Author: Amy

release day!

| Amy

Just popping in to let everyone know that the follow up to Loving Jenna is available today! I’m really excited about this story since the heroine, Nadine, is just about to turn 65. Yep! A heroine with a little life behind her.

Romancing Nadine is the tenth book in the Wells Landing Series, but if you’re new to the series, don’t let that stop you. All the books are easily read out of order. They might contain spoilers, but there are no cliffhangers or continuing storylines to closely follow.

Book Birthdays are always strange days for me. I usually have regular work–writing–to do and I get up believing that I’ll go to my ‘office’ and write as usual. But every release day is the same. I find myself distracted by the little things. Posting about the release on Facebook. Making sure that all my website links are working and so forth. Checking to make sure I made the Pinterest inspiration board for the book public where everyone can see it. Just the little things. A million little things. Today is even worse as I just received the copy edits for A New Love for Charlotte (the next book in the series) and I have about two weeks to get them back to my editor. My husband is home for the week, and I’m anxiously awaiting word about two very special projects, so every time I get an email notification I grab my phone as if my life depends on it.

But if you haven’t checked out Romancing Nadine, click the cover below. It’ll take you to my web page dedicated to Romancing Nadine. It’s a fun story about second (and even third) chances at love. The links to the major retailers are at the bottom of the page.

(I was going to post them here for your convenience but wordpress has changed how the blog post are aligned and I can’t figure out how to get them here in a concise way. A million little things.)

And if you haven’t read Loving Jenna, the last time I checked (this morning…a million little things) the ebook was still 99 cents. Click the cover image for Loving Jenna and it’ll take you to my webpage, etc etc.

I hope everyone has a happy day and you find a way to enjoy all the million little things. And if you have a minute, I’d love to hear what you think about Nadine and Amos! <3

Happy reading!

Amy

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Big News, Big Changes

| Amy

Maybe the title should be Big News and a Few Minor Tweaks, but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it. So Big News, Big Changes it is!

First for the Big News…Most of you already know that I’m taking us back to Wells Landing! My publisher just offered on the next three books in the series! Technically it’s a spin-off, but it’s set in Wells Landing so there ya, go! But what most of you don’t know is that I just signed a three-book contract to write (drum roll, please) contemporary cozy mystery!

That’s right! I’m writing a new mystery series set in a small-town Mississippi bookstore. It centers around this unique store, but specifically around the book club that meets there each week. That’s all I can say for now, but I’m so excited for you to meet Arlo (the bookstore owner) and Chole (her best friend and business partner).

With this new contract, one thing became very clear to me. Amy Writes Romance dot com wasn’t covering my writing any longer. Now there’s no way I’m changing that. When I first started my website another Amy Lillard had already scooped up the dot com, leaving me to take the dot net or come up with something different. Amy Writes Romance popped into my head and refused to go away. So my website was born. But at the time, I had no idea I would be writing mystery. I never even dreamed of such a thing.

So how did I go from romance writer to romance and mystery writer? Well, some of it had to do with an editor’s request and some of it had to do with my agent. If you’ve read my posts you probably know that my former agent, Mary Sue Seymour, gave me the best advice of my career: “you’re a writer, write it.” At the time she was talking about me taking the chance and writing Amish fiction, but it applied here as well. I was approached about writing a mystery in a continuation series. They wanted an Amish writer to pen the book since the main suspect in that edition was Amish. Well, why not?

And a new branch of my career began. That book is Unsavory Notions (though I wanted to call it Death and Cherry Pie. Oh, well…) But one book led to another with the same publisher, this one not Amish, and from there the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries came. Then Kappy King and now a new series. Something had to change. But not Amy Writes Romance. That would never change.

So I invite you to join my new website, www.AmyWritesMysteries.com! Yeah, yeah, I know, but it was too cute to pass up. What you’ll find there is everything to do with my mysteries, those already published and those coming up. If you want to know more about these books and all things dealing with me writing mysteries, be sure to pop over there and click the follow button under the NEWS tab. All my Amish mysteries will be here on this new site.

