The Last Days (A Seriously Write Blog)

Photo Taken at the
Florida Christian Writers Conference
2017
(Thanks to Tez Brooks for the pic!)

Here's the Original - I cropped out Tez and Dan Walsh :-)

It is with fond memories that I write this post. In October of this year, it would have been six years since I started writing for SW. My face becoming part of that box on the home page labeled “Regular Contributors” was a fluke, of sorts, actually. I was asked by Dawn Kinzer, one of the hostesses if I would be willing to write a post for “Fortifying Fridays.” I interpreted that invitation —wrongly…or maybe it was rightly—to be a monthly gig and not just a one-time stint. I think Dawn hated to commit to me for that long (not knowing me well at all, really), but she did. I remember her stating that they had just lost a male writer, and the team wanted to continue to have a male voice amongst their stable of writers, so she took my “misunderstanding” as a prompting from God.

You can read the remainder HERE!

(A FOOTNOTE: Becoming a writer has been so rewording. Beyond the published books. Beyond the royalty checks. Beyond the 5-star reviews. It's the new friends I've made who have become some of my best ones. Here at SW. In the CAN group. IN Word Weavers. At the writers conferences. Our common interests, coupled with our common rejections, our common successes, and our common, everyday frustrations makes places like writers conferences and these other groups great places to not only network, but to encourage, vent, uplift, pray for, and find support. Even though I am stepping away from SW for now, it is only because I wish to spend more time in writing and more time with God. Thanks to all my fans and readers who have stopped by every fourth Friday to "see what Kevin's written this month." It's been a blast!) 

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Heather Greer

There are two things I have learned in all this Coronavirus madness. First thing: Don't trust the experts. Isn't that sad? Men and women who are supposed to be the leading experts in this and that, with more PhDs than we cars in the driveway, have been so far off on model predictions, recommendations, and precautions. Oh, as even the proverbial blind squirrel can find a nut now and then, these "experts" were right on some things. However, one thing they have done that is detrimental to future pandemics is hurt their credibility. Now, when a REAL pandemic hits us, one that has an incredibly high mortality rate and no known cure across all age levels - a pandemic that even current drugs cannot touch - we won't believe the experts because they got this one so wrong. Now, with the labor report news that came out last week, it seems even those fears of a recession and possibly an economic depression sending us off a monetary cliff have been misleading as well. Makes you wonder what's really going on, doesn't it?

The second thing I've learned in all this is God didn't lose any credibility. In fact, during this pandemic, He showed just how fragile everything mankind has built and put stock in is. He also used a man-made tragedy to draw His people back to Him. I know I'm one of them. I'm seeing "the words in red" in an entirely new light. I'm being called to a depth of relationship I've never experienced before. The Sermon on the Mount has become such a focal point for me. And with all this pandemic talk and subsequent aftermath, I'm seeing God at work in the midst of the lies, the misinformation, and the lost souls searching for answers. Then, when you add the divides that exist racially, ethnically, and religiously around the world (they don't just exist here in America, folks!), you see how far away from God we really are.

Thank you, God, for never giving up on us. Thank you, Jesus, for making this all possible. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for counseling us on the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Speaking of this Way, Truth, and Life, our next guest on the Florida Front Porch talks about such things in her books as well. Without further delay, let's welcome to a humid, sticky, summer-like pattern in late spring, our next Author Behind the Story guest, Heather Greer! Heather is a fellow, former Mantle Rock Publishing author. I say "former" because MRP was just purchased and renamed Scrivenings Press. So, we are both now Scrivenings Press authors, along with all the other authors who make up this new family.

Heather, in ABTS tradition, we ask the writer to give us a quick bio. We tell the author to imagine being on a elevator with Jimmy Fallon (not sure he's the best choice, but we'll run with it), and he's looking for average Joes & Janes with not-so-average lives to interview for his next new show segment. He then looks at you and says, "And you’re name is?" Ding! The door just shut. You have twelve floors until you reach the lobby. Go! In fifty words or less, who is Heather Greer?

I’m the girl you walked past in school because I was too introverted to notice. But if you’re one of my closest friends, you’ll see a different me. I like baking, reading, sci-fi, Hallmark, comic books, and crafting. No sports. I’m a klutz. But I do like watching wrestling.

That's an eclectic grouping, for sure. Kind of Rosie from the Jetsons meets Rosie Greer (no relation, right?). And I have to ask, real wrestling (NCAA, Olympic type) of fake wrestling (WWE)?

Ok, moving on, what educational background do you have?

I went to the same grade school and high school that my brothers and my parents went to in Carbondale, Illinois. I spent my first year in college at SIU-C because I had a scholarship and then transferred to John A. Logan Community College. It’s a good two-year school, and a lot less expensive. I was one semester away from a certificate in early childhood education when I switched majors and got my associates in psychology the month before my first child was born. I’ve taken a few classes since then, but I’ve not really felt like going back to school is what God would have me do.

