Book Review: Five Miles South of Peculiar by Angela Hunt

Residents of Jackson County, Florida, held their breath the morning of July 3, 1968, when old man Caldwell took to his bed complaining of a monstrous headache. As the clock struck two, he sat up, sneezed, wheezed, and lay back down, expiring before his head hit the pillow.   ~opening paragraph, Five Miles South of Peculiar

Darlene, Carlene and Magnolia Caldwell grew up in their family's estate near Peculiar, Florida.  Darlene raised her family there while Carlene left for fame and fortune on Broadway.  When a doctor botches Carlene's throat surgery, ending her singing career, she returns to Peculiar.  Darlene, however, is less-than-thrilled to have her attention-stealing twin sister back in the house.

As the summer passes, the sisters must deal with the hurts of the past and their dreams for their futures.  Erik, the pastor-turned-handyman, finds healing for himself while providing sound advice to the sisters.  Slowly, they restore their relationships with each other and chart new courses for their lives.

I'm a longtime Angela Hunt fan, and Five Miles South of Peculiar didn't disappoint.  Darly, Carly and Nolie each have unique personalities and unique problems they must deal with.  Like Angela's last novel The Fine Art of Insincerity, this is a novel about sisters, but at Sycamores, the Caldwell sisters have more than a weekend in which to sort out their relationships.

My favourite character in the novel was Nolie.  She's the youngest sister (ten years junior to her sisters) and, at forty, has never left home or gotten married or done anything other than raise her dogs and sew aprons for all the neighbours.  Yet Nolie has a deep wisdom and a beautiful way of looking at life.  There were moments in the book when I connected with each of the sisters, but Nolie was the one whom I most wanted a happy ending for.

For more information about the novel, visit Angela's website or view the book trailer:

This has been a bookish week here at The Koala Bear Writer!  Don't forget to enter my #TGCBB giveaway for your chance to win one of FIVE prizes and check out my interview with Nancy Rue.  I'm also linking up with Book Beginnings Friday at Rose City Reader; drop by to check out some other great opening sentences. 

This book was provided for review courtesy of Glass Road Public Relations.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Writers-on-Wednesday: Nancy Rue

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Nancy Rue for Maranatha News and FellowScript (as well as my own blog).  We had a delightful hour and a half conversation about writing that left me worried about my phone bill (thankfully I do have long distance for North America!) and wishing that I could attend the ICWF Fall Conference in Edmonton this September, where Nancy will be the keynote speaker.

KBW: How did you become a writer? 
Nancy: I really didn’t have much a choice, it just seemed like that’s what I was supposed to do.  When I was little, I was always making up stories and when I was a tween, I read everything I could get my hands on, especially Nancy Drew.  I remember the day when I finished Nancy for the twelfth time and I remember thinking I couldn’t be Nancy Drew—she’s too perfect—but I could write books like her. 

I started writing right away, and kept making up stories.  In middle school (7-9), those teachers sucked that out of me (it was all about grammar) and in high school, my teachers encouraged me.  I did an English degree (and what do you do with that but teach so I taught for years).  I encouraged my students to write and wrote everything they were writing and then I took a leave of absence from my job and pursued my writing as a job. 

KBW: What inspires you to write?  
Nancy: I think it just writing period is part of who I am.  I can’t not write. 

In terms of writing for teenagers, I just felt like so much of what I was seeing was either talking down to them (especially in the Christian market and making it sound like if you just pray and are good, everything will turn out fine), but what I was seeing the general market was very dark (they called it issues fiction or problem novels—someone running away or eating disorders, teenage angst) and I felt like there had to be a happy medium.  I wanted to talk to them as not necessarily the kids who had all the problems but not the ones who had a happy life either.  I was inspired to just write real Christian stuff. 

In the 80s, that was the time of the moral majority and ultra-conservative Christian movements and it was very legalistic and rules-oriented and modesty was a big focus; I felt like that wasn’t Christianity to me.  What about having that real relationship with God?  I couldn't do that by preaching at them, so it had to be woven into the story.  What does it look like, realistically?  It doesn’t look like you give your life to Christ and everything is perfect.  It does change your life, but not always in the way that you think it will.
 
KBW: Who is your favourite author and why? 
Nancy: It changes from time to time.  This is an odd answer, I’m sure.  I think my favourite book of all time is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.  The reason it’s my favourite book is that he found his voice in that book and wrote about something very important, which was the myth of the American dream.  He spoke out in that book about what was happening in that generation and I think it’s the same thing happening in the current generation.  I think it’s so beautiful, so timely, so tightly written and it’s what I try to do myself, in that let’s look at what is happening and address it.  He does it without wasting words, yet those characters come up off the page and wrap themselves around your imagination.

In terms of writing for young people, L. M. Montgomery is my favourite.  Only in the last few years have I read Emily and Story Girl and then I read about her life and I think she also epitomized the very best of being an author and understanding her audience and never talking to them.  She inspires me and I read about her and her stuff over and over again.  If I find myself in a slump, I pick up Anne of Green Gables again. She was writing about her own experiences, yet making them good, and shows these girls holding onto always who they are and making a different in other people’s lives.

Five Things I Loved About Being Homeschooled

Today, I'm honoured to be posting over at The Kennedy Adventures about my homeschooling memories.  I really appreciate bloggers like Dianna Kennedy who share their homeschooling stories, because I've been through homeschooling as a student but I'm sure it will be very different when I become the teacher!  If you're thinking about homeschooling, drop by Dianna's blog or feel free to ask me questions about my experience.

