Time has been getting away from me lately and I made a hurried photo trip outside last night so I would have something to post :) The days are flying by and I never feel like I have gotten everything done I was supposed to.
We had a volunteer sunflower come up by our porch steps. The birds flung a lot of seeds around during the winter when we were feeding them and this bright flower is beautiful! My absolute favorite is the first photo, followed in a close second by the boots. This is the pair I do chores in....they were supposed to be retired a few month ago but I just can't bring myself to part with my old comfy boots. I suppose I will have to come winter :)
What are your favorites?

The giveaway for one copy of the audio book version of Whisper ended last night and our winner is.....

A big thank you to all who entered! If you would like your own copy of the Whisper audio book, click here.

In my post last week about the audio's book's release, I stated that first ten people to contact me with links to their review of Whisper would receive a free audio book.

Well, I'm changing it up a bit.

The first ten people to contact me with a link to their review (on a blog, Amazon or Goodreads) of any of my books, will receive a free audio book. So if you've read one of my books, but have not yet reviewed it, go post a review and send me the link: info (at) heritageliterature (dot) com.

I fully intended to have an interesting post ready for you all, but we have been dealing with Rio the Mule's gelding procedure this week and between his regular care, which includes trotting him for twenty minutes twice a day, and a slight complication, I've been burned out....today crept up on me and I realized I had nothing prepared!

So you get to watch a very short video of me chasing Rio on Smoke to get his twenty minutes of trotting in :) He certainly doesn't act like anything is wrong :) This video was taken this morning.

I'll be back on Friday :)

After much thought and research, I was able to put together this post on a subject that has been foremost on my mind for quite some time.

The subject of Science Fiction and Fantasy is something I feel strongly about and I am concerned over the increasing popularity of these genres.

What is even more concerning is the fact that a large number of Christian authors are writing and promoting these genres.

And the number of teens/young adults that are not only reading these books, but becoming addicted to them is alarming.

This is what Wikipedia had to say about Science Fiction:

• A time setting in the future, in alternative timelines, or in a historical past that contradicts known facts of history or the archaeological record.
• A spatial setting or scenes in outer space (e.g. spaceflight), on other worlds, or on subterranean earth.[12]
• Characters that include aliens, mutants, androids, or humanoid robots and other types of characters arising from a future human evolution.
• Futuristic or plausible technology such as ray guns, teleportation machines, and humanoid computers.[13]
• Scientific principles that are new or that contradict accepted physical laws, for example time travel, wormholes, or faster-than-light travel or communication.
• New and different political or social systems, e.g. dystopian, post-scarcity, or post-apocalyptic.[14]
• Paranormal abilities such as mind control, telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation.
• Other universes or dimensions and travel between them.

Okay, a lot of strange stuff listed there. Here's what Wikipedia had to say about Fantasy:

The identifying traits of fantasy are the inclusion of fantastic elements in a self-coherent (internally consistent) setting, where inspiration from mythology and folklore remains a consistent theme.[2] Within such a structure, any location of the fantastical element is possible: it may be hidden in, or leak into the apparently real world setting, it may draw the characters into a world with such elements, or it may occur entirely in a fantasy world setting, where such elements are part of the world.[3] Essentially, fantasy follows rules of its own making, allowing magic and other fantastic devices to be used and still be internally cohesive.[4]

You may be asking, what's the problem? Well, maybe nothing. But I'd like to show you why I think these two genres are dangerous, and how they are intertwined very tightly into most people's everyday lives…and how they are affecting our world today.

These genres tie into each other in most instances, so I am going to just write my thoughts on both at the same time.

We live in the age of modern science and technology. While these things have proved beneficial in many, many areas, they have also, in my opinion, been the downfall to our culture.

This nationally representative study found that the average 8-18 year old American spend 13.2 hours every week playing video games.

What does this have to do with Science Fiction and Fantasy?

Most of the video games these children are playing are full of everything the Wikipedia definition of Science Fiction and Fantasy includes.

Have you scrolled through Amazon's bestseller list recently? Nearly every book listed there is either Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror (that is a whole post by itself).

All of these books are also going to be chock full of the things listed on Wikipedia.

What are those items encouraging these children/teens/young adults to do?

The answer is simple—it is encouraging them to live in their imaginations.

Now, having an imagination is good! Encourage your young children to use their imaginations. We writers stretch ours to the limit! It is a good thing.

