Holly Michael's Writing Straight

~ Connecting and Inspiring Along Life's Crooked Lines by Author Holly Michael

Holly Michael's Writing Straight

Monthly Archives: January 2015

Dream or Reality? Lost on a dark, deserted road in East Texas with Dr Seuss & Edgar Allan Poe

29 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Books, Crooked Lines

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Beauty and the Beast, Becky Hepinstall Hilliker, Big Hair Ball Dreamworkss, Bill Dedman, Carla Stewart, Caryl MacAdoo, Crooked Lines, Girlfriend Weekend, Holly Michael, Jamie Ford, Kathy Murphy, Lisa Wingate, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches TX, Pulpwood Queen Book Club, Pulpwood Queen Book Club Girlfriends Weekend, Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

On a dark, deserted, country road in the piney woods of East Texas, the white SUV stopped. The driver, NYT Bestselling, Pulitzer winning journalist and author, Bill Dedman, dressed as Dr. Seuss, turned to me with worried eyes.

Edgar Allan Poe, in the passenger seat with a raven perched on his shoulder looked from Dr. Seuss to me. “I think we’re lost,” Poe said, in a voice that sounded a lot like NYT bestselling author, Karen Abbott.

In the back seat, wearing a saree and bejeweled in gold from India, I pressed my hand to my chest. Would we ever make it to the Big Hair Ball? The Dreamworks Entertainment movie crew would already be there. Should I have set aside my tiara, leopard print leggings, feather boa, and pink shirt and left the city limits of Nacodoches with these two characters…?

Reality or Truth?

100% true! Really!

You never know what’s going to happen at the annual author/reader event, the Pulpwood Queen Book Club Girlfriends Weekend. 

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Finally we made it to the Big Hair Ball. (Yes, in a barn in the country in East Texas). Bill Dedman as Dr. Seuss met up with Thing One and Thing Two (bestselling authors Lisa Wingate and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson).

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Me, dressed in my saree

Authors Jamie Ford, Poe - Karen, and outlaw sisters, and

Authors Jamie Ford, Poe – and outlaw sisters – Becky Hepinstall Hilliker and Kathy Hepinstall Parks and Karen Abbott, and Carla Stewart

What a weekend! Can’t believe I was hobnobbing in East Texas with these amazing authors and readers and interviewed on an author panel by co-host Jamie Ford! Yes, Jamie Ford, NYT Bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Songs of the Willow Frost. His kind, friendly nature settled my nerves after stepping on stage after pulitzer prize winner, Bill Dedman. (Yes, my story was true as I later I rode to the party with him.)

Kathy Murphy, founder of Beauty and the Book (beauty salon/bookstore) began Pulpwood Queens Book Club in East Texas and now there are more than 600 affiliated book clubs all over the world. Dreamwork’s Entertainment is making a movie of Kathy Murphy’s life story. It’s true. They were filming during the event!

Kathy Murphy personally reads and chooses the book of the month and bonus books for her club. She read my book, Crooked Lines, and nominated it a bonus book of the month! Then, I was invited to 2015 Girlfriends Weekend in Nacogdoches, Texas. What an honor! What fun! More pictures from the  2015 #pqgirlfriendweekend.

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IMG_1049IMG_1009IMG_1027 2bookReturning to Kansas City, I decided to begin a Pulpwood Queen Bookclub chapter. If you’re in the Kansas City area and want to join me, don your tiara, put on your pink boa and leopard print and lets have some fun! I guarantee it will be a blast! What I could only imagine in my dreams became a reality in East Texas, thanks to Kathy Murphy. I’m so honored that she believed in my novel, Crooked Lines.

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A Healthy New Year means…Exercise!

