Blog

Must Meet Monday: Crimson Danielle Hale-Browning

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
FOREWARNING: There will be many ! points in this post.
I was going to review Walking on Broken Glass today, but real life precedes fiction! But I will get to it!

Crimson Danielle Hale-Browning. Ain’t that a mouthful of names! And a mouthful of lungs. Takes after her GREAT aunt!

I’m overjoyed about this baby. Can I be honest? I don’t normally get all gooey over newborns. I mean I like babies. I’ve had 2. But I’m not over-the-top-crying-like-one-of them, kind of people.  (I will cry over miracle babies, though.)

My niece, Chelsey, is super special to me. I was 15 when she was born. I remember when my sister (5 years older than me, acts 5 years younger–it’s my blog, I’ll say what I want!) was pregnant with her. We had to pull over on the side of the road and I remember watching her puke Twizzlers out of her nose. Then I had to drive the rest of the way home. I was barely 15. (But, I’d been stealing cars (my parents’ and friends’ parents) since I was 13 so…) By the way, can you do a double parentheses like I just did? Somebody look that up!



My sister, Celeste and her husband,
Rob

When Chelsey was born, she stayed at our house a lot or I stayed over there, but point is, I was with her every day of her life, practically, until I left for college at 17.  Grace of God I landed at Bible college and not jail. (If my sister is reading this…ssshh…don’t say what I know you want to.)

She drove me up a dang wall. I’d come home and find her in my make-up,  my dresser, my desk, my shoes…

Chelsey is opinionated, brilliant, and beautiful. She’s had to overcome a lot in her life. She always asks me to write a book based on her. Most people run if they think you’re going to write about them.

Today was her day. To experience motherhood. To see what kind of crap her mom had to endure to bring her ADHD self into the world.

Chels had a scheduled c-section for medical reasons. We all stood outside for the whole 15 minutes it took to take Crimson. And then they brought her to the nursery (Crimson not Chelsey.)



Proud Papa, Taylor
I swear he’s older than 14!

 Wow. It was amazing. Then Taylor came out in his scrubs. Everyone oohed and aaahed, but I watched him as he gazed at his baby daughter. I watched tears fill his eyes, and then him quickly blink them back.

I wonder what he was thinking. Did he realize the huge responsibility of being a dad? Not just a guy who fathers a kid, but a real dad.

Will he model himself after God the Father? Does he know enough to do that?

My mind raced. But I know one thing, I saw love all over his face and it was beautiful.

When we rushed in to congratulate and smooch all over Chelsey, she was in horrible pain. No one brought her any meds yet and the epideral was wearing off. Shudders took over her body and we told her that was normal, but she hurt. Terribly.



Taylor and Chelsey
I’d have
more pics of Chelsey but she was
in a lot of pain

 But she smiled, a little, through the pain. She was a trooper. Really. They finally brought her a morphine drip and she started to fall asleep. She’s a mom now.

Does she realize how hard it’s going to be? Does she know how many tears, happy, sad, frustrated, she’ll shed over her precious one?

I don’t know. But I know she’ll be like a mama bear protecting her cubs.

I’m proud of them.

I also made dang sure I got my first 10 seconds of cuddle time in. Ain’t nobody taking that from me!

Me lovin on CD (Seetie) See
those determined eyes. I also
wore glittery eyeliner–to attract her.
She opened her eyes like once. Heifer.

Today has been a good day for us all. We’re thrilled. We’re anticipating the fun and tender journey of this baby. This special, sweet bundle of love to expand our family.

Oh yeah, we’ll warp her, no doubt. Isn’t that what crazy families do? Warp their kids. But it’ll be fun none the less!

My hubby, Tim, loves babies. I couldn’t believe how patient he was. I finally said, “Would you like your turn?”



My man holding Crimsom.

 He grinned, then snatched her from me.  My kids came inside, in total awe. Myles, my 7 year old, was amazed, and thank God he didn’t ask questions like, “How did that baby come out?” or “How’d that baby get in there?” Phew!

My daughter, Bailey, and my
son, Myles, with Crimson

And of course, my mother was there. Crying and trying not to streak her mascara. Yeah, I watched her carefully wiping tears when she thought no one could see her. She was especially careful around the lash line! Busted.