The Great Canadian Blog Bash 2012

It's here!  The Great Canadian Blog Bash 2012 is finally here!  I'm super excited to party with a bunch of other Canadian bloggers and to show off our great country.  Make sure to drop by the other blogs (many are offering giveaways of great Canadian stuff) and leave a comment here—FIVE lucky winners will receive two books from my wonderful sponsor, Polar Expressions Publishing!

As I thought about this blog party and what I wanted to write for my "Canadian" post, I kept coming back to books.  Yes, I love books.  And there are a lot of great Canadian authors.  I'm proud to know quite a few through both Inscribe Christian Writer's Fellowship and The Word Guild, which are both Canadian organizations supporting Christian writers.  And over the years, I've read a lot of Canadians books that I've liked.  So here are a few of my favourite Canadian authors.

L. M. Montgomery is probably one of our best-known writers for her Anne of Green Gables series.  I actually didn't like Anne of Green Gables the first time I tried reading it—I found Anne too wordy.  A few years later, I picked up the book and fell in love, like so many other readers.  I've since picked up the entire collection, plus a few other Montgomery books, including my absolute favourite, Blue Castle (a beautiful be-yourself love story).

Sigmund Brouwer always makes my list of favourite writers.  He's written everything from children's board books to historical fiction to YA mystery novels to westerns to contemporary to futuristic sci-fi.  He always keeps me turning the pages and wondering what will happen next—and how on earth he thinks up these plots.  Right now, I'm trying to re-read his Last Disciple series in preparation for the third book in the trilogy, which released last week.

Farley Mowat is a family favourite; we had to replace our copy of The Boat That Wouldn't Float because it was no longer a book but just a collection of loose-leaf pages.  I first picked up his children's fiction, Owls in the Family, and later got into his "nonfiction" (which might be a bit fictionalized, depending on whom you ask about the facts).  He is now in his nineties and yet still writing (Eastern Passage came out two years ago).

Betty Jane Hegerat is a modern Canadian writer who has published a short story collection, two novels, and a fiction/nonfiction book.  I had the opportunity to meet her at an Inscribe Spring WorDshop and have since reviewed all of her books.  Her novels amaze me for their ability to take a deep, hard look at a few characters in a very small space of time.

I've never read Margaret Atwood; I've looked at the backs of her books many times and they've never grabbed my attention.  I have read Margaret Lawrence, Alice Munro, and Carol Shields and they were all worth reading once or twice.  Robertson Davies is also a good writer.  And then there's older Canadian writers like Stephen Leacock whom I've only read excerpts of and would like to read more.

And that brings me to today's giveaway: five winners will EACH receive a copy of The Calling: A Collection of New Canadian Poetry and Inkspots: A Collection of New Canadian Short Stories from Polar Expressions Publishing.  Just leave a comment  below (with contact info) telling me who your favourite Canadian author is or what Canada makes you think of (contest open to Canadians over 18; winner will be chosen on July 1 by random.org and notified by email).

No-Bake Peanut Butter Drops

As hot summer days approach, I start looking for cookie recipes that I can make without heating up my house.  No-Bake Peanut Butter Drops are quick and easy to make, which also means Sunshine can help.  This recipe came from my husband's junior high home economy class - it's one of few cards in my recipe box that is written in his handwriting.

No Bake Peanut Butter Drops

1/2 cup corn syrup (or honey)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups corn flakes

1.  Put the syrup and sugar in a sauce pan on medium heat.  Mix until sugar is diluted.  Sunshine likes to stir the pot for me at this stage.

2.  Mix in peanut butter thoroughly.

3.  Remove from heat and add corn flakes.  I ask Sunshine to count how many cups we need to add.  Mix until it is all coated.

4.  Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and let cool (about an hour).

Warning: these cookies are very addicting and don't usually last around our house for very long!  These cookies are also vegan, gluten-free (depending on the brand of corn flakes used), and dairy-free.  If, like me, you can't resist the taste of chocolate with peanut butter, then try:

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Follow above recipe for steps 1-3.  Line a square baking pan with tin foil.  Spread the cornflake mixture into the pan and press down gently with a spoon.  Let cool for half an hour.  Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and spread over the squares.  Let cool.  To slice squares, lift the edges of the tin foil and place the squares on a cutting board.  Slice with a sharp knife.  Serve and enjoy.

I'm linking up with What's Cooking Wednesdays—for more great recipes, hop over there!

Learning to Read with Reading Eggs

At preschool, Sunshine has learned to write her name and to spell it out loud.  Since then, she's been excited about letters and what letters go into different names.  I've tried to respond to this new enthusiasm for the alphabet by giving her more opportunities to practice, rather than pushing her.  We have alphabet books, alphabet puzzles and alphabet magnets, so she has ample material around her for learning her letters.

When I was offered the chance to review the Reading Eggs website, I thought this would be a good way to encourage Sunshine to learn more letters and words.  Reading Eggs is an online learn to read program for children from 3 to 13.  They offer a free fourteen-day trial and resources for both parents and teachers.

Sunshine was excited to play a new game, especially since it was on the computer.  In fact, after the first couple of lessons, she began telling me that she wanted to learn to read.  The activities in each lesson changed frequently, keeping her attention, but only changed after she'd completed the activity correctly, encouraging her to do well.  Pictures and music also made the lessons attractive.

