Writer Mouse

Several years ago, a few days after Christmas, I dropped my youngest off to spend a few hours with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. While I waited for her, I visited a coffee shop with my laptop in hand. I’d been fiddling with writing a novel, and on that day I took the plunge and decided to take the possibility of publishing a novel seriously. Before I settled in to write, I spied an after-Christmas sale. The larger mouse you see in the picture caught my eye. I’m not terribly fond of real mice, but the stuffed variety is rather cute.

When I picked the little guy up, I read his tag and found he was called Writer Mouse. Of course I bought him. He’s reminded me to keep writing, ever since. I call him Nutmeg. Some might say I’m silly, but after spending years as a children’s librarian, I developed a good imagination. Plus, I like stuffed animals. (The bear was a gift from friends who encouraged me to write and the little mouse is from Greenville, SC.)

I’m hoping Nutmeg inspires me to write many more stories.

How about you? Do you have a favorite stuffed animal? Or something or someone who reminds you to keep writing?

Are you Available?

3 John 1:2-4
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

"God does not depend on our abilities—He depends on our availability." -Jay Henry

As a camper at Butler Springs Christian Assembly in the 1970s, I heard many missionaries speak. Then in some of the churches I attended, the same servants of God came to share their story. One I remember well, Jay Henry, has moved full circle through many years of service. On Sunday, our minister invited Jay to the stage. This wonderful, faithful servant shared that he had stepped down and turned the mission work over to his son and grandson, even though he will still be a part of it. He's blessed many lives in India for Jesus as he has shown up and done the work. The quote I posted above, that Jay shared, spoke to me.

Yes, God gifts each of us with abilities, but rather than depend on the ability itself, God depends on His people to be available. I find this in my writing. God may have blessed me with a gift for writing, but without showing up and putting in the work, where would the writing be? If I don't put my fingers on the keyboard and use the talent God gives me, the talent will die and the audience He gave me won't be blessed.

The apostle John wrote a letter to one of his friends in his third book. He thanked his friend, Gaius, for being faithful and sharing his walk with other believers. A couple of things I love about this passage—John tells Gaius he hopes his health is good, including his spiritual well-being. Faithfulness to God results in a healthy soul because that faithfulness includes walking in the truth, the second idea I love.

As I do my best to walk in God's truth and show up as a faithful servant, I pray God blesses my availability with ability. Whatever ability God has given, whether speaking, encouraging, hospitality, or many others, show up and He'll provide.

Seek God first and be faithful.

The Next Chapter

As a writer, I consider what goes into each chapter of a book.

As I edit and make the words work, 

the characters develop and lead the way through their story.

As a Christian, God knows what my next chapter is,

but because He allows me to have free will, 

He knows I'll make mistakes, even when I try my best.

In my desire to seek God's will, I trust Him

because He knows my future, and 

He gives me courage, grace, strength, and wisdom

each time I turn the page.

 

Meet Deena Adams

I'd like to welcome award winning writer, Deena Adams, to my blog. She's been a great encouragement to me on my writing journey through her Facebook group—MARATHON. If you’re a Christian Fiction writer, she’d love for you to join the group! Click here for the link, and be sure to answer the membership question.

Deena, I love that you focus on hope in your writing and in your life. What motivates you to have such hope?

Hi, Penny. Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! I believe hope is as necessary to life as air and water, and genuine hope comes through Christ alone.

I’ve experienced some rough times over the years and every time I felt hopeless, I knew I had to shift my focus back to the Lord. I think about the story of Peter in the Bible. When his eyes were on Jesus, he walked on the water, but when he looked at the storm raging around him, he sank.

Keeping my eyes on Jesus and believing God’s promises is where my hope comes from and is the only way to not only survive the hard times, but to find joy in the journey.

 You encourage people to read hope filled fiction. What is your favorite fiction genre and how does it encourage your life?

Women’s fiction is probably my favorite—and it’s what I write—because I love stories that tackle gritty, true-to-life issues and focus on the character’s spiritual transformation. Of course, I love to be entertained when I read, but I don’t read for pure enjoyment alone, but to be challenged in my faith.

The beauty of God’s work in a person’s mess and bringing them to redemption and healing encourages me in my spiritual life. It helps me know I’m not alone and if others can have victory in their trials, maybe I can too.

You've written a short story, Behind the Scenes. Can you tell us a bit about the story and the novel you are working on?