What you won’t find there is romance. Amy Writes Romance will be reserved for all things romance, including the news that goes out in my blog posts—like this one. If you just want to know about my romance novels, you don’t have to do a thing. You already follow this blog and will be receiving updates as I post them. All my Amish romances will be listed here.

All my books about the Amish will also be on Amy’s Amish Adventures along with all my personal “Amish adventures,” like my upcoming trip to Pennsylvania. I’ve got a few more Amish trips planned this year, including a visit to the Clarita School Auction and Choteau’s Black Buggy Days.

Now no one panic. I’ll give everyone time to adjust to the changes, I promise. But you have to promise in return not to get annoyed with double posts until everyone gets their following straight. Deal? I figure until the end of the year. Sound good to you? Don’t worry, that’s not nearly as many posts as it seems. I only have one more mystery coming out this year. So it’s all good.

I hope everyone is as excited about this new opportunity as I am. I understand that some of you only read books about the Amish and that’s just fine with me, but for those of you whose reading choices are a little broader, I hope you’ll join me in this exciting new leg of my career.

Questions? I’m only a comment or email away. Until then, Happy reading everyone!

 

Release Day!

| Amy

I’m so excited to announce that Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper is now available! I’m doubly excited because this is my first Amish mystery that is not part of a publisher’s series!  And I’m thrilled to be introducing you (well, some of you) to Kishacoquillas Valley , PA. If you’ve never heard of Kish Valley, you can check out some pictures I took on my visit there. (See Amy’s PHOTOS) It may be the most beautiful Amish community I have ever visited. It’s like a postcard.

And if you have heard about the Valley, you can find out more about Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper below.

Content to be unmarried and plain-spoken, Kathryn “Kappy” King is an odd-woman-out in the Amish community of Blue Sky, Pennsylvania. But she’s skilled at making the special kapps local women need to cover their hair. And she might be the only one who can unearth the danger hiding in this peaceful valley . . .

When Kappy’s neighbor, Ruth Peachey, turns up dead in her yard, everyone in Blue Sky believes it’s a tragic accident. Until the Englisch police find the gentle dog breeder was deliberately struck down—and arrest her mentally-challenged son, Jimmy, for the crime . . .

Jimmy’s sister, Edie, returns to Blue Sky clear his name, yet no one will speak to a shunned former Amish woman, much less give her information. Determined to help, Kappy starts digging for the truth among her seemingly-innocent neighbors. But suddenly a series of suspicious “accidents” threatens Edie and the Peachey farm—property Edie is determined to protect for her brother’s future.

Now, as danger looms large in the small community, Kappy must bait a trap for a killer snapping hard at her heels. And Edie must decide whether to make a home once more in the town she thought she’d left behind . . .

 

 

               

And as always, thanks for reading!

Be sure to come back and visit. Coming soon, I’ll be giving away autographed copies of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper. But more on that later…

Until then, spread JOY!

Is Amazon Ruining Publishing?

| Amy

There’s a lot of talk in the publishing world. Most readers have no idea of the conversation. But amazon has changed the way we look at books, the way we buy them, and yes, the way we publish them.

I’ll admit the first time that I heard about e-books I thought they were going to be a flop. (I missed the Build-A-Bear train too. Good thing I’m a writer and not in product development.) Anyway, eons ago one of my computer-savvy, adventurous writer friends took the plunge and put her books out in e-book format. I thought, what a waste of time. Boy, was I wrong.

Like many readers, I prefer paper books. There’s something about holding a book in my hands, looking at the words, touching the paper, smelling the whatever it is that makes print books smell the way they do. Plus, I don’t believe I have ever stayed up all night reading an e-book. I feel a bit removed from it. Like the story is in a glass case. I can look, even read, but I can’t touch. It’s no longer personal for me. Do I read e-books? Oh, yes. I have a Nook and a Kindle. I get my BookBub ad every day and I look at it, every day.