For Sunshine (who just turned four in February), I found that I had to be nearby to help with the lessons.  Sometimes she needed more explanations about how to do an activity or encouragement to keep trying.  There were also times when she didn't have the hand-eye coordination that the website expected in order to complete an activity (e.g., pick up this word, drag it over to that box, and drop it seems effortless for an adult, but is very hard for Sunshine).

The first lessons were fairly easy, teaching letter recognition ("m") by sounds (saying the letter sound instead of the letter name) and then slowly building to brief words (like "I am Sam") once the children had learned a few letters.  After Sunshine completed ten lessons, I received an emailed progress report.  Sunshine didn't do very well on her quiz the first time, so the progress report recommended that she complete the lessons again and mentioned that the lessons were meant to be completed more than once.

The website also includes a dashboard for parents, which gives a quick overview of their progress (for example, as I am writing this, the website tells me that Nicole's "reading age" is 4.75 years and that she knows 4 sight words and 28 phonics skills).  Parents can also set up accounts for multiple children, so that they can track the progress of each child.

Reading Eggs also includes a Playroom where children can colour pictures, play instruments, design their avatar, dress up a doll, read stories, and do other activities.  This part of the website is recommended for younger children (3+) and Sunshine enjoys playing there.

Overall, I've been impressed with Sunshine's progress on Reading Eggs.  I'm trying to make sure that what she's learning on the computer gets connected with her other activities, such as reading bedtime stories (e.g., if I see a sight word she knows from Reading Eggs or a letter she learned recently, I point it out to her).  It's fun to see Sunshine excited about learning to read.

Ten Tips for Building Your Blog

When I began blogging over five years ago, it was a hobby, a way to encourage myself to write and to share what I wrote with my family and friends.  Since then, as I've seen the potential of blogs as a writer, especially with the explosion of mommy blogs in recent years, my blog has become much more than a hobby.  It is now part of my business and career plan.  Here's what I've learned ( from fellow bloggers and personal experience) about building a blog.

1. Use Social Media

I think it goes without saying these days that if you want to build your blog, you must be on Twitter and/or Facebook and/or Google+ and/or other social networks.  I only joined Twitter this year, but it's been a great way to meet more people online and to spread the word about my blog.  The best advice I've seen on social media is Clair Diaz Ortiz's social media manifesto How to Be Social.

2.  Put Pictures in Your Posts

Again, this is something I only started doing in the last year or so, but pictures add so much to a post, particularly if they are pinworthy.  Pinterest is currently generating more referral traffic than any other social media site.  A good picture catches a reader's attention and encourages people to click on your link, whether they see that picture on Pinterest or Facebook or elsewhere.  

3. Participate in Contests

Contests are very popular across the blogosphere these days, and many blogs are teaming together to bring big prizes to their readers.  Readers follow the participating blogs to enter the contest.  This is a great way to get huge numbers of followers for your blog (after that, it's up to you to connect with those followers and keep them around).  My tip: find contests that fit your blog.  I love cloth diapers, so it made sense to promote a cloth diaper brand and give someone the opportunity to win a lifetime supply of cloth diapers.

4.  Join Blog Groups or Communities

There are a variety of blog groups and communities where bloggers can support and promote each other.  Find one that fits you (and your blog niche) and start participating.  Here you can gain advice from a wide group of bloggers and share your experience as well.  I've learned so much lately from the Canucks Bloggers Network.  I also participate in a couple other Facebook groups for bloggers.

5.  Blog Regularly

For me, this means a schedule (I currently post on odd days) and having a schedule has actually made me more productive on my blog.  If the idea of a schedule scares you, just make sure you are posting on a roughly regular basis—don't post every day for a week and then post nothing for the next week.  Since I know I'll be blogging every second day, I now plan posts about a month in advance and write them about one or two weeks in advance.  If I have a great idea, I write it and schedule it to post on a suitable date—whether that's tomorrow or two weeks away.

6.  Guest Blog

Both guest blogging for other bloggers and hosting guest bloggers on your own site are a great way to increase traffic to your blog and to build relationships with other bloggers.  By writing posts for other bloggers, you create links back to your own blog from theirs and get seen by new readers.  By hosting guest bloggers, you offer new content to your own readers and get traffic from your guest blogger, who'll spread the word that they are blogging at your blog.  Win win for everyone.

7.  Give Away

Readers like knowing that they are getting something by reading your blog.  Giveaways can be tangible things, such as books or products you've reviewed, or simply information, recipes, advice, etc.  I've seen bloggers who offer free eBooks if you follow them via email.  Ask yourself what your readers want and how you can provide that.

8.  Participate in Blog Memes and Link-Ups

In a blog meme, one blogger posts on a topic or idea and then invites other bloggers to write posts on the same topic or idea and link back to the original post.  There are memes on nearly every topic imaginable. Try to be among the first twenty people to link up and make sure you visit other blogs who have linked up (and let them know how you found them).  Use strong titles and pictures (if possible) to catch readers' attention.

9.  Content is King


You've probably heard this piece of advice before.  It's true.  If you want readers, you must give them good content.  This means writing well (good spelling and grammar) as well as writing about interesting topics.  I've been surprised at times what posts on my blog are popular.  For quite a while, my Reflections on Greek Mythology was getting the most hits on my blog—more hits than posts I was promoting more actively.  All I can say is that the content there attracted readers (lots of people are googling Greek mythology, apparently).

10.  Be Yourself

Yes, you can do everything else I've suggested—things that have worked for me and for other bloggers—but you must still be yourself.  While there are times when I am jealous of other bloggers for their followers or their ability to write with great humour or the experiences they can share with their readers, I also recognize that each of the bloggers I follow is unique.  I keep going back to their blogs because I like their voice.  So learn from the bloggers you admire, but be yourself.