Are you married? Single? Have kids? 

I met my husband twenty-six years ago at Hallmark. Yes, we have a real life Hallmark story! We have four wonderful children, but only one still lives at home. And I have the most adorable, precocious six year old grandson who adds tons of laughter and fun to all our lives.

You need to tell our fans more about this Hallmark story in the comment section below. Were you both looking for cards as patrons? Did one or both of you work there? Did one of you knock over a display and catch the attention of the other? Was it a slip and fall accident? Inquiring minds are going to want to know. :-)

Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it is special to you?

“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” From The Princess Bride. This quote reminds me we all face hard times. Maybe my hard times are different from yours, but they all bring pain. It may seem a little pessimistic to look at life that way, but even scripture promises hard times and pain. As a believer, I can know pain is part of life while holding onto the hope of God’s promises to work in me through the pain. I think that makes it less pessimistic and more realistic, don’t you?

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

This is incredibly difficult. I love Faith’s Journey because it’s my first book. But Grasping Hope and Relentless Love really touched issues that are close to my heart. One I’ve not published yet called Cake That was the most fun to write and let me develop a couple characters I really fell in love with while I explored a lighter tone throughout the story. I’d say it’s between Grasping Hope and Cake That. Grasping Hope came from a desire to share the hope I found in a really dark time in my life so that others might have encouragement as they walk through their dark valley. Cake That was my way to loosen up and have fun after writing a series dealing with the serious side of life. I wanted it to encourage readers with truth while providing a really lighthearted story.

Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 

Right now, I’m completely demolishing my writing comfort zone by branching out into historical fiction. I’m not a history lover, though I enjoy historical fiction. I wouldn’t even attempt it, but two author friends and I decided to do a series of stand-alone novels that intersect each other through a family and a stained glass window. Erin is a fantasy author. So, she got to write the dystopian romance novel. That left a contemporary and a historical romance to complete the set. Amy and I both write contemporary. After much discussion, I volunteered to take the historical. It’s set in the 1920s in Harrisburg, Illinois. Getting to include gangsters and bootlegging is a lot of fun. But the research to get the tone, setting, and activities right for the time period is a never-ending chore. As much as I’m enjoying the story, I’ll have to think long and hard before tackling historical fiction again. I’ve gained a lot of respect for those authors who do it well.

More power to ya. You definitely should get the bigger royalty. Ha!

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

I’m not sure I have a process. As I think about who the character is as a person, that helps direct the name. Sometimes, I run potential names by friends for their input. Nathan, a character in Grasping Hope and Relentless Love got his name that way. For the historical book I’m writing, I did have to put in some research. I needed names that were popular in the 1920s. And for my male lead character, I needed an Irish name that was popular then. The secondary characters needed names too, and I had to repeat the process with them. Even choosing common names from a time period, I still had to give thought to the people behind the names. Beulah may have been popular (I don’t know. I’m making that up for the sake of the example.), but it would be hard to sell her as the main character I want my readers to relate to and fall in love with. I needed a 1920s name that would sit well with a 2020 reader. In case you’re wondering, her name is Evangeline Grace.

Names are so important. Some characters become memorable because of that alone. Others not so much because their name was so mundane. In my humble opinion, Charles Dickens was a master at naming characters. When your characters' names become adjectives to describe people, you have succeeded.

Next question. What’s the craziest thing you have ever done? 

I’m not a risk taker. Crazy is not in my vocabulary. I’m afraid the extent of my adventures is pretty childish, but to me, it was petrifying. While on a mission trip with a group of teens including my children, we stopped for a side trip at an indoor amusement park. It had an indoor ropes course. My children went through it like they were born to be dangling above the ground. Even my oldest son, who is scared of heights, went across. He may have moved a little slower, but he went. I’m not exactly scared of heights, but I like security. The course did not look solid enough for my liking. But I wanted to be a good example for my kids. Face your fears and all that. I got to the final three sections and froze completely. I’m embarrassed to admit, I actually had tears on my cheeks by the time the poor guy running the course met me and guided me through those last three parts of the course and back to the safety of the ground. Next time, I’ll let someone else be the example. I will keep my feet firmly on the ground!

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you?

I’m a sucker for a great cover. There’s this one author, who will remain nameless, that writes first person and every little detail is told to the reader. There’s way too much telling without showing. I know this, and I’ve still read two of her books and have to convince myself not to get another. I love her covers! But other than that, I’m drawn in by the back cover copy. I read a little bit of everything in the Christian fiction genres, except horror. Right now, I’m reading more contemporary romance. I’m especially happy with fun, quirky, or lighthearted stories. There’s enough heaviness in real life right now, that I want what I read to serve as a pick-me-up. But even with these types of stories, I want spiritual, scriptural truths woven into the stories. My faith is who I am all the time, and I want to see that in the lives of the characters I read about.