But living in it isn't.

And that is what most of our society is doing. Movies and videos game are encouraging this as well, but I'm here to talk about the effect of books.

When you create an imaginary world, with imaginary rules, people, customs, environment, you are encouraging your readers to create an imaginary world for themselves. 

God created our Earth as it is and He created the universe, with the stars and other planets, as they are. He did not intend for us to try to create new worlds for ourselves, He placed them there that we might enjoy their beauty, their stunning glory.

I can understand why secular authors are writing these genres. People want an escape and by writing these books, they give the reader a tiny bit of control in an imaginary world.

But why are Christian authors doing it? Why don't they write books that reveal God's glory, that worship His creation, and encourage young people to live in the moment, in His world?

Without even looking at my Kindle, I could list 5-10 Christian authors who are writing Science Fiction and Fantasy books.

And they have a lot of young people reading them. They are influencing hundreds and hundreds of young folks. Is it a good influence?

Now, you might ask, "Aren't you doing the same thing as Sci-fi and Fantasy writers when you write fiction? After all, you are creating a story about people and places that don't exist."

Very true. That is what Fiction writers do. The difference is that our stories are within the bounds of reason and reality. Our stories could actually happen in the world we live in. The exact people and places we reference to may be made up for the benefit of the story, but the things we write about are actually realistically possible. In Sci-fi and Fantasy, the same is not true. The things they write about are not actually possible in the real world.

There is the difference.

When these authors are writing Sci-fi and Fantasy they are, to a point, playing God, creating their own world with its own rules. They can make anything they want happen any way they want. Because they do not have to conform to the rules of humanity, untold violence, murder, immorality and more can take place because they have no rules to follow, they make their own.

We authors who write Fiction are held to a higher standard. By the rules of the genre, the things that happen in our story must be realistically possible.

I have one final question.

Isn't God's world enough?

Isn't the beautiful, wonderful place He created for us to live in enough? Why do we feel the need to create fake worlds that do not exist? Why do we want to put so much of that stuff in our minds that eventually it takes over and we don't even realize it?

I think the answer to those questions is that we want control. In a world where so little is certain, we feel the need to control things. And by creating imaginary worlds where we make the rules, we can accomplish that.

This is dangerous.

Being an author means that I get to talk to a lot of readers. I love that part of being an author! But when young readers start listing the books they are reading, or I see what they have on their bookshelves on Goodreads, I cringe at the popular Sci-fi, Fantasy or Horror novels they are reading.

Parents: Encourage your children to leave those kinds of books behind and find good, clean fiction that encourages them to live in the present, or learn from the past.

Readers of all ages: Recognize the dangers of these genres and steer clear! Even if the book is by a reputable Christian author and has a good moral, it is not worth the subtle influence it will have on your mind. If you can justify one book, you will end up justifying a whole lot more. No matter how strong you think you are, each book you read leaves it's footprints across your mind and the damage is often times irreparable.

This post was not written to badger or judge you for your choice of reading materials, or if you are a writer, the kinds of books you write. Rather, my purpose was to make you aware of things you may have never thought about before. If you have questions about anything that was stated above, feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to discuss why I believe what I believe on this subject in more detail with you.

As always, I love hearing your thoughts so leave a comment telling me what you think about this subject.

My photo Friday post was looking a bit sparse with only four photos to show for the week. I haven't had much opportunity for picture taking, instead spending my time riding (something I haven't been doing nearly enough of) or working on Be Still My Soul.

I took these four shots a few evenings ago. My brothers have been doing square bales while Grandpa round baled his field…round bales are considerably less work, but it is more profitable to sell square bales and I prefer not to feed round bales to my horses, so we, or rather, the boys, have had their work cut out for them the last few summers J

Anyway, I saw the wagon sitting out in the field with the bales and grabbed my camera for a few shots. It is having some auto focus issues, so I didn't get as many good ones as I wanted.

Instead of just posting those four and calling it good, I decided to turn them black and white and post both versions.

What do you think? I favor the color photos, but I think the close up of the bale looks sharp in black and white too.

I am so excited to announce that an audio book version of Whisper is now available! I have been working on this for several months and after fixing some minor problems, it is now ready for you to enjoy!

I was very fortunate to have Alyson Grauer as my reader. I wrote the book, yet as I listened to the samples she sent me, I found myself getting emotional listening to Whisper's story.
You can find your copy of Whisper's audio book on Amazon.