If you are a blogger, what has been the best piece of advice you've received?  If you are a blog reader, what do you like to see in a blog?

Books of the Apocrypha: Sirach

My whole being takes pleasure in three things,

and these are beautiful to the Lord

and to human beings:

harmony among brothers and sisters,

friendship among neighbours,

and a wife and husband

who adapt to each other. 

(Sirach 25:1 CEB)

Sirach is the fifth book in the Apocrypha and is also referred to as Ecclesiasticus.  It reminds me of Proverbs, with short sayings about life, God, and wisdom such as the one above.  The author was a Jew named Jesus ben Sirach, thus the name of the book, which was likely written in 190-180 BC.

The New Jerusalem Bible explains that Palestine was under the influence of the Greeks during the time Sirach was writing.  He was a scribe devoted to the temple and the sacred books, familiar with the Prophets and the Wisdom writings, and wants "to teach wisdom to all who are eager for it."

The fifty-one chapters of this book are a hodge-podge of diverse subjects, from hymns to the glory of God in nature and in history to brief maxims grouped loosely by topic.  Sirach teaches traditional doctrine, saying that wisdom "comes from God; it is rooted in the fear of the Lord; it forms the youthful character and brings happiness" (themes also seen in Proverbs).

Other verses that caught my attention were these on friendship:

Trustworthy friends are a strong shelter;

whoever finds one has found a treasure.

Trustworthy friends have no price,

and no one can estimate their worth.

Trustworthy friends are life's medicine,

and those who fear the Lord will find them.

Those who fear the Lord

will direct their friendships well,

because they will associate with people of like mind.

(Sirach 6:14-17 CEB)

My previous encounters with Sirach have been hearing it read during Mass.  While I find it harder to read than other books of the Bible because of the lack of storyline, it also provides much to think about, especially as many of the individual sayings are easy to remember or meditate on.

Explore: Mount Work

On Sunday afternoon, we took advantage of the sunny day to drive out to Mount Work with our neighbours for a family hike.  None of us had been there before, so we were looking forward to exploring together.

Sunshine's little friend (who is a few months younger than her) is a bug fanatic.  As soon as we got there, he found a black and yellow millipede crawling across a rock.  The children enjoying watching the millipede amidst frequent cautions not to touch it because we weren't sure if it was poisonous or not.  We found another one further up the trail later, but fewer caterpillars than we see around our home.

I was wondering about the mountain's name, joking that it might be a bit of work to get to the top.  A sign at the trailhead offered a map of the mountain, information on the local area, and a brief history of John Wark, for whom the mountain is named.  ("The tough Wark Gneiss that makes up Mount Work was named at John Wark, chief factor for the Hudson's Bay Company and respected local politican.  The "Anglicized" version of his Irish name "Wark" now lends itself to the 561 hectares of Mount Work Regional Park.")

The trail itself was a fairly easy hike—wide enough in most places for two to walk side-by-side (or a parent to walk with a child), though in a few places there were steep sections that reminded me of Mount Finlayson.  Sunshine enjoyed the "rock climbing" more than the hiking, and tackled any steeper parts of the trail with enthusiasm.  There was a brief scramble up some rocks to the final summit, where we had an awesome view of the surrounding area.

We had snacks there, took lots of pictures, and let the children run around for a while.  Just before we hiked down, two other couples came up, who were greatly surprised to see four children under four on top of the mountain.  One lady was pregnant and asked us quite a few questions about hiking with children and our baby carriers.  Both my neighbour and I have Ergo carriers, which we love.  We had the frame pack (below) for the older children; Sunshine and her friend took turns walking and riding in it.  I also carried Sunshine in the Ergo for a bit when Lily wanted to hike.

With a last glance at the scenery, we hoisted the children back into their backpacks and headed down the mountain.  My neighbour and I hit a fast stride and left the dads behind with the older children.  Lily fell asleep while my neighbour's baby (who just turned one) had fun leaning backwards to laugh upside down at me.

We started from the Ross-Durrance Road for our hike and hiked to the summit and then back down, but there are two parking areas for Mount Work.  One idea we had for a future hike was to leave a vehicle at either end, meet in the middle for a picnic lunch, and then keep hiking straight over the mountain to the other vehicle.

Writers-on-Wednesday: Ginger Moran

I love chatting with authors after I've read their books and finding out more about the person who created the fiction I enjoyed so much.  It's also a pleasure to find out things we have in common (like English degrees or a voracious appetite for reading).  So I bring you a short interview with Ginger Moran, author of The Algebra of Snow (leave a comment below to WIN a copy of her book!).

KBW: How did you become a writer?
Ginger: I’m a reader from age four on. I think that may be one of the most reliable predictors of who is going to be a writer. I wrote some things with my great-aunt, who was a school principal, and then completely forgot about doing that until I was in my late 20s and having a general psychological, spiritual, vocational crisis and my therapist thought maybe writing would be a good outlet. I had two degrees in English by then, but it really hadn’t occurred to me that I might want to write as well as to read.

I still have “Sammy the Squirrel,” the book I wrote with my Great-aunt Sarepta. She bound it with hem tape, which is something elderly women had on hand in those days, and I treasure her knowing me so well as a child. That is rare—someone knowing you.

