for a reason. We remember that God places angels among us when we need them the most!
Today I'd like to introduce to you one of those people, Angie Breidenbach...
Please tell us about your first two books and their inspiration.
Actually, my first two books are contest winners but not published. They are both women's inspirational fiction. The second is the better book and I set it aside because the inspiration was my own mother. She was mentally ill and I was her Full Legal Guardian. She passed away as I wrote it March 1st, 2007 and I just had to put it aside to grieve.
It won the 2007 Touched By Love First Place Contemporary and has several requests from publishers. I'm finally to a point that I think I'm ready to work on it again. My heroine's journey is loosely based on my search for my own mother when she disappeared in Denver. I had such a fear of finding my mom dead in an alley that I jumped on a plane with no luggage and rented a car when I got there. I actually went street by street and then found her in the most surprising of places.
Tell us about your next book, Insanity Rules: Gems of Wisdom:
This book has my heart and the hearts of those I interviewed in it. There are so many things we learn in life because of overcoming challenges. Too often people see those challenges as negative pirates stealing their treasure of peace. In reality, we defeat our pirates and claim our treasured gems of wisdom. Each chapter chooses a negative pirate for us to battle and each battle ends in claiming a different gem of wisdom.
The gems are worn as tactile memory anchors like God used gemstones on Aaron's priestly garments to remind Aaron of the people he represented in Exodus 28. I'm working on a jewelry line to complement the book with Pamba Toto (a company that uses fair trade beads, gems and silver from third world women to support two orphanages in Kenya.) Every piece is a set of prayer beads intended to help the wearer focus on the wisdom and meaning God has in the experiences He allows in their life.
In working with Pamba Toto to fairly purchase handiwork of women to support their families and then Pamba Toto's profits support the orphans in Kenya, I feel like the braids of a strong cord come together with such meaningful depth, humanity and value.
I know more authors from Montana! Is it something in the air or water?
Oh yes! It's all that wonderful fresh big sky air that fuels our imaginations. Seriously, there are quite a few people who love to write up here. I think it is a very compelling place with vivid living characters :-D
You hold the title of Mrs. Missoula 2008 – what was involved to win that honor? And tell us about the Jadyn Fred Foundation.
The Mrs. Missoula 2008 title is part of the Mrs. America organization. I was really excited to represent this title because I had the opportunity to help promote brain donations for the Brain Bank at Harvard's MacLean Hospital. That led to being invited to be a spokesperson for the Missoula Aging Services RSVP (a volunteer project that matches senior citizens to hundreds of community service needs all over our county) and the Jadyn Fred Foundation through speaking and at charity events.
Volunteerism and community service are things I am passionate about and Mrs. Missoula 2008 and now Mrs. Elite Ambassador 2009 1st Runner-Up are amazing opportunities to share that passion. I hope I can be an example to encourage others to passionately give of themselves through community service.
The Jadyn Fred Foundation Jadyn Fred is very close to my heart. Jadyn died from a rare form of cancer in 2000. Her family was able to meet the financial needs but ached for the families in Montana that they met on their treatment journey with Jadyn. There are many families who cannot afford to get their child to the hospital because the costs are so high that it leaves them without food or gas money, some that had to leave the child in the hospital way over in Seattle while they worked in Montana to pay for the treatments (and the little one lay there alone) and some parents that slept in the car in order to stay with their baby because they could not afford a motel during the treatments.
The Fred family thought they might be able to help where insurance fell short. So they started the Jadyn Fred Foundation to meet these needs. Doctors and nurses fill out the proper forms for the non-profit foundation and send them in for the family. Then the family can be assisted once a year up to $1300 to meet needs that insurance won't cover. So far, we've been able to help 141 families with gas money, motels and even groceries when their own funds have been depleted. It's helped babies have a mommy or daddy present when they would have been alone or for the rest of the family to have groceries.
You used to be the president of your local Toastmasters. What led you into the area of speaking?
