Between Heartbeats Re-publication

Author update: To turn a phrase, I learned how to change sour lemons into sweet lemonade when my publisher closed its doors in May. After experiencing an interesting month, I’m happy to announce my novel, Between Heartbeats, is back on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. The Kindle price is $2.99 and the paperback edition is now $12.95. I extinguished this unexpected blip and have resumed writing Book Two of the Heartbeat Series. I plan to release the title and cover this fall, and anticipate its publication in December 2016. 

Between-Heartbeats-Donelle-Knudsen


My future publisher posted this link yesterday and I just had to share it, too.

http://www.seidershousepublishing.com/donelle-knudsen-between-heartbeats/

Ready for Some Good News?

I sure am, and so for a few days I'm gong to avoid the Internet and cable news - I've had enough of the negatives, especially the never-ending political blather spewed forth 24 hours a day. I'm more than ready to turn away from the negatives and concentrate on the positives: our four grandchildren, good health, and the upcoming holidays.

And all the while I will thank God for our blessings of family, friends, and the freedoms we should never take for granted, because the world it is a changing. 

Over the last few weeks I have witnessed the best of the fall season with amazing colors, bright blue skies, and warm temperatures. Most days have been picture-perfect. 

So my advice is to look around you and rather than focusing on the endless news cycles, pop in seasonal DVDs, make some popcorn, and hug your family.

Inspiration Comes From Unexpected Places

To my thinking, writers connecting with writers, either online or face-to-face, is imperative. Writers take on a lonely business, armed only with a pen and blank sheet of paper, or computer screen, and our imaginations. The wonderful thing is that these elements, combined with research and the desire to create, can take us as far as our minds and stamina are able.

So far this year I have attended one writers conference where I gained information and inspiration and submitted five entries to writing contests; however, my critique group is on hiatus, so my impetus to create something new every week has stalled. Add vacations, family time, and a recent surgery, and the result: my weeks have been chopped up into fragments with precious little to show.

One thing I always make time for is reading, and writing ideas down as they come, often at the oddest times. The most recent quote I wrote down is by Frodo Baggins from one of Peter Jackson's films in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien:  "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam, but it did." Context: Frodo is speaking to his comrade, Sam, after Gandalf's untimely death in the underground caves. Their future looks bleak, because the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring has seemingly perished, and their grief is so deep that they fear the worst: utter defeat.

Frodo's observation gave me the inspiration to bring out a writing project I had been working on for six months, but put aside because it had become too difficult, too painful to continue. It was inspired by a true life situation that has caused our family much pain and stress over the last year. But from experience, I have learned that those are the best kinds of projects to tackle, because challenges, the hard things in life, are what make us stronger, teach us valuable lessons, and result in inspired writing.

So, thank you, Frodo, for reminding me that life isn't always easy, and to remember that I should never give up and to not admit defeat, no matter how daunting the task that lies ahead.

Thankfulness is a State of Mind

Periods of relative peace, prosperity, and thankfulness can be fleeting. When I find myself in the "eye of the storm", where all is calm, I want to savor every moment. Thanksgiving is an official North American holiday set aside for us to gather with family and focus on our blessings. Tomorrow most of us will spend the day with loved ones and do just that.

Many will devote their energies to devouring turkey, potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, and then watching football and perhaps falling asleep in an arm chair. I remember those days at Grandma's house - full from the year's best meal and me falling asleep in front of the t.v., or at the foot of my granddad as he smoked his pipe.

We didn't rise early the next morning to wait in line for Black Friday bargains. It was a simpler time, less materialistic in many ways.

Life is complicated this year for me, stressful on several fronts.

But I'll take a day off, maybe a whole weekend, to energize. That's what Granddad would advise. He witnessed plenty of tough times, but he was optimistic and tried to live in a Thankful state of mind.