I had the usual slings and arrows of life—a family that looked great on the outside and qualified in many ways as Southern Gothic on the inside, being a flower child, disowned by my father for being one, expatriating myself to Switzerland and then finding out that I really liked living in America, calling off a wedding one month before it was going to happen, finishing my degree as a nontraditional student at a very traditional school.

Eventually, I started writing, took an easy workshop, then tried getting into a hard one with Ann Beattie and astonishing myself that I did get in. She was very hard and very helpful. When I was having dinner with her once, complaining about the full-time job I’d taken writing catalog copy after I finished my Master’s degree, she suggested in her very dry, Ann Beattie way, that I should think about doing a Ph.D. at the University of Houston—“It’s not as bad as you imagine.”

I did, it wasn’t (though it was way worse in many ways, which I enumerate in the novel I’m just finishing, How Death Comes Between Us), and I’ve been writing steadily ever since. Three novels, one collection of essays, and a nonfiction book, so far.

KBW: What inspires you to write?
Ginger: I’m inspired by other people’s inspiration. I love reading. I mean love it. There isn’t anything that makes me happier, unless maybe it is watching a really gripping movie or listening to great live music. All of these things inspire me, make me glad I’m alive, make me alive, even.

And what really gets me going is writing my own great sentence. That might seem arrogant or self-congratulatory, but I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that, when a sentence absolutely takes off, soars into the heavens, that it isn’t really me writing it—I’m riding a wild an wonderful current. Fiction for me—whether written, dramatized, or sung—is just like John Barth once said, “Fiction maybe—but truer than fact”—more alive than life, a way of being alive.

KBW: Who is your favourite author and why?
Ginger: I think every so often there is an artist who transcends the limitations of what it ordinarily means to be human, who gets it so right that they aren’t themselves anymore but are reaching into a wider, deeper flow than most of us ever can know. Chaucer is one of these, Shakespeare another. In the present day, I think Bruce Springsteen goes there.

These people disappear as themselves, going beyond what Virginia Woolf calls the “cramp and confinement of personality.” They give us the awesomeness of life—the terrible and the wonderful, the frailties and the triumphs—in ways that are so pure it blows me away.

I also have to confess to a deep and abiding love of mystery novels. I love Dorothy L. Sayers, Elizabeth Peters, and James Lee Burke more than they will ever know. And if I want a real tonic, a real sense of smart, I read Miss Marple or watch the Joan Hickson versions of the movies.

My characters are always working on a mystery. In The Algebra of Snow, Amelia is solving for the n of her mother’s death when she was young. She goes deeper and deeper into the effect of this on her life, the harm and the release of it.

In my second novel, The Body of Summer, the main character is literally working on a mystery. She is an English professor at the University of Virginia whose ex-husband is accused of killing a graduate student in her department. That was my only mystery—I love reading them, but I’m not a good plotter and found it was too much work.

I wrote a thriller next, How Death Comes Between Us, whose main character is a graphic artist and guerrilla environmentalist who goes to work for an oil company in Houston, leaving her husband and young son in behind in Virginia. She’s trying to figure out why she did that and runs into a big batch of intrigue at the oil company while she’s at it.

Donald Barthelme was one of my teachers at the University of Houston. He used to always ask us what the problem was in a story. It was a very annoying question at the time—it turns out to be the crucial one to any sort of successful writing, in my opinion. There has to be a problem. 

So I’m inspired by writers who take on problems, wrestle with them honestly, tap into the larger consciousness. I aspire to this in my writing—to dive so deep into the individual that you come out in the world.

Has someone encouraged you to pursue your dreams as Ginger's great-aunt and mentor encouraged her?  What books do you enjoy reading?  Leave a comment below (and/or on my review) for your chance to WIN a copy of The Algebra of Snow by Ginger Moran (contest open to Canadians over age 18; I'll draw one winner from the comments on both posts using random.org on Saturday; winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter.)

Facebook's New Promoted Posts

A few weeks ago when I logged into my Facebook fan page, I noticed a little box that appeared under my status update box: “Introducing Promoted Posts.”  (It’s still there and I wish it would go away, but that’s another story.)  Since then, I’ve been watching Facebook discussions and what other bloggers are saying about this newest change to our favourite social media platform.  Here’s what I’ve learned.

The quick facts about Facebook’s new Promoted Posts:

• Page must have more than 400 likes
• Any post less than three days old can be promoted
• Posts can be targeted by language or country
• Promoted posts can reach your fans plus their friends

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook’s new Promoted Posts are a direct result of the company going public.  Facebook now has to prove its worth to Wall Street.  The company makes 85% of its income from advertising, but more and more of its users access Facebook via mobile—and Facebook currently makes no money from mobile advertising.

Promoted posts means that ads on Facebook are open to more advertisers.  Previously, brands could only buy advertising on Facebook as part of a large package—out of reach of many small businesses.  Now, using Promoted Posts, a brand could pay as little as $5 to promote an individual post.  And these posts are visible on mobile devices.

The WSJ article explains, “Without promoted posts, Facebook says only 16% of fans can see a post based on the company's standard algorithm for all Facebook posts by users or brands. By paying, Facebook ensures that 75% of fans see a post.”  Advertisements in a Facebook user’s news feed has another benefit: “Advertisers covet the News Feed because unlike ads that run on the side of the page, it feels like a part of the organic Facebook experience and doesn't look different from posts from friends” (other than the small note underneath saying “sponsored”).

