Holly Michael's Writing Straight

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

Holly Michael's Writing Straight

Tag Archives: Crooked Lines

Advent Day 17: Read

15 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Advent, Crooked Lines, To His Glory

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Tags

Christian Fiction, christian literature, Crooked Lines, Facebook party, Holly Michael, www.writingstraight.com

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Love this verse. During this season of Advent, preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord, we should read and think about excellent things.

Bible reading is excellent of course, and as an author, I also recommend lovely and admirable, excellent and praiseworthy Christian literature.

Today is a perfect day to invite you to meet and chat with some wonderful Christian authors during a really fun Facebook party. Win prizes, learn about new books, and more!

12246851_929639063756252_8134900347406777748_nJust click on this link: CELEBRATE LIT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION  . It’s on now and continues Dec 15 at 12 PM to Dec 17 at 9 PM (EST).

Stay for the entire time, or pop in when you can. Just keep refreshing the Facebook page.

The grand prize package for our Celebrate Lit Christmas Celebration is amazing. It includes:
Kindle Fire 7″ (8GB),
More Water Into Wine & Reflections – Australian stories from my Father’s Past by Helen Brown,
The Amish Christmas Sleigh by Molly Jebber, Amy Lillard & Kelly Long,
Finger-less gloves (tablet not included), 
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna White,
The Forgotten Recipe and The Amish Christmas Gift by Amy Clipston,
Halo Found Hope by Helo Matzelle,
The More the Merrier ebook,
The Yuletide Angel by Sandra Ardoin,
In Good Company by Jen Turano,
The Reckoning by Mary Lu Tyndall,
The Healer’s Touch by Amber Schamel,
Sabotaged Christmas by Carole Brown,
Sword of Forgiveness book and bookmark by Debbie Lynn Costello,
A Shenandoah Family Christmas and Shenandoah Nights by Lisa Belcastro,
The Truth About Drew and Goodbye, Magnolia by Krista Norman (both ebook format),
Light Bird’s Song by Sydney Betts,
The Feather Case by Shannon Brown,
The Brightest and Best by Olivia Newport.

Look forward to seeing you there! 

And also, more big news…today my book, Crooked Lines, is on sale for .99 Cents! Click here

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Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Christian Fiction Friday

27 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Books, Writing

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Alana Terry, Blog, Blog hop, Christian Fiction Friday, Crooked Lines, Hallee Bridgeman, Holly Michael, Snippet, True Path, www.writingstraight.com

christian-fiction-friday-banner-e1423219106167Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post snippets from their current works in progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman. See below for a full list of rules and suggestions. This week, I’m joining in the fun!

Here’s my snippet from True Paths (Sequel to Crooked Lines) …from the beginning of Chapter 2:

Swirls of distant smoke, like incense, sent the dead up to God. On the outskirts of the remote Nagapattinam fishing village, Rebecca leaned against the Jeep. Two weeks after the tsunami and piles of burning bodies still smoldered. Her heart sunk thinking about the thousands who lost their lives and the pain of their survivors. India had captured her heart since she was a child, but this wasn’t the India she’d imagined.

Her gaze fell from the sky above the thatched roofs to the activity across the sandy road.

Kumari, a beautiful woman dressed in a saffron and red salwaar kameez, stood near a shirtless, dark-skinned man. He raised his machete then sliced it sideways with a swift whooshack. Kumari accepted the scalped coconuts from the man. She stepped around a cow then approached a tall man corralling Indian youth workers onto a small, blue bus with “Praise the Lord” painted across the top of the windshield.

As soon as all were loaded, the Lord Jesus bus would follow Father Michael’s Lord Ganesha Jeep back to the orphanage. So far, every Indian vehicle Rebecca stepped in had hailed its religious affiliation—from auto rickshaws with rosaries dangling from rearview mirrors, to tiny fat Buddhas tucked in the corner of the windshields, to dashboard displays of blue, multi-armed, and elephant-faced beings.

Hints of spices and frying oil drifted from the tiny teashop across the road, where the coconut vendor had parked his cart. India poured out intoxicating mixtures of sights, smells, and sounds and in spite of the tragedy, Rebecca drank it all in.

