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Dear Reader,
The Write a Dear Reader Contest is on my mind. So before I introduce today's guest author, let me remind you Monday was launch day. Rules, deadlines, cash prizes, and last year's winning entries are posted at the link below for everyone to read. And people that enter have fun.
What to write about? Need an idea?
A memorable moment from your childhood
Your pet peeve
Your pets: cats, dogs, lizards, fish, kangaroos...
An irritating neighbor Your most embarrassing moment.
To find out about the deadline, rules, and read last year's winning entries, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2015/index.html
Cindy Woodsmall, today's guest author, is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author who's written seventeen works of fiction. Her connection with the Amish community has been widely featured in national media outlets.
Ties that Bind, is her latest release. Send an email and you'll be entered in a giveaway for a copy of her book. Email: cindy@cindywoodsmall.com
Welcome Cindy Woodsmall...
Worth Living For
It seems to me that love, in all its disorganized exquisiteness, is the only thing worth living for.
But the love between us and others--whether romantic, familial, or friendship--is as delicate as it is strong.
Since I write Amish novels, I often spend some time living with Old Order Amish families to understand the heart of the Amish culture. A few years ago, I stayed with an Amish friend for several days.
One evening, as the curtains swayed with the cool evening, I watched as a large family interacted. Inside that home were men and women of all ages who had a bond of some type with each other--spouses, children, grandparents, parents, grandchildren, cousins, aunts, uncles, and siblings.
Whether the relationships were strong or feeble, I had no doubt that each one had endured its share of challenges. That's part of the mystery of love--facing what feels as if it may break you and your loved one and coming out stronger than before.
Since each person and each relationship is unique, I feel any to-do list of ways to have successful relationships wouldn't be on target enough, but I know three "don't principles" that seem pretty universal.
1. Don't treat any relationship as if it's an old pair of shoes you only wear around the house. We can easily slide toward our lowest energy level in life, but that's a dangerous thing to allow, not only for our relationships with others, but for our personal sense of fulfillment and enjoyment toward life.
2. Don't underestimate the power of being grateful--quietly in your heart and vocally to other people. We have a tendency to get crabby about the little things, and we're capable of staying that way until we're so weary of the people we love, we almost forget we love them. But when we turn nitpicking around and focus on what we're grateful for, we get re-energized about showing love to others.
3. Don't assume you have tomorrow to set things right. Today is the day to say something kind and encouraging, or even apologetic if need be, to someone you care about. Unless we need time to cool down or get perspective, I doubt it would be any easier to set things right tomorrow.
--Cindy Woodsmall
Email Cindy and welcome her to the book club. You'll be entered in her drawing for a copy of her new book Ties that Bind. Email: cindy@cindywoodsmall.com
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE CENTURIONS by Jean Larteguy. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7EE4&c=CLASSICS
AUTHORBUZZ: HADES: A Demonica Novella (Fiction) by Larissa Ione
When I first set up a "demon graveyard," of sorts, for my Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series, I never imagined that the characters who populated it would become so central to the series. But here we are, following up the Grim Reaper's story with that of his right-hand man, Hades. Dark, lethal, and a little playful, Hades will take a beautiful, brave fallen angel on a journey that will lead them both to danger and, possibly, love.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on HADES to find out more about the book and the author, Larissa Ione. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.
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