Into the Fire

Education in the USA: No one can spell anymore. From professionals to Facebookers. No one can speak correct grammar or spell. The English language is depleted by texts and phony words and misspellings. (I'm not speaking to those with specific learning disabilities. I'm speaking to those who go through the system without proper instruction and repetition.)

Evil in the USA: No one seems to recognize it. It's demonstrated continually from the highest office in our land, and it's ignored by those who see it but refuse to call it what it is. Lying, treachery, deceit, murder, perversion, all have become the norm. It's trickle-down evil and everything about it is so utterly wrong.

Elitism in the USA: Some of the richest people in the USA are Democrats who whine about the ultra-rich not paying their "fair share" while never volunteering their own money for more taxes. Some of the least intelligent and those lacking the most common sense are referred to as "elitists" in high positions. What possesses people to think there is enough money in the country to pay down the debt forced upon taxpayers? The "elitism" only exists in their minds and their personal opinions of themselves. 

Encroachment: The overwhelming lust for power that convinces these people they must control the lives of American citizens, thinking they know what's best for people when the politicians live in the DC bubble of privilege and surreality. What to eat and how much and what to think by using mind-numbing indoctrination via the public education system.

Exercise: What can this group be thinking when they hope to confiscate the guns of law abiding citizens while a corrupt government and the criminal element are storing up their guns and ammunition in great and scary numbers? This unlawful and blatant exercise of power in an attempt to override the law of the land that has worked successfully in making this country great is inexcusable and unacceptable.

Enough: Many of us have had enough.

God help us to hear your voice clearly and obey. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Some of the traits associated with the left side of the brain are listed in the table. Not all of the traits will apply to you. Remember, we use both sides of our brain, but your left side gets the most exercise.

Artists and writers are thought to favor the right brain. In the analysis of my responses to the questions in this little survey/test, apparently my answers showed an almost equal use of both halves with the slight advantage going to my left brain. Definitely some of these descriptions apply to my assessment of things in life. I might "focus on rules and regulations", but it's only to know whether or not I intend to rebel against them.

Father, please keep my brain working for the duration. As limited as it is, I do want to continue to use it for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Your book is debuting. Your marketing is in high gear. What is the one thing you want your readers to take away from the story?

Father, help me to leave readers with something valuable which can only come from you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Most of us writers look for ways to correct things. Can it be said better? What word should I have used instead?

Do you ever go back and reread that novel you wrote four years ago? Are you editing it all over again?

If you had time to devote to the story you wrote, if you had time to let it settle, age, and ferment before you picked it up again, did you tear it apart, rewrite a few things, or smile in satisfaction as it required only a few re-touches?

There's a time to quit writing it. A time to let "The End" stand firm. A time to put it in the past and move on to the next story.

What do you see in your work when you look back?

Father, help us to be satisfied with the work of our hands, to give it due attention, our best efforts, and then to allow it to stand on its own as unique. Help us to do it all justice and then leave it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Wikipedia describes a "Cozy Mystery" as follows:

Cozy mysteries, also referred to simply as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. The term was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.^[

For further analysis and specifics on "Cozy Mysteries", go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozy_mystery

Karin Kaufman writes cozy mysteries with a bit of an edge. Sparrow House is the second book in her Anna Denning mystery series (the first was The Witch Tree, nominated for a 2011 Grace Award). Karin lives near the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains with Sophie and Cooper, her crazy but lovable shelter dogs. http://karinkaufman.com/

Anna Denning is hired by the remaining Birch heir and his wife, owners of the legendary, supposedly haunted "Sparrow House", to do the geneaology of his family but more importantly he's also asking her to gather information to prove the house is, in fact, haunted so it becomes more enticing to the buyer to whom he hopes to sell the decaying house and estate. Since the house is a considerable commuting distance outside of the small Colorado town where Anna lives, Paxton Birch offers to let her stay there in order to facillitate his quickly needed information and to bring a friend if she deems it necessary.

To Anna the only attractive room in the old house is the library, teeming with aged documents and books, a geneaologists dream come true. Taking the job, she enlists her closest friend Liz, a web reporter with her own local "newspaper" site. Together with Anna's dog Jackson they tackle the hugeness of the assignment while experiencing the eerie goings on in their midst. From a rigid household manager to the off-putting groundskeeper to the sneaky professor, there are unsettling noises, obnoxious and repugnant paintings disappearing from their upstairs bedroom hallway and being replaced with others, to the suspicious death of a young assistant to the groundskeeper.

It doesn't take long for Anna, Liz, and even Jackson to become uneasy. Things aren't right, especially knowing that Anna has received two anonymous notes about her work at Sparrow House. It's odd that Paxton doesn't know how or why the Birch home adopted the name Sparrow House, but as Anna and Liz delve deeper into Paxton's wicked father and the other mysterious deaths at the house, they figure out who was responsible for the name and exactly what it meant. The innate tension and weirdness in the house cause the two close friends to argue but they reconcile after realizing the pressure they're under and the feeling that they're also in danger.

