Something Wonderful

For the next couple of weeks Terry and I will be playing with, or should I say "taking care of", the grandkids. This is something we look forward to every summer.
The three oldest grandkids, Devon, Zach, and Sierra, will be with us for two weeks and the youngest, Maci, will tough it out for one week. her mama may be staying with us for Maci's visit.

There is nothing like having something wonderful to look forward to. They have a way of pumping life into me. I hope you have something wonderful that you are looking forward to this summer.

I would like to intoduce you to Dr. Teresa Davis, author.

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)? Dr. Teresa Davis, Victory Over Anger: Rules of Engagement

2. What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
I experienced a lot of physical and emotional abuse in my past due mostly to the fact that I was ADHD long before it was ever diagnosable. As a result, I was a very angry mother and wife. Both my husband and 2 sons suffered
greatly due to my unresolved issues. When I turned 27 years old I realized I needed help so I sought Christian counseling. It helped a lot but it wasn't until years later while I was working on my Master's degree that I realized that I had deep rooted anger problems. God has such a sense of humor. My internship was with an agency that worked with parents who had somehow gotten involved with the Department of Human Services Child Protective Services due to some type of child neglect or abuse. My first assignment was leading an anger management group. As I taught other parents how to overcome their anger, I realized how bad mine really was. Over a five year period of working at this agency, God showed me personally many things about how to control my own anger. After I quit working there, God
prompted me to write down everything I had learned. Thus - Victory Over Anger. I now have my Doctorate degree in Pastoral and Community Counseling, I am the Executive Director of a non-profit Christian counseling center, and I pastor a small church. I have been married 33 years to my awesome wonderful knight in shinning armor, Brad. Both my sons, Bradley and Robert,
have been married about 12 years and have given me beautiful daughter-in-laws that I love dearly. They each have 2 sons - my 4 grandsons (2-10yo and 2-9 yo, neither twins) who bring great joy to my life.

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
I have always loved writing but never considered doing it professionally until after I graduated with my Master's degree in counseling psychology and started writing articles for a couple of local magazines. After the Lord led me to write down all that I had learned about managing my anger, I felt him pushing me to pursue publishing. As part of my doctorate degree I was required to develop curriculum. I chose to write a workbook thatcorresponds with my anger management book. I self-published that curriculum and have used it for the last 6 years to lead anger management groups at my counseling center and in churches throughout the Oklahoma City metro area.

4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
I am very practical and write much of what I do out of personal experiences. My life is an open book. I have experienced so much pain that I have a lot of compassion for others who are struggling with pain in their lives. The Bible says that God works all things together for the good. I believe he is doing that in my life by taking the difficult experiences I have had, and the things I have learned, and using them to help others. God has given me a great ability to teach others practical applications to sometimes difficult to understand scriptures, mostly because I learned to apply them through my own heartaches. I love to study and I spend 2-2 1/2 hours a day studying, reading the Word, meditating, worshiping and praying to my sweet and loving

Heavenly Father. I share much of what I learn during those times in my writings.

5. Are you a reader?
I love to read - it is one of my favorite hobbies. My favorite is Christian fiction, but I have to limit myself to how much of this I read because I have to read so much to help me in my profession as a Christian counselor. I am constantly reading help me stay fresh as a counselor and to learn new ways to help my clients. I have over 1000 books in my library and I have read most of them. Because of my ADHD I have a hard time retaining information, so I spend a lot of time re-reading. I write much of what I read out of self-help and inpirational books in my journals, then explain how it applies to me following up with prayers asking God to help me improve in that specific area.
6. What are you reading right now?
I have about 6 books next to my bed. Most of them are Tate books that I have agreed to review. I also have a basket full of books next to my study area that I dig into quite often. I love to pick up an old classic and open it to a random page, then pick out a quote that touches my heart and journal about it. I have 5 books on Nehemiah that I am reading for the sermon series that I am currently working on. I read most of Joyce Meyer books and use them quite often for referrals for my clients. I also have a fictional series by Sally John I am reading called The Other Way Home. I just finished "Listen" by Rene Gutteridge, a friend of mine who has written 16 Christian fictional novels. Next in line is Nan's Journey and Elk's Resolve by Elaine Littau another Tate author. I have all the Karen Kingsbury books and patiently wait for the arrival of the next one due out this spring (2010). Because I lead a weekly anger management class, I constantly am re-reading my own book prior to each week's lesson.

7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it. I have several in my mind but have not started on any yet. I think the next one will be Victory in Marriage which will detail much of what I discuss during marriage counseling sessions. I would also like to do a Victory in Parenting, and Victory Over Addictiion (more specifically - sexual addiction).
8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them?
My biggest obstacle is time. I get up between 6 and 6:30 every day and spend my first couple of hours with God. God spoke to me very clearly awhile back
and told me have to be physically and spiritually healthy to continue in this ministry he has given me. So 3 days a week I work out with a personal trainer. I go to work at 1:00 and see clients until 7 or 8:00 in the evening. I am exhausted by time I get home and eat dinner, but still try to use my exercise bike at least 4 or 5 evenings a week, going at least 10 miles and burning between 500-600 calories. After all that I plop down on the couch and watch an hour or so of TV with my husband. Then I read for 30 minutes or an hour - and I am out for the night. I will be glad when my counseling center has grown to the point that I won't have to see as many clients and will be able to assign them all to other counselors, therefore leaving me more time to work on writing.

