It's All In the Perception

I could have let the fact that I was dyslexic stop me from being a writer, though it was my dream, perhaps that would have been the easier way out, but I refused to do that.  I am a writer first, I just happen to have Dyslexia, and I have gotten this far.

When I was first diagnosed with dyslexia, I read words backwards, everything was a jumble to me, but as I grew older and learned tricks I no longer read the words like that.  I still have issues with spelling from time to time, but I am writer and I am going to do my best to live up to my goals and my achievements.

I want to show others that have learning disabilities or physical impairments that if given a chance they to can overcome.  I did not want to listen to everyone who said you can't do this, you can't be a writer, because the truth was that is engrained in me.  Despite Dyslexia I have been reading since I was three and a half, and yes I struggled at first, but now it doesn't take me long to finish a book.

I want others to see what they can achieve, I want them to see that being dyslexia, or having any kind of disabilities does not have to mean the end of your dreams.  Just keep on dreaming and reaching for those dreams.

Of course I am not the only author who has overcome a learning disability

http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2011/25-famous-authors-with-learning-disabilities/


Did you know that Agatha Christie, Jules Verne, and many others also suffered from Learning Disabilities and many were considered the best writers of our times.  Agatha Christie made the Mystery Genre, which is my chosen Genre famous, desirable, but it was said she was a horrible speller, so if she can overcome, so can others!!!

I Know I did...

Reaching for Jesus Through the Art Of Fiction

As a writer I am always looking around me for ideas, I have learned to turn any situation into a story, but what I am most passionate about is writing about heroes and heroines who have some kind of imperfection to overcome.  Some kind of disability, Finding Star is no different, but I am not going to get into that right now...

The people in my life are my greatest inspirations though when I write fiction I am not writing about a particular person I am writing with an audience in mind and I want to write something that my dearest friends and mentors would enjoy reading. 



The reason I chose to write mainly about people with disabilities though, or people who have some hardship to overcome because I think more often than not that is not addressed, though their are exceptions.  I guess I got my earliest inspirations from Lurlene Mcdaniel, because of the style I started writing in, I think I have grown since then, but I still admire her talents.

Mysteries are my favorite genre because I love that eliminate of suspense and I write in the Christian Genre because I do not wish to compromise my faith with what I write, instead I want to reach others for Jesus through the art of fiction.

I want to reach out without preaching, my stories are not meant to preach to the reader, but to reach to the reader, to make them question and I pray ultimately turn some who do not believe to the Lord...

In Christs Love
Michelle~

Shadows From Our Past (Now Available)

Chapter One:

            The adventurous spirit was running thin, and we all knew now that we were running with a purpose, we were disappearing because we had no other choice.  Spending so much time together in the RV was wearing on all our nerves, but we knew that we had no choice.  My Father had nearly killed Jacob and we knew that it would not take much for him to go after us next.  We were running for our lives, this was no adventure.  We had to run, the truth was we had no other choice but to run, we may not be comfortable but for now we were safe.

            I knew the kids were getting bored, and it was hard for everyone but we were all going to have to deal with it.  All that mattered was that we were safe at the moment, and somehow we were managing.  I had to admit even I was being driven crazy by the cramped space, thankfully we had a bigger RV, wide enough where my chair could fit through, not to mention Mechela’s but the adventure really was wearing thin, and we were all looking forward to getting someplace where we could sleep in a house that wasn’t on wheels.  Don’t get me wrong we were all more than grateful to have the RV but we needed something that wasn’t on wheels.  We just had to be extremely careful, we could not let this destroy us or destroy our faith and we were not going to, even when we were nowhere near a Church on Sundays, we all spent time worshipping and praying together, and despite the kids discomfort they were all doing their best to help each other, and to keep a positive attitude.

            Lord thank you for getting us this far, we are all on edge and if we are not acting as you would like I ask you forgive us.  We just all want to get into a place that isn’t on wheels.  We are grateful for all you have done Lord, and I thank you for that.

            Jacob had been calling around anonymously to find if we could find any cabins that we could rent.  We were going to have to be careful, but we had to do something we had to get out of the RV for awhile and try to get to a somewhat normal of a life.  I knew things were far from normal in our family, especially when we were all running from a man that was supposed to love us, the man being my father.  A man who had made my sister feel that she had to fake her own death and make us all believe it for nearly two decades. 

            I was going to be glad to get into a place, that wasn’t on wheels and I knew the kids would too.  We were all growing restless with being copped up in such a small place, and I knew we would all be relieved to get out of the motor home and into the cabin where at least the kids could run around free, and do what they had to do.  I knew Jasmine and Ahab were especially getting restless, they wanted to be able to move around more and to feel less claustrophobic.