I was asked to lead a drama class for Sunday school teachers several years ago. It went really well and I just loved doing it. I started looking for ways to learn how to speak publicly. One of my good friends invited me to the Shootin' The Bull Toastmaster club at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I had so much fun I just kept going! I found out that I had a gifting in public speaking and that I could make a difference helping others that way.
You speak on so many topics – and you sing, too! How did you get involved on so many different levels?
I began singing and performing on stage as a little girl. That led to musicals and now as an adult, I'm an Assistant Minister for our church. That means I am a liturgist (or for some non-liturgical folks, a worship leader.) I truly love singing, speaking and praying with and for people. I think God has continually led me into His path because it is more His plan and so it has become mine. I am most fulfilled when I am doing these things. He put it in my DNA :-) I can't NOT do them and be me. (When you keep getting confirmation through feedback, you feel led to do something and you have the ability--you are on the right track. Keep going and it will build naturally.)
You write for many blogs… tell us about them!
Each of these blogs has built from another. I took classes online to learn to blog from ACFW! I started my first and personal blog called God Uses Broken Vessels from that class. (By the way, American Christian Fiction Writer members get online classes for free! Just go to ACFW to join.) My blog is focused on relationships, goals and personal growth for anyone who comes to visit. I also enjoy promoting Inspirational writers regularly.
Then because I had been to the ACFW conference, I met 5 new author friends. We all began chatting online and on the phone and along came Writing By Faith a.k.a The Faith Girls. We each write one day a week and have a Sunday Free For All. We have 6 different authors, 6 different genres and 1 Great God.
After the next year's conference, I was invited to be a part of Writers Rest as one of about a dozen authors. This blog is meant to uplift the writer's soul and uplift the reader.
From where did “God Uses Broken Vessels” originate?
I am a broken vessel. It's how God uses all those pieces of me as I've received His help, comfort and gems of wisdom. What I've been given, I choose to share. I find purpose in the trials by helping others through theirs.
This concept comes straight from 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5. "Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble. We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives." CEV These verses "clicked" with me that troubles have purpose. Then I read Romans 8: 26-28, my life verses. (NIV)
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
For so long I saw myself as broken and useless. My mother was mentally ill and my step-dad was an alcoholic. I made all the worst relationship choices. What did I have to give? Then as I fought up and over those mountainous problems, I read those verses. God kept providing a hand, a shoulder, a word of wisdom and I kept climbing. I had something to give because ALL things God works for good, not SOME things. As I climb, I can now reach back and offer a hand to another climber over a tough precipice.
When I started mentoring young women as a Stephen Minister, I saw the same hurt hearts. I began sharing how I'd overcome some of my hurts, all those things that I thought had broken me actually helped the people I worked with too. I could show someone else how to overcome and how to make life better for their families. I could show them which handholds and which rocks to set their feet on that mountain.
From your posts, I sense you are a proud mother! Tell us something special about your family.
We have a combined family of six. Three girls and three boys--all grown now. I'm excited to have my first grandson too. My husband and I agreed when we were married that our kids would be aware of the whole world through experiencing it. We've made it a family priority to travel widely. It is important to us that we make a difference and leave this world a better place. I guess you could think of it as a hybrid of going camping. Always leave it better than before you were there. I think that's something God's put on our hearts.
Sometimes we don’t grasp our calling right away. When did you realize that speaking & writing were your tools for spreading God’s Word?
I think it's so important not to put stock in a moment of decision but in the process of the journey. I heard God's calling as an 11 year old when I won my first writing contest. I grew up had a family, made lots of mistakes and kept trying to figure it all out myself. When kiddos number 2 and 3 took off for college, I honestly fell apart. I began searching for me before kiddos 4, 5 and 6 left. I thought there might be nothing left of me.
That's where God found me, lost in a state of tears. I began looking for that dream I'd left behind in childhood. What had I always wanted to do? Who did I want to be?
I began reading books about writing and I found the Idaho Writer's League that led to RWA and then ACFW. I took online classes and have now attended 5 major writing conferences. Each class, each conference, each word I wrote confirmed what God had put inside me-the heart of a writer and speaker. I'm continuing my growth as a volunteer for ACFW as the new publicity officer. It helps me to offer my abilities and I learn as I volunteer. A beautiful chance for any writer.