Click the play button to hear an audio sample!

Enter the giveaway below for a chance win a free audio book version of Whisper! The giveaway ends this coming Tuesday, July 28th at midnight. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 29th. One winner will be selected, but for those who will not win or choose not to enter the giveaway, read on to see how you can get a free audio book.

Reviews are important to authors...we depend on them to sell books. I am giving away ten copies of this audio book to reviewers. If you have purchased Whisper, but have not yet reviewed it, post a review on Amazon or Goodreads and send me the link at info (at) heritageliterature (dot) com. I will then send you a code to receive a free audio copy of Whisper. .

The first ten people to contact me with links to their review will receive a code for the free audio book. This is only open to the first ten people who contact me, and they cannot have posted a review on Whisper previously.

Share this giveaway and free audio book opportunity with your friends!

Recently I've been reading a lot of good writing tips articles, striving to find things that will help me improve my writing.

But I've specifically been looking for something that talked about writing in first person POV.

And I found a super good article on Pinterest the other day. (By the way, follow me on Pinterest for lots of good writing posts…there are all kinds of goodies on there J)

I've written one novella (Whisper) in first person. I really liked working in that POV and my WIP, Thunder, is also in first person. It helped me, as a writer, write better because I was writing through the character's eyes. (I know, way too many 'writes' in there, right?) And personally, I've always enjoyed reading first person POV novels if they were well written.

Now, with Whisper, I had quite a bit of dialogue in there which really helped carry the story.

With my new book project, Be Still My Soul, there is almost no dialogue. Uhhh….yeah, it's been interesting. There are a few spots where Adah is with other people, so there is some dialogue, and toward the end of the book there is quite a bit, but 90% of the time, she is absolutely alone.

I was reading through the beginning part of the book a few days ago and I realized something was missing….I couldn't figure out what it was, I just knew that something wasn't fitting together and the story was a bit clunky.

And that's a big problem.

The biggest issue with first person is that a lot of times it sounds clunky and awkward. I managed to do fairly well with Whisper, but I could tell BSMS was going to need a lot of work to smooth it all out.

The only problem was, no matter how many times I read over a chapter, I couldn't figure out exactly how to fix it. Something wasn't clicking.

Then I found this article on writing in first person POV!!!

Problem solved!

As I read through the article, I realized the writer was spelling out exactly what I had been noticing in my book. So for those of who are working on writing a book in first person POV, or think you might in the future, or know someone who is struggling with their project, read on!

Now, my dad is an auctioneer and so is my brother and uncle. I grew up hearing the auction chant (no, do not ask me to do it for you…your ears will hurt!) and to this day, when I go to a live auction or just hear my dad mumbling the chant under his breath, I love dissecting what they are saying. It's always fun to go to auctions with new auction goers…it always astounds them that I can understand what is being said.

Okay, so what does auctioneering have to do with writing books?

Filler words.

When an auctioneer is chanting the numbers, he isn't just saying the numbers…he's using filler words. And yes, he is actually saying words (most of the time) and not just making weird sounds!

If he were to just call out the numbers, it would sound extremely monotone and very boring. It would be very difficult to keep the crowd's attention, though it does make it easier to understand in some cases.

So he uses filler words to blend everything together and make that nice chant.

You're probably still wondering what on earth an auctioneer's chanting has to do with writing, specifically first person POV, which is what we are supposed to be discussing!

We use filler words all the time in our writing….we just don't realize it. And there is a place for filler words, but in first person POV, using filler words makes your story clunky real fast.

So unlike the auctioneer, who needs to use filler words to make his chant sound good, we need to cut some of these filler words out. (This goes for all POV, not just first person, but it is more noticeable in these kinds of books.)

Here is a great example from this article (mentioned above):

"Filter words can be difficult to see at first, but once you catch them, it becomes second nature. “I heard the music start up, tinny and spooky and weird,” vs. “The music started up, tinny and spooky and weird.” One is outside, watching him listen; the other is inside his head, hearing it with him."

Wow. I realized after I read that paragraph, that my whole manuscript is full of this…no wonder it's clunky! But I'm so pleased that I now know what the problem is. I was at a dead end before because I couldn't identify the problem. The problem is identified, which means I can work on fixing it and concentrate on making a habit out catching filler words as I write.

