How I Became an Author

Happy National Author's Day to all authors 

who battle with words

 so readers can sit on them, 

mull over and understand, 

be encouraged and filled with hope, and

 their world becomes a sweeter place.

My journey as an author is not typical. 

I never gave a thought to writing a story for the public to read.

I did keep journals though, in obedience to 

Psalm 102:18

"Write this down for the next generation 

so people not yet born will praise God."

Hiding my words in a file cabinet,

 I hoped one day they would be discovered by 

my grandchildren and

 their grandchildren and 

people not yet born will

know of my faith in Christ.

One Sunday my husband Dan preached a sermon on the 

Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14:30).

In that parable, 

the master is angry at the lazy servant who buried his talents.

While Dan preached, God spoke to my heart,

  What good are all your writings doing buried in your file cabinet if no one reads them? 

I knew I was to write a book, but 

how do you write a book?

You write! Spiritual thoughts entered my mind and I wrote. Long before blogs or social media, my writing piled up in my file drawer. With no idea where to go from here, I waited on God's direction.

He lead me to Montrose Bible Conference to check out a retreat center for a marriage seminar Dan and I were planning. There on the table I noticed a brochure advertising the Montrose Christian Writer's Conference (MCWC). A writer's conference? Who knew? I didn't! Dan urged me to attend and the following summer I sat as a student at the Montrose Christian Writer's Conference.

Step by step, God unfolded my writing career. I share with you how God took me through stumbles and great strides.  

1.Start writing! You won't be published if you don't write.

2. Attend a writer's conference and learn the writing/publishing/marketing business. Keep attending conferences where you create a network of editors, agents, publishers, other writers who will encourage you on your journey.

3. Read books on writing. My favorites are On Writing Well by William Zinsser and Elements of Style by E. B. White and William Strunk Jr.

4. Publish a magazine article. I brought one of my devotionals to my first writer's conference and showed it to the editor of Salvation Army's War Cry. "I want this. I'll buy it." Her words rang shock and joy in my heart. 

5. Publish in a compilation. Gloria Clover attended Montrose Christian Writer's Conference as a member of the faculty. She published a sweet book titled Penned From the Heart which was a compilation from various authors. I showed her fifteen of my devotionals and she published all fifteen.

6. Write from your heart. I knew I was to write, but I didn't know what I was to write. A faculty member at MCWC said "Write what you are passionate about." I laughed and realized I was passionate about relaxing in my bath and being a good mother.  

7. Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms was published a few years later. (Publication with a traditional publication company can take years to produce. Be prepared to wait.) Within months, Splashes of Serenity was in all the Family Christian book stores. 

8. When your first book sells well, publishers want another book. A sequel, Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives, was published. I love this book, but it never got off the ground. Within weeks of publication, the publisher retired and Drained Wives was never promoted. Be prepared for some heartbreak as an author. Drained Wives remains one of my favorite books. I still hear from wives and husbands whose marriages were changed when they read our marriage story in Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives. 

9. People who read Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives urged me to write more on marriage. I thought I was done with writing (after the disappointment of Drained Wives), but  God wasn't done with me. Words, stories, chapter titles filled my head and would not leave. You writers know the feeling. I had to write We All Married Idiots: Three Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can. Wow! What a book! I had a publisher who worked hard and believed in me and in Idiots. Ha! He could relate! 

 Within days of publication I heard from an International Worker in South America who read  Idiots on her kindle and asked if she could translate it into Spanish.

Soon, International Workers from Bosnia/Herzegovina asked if they could translate We All Married Idiots into Bosnian. What a delight and a surprise seeing this work help marriages around the world. 

10. Leukemia! God gave me another surprise! He continues to fill me with hope, purpose, ministry, and words as I travel with cancer. Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality shares the lessons God taught me on my cancer journey. What joy hearing from other cancer patients the hope and peace they discover within the pages of Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo.

Will I write another book? Only if the Lord leads. When words begin replacing sleep, and I am miserable until I get the words on paper, then I know God has another book in the works.    

Thank you, dear readers, for your prayers, love, and support. Thank you for writing reviews and for sharing my posts on social media. My only goal is to glorify God, to live a Holy life, to be obedient to His will, and to share Christ with the world. You partner with me in that endeavor and I am thankful for you. 

Happy Reader's Day to you from this Happy Author!