The sun dipped below the top of coconut trees. In a few hours, in White Gull Bay, morning rays would slice through the bare maple tree outside the Wisconsin farmhouse window where her ten-year-old daughter slept, the same bedroom Rebecca once shared with her sister, and dreamt of India.

Kumari finished her conversation with the man, then crossed the ragged strip of a road toward Rebecca. 

TRUE PATHS is the sequel to CROOKED LINES, an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller in Inspirational Fiction. Here’s the beginning of the first chapter of Crooked Lines:

bookChapter One – Rebecca Meyer, White Gull Bay, Wisconsin, Summer 1985

It didn’t occur to me at the edge of the pond that I’d broken the sixth commandment, actually committed murder. I was busy working out a deal with God, swearing to Jesus I’d become a nun if He helped me breathe life back into my baby sister’s limp body. At the time, it didn’t matter that I wasn’t Catholic.

Now, a week after the funeral, Mama set me straight while flipping pancakes in the kitchen. “Daddy blames you for Kara’s death.” She said it like I’d let the milk spoil because I hadn’t put it back in the fridge, but the weight of her words cemented my bare feet to the green linoleum.

She reached for a platter and set it under the open window. The morning sun highlighted old stains, batter spills, and cracks on the brown laminate countertop. A cool morning draft rustled the faded yellow gingham curtains. Mama got a deal on that material from Woolworths before Kara was born. Along with curtains, she sewed four sundresses for each of my sisters and me. It wasn’t fair that the fabric was still with us, fluttering over the sink, yet Kara came and went as quickly as the wind.

Mama transferred pancakes to the plate.

My plan to breeze through the kitchen and escape the house unnoticed should have succeeded because for a week, I’d been a ghost. None of the people in the house—my parents or any of my brothers and sisters—spoke to me. I’d lived a cloistered existence with my blue notebook and unsettling thoughts.

Now, I only wanted to sit under the maple, read the Kara stories, and wind back time.

I tightened my arms around the notebook, holding it to my heart like a talisman, as if my words of love for my sister could erase the raw sting of truth in Mama’s words. Since that day at the pond, I’d been carrying that notebook everywhere, even sleeping with it. In my lake of sadness, in my whirling murky thoughts, those sacred pages had become my life preserver.

Mama snapped the griddle nob off and faced me. “We left her with you that morning. She was only seven.” Her words rushed out in a seething whisper. My shoulders fell and hope slid from them and disappeared out the kitchen window.

Only a month ago in my white cotton confirmation dress, I citied the Ten Commandments and professed my faith at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.

So confident. So holy. Mama baked a cake.

Now, because of me, Kara was dead. I tugged a loose string on the frayed edges of my cut-offs, then looked back up at Mama. Her short blonde hair was a tangled mess. Her red-streaked eyes shot angry darts laced with sadness. C’mon Mama. Don’t you get it? The deep muddy waters consumed Kara. She’s gone, but I’m here, still drowning. …

To purchase CROOOKED LINES

All Books   –   Holly’s Amazon Author Page

Website     –  www.hollymichael.com

Newsletter – http://eepurl.com/5vTLP 

Reviewer?   – Christian-evaluaters

                                     (Join Our Street Team!)

Facebook    –     https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHollyMichael

Writers, want to join the fiction fun? Hop over to Hallee’s Blog! Click here for a full list of rules and suggestions.

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Looking Back…Looking Forward – Amazing Life

16 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Betsy Byrne, Books, Christianity, Crooked Lines, Diabetes, Family, First and Goal, Football, Jake Byrne, Nick Byrne, tsunami 2004

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Author, Author Jake Byrne, Betsy Byrne, Bishop Leo Michael, Crooked Lines, Dallas, Dreams, Emma Erickson, First and Goal, First and Goal What Football Taught Me About Never Giving Up, future, God, God's Plan For You, Harvest House, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, Jake Byrne, Kansas City, Leo Michael, NFL, Nick Byrne, Novel, plans, Psalm 16:3, Psalm 31, Psalm 37:4-6, St James Anglican, tsunami 2004, type 1, type 1 diabetes, Type One Diabetes, Type Won, www.typewon.net

Hi Friends,

If you visited my blog about two years ago, you might have read the post about my son Jake, a type one diabetic entering into the NFL draft. At the same time, I was working toward my dream of becoming a novelist. (NFL Aspirations and novelists dreams: Follow the Fairytales as they come true.)