From a Facebook user’s perspective, I’m not that thrilled about Promoted Posts.  I don’t want to see my news feed full of advertising.  (My biggest gripe with watching TV is the commercials—I’d rather just watch a movie.)  I use Facebook to interact with friends, fellow bloggers, and a few brands, authors, or artists I’ve “liked” and want to hear more from.  Paid advertising from brands who can afford it could push the news I want to see off my news feed.

As a blogger, I use Facebook and Twitter as my social media marketing because I don’t have to pay for them.  I can promote my blog and meet new friends simply by being online.  I’m not happy that Facebook is now trying to charge money to put my status updates in front of a larger audience.  Particularly since I’ve seen the stats from a few bloggers who’ve tested Facebook’s new Promoted Posts and were not happy with the results.

Morgan, who runs Business Among Moms, shared her thoughts on Facebook’s Promoted Posts last week.   She purchased a reach of 3000 people, but only got 1781 unique visitors to that post—half what Facebook promised.  While she plans to keep watching Promoted Posts (maybe Facebook will improve them), she concluded, “I don’t think this opportunity is right for small, mom-run businesses like the majority of our audience.  I think increasing your Edgerank on your own through strategic and informative posting is more to your advantage.

Donna’s advice at Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom mirrored my thoughts: “So if you are a page owner, keep doing what you are doing. Share your content, interact, and work on building genuine relationships with your fans.  If you are just a regular Facebook user and Page liker, keep interacting with the pages you love. The Facebook Algorithm is such that the more you interact with a page, the more it will show up in your newsfeed.”

What do you think of Facebook's new Promoted Posts?

Salvation Stories Saturday

I'm honoured today to be a guest over at Rediscovering Domesticity.  It's one of my favourite blogs (with a very helpful series of articles about blogging) and its writer, Audra, has recently started a new series called Salvation Stories Saturday.  Audra shared her salvation story last week and this week I'm sharing mine.

If you have a story to share, there's a link at the top of Audra's story.  So drop by and check out Rediscovering Domesticity.

Book Review: The Algebra of Snow by Ginger Moran

What makes you pick up a book and read it?  The cover picture?  The title?  The author's name?  A friend's recommendation?  A good review?  I've picked up books for all of those reasons.  What grabbed me about The Algebra of Snow: A Bedtime Story for My Mother was the title.  I love snow, I hate algebra, but putting the two together... that sounded intriguing.

Amelia doesn't intend to spend the winter in the summer cabin she'd rented in the Adirondacks.  She told her neighbour she was just staying until the end of October to get some articles written.  But October turns into November and the articles aren't written yet and Amelia is still there, wrestling with her memories of her marriage, her mother, her career.

When Amelia's ex-husband comes up for Thanksgiving, reconciliation seems possible.  Then a phone call turns Amelia back into the Ice Queen her husband accuses her of being.  After he leaves, her world shrinks to her living room—to keeping the fire, huddling in the blankets on the couch, and chasing memories.  Amelia writes letters to her mothers, imagines a handsome stranger's visits, goes to the edge of madness and back again.

Written in first-person from Amelia's point of view, The Algebra of Snow is a compelling, haunting novel.  Amelia's voice pulled me into the story from the first pages.  Her struggles to form meaningful relationships with those around her are understandable as she grapples with her mother's death when she was six, her father's cold distance.  Amelia is one of those complicated characters who, like Scarlett in Gone with the Wind, is both dislikeable and yet too similar to myself.

The Algebra of Snow follows Amelia's winter in the Adirondacks—from the time the rest of the tourists leave their cozy summer cabins on the September long weekend until the snows begin to melt.  The ending was ambiguous... Amelia has found a new friend, yet she hasn't returned to her mathematics career or left her lonely cabin.  She has survived the isolation, freezing cold, and near starvation of the winter, yet I wanted more of a hint of change as a result of those circumstances.

Ginger Moran's novel reminded me of Betty Jane Hegerat, for both write with the same attention to the small details of everyday life.  Both of Hegerat's novels take place in the space of a few days, while Moran's novel takes place in the space of a small cabin.  These authors delve deeply into characters in situations we can all identify with and leave the reader thinking hard.  (I do feel it necessary to mention that some scenes in The Algebra of Snow between Amelia and her husband or the dark stranger contained more details than I wanted.)

The Algebra of Snow is Ginger's third novel and was nominated for a Pushcart Editor's Choice Award.  She has a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing and has been published in a variety of journals and literary magazines.  Come back on Wednesday for my interview with Ginger about how she became a writer and what inspires her to write!

Leave a comment below for your chance to WIN a copy of The Algebra of Snow by Ginger Moran (contest open to Canadians over age 18; I'll draw a winner using random.org next Saturday; winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter.)

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Today I'm guest posting over at Bits N Bites With Tina about homemade hamburger helper, my go-to recipe when I'm short on time.

Notes from Write! Vancouver

On my anniversary, I was at a writer's conference in Vancouver—the first-ever Write! Vancouver hosted by The Word Guild.  (I did spend time with my husband on the ferry to and from Vancouver, and we picked up take-out Greek food for a simple, delicious dinner when we got home again.)  I haven't attended a writer's conference since we left Alberta, so it was refreshing to be gathered with so many other Canadian, Christian writers all passionate about their craft.

My first workshop was Carolyn Arends' songwriting class.  I have no intentions of ever writing songs, but the novel workshop was full when I registered, so I decided to take Carolyn's class because I'd interviewed her.  As I sat in her workshop—and others later that day—I thought about how good writing advice is good writing advice no matter what genre you write in.  Most of what I write these days is for various blogs and websites, but many of the same tips apply as for writing songs or novels.  So here's my highlights from Write! Vancouver.

