Susan J. Reinhardt's Blog

 

Meet Jeanette Levellie and Beth Gormong, co-authors of Yes, You Can! Overcome Crises with God's Help, hot off the press this month from Elk Lake Publishing

As you might guess from her red hair, adjectives like spunky and lively tend to pop up in descriptions of Jeanette. She's a pastor's wife, a prolific writer, and a popular speaker. This is her sixth published book. She's also a writer for Guideposts publications and has authored hundreds of stories, articles, greeting card verses, and calendar poems. Her hobbies include gardening, cats, and eating out. You can find her Splashes of Hope and Humor at www.jeanettelevellie.com.

Beth Gormong is a writer, blogger, ad fiber artist. When she's not writing, knitting a sock, or planning in her Bullet Journal, you can find her in the garden or training her beagle puppy, Max. She lives in a one-hundred-year old farmhouse in the country with her husband, Jeff, and two spoiled cats. Her three grown daughters all inherited Beth's creative spirit. She recently became a writer for Guideposts too! Find her at www.bgormong.com or www.greengablestudio.blog.

Susan: Hi, Jen & Beth. To start off with, tell us why, in general, you write the thins you write?

Jen:   Hi, Susan! Thanks for having us today. The goals of our writing are to offer hope for broken souls and to encourage women. I also like to toss in some humor in all my writings.

Beth:  Yes, thanks for having us, Susan. In addition to what Jen said, I want to help women of all ages develop a more intimate relationship with God.

Susan: Jen, you certainly did all those things with your previous inspirational books:

Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top

The Heart of Humor: Sixty Helpings of Hilarity to Nourish Your Soul

Touchable God: Finding the Lord’s Friendship Through Prayer

Hello, Beautiful! Finally Love Yourself Just as You Are (Jen and Beth’s first collaboration)

Susan: Why did you decide to write Yes, You Can?

Beth: We saw that women, even Christian women, struggled with impossible situations that appeared hopeless. We wanted to offer them an encouraging resource to help them realize that God will see them through even the hardest trials.

Susan: How did you accomplish that?

Jen: By writing a 40-day interactive devotional. Yes, You Can! includes Bible verses to help you feel confident, along with true accounts of modern and Biblical women who overcame impossible circumstances through God's power and love. At the end of each chapter is either a journaling prompt or a coloring page.

Susan: So the reader applies the ideas to her own life by participating in an activity. A lot more powerful than passively reading a sermonette!

Beth: That’s the idea. The more our senses are involved with what we read, the more likely we are to retain it. This leads to positive changes in our lives—something we all need.

Susan: Readers, please jump in with questions or comments for Jen and Beth, in the reply box.

God bless! Susan

Find Jeanette Levellie at www.jeanettelevellie.com

Find Beth Gormong at www.bgormong.com

Here is a link to buy the book on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1649490550?pf_rd_r=1GXYJM7HP3XMQ2HYJ3JD&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

The year 2020 made this a rather tongue-in-cheek statement. Yet, even with the bizarre situation going on with COVID-19, it's been a great summer for me and Sweetie Mom.

My job (not first responder) was considered essential, so I worked through the lockdown months. We all breathed a sigh of relief as restrictions lightened. Surprise, surprise, on June 30, I was informed my position was eliminated.

Talk about bad timing. Here I was in the midst of purchasing a home where both Sweetie Mom and I could live (no stairs!), and my job went, "Poof!" A trip to see my pastor's wife/realtor immediately after the job loss proved a wise decision. Bottom line, I was still able to proceed with the purchase. God took everything the enemy of our souls meant for evil and turned it around for my good.

Rather than write a small book, here are some of the highlights:

1. My old house sold in one week!

2. Friends rallied around me, helping with the packing and the big move. All my boxes were unpacked in record time.

3. My furniture fit in the new house even though I downsized.

4. Two settlements in one day challenged all involved, but everything worked out.

5. We're now preparing to move Sweetie Mom into the new house. Again, the Lord has provided the help and grace we've needed to go forward.

