And the Winner Is...

JOANNA MALLORY!

Congratulations!

Joanna is the lucky winner of

the Hot Apple Cider tee-shirt. Joanna's name, drawn from a pool of motivated HAC readers, was selected by a highly esteemed 'judger of all things great' - namely my grandson!

If the truth be known, I have to confess that I had to make the tee-shirt draw twice. The first time around I was a tad eager and made the draw only to discover that an hour later, still under the wire, another eager HAC reader joined in on the fun.
Joanna's name was pulled the first time around (my happy hubby did the honors then!) I decided to wait until midnight after that.

The next day, when Trenton stuck his chubby little hand into the dish, Joanna's name resurfaced!
My conclusion - it was meant to be. I was almost tempted to try again to see if it would happen three times, then I realized I was losing focus! Anyway...'nuff said. Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments about Hot Apple Cider (HAC).

BUT WAIT! There's more...We made a second draw. Jocelyn, my sweet little granddaughter decided we needed a runner up! So I am happy to announce that WENDY ELAINE NELLES - the esteemed co-editor of Hot Apple Cider was the 2nd place winner. She has a little surprise gift coming her way.

Joanna's comments on Hot Apple Cider were concise and right on. Here is what she had to say in her entry:

"Canadian Christian authors are a vibrant and articulate group, and Hot Apple Cider is a wonderful sample of some of their work. They're real people writing about real situations, with faith in a real God who makes a difference. I like the mix of fiction, non-fiction and poetry."

How true. Wendy, as always, is encouraging. Here are her comments on my post about HAC:

"Wonderful post, Glynis. Great to see how Hot Apple Cider has blessed so many people through you.I must say, this is the FIRST time I ever have seen a book promoted on the side of a car! How creative! It's like the big ads people with big budgets buy for the side of a big bus. Very cool. Maybe your low-cost marketing idea will catch on with lots of other Canadian writers who are Christian. Bravo, and glad to see you back in the saddle."

(Photo: The winners announced!)

(Photo: Me sporting my own HAC shirt. You get a new one Joanna, don't worry!)

Writing with Passion

Writing for me is a passion. I would love to be able to write full time and without restraint but because the incoming cheques from freelancing are not as frequent as the incoming bills, I have to offset my chosen profession by working at a job which promises a routine income. Thank the Lord, though, the job that I do each day is also one that I love. I often count my blessings when I think of how I am able to do the two things I love - writing and teaching.

Some days I am so busy with my students or lesson plans or meetings that I feel a little sad that I cannot work on something wholly writing related.

I was talking to someone lately - a beginning writer, in fact, about what he should be writing about and where he could start. My initial response was that I couldn't really answer that in a cut and dry manner.

When we talk about writing, we talk about passion and fervour and excitement and zeal and sometimes even obsession. I asked him what he was interested in and what he knew; what excited him and what did he read? Those are the things that God is laying on his heart. This new writer needed to find his niche and pursue it with relentless anticipation.

I remember when I first started writing for magazines. I had been writing a weekly slice of life, humour/inspirational column in our paper for a number of years, but then I wanted to branch out and write something else. I bungled headlong into what I thought was something I might do. In fact a writer friend told me to approach this regional magazine and ask for an assignment. To my absolute surprise, I got one.

A local drama professor was staging a one man play at a university. I was a little intimidated by the caliber of this man but I also knew a little about drama and I loved what this fellow was performing. My editor, in turn, loved my work and paid [well] on acceptance - the whole nine yards. But I was devastated to get a call a week later saying they had to bump my story because of advertising and since I was the lowest on the pole...but my editor gave me another assignment. I was to interview Miss Canada 1988. [My husband volunteered for the job but I reminded him I was the writer and then I pinched him!]

I chugged up in my old Buick and parked far away from Miss Canada's shiny baby-blue Mercedes. Miss Canada, a tall, blonde beauty complete with glittery glossed lips and perfectly manicured hands, welcomed me to her high tech office. This time it was total intimidation. I interviewed her in her posh office and it was all a little surreal.

I spilled my glass of water. My batteries died in my mini tape recorder. I felt like a frump and I ran as fast as I could once I got the interview. I prepared my story and sent it off. This time my editor didn't love me as much. She prefaced our conversation with something like 'you didn't like this assignment very much, did you?" I mumbled and stuttered my way through the telephone call but in the end she told me I had to set up and re-interview Miss Canada again. As if once wasn't enough! So I did and this time my article was published. It was a real lesson to me about writing with passion. But it still took another two by four to convince me completely.

My next assignment with this magazine was with a local fashion designer. I wore a splashy orange bargain store special and felt once again like second hand rose interviewing this professional fashion fellow. My story was published and life went on but there was something not quite right about what I was doing. It was all interesting stuff but my passion was hardly ignited.

Then I started to remember the One who had blessed me with a love for and a gift of writing. I realized I was a mom, a nurse a teacher with lots of passion and excitement for and about children. In a nutshell I started writing for children. I also wrote devotionals and articles for ministry magazines. I still occasionally do the odd 'different' article but I always make sure I am excited about and interested in what I write.