Process of Inspiration

Carolyn opened her workshop by talking about the Process of Inspiration—four steps identified by scientists as what happens inside people's mind when they get an idea.  The first step is preparation, which is basically your whole life (all that fodder you pull from personal experience to write a song, story, or blog post), but also includes the things that inspire you (like your favourite place to write or that song on the radio that made you think really hard).

Then comes incubation, the hatching of an idea, which may happen over a few minutes, days, or even years.  You might keep the idea just in your head or you might jot scraps down on a piece of paper or start a blog post or do more research on the topic.  Eventually, the third phase—illumination—occurs, when you have an "aha" moment and start writing.  This is the time to just write; let the rough draft flow without editing yourself.

The final stage is verification.  This is where you go back to edit and polish your writing.  Then you get feedback, either from a critique group (if you are writing stories or novels) or your blog readers or your editor/publisher.  All parts of this stage are vital to the process of creating; let yourself work through them, allowing time for each phase.  Deadlines here (whether self-imposed by your own blog schedule or given to you by an editor) can be a friend, because they force you to stop editing and rewriting and simply present the final product.

Questions to Ask of Your Writing

While in the verification phase, just before you hit "publish" or send that piece to your editor, you can ask yourself a series of questions to help improve your writing and identify problems in the piece.

1.  Does your subject matter... matter?  Is this important to you?  Something you are passionate about?
2.  What is your hook (or thesis or title or main idea)?  It should be clear very quickly what this song, story, or article is about.
3.  Is it complex where it could be simple?  Don't use big words or complicated sentences.
4.  Is it general where it could be specific?  Connect to people's imaginations by using concrete things, like the deep orange tiger lily growing by your front door instead of just the flower.
5.  Is it obscure where it could be relatable?  Know your audience so you don't make reference to something most of them have never heard about; specific can sometimes be too specific.
6.  Is it abstract where it could be concrete?  Abstract is a concept (like love or motherhood) while concrete is something physical (a hug or a muddy trail of footprints).  In my post on Tuesday, I tried to identify concrete things that I love about motherhood (a big, abstract concept).

Carolyn had another six questions to ask while editing, but I had to slip out for my next workshop.  Over lunch, I reconnected with a fellow Inscriber who also moved to the Island recently.  In the afternoon, I talked to a mentor about publishing my short stories.  Overall, it was a fun day and I'm looking forward to next year's Write! Vancouver.

Ten Things I Love About Motherhood

A few weeks ago, an old friend of mine phoned.  Our dads went to university together and we had been penpals through junior high and high school.  Then we got busy with university, husbands, jobs, etc.  Since then, we've found each other on Facebook, so when she called, I was happy to chat.  Towards the end of our conversation, she asked, "What's it like to be a mom?"

I opened and closed my mouth several times before stuttering out an answer.  Right then, I didn't know what to say—motherhood is so full of ups and downs, as any of you moms know.  Yet her question stuck with me, making me think hard.  And so I've come up with my list of the top ten things (in no particular order) I love about being a mother.

1.  Hugs

There is nothing like a tiny pair of arms wrapped tightly around your neck.  My two-year-old in particular loves to snuggle, but lately even my four-year-old wants a long hug when she wakes up.  Sometimes, I'm guilty of being impatient and wanting to do other things, but I'm learning to slow down and appreciate those moments of closeness.

2. Girls

I didn't have sisters growing up, so I'm having fun with two daughters and the chance to do all sorts of girly stuff with them.  I get to dress them up in pretty little outfits (well, at least until they started dressing themselves) and style their hair (when I can convince them to sit still long enough to get a "ballerina tail," as Lily calls a ponytail).  On the weekend, we all trimmed and painted our toenails.  They were so excited about sparkly toes. 

3.  Giggles

I sometimes tickle my daughters just to hear them giggle.  It is such an infectious, happy sound.  Maybe someday they'll hate tickling the way I do, but right now "Tickle Monster" is one of our favourite games.  It's a great pick-me-up at any time of day.

4.  Questions

Children ask questions.  Lots of questions.  From very young ages.  It starts with simple questions, like "Why?" and advances to more profound questions that leave me wondering how I'll answer them.  Sometimes those "why" questions get tiresome, but most of the time, their questions make me think or laugh or look at something in a new way.

5.  Milestones

Things that are everyday, thoughtless actions to me—like walking or going to the bathroom or tying my shoes—take time for children to learn.  In watching my daughters grow and learn and hit each milestone (from first teeth to first words), I've come to appreciate those little things again.

6.  Friends

Remember university days, when you could strike up a conversation with any other student because you both had classes to discuss or profs to complain about or papers to stress over?  Being a mom has once again given me that "I have something in common with you" ability to make new friends.  Even if I have nothing else in common with a mom, I can talk about my kids with her.  When our babies started sleeping through the night.  How we dealt with potty training.  What cute thing my daughters said recently.  And often from there, a friendship develops.

7.  Helpers


I now have two little helpers with everything I do.  Sometimes, this is frustrating, as I can make cookies faster without Sunshine trying to measure the flour for me.  And I wouldn't need to vacuum quite as often if they didn't mash fish crackers into the carpet.  Their desire to help—or just to be doing whatever I am doing—is a lot of fun when I let myself slow down and enjoy it.  (Even if we need three vacuums now so everyone can clean house.) 

