Friday, January 31, 2014

The ENERGETIC VICTORIANS


The Early
to Mid
Victorian 
Era


People often think of the Victorians as stodgy and repressed. But in the early part of Victoria’s reign, a better description might be energetic, inquiring, and multi-talented. England was rising to a position of world prominence in trade, manufacturing, and colonization. Their industry and inventiveness was incredible. The worlds of science were opening up in ways never before imagined. The future seemed full of enormous promise.


Jennifer's novels are never sexually explicit yet contain that tension between her hero and heroine who are attracted to each other. This author has also won the Holt Medallion Award.

She says:
When I was in high school I discovered the romantic suspense novels of Mary Stewart. I reread them all multiple times. So many of her books were set in fascinating locales like Greece and France, and I believe they forever sealed my conviction that romance and adventure go hand in hand. (The fact that I met my future husband while we were both on an assignment in the Pacific Northwest naturally confirms this.)

If you enjoy reading historical novels you'll find these on Amazon .com or on Jennifer's website at jenniferdelamere.com

I always write my novels in this intriguing era, but usually the late Victorian 1890s.

Friday, January 24, 2014

A CHERISHING KIND of LOVE

Dressed up for a friend's wedding
CHERISH: to hold dear :to feel or show affection for :to cultivate with care :to appreciate :to nurture.

This is a lovely word.

My husband and I have a little saying, "If we don't cherish each other who will?"

We have been married for many years and have grown so close to each other. This is for many reasons.

We appreciate each others' differences. We respect and build up each other. We are kind to each other. And invariably when we have disagreements, as all couples do, we make sure to ask each others' forgiveness when we have been wrong.

These deliberate actions cement the bonds of marriage in ways that passion alone never could. Most of all we have discovered that the closer we get to God the closer we come to each other and the more love continues to grow.

The Holy Bible sums this up beautifully. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always, protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.(I Corinthians, chapter 13.)

Cherish your loved ones ... you won't have them forever.


Friday, January 17, 2014

ANNIVERSARY HAPPINESS

Author Megan DiMario shares why she and her husband are riding on a Greyhound bus.

35 years ago today I awoke to an overcast day. Less than a month before, my honey and I made the decision to live for Christ. It changed our lives! (We lived separately until our wedding day.)

Snow wasn't predicted, but as I prepared to meet my groom it began to fall, and fall, and fall.

Meanwhile, Carl flipped open his Bible. The passage his gaze fell upon was Isaiah 1:18. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow." Such a beautiful promise!

Such a great 35 years of adventure, traveling through the ups and downs of life together. I'm blessed, and I know it.

His family rented a Greyhound bus to drive up from Long Island to Wynantskill, NY. We hopped aboard and rode with them to our reception.

What fun memories to share, Megan!




Friday, January 10, 2014

ASENATH - Joseph's Wife and ANNA - Al's Wife

The story of Asenath has been captured in a fascinating novel by my writer friend, Anna Patricio. Her personal story follows.



When I began writing my debut novel Asenath, my only end goal was to get it published. Little did I know that God had something else in store for me.

When I was in the second or so draft of the novel, it occurred to me to check if there were other novels about Asenath. I did not want to be writing something too similar to what may have already been published. But additionally, I was curious. The wife of Joseph is, after all, a rather obscure Biblical heroine.  I did a search online and I came across a Young Adult novella entitled Asenath’s Tale by Alfred D. Byrd. I was intrigued. For while this book’s storyline was different from mine, it also contained a number of astonishing similarities.

I like contacting authors if their books make an impression on me. So  I contacted Mr. Byrd, to express my interest and let him know that I, too, was writing about this very obscure Biblical female. I was not expecting anything to come out of the correspondence though. Just the usual “thank you for your interest” and so forth.
                                         
Mr. Byrd – who later told me to address him as Al – turned out to be warm and accommodating from the start. He also expressed interest in my work-in-progress. We also talked about Biblical re-tellings, Joseph and Asenath narratives, theology, Egyptology, historical fiction, and writing tactics. So began a friendship based on common interests. Al stood by me as I revised

When the book was released, he cheered for me.

When we met in person, we got along as well as we did online and over the phone. It was even better than we both expected, in fact. We had mutual respect for each other, were at ease with each other, and could talk to each other about just anything. Over time, we realized that the relationship had progressed to a deeper level. Soon, we were engaged.


Al and I got married in a lovely church that was built in the early 1900s. The entrance porch was lined with Greco-Roman-inspired columns. The sanctuary, where the ceremony was held, had colourful stained glass windows, golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and an enormous pipe organ behind the altar. This was perfect for us, being history lovers. And naturally, we chose a traditional service.

Al wore a dark grey suit commemorating his Confederate ancestry; though additionally, he is a Civil War enthusiast. My dress was inspired by Greco-Roman fashions.And our theme song was The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.

To commemorate how we met, we requested the minister to incorporate Joseph and Asenath’s story into the ceremony. After reading the first verse that mentions Asenath, he spoke about how Joseph had found love after enduring much travails.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that through my Bible and writing interests, I would one day meet the man who would later become my husband.

Thank you, Lord, for the great gift of my husband Al!

VISIT ANNA PATRICIO BYRD’S BLOG at www.annapatricio.blogspot.com  


Thursday, January 2, 2014

A God - Honouring Wedding

Here we are all dressed up to attend a friend's wedding. (No wedding pics available yet.)

What was so special about this wedding? The Rev. Hon. Fred Nile, the leader of the Australian Christian Democratic Party was married in a wonderful God-honouring ceremony in the stately old St. Thomas's Anglican Church. It was attended by family, friends and fellow parliamentarians.

Everyone rejoiced to see this humble man find happiness again after he lost his wife a couple of years ago from cancer. Fred shared with us how, before she died, she advised him to marry someone
 who would share the burden of his responsibilities in the rather stressful times of parliamentary debates.

The happy couple at their engagement
Silvana Nero, a school teacher, had always wanted  to serve her community in politics and at a Christian Democratic Party function, she approached Rev. Nile and asked what steps she should take to join the CDP. He replied, "You are the answer to my prayers." Silvana was pleased, believing he was glad to have another committed recruit, but never realizing Fred had long been praying for the Lord to lead him to someone who would share in his chosen way of life.

They dated for a year before their joyous wedding in December. The couple have a vital interest in Israel, having visited the Jewish Knesset. And the blowing of the shofars began the whole proceedings.

It was a beautiful ceremony with the Pacific Islander Choir leading the singing. And the place reverberated with the magnificent pipe organ as the congregation sang How Great Thou Art. Several celebrities were among the guests, which made it interesting for us to figure out who was who.

There's no doubt weddings touch us deeply when such solemn vows are made before God. And every one of us wished the couple God's richest blessings in their future life together.

A SECRET WEDDING ... and the consequences.

Rita Stella Galieh's novel, Signed Sealed Delivered, is the story of Megan Trevallyn, an English governess who stands accused of a heinous crime.

The cast of characters whose lives entwine with her destiny:
Captain Charles Cantrell - her love. Cornelia - his sister-in-law and scheming mistress of the Mayfair mansion. Lieutenant John Stafford - her nemesis.`And Ezra Montefiore - an ardent suitor.

Now on Amazon Kindle at $3.99