My mom holding CD

I wish my grandmother was here to hold her. Chelsey named her “Great” since she was “Great grandma.” Maybe I’ll adopt that name as aunt. “Aunt Great” cause, I am and all. 😉

I wish Chelsey’s dad could have been here. But I know that he and my grandma are rejoicing and watching from heaven.

My grandma would have said (because she’s too honest) “That baby is F-A-T. And those toes, why my goodness, Jessica, did you see those?”

And I would have laughed and said, “Yeah, I saw them. Not nearly as horrible as your mismatched polyester pants and pink floral shirt.”

Then Chelsey’s dad, Ron, would have said, “I wonder what prank I’ll play on her first.” And thought how he could put something in her bottle, like lemon juice because he always played pranks. Ugh. I hated those.

This is a joyous time. Whether from Heaven or here on Earth.

Welcome, Crimson Danielle Hale-Browning. We love  you and plan to spend the rest of your life showing you! xoxoxoxo

To Be Announced! It’s Almost Time!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
This is my great niece’s bedroom. So cute.

Well, we rolled into IL last night, hopped in the car with my OLDER sister and her hubby and took off to St. Louis to buy a pack-n-play and eat dinner.

Dinner was not good.

Dessert was fabulous. I think we all had a moment of silence.

I snapped a few pics of the nursery yesterday. So I want to show them to you and later this morning, when the little rascal is born, I’ll introduce her to you!

The amount of spoiling already happening for this child…ridiculous. But hey! She’s the first granchild! And I’ll tell you guys later why this is all so special, other than it being a baby and all babies are special!

This is her closet! OMG! Ha! I didn’t even
take pictures of her drawers. It was too overwhelming.
Okay, so it wasn’t, but I was ready to go. I needed FOOD!
And the smell of fingernail polish remover was grossing me out. She’s
having a scheduled C-section due to medical issues, so NO polish!

How cute is this? My sister’s husband’s
sister, just go with it, did all the painting.
She also makes cakes. I hope she makes one
for the birth. I hear they’re wonderful.
And…I like cake.

Seriously? You’re just gonna…sit there….

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch



I’m letting you know it’s a little longer than blog style, but it’s Wednesday! I can’t help it! Stick with me, you’ll survive.

Have you ever seen someone do something so odd it made you do a double take?

During a crisis, cousin Joe is on his smart phone playing Angry Birds while you run frantically, or Aunt Sadie is knitting socks during a tornado.

Or maybe during a trip to the E.R. Granny Lou is sitting quietly, hands neatly folded in her lap, a tiny smirk, dare I say, on her face.

Two out of three might be morons, but Granny Lou isn’t. Granny Lou has something we all want. We all desire. We all seek.

Peace.

Gideon’s story in the Old Testament is rather humorous to me. Let’s take a look at was going on around him and then we’ll see how odd someone behaved.

“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel.” Judges 6:1-2

God sounds pretty mean, huh?

What exactly were they doing that was so evil?  Well, for starters, they were having orgies on mountains in front of anyone who would watch to please false gods in hopes they would make it rain. They served their first born up to some of these false gods. I wish I had time to go into how they did this in detail, but I don’t. They ignored God. Exalted themselves. And forced the wonderful things He’d done for them out of their minds, homes, and hearts.

So God would send in an army–foreigners–in this case the Midianites, to discipline them. It wasn’t like it didn’t come without warning.

In Deuteronomy 28, He tells them IF you’ll be obedient and IF you’ll follow after Me, then I will bless…but if they do not, then He forewarns them of the consequences.

“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:25

So here we are. With the Israelites at one of their times of discipline. 

“Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. 6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.” Judges 6:1-6



Now at this time in the story, Gideon is threshing wheat, in a winepress. A wine press is a concrete circular contraption for stomping grapes.

A threshing floor, was open on both ends so the breeze would blow the chaff away and leave the grain. Threshing wheat in a winepress would be difficult and grueling at best, but that’s what Gideon was doing.

Imagine the sweat on his brow from the work in the heat, the buds of perspiration on his upper lip from trembling fear that any moment, the Midianites would approach him, catch him secretly threshing, and probably kill him and his family.

Every few moments, he would glance this way and that. I bet his stomach was in knots like the practice laces in my six-year old son’s shoes. I’ll never get those out.

