DISPLAY BY LUKE

A good display is a valuable tool for a book event. After I’d been involved in three book signings where I raced around to rustle up customers, I realized every author needs a sign. About then I watched an evangelist visiting our church set up his display.

I grabbed my husband. “Hon, you gotta see this.” I pointed to the tri-fold display. “I need one of those.” Gary walked all around the table and said, “Okay.” (Isn’t he grand?)

The next week he created his masterpiece from walnut, colored bulletin board materials, and piano hinges. The sides fold to the middle and wing nuts and bolts hold it together. The handle on top makes it easy to transport.

In years past I might have cut out cute lions and changed the scene each week. I don’t have time for cutesy. I post newspaper stories and a couple posters advertising my speaking engagements. It works. (My photo looks messy to me, but it worked great and stirred interest.) The display is easy to fold down and carry. I drape my soft cuddly lion across the top and if I have room, I pack six more lions with me for a conversation starter.

I've learned when i schedule an event I ask for a display table in advance. (Now I carry my own fold-up table I purchased at Shopko on sale.)

Carry a table cover. I’m using a white sheer table cloth, but I plan to purchase fabric to drape to the floor. The area will look nicer when I store the leftover books and boxes under the table.

One other thought: I love my display, but it isn’t practical to carry use it in some book events. An 8 ½ x 11 clear plastic standup—purchased at Office Depot for under $10—is great for events where a larger display isn't practical.

Food for thought from Kat.

VBS Curriculum and Crafts

When my husband planted a church we were blessed with new abilities. God turned our absolutely ‘no finance’ situation into challenges to grow believers for the Kingdom.

We survived the first winter with a handful of new contacts and averaged 20 people in Sunday services. But the question kept coming up, “How do we grow a church when we both work and our new believers have no clue how to evangelize?”

“VBS in our backyard.” That sounds great, but we didn’t have teachers or curriculum. “What about Martha?” Our creative and musically gifted friend from our previous church lived a hundred miles away. Martha loved the idea and brought her two children and all her talent to our house TWICE each summer for the following five years.

One year, a few months before VBS, someone gave our church boxes of macramé beads. I had no clue what to do with them until after my husband drove me to the coast. We walked through forty or fifty touristy shops, but the one that specialized in Christmas stirred my creative juices.

“Hon, don’t know how we can do it, but take me to Martha. We’ll celebrate with a VBS titled 'Christmas in July'.” The three of us brainstromed and then I wrote the curriculum and Martha donated hours making little manager people from the beads.

While she designed the figures I combed the nearby woods for twigs to help build the barn. We askd our Landlor for shingles for the manger roof and the wood base.

The photo doesn’t do our manager scene justice, but fifteen, 4th thru 6th graders stood around a table to make their manager and glue on their ‘cute macramé bead’ people. Many of those kids were survivors of drug addicted parents and didn't have the Christmas manager in their homes before.

I enjoyed writing “Christmas in July” VBS materials—but I celebrated even more when some of those kids made commitments to Jesus in our backyard VBS—it didn’t take money, it took time.

Thank you, Martha, Rachel and Evan for making it happen. I look forward to seeing those VBS kids in heaven.

No longer do I have the conjured up manger scene of long ago, but now is the time to write a Christmas story for publication. Many magazines layout their stories a year in advance, now's the time to share. And "Wow." The manager reminds me it's only 60 days until Christmas 2008.

MEET MY NEIGHBOR GLADYS

Meet my neighbor Gladys. I met her soon after we moved to Omaha from Oregon. My husband and I weren’t accustomed to the early wet, heavy snowfall. It looked like winter might go on forever.

On one of those nasty, knee-deep snowy days, we met Gladys’ husband, Bob—about 82 at the time. We later learned he’d survived a bout with cancer and a heart attack, but still he was out snow blowing the alley between our houses. Gary and I grabbed shovels and started helping and later, Gladys called us all in for coffee.

Later when I realized Gladys suffered from the winter ‘blahs’ I wrote funny poems for her. She enjoyed them and they brought a smile to Bob’s face, too. Somehow their smiles warmed my mired-in-winter- feeling-gloomy heart.

Both Gladys and Bob have passed away, but recently I read those old poems and today I found one of my last photos of Gladys. It was taken when her daughter surprised her with a visit to one of my book signings at Barnes and Noble—she was near 90. What a delightful surprise for both of us.

Of course, I have a new neighbor now and we correspond and visit. I even wrote her a poem, but my memories of Gladys are special. No one can fill that ‘Gladys’ spot in my heart. Funny how a photo can trigger beautiful memories, and remind us it’s time to build another memory for the future.

Think I’ll write an article: The Art of Being Neighborly

THROUGH THE STORM

A real story of Fame and Family and Tabloid World

by

Lynn Spears

with

Lorilee Craker

Lynn Spears, mother of Jamie Lynn, Bryan and Brittney, gives us a book filled with heartache, a mother’s agony and the unsettling truth of the entertainment world. She tells the story of her unbelievable (and yet, sadly very true) naivety. How an ordinary family of father, mother and three children became the glass house surrounded with paparazzi, corruption and distrust. How does that happen to a family who believe in God and His guidance?