If you want more details (and a much better explanation) click here to read the full article.

Hopefully this all made sense…I threw this post together at ten o'clock last night after a very long day, so my apologies for any grievous errors!

Have you encountered this problem before, either in a book you read or a writing project? Do you have anything to add…other tips for first person POV writing?

Be sure to join us again on Wednesday for a very exciting announcement!

My first Photo Friday post after vacation! It's nice to get back to a regular schedule.

This little cutie is a three-four week old kitten we are bottle feeding, nicknamed Mr. Tiger for the time being. If you all have any name suggestions, feel free to leave a comment :) He is a bit easier to care for than orphaned lambs and goats and he loves his bottle! He should be on solid food soon.
Grandma Kathy and Mama Lydia are doing most of his care, but Auntie Lauren has been getting baby sitting duty :) I'm not usually a cat person, I like dogs better, but I have taken a shine to this little guy and Lydia's inside cat, Ranger.
These pictures were taken this afternoon. My favorites are #1 and #7. What are yours?

Well, I told you all I would be back on Monday....obviously that didn't happen.
After posting just whenever, it's hard to get back on a schedule. I tried putting together  a video for you of the trip, but my computer video program and YouTube both decided to go on strike at the same time! The video program somehow split the frames into two separate windows...which makes it super hard to watch. Not sure what happened there! I tried to fix it, but to no avail.
So I decided to just upload it as it was because I was running out of time.
Then it refused to upload to YouTube! By this time it was ten o'clock at night and I was too tired to think straight.
All that to say, I missed Monday's post.

I'm working on a slideshow to show some of our friends, but it's been slow going....10,000 pictures take awhile to sort! When I get the slideshow finished, I will upload it for you all. That is, if YouTube is cooperating!

I had writing withdrawals by the time I got home! I didn't write at all while we were gone....I decided that since I was on vacation, I would use that time to give my mind a break.
It was really hard to not write, but I stuck with it and I think I've been able to write better with a refreshed mind.

My plan to have Thunder published by this fall is nothing but dust. I haven't made very much progress on it, but once I finish BSMS, I will concentrate on getting that finished. My new goal is to have it finished by spring....something to aim for :)

Be Still My Soul is coming along nicely and I am terribly excited about this book! I originally thought it would be about the same size as Whisper, around 35,000 words, but I am currently at 32,000 words and there is no end in sight! But unlike other things in life, having no end sight on a book project can be a good thing, depending how you look at it and I'm excited that this project is going to exceed my expectations. I am hoping to hit at least 40,000 words. I would be ecstatic if I can reach 50,000. I have been chatting with the lady who did my Whisper cover and I should be able to release the cover in a few months! My goal publication date is December....maybe on my birthday?? That would be neat!

TCCAS #3 is still a WIP. The rough draft is about half way completed, but that half is only hand written, not typed into the computer.
So when I need a break from writing, I am trying to get it typed up so I can continue the story. I'm excited about this book and continuing Amy's story. I think the adventure, mystery and excitement in this book will be much better than the other two.

I have a vague story plot hanging over my head for another book....but I have decided to not start any other projects until at least Be Still My Soul and Thunder are finished. I really like having multiple stories going at one time, but three is about as many as I can handle and still be productive. So I'm just writing down ideas as I get them and someday I will go back and pick them up again.

And now, the second excerpt from Be Still My Soul!  

