Fiction that Sticks

My favorite book growing up was THE NUN'S STORY, by Kathryn Hulme.  Not only was I fascinated by the world of the convent (which was far different than my life), but I learned some real spiritual lessons from that story. 

Sister Luke's main problem, you see, was obedience; her fatal flaw was pride.  A nun is supposed to obey the voice of her Mother Superior as if it were the voice of Christ himself.  And Sister Luke was always running ahead of her superiors--doing good things, but doing them without her superior's permission.

In one scene, Sister Luke works with an envious older nun, Sister Pauline.  Both nuns are taking a test in medical school, and Sister Pauline is worried about being shown up by a younger nun.  But Sister Luke grew up in a doctor's home, so she has taken to tropical medicine like a duck to water. 

When Sister Luke goes to her superior to confess problems with Sister Pauline, the Reverend Mother thoughtfully suggests that Sister Luke purposely fail her exams on the morrow. Such an act would be done in obedience, and it would be an act of charity--she would do it out of love for Sister Pauline and Christ. 

Sister Luke knows that she stands "at a crossroads of her religious life."  But the next day, she cannot bring herself to fail her exam.  She passes it with flying colors, to her great shame.  Her pride won that battle. 

It's easy to follow Christ when he's not asking us to do something we don't want to do.  But when he asks something that flies in the face of our logic or our desires . . . are we still willing?

~~Angie  

Out of Style Words

Our minister of music asked me to sing in church tomorrow (today), and I decided (since the song is rather slow) to sign as I sing--that's sign language, BTW.  Anyway, I'm fortunate in that the words are easy and I already knew most of the signs, but I'll probably walk around humming and flying my fingers for the next few hours.  :-) 

On to the subject of the day: 

Michigan's Lake Superior State University compiles a yearly list of words that have been over-used . . . probably with the hope that we will avoid them in the coming year and restore them to ordinary status.  So these are the words and phrases that were overused, misused, or useless in 2008.  Use them at your own risk in 2009: 

green

carbon footprint or carbon offsetting

maverick

first dude

bailout

staycation

monkey (because of it's use as a suffix on the Internet, a la grease-monkey.) 

winner of five nominations (ha!) 

Wall Street/Main Street

not so much

game-changer

icon or iconic

it's that time of year again

desperate search 

and finally, the emoticon <3>

Enjoy! 

~~Angie

A new book to tell you about . . .

I don't know if you're an Elvis fan (he's actually a little before my time), but my writing pal Leanna Ellis has a new book out that sounds like fun.  Here's the official blurb: 

Winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction for B&H Publishing. Her latest book, Lookin’ Back, Texas will be released September 2008. Visit her website at here. 

 

Elvis Takes a Back Seat

B&H Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-8054-4696-8

 

A young widow, determined to fulfill her husband’s last request, hauls a three foot bust of Elvis strapped in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Texas toMemphis to return it to its rightful owner.  The road trip with her eccentric aunt, who knew the King of Rock n’ Roll, and a temperamental teen, hits roadblocks and detours as the three women uncover pieces of their own past along with the bust’s mysterious history.  The discoveries change the course of their lives forever.

 

Enjoy! 

~~Angie 

These are the things that fascinate me . . .

Was reading the paper the other day and found a photo of a couple in Colorado Springs.  A pediatric neurosurgeon removed a brain tumor from their baby boy's head . . . and found a foot and other body parts inside the tumor. 

Wow.  I'm thinking (and I'm no medical expert) that this may have been part of an undeveloped twin, sometimes known as fetus in fetu.  A similar situation actually has given me an idea for a novel that's not out yet . . . but it's coming. :-) 

Another article informed me that an appeals court turned down a request for a new trial from a former Washington, D.C. judge who sued his dry cleaner for 54 MILLION DOLLARS because they lost his pants. 

I mean--really!  What were those pants made of, spun gold?  Fifty-four MILLION DOLLARS?  

The paper said three appellate judges agreed Pearson failed to show the store's advertising  (they had a sign saying 'satisfaction guaranteed') was fraudulent. But he can still ask the entire nine-judge appellate court to review the case or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Has our judicial system gone nuts?  I'm just sayin' . . . fifty four million dollars?  Judges should know better. 

~~Angie 

Do You Live in a Literate City?