  

Elaine Shares Her Story as a Guest at the Extraordinary Faith Summit

 

What a blessing to share my faith, my writing, my marriage, and my cancer journey with Patricia Durgin at the Extraordinary Faith Summit. Thank you, Patricia, for this opportunity to show the world the power of Christ in a life. You can see and listen to the interview right here:

https://www.facebook.com/MarketersOnAMission/videos/138224097502294/

May these words bring a splash of serenity to your day!

Do You Want To Write A Book? Start with a Writers' Conference

Have you ever thought of writing a book, but you don't know where to start?

 Has God given you a message to write or to speak? 

Is your manuscript finished and you are looking for a publisher?

 Would you like to improve your communication skills?

Would you like to meet writers who become your life-long prayer warriors and friends? 

Would you like to spend a week with me? (Don't answer that.)

Would you enjoy a week of laughter and good ole Pennsylvania cooking?

Have you dreamed of dwelling at the historic farm of R. A. Torrey?

I've got a place for you!

 Montrose Christian Writers Conference in Montrose, PA

July 14-19, 2019

See the website WWW.MONTROSEBIBLE.ORG 

for more information and registration

Montrose Writers Conference 

is where my writing career began.

In the early 2,000's God called me to write a book, but I didn't know how. At Montrose Christian Writers Conference I learned the writing/publishing business and with God's blessing my first book was published.

Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms

A year later came

Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives  

Four years later 

We All Married Idiots: 

Three Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can 

was birthed in English, Spanish, and Bosnian.

A cancer diagnosis nudged me to write my new release

 Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality. 

The specialness of Montrose Christian Writers Conference came to light as my Montrose friends (or odd ducks, as we call each other) walked with me and prayed me through my hard diagnosis. I am forever grateful for the prayers and love received from the folks who became friends at Montrose Bible Conference. With joy I am living a full life in good health. Thank you, odd ducks. You are the best!

This summer I am excited to return to Montrose Christian Writers Conference as a workshop leader teaching:

"A Writer Speaks to Touch Hearts"

 Speaking/Writing do's and don'ts that help us become writers/speakers who connect with our audiences, lead listeners into the heart of God, and motivate people toward action for the glory of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

"Our Most Essential Writing/Speaking Tool—A Pure Heart" 

 We can write great books and be articulate Bible scholars, but unless our audiences see Jesus in us, unless they see love in our lives, our words are resounding gongs. Let us examine our hearts for sin lurking within and keeping us from  becoming the writers/speakers God gifted us to be.

"Be My Guest"

 Being the guest on radio, television, or newspaper interviews takes more than just showing up. We must prepare.

A myriad of authors, editors, speakers, publishers, and agents will bless and challenge us to write for the generation to come so

"That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord." (Psalm 102:18).   

For more information please see WWW.MONTROSEBIBLE.ORG.

What started in a small town in Pennsylvania swelled to a world-wide ministry speaking in Russia, Bosnia, and across the USA. Who knew? Well, God did when He directed me to a sweet spot called Montrose Christian Writers Conference.  Is God directing you to write? If so, I hope to see you at Montrose!

Splashes of Serenity!

Always Consider Your Audience

Whether writing or speaking, always consider your audience. I'm so glad I did.

Publishing a book is so much more than writing words on a page. We must consider our audience. In formatting Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality, I pictured my audience. Writing for cancer patients, I realized some of them would be sick, possibly nauseated, very tired, unable to concentrate. I told my publisher this book needs to be easy to read, larger print, double spaced. A cancer patient myself I realized, cancer treatment is hard, and a cancer patient doesn't need a book that is hard to read.  

When the publisher and I settled on this size and font, I was pleased.

When this five-star review appeared on Amazon, I knew we had made the right decision.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great First Book to read after radiation

January 29, 2019

Format: Paperback

I really appreciated the lyrics of old hymns. This book has larger print, wider spaces between the lines, 

reads in short stories like a devotional, and has clear headings. Also, each chapter follows a pattern; all of which 

I found helpful when reading what so difficult for me after brain radiation. It was one of the first books after a giant

 print Bible that i picked up when I began to attempt reading again. I kept a pen in it as a bookmark. 

So many quotable, encouraging lines! Very hopeful! So positive.

Always consider your audience. I purchased a devotional book for my early elementary age granddaughter. When the book arrived from Amazon, I was was not happy to open and find tiny, single-spaced print in long paragraphs. There was no way my learning-to-read grandgirl would enjoy the treasures in the words thoughtfully written but thoughtlessly formatted.

