Lori A. Moore, author of Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years, Missing Andy: The Journey From Grief to Joy

Trick or Treat



There are times in our lives when we have to do things that are uncomfortable, things that are necessary, things that we ask God to not require us to do.

This week, I had a meeting that fit this description. It was painful, but at the end of the pain, I found peace.



Why do relationships deteriorate in such ways? How are our eyes glazed over when those we respect lead us by deceit? I am not glad to discover that truth was far from my acquaintance. It is a hard thing to digest.



The only way I know to overcome the disappointment is to hold tight to the Lord's hand and trust Him to show me the way. Please be in prayer for us. Terry and I have some decisions to make. I am so glad to have my sweet husband to help me through this sad time.


1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?

Lori A. Moore, author of

(1) From Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years; and

(2) Missing Andy: The Journey from Grief to Joy



2. What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?

I had never set foot inside a church or heard of Jesus Christ until I was 35 years old. (book excerpt: One day in 1999, my friend Rick and his wife Cindy asked me to go to church with them. Little did I know that Christians are tricky! Not only did they offer to pick me up at my house to take me, but they also offered to treat me to lunch afterwards. How could I say no? I felt so awkward as I walked into the church sanctuary. I was gawking around taking everything in like a tourist. I was scared to death. I stood up to sing when they told us too. Even though they displayed the lyrics up on a big Jumbotron overhead,I had never heard any of those songs before and didn’t know the melodies, so I just stood and listened.After the worship songs ended and before the minister started to speak, people applauded.Clapping in church? Outrageous! Even though I had never attended church, I had somehow picked up some preconceived notions about church etiquette and expectations. I thought there was no clapping in church, no smiling in church, no being happy in church, and no experiencing hope in church. Communion came around, and I just passed it on down the row because I wasn’t going to do something when I didn’t know what it meant.Then the minister started to speak. He had such a nice comforting voice. Didn’t all ministers yell at the top of their voices? That’s all I’d ever seen from evangelists on television. He was talking about peace and hope and grace. What were those? I thought preachers only talked about hell and how we’re all bad people and that’s where we’re all going. And then he said it. He said the name Jesus. Who was Jesus? I had heard of God and heard the name Jesus Christ used as a curse word when people got angry, but I had never heard who Jesus was. The minister talked about being in a relationship with Jesus and Jesus being the bridge that allows us to have a relationship with God.I still felt uncomfortable and awkward when I left, but when my friends invited me to go with them again about three weeks later, I agreed.



3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?

While I’ve always enjoyed writing and my teachers and professors always said I was a good writer, I never really seriously considered becoming an author. Then my husband of 12 years died in 2008 at age 49. He threw a blood clot approximately 15 hours post-surgery for a hip replacement. We held his funeral on what should have been his 50th birthday. I started writing as a way to express my thoughts and my grief.



4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?

Because From Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years deals with a journey from being a non-believer to a believer, it's written in first person and provides personal examples of incidents in my life. Missing Andy is the same thing. I write about what I know because I’ve lived it. I have a passion for adults who haven’t yet experienced a relationship with Christ because everything they’ve heard is kind of formal and scary, so I try to write with humor and on a down-to-earth level that people can relate to and understand.

5. Are you a reader ?

Absolutely. Growing up, I was a voracious reader. I always won the contests for who had read the most books over the summer. Growing up, I didn’t realize that my childhood wasn’t like that of most people, so I guess that reading was my escape and opportunity to explore new things and new places.



6. What are you reading right now?

The Left Behind Series. I’m on #9. A few years ago a friend told me that I would like them, calling them the Christian version of Stephen King books, but I never bothered to pick them up. Then in January of this year, another friend was cleaning out her closets in anticipation of moving and offered the whole set for free to the first person to respond to her Facebook message. I won! I read the first 8 in a week and a half, then got busy and haven’t settled back down into devouring the rest of them yet. Even though the series is fictional, it really helps me to better understand the Book of Revelation.



7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it.

I’ve often joked that I’m “allergic to children” because I don’t have any of my own, hadn’t had any nieces or nephews until recently, and have never babysat. But I have the most wonderful little kitty in the world, named Grady, so I wrote a children’s book about him, called Grady the Gray Cat. It should be released in Fall 2010 and they are currently working on the illustration of the book. Here’s a snippet: Grady is a little gray cat.Grady’s fur is gray; that’s why his mommy named him that.He isn’t too skinny and he isn’t too fat.And he lives in a home with two other cats.