On one of his glances, he notices someone.

I can see him look, take a second glance and then stare. Seriously? Do you see me here killin myself? You’re just gonna sit there…under that tree…like no one is trying to slaughter us? Really, man?

I wonder if the man under the tree smirked, if only a tad. A tiny twitch of an eyebrow as he read Gideon’s thoughts. Private thoughts.

At this point, I think he flat out grinned.“The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 

I bet this got Gideon’s dander up, but I don’t know because I’m not sure what dander is, just that it isn’t supposed to be up.



A mighty man of valor? That means bravery. Courage. Helloooo, I’m in a winepress, man. Do you have any idea what it’s like to thresh wheat in a winepress? No, no you do not…because you’re sitting under a tree. Relaxed. At ease. At…peace.  Man, I wish I had peace.

Gideon was living in fear. Uncertain of the future and angry about his current circumstances. Check out this dialogue.

13 Then Gideon said, “Sir, if the Lord is with us, why are we having so much trouble? Where are the miracles our ancestors told us he did when the Lord brought them out of Egypt? But now he has left us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”
 14 The Lord turned to Gideon and said, “Go with your strength and save Israel from the Midianites. I am the one who is sending you.”
 15 But Gideon answered, “Lord, how can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”
 16 The Lord answered him, “I will be with you. It will seem as if the Midianites you are fighting are only one man.”
 17 Then Gideon said to the Lord, “If you are pleased with me, give me proof that it is really you talking with me.18 Please wait here until I come back to you. Let me bring my offering and set it in front of you.”
   And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.” (NCV)

Gideon acts like he has no idea why everything is falling apart around him, but he does. In verse 7 -9, God sent a prophet to tell them exactly why they were being opressed and the Angel of the Lord (Pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ) knows it! It’s why he ignores the whining question. Did you see that? Gideon whines in verse 13, and Jesus says in verse 14, “Go…I am sending you.”

Jesus doesn’t dance around our attempts to distract him. Not by our countdowns of all the reasons why we shoudn’t do something or the droning questions that imply unfairness in our circumstances. He gets to the point. Period.

My favorite line is verse 18 when Gideon goes to make an offering to him and he says, “I will wait until you return.” I love that Jesus is always waiting on us. He doesn’t disappear or leave us. Ever.

Gideon comes back, offers the meat on the rock and the Angel sends a fire to consume it and disappears. How awesome is that! Gideon goes after he writes the song, Calling All Angels “I need a sign, to let me know you’re here…” Oh wait, that was Train. Nevermind. But Gideon does ask for about half a dozen of them. And God is faithful.

What’s the point of this story I’m telling you today?

When you’re scared of uncertainty, when the enemy is shoving you in a winepress when you should be at the threshing floor, there is Peace. He’s sitting under a tree wondering why you’re spinning your wheels, when He has an answer.

Even if the answer makes you nervous–scares you, even. Or when what He asks you seems greater than what you’re able to do.

He sees you very differently than you see yourself.

When you say, “I can’t.” He says, “You can.”

When you insist, “I’m nobody.” He reassures, “I’m somebody.”

When you cry, “I’ll never make it.” He croons, “I’ll carry you.”

When you sob, “I won’t finish.” He shouts in victory, “I already have.”

When you scream, “I’m a afraid!” He lulls, “I am Peace.”

You have nothing to fear. In fact, go and sit with Him. Under the shade tree. In Peace.

Lovin you guys!! Happy Wednesday.

Question: Have you ever climbed a tree? I never have.

Flying Fish, Making Waves, and Happy 4th of July!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

This is the Flying Fish in Memphis. I didn’t take the picture, but I did eat there Friday night with my hubby, and our best friends.

We dropped our tweens off at a birthday part, looking oh so cute. Bittersweet. Girls growing up.

We took our little ones with us. They’re a year apart. Little Miss thang is convinced she’s going to marry Myles. Myles tells her, “Stop saying that! It’s embarrassing.” 🙂

We had a great time.