My children are grown. I've entered a new aspect of my life. I've uncovered the me I buried instead of celebrated. Now I celebrate by helping others find themselves one step at a time. No journey is through a time warp. A journey is taken one step of personal growth at a time. My journey will not end until I can hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I want to look back and feel I have lived my life to the fullest of His plan because then I know it will be the best life I could have lived.
What is next for Angie?
My goal right now is to braid several strands of one huge dream into a strong cord like I'm doing with the Gems of Wisdom line of jewelry. I'm going to be certified this year as a Life Coach and specialize in coaching people to find the gems of wisdom in their lives. I want to teach confidence, strengthen relationships and how to unlock your own life purpose and then to teach them to pass it on.
My plan is to add more teaching through a series of books that plait my writing, speaking, life coaching into one encouraging support system called Gems of Wisdom. I'm working on weaving it all together this year with my inspirational non-fiction Insanity Rules: Gems of Wisdom book as the first strand. I believe I will do other things, sure, but I would like this to stand as a way for people to gain personal growth for years by learning from not only me but all the people I interview. Years of experience gleaned from countless others passed on to anyone who wants to gain their own gems of wisdom to pass it on to someone else. Yes, that's my dream.
What's yours? Please share with your comments.
And the last word… ?
All those things that go wrong are exactly those things will bless you to bless others because of what you have learned. Know that you are not the only person on earth to ever go through that pain. If you are in it right now, absorb everything you can from it. Soak up every drop. Someone is going to need to lean on your experience. When you can think past your own hurt to someone else, you can begin to value those things you would have missed otherwise because God uses ALL things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
What are your gems of wisdom and who can you pass them on to?
I'm grateful for such a wonderful opportunity to share my dreams with you today.Thank you,Angie Breidenbach-- ACFW Publicity Officer ACFW
Angie's blogs:
God Uses Broken Vessels
Writing By Faith
Writers Rest
Montana Romance Writers
AngelaBreidenbach
Twitter
Today I'd like to introduce to you one of those people, Angie Breidenbach...
Please tell us about your first two books and their inspiration.
Actually, my first two books are contest winners but not published. They are both women's inspirational fiction. The second is the better book and I set it aside because the inspiration was my own mother. She was mentally ill and I was her Full Legal Guardian. She passed away as I wrote it March 1st, 2007 and I just had to put it aside to grieve.
It won the 2007 Touched By Love First Place Contemporary and has several requests from publishers. I'm finally to a point that I think I'm ready to work on it again. My heroine's journey is loosely based on my search for my own mother when she disappeared in Denver. I had such a fear of finding my mom dead in an alley that I jumped on a plane with no luggage and rented a car when I got there. I actually went street by street and then found her in the most surprising of places.
Tell us about your next book, Insanity Rules: Gems of Wisdom:
This book has my heart and the hearts of those I interviewed in it. There are so many things we learn in life because of overcoming challenges. Too often people see those challenges as negative pirates stealing their treasure of peace. In reality, we defeat our pirates and claim our treasured gems of wisdom. Each chapter chooses a negative pirate for us to battle and each battle ends in claiming a different gem of wisdom.
The gems are worn as tactile memory anchors like God used gemstones on Aaron's priestly garments to remind Aaron of the people he represented in Exodus 28. I'm working on a jewelry line to complement the book with Pamba Toto (a company that uses fair trade beads, gems and silver from third world women to support two orphanages in Kenya.) Every piece is a set of prayer beads intended to help the wearer focus on the wisdom and meaning God has in the experiences He allows in their life.
In working with Pamba Toto to fairly purchase handiwork of women to support their families and then Pamba Toto's profits support the orphans in Kenya, I feel like the braids of a strong cord come together with such meaningful depth, humanity and value.
I know more authors from Montana! Is it something in the air or water?
Oh yes! It's all that wonderful fresh big sky air that fuels our imaginations. Seriously, there are quite a few people who love to write up here. I think it is a very compelling place with vivid living characters :-D
You hold the title of Mrs. Missoula 2008 – what was involved to win that honor? And tell us about the Jadyn Fred Foundation.