One thing I've noticed when I traveled in Europe is that the average person seems much more literate.  Bookstores abound, and you often see people sitting in a park with a book. Or reading on the tube.  Or just reading.  

One researcher has just come up with a list of the ten most literate U.S. cities: 

Here is the full Top 10 Most Literate list for 2008 (OK, there are 11 cities on the list) generated by Jack Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University:

Minneapolis (tied for 1st) Seattle (tied for 1st) Washington, D.C. St. Paul, Minn. San Francisco Atlanta  Denver Boston St. Louis Cincinnati (tied for 10th) Portland, Ore. (tied for 10th)

Miller's research for this year's "America's Most Literate Cities" was conducted in collaboration with the Center for Public Policy and Social Research at Central Connecticut State University. The original AMLC study was published online in 2003 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The data for the 2008 analysis came from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Booksellers Association, Audit Bureau of Circulations, Yellow Pages and other sources.

The AMLC study attempts to capture the literacy of major U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 and above, presenting a large-scale portrait of the nation’s cultural vitality. 

"From this data we can better perceive the extent and quality of the long-term literacy essential to individual economic success, civic participation, and the quality of life in a community and a nation," Miller said.

Contrary to popular wisdom, Internet use correlates with reading words printed on paper, Miller found. Cities ranked highly for having better-used libraries also have more booksellers; cities with more booksellers also have a higher proportion of people buying books online; and cities with newspapers with high per capita circulation rates also have a high proportion of people reading newspapers online.

"A literate society tends to practice many forms of literacy not just one or another," Miller said.

However, when the literacy lens is opened to look at the picture worldwide, in terms of per-capita paid newspaper circulation, the United States ranks No. 31 in the world.

The Republic of Korea, Singapore, Venezuela, Finland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway, among others, all significantly surpass U.S. circulation rates — often at a substantially higher cost to consumers, Miller said.

Angie here again: One reason Europe is more literate, in my humble opinion, is because writers are valued in tangible ways. Did you know that writers, artists, and poets pay no income tax in Ireland?  Or that authors in the U.K. receive a payment from public libraries based on how many times their books are checked out?  

It would be nice if the U.S. would consider something similar to encourage writers and readers. 

~~Angie 

P.S. For those of you who want to read the Bible through--I found an online guide that breaks it down for you.  This guide is specifically designed for the NLT Study Bible, but you can also use it for any other version.  Look under "reading plan" at this link.  

Whether you have a dog or not . . .

You might enjoy this virtual dog who does tricks.  Just type in your command in the box and click enter.  He's one smart little guy! 

Visit him here.  

Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve! 

On a more sobering note--yesterday I received a call from my dear friend Nancy Rue, who has two puppy labs, one chocolate and one golden.   Captain and Sully.  Nancy and her husband Jim loved those puppies, and, well, you know how we dog people feel about our dogs. 

While the dogs were out for a walk with Jim on Sunday, a neighbor shot and killed Captain and Sully.   

Nancy and Jim are grieving . . . and experiencing dozens of other emotions as well.  If God cares about sparrows, he certainly cares about our dogs, so please remember this family in your prayers. 

~~Angie

Reading the Bible Through . . .

I do a LOT of reading in my work--some for pleasure, some for research, some to learn, some for personal development. But nothing is as important as the daily reading I do in the Bible.  For one thing, it helps me discern Truth from a platitude. 

I had a professor in my community college who once told our class that "God helps those who help themselves" was in the Bible.  Because we were good friends, I caught him after class and said "Sorry, but that's not Scripture."  He couldn't believe it, but I told him I'd eat my words if he could find it in there.  He couldn't.  

A couple of years ago I challenged my blog readers to read the Bible through with me in 90 days.  Any of you remember that?  It was a lot of reading, but it was a great challenge.  After that, I decided to read the Bible through in TWO years, a slower and more reflective pace.  Now that's done, so for 2009 I want to read the Bible through again. 

So--who wants to join me?  I got a new Bible for Christmas (I like doing it with a fresh copy dedicated just to this project), so I'll be jumping in on January 1.    You can, if you like, get a special "one year" Bible with the sections marked.  One year I read the Bible through in the Chronological Bible, which gives you the texts as they happened on a timeline of history--fascinating!  