When speaking, also consider your audience. Preparing to speak at a retreat I asked the event coordinator the make-up of the audience. "Mostly young moms," she replied. A week before the event I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to call the event planner again. I'm glad I did. In the weeks of registration a group of 30 single women had decided to attend the retreat. Wow! I was thankful to have a week to tweak my talk geared to young moms to now ministering to the needs of all women.

Considering our audience also works for me when writing. I picture the faces, the hurts, the needs of those I am writing for and the words come easier from my heart to the page.

God has given us voices and pens that are influencing the world. Our ministries are not about us, but about those listening to us. May we do all for the glory of God.

"And whatever you do, 

whether in word or deed, 

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

 giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:17

Be a Splash of Serenity in someone's life today,

Facing Cancer "with Grit, Gumption, and the Grace of God"

 Who knew a journalist would be in the audience when I spoke at the 

First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wellsville, NY? 

God knew. 

That's Who knew.

Thank you Laurie Dashnau for a fabulous article. 

(See article below)

 You fulfilled what every speaker/author dreams of

—a person of influence who writes glowing reviews of their work—

without being asked. 

So nice seeing you and your dear husband and meeting your enthusiastic neighbor. 

Thank you Marsha Sick and the evangelism team at First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran.

 I admire your vision to minister to cancer patients. 

What a delight sharing the day with suffering saints desiring to have all of God. 

Thank You God for always putting us at the right place

 at the right time with the right people. 

Our ministries are truly in Your Hands.

May we shine for You!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men . . . .

 It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Thank you dear prayer warriors. 

Because of your prayers I spy God sightings in my life. 

Thanks for holding up my arms!

Elaine Shares Her Cancer Journey with Dianne Barker, WHCB Radio

Dianne Barker

Speaker, radio host, and author

I Don't Chase the Garbage Truck Down the Street in My Bathrobe Anymore!

Organizing for the Maximum in Life

 Dianne Barker and I sat down for a heart-to-heart about my cancer journey and my new book Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Diagnosis on her radio show "At the Library."

Dianne's "At the Library" two-part chat with Elaine W. Miller will be aired one time for the next two Saturday's. 

Part I

Saturday, October 20, 2018 

 at 3:30 EST 

on WHCB Radio, 91.5 FM in Tennessee

or www.whcbradio.org

 Part II

Saturday, October 27, 2018

 at 3:30 EST 

on WHCB Radio, 91.5 FM in Tennessee

 or www.whcbradio.org

Dianne edited Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo. Her belief in this book and her love for cancer patients shines through in the final product. She made me look really good! Thank you, Dianne!!!

She writes in her endorsement:

"A contagious joy infects the pages of Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo. Elaine W. Miller refuses to let a leukemia diagnosis steal her joy. Trusting God and believing he fights for her, she knows her eternity in heaven is secure. That puts her in a win-win position—surrendered to whatever God pleases to do. Her faith-filled perspective facing a potential death sentence offers encouragement and 

hope to others walking through dark, uncertain places. They will learn to laugh at cancer and find unexpected blessings in the journey. This sweet book by my precious friend is a shout-out to the Lord she loves with all her heart." ~ Dianne Barker

Edit, Edit, Edit, and Then Edit Some More

If four eyes are better than two, then twenty eyes are near perfection. Except there is no perfect book. Some reader, somewhere, will find the misspelled word.

Ten people blessed me and blessed cancer patients when they volunteered to read my book searching for typos, stupid errors, and grave mistakes. I read my book over and over and over. No book is perfect, but every book can be improved. We owe ourselves and we owe our readers the time and the hard work of editing. Our goal is to produce the cleanest and clearest copy possible. Thank you for all who helped me achieve that goal.

Dianne Barker, friend and author of eight books, was my books eleventh read. Wow! She poured her heart and her expertise into my book. When she sent her edits, I felt like I was attending a college writing course, as she not only sent suggestions, she told me why.

If you would like to contact Dianne to edit your manuscript, I give the highest recommendation.

www.diannebarker.com

e-mail: diannebarker@embarqmail.com

Here's a sample of Dianne's work:

I wrote: "Too stunned to react, I sat silent knowing that in a moment of a test result life had changed forever."

Dianne suggested: "Too stunned to react, I sat silent. In a moment, a test result had changed life forever."

Dianne packed power into those words, yet didn't change my voice. My appreciation of her is immense.

Editing is tough, yet necessary. Don't sell your book short (literally).

 Edit, Edit, Edit, and Then Edit Again.

Some tips for surviving the editing process:

1. Let go of your pride. 

The editor has one goal: to make your book better. Be happy, not devastated or embarrassed when the editor changes the sentence you spent three hours perfecting. The book belongs to you. You choose whether to accept or reject each edit.