I’m listening to Jason Mraz live in Chitown. He’s one of my favorites.  So that’s what’s been going on in my neck of the woods over the weekend. I thought since I ate seafood over the weekend, and since today is July 4th (this book has a great fireworks scene over the lake) it would be appropriate to review:

Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad

I’ve been branching out–reading historicals. Glad I have! I’ve read so many great ones lately. This is one of them.
Normally, I’m not a big fan of people on the covers of books, but it obviously is popular because most of them are like this. But this cover seems to fit. I pictured the main character, Marguerite, much like this.
“When spunky Marguerite Westing discovers that her family will summer at Lake Manawa in 1895, she couldn’t be more thrilled. It is the perfect way to escape her agonizingly boring suitor, Roger Gordon. It’s also where she stumbles upon two new loves: sailing, and sailing instructor Trip Andrews. But this summer of fun turns to turmoil as her father’s gambling problems threaten to ruin the family forever. Will free-spirited Marguerite marry
Roger to save her father’s name and fortune? Or will she follow her heart–even if it means abandoning the family she loves?”
My opinion

Marguerite is a feisty, fun character living in a time when women had a place and sailing or really anything it seemed wasn’t it. I loved her wit and sass. Some of the things she thought to herself while courting boring Roger made me laugh out loud.
Once she thought to herself that if God would strike Roger with lightning, she’d be happy to move over a few feet.  I’m still laughing over that.
I thought Trip Andrews was flirty and fun. I giggled at their bathing suits back then. Not something I’d find attractive on a man, but it’s a historical, so…
I felt transported back into the time. I wanted to wipe my brow due to the heat and have a glass of lemonade with them. My heart pitter-pattered as love blossomed and I was satisfied with the ending.
4 out of 5 stars
Do you have a favorite historical? Share. I need to dip my toe into the genre more and what are you doing to celebrate the holiday today?

Frivolous Friday: What’s a Perfect Ending?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I happen to love a happy ending. I don’t like closing a book unsatisfied. Katie Ganshert wrote a great post on Monday about tension and frustration and the difference.

She said, “Avoid drawing things out for an eternity.

Yes, we want to prolong tension. But not to the point of frustration.”
She’s right and this got me thinking.
Where’s the fine line between frustration and tongue hanging out and panting for more, when ending a book and leaving the hero/heroine apart?
Here’s what I think.
What to do to keep readers from getting frustrated when a hero/heroine don’t end up together in the end.
1. Make sure they know you have a sequel/series coming and the story isn’t over.
Unless you plan to finish out their story in a sequel or a series, don’t rip them apart. I personally don’t want to go away feeling like, well hey, if I wanted the real world, I’d have just called my cousin. Her relationship is on rocky ground. By the time she answers, he’ll be out the door and I can cry and boo hoo and feel unsatisfied without paying $15.99. So glad I bought the unlimited minutes plan.
2. Give them lots of moments with romantic tension, flirting, touches and a few sizzling kisses–or sweet ones depending on what you write.
The whole point of reading a romance is for the romance. Profound. I know. I know. I want to read a book that is full of flirting, glances, touches (mostly appropriate ;)) and swooning moments. If you do that and then pull them apart at the end, while I know it really isn’t over see 1., I’ll be screaming with anticipation for the next book. Not frustration.
3. Tie up and resolve sub-plots, twists, or murders. Again, this depends on what you write.
When I know they’ve caught the bad guy (unless it’s a sequel and he’s still on the loose–but for the love give us something to resolve) the secret is revealed, the twist gets straightened out then I have some gratification. I feel the book is over, even if the relationship between the hero/heroine isn’t. I don’t feel like it ended with a thlump!
I certianly don’t want to frustrate a reader, but I think if written well, we can leave the story hanging…until the next book.
Just to clarify, I know life doesn’t always end in a fairy tale. I think you can write a believable journey with plenty of grit and grief, convey the message, point to Christ, and still have a happy ending. I’ve seen it in hundreds of books.
Now it’s your turn. Do you like happy endings? Do you feel satisfied when the hero/heroine don’t end up together, but you know another book or two with more story is coming?
I really want to know your thoughts. Have a great weekend, friends.

Don’t Forget: God is always doing miracles

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way…” Deuteronomy 8:2

It’s important for us to remember the wonderful works of the Lord in our lives. He asked the Hebrews to tell their children about how remarkable He was when leading them out of Egypt. It’s a testimony to share, but it’s a reminder to us that God has been faithful. He will continue to be faithful.

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself,” 2 Timothy 2:13.

