A Dream Lived

They say writers have to develop a thick skin, when it comes to reviews and dealing with others in a competive world, but the fact is many of us are a sensitive breed.  We take things personally, we hurt at what others say, or take offense.  I know I have and I am sure others have as well.  Perhaps that sensitivity is what allows us to create such relatable characters.
As authors we need to remember that each of our paths, as well as our pasts are different.  We may not all have the fame of Danielle Steel, JK Rowling, or Cynthia Voight but we can certainly learn something from them.  In order to succeed, I think we must learn what failure is, and be sensitive to those around us.
Look at Stephen King, teachers told him in highschool he would amount to nothing.  He is by no means my favorite author, but I learned that you don't have to listen to others who tell you you are going to fail.  In fact if you want to suceeed.  Don't!
JK Rowling was a Mother, who was on Public assistance before she catapulted on the scene with her Harry Potter Series, hoping to make it only to make it as a writer.  She never expected to make it rich as an author, but that she did.
I know these are the exceptions, but the point is you have to persevere.  You have to be willing to put a lot of time in effort into what you are doing in order to realize that sucess can happen.
I am an Indie Author, went that way a couple of years ago, and there are Indie Sucesses as well, look at Eragon,Christopher Paolini.  And with the creation of ebooks, Kindles, Ipads, Iphones, and Androids, a whole new world has opened up for Indie Authors.  I for one feel blessed to be part fo that world, some of my friends may not agree with me but that's there right.
God Bless
Michelle!

A Dream Lived

They say writers have to develop a thick skin, when it comes to reviews and dealing with others in a competive world, but the fact is many of us are a sensitive breed.  We take things personally, we hurt at what others say, or take offense.  I know I have and I am sure others have as well.  Perhaps that sensitivity is what allows us to create such relatable characters.
As authors we need to remember that each of our paths, as well as our pasts are different.  We may not all have the fame of Danielle Steel, JK Rowling, or Cynthia Voight but we can certainly learn something from them.  In order to succeed, I think we must learn what failure is, and be sensitive to those around us.
Look at Stephen King, teachers told him in highschool he would amount to nothing.  He is by no means my favorite author, but I learned that you don't have to listen to others who tell you you are going to fail.  In fact if you want to suceeed.  Don't!
JK Rowling was a Mother, who was on Public assistance before she catapulted on the scene with her Harry Potter Series, hoping to make it only to make it as a writer.  She never expected to make it rich as an author, but that she did.
I know these are the exceptions, but the point is you have to persevere.  You have to be willing to put a lot of time in effort into what you are doing in order to realize that sucess can happen.
I am an Indie Author, went that way a couple of years ago, and there are Indie Sucesses as well, look at Eragon,Christopher Paolini.  And with the creation of ebooks, Kindles, Ipads, Iphones, and Androids, a whole new world has opened up for Indie Authors.  I for one feel blessed to be part fo that world, some of my friends may not agree with me but that's there right.
God Bless
Michelle!

What Are They Looking At?

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10 KJV

Just a couple of years after I graduated from high school I took my friends daughter who I was watching at the time, and my niece, who were five, my friends daughter and three my niece to the library, to get a book.  Being an author, I have always loved books, and wanted to instill that in the children in my life, but when I went to go get the requested Barbie story book, I was sickened by what was in it's place.  This was no Barbie storybook and it certainly was not something I wanted the children in my life to see.  I have always had the habit of looking over the books before I let the kids do that, and at that moment I was more than grateful for that!!!

I wonder what the world is looking at us, when they watch us as Christians.  I know I am not perfect, and I have said and done things I have regretted making me wish I had searched my soul, the way I had thumbed through that offensive book, to see what I was doing wrong, how I could have reacted differently. 

If we are honest with ourselves, I think we have all had moments like that.  Moments where we have forgotten to search our souls, but  the Lord forgives us, gives us a chance to do the right thing.  But perhaps before we react to badly to a situation we need to think about what the Lord would have us to do?  We might be the only witness to a person under a tough situation, are we up to the challenge?

I know I have questioned myself many times, but the Lord continues to use me, so he must think I am up to it right?

In Christ's Love
Michelle~

This Crazy Roller Coaster Ride

I am blessed to have recently started making an Okay amount through my KDP sales, by no means am I rich yet, not that that was my goal, but I am at least making some money and am so very grateful for that, but now I find myself figuring out Sales Stats, Income Tax Information, keeping receipts for business related expenses, and I am truly blessed.  Despite the headache anything math relate gives me LOL.