9. Please put a description of each of your books here.
Aggressive people are like bombs; they explode all over everyone. Passive people are more like volcanoes; they simmer underneath for long amounts of time, and then, without warning, they blow. Victory Over Anger: Rules of Engagement, by Dr.
Teresa Davis, Ed.D., will help you identify and overcome these and many other everyday issues dealing with anger. As you read chapters based on choices, emotions, unrealistic expectations, rejection, andsetting reasonable goals, you will find that the book is not only written for those with expreme anger problems, but for anyone who experiences the normal emotions of everyday life. Victory Over Anger: Rules of Engagement is a clinically-proven and biblically based guide to overcoming internal and
external conflicts. Davis's personal approach, using examples from her own life and research, makes this an applicable, memorable, and ultimately life-changing read.
10. How can readers contact you or purchase your books? Please put your website or blog here.
http://www.victoryoveranger.com/
www.drteresadavis.com

http://www.angermanagementbook.com/
http://www.merryheart.org/
drteresadavis@cox.net

Father's Day is Coming

I think my husband likes Father's Day because it is very close to the date of his birthday every year. Because of this, he asks to pick out his own present and to join the two occasions for one massive gift.

I guess this works out best for him. It stretches out budget a bit, but it makes him happy.

So, to all the fathers out there Happy Father's Day.

1. Dr. Morris V. Maniscalco "An Eternal Love" Came out in September 2009. Not too many copies have been sold. I've sold about 100, Tate has sold 21.

2. I'm a high school drop-out, but struggled to earn four college degrees. An education is the key to the world--at least in my world.

3. I've been creative since I was in my early teens (or maybe a little earlier), but writing was not one of my passions. I guess I felt the desire to write when I was in my early 20s--I'm 75 now.

4. I really don't have strong points. I just write and pray it comes out okay. I'd guess if I have a strong point it would be persistence. It took me 40 years to write the book and another 10-11 years to get it published.

5. Yes, I'm a reader. But I'm not one that just sits and reads and reads.

6. I'm a college professor. I read material on the subject that I teach.

7. My next novel is also a religious romance, title "Our Confessions." I'm about halfway through but not sure how it will end. I,ve a general feeling--not specically how I'll get there. I plan to have a special appendix that may well take an additional 50 pages.

8. Stting down to write is my biggest onstacle. When I get a chance I go until I run out of thoughts and/or get tired.

9. I don't have a website or blog. Anyone interested can email me, write me (201 Valley Ranch Road, Weatherford, TX 76087) or call 817-594-3980

Graduation

Graduation
It has been 10 years since my our youngest son graduated from high school. I always thought through all the school years that the last month of school was a waste of time. There was little learning happening since the children were all going to final school picinics, parties, choir and band concerts and trips. The last month was a wash especially if your grades were not stellar and you needed some assignments to try to do well in to get extra credit.
I always thought they should just call school off a month early only...that would be the month that the parties, picnics...etc would happen.
It reminds me of what is happening in these last days. There is a lot of things happening but us Christians are not doing a whole lot to reach our world. A lot of us write checks for other people to do it.
What happened to personal responsibility? Each of us is responsible to love our neighbors enough to tell them of Jesus who died to make the way to God.

Time is running out. We must not check out before the end of time. We must love, help, and show the way until He comes. Then we can say, "The End".
I would like to introduce you to fellow author, Elzadia Meguess.

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?
My name is Elzadia D. Meguess and the title of my book is 'Petals From Heaven, Inspirational words of Comfort and Encouragement'

2. What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
My readers might want to know that even as a believer, I have found myself in some tough situations; But, my faith in God helped me to overcome those obstacles.

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
I have always wanted to write, but because I am more or less a perfectionist, the availability of the computer age has been a blessing to me.

4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
The genre that I write is poetic. I have found that many people are attracted to this form of writing because the rhyme and rythm make it easier to maintain the information.

5. Are you a reader?
Yes, I am a reader. I absolutely love to read. I enjoy inspirational books and christian novels.

6. What are you reading right now?
I just finished reading 'The Shack' by WM. Paul Young, and I am presently reading, 'To Know Him' by Gloria Copeland.

7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it.
I do have another book that is ready for publication but has not yet been submitted. The title of the book is, 'EZ Stages, Nuggetts of Wisdom for the Young and the Young at Heart.'
It is an inspirational collection of poems that encourage school age children and young adults in making good decisions and right choices.