I’m reposting the text of the blog below and then giving an update because I’m simply amazed at how you can make life plans…then hope, dream, and pray, and then look back and smile, knowing that even if everything didn’t go exactly as planned, it went the way it was supposed to go. Life is amazing!

Here’s the blog post, then below that, an update and reflection:

I don’t remember the dream, only the worried face that popped into it. Jake. My four-year-old. Why was his face in my dream? Minutes later, a tap on my shoulder woke me.

“Had a bad dream, Mom,” Jake said.

I lifted the covers, pulled Jake close, and kissed the top of his head, amazed at this strange connection that allowed my son’s fears to travel from his dreams into mine.

Mom’s have connections like that with their children. Sometimes a prickle of worry regarding one of my kids will flash in my mind like a sudden rainstorm pocking up a calm lake. I stop, drop, and pray. Most times, I discover those feelings were on the mark, and my child needed prayers in that moment.

photoaJake had dreams of becoming an NFL player. What little boy doesn’t? Then as a sophomore in high school, he was diagnosed with type one diabetes. Jake refused to accept it as an obstacle. He wanted to play football on a college scholarship. He pushed himself hard: extra workouts, more discipline, never missing a practice. Jake gave his diabetes and his football dreams to God.

“Maybe God want’s me to have diabetes for a greater purpose,” Jake often expressed.

For the last last four years I’ve watched Jake start as a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers. (Jake Byrne #82) Now, Jake has an agent and a good shot at the NFL.

Like my son, I proclaimed lofty dreams when I was a child. I wanted to be a novelist. I held onto that goal, learning and improving my writing skills in spite of rejection letters and self-doubt obstacles along my path toward publication. Now, an agent is reading my novel.

Jake and I aren’t sitting back, biting our nails as we wait for our dreams to happen. I’m working on my second book, blogging, and preparing to become a novelist. Jake’s preparing for the NFL draft.

If a boy with type I diabetes can work hard and become an NFL player, then his mom can be a novelist. Lofty goals? Fairytales? NFL player and Novelist. Sometimes we just know what we want and with God’s blessing, hard work, a little God-given talent, and support from others, it can happen.

Mother and child connections. Funny we’re both, at the same time, standing at the cusp of our dreams becoming reality, ready to wake up and be the people we were meant to be.

AND NOW, two years later, here are the updates:

20130925-153506.jpgJake: Type 1 diabetic since the age of fourteen, has since been proactive combating the disease and mentoring diabetic youth. After playing four years for the University of Wisconsin as a tight end, he went on to compete in the NFL. Originally an undrafted free agent who signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2012, he has also been a Houston Texan, Kansas City Chief, and San Diego Charger. And he got engaged at Christmas to a lovely, wonderful girl. I welcome Emma Erickson into the family with a great big hug and lots of love!

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Jake is moving forward with new goals and plans: Marriage plans and starting a foundation TYPE WON to help and encourage diabetic youth. He just moved to Dallas and is starting a new job with a PR/Marketing Firm.

hollyHolly: Indie published one novel, Crooked Lines, and have two more to be released this year. Also, after following up from a mission trip after the 2004 Tsunami, indie published a non-fiction book: Tsunami 2004: Still Wading through Waves of Hope.

As a hybrid author-traditional and indie published, I now write write fiction and nonfiction, on a slightly different path than I imagined two years ago. But loving my writing life (fiction and nonfiction) and looking forward to my 2015 book releases and 2016, too!

photo (79)Together: Our “mother-son connections” have brought us a book contract with Harvest House Publishers, due for a release date Early August: First and Goal – What football taught me about never giving up. We are so excited about this devotional and very grateful to Kim Moore, Senior Editor, who had faith in this project and who has been a joy to work with.

The rest of the family is doing great. My husband, Bishop Leo Michael, continues his work as an anglican pastor/bishop. (St. James Anglican Church, Kansas City)

Youngest son, Nick, plays football for the Ragin’ Cajuns at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. (Jake, above, supporting his team and wearing one of his shirts – holding our book contact).

1908477_10203058282048200_7841013063728876238_nAnd daughter Betsy is studying for her Masters and working as a teaching assistant at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette.  All three cuties to the left. Ahh…as a mom, I love that these three are best friends.