Yet I’m amazed at the people who ask me if my books are available in fill in the blank of their favorite reading format. Usually it’s paper. Do your books come in paper? This seems like an odd question, but the fact of the matter is so many authors are self-publishing these days, or publishing with a digital first or digital only houses, that a great deal of books aren’t in paper.

I feel that most people who read Christian/Amish fiction prefer paper. I think they need the backup of a product they can hold in their hands in order to feel comfortable spending their money. I’ll admit, I sometimes have a hard time buying music I can’t hold (in the form of a CD) or my son’s video games that go directly into his Playstation, but I’m working on it.

Back to books. We all know that we judge books by their cover. Even if only to say, “That looks interesting.” But for me, it doesn’t stop there. I look at the author’s name. Sometimes read their bio—after all, it’s feasible to believe that a man who served in the armed forces would write a darn good military thriller. At least concerning accuracy.  Of course I read the book description. But I always look for the publisher. Stacey tells me this is a writer thing. It’s not that I won’t buy self-published books. I do. And I have published many stories myself. It’s just another way to determine if I want to take a chance on an unknown (to me) author. If the cover is ‘meh’ is it because it’s from self-published author who hired the wrong cover designer? Maybe she has really bad taste, or she tried to make the cover herself. Or maybe she’s published with Well Known Publishing and she got the brand-spanking new intern? If the cover is fantastic and it’s a self-published book, I know the author cares about the details of what she’s putting out there.

From there, I decide if it’ll be my next purchase.

But what about price? The only time I let price sway me is if I’m looking at e-books that are over $2 and I still have 400 unread books in my Nook. Should I really spend that money to make it 401? Why can $3 be a deal breaker? I have no idea.

Amazon has made it easier for authors and wanna-be writers alike to bring out their books and present them to the public. This is both a blessing and a curse, because now, the readers must wade through more offerings than ever before to find something they like.

There are authors out there who blog every week about the perils and pitfalls waiting for authors on Amazon. There are those who back self-publishing 100% and there are those who would never self-publish for a variety of reasons. Then there are those like me who are considered ‘hybrid.’ I have an agent, I have contracts with a large publisher, and I have self-published books. But in the big scheme of things, it comes down to what the reader wants. What’s important to you? Is it price? A great cover? A well-known name? Do you buy everything a certain author writes without question? Does the publisher come into it at all? I’m just curious to know. I have the ‘writer’s mentality.’ Even when I’m playing the role of reader, it’s always there in the back of my mind. Be sure to leave a comment and add your voice to the conversation. I would love to know what you think about the availability of books on Amazon. Has Amazon made it easier for you to find books or harder? How do you find the stories you want to read? What else would you like to share about books, authors, and publishing? Please remember to keep it uplifting. Name no names and point no fingers unless it’s in a positive light. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure applies to books as well. Please don’t ruin an author’s chances with another reader. And as always, remember to spread JOY!

After I wrote this post, I was asked if I would show how to tell who the publisher of a book is. Check out the following screen shot. This is for Titus Returns. This section of Amazon is under the author bio. So when you are on the amazon site and looking at a particular title, simply scroll down to find this info. As you can see from the image, the publisher is Zebra (an imprint of Kensington).

Now take a look at this image. This is for Brodie’s Bride. Under publisher it has A Squared Books which is my own publishing label. Other authors simply use their name.

Hope this helps! And don’t forget to leave a comment.

Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Marrying Jonah.* **

 

 

*If you already have a copy of Marrying Jonah, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.
**Due to the high cost of shipping, international winners may be offered an ebook. Thanks for understanding. :)

That’s right! Everyone who left a comment on the last blog received a copy of Marrying Jonah! Happy reading and thanks for commenting! A

Winner! Winner!

| Amy

Chicken dinner! Anyone know why we say that? Is it just because it rhymes?