Behind the Scenes is a prequel to my novel and features the childhood story of Clayton, my novel’s hero. The short story opens with seven-year-old Clayton searching the house for his parents and realizing they’ve left him home alone again. He tells no one when his parents leave him because he’s afraid of being taken to a terrible place, like kid jail or an orphanage. 

Camille and Raymond Richards are medical missionaries who work at a nearby clinic. As they walk the roads of a poor community in the Mississippi Delta area of Memphis, Tennessee, she senses God may have more in store for them than their current ministry.

While passing out toys to children, they meet Clayton, and Camille is immediately drawn to him. She envisions him as their son, but keeps that to herself because that’s just crazy. He has parents, and she’s pregnant with their first child. Their paths cross several times, intensifying Camille’s prayers for the boy.

You’ll have to read the story to hear how God works behind the scenes and find out their journey’s outcome.

In the novel I’m working on, Clayton is twenty-eight, loves Jesus, and works as a behavioral psychologist and homeless shelter manager. But he’s still single and longs to get married and have a family.

He meets Amanda Wright, who is a hot mess. She has a sordid past she keeps buried at all costs because when she told her mayor husband her secret, he stormed out angry and died in an accident.

Amanda’s abusive stepfather shows up, threatening to expose her past unless she gives him money. She agrees to his demands but determines to pay penance for her past sins, protect innocent children from the childhood she endured, and honor her late husband’s community service legacy by becoming a court-appointed special advocate for foster children.

She and Clayton meet and learn they are working on the same court case. As their lives intertwine, a shelter resident uncovers a link to Amanda’s past through a carved angel keepsake, and Amanda is thrust headlong into the past she seeks to escape.

Aspects of foster care, adoption, addictions, abuse, abortion, death, and an interracial relationship bring real issues to the surface. You’ll find God’s love, grace and forgiveness throughout and, of course, hope.

I’ve worked on this story for the past three years and have fallen in love with these characters and their journey. I hope readers will too.

I've read Behind the Scenes. It's a wonderful, uplifting story readers will enjoy. I look forward to reading your work-in-progress. How can folks get a copy of Behind the Scenes?

Thanks so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed Behind the Scenes. I offer the story free as a thank you to my newsletter subscribers. The Hope Collective newsletter contains lots of hope-filled fiction content and giveaways and goes out once a month, so it won’t overwhelm your email inbox. Readers who are interested can subscribe here.

You've won some awards. Can you tell us a bit about those and why it's important for writers to enter contests?

Contests not only build a writer’s confidence when we place or win and give us a positive addition to our writing resume, but the feedback and critique from experienced authors and other professionals is invaluable in helping us grow and better learn the craft.

With no idea what I was doing, I started writing my first novel in the fall of 2018 during Nanowrimo. In about three months, I had finished the first, very messy and way too long, draft. A couple of months later, I signed up for my first writer’s conference and entered their contest for unpublished writers. To say it shocked me to win second place is an understatement. 

I met with an agent at that conference who looked at a sample of my writing and encouraged me to keep entering contests. His praise for my writing, and the second-place win, gave me confirmation to keep moving forward and keep entering contests.

In the fall of 2019, I was a double finalist and winner of the ACFW First Impressions contest, another shocker.

I entered multiple contests in 2020 and didn’t place in any of them. It was a discouraging year in a lot of areas of my life, so maybe God allowed me to be a Genesis finalist in 2021 for a boost to keep plugging onward in this publishing journey.

Where can people find out more about you?

Social media is great, and I love interacting with people there, but because of the algorithms, most of my followers and friends never see my posts. The best way to learn more about me and keep up with my writing journey is through my website and newsletter. If you’re interested in connecting, you can find and follow me at the links below.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Penny. I appreciate your support and friendship. God bless you and your readers!

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BookBub

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena understands how important hope is to daily life. That’s why she’s passionate about inspiring others through writing hope-filled fiction and highlighting other Christian authors on her blog. 

Deena is an active member of ACFW and two Virginia writer groups, board member of ACFW Virginia, founder of the Marathon online writer’s group, 2019 Foundations contest finalist, 2019 First Impressions contest double finalist and winner, and 2021 Genesis contest finalist.

She lives with her husband near the coast in beautiful Virginia. When she’s not writing, reading, or serving in her church, you’ll find her hanging out with family and friends and doting on her seven grandchildren.