Reflection: Looking back, I’m amazed at how far we all have come since that post, two years ago. There have been rough moments. Ups and downs. Times when we didn’t know what was next. Jake was cut and picked up, again and again…even brought back to the same team again. I’ve had my own moments of doubt and worry. But, through our moments of uncertainty, we commit our plans to the Lord. Looking back, we can see God’s Hand has been in our lives in amazing ways. He is good. He is faithful. Always.

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During moments of doubt and insecurity, pray. Ask the Creator to show us the way. We are His creation and He knows us best and what is best for us.

Looking back or forward, Psalms 31 says it all:

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

Who wouldn’t want to be led by a Greater Power, the Creator and Source of Life and Love. Looking forward, here’s some advice from Psalms 37:4-6:

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Simple but profound bit of wisdom. We can never go wrong by committing our life and plans to God.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Psalms 16:3

I may not blog too much in the next few months as I’m in the middle of several writing projects, including a few non-fiction book proposals and finishing three novels…committing it all to the LORD. Will see where He leads us all next. I’m not sure of anything, but only that life is an amazing and wonderful ride with Jesus at the wheel.

Would love if you’d click over and “like” Jake’s TYPE WON Facebook page. While there, would you please subscribe to his mailing list by clicking on the “subscribe” link.

Thanks a bunch!

Looking back, how has your life changed in the last two years? Hopefully, even through the rough times, you’ve moved forward on the path toward your plans, hopes, and dreams. Hopefully, you’ve seen the hand of God in your life. Need direction? Got worries? Let me know. I’d be happy to pray for you.

10999505_10155288525850635_6476870574761653437_nOh, and one more bit of news from me. My novel, CROOKED LINES, is on sale for .99 CENTS this week.

 

 

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Weekend Stuff: Good Advice, a Sale, an Award, and Book Updates

06 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Holly Michael in Award, Books, Crooked Lines, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, tsunami 2004

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Beauty and the Beast book club, Book Review, books, Crooked Lines, Dr. Seuss, february Pulpwood queen, February pulpwood queen book of the month, fiction, Holly Michael, Jake Byrne, nonfiction, Pulpwood Queen Book Club, tsunami 2004

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Also, Crooked Lines is on sale through the weekend for only .99 Cents. (Voted as Pulpwood Queen’s February Bonus Book of the Month!)  

Crooked Lines Pulpwood

Fifty-five, Five Star Reviews. Here’s one from Donna: Wow!!! This book is a must read. Rebecca lives in America on the shores of Lake Michigan and blames herself for her younger sisters death. She searches for meaning and truth in her life. She yearns to go to India. Sagai lives across the world from her in South India and leaves his poor family to become a priest. He tries through every test to draw closer to God. Rebecca feels that God let her down from the time of her sisters death and many other times in her life. Her choices are made based on her failing her sister. She visits a church because she can find no way out of it. They have a priest,who serves in India,who is friends with Sagai as a guest speaker. She tells him about wanting to go to India. Rebecca and Sagai become pen pals with this priest and pray for each other for many years. It’s amazing to see God working through their lives, and some of the similarities in their struggles. When we look back at our lives as we try to follow the path that God has for us or we take a different path we will see the straight path that leads to God was there all along. The crooked lines are where we took detours and God led us back. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly this book was so engaging I couldn’t put it down and I felt like God was speaking to me through it. This author has allowed God to use her as she shares spiritual truths through her writing.

Beautiful beach and seaAnd Tsunami 2004 Still Wading Through Waves of Hope (nonfiction) is available FREE on Kindle Unlimited and $2.99 on Kindle, $6.99 Print Version (Amazing stories from survivors then and now and how we survived a near death experience on our return to Nagapattinam, ten years later.).

Here’s a review from Larry: K. P. Yohannan of Gospel For Asia asked on one of his videos, “What did you do when you heard about the thousands of people swept away by the tsunami?” To be honest, most of us just watched the tragedy on TV, shrugged our shoulders, and did little else, but that is not so for the author and her husband.