2. Keep your voice.

"Write the way you speak." Thelma Wells said at an Advanced Writers and Speakers Conference. So, hold on to your voice. An editor may change your "do not" to "don't" to make the sentence more conversational, but if you say "do not" and rarely say "don't," then not a good idea to change.

3. No two readers or editors think the same.

One editor said, "You don't like commas do you?" She filled the manuscript with perfectly placed commas to enhance the readability of my book. I sent the comma-laden script off to another editor who removed most of them. When in an English-usage quandary, check your heart, and discern which read makes more sense to you. Both of these editors are award-winning authors. They know the punctuation business. I trust them both. But, they are human so they think differently.

One reader loves a paragraph. Another says to get rid of the beloved words. Again, use your discernment.

4. An editor does more than find typos. 

They make your work shine. Shine for Jesus, dear author, shine!

Have a Splashes of Serenity Kind of a Day!

The Hard of Writing

" . . . writing a book didn't just happen. 

It wasn't like it was left under your pillow by a fairy, already written. 

No. It was hard. 

You had to erase."

 ~ Jan Karon

I've spent the last two years researching and reading books on cancer, learning from other cancer patients, listening to stories of those who won, some who lost before our conversation ended, and many still fighting the battle—when all I wanted to do was run far from this disease, spend my days    living, loving, laughing, playing, seizing each moment God gives me, and playing like a I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world child. The hard of writing.

But God gave me a story and a desire to use my illness for His glory. The process is hard, but the blessings are easy and huge. Wonderful cancer warriors became my friends, my encouragers, my mentors, my blessings. As God always does, He uses the hard to mold us into His Image.

As a Christian author, I've met precious writers. Many have a story, because they lived a tragedy. A child died, is missing, or is in prison. A spouse left. An illness dominates their lives. Writing their journeys required them to go back to the hurting place, feel the devastation all over again, and write and rewrite and rewrite the agony. The hard of writing.

Why do we write when the writing is hard? We write so satan won't win the battle because Christ won the victory. We write for the glory of God. We write to heal our hurts. We write because God called us to tell our stories. to comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Christian authors are like angels—God's messengers to a hurting world. They desire, as I do, to give God the glory for their victories over the pain.

If the Lord leads, please pray for Christians to keep writing their God stories of hope, encouragement, and comfort. If Christians stop writing, what books will fill our bookstore shelves?

Today my next book is in the hands of an editor who is making my writing shine. Then, I'll have rewrites and more editing and (horror of horrors) cover design! A bad cover can destroy a well-written book. I am a writer, not an artist or a designer. The hard of writing.

So, while I wait for the next phase of the book publishing process, I seize each moment as a gift from God while I rest, read, live, laugh, love, and blow bubbles like a not-a-care-in-the-world child.

Have a splashes of serenity kind of a summer!

Too Old to Write?

My hubby retired last year. Oh, how I love having him home. Twenty-four/seven I  have my handsome man at my side kissing me. What's not to like?

Except, there is a  restlessness in my soul and a passion in my heart not to retire, but to write. Can I have the kisses and the contracts too? Dan thinks so!

At the Advanced Writers and Speakers Conference #2015AWSA, we were blessed by the words of Mama T. Thelma Wells is 70+ years old, has just begun a new book, and is
speaking on the 2015 Women of Faith Tour. I want to be Mama T! www.ThelmaWells.com 

Thelma's words encouraged us all and struck a chord in my heart:

"There's nothing I can do without the anointing of God."

"If you are over 50, you have something to say. Why haven't you written a book?"

"Write it like you talk. Get directions from God — not from other writers."

I like the way Mama T thinks.

Sitting beside me  was Dianne Barker, best-selling author of Twice Pardoned and Living Proof. I'm currently loving her book I Don't Chase the Garbage Truck Down the Street in My Bathrobe Anymore! www.diannebarker.com 

Dianne whispered to me, "I want to die holding a pen."  Me too, Dianne. Me too.

May we older writers be encouraged by these who went before us:

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her first book in her mid-sixties.

Dr. Seuss wrote his last book at age 85.

Frank McCourt, published Angela's Ashes in his mid-sixties.

Harriet Doerr wrote Stones for Ibana at age 73.

And Mama T keeps on writing.

I hope you do too.

When does a writer retire?  When  the anointing of God has left your spirit and you have nothing left to write or speak. For me, I hope that happens when I end my journey on earth and begin writing in Heaven.

What are your thoughts?