I think it’s easy, after a time, to forget the glorious things that God has does in our lives. Day to day responsibilities push out those moments.

New bills pile up in our mailboxes, suffocating the thoughts of times when God provided when there was no way possible.

I can’t tell you  how many times we’ve found ourselves needing a way and someone made a mistake on our taxes, a medical bill, an insurance thingy (you can tell I don’t handle the insurance stuff) and we’ve received a check in the mail, exactly when we needed it. Sometimes the exact amount, usually…more!

I’m going to tell you a story. A true one. I have to clarify since that’s what I do–tell fictional stories.

When Myles, my son, was about 2, I went outside to shake some rugs. Not for fun. I left him inside on the couch watching one of his heinous kid shows. My husband had put a new knob on the back door, the kind that automatically locks when you shut it.

I forgot.

When I realized what I’d done–locked myself out with no cell–I freaked out. I hollered to Myles hoping he was strong enough to turn the lock. He wasn’t. He never even tried. His cheesy grin told me he hadn’t a clue as to the problem.

I turned, pushed, kicked and panicked.

Finally, I said, “Jesus! Get me to my baby!”

I put my hand on the knob…turned it. And walked inside my house. I’m overwhelmed all over again as I think about it at this moment. God’s goodness. The way He cares for us. The power He has.

I fell on my knees and sobbed the second my feet touched the kitchen tile. Myles never looked up from the TV.

You can call it coincidence, say the door wasn’t really locked, that I jiggled it enough to get in. You can say I’m off my rocker (that’s debatable) but you can’t take away what I know happened to me that day.

That’s just a couple of amazing things God has done in my life.

But what about those things He does for us to confirm His personal words of promise to us? The ones about our callings in ministry, jobs, relocations? How many times have you prayed for guidance and a scripture popped out on the page like it never had before, your heart thumped wildly, tears filled your eyes and you knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was speaking directly to you through His word?

You know what I do when that happens? I date it in my Bible with a small description so I can go back, when I’m struggling to hold on, to believe…and remember. So that when I’m gone and my children are left with my stuff, they can go through my Bible and see all the marvelous things God spoke to me, some about them. I want my children to know God speaks. God moves. God loves. God delivers.

God is faithful.

Whatever you need. Whatever doubts you’re wrestling with, God knows. He’s already got your answer. You might say, “But I’ve been in this mess for years. I’ve been praying for months. Decades.”

God hasn’t forgotten you. God has a plan. A purpose. A good one. For you.

Take each day and remember when God did something miraculous for you. Physically or spiritually. Go back to your Bible and find the scripture He used to speak into your life! Tell it to someone!

Here’s a word I found this morning when I was praying about what to blog about for Wednesday.  It could be the scripture you date in your Bible today.

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you  have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10
August 26th, 2009

Share something, big or small with us. What is one thing God has done in your life that you haven’t remembered for awhile?

I LOVE your comments, everyone! Thank you so much for taking time to come by and spend a few moments with me. I treasure it. Truly.

Must Read Monday: Sunburn, Cupcakes, and Good Reads

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend. We spent most of it at the pool. I can’t seem to get my sunblock on correctly and have odd shaped burns in random places on my body.

I told my husband I was going to have to go to the tanning bed to even out the pasty white places to the golden areas (and the cherry red burns of course). He joked I’d probably be the only one in a tanning bed wearing sunscreen.
He might be right.
I ate a German Chocolate Cupcake from one of those fancy cupcake bakeries. Edible glitter, German chocolate filling and a mound of chocolate icing. About 5,000 calories later, I thought I might be sick. Oh but that one moment! And it was a moment indeed.

Okay, so here’s a couple of books I’ve read lately.

Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason

“Samantha Cash is the FBI’s secret weapon. Her methods are invisible, and she never stops til the case is closed. When missing teens begin turning up dead in a small Southern town, Samantha is assigned to help local Detective Connor Wolfe find the killer. And he has two problems with that. There’s her faith—in God and herself. And then there’s the fact that she looks exactly like his late wife. As they get close to an answer, the case becomes personal. The killer seems to be taking an interest in Connor’s sixteen-year-old daughter, who thinks her dad is getting way too protective. Can’t a girl just have some fun?”