Hmmm...I wonder if this is the place for an unofficially official, shameful shameless plug for my latest novel, The Letters? Eh, maybe not.

Heather, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover before we wrap things up?

I love what I do. But if it’s only about writing something, then I’ve missed the point. Writing is my ministry, and it’s one I feel blessed to enjoy. Ministry is about people, and I have a heart to help encourage and challenge people in their faith. That’s why I write. Because I feel that’s the way God would have me share His message with others. Because of that, I love to hear from readers. If they need prayer, I’ll pray. If they have a question, I’ll try to answer it. If they took another step in their walk of faith, I’ll celebrate with them. I don’t say that as one who has it all together. I’m a mess like everyone else. I say it as one who is right there beside them, trying, failing, learning, and growing every single day.

We're all a mess, aren't we?

Heather, it's been great having you on our Author Behind the Story series!

Readers, if you are looking for a new author to check out, or if you've already known about Heather and are wishing to stay up to date on new releases, etc., here's where you can find her!

http://heathergreer.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherGreer

https://www.twitter.com/Heather_Greer1

https://www.instagram.com/1heather.greer

 

Until next time, may God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God, in a "words in red" way,

Kevin

www.ckevinthompon.com

 

Freedom in the Midst of Freedom (A More To Life Magazine Blog)

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” Psalm 119:45

Even though Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971, one of the first public “Memorial Day-like” tributes ever recorded was in 431 B.C. The Greek general, Pericles, delivered a funeral address, praising the sacrifice and valor of those killed in the Peloponnesian War. The speech has been lauded for its moving and lasting sentiment, compared, most memorably, to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Poignantly, in light of the last few months with the Coronavirus, Pericles died two years later from the plague which ravaged Athens. One-third of the population died, and modern physicians have concluded it was a measles outbreak, based on symptoms reported and recorded by the doctors and historians of the day.

Despite the solemnness of Memorial Day and all it entails, taking time to reflect does remind us of our freedom. The one overarching goal for which all the men and women honored on this day fought. And it’s the same overarching goal for which our brave men and women today fight.

For those of us who serve Almighty God—whether it be on the dirty battlefields of men or the spiritual battlefields of the eternal, this day should remind us of our freedom in Christ too. A freedom that reaches beyond war. Beyond heroes. Beyond even physical, political, or financial freedom. God’s precepts put to death, once and for all—as C. S. Lewis put it, “money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” Freedom being at the top of that list.

Today, may we as believers seek after God’s precepts so we may be able to walk about in a freedom that surpasses all human understanding and gives hope to those in search of it.

To see the complete post with endnotes, click HERE!

Humor in the Midst of Intensity (A Seriously Write Blog)

During this “pandemic” we call the COVID-19 Coronavirus, there have been some funny things that have come across my social media feeds. Some of the ones that made me laugh out loud were:

Three hours into homeschooling: One is suspended for skipping, and the other one has already been expelled.

Day 4 of Homeschooling: All my students passed for the year today.

(Picture of a mother holding a cloth in front of her son’s face): Day 7 of 

Homeschool Biology: Testing to see if Chloroform has a smell.

(Picture of a man’s belt draped over a doorknob): Just hired an assistant principal for our homeschool.

(Three weeks into the stay-at-home order): Is it okay to shower now, or do I just keep washing my hands?

Click HERE to see the rest of the story!

The Author Behind the Story series - Neena Gaynor

We here at ckevinthompson.com hope everyone is doing well! We hope you're being allowed outside...able to do some shopping, besides groceries...able to work...able to walk on a beach or through a park or wherever, just as long as it isn't from the easy chair or sofa to the refrigerator! Right? 

COVID-19 or not, it's a small world. I met our next guest through our publisher. My latest novel, The Letters, and her latest novel (which we'll talk about more in a moment) are both published by Mantle Rock Publishers (which was just bought by Scrivenings Press). In the midst of working with a new publisher, as an author, you tend to get to know the other writers, expanding that network, and just getting to meet some great people. 

In the midst of getting to know our next guest, it turned out that I already knew her mother-in-law. I had met her back on 2013 at the Reader's Favorite Award Ceremony in Miami. Her mother-in-law was the president of RF! I have pictures of us standing on stage as I received my award.

Small world, indeed.

So, without anymore trips down memory lane, let me welcome to our Florida front porch my fellow MRP author, Neena Gaynor! It's warming up down here in FLA. We're getting into that summertime pattern of hot, rain, humid. Rinse. Repeat. So, pull up a chair, Neena, grab some iced tea, and give us a quick bio, would you? In fifty words or less, who is Neena Gaynor? 