           My tired eyes brought Sarah's little face into focus. Her mouth was moving and I struggled to concentrate on what she was saying.
          "Wake up," she said urgently. "Pwease wake up!"
          Oh no! How long had I been asleep?
          I started to jump up, but was slowed considerably by my layers of clothing. I took a moment to yank off my coat and one of the sweaters before hurrying to the injured man's side.
          His eyelids fluttered as I knelt beside him and I touched his shoulder. "Ethan? Are you awake?"
          He did not respond, so I shook him a little. A deep groan was my only answer. My heart sank. Something wasn't right. Why had I fallen asleep? His cheeks looked flushed so I laid my hand on his forehead and quickly yanked it back. His skin felt like it was on fire.
          I realized Sarah was squatting beside me, a frown on her face. "Daddy won't wake up."
          "I know, honey." I picked her up and took her to the bed. She began to pout when she saw what our destination was.
          I set her on the bed and knelt in front of her. "Sarah, your daddy is very sick and I need to care for him. Can you be a good girl and sit on the bed so I can help him? It is very important you do this."
          To my relief, she nodded and settled down, her big eyes locked on the still form of her daddy across the room.
          I returned to Ethan's side. Why had his fever left only to return, apparently worse than before? I feared the outcome. I had no medical knowledge. He needed a doctor, or at least a nurse. But all the knowledge in the world could do nothing without the proper medicine.
          Beads of sweat rolled down Ethan's face and his hair was damp. Well, I may not have the knowledge of a doctor, but he needed cooled down, that much I knew.
          I pulled the layers of blankets down to his waist. His eyes were still closed, but his chest heaved as he struggled to breathe. I feared it was pneumonia. I knew that if not treated, it could kill people.
          Please don't let him die.
          I threw out the desperate plea without knowing to whom I was making it.
          Dipping a cloth in to the pail of half melted snow, I bathed his face and hands with the icy water. His skin was hot and dry.
          I realized he must be dehydrated. The only water he had had in many hours was the little I had given him before he went to sleep.
          I filled a tin cup with the cold water from the pail and held it to his lips. At first nothing happened and I again wished I had a straw, then I could have managed to get a little down him at least.
          But just as I was about to pull the cup away, his lips opened. I carefully poured in a trickle of water and waited until he swallowed before repeating the gesture.
          It took several minutes, but I got the whole cup down him before returning to bathing his face.
          I was encouraged that he had drunk, but the rattling in his chest squashed any hopes that he would make a miraculous recovery. If he survived, it would be an uphill battle.
           I was exhausted from hauling wood, but I forced myself to stay awake. This man's life depended on me. He may mean nothing to me other than the fact that he is human being, but I battled for his life for the sake of his daughter.
          I thought of her beautiful dark eyes as my hands dipped cloths in freezing water and laid them on his burning skin.
          I thought of her dark hair, so soft and silky as I struggled to prop him up higher on the pillow and blankets so his lungs would clear.
          I thought of her childish giggle which had so thrilled my soul, as I filled jars with cold water and tucked them next to her daddy's burning body.
          And thinking of her little form snuggled in my arms, I fell asleep, a dripping cloth still in my hands.
          I jerked awake for the second time that day. For a moment I wondered why I was lying on the floor, but it didn't take long for my memory to return.
          Pushing myself up, I closed my eyes. How long had I been asleep? What would I find? Would Ethan be dead?
          I felt like I was suffocating. If he was dead, I would never forgive myself.
          I sat there for what felt like hours, finally forcing myself to open my eyes. In front of me lay the prone figure of Ethan. I held my breath, waiting.
          Then, his chest rose and fell with a quick breath. I rested my head in my hands, silent tears streaming down my cheeks. I don't think I could have dealt with another death. David's was hard enough and there was nothing I could have done to prevent that. Ethan's death would have been my fault.

What do you think? Are you intrigued? Will you be back for the next excerpt? (and for the book when it's published!)

We have safely arrived home, but before I get into that, here is a few photos from the last few days of our trip.

After going through Yellowstone, our next stop was Mt. Rushmore. You can't really see the mountain until you enter the parking area, which is really nice in my opinion. I love the element of surprise :)
The base of the mountain was flooded with tourists,  but it wasn't as crowded as I had thought it might be.
We walked the trail that goes along the base of the mountain. There are an incredible amount of stairs, but the view from directly under the carvings is very nice. There is no way to show massive scale of Mt. Rushmore in a photo.

Our family photo in front of Mt. Rushmore

It was really neat to see one of the nine scale model's the artist created before the carving began.

This mountain is located about seventeen miles from Mt. Rushmore. Situated near the location of Custer's last stand, it is a work in progress carving of Custer on his horse. Once it is finished, it will be the largest carving in the world. Currently the face is the only thing carved, which you can see to the right.

We visited Jewel caves, near Mt. Rushmore. This picture, with the bars across the doorway, reminds me of a scene in J. Grace Pennington's novel, Never.

And some cowboy humor :)

We arrived home safe and sound late last night. The dogs, cat, bunnies, horses and goats were all glad to see us and it was good to be home. It was especially wonderful to sleep in a real bed!
Thus ends our adventures for the time being :) I will be taking the next week off of posting, but I will be back on Monday, the 13th, hopefully with some videos of the trip and a photo slideshow of all my favorites.