8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them?
I have not really had any major pitfalls when it comes to writing. I absolutely love it! It's very enjoyable and a lot of fun to see the creativie ability that God has given me.
9. How can readers contact you or purchase your books? Please put your website or blog here.
My book can be purchased online at Barnes&Noble.com, amazon.com., target.com, or any major bookstore. My contact information is emegues@yahoo.com

Moon Dance by Susan K. Earl

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?
Hi my name is Susan K. Earl and my recently released book is moon dance ~a novel.

2.What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
Imagination played a major role in my life, and I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t write down my thoughts, short stories, or poems. My mom was a songwriter, my dad told stories all the time, and many of my ancestors traveled from across the waters in Wales to somehow, eventually end up in Texas. I’ve heard tell that Wales is a lot like where I grew up, and I’ve read that one of the national pastimes there is storytelling and writing. I’ve always felt an affinity to the folks there and often felt that my yearning to write is deeply rooted in my ancestral past.
Moon Dance is my first attempt at writing a full-fledged novel. It was born one cold day in December 2007 when I was overcome by a desire to write a story about my Aunt Margaret. Let me go back just a bit in time. My sister, Vickie, and I had begun researching information on my aunt and uncle during the summer of 2007 because we both felt that Aunt Margaret should be inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which is located in Ft. Worth. We gathered a fair amount of information, and then school started, so our plans were put on the back burner for a bit. During our summer research we uncovered quite a lot of information, including one of the deeds to the largest portion of my aunt and uncle’s ranch. This deed was for the purchase of 250 acres a few miles down the road from Hugo, Oklahoma, and just a hop, skip, and jump from the tiny community of Sawyer, Oklahoma. Margaret and Joe ran the ranch together for many years until my uncle had a heart attack and died while fighting a wildfire on their ranch. After this, my aunt ran the ranch on her own for almost twenty-five years. She was close to eighty when she finally decided to sell off her land and move into town. As Christmas break neared, a yearning filled me to tell my aunt’s story. So began a journey of love, more research, and many late nights working on my “project”

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
All my life. I have always written, journaled, and researched. I .wrote my first novel at age 15, but didn't try and get it published..,it was just something I had to do.

4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
I write from my heart. I write about things I know and strive to make them interesting to the reader. I put myself in the place of the reader and ask myself if it would be something that would reach out and capture readers attention.and would it capture the readers heart. I also taught writing at both the intermediate level and at the college level for many years.

5. Are you a reader?
I am an avid reader. I read all the time, for relaxation and to take journeys to places far away I've dreamed of, aqnd/or to enrich my own life. I encourage and try to instill in my students a love of readings because it is so vital to our lives. I read to them, I read with them, I show them how much the written word has affected our world in so many, many ways.In the words of Dr. Suess " Oh the Places You'll Go..."

6. What are you reading right now?
I must admit that during this time of the year I need books that take me away from everyday stresses and relax me, offer me a touch of humor and romance, so now I am rereading "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" by Janet Evanovich. I love her kooky characters and my sister and I often refer to quirky moments in our lives as Stephanie Plum moments. I love all kinds of books and read my favorites over and over again. It seems every time I read a book, I get something new from it.

7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it.
I have begun a sequel to moon dance based on the same characters, but set during the early days of WWII.

8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them?
Time is my biggest obstacle right now. My job teaching 5th grade math consumes much of my time right now, so I look forward to some time off in July when I can get back back to writing full time.Once I get involved in the story I'm writing and get to know and understand my characters, the writing just seems to flow. If I get stuck on a part, I just start looking at the world around me and usually something triggers a train of thought and off I go again.

9. Please put a description of each of your books here. (back matter is ok)
That day, that dreadful day began it all… It began like any other, just another carefree, lazy, May afternoon… Then without warning, as we rounded the corner, my heart commenced beating rapidly and just like that, I knew… I just knew something terrible had come to pass.Maggie didn’t notice being poor; her family managed to scrape by, even during the Depression. Times were hard for everyone she knew, but as long as she had her family, she felt contented. After a devastating accident, Maggie’s world is shattered.A Second Chance ‘Sometimes we just don’t understand why such things come to pass, but I don’t think God plans on bad things happenin’ to us. I believe he helps us through our troubles, and helps us realize that even in hard times, there’s been some good things happen this past year.’I fixed my eyes on him and whispered softly, ‘You’re my good thing, Joe.’While Maggie longs to find the love and trust she desires, Joe strolls into her heart. After the heartaches she’s endured, can Maggie believe there is happiness in store for her? Should she trust Joe, or will he abandon her as well? Moon Dance, by Susan K. Earl, is a captivating family saga portraying the heart and soul of hard-working small-town Texans during the Great Depression, bringing to life highly flavored, ‘deep in the heart of Texas’ characters readers will love—or love to hate. Let Moon Dance transport you to a simpler place in time; experience a tale that transcends generations and offers an outspoken story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness.

10. How can readers contact you or purchase your books? Please put your website or blog here.

You can contact me through e-mail at moondance2010att.net or at my website http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net. Moon Dance is available on my website, on Amazon, Google or major bookstores online as both a soft copy book or a Kindle download. It is also available from most major booksellers