May today's reflections be a splash of serenity to your writer's soul.

Taking Your Writing and Speaking to Another Level

Is your writing and speaking a job or a hobby? For me, it is a calling. I never sought this writer/speaker life, but God flew open doors and in obedience to Him, I tiptoed in. Never did I think my books would be published or I would speak in the next state or in another country. But God gave fruit and He brought friends who encouraged me, prayed for me, publicized me, endorsed me, interviewed me, educated me, and challenged me to be the best writer and speaker for the glory of God.

So many encouraged me on my writing journey, but today I want to mention one group that took my ministry to the national level.

I thank God for the women in the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. www.AWSA.com 

After my second book was published, I learned at a writer's conference that I might qualify as a member of AWSA. I applied, was accepted, and my ministry mushroomed.

These sweet AWSA sisters understand what life is like for a national and international writer and speaker.  We share joys and we share sorrows. Prayer is the key that locks these 400 women together.

I remember asking for prayer for a painful personal attack. Oh my! The prayers came, as well as books AWSA sisters wrote on the subject of my pain. God heard this mighty group of prayer warriors, satan ran, and God was glorified. 

This weekend I have the joy of attending my first AWSA conference learning from and worshiping with these dear cheerleaders in the faith. I am expecting many hugs.

If you are a writer and speaker looking for encouragement, please check out www.AWSA.com. If you qualify, please don't hesitate to apply. You'll be glad you did! 

Below is a video of last year's conference. Oh, I'd love to see you there next year. Enjoy!



Let me know any way I can pray for you as a writer and speaker. I'd love to lift your ministry up to the Father!

"Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work: . . . "

Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV)

May this blog splash serenity on your writer/speaker calling. I'd love praying for you.

When Life Disrupts Your Serenity, God May Be Sending a Gift

DAN! A SPIDER!!!   Oh my, it was  big. And yellow! I never saw a yellow spider. That should have been my first clue this spider was special.

Sitting on the patio in our new home, I breathed joy as nature's beauty surrounded me and our house in the woods. A place we named Serenity Lane.

 Looking up, I gasped at the site of the yellow spider  (I'm guessing three inches from end to end) busy weaving  a huge, odd looking web, and disrupting my serenity.

Dan the man came to my rescue and the spider and web disappeared. I was thankful  to return to the peace of the spiderless patio, but the writer in me couldn't forget that big bug. So I googled "yellow spider." What a surprise!

He was a "writer spider" named so because his web looks like  a written message (or words in a book!). Writer spiders are good to have around  because they are harmless to humans and they eat flies and other pests.

God gave me a writing buddy  on our moving day. How quickly I judged that spider and wanted it gone. I'm sad my writer spider and I won't sit on the patio together creating words and sentences in our own languages.

I wonder how many people or circumstances or ideas we find annoying or serenity sapping and all along God meant as a blessing.  Don't be quick to brush off that person sapping your time, the circumstance that interferes with your daily plan, the idea that sounds like an impossibility, or the spider over your head. They all may be gifts God is sending you for your pleasure and His purposes.

"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."

Romans 8:28

With love from Serenity Lane,

Want to Become a Published Author?

 When I ask audiences "Any one want to write a book?" A resounding "Yes!" nearly shakes the conference room.

 Desiring to write is the easy part. Disciplining yourself to put words on paper, edit, understand the publishing process, find an agent and publisher, decide whether to self or traditional publish, brand yourself, create a web presence, and on and on and on.

There is so much more to writing a book than writing a book.

Every writer MUST attend a writer's conference. There you meet the "write" people, who teach you, befriend you, and encourage you to write your best.  As writers, we don't want to write blah, blah, blah, blah blah. We want to write words that touch hearts and make this world a better place through entertainment or life change or motivation to act.

Please, for the sake of your readers, and your own commitment to write, plan to attend

The 2014 Susquehanna Valley Writer's Luncheon and Workshop

on

October 4, 2014

10:30 a.m. to 1:35 p.m.

at

 Carriage Corner Restaurant

257 East Chestnut Street

Mifflinburg, PA

$25 includes lunch and two workshops

Non-fiction and Fiction Workshops include

"Making Your Fiction Jump Off the Page"

Two workshops taught by Marsha Hubler

"Touching Hearts with Words—Writing Non-Fiction from A to Z"

Two workshops taught by Elaine W. Miller

To register send your name, address, email, phone number, and $25 check or money order endorsed  to Susquehanna Valley Writer's Workshop to:

Susquehanna Valley Writer's Workshop

c/o Marsha Hubler

1833 Dock Hill Road

Middleburg, PA   17842

Please indicate whether you are attending the fiction or non-fiction workshops.

or

Register on-line at www.Susquehannavalleywritersworkshop.wordpress.com 

You can ignore the deadline date. Walk-ins are welcome too. 