The truth is though I love what I do, and I really would not change that for the world.  The Lord gave me a gift for words and I plan on using them.  But with my profession comes some disadvantages, even dangers, for the past few months I have been battling Carpo tunnel first in my right hand and now in both, so the amount of time I spend at the computer has been greatly lessened.  Some days I work a little longer than others, but for the most part I try to work no more than two hours a day, while I am healing and strengthening my hands, my O.T has a concern over the weakness in my hands and legs, so I have been working on that.

I refuse to give up writing though, to me it would be like giving up breathing, sleeping or eating.  I am an author that is the gift God has given me, and in order to write I know I must keep myself fit.  Sitting around the house all day, staring at a blank computer screen doesn't work for me, what does work is getting out experiencing the world, and then coming home to the characters that love to speak to me often in the late hours of the night.  Still there are days no matter how hard I try the words will not come.  So I press on anyway.

I write despite the crazy roller coaster because I must I have something to say.  I want to use my words, whether fiction or non fiction to draw others closer to the Lord, and to draw myself closer, because we can never be close enough to the Lord.

I will keep writing despite the roller coaster of emotions, of words, of lack of words!! I have something to say, and I need to say it through the characters that live in my heart and mind...

You can find the link to my books ranging from 0.99 to 2.99 for the Kindle Copies :) Happy Reading!


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Michelle%20Kidwell

In Christ's Love
Michelle!

Prayers Sent Heavenward

Like so many others yesterday, my eyes, and ears were glued to those horrific images, on Fox News of the Tornado that ravaged Moore Oklahoma, the grief was palpable but so was the hope, because in the sorrow, we saw a lot of hope, but my heart broke, for every Mother, every Father, who lost a child, and for the children who died.  It certainly made me step back and pause...Take a look at my life, and what truly mattered.

Yesterday, I was not worried about word counts, Titles, Character Names, instead I took the time, to pray, and to worry, about friends and loved one's who may be in the path of those horrific storms.

I live in California, so from the safety of my home, the damage was hard to believe.  We do get Tornadoes in California from time to time, but nothing like what hit Oklahoma and Texas.

Today as I get my bearings once again, I am still taking the moment to pray for those in Moore Oklahoma, and for every Mother who is missing their children, every Father, every brother and sister.
I am praying for every child with Cancer, praying that a cure is found soon...

I have so many to pray for and so I lift my prayers up, and I know he hears my prayers...

God Bless
Michelle~

Using My Words, For His Glory!

I am made to think about how lately this nation has seemed to neglect God, even some of us who claim to be Christians tend to sugar coat things from time to time.  Don't get me wrong I am not a perfect Christian, but as a Christian Author I find the need to share with the good news with my readers.

I may prefer to write Christian Fiction, but the message is very real.  I want to share the love of Christ with others, in a way that I hope others enjoy.




I opened to Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^[a]? ⁴ And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{[b] 5} So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, ⁸ as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”^[c]

⁹ And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
¹⁰ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.”^[d]

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. ¹² But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
²² Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. ²³ And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, ²⁶ and in this way^[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
²⁷ And this is^[f] my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”^[g]

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, ²⁹ for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. ³⁰ Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now^[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. ³² For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and^[i] knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”^[j]
35 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”^[k]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.
As I work on my mystery novel Her Secret Words, I find myself striving to reach out to others through my mystery novel.

Her Secret Words may be a fictionalize Mystery, but like I do with all my other novels I incorporate the truth of the word into the book.

I am a writer but first and foremost I am a Christian, and in that I need to live my life, and write for the Lord. 

May I continue writing.

God Bless
Michelle~

Using Gifts For His Glory

Once again I find myself busy working on a couple of new projects.

One is about a young Jewish girl who survives the Holocaust at all costs.  I won't go into two many details into the plot line and such because I really don't want to give something away.  As I said I am in the process of writing Where is G-D, the fact of the matter is this is a difficult work to write, that takes grueling and painful research.  Studying the Holocaust is not a pretty thing, but we should not try to sugar coat it either.  What was done to so many during the Holocaust, not only the Jews, but many others.

I am also working on a mystery novel, and liking the way it is going so far.  This work is a little more fun, and less grueling.  I truly enjoy writing Christian Mysteries.

I love the way the Lord blesses us with gifts, gifts that we can use to glorify him, if we chose to do so, and if it is the good Lord who gives us the gifts, shouldn't it stand to reason, that we would want to use his words for his glory.

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^{[b] 11} All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Whatever I write, I try to do so for his glory.  If I fail that is not the Fault of the Lord, but my fault.  I am imperfect in my flesh, but the good news is a serve a perfect Lord, who gives us wonderful gifts.