8.  Companions

On a similar thread to having helpers, I also have two constant companion.  Being an introvert, I still appreciate time to myself (and appreciate the fact that they are learning to play better with each other lately), but I also like having company.  In fact, lately if I have to drive somewhere longer than 20 minutes by myself, I try to find someone to carpool with.  Long drives with no one to talk to are no fun, because I'm so used to having a least some little chitchat coming from the back seat.

9.  Needs

There's an old saying that everyone needs to be needed, and it's true.  My daughters need me and while that is at times overwhelming, it's also very special.  I might not be the best mother in the world, but I am their mother, and each of them needs me (often at the same time).

10.  Siblings

I love the fact that we have two daughters—that they have each other.  It's honestly double the fun.  Especially now that they are really learning to play together and to talk together.  I like seeing them hold hands when we're out grocery shopping or listening to them play make-up games together or give each other big hugs in the morning when they wake up or sit on the couch together to watch a movie.

Your turn.  What do you like (or look forward to) about being a mom?

Book Review: Heaven in Her Arms

Marriage and motherhood have deepened my understanding of Mary and her influence in my life and faith.  During my first pregnancy, it hit me that Mary had been through what I was going through—she knew what it was like to carry a baby, to face stress and struggles in her pregnancies, to be unsure of what labour might be like.  I found myself asking her to intercede for me, because she had been through this already and knew what to ask for better than I did.

So when I saw Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What It Means for You, I grabbed it.  Catherine Hickem, a licensed psychotherapist and mom of two, walks readers through Mary's life, one Bible verse at a time, showing how Mary's responses to God and to being a mom can inspire us in our everyday lives.

Sometimes it's easy to think that Mary lived so long ago, and was so obviously perfect because she was Jesus' mom, that she has nothing in common with me in my life today.  Yet Catherine shows how Mary was simply a young woman who responded to God's call with great faith, and how she is truly a mother who has much to teach us about motherhood.

One of my favourite chapters was chapter seven: "Smart Women Know they Need Other Women: Mary knew she needed support."  Catherine unpacks Mary's visit with Elizabeth, saying, "God was so good to share with us the significant connection between Mary and Elizabeth.  It speaks volumes about the value He places on relationships and his understanding of a woman's need for other women.  It especially speaks of His sensitivity to moms-to-be."

Over and over in my life, I've felt the need for close friends, but never so much as I have since becoming a mom.  Only fellow moms understand the ups and downs of motherhood.  And yet in this chapter, Catherine showed me that God also understands our need for fellowship—and He has put women around us to be the support we need, just as He brought Elizabeth and Mary together to support each other in their callings as moms to unique children.

Heaven in Her Arms gave me a deeper appreciation of Mary's faith and role in Jesus' life.  It made me think more deeply about Scriptures, such as the Nativity story, that I've heard over and over again. Catherine shows a keen insight into Mary's life, and into the lives of mothers in general, through her study of Scripture, her own experience as a mother, and her many years of counseling.  I recommend this book to any mom.

What examples encourage you as a mother?  Or where do you turn when you have a difficult day as a mom?  Leave a comment below for your chance to WIN a copy of Heaven in Her Arms.  I'll choose one winner using random.org on Saturday (contest open to Canadians over 18).

This book was provided for review courtesy of Booksneeze; all opinions expressed are my own. 

Explore: Smuggler's Cove

Beaches are a magic combination of sand and water that offer children endless fun in digging and pouring, running and splashing.  Since she was very little, Sunshine has loved beaches.  Now that we live about a kilometer away from a beach, she asks to go there at least once a week (even in the winter, when it's rainy and cold at the beach and we get there only to look at the grey waves and then turn around and go home again).

Sunshine at the beach at Lesser Slave Lake, about a year old

When Sunshine's preschool newsletter said there'd be a beach day in May, I smiled.  I pictured sand castles and preschoolers with shovels, and parents sitting back in the sand.  I wasn't familiar with the beach mentioned, but I should have known that a preschool field trip would involve much more activity and hands-on learning than my idea of a beach day.

I arrived early at the beach with Sunshine and Lily.  Smuggler's Cove really is a small cove, with a long expanse of rocky shoreline, blanketed with kelp, as the tide slowly retreated.  We gawked at the mansions on either side of the beach, watched the sailboats cruising effortlessly past the opening of the cove, and clambered over the barnacle-encrusted rocks.

Then the teachers arrived, pointing out the blue wading pool they'd filled with water and sea life.  I was surprised to find out that we were encouraged to catch whatever we could find—the pool was bustling with crabs, blenny fish, a fat purple starfish, several nearly transparent jelly fish, shrimp, snails, an anemone and its rock, and other beach life I couldn't identify.

Lily "napping" at Smuggler's Cove

Sunshine got right into it, wading out into the water (luckily I'd insisted upon rubber boots for this trip) and filling her bucket to contribute to the wading pool.  I began turning over rocks, but when a blenny fish flopped around underneath our third or fourth rock, Lily shouted at me, "Close it! Close it!"  I watched Sunshine's teacher grab a flopping blenny fish and deposit it in her bucket, but I had no desire to touch the slimy fish.

We spent two hours combing the beach, looking in tide pools and under rocks and watching the crabs scuttle sideways around the wading pool.  I turned over one rock and discovered two palm-sized red-backed crabs hiding in the sand underneath; with a stick, I convinced it to show more of itself so that I could take a picture.  At the end of the day, we gently released all the creatures back into the ocean.  It was the most fun I've ever had at a beach.

I'm now the Victoria Beaches Examiner at Examiner.com.  Throughout the summer, I'll be posting articles there about the beaches we visit.