23 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in To His Glory

≈ 1 Comment

My blog over at Writing Prompts…an inspiring blog for writers

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France…a spiritually uplifting trip

10 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Books, Christianity, Holy Catholic Church - Anglican Rite, Inspiration, Journeys: In Writing and Life, Photography, Travel

≈ 21 Comments

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Anglican, Anglo-Catholic, Anglo-Catholicism, Bernadette Soubirous, Bishop Leo Michael, Chateau fort de Lourdes, Christianity, Crooked Lines, elisa Amati, Father Luca de Pero, France, grotto, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, Immaculate conception, Inspiration, inspiring, Jesus Christ, Lourdes, Lourdes France, Our Lady of Lourdes, Spirituality, Tsunami 2004 Still Wading Through Waves of Hope, Virgin Mary

Sad to hear the news of the terrorism in France. My husband and I were just there in November–in Lourdes, a few days stop-over our way to India. The visit was amazing and spiritually refreshing.

Given the sadness of the muslim extremist’s attacks on Paris, thought it would be a good time to share some photos of the beauty and spirituality of France, in Lourdes, about a seven hour drive south of Paris.

A view from the top of Chateau fort de Lourdes

A view from the top of Chateau fort de Lourdes and below, looking up at the castle.

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More views from the top of the castle

More views from the top of the castle

climbing a steep staircase to the top of the castle

climbing a steep staircase to the top of the castle

Love the narrow, quiet streets. Me and My husband, Bishop Leo Michael

Love the narrow, quiet streets. Me and My husband, Anglican Bishop Leo Michael

Our wonderful friends, Elisa Amati and her husband Father Don Luca drove all the way from Northern Italy to join us. We had a blast!

Our wonderful friends, Elisa Amati and her husband Father Luca de Pero drove all the way from Northern Italy – about 15 hours drive – to join us. We had a blast!

Streets of France

Streets of France. Elisa had a map. We would find our restaurant!

My husband, Bishop Leo Michael, Me, Father Don Luca, and his wife, Elisa Amati at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

My husband, Bishop Leo Michael, Me, Father Luca de Pero, and his wife, Elisa Amati at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Our Lady of Lourdes grotto was our planned destination and it was an incredible spiritual experience. More photos:

In 1858 Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl said that a "lady" spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle (a mile from the town) while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. Similar apparitions of the alleged "Lady" were reported on seventeen occasions that year, until the climax revelation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception took place. Bernadette Soubirous was later canonized as a Saint, and many believe her apparitions have been validated by the overwhelming popularity and testament of healings claimed to have taken place at the Lourdes water spring.

In 1858 Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl said that a “lady” spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle (a mile from the town) while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. Similar apparitions of the alleged “Lady” were reported on seventeen occasions that year, until the climax revelation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception took place. Bernadette Soubirous was later canonized as a Saint, and many believe her apparitions have been validated by the overwhelming testament of healings claimed to have taken place at the Lourdes water spring.

Bernadette

Bernadette Soubirous

Night at the grotto

Night at the grotto

An amazing blessing. Look to the left of the statue, considering the crevice a mouth. Do you see the face of Christ. We only saw this on our last night at the grotto

An amazing blessing. Look to the left of the statue, considering the crevice a mouth. Do you see the face of Christ? We only saw this on our last night at the grotto. Peace and Holy Spirit filled this beautiful holy place.

During one of the apparitions, Bernadette was told to by Our Lady "go drink at the spring and wash yourself there". Shortly after the first pilgrimages began Louis Bouriette was cured. He had lost his vision and washed in the miraculous water where he regained his vision.

During one of the apparitions, Bernadette was told to by Our Lady “go drink at the spring and wash yourself there”. At the time, the spot above place was nothing but a place in the dirt. Then, the spring miraculous bubbled up. Shortly after the first pilgrimages began Louis Bouriette was cured. He had lost his vision and washed in the miraculous water where he regained his vision. Through the years, many have been cured at the miraculous water of Lourdes. The water still runs and pilgrims can collect the water at faucets near the grotto.

The Basilica of Lourdes

The Basilica of Lourdes, built over the top of the grotto

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Where Bernadette was baptized

Where Bernadette was baptized

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My husband and Father Don Luca celebrating Mass.