My Opinion

I liked this book. It’s the first book I’ve read by Lynette Eason. I figured out early on why the killer was doing it, but wasn’t sure who it was until about 75% in. Then I didn’t guess the “boss” until it was almost over. I liked the characters and the romance that blossomed.

Both characters struggled with their faith. I think the author made their spiritual joureneys realistic and touching.

I took a keen interest in the sister and want to read the next book that’s about her. I think it will be even better!

3 out of 5 stars

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
2011 RITA® Finalist for Best First Book

“When a dressmaker who values beauty tangles with a liveryman who condemns vanity, the sparks begin to fly!

Jericho “J.T.” Tucker wants nothing to do with the new dressmaker in Coventry, Texas. He’s all too familiar with her kind–shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothes, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner, while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?
When Hannah decides to help Jericho’s sister catch a beau–leading to consequences neither could have foreseen–will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?”

My Opinion

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. I don’t often read historicals, but lately I’ve read several and I’m coming to realize, I enjoy most of them. I happen to like a lot of romantic tension and some spice, not all inspirational historicals meet my expectations.

This one did.

I fell in love with J.T. and Hannah immediately. I loved their banter, internal conflicts, and wit.  I felt like I was living in this time period and it was rather fun to spend a few hours, since I read it in two sittings, with these characters.

I predicted the villain, but I’m not sure that she was trying to conceal it. That didn’t matter to me, though, because I just loved everything else. Especially the romance. No wonder she won a RITA for first book.

I also think it’s a great parallel of the Proverbs 31 woman and a healthy look at beauty and nice things.

4 out of 5 stars

So have you read a book lately that you were unsure of, then turned out to be a pleasant surprise?

No?

Okay then…what’d you do this weekend?

Shake it Up: Climactic Moments

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Sunday at church a few of us adults were peeping in children’s church listening to our amazing children’s pastor talk about pressure.

He had a coke can, shaking it up, talking about pressures that mount up and build. He kept talking and shaking, weaving in and out of children.

Most of them ducked. A few raised their hands as if to say, “Pick me! Explode that joker right on my head!”

A few adult comments made outside the window were:

“If he opens that, who’s cleaning it up?”

“The janitors are gonna be maaaad.”

“Is he really going to open that on a kid?”

“I hope he opens that on a kid.” (Okay, so that’s what I said!)

His voice built, his pace increased, and the can just kept shaking. He put it over one child’s head…the crowd ooohed. He raised it over another. The crowd aaahed.

Then…

Click.

He opened the can.

Nothing.

The man behind me said, “Well, that was rather anti-climactic. I’ve been waiting all this time for an explosion.”

And I thought…

That’s exactly what not to do in a book.

I read a book recently that kept me on the edge of my seat, like the can, shaking and shaking but it didn’t deliver an explosion. It didn’t even fall flat. It was empty, and I was disappointed because up until then, I was hooked.

By all means, when writing, shake the can. Keep it going, but when you pop the tab–be sure there’s an explosion.

If you build excitement and suspense, then pop the tab on the crowd, no one will care when foam runs down their face, stains the carpet, or sticks to their skin. They’ll be thrilled. They’ll show it to everyone, and they’ll smile and sigh in satisfaction.

Here’s 3 things that make a book shake for me as a reader:
1. Romantic tension–lots of it 
2. Mystery– Please have some secrets, lies, and twists I can’t see coming
3. Escalating scenes with an increase in pace

The Explosion: When all of the above collides. BAM! The secrets are revealed and the reactions are intense, the twists become unraveled, and the hero and heroine finally…finally…have their steamy moment or the one that actually puts them together! Okay, now the Parent Trap song is in my head. “Let’s get together, yeah, yeah, yeah…” Oh, gag.

Writers: What do you do to shake your can so there’s an explosion? Share your tips!

Readers: What books have you read that feel like they’ve exploded? If you talk about one that fell flat, please don’t include the title, that’s somebody’s baby! 🙂

Have a great weekend! See ya on Monday.

Rise and Shine!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

 

I’m an early bird. The older I get, the earlier I rise. I also walk like Frankenstein for the first 15 minutes after tumbling out of bed, and if I only wake up to pee in the night twice, I’m gold!

I haven’t always been an early riser.

Something happened to inspire me to get my butt out of bed.

God.