The Mrs. Missoula 2008 title is part of the Mrs. America organization. I was really excited to represent this title because I had the opportunity to help promote brain donations for the Brain Bank at Harvard's MacLean Hospital. That led to being invited to be a spokesperson for the Missoula Aging Services RSVP (a volunteer project that matches senior citizens to hundreds of community service needs all over our county) and the Jadyn Fred Foundation through speaking and at charity events.Volunteerism and community service are things I am passionate about and Mrs. Missoula 2008 and now Mrs. Elite Ambassador 2009 1st Runner-Up are amazing opportunities to share that passion. I hope I can be an example to encourage others to passionately give of themselves through community service.
The Jadyn Fred Foundation Jadyn Fred is very close to my heart. Jadyn died from a rare form of cancer in 2000. Her family was able to meet the financial needs but ached for the families in Montana that they met on their treatment journey with Jadyn. There are many families who cannot afford to get their child to the hospital because the costs are so high that it leaves them without food or gas money, some that had to leave the child in the hospital way over in Seattle while they worked in Montana to pay for the treatments (and the little one lay there alone) and some parents that slept in the car in order to stay with their baby because they could not afford a motel during the treatments.
The Fred family thought they might be able to help where insurance fell short. So they started the Jadyn Fred Foundation to meet these needs. Doctors and nurses fill out the proper forms for the non-profit foundation and send them in for the family. Then the family can be assisted once a year up to $1300 to meet needs that insurance won't cover. So far, we've been able to help 141 families with gas money, motels and even groceries when their own funds have been depleted. It's helped babies have a mommy or daddy present when they would have been alone or for the rest of the family to have groceries.
You used to be the president of your local Toastmasters. What led you into the area of speaking?
I was asked to lead a drama class for Sunday school teachers several years ago. It went really well and I just loved doing it. I started looking for ways to learn how to speak publicly. One of my good friends invited me to the Shootin' The Bull Toastmaster club at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I had so much fun I just kept going! I found out that I had a gifting in public speaking and that I could make a difference helping others that way.
You speak on so many topics – and you sing, too! How did you get involved on so many different levels?
I began singing and performing on stage as a little girl. That led to musicals and now as an adult, I'm an Assistant Minister for our church. That means I am a liturgist (or for some non-liturgical folks, a worship leader.) I truly love singing, speaking and praying with and for people. I think God has continually led me into His path because it is more His plan and so it has become mine. I am most fulfilled when I am doing these things. He put it in my DNA :-) I can't NOT do them and be me. (When you keep getting confirmation through feedback, you feel led to do something and you have the ability--you are on the right track. Keep going and it will build naturally.)
You write for many blogs… tell us about them!
Each of these blogs has built from another. I took classes online to learn to blog from ACFW! I started my first and personal blog called God Uses Broken Vessels from that class. (By the way, American Christian Fiction Writer members get online classes for free! Just go to ACFW to join.) My blog is focused on relationships, goals and personal growth for anyone who comes to visit. I also enjoy promoting Inspirational writers regularly.
Then because I had been to the ACFW conference, I met 5 new author friends. We all began chatting online and on the phone and along came Writing By Faith a.k.a The Faith Girls. We each write one day a week and have a Sunday Free For All. We have 6 different authors, 6 different genres and 1 Great God.
After the next year's conference, I was invited to be a part of Writers Rest as one of about a dozen authors. This blog is meant to uplift the writer's soul and uplift the reader.
From where did “God Uses Broken Vessels” originate?
I am a broken vessel. It's how God uses all those pieces of me as I've received His help, comfort and gems of wisdom. What I've been given, I choose to share. I find purpose in the trials by helping others through theirs.