Sorry there’s no blog post this week. I’ve been really busy writing and of course it’s football season which eats up a lot of my time since The Teen is playing JV and varsity. And it’s my birthday! Well tomorrow is. And it’s a big one! Yep, that’s right. The big 5-0. So cut an old woman a break! LOL

But I did want to take a few minutes and congratulate last week’s winner!

I’ll  be back in a week or so with another ‘real’ blog post and more winners, but for now, leave a comment. Tell me what’s on your mind, happy birthday, or why we say ‘winner, winner chicken dinner.’ Your choice. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Marrying Jonah.* **

Happy reading! And remember, spread JOY everywhere you go!

*If you already have a copy of Marrying Jonah, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.
**Due to the high cost of shipping, any international winner will be sent an ebook. Thanks for understanding. :)

Let’s talk about THE AMISH

| Amy

So many times I hear people say and see them post on social media about THE AMISH.

Now the reason this post is here instead on my www.AmysAmishAdventures.com page is because it’s not about the Amish. Any of them.

See when people say THE AMISH it is all-encompassing statement. It’s like saying THE OKIES or THE CAUCASIANS. Can you think of anything you can say after this that would be a completely true statement? I can’t.

The more I learn about the Amish the better I understand how much there is to still know. I consider myself learned where the Plain people are concerned, but I am by no means an expert. And honestly, I don’t believe anyone can be.  (Sorry to those who consider themselves experts. There are definitely some who know more than others.) Yet even Sadie, my Amish friend, sometimes can’t answer my questions about THE AMISH. And she’s Amish!

Why?

I have Amish friends who live side by side yet are in different church districts. There has to be a cut off somewhere. These friends are actually siblings. Yet, one is allowed to have solar power and the other isn’t. And this isn’t the only difference. Never mind settlements that are separated by states, different living conditions, and social interaction.

So many times I see readers say “if a book has a mistake in it concerning THE AMISH, I put it down and won’t read anything by that author again.”

How unfair to the author and the reader both! Especially since the author may be correct and the reader misinformed.

The Amish in Wells Landing (Chouteau) use tractors. I have seen Amish girls in Lancaster play with commercially made dolls, with faces! The Amish I met in Tennessee dress all their children in ‘dresses’ until they are potty-trained. I could never imagine Sadie or any of my other Lancaster friends doing this.

I have read true news stories where Amish have been in trouble for fighting, cutting the beards off their neighbors, and have even gotten divorces. This isn’t the norm, but it happens, at least according to Google and MSNBC.

Recently I wrote about tolerance and values. Today I’m writing about tolerance and understanding.

I love to visit the Amish. I love to research Amish settlements, even if I don’t have plans to set book a book there. Why? Because I want to know more about different Amish communities. I want to come back and share with you what I learned, what I saw, and the people I met.

I research the settlements where I want to set books. Sometimes this research occurs before the outlines are even written. Then I come back home, start writing, and have questions I can’t answer despite my efforts.

It’s extremely difficult to research the Amish. Even more so Amish settlements like Pontotoc, MS, and Ethridge, TN. Lancaster is a different matter. Still difficult, but at least they are not as wary of strangers.

Another concept I find interesting is the popularity of Amish proverbs. But that may need to wait until another day.

What about you? Have you found what you thought was a mistake in a story? Did you finish reading it? Or do you read for the story and don’t concern yourself with minute details? Please be as positive and uplifting as possible! If you can’t, then please don’t mention any names or clues that might damage a reader’s opinion of an author. Remember one man’s trash applies to books as well.

Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Amish Brides. *

The winner will be announced Friday September 8, 2017, on the next blog. Comments will be taken until midnight EDT Thursday September 7, 2017. **

And remember…always spread JOY!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

*If you already have a copy of Amish Brides, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.
**Due to the high cost of shipping, any international winner will be sent an ebook. Thanks for understanding. :)

I’m really behind in announcing winners! Congrats to those whose names were drawn!