            “We are going to get out of here, and enjoy ourselves.” Jacob promised.  I was glad that my husband was sure, because the truth was I knew that the kids needed to know that we were going to be okay, that we were not always going to have to run and I was grateful for that\.  I was grateful that I had a husband who was so supportive and did everything he could for the kids.  It was truly a blessing a blessing I was grateful for.

            “I hope so Daddy, this is boring.” Jasmine said, hands on her hips.  I knew she was getting bored, her cast was finally off, and she wanted to be able to run around again.  Ana was getting stronger as well, she still walked with a limp from the stroke but at least she could walk, and her speech was clear now, compared to before.  Anna had struggled a lot before and now was the time for her to enjoy herself.  She deserved to enjoy herself, all the kids did,

            “I know sweetie, but this was the only way that could keep us safe.” I reminded Jasmine.  I knew she understood but it was still hard for an eight almost nine year old to sit still this long, and to feel they were constantly on the run.  The kids missed going to school and being with their friends, but at the moment that was not an option.

            “Will we ever get to stop running Mom?” Vania asked.  She had graduated and wanted to go onto college but at the moment even that was not an option.  I knew that Vania would not always want to run, and someday she just may make a chose to move away from home, but I was not going to worry about that day, until it came.  For now I had to worry about keeping my children safe, and I was going to keep doing what I could to protect my family. At times I felt it was my fault they were in so much danger, if only I had not dug into my Fathers past, but if I had not Anna and Mechela might not be with us.  I still might think my sister was dead, and still be grieving, as it was she was alive, and I was more than grateful for that.  I was more than grateful for the life that we all had been blessed with.

            “I hope we will someday soon Vania.  I wish it did not have to be this way, but I want to keep you guys safe, that is the only way to keep you guys safe.”

            “I know Mom, I do not blame you for this Mom, I just wish things were different than they are, I wish things were different. I wish that we did not have to run.  I know it’s not your fault, but Grandfather is a monster, I realize that now.  I wish things were different, we had a different kind of Grandfather, but we don’t.  I guess we can not change who we are related to but we can change who we are, we can decided whether we are going to make the best out of what we have, and we truly are grateful for all you and Dad do for us.  Please don’t think we are not grateful for all you have done, because the truth is we know how much you sacrifice for us.”

            The fact that my children understood we were doing this for them, showed me that Jacob and I had been blessed with children who could talk to us, and tell us how they felt without being disrespectful,  they knew that was not something we tolerated.

            A few hours after Vania and I had our talk Jacob pulled over to a rest stop so we could have a little bible study, we were not near a church, but it didn’t mean we stopped taking time to worship the Lord, we would all take turns reading from the Bible and singing.  It was the one thing we all agreed on, was that no matter what we needed to take time to read the word and worship the Lord, and of course pray.  We did a lot of praying.

            Jacob turned to Matthew 14 reading about what John the Baptist went through for Christ, even being martyred for Christ, being beheaded, if it came down to it.

Matthew 14

John the Baptist Beheaded

 ¹At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, ²and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

 ³Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, ⁴for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." ⁵Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.

 ⁶On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much ⁷that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." ⁹The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹²John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 ¹³When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

 ¹⁵As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

 ¹⁶Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

 ¹⁷"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

 ¹⁸"Bring them here to me," he said. ¹⁹And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

 ²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat was already a considerable distance^[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 ²⁵During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

 ²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

 ²⁸"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

 ²⁹"Come," he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

 ³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 ³²And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

 ³⁴When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

            Sitting together as a family and worshiping the Lord allowed us to at least for a few moments feel as if we were normal at least for a short time, and worshiping the Lord was not something we had ever planned on changing no matter how much danger we were in.

Finding Star A Preview

“I don’t know how to be friends.” Star admitted sadly. All I have known is sadness and abuse.
I wanted to reach out to my sister. God had called Mom and Dad to adopt Star, but none of us knew the full extent of her story, not until she told me.
“I only know hurt and abuse.” Star came from a remote village in Iraq originally, but she had learned English. I could understand her clearly, at least when it came to speech, but when it came to other things I could not begin to understand.
“Star I want to be your friend, we are going to be sisters, and I want to be your friend as well.”
“I have never had friends, all I have been is hurt and abused. I feel dirty, I don’t deserve friends.”
“Star everyone deserves friends.”
The emptiness in her eyes tore at my heart, I was only a few years older than she was, but I had never seen such a look of loneliness.
“I’m scared. “
“What happened to you Star?”
“I was raped many times, over and over again, I am scared, I am angry, I don’t want to be friends, I just want to die.”
“Star your not dead God has you here for a reason.”
“What does God care about me? I was raped, I was a little child, and I was raped over and over again, I was beaten until I was bloody, I was made to watch as everything was taken from me. I was not allowed a childhood. I am dirty, you can not begin to understand.”
This little girl of thirteen had been through more than most people would go through in a thousand lifetimes. I could see the fear in her eyes. Even meals seemed to care her, she became timid and if she dropped anything she would cower.
“Mom are you sure we can handle this?” I asked. “She is so hurt, I can’t reach her. She’s been through so much, just what she has told me makes me shutter, and I can not even begin to imagine what she’s not telling me. I’m not sure I want to.”
“Hope she’s your sister, God has placed her into your life for a reason. I truly believe we were meant to adopt her, you are just going to have to be patient with her.”
I was being patient. But I still could not even begin to think how I was going to reach to my Sister. The adoption had not been an easy process and neither was Stars adjustment going to be.
I was doing my best to be a good sister to Star, but at the same time I felt lost and helpless.
“Hope you saw some of the pictures after she was found, you know she’s been through a lot, give it time. “
“I’m trying Mom. I really am.”
“I know you are, and your doing great. I think Star does want to have someone who cares, she is just afraid.”