This concept comes straight from 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5. "Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble. We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives." CEV These verses "clicked" with me that troubles have purpose. Then I read Romans 8: 26-28, my life verses. (NIV)
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
For so long I saw myself as broken and useless. My mother was mentally ill and my step-dad was an alcoholic. I made all the worst relationship choices. What did I have to give? Then as I fought up and over those mountainous problems, I read those verses. God kept providing a hand, a shoulder, a word of wisdom and I kept climbing. I had something to give because ALL things God works for good, not SOME things. As I climb, I can now reach back and offer a hand to another climber over a tough precipice.
When I started mentoring young women as a Stephen Minister, I saw the same hurt hearts. I began sharing how I'd overcome some of my hurts, all those things that I thought had broken me actually helped the people I worked with too. I could show someone else how to overcome and how to make life better for their families. I could show them which handholds and which rocks to set their feet on that mountain.
From your posts, I sense you are a proud mother! Tell us something special about your family.
We have a combined family of six. Three girls and three boys--all grown now. I'm excited to have my first grandson too. My husband and I agreed when we were married that our kids would be aware of the whole world through experiencing it. We've made it a family priority to travel widely. It is important to us that we make a difference and leave this world a better place. I guess you could think of it as a hybrid of going camping. Always leave it better than before you were there. I think that's something God's put on our hearts.
Sometimes we don’t grasp our calling right away. When did you realize that speaking & writing were your tools for spreading God’s Word?
I think it's so important not to put stock in a moment of decision but in the process of the journey. I heard God's calling as an 11 year old when I won my first writing contest. I grew up had a family, made lots of mistakes and kept trying to figure it all out myself. When kiddos number 2 and 3 took off for college, I honestly fell apart. I began searching for me before kiddos 4, 5 and 6 left. I thought there might be nothing left of me.
That's where God found me, lost in a state of tears. I began looking for that dream I'd left behind in childhood. What had I always wanted to do? Who did I want to be?
I began reading books about writing and I found the Idaho Writer's League that led to RWA and then ACFW. I took online classes and have now attended 5 major writing conferences. Each class, each conference, each word I wrote confirmed what God had put inside me-the heart of a writer and speaker. I'm continuing my growth as a volunteer for ACFW as the new publicity officer. It helps me to offer my abilities and I learn as I volunteer. A beautiful chance for any writer.
My children are grown. I've entered a new aspect of my life. I've uncovered the me I buried instead of celebrated. Now I celebrate by helping others find themselves one step at a time. No journey is through a time warp. A journey is taken one step of personal growth at a time. My journey will not end until I can hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I want to look back and feel I have lived my life to the fullest of His plan because then I know it will be the best life I could have lived.
What is next for Angie?
My goal right now is to braid several strands of one huge dream into a strong cord like I'm doing with the Gems of Wisdom line of jewelry. I'm going to be certified this year as a Life Coach and specialize in coaching people to find the gems of wisdom in their lives. I want to teach confidence, strengthen relationships and how to unlock your own life purpose and then to teach them to pass it on.
My plan is to add more teaching through a series of books that plait my writing, speaking, life coaching into one encouraging support system called Gems of Wisdom. I'm working on weaving it all together this year with my inspirational non-fiction Insanity Rules: Gems of Wisdom book as the first strand. I believe I will do other things, sure, but I would like this to stand as a way for people to gain personal growth for years by learning from not only me but all the people I interview. Years of experience gleaned from countless others passed on to anyone who wants to gain their own gems of wisdom to pass it on to someone else. Yes, that's my dream.
What's yours? Please share with your comments.
And the last word… ?
All those things that go wrong are exactly those things will bless you to bless others because of what you have learned. Know that you are not the only person on earth to ever go through that pain. If you are in it right now, absorb everything you can from it. Soak up every drop. Someone is going to need to lean on your experience. When you can think past your own hurt to someone else, you can begin to value those things you would have missed otherwise because God uses ALL things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
What are your gems of wisdom and who can you pass them on to?
I'm grateful for such a wonderful opportunity to share my dreams with you today.Thank you,Angie Breidenbach-- ACFW Publicity Officer ACFW
Angie's blogs:
God Uses Broken Vessels
Writing By Faith
Writers Rest
Montana Romance Writers
AngelaBreidenbach
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