My husband and Father Luca de Pero celebrating Mass

Father Don Luca and Elisa

Father Luca de Pero and Elisa

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Saints everywhere :-)

Saints everywhere 🙂

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Father Don Luca and Bishop Leo Michael walking up the hills toward the stations of the cross

Father Luca de Pero and Bishop Leo Michael walking up the hills toward the stations of the cross

Speaking of the Stations of the Cross, I plan to write and publish a Stations of the Cross book using some of my photos from Lourdes. Really excited about that project.  I’m also working toward finishing my sequel to Crooked Lines. (below)

Beautiful beach and seaAfter we left Lourdes, we went to South India to visit the places and people we helped after the 2004 Tsunami. After returning home, I published my then and now book, Tsunami 2004 – Still Wading through Waves of Hope. Some fascinating stories and pictures from the time of the 2004 Tsunami and after. We’d helped more than two hundred orphans after a national fundraising event. It was really great to return ten years later and visit the people and places and write their stories. Tsunami 2004 is now available on Amazon in Kindle and in print.

While in India, on our follow-up trip, we faced a horrific experience when my husband contracted dengue fever from a mosquito bite and nearly died. But, then and now, we held onto those peaceful blessed days at Lourdes and the wonderful fellowship with Father Don Luca and Elisa. ***

bookFor this weekend Crooked Lines, my novel, is on sale for .99 CENTS. Here’s the blurb: On the shores of Lake Michigan, Rebecca Meyer seeks escape. Guilt-ridden over her little sister’s death, she sets her heart on India, a symbol of peace. Across the ocean in South India, Sagai Raj leaves his tranquil hill station home and impoverished family to answer a higher calling. Pushing through diverse cultural and religious milieus, he labors toward his goals, while wrong turns and bad choices block Rebecca from hers.
Traveling similar paths and bridged across oceans through a priest, the two desire peace and their divine destiny. But vows and blind obedience at all costs must be weighed…and buried memories, unearthed.

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It’s My Birthday…

08 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Books, Crooked Lines, Family

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

#1 Inspirational Fiction, best-seller, Bestseller, Betsy Byrne, Bishop Leo Michael, Crooked Lines, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, India, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, nagapattinam, Nick Byrne, Novel, Tsunami, tsunami 2004, Tsunami Still Wading through Waves of Hope

…so, I put CROOKED LINES, A Novel for sale  @ .99 cents. http://amzn.to/1r4gTrT AND its #1 in Inspirational, Fiction, Family on AMAZON.COM

book

Happy because…had a great time with the kiddos. Congrats to Jake on his engagement to Emma, on his right. (Just love her). Daughter Betsy (WTG 4.0 in Grad School) to the left of Jake. My husband, Bishop Leo Michael, to my right and Nick (WTG Winning the New Orleans Bowl! Go Ragin Cajuns). Nick is the bookend wearing the hat.

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Counting my blessings at the beginning of 2015. There are so many. Started it out with a newly published book after our return from India. Tsunami 2004 Still Wading Through Waves of Hope: http://amzn.to/1AbgKXD

Beautiful beach and seaFeeling grateful to God that my husband survived dengue fever which resulted in a multi-organ failure situation. Truly, only prayers turned that around. We were at the tail end of a ten-year follow-up with the orphan children we helped after the 2004 tsunami. (thanks to those who gave during major fundraising effort back in 2004)

In the end, got the nonfiction book wrote and published. Tsunami 2004 – Wading through Waves of Hope is filled with inspirational then and now stories as we revisited the places and people in Nagapattinam, South India. $2.99 Kindle, $6.99 print.  http://amzn.to/1AbgKXD

Hope to get back to more blogging this year where I focus on connecting with others. Thanks for following my blog.

Holly

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Holly Michael

Holly Michael

Done this: Regular freelance ghostwriter and online editor for Guideposts for Teens/Sweet 16 Magazine, creator/editor of a magazine for Wal-Mart Corp., journalist, newspaper features writer, published in a variety of national magazines and local newspapers, script writing/editing for corporations. Doing this now: author of fiction and nonfiction, blogger, and editor of Koinonia Magazine. I’m the wife of Rt. Rev. Leo Michael, an Anglican Bishop in the Holy Catholic Church-Anglican Rite. Mom to three great kids: Nick (#81 Rajin Cajuns), Betsy (Super cute professor) and Jake (T1D & NFL player) Also, enjoy my travels extensively across the United States and internationally.

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