For more information, please check out www.Susquehannavalleywritersworkshop.wordpress.com

Marsha and I want you to see your work published and read by vast audiences. Please attend and help us help you.

A big thank you to Marsha Hubler who works hard to take us from wanna-be authors to published authors. 

Splashes of Serenity on your writing day!

Carol Kent and Jeanette Windle are Winners on my Writing/Speaking Journey

Write and speak were never on my life's to-do list. But God had other plans. I thank Him for people He places on my path as I journey.

On my way, I learned of an organization called AWSA which stands for the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.  What a delight these women are in my life as we encourage each other to be the best writer and speaker for the glory of God. If you want to grow in your writing and speaking skills, I recommend this organization of the 300 top Christian women communicators who both publish books and speak around the country. See www.AWSA.com

AWSA's annual conference was held last weekend with the Golden Scroll Banquet awards being a highlight.

My face burst in smiles when I read the names of the Golden Scroll Award winners. Two of them   had a major impact on my writing/speaking life. I'm thrilled they were recognized for their hearts for writing, speaking, encouraging, and equipping others to write and speak for the glory of God.

 

Carol Kent received the AWSA Member of the Year Golden Scroll Award. Carol isn't content enjoying her own success as a writer/speaker, she has a passion to train others to communicate Christ to the masses. I attended her Speak Up conference (www.Speakupspeakerservices.com) where she taught, trained, mentored, and critiqued me. Four days with Carol and her staff were the most spiritually profitable days of my life. Thank you, Carol and Gene, for your love and encouragement to me over the years. Thank you for believing in and endorsing We All Married Idiots. Twenty-five people in the last five months have accepted Christ through my speaking ministry. I don't know if that would be so without Carol Kent in my life.

Jeanette Windle's book Congo Dawn won the Gold Scroll Award for Novel of the Year. Congratulations, my friend.

I met Jeanette at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference. She was the first  writer/editor to look at my new manuscript We All Married Idiots. One of the scariest moments in a writer's life is handing your work to a professional for their critique. I sat and watched Jeanette as she read Idiots. Smiles. Laughter. And then she spoke, "This is great! This will be published!" Those beautiful words played in my head as rejection after rejection came from publishers (rejections are the story of a writer's life, you know). Thank you, Jeanette, for your encouragement to me to keep submitting my manuscript until it reached the right publisher at the right time.

There are lots of people who splash serenity in life. Carol and Jeanette are two of mine. They truly are Golden Scroll Award winners!

 I'd love to know who encouraged you on your writing/speaking journey?


 

Why I Write and Why You Should Too

This morning's Scripture reading was a beautiful reminder of why I write and why you should too!

"... Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything He has done." Psalm 22:30-31

Years ago I began writing journals so that one day when I am dead, future generations will read them and know what God has done in my life. They will know the wonders of the Lord.

The world is filled with such tragic news. May we not be guilty of hiding the Good News from our grandchildren.

Do you journal? Wouldn't you love to read your great, great, great grandmother's thoughts? Leave your words and God's Word as a priceless inheritance to your children and your children's children's children.

Splashes of Serenity,

Should Authors Toot Their Own Horns?

Loved this photo of my granddaughter, Brenna, blowing the trumpet her Grandpa blew back in his school days. As you can see from her cheeks, she is giving it all she's got and it worked. A loud trumpet sound came from the lungs of that tiny girl.

I love to watch children because God commands us to be like little children. Brenna was on a mission to make sound come from that brass horn. She succeeded when she worked at it with all of her might.

So what toots your horn? What are you passionate about? Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...." Whatever toots your horn, I hope you work at it with all your heart.

It took all my heart to write three books. Now I am in the marketing phase of We All Married Idiots: Three Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can. Marketing can seem like I'm tooting my own horn. I'm not. I'm tooting God's horn and I am praising Him for the miracle of this next book.

Authors, go ahead and toot your horn. Don't be ashamed. God gave you a book. God gave you a publisher. Toot so the whole world will know! He didn't give you those words to hide in your private book case never to be read by anyone but family. Toot! Toot! Toot some more!!! The next person you tell may be the one whose life will change because God intended him or her to read your book.