The book is filled with open confession of ignorance. From the Rolling Stone cover story where Spears says, “I had no idea the man was going for a lascivious angle,” to the confession of Jamie’s pregnancy. “What about our talks?” I cried to Jamie Lynn. “You told me you were a virgin!” Every mother’s heart will be touched and just maybe, make her question her own home parenting situation.

“Through the Storm” is more than a memoir, it’s the lives of five people laid open like a book to be read cover to cover. Some chapters are nothing more than He said. She said. The reader might wonder if Spears has a motive behind her words. Then comes the heart of the book—the realness of life when Spears says, I’d been passive in so many ways for so long, letting managers and agents and executives decide the paths my children would walk. Not any longer. Not while I was still their mother.

Lynn Spear doesn’t offer a twelve step program to help heal mothers of stars, but lessons of truth are proclaimed in every chapter. As parents we can help guard our lives by gaining wisdom from Spears insights such as:


1. A teaching degree doesn’t insure you will make the wisest choices for your children.
2. If you don’t face something when it is happening, you will have to face it later on.
3. Ignorance is not bliss and when you bomb you try again.
4. Often the mask of self-confidence hides a flesh and blood, scared-of-life woman.
5. At some point, a person has to file most regrets under shoulda-coulda-woulda
6. Shame is crippling and in the end serves no good purpose.
7. It is difficult to hold on to your core values when you have an army surrounding you.
8. Sticking close to family roots and legacy is important.
9. The biggest grounding force in life is faith in God.
10. Devotions and Bible reading daily helps one focus on the immediate.
11. Reflection says God isn’t surprised at our choices, or the outcome.

“Through the Storm” is the inside story of how one family, now well known around the world, grappled with fame and fortune and suffered the consequences. Every mother can learn from Spears mistakes—the question is, will they?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Read the Eye of the Storm and walk in wisdom, Kat

Brad White the Piano Man

Author Carol Umberger taught a lesson to our local writer’s group last week. She based her lesson on a book by Jack Bickham, “The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them).”

One analogy she used immediately brought Brad White, the pianist for the Blackwood Brothers Quartet to my mind.

Brad is a humdinger of a pianist. His fingers fly across the keys. You call out a gospel song or a hymn and Brad can play it—from memory. When he isn’t traveling with the BBQ he travels as a soloist. Did his talent just happen? I don’t think so.

Brad started playing young and by the time he was a teenager, he taught piano to others. When he realized his students memorized the silly ditties they practiced, he wrote his own piano course using hymns. (yes, you can buy it—check his website. http://www.bradwhite.org/).

Carol said too many wannabe writers say, “I’m going to write a book.” She asks if they have signed up for lessons. “Well, no. I have this idea right up here.” Carol said writing is like being a pianist. You study. Take lessons. Read a lot and you practice daily.

Her illustration about the pianist helped me share my freelance challenges with my non-author family. I’ve felt for years they didn’t understand the process, but Carol’s simple analogy gave a crystal clear summation of start to finish.

Brad White understands the process. So does every dedicated author.

Now, back to my keyboard, it’s only a bit different than Brad’s.

Editorials Matter

I did accomplish a lot last week, but I’m never satisfied with my production. Then when I felt stressed and anxious about my writing ability and our household finances, I happened to read an editorial in Discipleship Journal by Connie Willems. She expressed my feelings perfectly. One of her phrases smacked me in the head. “My weakness is a core condition.”

Yes. She labeled my problem. (Probably yours, too).I run around feeling stressed because I can’t get everything done. Never is there enough of me or hours in any day to complete my yesterday’s to do list, much less add today and tomorrows. But the beautiful part of the editorial is Willems shared the solution—Paul said it, “when we are weak we are strong.”

Go ahead and snicker if you like. I’m an old believer, taught the scriptural application to others and yet, once in awhile (like every month), I need that old lesson brought home to me again.

My lesson for the week: God waits with open arms saying, “Jump, Kat. Jump. I’ll catch you. You aren’t on that limb by yourself.” Then after he’s caught me I know He’ll say, “the rest of your mess will be completed in due time. Allow me to provide time and finances for you. Now relax.”

It feels like the Lord has handed me a beautiful bouquet. I’m so human and yet He loves me. He loves you, too.

I'd Rather Edit Myself

In the past two years I’ve submitted many articles for Sunday School handouts. The usual story is 1200 words. Over time my writing improved and so did my sales. Once an editor said he needed a story for Thanksgiving—he didn’t give an actual word count, but his market said 500 to 1200 words. I submitted an 1100 word story and within an hour the editor emailed me. “Your story is what I’m looking for to fit an 800 word space. Do I have your permission to edit?”

I replied, “Give me until tomorrow and I’ll see if I can cut to fit your needs.”

Wow. It seemed to me every word was necessary to move the story forward, but I hacked away. Resubmitted and sold it. Sold the reprint, also. The experience taught me to think like an editor. That means I ask myself this question: If every word costs the company $1, do they need them all? Will they receive good return on their money?”

Sometimes I cut more—sometimes I think like an author and value every word, even my cutesy expressions and/or purple prose. This I know, I’m a better author than last year, but haven’t reached my goal of perfection—yet.
Go find the action. Cut some words tonight:)

Enjoy, Kat