“Tsunami 2004: Still Wading through Waves of Hope” records what Bishop Leo Michael and his wife Holly did upon hearing the tsunami news. They raised thousands of dollars and traveled to India with a friend to see for themselves where their funds could best be used. The areas they chose to visit were the three hardest hit areas in India.

Holly Michael’s crisp writing style reveals the heart-breaking calamity they witnessed, the hardships they faced, and her own personal fears about being on the ground in the midst of total devastation. Her willingness to reveal her own heart throughout the book helps us see through her eyes.

In 2014, Holly and her husband returned to the same regions of India to check out what happened to the people they helped. Some of the testimonies told of great victories, but a few revealed the despair victims felt a decade later. And then there was Bishop Leo’s life-threatening bout with dengue fever.

This is a five-star book and I believe everyone should read it.

*****

If you’ve read either of my books, I’d love a review!! CLICK HERE TO REVIEW CROOKED LINES. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW TSUNAMI 2004 – STILL WADING THROUGH WAVES OF HOPE

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If I don’t blog much in the next month, it’s because I’m busy finishing the sequel to Crooked Lines.

Several new releases in 2015! Yippee! And one to be published by Harvest House that this cutie (son, Jake Byrne) and I wrote together. Will be released in early August! Exciting stuff! I’ll update as we come closer to the date.IMG_1002

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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_1111 IMG_1139 IMG_1144 IMG_1130 IMG_1043 IMG_1122 IMG_1126 IMG_1058 IMG_1029 IMG_1073 IMG_1031 IMG_1143 IMG_1133 IMG_1034

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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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

Tags

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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One Day Deal: Be Inspired For a Cause!

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Holly Michael in Crooked Lines, India, Inspiration

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Anglican Bishop, anniversary of tsunami 2004, Author Holly Michael, Bishop Leo Michael, Crooked Lines, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, India, nagapattinam, Read for a Cause, South India, Tamil Nadu, tsunami 2004

Super “one day” deal for a cause. Just for today, Saturday, October 18th, CROOKED LINES is on sale (kindle version) for only $2.99!

Crooked3 (1)

And guess what? For just $2.99 you support our Nagapattinam Mission Project and get a deal on a great book. (Crooked Lines reached #1 in inspirational fiction category and is getting awesome five star reviews).

About the Nagapattinam Project: Nearly ten years ago, Christmas Day evening, the phone rang. My husband’s brother DeCruze, calling from India. A Tsunami struck the coastline. Thousands were feared dead (Thank God, our family living inland were all okay).

The next day, a local newspaper reporter who knew my husband was from India called for an interview.

“What would you like to do?” the reporter asked.

“Raise funds, go to India, and help. Every penny given will go directly to the victims.”

My husband has a heart for the Lord, but sometimes his zeal means that I need to gear up for what might come next. Walking out of the newspaper office, I questioned my husband, “Do you know what you just committed to?”

He did and meant every word. The church flew into fundraising-mode. The community and beyond opened their hearts and purses. More than seventy thousand dollars was raised.

Ten days after the tsunami we were in Nagapatinnam, Tamil Nadu, South India. My husband said to our contact, “Send us to the worst affected areas, the poorest, most remote villages, where there’s been no help.”

Weary from nearly thirty hours of travel, again, I mentally geared up for what would come next. My husband, having lived and worked in the affected region for many years, explained that the poor fishing villages—huts with thatched coconut leaf roofs—would be wiped out. Many lives would be lost. The survivors would need a lot of help. Helping, doing some good, always makes the challenges easier.

Photo by Holly Michael

Bishop Leo Michael counsels Photo by Holly Michael

My husband’s predictions rang true and I had no idea how difficult, yet fulfilling, this experience would be.

As a freelancer for a Guideposts magazine, I had an assignment to cover the story of a teenage survivor, Tamalarisa, below.

Photo by Holly Michael, Tamilarisa in the remains of her home

Photo by Holly Michael, Tamilarisa in the remains of her home

We provided immediate assistance and helped many tsunami orphans. We arranged for the village headman to bring the children to the local bank where we identified them and put funds in CD’s to be collected ten years later (2014). This would give them money to begin their lives as adults. We also provided a couple of fishing boats for the villages, as their boats were destroyed, and fishing was their only livelihood.