Another author asked me once, "Aren't you embarrassed promoting your own work." My honest answer, "God gave me this book. I'd be disobedient to Him if I didn't promote it."

While you are marketing, ask others to toot your horn as well!

May 1, 2012 is the official release of We All Married Idiots. There will be a lot of tooting going on as blogs feature my book during the month of May. Any bloggers out there willing to toot my horn? Let's do it for God's glory. Contact me if you would let your blog tell the world about We All Married Idiots.


We All Married Idiots is available today on Amazon at a pre-release price of $6.08. As my publisher said, "That's crazy!" Another reviewer said this book should be given to every new bride and groom. Why not order one for yourself and several to give away before the price goes up. Thanks. Check out Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/We-All-Married-Idiots-Marriage/dp/0984765522/

May your marriage be filled with splashes of serenity as husbands and wives toot their horns and make beautiful music together!

It Takes A Village to Write A Book

It's a big day for me. We All Married Idiots sits on Amazon.com available for pre-orders. Today it hit me.  Yes indeed, this story which began over 40 years ago will be published. My heart sings with praise!

I thank God Who whispered to my heart during a sermon, What good are your writings doing in a file cabinet if no one reads them. Thank You for the amazing privilege it is to write and speak for You, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I thank my husband who always answers, "If this will help others, you have to share it" when I ask permission to reveal our personal lives. Thank you Dan for loving me and freeing me to be obedient to God's call on my life.

I thank my children. Joanna, Elizabeth, and Sam. What great kids and cheerleaders! They knew from our first days of ministry that obedience to God took precedence over their desires. Never rebelling, always loving and supporting and encouraging me to be all I could be for Christ.

I thank my grandchildren who are the delights of my life. Thank you especially to Garrett, who allows me to tell his stories so others can come to know Christ.

I thank my mother who drove her six children bananas by making us learn a new word every day. We teased her and called her Mary Webster while she searched the dictionary for the daily gem. The acorn didn't fall far, did it? Such an encourager at age 91 chastising me that I need to get back to the computer and write another book. Still trying to get me to do my homework.

I thank my dad who died before I ever wrote a book, but whose signature is on every page. One of the funniest and lovingest people I've ever known, he passed his laughter to the next generation.

I thank my prayer team. Like an army they go to war with every email request. My ministry is stronger because of them. If you would like to join that team, I'd welcome your support. Just let me know.

I thank Joyce Hart from Hartline Literary Agency who looked at my proposal, burst out laughing and said, "This will be published. I hope no one changes the name." Thanks for believing in me, Joyce, and signing me with Hartline. I am honored.

I thank Diana Flegal, my literary agent, who persevered and encouraged and persevered more until she found the right publisher for We All Married Idiots.

I thank Eddie Jones from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, who read my manuscript, laughed and said, "I like your sense of humor." Thank you, Eddie, for your vision for this work and your diligence and long hours to make it the best book we could for the glory of God.

I thank the editors and beta readers and book designers and endorsers and proofreaders who all spent hours and days and weeks making We All Married Idiots shine! Some of us stayed up til the wee hours of the morning poring over book covers and sentence structures and the right words to put power into each sentence. Phew! I'm still tired thinking about this. What sacrifices you made for me. Thank you, dear friends.

I thank Montrose Christian Writer's Conference where I learned the process of getting published and how to write a proposal. There I met all those odd ducks that quack everytime I slack. You are all joy and laughter and fun and amazing blessings in my life.

I thank Pete and Krissi Castor who first believed I was a writer and published The Splashes of Serenity Bathtime books. Oh what a gift you were to me. Thank you for the absolutely beautiful hard-cover books you produced for the glory of God. He's still selling them and using them in people's lives. Fruit that has remained!

I thank my writer's groups in Rome and in Horseheads, NY. What an inspiration you all are to me as you spur me on to be the best writer God created me to be. Especially, I thank Diane Estrella and Lisa Buske who seem to drop everything they want in order to help me get what I want. You two are amazing blessings from God. One day we will celebrate your books!

I thank Barb Spurling my friend, website administrator, advisor, teacher, and go-to gal for the first five years of this ministry. Barb, I don't think it would have happened without you. You are another gift to me.

And now Mary Hess at www.MaryHess.com who designed this beautiful website helps me with every old-lady-trying-to-use-a-computer question. You've been a God send, Mary. Appreciate you so much.