 

More about Bravery…

| Amy

Every year around Easter my husband, the Major, watches all of those splendid Cold War Biblical movies that had casts of thousands and would be impossible to make today. I tease him about watching them, but I secretly like them too.  Except for that one part in the Ten Commandments where Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac.  First of all I hate this story in the Bible. Go ahead. Tell me it’s wrong to hate, but it’s disturbing to me as I am sure it is to most of you. Why would God give Abraham a son and then ask him to sacrifice him? I know, I know, I’ve heard all the arguments about devotion and obedience, but it seems unnecessarily cruel. But that’s just me. I’m human. I don’t always understand God. Not in the case with Abraham and certainly not when it comes to writing.

These days I feel a little like Abraham, asked by God to sacrifice his son. Just a smidge. Yes, I exaggerate. I’m a writer; it’s what I do. See, writing a book is emotionally a lot like giving birth. It takes months of worry, prayer, hopes, dreams, and preparations before this tiny miracle comes into the world. Then you have to give it over to the world–editors, readers, critics, and reviewers. Let me tell you it’s no easy feat. Even for the über-confident, there are always doubts.

Then you have me with God whispering in my ear to be brave. I thought I knew what it meant. Now I’m wondering if I was wrong.

Did He want me to change all my books to inspirational? Then why did the thought fill me with dread? Every time I caught sight of my writing schedule, I broke out in a cold sweat. Why?

I made it all the way through Ten Reasons Not to Date a Cop before the solid doubts set in. Was this what I was supposed to do? Or was it hard and that alone was filling me with concerns?

Every writer is warned throughout their writing life that the darlings will have to be killed. Those wonderful beautiful words that were strung together so eloquently will have to go. Be ready for it. Was that what this was about? Hanging on to my words?

Stephen King takes it one step further.

Yes, there is a danger in falling in love with one’s own words. But this was about more than that. I had spent a lot of time working on my rating system and getting it together for readers. Was it going to be confusing for readers to have a couple of my books still secular? And that’s not even completely correct. Some I could only take to the ‘sweet’ level–no bedroom scenes. But would that be enough? It wouldn’t be for the readers who wanted a ‘clean read.’ And it seemed a little…unfinished to me. See, I have a thing about ‘wholes,’ things being complete.

What was I supposed to do?

Ugh! I didn’t know! So I prayed about it, talked to Stacey, prayed some more. I walked, ate too many Rice Krispie treats, and prayed more. I even made my announcement of the changes to come. Then it occurred to me: was my uncertainty a sign? Had I misunderstood? Or was I just hoping that I did? Was this my sacrifice? Did God want me to accept his instructions, but not carry them through?

I’m still not 100% certain. I guess that makes me one of millions. There’s not much many are 100% about. So I’m in good company. But all plans of rewrites have been put on hold. I feel the need to go forward, not back. But more Christian/inspirational books? That’s definitely still on. I’m still not 100% certain what these books will be about. There are a lot of factors to be considered, contracts, time, and the ever-changing market.

Amish, historical, contemporary–I have stories in all three that I could write, but for now, I’m working on my contracted Amish books and Chase’s story. I’m still hoping to get that out before the end of the year. What will its rating be? I don’t know yet. It seems a little counter-productive to make it a green apple book when the others in the series are, and will remain, red apples. See? There’s that “whole” thing coming up again. And I’m not sure how–well, I can’t give everything away. Rest assured, I’ll let everyone know the rating when the time comes.

What about you? Have you ever had this happen, where you have been uncertain of what God wants from you? What did you do? I’d love to hear from you! Remember please to keep it positive and spread JOY.

Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Amish Brides. *

The winner will be announced Friday September 1, 2017, on the next blog. Comments will be taken until midnight EDT Thursday August 31, 2017.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

*If you already have a copy of Amish Brides, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.

I have 2 winners I need to announce today–one from last week and the second from the week before. But…my right hand (you don’t have to tell Stacey I called her that) has been working a lot this week and I have to get with her. Never fear, those winners will be chosen. And even announced. Sometime. Soon. Until then, thanks for reading! :)

The Beatles Had It Easy

| Amy

It’s inarguable that the Beatles are one of the greatest bands in rock-and-roll history. They’ve sold 178 million albums in the US alone and this number continues to grow as they are still selling today. In fact they were recently honored with another thirteen platinum and gold records. The White Album has gone platinum nineteen times over and is considered by some to be the greatest of their works.