To God by the glory! Great things He has done.

In the joy of the Lord,

Susan 

 

Hi Everyone -



This girl needs a blog break. Life has thrown some curves at me the past few months (nothing bad - just crazy), and some downtime is in order.



Have an amazing summer, and I'll be back in September. I appreciate how all of you have faithfully read the blog and your comments.



In the joy of the Lord,

Susan

1. For those of you who write non-fiction, Julie Lavender
posts at The
Write Conversation about 20 Newspaper Writing Tips for 2020.




2.  Jane
Friedman gives a comprehensive guide to finding and working with an editor.
I hired after checking her out as best I could. We agreed to do a test run to
see if we were a good match. I'm happy to say her help was invaluable. While
the book has not yet been placed with a publisher, I'm confident that it's in
great shape. (In case you're wondering who I hired - Deirdre Lockhart, of
Brilliant Cut Editing.)




3.  WND
reports on an important lesson learned during this pandemic. It's time to ditch
restrictions on health care providers. I never knew about this problem until
recently. It's quite an eye-opener.




4.  Nikki Koziarz
posts at Encouragement
for Today about fighting fear. Considering the prevalence of this in recent
months, it's a timely subject.




5.  Over the years,
I've grown a variety of houseplants. One of them was the Majesty Palm. It's
stunning foliage attracted my attention, but I had no idea how finicky it was
about light, temperature and watering requirements. Plant Care Today talks
about this palm and gives tips on care. They warn anyone buying one that
they're in for a challenge.




Writers:  Do you write
non-fiction or fiction? What kind of craft articles would you like to see on
here?




Readers:  Which
articles I link to are your favorites? Current events, encouragment/devotional
or fun stuff?



Photo Credit: Kay Pat

1.  Has your novel
been rejected multiple times? Writer
Unboxed shares the secret to more efficient revision: pattern recognition.
This is an excellent article for both the newbie and more experienced writer.




2.  Lisa
Hall-Wilson talks about how to fix the problem when distance creeps into
deep POV. In case you don't know what deep POV is, she also starts off with an
excellent definition.




3. Faithwire
reports on California
pastors determined to open their doors on May 31st. They are not asking for
permission.




4.  Alicia Bruxvoort
posts at
Encouragement for Today: "I Love the Way You're Loving Me!"




5.  Many folks have
picked up new hobbies during the lockdown. Crocheting is a fun and rewarding
activity. I discovered this board of Pinterest with lots of free
and easy patterns.







Writers:  Do you
actively study the writing craft? What kind of activities do you engage in to
improve your writing?




Readers:  Have you
picked up any new hobbies over the past month or two? Please share.



Photo Credit:  Bartek Ambrozek

1.  Jane Friedman
posts on "How to Write a Novel Synopsis." Writing a novel is hard
work, but condensing it into a synopsis...not for the faint of heart.




2.  Wow! Lisa Hall-Wilson
writes, "Using Defense Mechanisms To Create Emotional Depth In
Fiction." Good stuff, people.




3. 
reports on Kansas City, Missouri's mayor demanding churches provide
the names, addresses, and phone numbers of anyone showing up for worship
services. Many would have us believe that it's okay to trample on
Constitutional rights if politicians deem something is an emergency. They have
gone too far as many incidents show. I don't 
know about you but I haven't drunk the Koolaid.




4.  Encouraging news -
Faithwire
reports that 21.5% of non-Christians say Coronvirus Pandemic has led them to
read the Bible.




5.  Spring is when
succulents wake up from their winter sleep and have a growth spurt.
Unfortunately, if they haven't been getting enough light, they may be getting
tall and stretched out. Check out this post by The
Succulent Eclectic on how to remedy this situation and save your plant.




Writers:  What is the
hardest writing task for you?




Readers:  Which link
attracted your attention? Why?



Photo Credit:  M B

1.  OK, newbies, here
are six things not to do when you're starting your book (or blog). Check out
Cathy Fyock's article on The
Write Conversation.