Last, I thank God for his sense of humor. Some 40 years ago, during an argument with Dan, I thought, I must have been an idiot to marry that idiot. Bursting out laughing at the realization that I just called myself an idiot, I didn't realize that 40 years later a book would be born to encourage married couples. God truly does work all things out for good and according to His purposes. Even our arguments. That's a splash of serenity to me.

Thank you, readers. Oh yes, I must thank you readers. For without you, there would be no book.  Be blessed everyone as you read: We All Married Idiots: Three Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can. It is my joy to write it for you. May this book make marriages shine!

Why Writers Write?

Why do writers write? Good question. Certainly not for the money.  "There are easier ways to earn less than minimum wage," says my writer friend Kathi Macias.

So, we write because:

Writing soothes. When I get grumpy, my daughter teases me with, "Mom, would you please go write something!" She knows writing words on paper calms a spirit gone wild. Did you ever have to write 100 times, "I'll be a good girl today." I did.

Writing influences. Words have power to change someone's mind, to alter a wrong decision, to lead someone to God. In a world  filled with evil and sadness and pain, how can I keep silent about the Hope that heals hurts? Check your child's treasure box. If you ever wrote a letter telling them of your dreams for them, I bet it was a keeper.

Writing informs. Future generations will read what we write. I want to make sure my stories of God's power and faithfulness aren't buried with me. I once possessed my grandmother's journal telling of her faith in God. Her lips are silent, but her pen still speaks.

Writing obeys God.  In Psalm 102:18 God says to write this down, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.

Writing improves the world. How? By telling the next generation of God's love for them.

Psalm 71:17-18 encourages me to write:  "O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do....Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me."

I write for God. I write for me. I hope I write for you. I know I write for them:

Perhaps you will consider writing too. Who does God want you to tell of the wonderful things He does? Please tell them, write them, show them. Future generations and a hurting world need to hear.

Will your words be the splash of serenity that changes the life of someone you love or the stranger you've never met? I hope so.

From File Drawer to Book Store—My Writing Journey Continues

So, how did my first book go from a file drawer to a bookstore?

In earlier blogposts I share how God called me to write Cleanse My Heart: Bathtime Meditations for Moms. Rejected by four publishers, I placed that manuscript back into my file drawer. Content that I had obeyed God, I laid it to rest. But, God is in the resurrection business and He had other plans.

My friend Kelly Molinet visited one day. Kelly and I cried, prayed, and shared life together when her son, Liam, was born with Cystic Fibrosis. I wrote this dear victorious mother's story in Cleanse My Heart.

"Would you like to read what I wrote about Liam?" I asked her. She did. She liked it. A published author herself, she asked, "Why haven't you sent this to my publisher?"

So, I did. I sent Cleanse My Heart to Green Key Books. Within a few months, a contract arrived in my mailbox.

When a contract is signed, the author gives the publisher rights to your words. Which means, they can do with them whatever they please. Cleanse My Heart could have become a comic book.

Green Key didn't give me a comic book, but a beautiful hard cover gift book. Other authors tell me a first-time unknown author would never get a hard-cover book. That never happens. Well, with God all things are possible. And God was in this book from its conception.

But wait! What happened to Cleanse My Heart? The publisher also has the right to rename your book. Green Key renamed mine Sink or Swim (S.O.S.): Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms. I'm glad they asked my opinion and that I stated, "I think Sink or Swim sounds too severe. Can we change it?" Pete and Krissi Castor at Green Key Books were willing, but wanted to keep the S.O.S.

I put my thinking cap and prayer hat on and within seconds, God whispered, Splashes of Serenity. I've been splashes of serenity ever since. I love it. A breath of fresh air! A ray of sunshine! A splash of serenity!

What joy to have my first reflection be "No Room in the Tub for Me!" A story written in my bathtub the night before my baby left for college. How appropriate for this drained mom.

Within months Splashes of Serenity (S.O.S.): Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms  sold thousands and a second printing was ordered. It is now in a third printing. Mothers around the world have been blessed and encouraged by this book. If you'd like an autographed copy, you can order it at my bookstore (see tab above) or contact me at SplashesofSerenity@yahoo.com.

So, what did you learn from this post?

Well, that God's plan for your book won't be thwarted even when you put it where no man can find it.

A publisher can make a comic book from your words if he wants to, but a publisher desires to give you the best-selling product they can afford.

A publisher has the final say on the title, but most publishers will listen to your heart and consider your thoughts.

One day your wildest dreams could come true and people will line up at your Barnes & Noble book signing. Who knew? Not me. Only God had this plan. My job was to obey. I'm so glad I did.

Hoping this was a splash of serenity and an encouragement to you,

Elaine