His Beauty Inspires My Creativity

I am not  a perfect Christian, but I am a Christian so I try to make that reflect in my writing ! My Characters do not always start out as Christians, but more often than not they turn to Christ.

 When I write a story my goals are not to shove my beliefs down someones throat, though I do pray for my readers, and I want them to see the wonderful creator I see.  I want them to know that we have a loving creator.

Some people find it hard to believe that a loving creator.  My faith has carried me far, and I am grateful for that.

I am surrounded by God's creation and I often look at the beauty around me and wonder how anyone can not believe.

I find that often the beauty surrounding me inspires me.  I mean how can you not be inspired by God's creation. 

As I write I slip into my Characters surroundings and often I use bits and pieces of where I come from.  Not necessarily every detail matches up to where I live, because I don't want it to, but the most beautiful parts I get from my local surroundings.

God Bless
Michelle~

When God Moves

Don't you just love it when God moves.  I mean really moves. I have been experiencing that lately in my writing and in my life, and I must say I am always at awe.

I know in life their are times that we don't necessarily feel that God is moving in our lives, that somehow we are being given a bad hand, or whatever you want to call it.  I look at myself as a positive person, a person who looks at the blessings in life, who sees what God has given her and I would say I am most definitely blessed, but like everyone else I have those why me moments.  I mean who doesn't?  Can you honestly tell me you have never had a why me moment?  I know I have, but I have also had plenty of those moments when God moves in such an incredible way, I am just dumbstruck by his grace.  I must tell you when that happens it is awesome, and right now I feel that life is pretty blessed things are coming together nicely, because I believe I am doing what God has called me to do.  I am writing what I am supposed to right, and that is my ministry the written word, I work with children too, but my biggest mission field comes through my writing.

And Now I am going new places with my writing, by that I mean I am getting it out their, I have had a Christian publisher express interest in Finding Star, after I sent them my synopsis and first chapter they requested more so I am working my best to make Star shine...I have spent so much time and energy on this book, probably the hardest book I have ever written, but it is so worth it, hearing this story, and knowing someone is interested in it.  An awesome moment that tells me my efforts have not been futile.

Right now I am just so in Awe of God's grace.  I know that this is not an over the night process I have been working nine years and have had seven books published in order to reach this goal, but I know I could not have done it on my own.  It is only by God's Grace I am where I am, and I believe I will continue to grow.

The pics of the books above are of my latest released book Shadows From Our Past!!!!

God Bless
Michelle!

Come and Gone

So we are ten days into 2012 hard to believe isn't it?  Another year has come and gone.  Is it just me or does time seem to move faster as you get older?  I turned thirty four the day after thanksgiving and the realization hit me that in six more years I would be forty.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not one who thinks forty somehow makes you old, but it does mean I will have lived four decades.  I know I am not their yet, but in a few years Lord willing I will be, and I am so grateful for that.

I continue to write, though at times the whole process can be a very trying thing.  Anyone who says writers block is non existence, obviously never has it, and no with me it is not the lack of ideas, but often the abudance of them that get me, still spending time with the kids, and friends, doing non writing related things does help from time to time, and now I find myself contributing to a Christian website more and more, so i have even more reason to write, and I want to revamp What A Daughter Learns and see where that takes me, and I have worked on another segment of Finding Star, that story is the hardest one to tell, because it delves into heartbreaking issues, but I will see as always things work out to God's glory, that says something without spoiling the ending.

I moved my writing area into the living area the other day, because I actually like being part of the action and it seems I work better in here, instead of tucked away in some corner.  I don't know, but I have been more productive over the past week.

I am waiting for the copies I ordered of my latest published book Shadows From Our Past, which was released in September, to get here.  What is it about a writer waiting to hold her books in her hands, that builds as much excitement and anticipation as a child waiting to open their presents on Christmas morning?  This is my seventh book and the excitment is still there.  I guess that excitement never really goes away does it?

Anyway I digress.  My friends, family and fellow authors I pray that 2012 is a blessed year for you, and that you see much joy in your lives, as well as success.  May God bless you all, as I know he has me.

Michelle~