Photo by Holly Michael

Photo by Holly Michael

Orphaned by the 2004 Tsunami, photo by Holly Michael

Orphaned by the 2004 Tsunami, photo by Holly Michael

We returned a year later and offered more help.

Nearly ten years later, we are preparing to return to Nagapattinam for a follow-up visit. On the ten-year anniversary, December 26th, 2014, I’ll publish, Tsunami 2004: Then and Now. Devastation from the Sea. Help from Beyond. (Working Title).

I’m excited to return and see how the children–now adults–are doing and discover their future plans. I’m also curious to see how the once decimated villages have recovered. We want to show them we still care.

This past July, I released Crooked Lines, my debut novel. It threads the lives of two determined souls from different continents and cultures. They struggle with spirituality through despair and deceptions in search of truth.

Here’s my back cover 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.

Please take advantage of today’s sale and purchase Crooked Lines for $2.99 to support our Nagapattinam Project and help us on this Mission Trip. If you don’t have a Kindle, consider purchasing a print version of the book. Or you can download a Kindle app for free for your smart phone, tablet, or PC. Gift a copy to a friend. It all helps, and I hope to show this results of this help in the book to be published on the anniversary of the tsunami.

Click here to purchase Crooked Lines

Other ways you can help:

1. Please click to share below, twitter, Facebook, etc.

2. Sign up for my newsletter for further news on my books: releases, news, etc. Click Here

3.  Visit my Facebook page and share from there: Click Here

Thanks for your support! Gotta go pack now!! Please keep us in your prayers!

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First newsletter…and guess what? Some BIG news!

13 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Holly Michael in Books, Crooked Lines, India, Journeys: In Writing and Life, Travel

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

anniversary of tsunami 2004, Author Holly Michael, Bestseller, Blog, books, Crooked Lines, Holly Michael, Mission trip, nagapattinam, South India, tsunami 2004, www.writingstraight.com

Just published my very first Mail Chimp newsletter. Huge challenge for my non-techy-hate-learning-new-stuff-brain, but I got ‘er done! Still trying to figure out how to add a sign-up form on my blog and website, but, for now and for those who haven’t signed up for my newsletter, here’s my exciting news in old school cut and paste method from the newsletter (and a link below to get future issues of the real thing).

First, the banner of the newsletter. It doesn’t have a fancy newsletter name, but oh well.

Hollybanner (1) Ok…here’s the news:

Nagapattinam: Ten Years after the Tsunami

“Send us to the worst affected areas, the poorest, most remote villages, where there’s been no help.” ~ Bishop Leo Michael

My husband spoke those words nearly ten years ago when we landed in South India, just days after the 2004 tsunami. He had once lived and worked in the region and knew of the fisher-folk’s living conditions and the havoc a gigantic wave could wreak on a village with homes built of sticks and coconut-thatched roofs.

I mentally geared up for mission work, but had no idea how difficult, yet fulfilling, the experience would prove to be.

Holly2

Now, ten years later, we are preparing to leave for South India for a follow-up visit to the places and people helped from the generosity of America, after a 2004 major fundraising event. (I gotta pack soon).

Funds were used to help rebuild the villages and to provide many orphans with local bank CD’s (to mature in ten years).

Now, the children are ready to collect their money and begin their adult lives. I’m so excited to go back and meet these young people and write their stories. I’ll compile a “then and now” short book (with photos) and release it on the anniversary of the tsunami: December 26, 2014. (Tsunami 2004: Then and Now. Devastation from the Sea. Help from Beyond. – Working Title).

10388652_10154343931780635_7186550705922152135_n

Though both Crooked Lines and the sequel include experiences in the Nagapattinam seaside villages and some life experiences of mine and my husbands, both are works of fiction. Release date for the sequel is planned for February 2015, hopefully Valentines Day.

Here’s the first paragraph of the sequel to Crooked Lines. (Crossed Lines-working title…do you like that title? Let me know in the comments.): Like swirls of smoke from incense, smoldering heaps sent the remains of the dead up to God. I turned away from the distant piles of burning bodies. Nagapattinam, two weeks after the tsunami, wasn’t the India I’d been imagining for the past twenty years. Yet, every storm that swept into my life since I was a teenager had prepared me for this time and place. 

photo by Holly Michael

And in case you haven’t gotten Crooked Lines (reached #1 spot in inspirational fiction on Amazon) here’s the back-cover 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.

