It’s an exciting time in Barefoot Springs. A new adventure is coming!
Barefoot Springs is the name of the fictional small town in which the Pet Sitters stories are set. (For those who aren’t familiar with the series, the Pet Sitters are a series of books I co-write with author Cecily Anne Paterson under the pen name Ella Shine.) On the first of May this year, we’re launching a brand new story called Billy Goat Boogie!
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Karl Grice from the Wandering Bookseller provided me with a copy of this book and I’ve had it sitting on my shelf awaiting review for quite some time. The reason: I guess I was afraid. I didn’t want to open a book retelling the parables of Jesus and find myself disappointed. Jesus’ parables, and the contexts in which he told his multilayered stories, are common fodder for Christian children’s books and sometimes the results are sickly sweet, overdone or just dull. So I procrastinated. I read other books and reviewed other titles. Until today, when I faced the warm tones of this children’s book and began to read.
Thinking to myself about limits and disappointments, weariness and pretense, I wrote this in my journal. I know the word failure can be contentious - it's not a popular word to apply to ourselves - but despite all the positive self talk in the world, and the way we can spin our failures to be steps towards success, I believe there are still days when we feel/know our failing deeply. This 'think' is for those days. *** Quit pretending
that you have it all together, that your dreams came true and you look upon your life with satisfaction. The truth is and you know, know, know it A writer doesn't need to have a PhD, they don't have to have a Masters either. You can train to be a writer by writing, and reading other writers. But I have found writing courses useful in my writing journey. When I did my Masters in Writing and Literature a number of years ago, I loved thinking and writing my way through the features and issues of writing for children and young adults. In my research thesis, I analysed how Christian spirituality is depicted in texts for young adults. I found it both fascinating and inspiring. But there were more questions, and I was keen to try my hand at writing creatively in this research space. So... I embarked on my PhD/Doctorate journey. But what exactly am I researching?
This is my favourite cup.
Or it was. Until last week when it slipped, hit the kitchen tiles and splintered all over the place. I'll admit, I almost cried. Why? Because this wasn't any old mug. It was my 2023 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference cup. It was big, blue and full of memories with every sip. And now, it's broken. |
The Penny DropsIn high school I used to write what I'd call 'thinks' - little bits of writing about whatever topic or issue I was mulling over at the time. I still write these little pieces. Categories
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