The discovery of new information intensifies their fears and the climactic revelation of the various mysteries occurs during one of the horrendous lightning storms that not only knocks out the power but darkens the daylight.

Sparrow House presents cozy mystery readers with an entertaining story set in a creepy atmosphere with plenty of suspects – both dead and alive.

Occasionally it seemed the locations of characters intersected, making it unclear where exactly they were, i.e. they were standing by the nursery but walked to the driveway but in the next moment were back standing by the nursery. Minor confusions and nothing that took away from the story.

Karin's voice is just right for the genre, and Anna Denning is a consistent, somewhat feisty but vulnerable character who, after two years as a widow, is falling in love with a man who respects and honors her past and provides her with a hope for the future.

Father, you know how hard Karin works, how deeply she strives to honor you in all she does. You know exactly what she needs, what she hopes to achieve. You are her provider. Please continue to give her the desires of her heart as she delights in you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each man, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)

Men can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Women can harbor joy or resentment for yet another year until the obnoxious holiday spreads its hearts and sensuous advertising via every means available to them all over again. Whether it's an important day to you or if it's a dreaded day, Valentine's Day is over. Chocolatiers and florists gear up for Mother's Day while assessing their campaigns for romantic success.

When I was in the 6th grade – still elementary school in those days – I received three anonymous huge heart boxes of Valentine's candy on my desk. I remember one of them was a beautiful yellow box. Yellow happened to be my favorite color – still is, along with black – but no boy I knew could've known that. To this day I don't know who those generous young men were, but somehow I hope they understood how flattered and thankful I was for their attention. It was a sweet (pun intended) and generous gesture, one their parents probably contributed to. No small deal but apparently too embarrassing to declare their identity to me. Little did they know, so very many years later, how appreciative I would still be of the memory and their efforts.

Do you have a fond Valentine's Day memory or is it just another day for you? As an adult female and die-hard romantic who is also happily married, surprisingly, Valentine's Day means very little to me. After having worked 7 days a week for many years on the racetrack, days tended to blend together without a real identity. Inconsequential "holidays" like Valentine's Day didn't really garner a lot of attention. And my husband was one of those men who felt mostly pressured by the day rather than inspired. Not by me. I understood his reluctance to figure out a "romantic" gift. Might be fear of failure. I didn't and don't need one. I only need his love. Low maintenance.

But I always get him a "romantic" card because that's how I feel about him. Once in a while, those cards tear him up and embarrass him, and he gives me that brief look which says it all and reminds me precisely why I fell in love with him.

So. Valentine's Day is over for another year. But love doesn't come and go on one day a year. It's perpetual because of God. And that Love supercedes and is beyond our understanding. Available to every one of His creation. "Amazing Love, how can it be? That you, my Savior, would die for me . . ."

Here's hoping your Valentine's Day was all you hoped it would be . . .

Father, help us to recognize your love in all areas of our lives. Help us to be less selfish. Remind us of your forgiveness for who we are – that you made the way for us to reach you and know you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.     

[I'm over here today, but that post has nothing to do with Valentine's Day. So here you go.]

Aahhh, Valentine’s Day. A day many men dread. And on which many more women become disappointed. Why? Because the expression of love sometimes has little to do with the depth of the emotion of love. And these are the two areas of love which are featured on Valentine’s Day.

There’s nothing “wrong” with Valentine’s Day because it’s supposed to celebrate the noble state of love. Biblical definitions of love make it untenable for humans because when humans become acquainted with love, it’s all about them. It becomes physical and emotional but rarely sacrificial.

Women pout if the objects of their affections are unimaginative, try to ignore the festivities of the Day, give the same ol’, same ol’ gifts as per the media suggestions. Rarely do one male and one female “celebrate” the Day with the same mindset. Men have little time to shop for something “special” to tantalize their current squeezes or their mates in order to hop into bed for the proverbial red hot sex which is expected and promoted by all the hype.

All of which has little to do with the four letter word of “love”.

The definition(s) of Love? God is Love. Period. And within that tiny sentence is an explosion of meanings and realities that we humans cannot grasp, understand, or even imitate for the most part. We screwed up our part in it. Flat out blew it. And we’ve been playing catch-up ever since. “Playing” being the operative word.

And I think that’s one possible reason why, in general, men don’t particularly like Valentine’s Day. Because it reminds them of their inadequacies in loving. It taunts them for not understanding the needs of a woman, for the barrier that exists between the sexes, great or small, but visible and coherent even if unable to articulate.