My new Bible (The NLT study Bible) has daily passages marked, plus some background reading, so I think it's going to take a couple of years to get through it all.  But that's okay. As long as we're moving forward . . .

But however you choose to do it, if you want to join me, let me know!  It's a great way to begin your day each morning. 

~~Angie 

Why I Live in Florida, part 3

May all of you who live in ice and snow have a lovely rest-of-the-winter.  

(And in the summer, feel free to post pictures of us working up a sweat merely by running out to the mailbox.  Or fending off thumb-sized roaches. :-)  )  

~~Angie 

Why I Live in Florida, Part 2

I hope that wherever you are, you have some sunshine! 

~~Angie

Why I Live In Florida, Part 1

Need I say more?  How's the weather where you live today? 

~~Angie

Marley and Me--the movie

Yesterday the hubby and I slipped out to watch the movie "Marley and Me."  Our book club had read the book and loved it, so I was anxious to see if the movie lived up to the book. 

I am happy to report that it does.  But warning--bring a box of tissues.  I knew I'd cry, of course--I started weeping at the first shot of all those adorable puppies in a pen--but by the end of the movie everyone in the theater was sniffling.  It's a true story based on the misadventures of Marley, a golden lab owned by newspaper columnist John Grogan.  

In any case, the movie is more about the formation of a family than the dog per se, but if you've ever loved a dog, you'll adore this film.  If you can find some time during this Christmas season, this is worth going to see.  Just don't forget those tissues.  

Enjoy!

~~Angie 

Big book bag contest winners

Hi, everyone! 

You certainly left me with a big job on Christmas Eve!  I went through the emails of all those who had entered the big book bag giveaway contest carefully. 

Anyone could enter, of course, and several people just said, "Enter me, please," so I gave them one number. 

Many of you donated something to heifer.org, and each of you received 20 numbers.  And many others of you said that though you weren't giving to Heifer.org, you were giving to Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, or a similar organization. I gave each of you ten numbers. 

All in all, I had entries for numbers one through 720!  

I then went to random.org and asked the computer for four random numbers--the first would be the book bag winner, and I'd send the other three numbers an advance copy of SHE'S IN A BETTER PLACE.  

 

SO . . . Congratulations!  Lora B. was our big book bag winner, and as soon as I get her address, I'll send it out. 

Deborah L., Michelle G, and Trish B. each won a copy of the third book in the Fairlawn series. (I haven't used their full names for privacy reasons, but I've e-mailed each winner.) 

Many thanks to all of you who blessed me with your interest and participation.  The real winners were all those who were helped by your giving hearts. 

A blessed Christmas to everyone! 

~~Angie 

My Christmas Card To You

"The Light that shines from the humble manger is strong enough to lighten our way to the end of our days." --Vita-Rays.  

I've created a special Christmas card for you, my blog readers.  You can see it here. 

A most blessed Christmas to you and yours.  Thank you for your faithful readership and encouragement.  You bless me every day. 

Always, 

Angie 

Photo:  Babe, mesmerized by the Christmas tree. 

LAST CALL for the big bookbag giveaway--I'll hold the drawing on Christmas Eve! 

I want to give away a big bookbag filled with books (all different titles), but I've been trying to come up with a unique way to do it--a way that will benefit as many people as possible. So this is what I've come up with.  :-)  

I'm planning to give away an official bookbag from the Mt. Dora library, home to the Fairlawn Funeral home, of course.  I will fill it with as many Angela Hunt titles as it will hold, including an advance reader's copy of the yet-to-be-released SHE'S IN A BETTER PLACE, aka Fairlawn #3.  

In order to be entered in the drawing, you need to do these things. 

1.  Go here and watch this video.  

2.  Now go here and look at all the things you could give someone else for Christmas. I know money is tight for nearly everyone this year, but you could help another family for as little as five Starbucks coffees.  :-) 

3. Now--you don't have to give anything in order to be entered in the drawing.  But people who write and tell me that they gave SOMETHING (anything) through www.heifer.org will be entered in the drawing TWENTY TIMES.  :-)  If you have given something through another charitable organization (like Samaritan's Purse or World Vision), I'll enter you ten times. 