In my early twenties, I made a deal with Him. He would pull me out of a pretty crummy mess, and I’d promise to give Him the time He deserved.

He held His end of the bargain.

So did I.

But, rising early…before my kids…my husband…the sun…the mailman…the rooster…the dough the Amish women kneaded the night before…(because let’s be honest, who else does that?)wasn’t always easy.

Until I realized, God was waiting for me in those early hours. He had treasure for me to find, a heart to synchronize with His, and an inside to mend.

The words on the pages came alive for me in the stillness of pre-dawn. He became real, intimate, special–not a religion or a figure. A friend, a confidant, lover of my soul, my best friend.

 

But it was the early hours that made the difference.

Why? Because, time slips away so easily. Daily demands put studying and relationship on the back burner. Oh maybe I’d slip in a daily devotional reading, which is better than nothing and valuable of course, but nothing compares to that one-on-one time. Nothing compares to looking up and realizing you’ve been before the throne for hours and yet it only seems like a minute or two.

God rewards sacrifice. Dragging out of bed to give God the first part of your day is a sacrifice. But the rewards are worth the lack of shut eye.

“O God, You are my God;Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

 

 

Early morning time prepares you for good days and rotten days. It gives you the fuel to keep going when the roads of life twist and turn and seem endless.

Early morning time prepares your heart for tough co-workers, friends with serious problems who need wisdom, bosses who drop their work on your shoulders, cars that cut you off, and strangers who stand in front of you with 500 items, knowing you only have ONE!

 

Early morning quiet time allows you to hear only His heartbeat.

I’m not saying you can’t have quality time with God at night. But even Jesus awoke before the rest to start His day with His Father.

What about you? When do you spend time with God? What do you think keeps you from getting up early if you don’t already?

Okay, the song, “Wake Me up Before You Go-Go…” just popped in my head. Random. Whatayagonnado?

I’ve Been Tagged…You Might Be Too!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Normally, I do a book review or introduce a new friend on Mondays, but last Friday I was tagged over at D.U.O says. Thanks, so much D.U.! I appreciate it.

So, I’m playing along because it looked like fun!  I’m gonna follow the rules and tag a few folks myself, if you want to play great, if not…it’s all good. You’ll just die a slow, gruesome death. 🙂

TAG QUESTIONS:

Do you think you’re hot?
Only when I’m sweating bullets by the pool.

Upload a picture of the wallpaper you are using.



My daughter made this for me! Isn’t she sweet?
Right after she made it, she asked for an iPhone.
Heifer.

When was the last time you ate chicken?
Does Crow count? It falls into the poultry category, right? I eat it about every day!!!

What song or songs have you listened to recently?
The Script, For the First Time  I’ve been listening to it over and over on my CD while writing a few scenes.

Do you have any nicknames? If so what are they?
Jesse, Jess, and my sister calls me J.R. My cousin calls me Jessa K. And then of course, I was called “Ozzy”and “Oz” because of my maiden name, Osborn, and  “shorty” in highschool. Real original, huh?

Tag 5 bloggers
Here’s where you fall into categories. You either hope: “Pick me this looks like fun!” or “Oh, dear Granny, please don’t pick me.” You try to fade into the background of my mind so I won’t call on you. You slink down on your side of cyber-space and chant, “no, no, no.”

Brandi Boddie–Brandi is really wonderful, and I love her blogs about life and writing. She’s just been recently contracted!

Sheri Salatin– Sheri writes romantic suspense with a farming flair. She also writes great book reviews and yummy recipes as well as other cool random things.

Marji Laine– I met Marji through twitter. She’s like the friend you’ve always had. I enjoy reading her blog. She writes whodunits with a side of Texas sassy!

Loree Huebner–Loree is a civil war reenacter (is that a word? reenacter?) and she writes historical fiction and inspirational romance, mainly Civil War era. I always leave her blog feeling smarter about history!

Brett Minor–Brett’s sarcasm is hysterical. We grew up together–imagine the stories we have! When I want a good laugh, I know Brett is gonna give me one. I just wish he blogged at least 3 days a week…ahem!

So I’ve passed on the mantle! Just link back to this site when you post, if you post, and I’ll be sure to come by and comment! 🙂 Happy Monday, y’all.

Question: What song best describes you?