My point with all this rambling? Find your passion. Pursue it with fury. Discover the magazines that publish the kind of writing you want to do and then go to the library, bookstores, go online, visit thrift stores, yard sales, etc and study, read, study and read some more and then write without ceasing [and praying without ceasing is probably a good piece of advice to adhere to, too!]

No one can teach someone to have passion. It comes from within. So if you are serious about writing, don't worry, it will come. It will become something you 'just have to do!' Start thinking about what you know [or want to know] and then start looking for ways to fuel your passion and hone your skills - study to show thyself worthy of the gifts bestowed upon you! And most of all, have fun!

Inscribe Winner for August Word Challenge A

Congratulations to Bruce Atchison who won the most recent ICWF Word Challenge.

I am the Ontario Representative for Inscribe and one of my responsibilities includes creating a mini contest for Inscribe members. We have a lot of fun doing this and it helps give participating writers at all levels, motivation and encouragement.

If you are not familiar with Inscribe Christian Writer's Fellowship - check out the website. http://www.inscribe.org/. I promise you, you will not be bored! This is one of the most deliciously filling sites I have savoured. The information found on this site for writers will tempt the palate and before long you will find yourself tasting and being filled beyond your expectations (can you tell I haven't had supper?)

This most recent exercise for Inscribers was the following:

"Write a paragraph about a cat attacking something, but don't use the words, HISS, SCRATCH OR POUNCE. This might be a good challenge for those of us who have quite a time telling rather than showing. Find some lovely descriptions and make it a visual treat."

The votes are in and the winner is Bruce Atchison who wrote the following piece:

The Queen

Though summer is a time for memorable family activities, minor episodes can also leave lasting impressions. This recollection from my teenage years comes back to me as clear as if it happened yesterday.

Brilliant sunlight poured through the living room picture window early one evening as my family and I watched TV. Cocoa, our Siamese cat, gracefully entered, intent on stretching out in one of her customary spots. Then she froze, her sky blue eyes locking onto her favourite game.

In the centre of the rectangle of sunlight on the light brown carpet, a foolhardy fly sat motionless and exposed. This chance was too good to miss. Like a hunting jungle tiger, she slunk through the shade cast by the chesterfield to within two feet of the unsuspecting insect. Seeing that the fly hadn't noticed her stalking it, Cocoa crouched lower, gauged the distance to the target, and launched herself. Her lithe creamy body described a perfect arc as her dark chocolate forepaws pinned down her prey. Cocoa's expression abruptly changed as she sniffed the inert object.

It was a watermelon seed that a careless human dropped. With all the haughtiness a feline could muster, she straightened up and strode underneath the chesterfield. She flopped down and glared at us, her violently swishing tail conveying her righteous indignation. The raucous laughter from my sisters and me only deepened her chagrin at making such an undignified mistake. The Queen, as we nicknamed her, was definitely not amused.

The Shirt Off My Back!

Hello All. Just another little promo idea for Hot Apple Cider. Yours truly is sporting the latest in HAC casual wear. I so love this book that I will give the shirt off my back to help promote it.

So here's the deal...Write out in 50 words or less why you think people should read this uniquely Canadian book. It's that easy. The cut off date for this mini contest is August 31st. After that time, I will gently toss everyone's name into a hat and pick out a lucky writer's name. The winner will receive a lovely Hot Apple Cider tee shirt for his or her very own. And then the happy soul can wear it and tell everyone about this great Canadian work of art!

Let's do it. Your entry shall be written in the comments section of my blog. I will check them regularly and will happily jot your name down in anticipation of YOU being the lucky one whose name is drawn sometime after midnight on August 31st!

Have fun and get writing. Joy and Peace in the name of the One who has blessed us with a desire to write!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Being your own boss has merit. I love it and really, when I stop and think about it, I wouldn't change it. But sometimes I moan and groan and think how nice it would be to have a nine to five job where I come home and leave work behind.

I write and I am a private tutor. Writing is a passion but it doesn't pay the bills on a regular basis. Of course, I figure if I could find the time to write full time then it just might become a regular, reliable source of income. But I am not ready to give up my students and besides, I love them too much! I teach right now, grades three to eleven and my super students are a source of inspiration and motivation. I am certain God has me teaching for a reason.

So what are the advantages (the good) of being a freelance writer? First, as I alluded to earlier, you are your own boss. You can come and go as you please, set your own hours and you practice as a profession, the craft you love the most. You choose what you want to write about and have the liberty to express your creativity. Childcare expenses can be significantly reduced. You can toss in a load of laundry as you craft the next article. Dishes can be done as you await inspiration and if you really want to, you can work in your pyjamas!

On the other hand, freelancing doesn't bring in a regular paycheck (the bad) plus you are responsible for collecting your own money and keeping up with administrative work like bookkeeping, filing taxes plus you work alone and there are no fringe benefits.

Then there is the terrible 'r' word - rejection (the ugly). Most writers, especially novice writers, face multiple rejections as they seek to establish themselves and gain experience. It helps if you have thick skin and a strong faith. It also helps to think about and ask God if this is where He wants you to be at this time in your life.

And if it is...then you have made the right decision. Happy Writing.