These statistics are staggering. Few have had such success in the music industry. So why do I say they had it easy?

I mean no disrespect. I own my fair share of Beatles recordings and grew up listening to Help, Eleanor Rigby, and Yesterday. But at the time of their rise to stardom, rock-and-roll was in its infancy. The sound was new and young. Coming up with something new out of something new isn’t a big feat. Kudos to them for coming up with something new and pleasing to a broad audience. And for years. They had an open door to slip through, but it was their genius that kept them going.

Fast forward to 1970 and Black Sabbath hit with their new sound of heavy metal.  It was an extension of rock-and-roll and yet not. See after the Beatles, the sound changed. Some stayed with the old ways and others went to new sounds. Black Sabbath paved the way for others still. Today my son comes in and talks about Industrial Metal, Techno-metal, and other branches of this sub-genre of ‘metal’ music. But it all started with those four guys from Liverpool.

What does this have to do with writing? More than you might think. I hear readers and reviewers all the time complain when a writer breaks the rules. Christian fiction shouldn’t have sex, cursing, or drinking being one of the major grumbles.

Like the Beatles and Black Sabbath, all writers are looking for something new. None of us want to be published and be just another book on the shelves.

But writing didn’t start in the sixties. Nor did any of the genres. People have been writing books of all sorts for thousands of years. Yes, it’s true. There’s nothing new under the sun, but still we try. Yet there was a time when an idea was new or at the very least fresh. When I started writing romance, I had a smart-mouthed heroine and a conservative, red-haired hero with freckles! Keep in mind this was twenty years ago. No one had done that. At least not to my knowledge. I felt like I was on the cutting edge. But these days, that edge is getting wide enough to build a house on. Not so edgy anymore.

In the last few years we have seen the rise of ‘urban fantasy romance,’ shape-shifters, Amish, Christian speculative, and a host of other attempts at something different. But in order to be innovative, rules have to be broken. When some rules are broken it completely changes the genre. Romances must have a happy ending. If they don’t, they fall into love stories. Even Nicholas Sparks will tell you that he doesn’t write romance. But more on that in another blog post.

So why can a writer break some rules and not others and still be in the same genre. I’m not quite sure. Some things just are. Like romances end happy, cozy mysteries aren’t bloody and graphic, and in mainstream fiction anything can happen.

To say Christian fiction is such a broad term. Can it be considered a genre? Well, what is genre? Dictionary. com lists it as a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like. (see the complete definition HERE.) Unfortunately, books aren’t divided like plants and animals. There’s no kingdom, phylum, or class to go along with genre. That leaves the reader floundering, trying to determine what books they might like. This is even harder if you want to only read clean fiction. (More on that later.)

Combine this lack of definition with the writer’s strive for something new and different and a lot of times you will end up with a dissatisfied, and maybe even offended, reader.

You might not like it, but please respect the author for their originality. Or at the very least for giving it a go. It takes a lot of false bravado or true bravery to put a book out for the world. Like the tone-deaf contestant on American Idol, some feel their work is fantastic when it needs a complete overhaul, but most put something out and hope and pray that it doesn’t get ripped to shreds. I wonder if the Beatles had their doubts. It seems unlikely now so many years and platinum albums later, but I bet they did.

What about you? Do you want to read something fresh and new or are you happy with status quo? No answer is wrong. Feel free to comment, but as always be kindful to others, their feelings, and opinions. Spread JOY.

Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Amish Brides. *

The winner will be announced Friday August 25, 2017, on the next blog. Comments will be taken until midnight EDT Thursday August 24, 2017.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

*If you already have a copy of Amish Brides, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.