2.  Lisa
Hall-Wilson asks, "What Is Emotional Context And Why Does Your Story
Need it?




3.  Faithwire
reports on Homeland Security's comments that summer heat and sun may kill
COVID-19.




4.  Edie Melson, at The
Write Conversation, talks about, "Walking Through The Storms of
Life."




5.  With warm weather
on the horizon, Averie Cooks
gives us a no-bake recipe for chocolate peanut butter fudge bars. Just the name
has my mouth watering!




Writers:  What are
some of the things you learned NOT to do as a writer?




Readers:  We're going
through some trying times with COVID-19. How are you handling the stress?



Photo Credit:  the_franz

1.  Barbara Linn
Probst posts at Writer
Unboxed about The Spark of a Novel. My own spark for The Moses Conspiracy
occurred when my late husband and I visited Gettysburg in 2004. I knew the moment was
significant, but the spark didn't turn into a flame until August of 2005. Good
article.




2.  Grammar problems
can trip up a reader and pull them out of the story. Mathina Calliope posts at Jane
Friedman's blog on an easy fix a tense problem.




3. Virus-tracking technology is putting privacy at risk.
Check out this article at WND.




4.  Edie Melson posts
at The
Write Conversation about Tapping Into the Power of Creative Joy. I'm
reminded of the scripture that tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength.




5.  I've used my
Crockpot Express Multi-Cooker (similar to the Instapot) quite a bit. Pot roast
comes out yummy and super tender in it. I just found a blog with recipes for
the Instapot and Crockpot Express. Justine, at temeculablogs.com,
has a recipe for egg bites that I want to try. I thought I'd share it with you.
:)




Writers:  What sparks
your creativity either as a novelist or non-fiction writer?




Readers:  Journaling
was an important part of maintaining stability during several crises in my
life. What are your thoughts on the subject? Have you ever journaled about
something you're going through while giving thanks for daily blessings?



Photo Credit:  Penny Mathews

1.  How are you coping
with the "Stay at Home" order? Tammy Karasek posts at The
Write Conversation about how to make the most of the time.




2. Barbara Linn Probst posts at Writers
in the Storm. She asks the questions, "What makes someone give a debut
author a chance?"




3.  I thought it was
important for everyone to be aware of the plan to re-open our economy. Breaking
Christian News gives a detailed summary of the President's speech.




4.  Martin Wiles posts
at The
Write Conversation about , "No Body."




5.  I subscribe to the
blog, Amish
America. They had an interesting story about both Amish and English people
producing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I think you'll enjoy this
article.




Question for Authors/Writers:  Were you surprised by what makes someone pick
up and buy a debut author's book? Please share your thoughts.




Question for Readers: 
What influences you to pick up a debut author's book?



Photo Credit:  Jamie Brelsford

1.  As writers, we
think in terms of words. However, did you ever think about white space? This is
the canvas upon which your words sit. White space gives readers an opportunity
to catch their breath and to focus on the story. Ellen Buikema posts at Writers
in the Storm and gives tips on how to keep your readers from experiencing
sensory overload.




2.  Writers, are you
frustrated because the book of your heart has been rejected a gazillion times?
Shannon Taylor Vannatter, at Seriously
Write, shares a story about how to move forward.




3.  While the media
would have us believe that we're just keeping out innocent women and children,
the truth is many dangerous criminals are trying or have succeeded in entering
our borders. WND
reports on the statistics of those arrested by ICE.




4.  Edie Melson, from The
Write Conversation, posts on "Let Go of the Steering Wheel."
Having made several drastic moves at the Lord's leading, this resonated with
me.




5.  The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings, "What a Beautiful
Name." https://youtu.be/6Yc3exCsHCw




Writers:  How many
books have you written? If you're published, how many did you write prior to being
published? Please share your experience.




Readers:  Edie
Melson's devotional hit home for me. Have you ever experienced following the
Lord's leading into the great unknown? Please share.



Photo Credit:  Jenny Rollo