I also think women tend to love the Day because it celebrates what they always hope to have, to experience, to breathe in, to know in its fullness. Yet it eludes them. The need for touch without consummation, the desire to be the only one their man thinks is beautiful, to be celebrated for their perfection which they are sorely short of in every sense of the word. The Day allows them the tease of “feeling” special. That one time a year.

And here’s where we falter. “Feeling” love and living love can be at opposite ends of love’s spectrum at times. While “feeling” love is wonderful, necessary, and sensuous with a mate, it plays only an innocuous part of the whole experience. It’s the “doing” love that becomes the challenge with
the curves and twists and injuries life throws at us. I don’t need to diagram love for you. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, if you need real specifics. However, the definiton describes perfection, and as humankind, we're long on longing and short on achieving in the arena of real love. 

Remember this, if you have any questions concerning true love: God is Love. And it’s only through Him that you can receive and return the illusive most desired and basic part of our existence known as Love.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Father, I am still learning. I am still trying. I love you with all my heart even though that heart often pursues you with such lacking. I need you, am desperate for you, and am a constant recipient and student of your love. Teach me more. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

Well-known television producer and writer Donald Bellisario, who is one of my all-time favorite producers, believes in the power of UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension). Long running series successes such as Magnum P.I., JAG, NCIS, and NCIS LA, have all given voice to the star-crossed, unrequited, or thinly disguised romance and sexual tension between co-star protagonists. Accompanied by great writing to keep these series in the forefront of viewers' favorites, romance and UST play a starring role in some capacity in each of them.

And then . . . it's over. Usually after the series has run its course for several years, the fantastic series come to an end, usually resolving relationships and leaving the viewers with hope for their favorite characters' futures. Ah, the love of make believe.

To sustain the UST, the romance must be intense while being downplayed. Much like category romance in novels presents the cat and mouse game of character attraction, it's accentuated in television series material, often carrying on for years over many episodes where every kind of possible conflict is experienced by the co-stars. When it's no longer feasible to keep them apart, the writers must finally figure out a way to bring them together, but this is a calculated risk which often precedes the series coming to an end. Why? Because the romantic sexual tension is no longer sustained. The objective which has kept fans rooting for or against them is realized, and the actual romance turns into relationship. Some of the clever antics of that romantic conflict are now missing, and the style of the show must evolve to serve the new commitment.

So. Do you enjoy the romantic sparring of UST in a television series? What about the formula for category romance? Tedious? Enjoyable? Leading up to the romantic holiday of Valentine's Day, how do you like your romance served?

God, you are Love. You created us. You gave us sexual desire. It was pure and good in the beginning. Forgive us for our sins of corruption against all that you made perfect and help us to seek your holiness in all that we feel, think, and do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.      

The debut novel by Winter Austin (aka Winter Peck) is a romantic suspense titled Relentless published by Crimson Romance as a general market e-book.

Featuring displaced Cajun Detective Remy LeBeau now working for the Dallas Police Department, there's a serial killer attacking women on the rodeo circuit called the Rodeo Sweetheart Killer. Remy's first acquaintance with the pretty redheaded barrel racer Cody Lewis goes far better than their second meeting after she finds a carved up female victim in her horse trailer.

Victims with red hair and green or blue eyes just like Cody's features start mounting up as the investigation proceeds, and Remy's contact with the spitfire of a cowgirl proves more difficult than he anticipated. There's tension, attraction, and hard-headed back and forths between them, making the decision to put her under protective custody nearly impossible.

The strange events around the case are amped up when LeBeau receives voice-altered messages on his private cell number which indicate the killer has a personal vendetta against him. This brings the secretive events of his former life in New Orleans to the forefront of the story without revealing what they are. Detective Remy LeBeau obviously suffers in silence at his losses and holds himself responsible for some tragic and perhaps incriminating occurrences from his past, and throughout the story he's been unable to allow anyone into his private circle of trust. Including the reader.

When deviations surface from the killer's normal routine, the detectives involved wonder if there's a copycat or two partners. When LeBeau's Lieutenant calls in a former cop who worked on the original case, now a PI, to assist with the case, Remy's resentment is hard-pressed to accept the man. However, as they all work furiously to identify the killer by the faintest of clues, things begin to suggest a culprit right when they need it the most.

Winter presents a romantic tale in a unique setting with escalating suspense and a fair amount of twists plus lots of the typical sparring, sighing, denying, stomach tingling, self-contradictions and arguments, etcetera, of category romance. Fitting snugly into the desired genre, Remy and Cody provide two explosive characters with things to hide. Remy's biggest secrets remain hidden in this story written in a spirited voice by newcomer Winter Austin. This sets the stage for a next novel without leaving the reader in a lurch.

A good story and a quick read, Relentless touches ever so lightly on the element of faith and includes the use of mild expletives here and there. Recommended for lovers of category romance with emphasis on a suspenseful plot.   

Father, please continue to provide those stories you have just for Winter to tell. Watch over her and her family and bless all that she does for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.