 

The Good Christian

| Amy

What makes a ‘good’ Christian? I’m asking, not telling. We hear that all the time, “So-and-So is a good Christian.”

I was raised to believe that being a Christian meant to be Christlike. Or at the very least to put every effort into striving to be Christlike. Yes, we are human and yes, we all fall short.

I even asked the question in my last blog. Because I have written things that are not considered ‘clean reads’ does that make me less faithful, less Christian?

It’s not an easy question to answer. And it’s possible that it doesn’t have an answer.

Give this a thought. By saying that someone is a ‘good Christian’ we are passing judgement. Hmmm…but we shouldn’t judge. Does this only apply when we judge to the negative? I don’t know. Though by passing even a positive judgement, we are creating a scale by which our friends, family, co-workers, even strangers are gauged. If So-and-So 1 is a good Christian, then it’s possible that So-and-So 2 is not as good, or maybe better. See what I mean? Even if it’s a positive statement, it can still pit two against one another.

But this post didn’t start out to be about judging. It’s about the differences in people and beliefs. And how we shouldn’t gauge others by our own beliefs. Wait…I guess that is judging. But how can we stop this behavior? How can we say I agree to disagree? Or maybe it’s why can’t we? Why does religion/beliefs/God have to be “my way or the highway?” Shouldn’t we let God be the judge of all things? The Good Book tells us to. And besides He knows more of what’s in each and every one of our hearts. To me that is the most important thing to remember.

Nothing brings out our judgement more than politics and traffic. Politics, I’ll steer clear of, but traffic? Why can’t we follow the golden rule? Someone may be driving slow because their car started giving them troubles and they are just trying to make it to the nearest gas station. Or maybe another is driving too fast because their spouse is sick/at the hospital/been in an accident and they are trying to get to them. When these things happen to us, we expect people to understand and yet we are often times not understanding in return. What a shame!

The internet can be the worst! It’s one of the greatest accomplishments in our lifetime and yet it may well be the breakdown of the family and social structure. People go online and splash mean and hateful comments to anyone who doesn’t hold their same view/dogma/upbringing then get angry when others don’t bow to their wisdom. Why can’t we read, dismiss if we don’t agree, and go on to the next post? Why must we stop and take the time to tear someone down before we proceed to un-friend them then talk about them in a PM on messenger?

Is it so hard to say, Live and let live? Why should it concern us if it doesn’t directly affect us or doesn’t hurt anyone else/the environment/a defenseless creature?

There are things on social media that bother me. My husband’s in law enforcement. I get offended a great deal by some of the mean comments put up. I grew up in Mississippi. Yes, I have an opinion on the Confederate flag. No, I’m not going to share it. It’s not worth the trouble and the heartache either stance would give me–not to my hometown friends or the ‘friends’ who are actually business acquaintances and grew up differently than I did. I have an opinion on global warming, North Korea, yellow meat watermelons, and the best breading for fried green tomatoes. Most of these I keep to myself, or I decide if it’s worth someone getting upset if I say something that might go against their own beliefs. Because I don’t want to stand behind my own thoughts? Not hardly. I simply don’t have the time to be on the computer all day, fending off rabid opposite-believers and defending my every word/thought/belief. I would rather write books that make people happy and bring joy into the world.

I can’t say that I follow this all the time. I wish I could, but like most I have good days and bad. I have times where I’m impatient, anxious, angry. But those are the times when we should take a deep breath and work harder toward that understanding peace. After all, we are only hurting ourselves.

And, yes, I would like to think of myself as a “good Christian,” but not if it means someone is less of one.

Thoughts? Comments? What do you think? Remember to please keep it positive; negative and/or aggressive comments will be deleted. This is meant to be a safe and open place. Spread JOY!

And please leave a comment. Share your thoughts and be kind. Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Amish Brides. *

The winner will be announced Friday August 18, 2017, on the next blog. Comments will be taken until midnight EDT Thursday August 17, 2017.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

*If you already have a copy of Amish Brides, be sure to still leave a comment. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn, I have plenty of other titles to share.