Crooked3 (1)So…for occasional brief and newsy updates about book release dates, sales, etc., here’s the link to sign up for my newsletter: CLICK HERE. Why not?

Thanks! AND, HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP: PURCHASE CROOKED LINES NOW AND PROCEEDS FROM SALES FOR THE REST OF OCTOBER AND ALL OF NOVEMBER WILL HELP FUND THE ONGOING PROJECT. THE NEED FOR HELP IS ALWAYS GREAT IN THE POOR FISHING VILLAGES IN NAGAPATTINAM. Click HERE to purchase Crooked Lines

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Guest Post: Connie Almony Solves Problems for Indie Authors & Readers of Christian Fiction

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Holly Michael in Book Marketing, Guest Author

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Author, Author Connie Almony, Blog, Christian Fiction, Connie Almony, Crooked Lines, Holly Michael, ICFS, indie christian fiction, Indie Christian fiction search, www.writingstraight.com

headshot1 (1)Hi, my name is Connie Almony and I am a creative problem solver. If you give me a problem that should be solved, I will shake inside until it is. That’s just how my brain works, and THAT’s why I created the Indie Christian Fiction Search site—Ickfuss (ICFS) to its friends. I saw a problem and I had to solve it.

The Problem …

What was the problem, you ask? Well, there were a few.

1) Avid readers needed to find loads of books that would feed their insatiable need and target their interests, all without breaking the bank.

2) Christian readers needed to find a greater breadth of story, not often available through traditionally published books, while being within a biblical framework.

3) Christian readers needed extra information—that which is often missing from online retailers—before making the decision to buy.

4) Readers needed a way to search through lots of material that is easy, non-cumbersome and directs them right to books that interest them through search criteria and scrolling mechanisms that allow the reader to sift quickly through blurb excerpts.

Why were these my problems to solve? Well, because I knew it could be done, and yet no one was doing it.

The Focus …

Why focus on indie fiction, you ask? … (Sigh) … My, but you’re an inquisitive group!

I haven’t always been an ardent supporter of indie fiction. I believe an author is well served when many eyes see her work before it is published. I also believe any product is best when it is formed by a group of people using their unique gifts (ie. The Body of Christ). So Indie always looked like someone who just didn’t want to play by the rules. (God often humbles me when I get too opinionated). I worried the work would suffer for it. But then the new era of indie publishing steam-rolled into being. A world of critique partners, beta readers, freelance editors and cover artists, Facebook writers’ groups, search engines and social media platforms. Not to mention the low cost (I mean, how much lower than $0 can you get) of uploading your ebook to an online retailer. All these factors increased the ability to create a better quality book with a smaller investment.

The game has changed, and so has the breadth and quality of fiction.

I didn’t mean to be an indie author myself. I sort of got conned into it by my critique partner, Mildred Colvin, and discovered there is a world of fiction out there that is feeding a need not met by the traditional houses. I have found a plethora of Christian fiction which has been deemed unsellable by publishers for a variety of reasons, be they time period (medieval), character choices (Viking, pirate, multi-cultural), settings (universities, cities, space) or subject matter (mistresses, drug addiction), and discovered worlds like the one in which I live, replete with sinners in need of a Savior. Additionally, I discovered that many of my favorite authors, when given the chance to write from their hearts instead of a marketing team’s idea of what “the public” wants, are EVEN BETTER when writing this way. Yes, you read that right—EVEN BETTER. And as an avid reader, indie fiction is a lot less traumatic to my credit card.

Quality of Writing or Marketing Guts?

So what’s not to like?

I’ll tell you what? Many are concerned that because indie authors have not been vetted by the process of acquiring an agent or catching the eye of an editor, their work is not as good. The truth is I STILL suggest authors go through this process and hone their craft, before making the jump. But there is a point where the author realizes it’s not the craft, but the perception of the general marketplace that is holding him back from publication. Yes, it is nice to have someone “important” like you, but just because that someone doesn’t like you, doesn’t mean the rest of the world must ignore you as well. Many novels are rejected because the theme of their work has not been tested in the marketplace. However, in these tough times of the publishing industry it is likely nothing new will be tested until someone has the guts to do so. Therefore, lots of extraordinary ideas fall by the wayside.

