Prayed for patience

Been trying to keep the spiritual warfare at bay. At random moments, I’ll start to panic or feel depressed and I’ll have to stop and pray. It’s been a constant battle against these emotional attacks, and surrendering myself to God over and over again. I am so tired and frustrated.

But I did pray today for trust and patience, so I must be making spiritual headway. I know God would not have put this desire in me to write if He didn’t intend to do something with it, and although I may have to learn patience (how I hate that word, LOL), I am hoping He will allow me to write full-time someday. The thought of working (especially at this company) for another year or two is depressing, but I have to trust God’s plans and timing, and pray for deliverance.

Yesterday I started reading Maass’ "Writing the Breakout Novel." It’s been very enlightening and motivating. He lists ways to make the novel more dramatic, more colorful, more enticing to a reader. It’s basically the same tenant Swain writes about, but in more useful detail. I am excited to try to lift my suspense manuscript to the next level, even though that entails going back to the drawing board again. Right after I left it to start writing! LOL.

I’ve also read some rather bad books lately. Do some of these multi-published authors dispense with critique partners? It just seemed that a good crit partner would have caught some of the repetitions, redundancies, and illogical actions of the characters. Note to self: If I become multi-published, make DOUBLY SURE I have several honest crit partners to look over anything before I send it to my editor.

Writing: Since yesterday was Sunday, I didn’t work on my manuscript, but I did cheat and write the Real Life Q&A and two (related) writing articles for RubyZine.

Diet: I already mentioned the rib roast for dinner last night. Topped it off with caramel popcorn from my sister in law. Hers is sooooo good. I only get it once a year. I’m still having some of those weird stomach cramps, maybe from too much acid in my stomach, maybe something else. Anyway, today I haven’t eaten anything so far because my stomach hasn’t been up to it. Hopefully I can stick to a healthy diet today and also remember to do my weight training, minimal though that is.

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No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

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Tabi socks, part deux

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Toilet seat cover

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A Wallflower’s Slip of the Tongue – Free Regency eBook

If you enjoy Regency romance with wit, awkward ballroom encounters, and a heroine who can’t quite keep her thoughts to herself, you’ll love Lissa and the Spy . This free Christian Regency romantic suspense novella is the perfect entry point into my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series. Get it free when you join my newsletter (details below). Miss Lissa Gardinier survived her last London Season by pretending to be as inoffensive as possible. But at this ball, she lets her true thoughts slip yet again . And this time, they involve an unfortunately named spaniel. Excerpt Last year during that first dance with Mr. Collingworth, upon seeing him excitedly discuss his dog breeding, she had been encouraged to also speak without restraint. So she had voiced her exact thoughts rather than hiding behind a vapid facade. “Why in the world would you name a dog Lickspittle Furrybottom?” At Mr. Collingworth’s startled look, Lissa realized that she’d said that out loud now , in this dance with him. “… Not...

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