8. Please put a description of each of your books here. (back matter is ok)

From Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years Do you think church isn’t the place for you or that it’s too late for you to give your life to Christ? In her book From Zero to Christian in just 35 Years new author Lori A. Moore shows us how nothing in the past will keep God from loving us. Trusting God can be scary, especially when confronted with complex and formal language. Through this simple and easy going guide to finding God, inexperienced Christians will learn to emerge from doubt and fear into the peace and comfort that can only be found through Christ. Follow Lori as she goes From Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years. Missing Andy: The Journey From Grief to Joy We did everything we could. I’m sorry. With just those seven words, Andy was gone. Then everything was silent. He didn’t have to say the D word––dead. He was talking in past tense. It was obvious that Andy had passed away. In her latest book, Missing Andy: The Journey from Grief to Joy, author Lori A. Moore explains how to view the loss of a loved one as a celebration instead of a final event. After unexpectedly losing her ex-husband, who was also her best friend, due to a fatal blood clot, Lori found herself lost and numb, but working her way through the five stages of grief helped her rediscover true happiness. Now, Lori writes about her experiences to help those dealing with grief come to a place of understanding and acceptance. Take this journey with Lori and find out how Missing Andy furthered her relationship with God and showed her how to truly live again. Come out of a place of inconsolable sadness and discover the joy that can only be found through Christ Jesus.

10. How can readers contact you or purchase your books? Please put your website or blog here. They are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Lifeway, Tate Publishing and more. http://loriamoore.tatepublishing.net Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-A-Moore/54377903045?ref=ts#!/pages/Lori-A-Moore/54377903045?ref=ts Twitter: @Lori_A_Moore

Loralyn Hamilton/Pixie Dust:Magical Insights for Childbirth and Life with Little Ones

"Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Love like you have never been hurt."
Satchel Page

Yesterday I was listening to Rev Jenzen Franklin. He shared this quote from the first African-American pitcher in the baseball league. The good Reverend said that the most important part of the quote was the statement, "Love like you have never been hurt.
I had to chew on that for a bit. In my mind I grew up feeling that it was more acceptable to be "hurt" than "angry". You could forgive, but the hurt would still be there. This statement blows that theory out of the water.
When someone hurts me or spreads lies about me, it hurts. I am justified in my hurt about these things. Aren't I? I have been praying that I become known as a person who forgives.
In my mind I thought that I could forgive and still hold onto the hurt. I could even love the unlovely while remembering the hurt they cause. This quote messes all of that up. "Love like you have never been hurt." Is that even Scriptural?
I am afraid it is. Jesus said as He was on the cross, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." This kind of love is only possible with the help of our Father God. He promises to walk me through it. I am striving to follow in His steps while holding onto His hand.
Meet my new friend, Loralyn Hamilton.

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?
Loralyn Hamilton / Pixie Dust:
Magical Insights for Childbirth and Life with Little Ones

2. What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
I love to write about people –
my gift is capturing the essence
of a person and being able to
portray that essence to the reader.
I also enjoy conversing abut spiritual
things – things I’ve studied that I’m
able to relay to others to hopefully help them.

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
When I was 8.
4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
While I can speak and write very
formally, I intentionally write as I
speak in everyday language to help
he readers connect with the idea…
painting a visual and heartfelt image
of any topic. People often tell me
they hear my voice in their heads as
they read what I’ve written, as though
they were actually hearing it from me.
5. Are you a reader?
Yes. I love to read!
6. What are you reading right now?
First Rose by Mary Barton Wilcox – also a Tate Author
7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it.
Yes. It’s along the spiritual vein…
8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them?
Time would be my biggest obstacle
mostly – I make it though…obviously
it’s 2 a.m.!
9. Please put a description of each of your books here. (back matter is ok)
This book was designed to bridge the
gap between the last few months of
pregnancy and the first few months of
childbirth and makes a GREAT Baby
Shower gift book / gift book for pregnant
or new moms. Even if it’s not the first
child! Its’ 3 a.m. Your mind reels with
questions “What don’t I know…?”
“Have I taken care of everything?”
“What items are really necessary?”
“What should I do if…?” You may
find yourself wishing for a magical
helper, perhaps a sprinkle of Pixie
Dust to assist you through childbirth
and the early days of parenthood.
That helper has just arrived! In this
adorable and informative gift book
for pregnant and new moms, Author
Loralyn Hamilton has gathered Pixie
Dust: Magical Insights for Childbirth
and Life with Little One. These unique
and helpful insights from personal
experience and other mothers are sure
to provide reassuring comfort and peace
during the confusing times of childbirth
and the days to follow. From tidying
up before you go to the hospital, to
being out and about once you bring
Baby home, sprinkle this delightful
selection of anecdotes and advice
to magically create a more peaceful
and joyful life with little one! “All you
need is faith, trust, and a little bit of
Pixie Dust!” Peter Pan Author
Loralyn Hamilton is a full-time
mother and writer. She and her
husband, Daniel, currently reside
in Edmond, Oklahoma with their
daughter Caelyn.