Not with indie!

With indie publishing the READER is the gatekeeper, not the executive, nor the marketing team—honest-to-goodness readers who have a love for the written word, and a great story, just like you do. Independent authors often offer early books cheap (and even free) so YOU, the reader, can get a sense of who they are and what they write. Then YOU can decide whether or not you want to continue reading them.

It’s just a matter of finding this new breed of author.

Sifting Through the Muck …

But there is another problem. Traditional Christian publishing didn’t just vet for quality, it also vetted for biblical content. If you’ve ever gone “church shopping” in a very secular area (as I have) and you’ve seen the variety of agenda’s that come from groups that label themselves “Christian,” you will know not all people wearing that moniker promote the same sort of faith. In fact, in one of our independent author Facebook discussions, one of our members found a “Christian” group writing very decadent—and painful—forms of erotica. In these gate-keeper-less times, someone needs to step up and help us wade through the muck. Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS) is designed, asking the author to ensure a level of standard outlined in its Statement of Faith and Content guidelines, while informing the reader so he or she can make a decision as to whether or not the book is right for them. I also hope readers will return to ICFS to comment on books they found either exceptionally inspiring or not quite their cup of tea—respectfully, of course. Again, the reader is King here!

Magazine--ed (1)

Finding the Right Books for You…

So now readers will have access to information on a larger breadth of biblically-centered fiction in one place. The next trick is how to search through all the titles to find the one for you.

This is the fun part!

I had a vision from God. Or at least, my mind kept playing images of an old template I’d used for my blog and the many “views” it allowed that would make a quick search of a large amount of material very easy. So I decided to try it out by posting a bunch of friends’ books to the site. I’d been pondering how to do this because, frankly, I find most book retailer sites cumbersome and less fine-tuned to my needs, requiring lots of clicks into things I eventually have no use for. The largest online book retailer comes close, but does not allow for a page full of blurbs under search criteria ready to be scanned. It only gives a page of book titles, cover art and price. With Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS), you can plug in search criteria and watch the cover art float across the page.

Sidebar View--edIt’s really cool :o)!!!

Then you can change the “view” of the site and scroll through book blurbs selected by genre or search criteria and pick through the ones that look good to you. There are a number of ways to do this. It’s just a matter of finding the one view that works best for you.

So if you are an independent Christian fiction author and would like to have your novel listed on Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS), please enter the site, read through the Statement of Faith and Author Guidelines, and if it’s a good fit—submit. Please review the guidelines each time, as they may change. I will be adjusting things to streamline the site’s functionality.

Dynamic Views

If you are a READER, looking for something reasonably priced and potentially unique, please check out the “How to Use This Site” page and see how much fun a book search can be.

Try out all the views and feel free to tell me what works best for you. Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS) will be growing vastly over the next few months so make sure you drop by again. There is also a newsletter you can sign up for that will include links to new titles, and hot-picks, keeping you regularly informed of the latest in indie Christian fiction. I promise, it will not be sent out more often than quarterly. And don’t forget to come back and let us know what you think about the books you read. Remember, YOU are the gatekeeper. YOU have the power. Use it wisely ;o).

Sign up for the newsletter NOW and be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card. The winner will be announced on November 1, 2014.

Connie Almony is trained as a mental health therapist and likes to mix a little fun with the serious stuff of life. She was a 2012 semi-finalist in the Genesis Contest for Women’s Fiction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest. Her newest release, At the Edge of a Dark Forest, is a modern-day re-telling of Beauty and the Beast about a war-vet, amputee struggling with PTSD.

You can find Connie on the web at ConnieAlmony.com, writing book reviews for Jesus Freak Hideout, and hosting the following blogs: InfiniteCharacters.com, IndieChristianFictionSearch.Blogspot.com, and LivingtheBodyofChrist.Blogspot.com.

You can also meet her on the following social media outlets:

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

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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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Welcome to Raspberryman. I hope you will find in these words and books inspiration, some entertainment, and ideas to find grace in the world today.

Elijah Stevens

Teacher, Mentor, Coach, Writer

the beautiful changes...

...in such kind ways...

Apprentice 2 Jesus

An Anglicostal Connecting to a Real World

catholicpsychdoc

Catholic-without compromise

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