Hello there! I’m Neena Gaynor, a former nurse who has spent much of the last decade traveling with my husband, Wade, a former professional baseball player. After changing our address 29 times and moving a young family all around the US, I’ve learned to embrace the peace that only comes from the steady accompaniment of Christ. Today, I’m happy to be back in our old Kentucky home, beekeeping, writing, and being Mom. I’m excited to share about my newly released debut novel, The Bird and the Bees.

Where did you go to school? 

I graduated with my Bachelors and Masters in Nursing from Western Kentucky University. It was also there that I also met my husband.

Smart girl. Got the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Science (Nursing), and got the "Mrs." degree too. That happens a lot, doesn't it?

I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite. 

Favorite Song of All-Time: Country Road – John Denver

Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis (Love that book! I use it as a quote in the front matter of my Blake Meyer series!)

Favorite Bible Verse: So hard to choose one! John 10:10 maybe?

Favorite Movie: Meet the Parents

Favorite Actor or Actress: Audrey Hepburn

Favorite TV Show: Downton Abbey (My wife is watching that right now!)

Favorite Novel (other than your own): Redeeming Love – Francine Rivers

Favorite Author (other than you): Wendell Berry

Favorite Sport: Baseball

Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): WKU Hilltoppers!

Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: English/Lit

Favorite Subject Now: Literature

Favorite Teacher in School: Mrs. Burton- 4^th Grade

Favorite Time of the Year: Summer

Favorite Place to Vacation: Clearwater Beach, FL (I have to admit, I have lived in FL most of my life, and I have never been to CB... Never been to Key West either... Guess I should get out more.)

Favorite Drink: Coffee (Yes! I love Coffee.)

Favorite Food: Watermelon (Uh, no...)

Tell us about what project you are currently working on.

As a mother, I’m constantly reading children’s picture books. I’m working on something that would share my delight and the importance of honey bees. I’m particularly partial to my test readers, my two little boys. They’re the ones with the great ideas.

What surprised you the most during the research for the book you are currently working on?

The main character in The Bird and the Bees has been propelled out the Appalachians to the unfamiliar northwest shore of Pennsylvania. She’s skeptical and hurt by deep, secret wounds in her past, and she’s guarded her heart by erecting walls around any sort of vulnerability or hope for love. After I had already determined that Larkin would be living in Presque Isle with a view of the

lighthouse, it was a wonderful discovery to learn that the actual lighthouse in Erie was constructed with a five brick-deep thickness to withstand storms. Moments like this is when writers happy dance over symbolic happenstance!... or maybe that’s just me. ;)

Writers get it. Others think we're nuts, I do believe.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Choosing character names was an experience much like being a parent, and I kept changing the names in The Bird and the Bees as they would develop. I wanted the name to represent my hopes for fictional lives. I ended up looking at baseball rosters and in botanical field guides for inspiration. I also decided I either need more babies or dogs or maybe just more fictional characters to name because there are so many great ones out there. ;)

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus? 

If I can’t choose Jesus, then I would definitely choose his mother, Mary. She was the first to trust and follow Jesus, and is a model of faith through her total surrender to the will of the Lord. She is the mother of Jesus, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and a daughter of God… I’d say the conversations could be endless!

We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life? 

There’s a short little read by Elisa Morgan called, She Did What She Could. It takes the story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in Mark 14:1-9 and expounds on the words of Christ that this lady “did what she could.” Morgan takes everyday examples of regular women making choices not to do something crazy or impossible, but being active and intentional in the moment. Maybe they can do something amazing like adopt a child, or buy groceries for the person behind them, or say a prayer for the homeless they see hurting. The point is there is always something we can do, we just tend to do nothing because we think our offerings aren’t grand/won’t be remembered/seem menial. Doing even the smallest act of service or sacrifice is a glorying Christ.

Sounds like the heart and soul of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). All the servant with one talent had to do was do something with it. Not hide it in fear.

Neena, it's been a pleasure having you on as a guest. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover? 

Writing The Bird and the Bees took off when I determined "the what" I wanted readers to glean from the gritty story of Larkin. The theme of the book is the power of choice. I believe much of our lives are a result of the choices we make, big and small. What we are experiencing right now with the Coronavirus points to the fact that there are some things in life we would never choose. I still believe we determine our response, and the best response is always to choose Jesus. Choose Him in the moment. Choose Him every day.

Amen.

Readers, thanks for stopping by and getting to know another author in our series, The Author Behind the Story. If you wish to get to know more about Neena's writing, you can find her in cyberspace here:

www.wordslikhoney.com

www.instagram.com/neenagaynor/

www.facebook.com/neenagaynor/

Until next time, may God bless America, and may America - now more than ever! - bless God!

Kevin

www.ckevinthompson.com