4.  To be entered in the drawing, go here and leave a note in the  "send an email" box.  Include the word "contest" somewhere in the message so I'll know you're not just dropping a note to say hi.  ;-) If you gave something through Heifer.org, be sure to let me know.  Please, only one entry per person. I'll put in the extra entries for the heifer donations.  

5. The bookbag will contain 2 copies of each title--one for you, and one for you to donate to your church library or public library.  

6.  Finally, I'll hold the drawing on Christmas Eve and announce the winner after Christmas.  The winner will need to send me her mailing address.  

Got it?  Sorry to make this a wee bit complicated, but I wanted to spread the joy as much as possible.   

Best to you!  

~~Angie 

P.S.  I've already heard from so many of you who are gathering your pennies, nickels, and dimes to give something from heifer.org--bees, chicks, goats, rabbits.  I feel like we're outfitting Noah's Ark!  :-)   

Time out for a commercial . . .

Some of you may recall that I was a "community columnist" for the Tampa Tribune a while back. The paper has asked some of us to contribute to their editorial board blog every now and then, so here is my first official TBO blog, if you're interested. 

The Glen Eyrie Writers' Summit brings together passionate writers, expert instructors and awe-inspiring surroundings for four incredible days of writing, learning and fellowship. AGENDA   Keynote Sessions: Each morning, one of the instructors will speak on an aspect of the theme BRACE YOURSELF! Chock full of knowledge and wisdom that only comes from years in the business, as well as spiritual perspectives on writing. You won't want to miss this! Workshops: In the first session, you'll choose your primary instructor for the week. You'll spend class time with this instructor every morning, write in the afternoons, and reconvene with your instructor in the late afternoon for a recap on your writing and "assignments." Evening Discussions: A variety of activities to further improve your writing and build new friendships, including panel discussions, movies, and creativity exercises. SPEAKERS Angela Hunt   Workshop Emphasis: Process. Angie's gift is conquering the nuts and bolts. She has developed systems that can organize and improve any style of writing. Nancy Rue    Workshop Emphasis: Relationship. Whether through juvenile or adult fiction, Nancy's gift is developing relationships between characters, and between readers and stories. Al Gansky   Workshop Emphasis: Communication. No matter the genre-fiction, nonfiction, or public speaking-Al's gift is presenting a clear, effective, and entertaining message. Kathy Mackel   Workshop Emphasis: Story. A gifted screenwriter and novelist, Kathy's gift is forming and shaping stories that move hearts and adhere to a sellable format. This conference is invaluable and irreplaceable. There is nothing else like it in the world of Christian writing. --  2008 Glen Eyrie Writers' Summit Attendee  _________________  For more information, click here or call 877-488-8787

 

Critter Carols

I know I get a little carried away with the fun Christmas things on the web, but this one is a hoot.  You can upload pictures of your pets and have them "sing" Christmas carols.  Here's one I did of Babe.  

Enjoy! 

~~Angie 

Stop that Tow Truck!

Have you ever had a car towed?  I have, but not for a parking violation.  My engine is usually dead or making strange sounds before I call the tow truck. 

Anyway, this woman in China had some nerve.  Take a quick peek at what she did.  :-)

~~Angie 

Merry Christmas!

Okay, this is too cute.  Here's a cute internet card you can send to friends and loved ones.  Enjoy! 

And here's an aside--I've been listening to Christmas music for most of the month, and I wanted to recommend a couple of unique Christmas albums.  All of these, BTW, are available for download from iTunes, so you can sample them for free and enjoy them in minutes! 

**Mandisa's new Christmas album is lovely.   I love "Christmas Makes Me Cry." 

**Derric Johnson's Vocal Orchestra, Christmas in Velvet, volumes one and two.  Beautiful a capella music! 

**Celtic Woman's Christmas album is lovely. Their version of "O Holy Night" is pure and simple. 

**Naturally Seven's Christmas Album.  Gotta love "I Love a Love Story . . ."   

~~Angie

Chickens Have Talent

Okay, here's a fact you didn't know:  chickens have great talent when it comes to their heads.  Huh?  Watch this video, and you'll see what I mean.  

So . . . I guess I'm not the only one into giving farm animals as gifts!  :-)  

~~Angie 

Men in Flight

And I thought I was brave for rappelling.  Take a look at this. 

~~Angie