10. How can readers contact you
or purchase your books? Please
put your website or blog here. http://www.wix.com/Impressionswriting/Loralyn-Hamilton

Janet Izzo

Mask

The mask in history was used to give the wearer a different persona. Some of them were used in war to frighten the enemy thus, giving an advantage. They were used in funerals to "mask" the face of the departed one, especially when the ravages of death took its toll.

The facial expression of the mask did not necessarily match the feelings of the wearer. In theatre, many times the ridiculous smile on the mask was contrary to what the character portrayed in the act.

Let's get down to the truth. Today, people wear masks all the time. They are not physical ones made of plastic or paper mache', but they are walls that are built around our real self to keep everyone at arm's length.

How many times do people "put on a stiff upper-lip"? How many times to we "smile through the pain" or "shake it off"? When was the last time you "put on your best face"?

Many people have worn their masks so long that their friends and family believe the persona is who they really are, until the mask starts cracking. Any mask is not designed to be used 24/7. It is for a short specific use. For example: Hockey players, catchers, actors on stage, and the various trick-or-treaters only wear the mask for a specific time period.

What do we do when the mask that we have hidden behind starts to peel off? Some of us, put another one over the original one. We dare not let anyone see the pain we have been hiding. Eventually, the mask(s) fall to the ground. There is no place to hide. Our bare face is revealed to our world.

How do we get to this place? Why can we not continue the masquerade? We were not created to carry all of the baggage in our lives alone. No one can make it through this life alone. Sometimes, our masks are ripped off because of illness, whether it be our own or someone we love.

The friends and family who are used to your persona will have to learn to know the real you. It will be a journey worth the task. Your pain and anger will be something everyone will learn to look at and deal with. They may feel betrayed because of the front that your put on so long.

The Lord Jesus Christ will walk with you through this. He has known you all along. Your mask(s)were never enough to hide the real you from Him. He wants you to know Him, too. Let Him help you become "real" all the time. You are worth it.

Now meet my friend, Janet Izzo.

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?
Janet Izzo, RN, author of "Hotel Hennepin" This book chronicles my career working as a staff and "charge" nurse in a busy county hospital on an obstetrics unit. The stories are poignant, sad, and hysterically funny but all are amazingly true!

2. What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
I returned to college for my nursing degree with a husband and three children at home. From the time I was a little girl, I knew I would be a nurse one day. I just didn't think my "one day" would arrive in my thirties!

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
I wrote a column in college entitled "Over the Hill" which targeted those of us who were over thirty and still working on our degrees. I have always loved to write and from the first moment I stepped into "Hotel Hennepin"(better known as Hennepin County Medical Center... in the heart of Minneapolis) I knew I would be writing a book about it!

4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
I think I write exactly as I speak. People who know me say that when they read one of my stories, it's as if I were standing in right in front of them. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. It may be kind of creepy!

5. Are you a reader?
When I have time.

6. What are you reading right now?
Steven Covey's best seller...7 habits...

7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it. Every Friday I take my seven year old granddaughter to her piano lesson. One Friday she asked if we could go to the library to get a book about a little girl who played the piano. Well, there aren't any. I have searched everywhere. So of course, being the gramimi who wants to please everyone, I wrote it myself. It is entitled "The Piano Lesson." I have not submitted it yet. I may self publish this time.
I am also working on a study guide/workbook for nursing students to use with "Hotel Hennepin."

8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them? Worrying about the marketing...believe it or not. I speak to nursing students across the nation and while I love to do it, 90% of my life is marketing and only 10% is writing, selling books, speaking and preparing to speak. Lets face it...I'm a nurse first. This has been a huge obstacle and challenge to learn the marketing business! Reading marketing books and online tutorials have been very helpful.

9. Please put a description of each of your books here. (back matter is ok)
Hotel Hennepin chronicles the true stories of a nursing career in a large county hospital. From the time she was young, Janet Izzo knew she would become a nurse one day. As a young candystriper, the sight of vomit made her vomit. She outgrew that little problem just as her mother said she would! After having her own three children, the time had come for her to return to college. She attended classes with students nearly half her age, but she succeeded and even excelled despite the fact many doubted she could do it!.
Janet now travels and speaks to nursing students across the nation on the topic, "Nurses Can Make the Difference"...which she believes with her whole heart!

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

My email is janetizzo@usfamily.net and my website is www.janetizzo.com I also do a Monday morning "blog" entitled, "the Health Nut News" which is a funny little blurb about health...sometimes helpful and sometimes just "nutty." Send me your email address if you wish to be included on the Health Nut News. "Hotel Hennepin" can be purchased at any book store or from my website.