Blogs, Short Stories, and Podcasts...Oh My!!

Hello fellow bookworms, authors...and perhaps the curious too!! I hope that everyone enjoyed a safe, fun and interesting Memorial Day weekend. I certainly did; I was on a family vacation before the holiday in Myrtle Beach being...yes...you guessed it! A beach Bum, and it was thoroughly relaxing.

I did get quite a bit of work done on vacation, but I only worked for a couple hours in the mornings. The rest of the days were spent enjoying family poolside, walking on the beach with my grandchildren, and sitting back sipping some delicious cocktails in the evenings.

On to more news...I experimented with creating my first Podcast. But I didn't start this project until today; after getting home last night from vacation. It's a very rough draft, but I intend to keep plugging away at it!

So, you see there are two very exciting projects to look for from me very soon. But in the meantime, if you go to this website, there you can find one of my posts published under guest essays. It's a great article, so please visit this website. http://www.theirrefutableopinion.com. 
And its not just about my essay either. This is a wonderful site run by a great blogger!

I continue to publish short stories in my column on Wikinut.com also. It's all about exposure!! The more exposure I can get as a guest blogger, or a short story columnist, the more my name will be recognized!

So I continue to work...and dream...dream...and work. It's all going to pay off if I just keep trying. And that I will do.

Best,
Wiladene

Hot off the Press

Welcome Back! Since my last post, I have started on yet another new venture! I am very happy to say that now I am being published for royalties on a place called "Wikinut.com." Be sure to visit me on this site and read my column. Some of you probably have heard of this site before. It is a fabulous forum for publishing short stories, and I can write as many as I please. I have already published three (3) short stories and the comments have started rolling in. The number of page views (my stats) is also growing. It is so exciting.

Next...I want to tell you about my other news. My request to write a 'guest blog post' from one of the bloggers that I follow has been accepted. My post will be published on her site very soon...she assures me, and when it hits her blog; I will include the link to her site on this site! Yes, my friends...things are definitely moving along; slowly but surely.

A favorite spiritual mentor of mine (and a lot of yours too I'm sure)...Joyce Meyer has said many times before and I quote "Don't despise the day of small beginnings". And I don't. I trust that God has a perfect plan for me, and that I will walk right into it on purpose when I'm supposed to. Right now, I am exactly where he wants me to be, and his timing is perfect!

Thank each of you who take the time to read my posts for being there. I may not see you, or know who you are, but you are important to me. Each and every page view is important to me, and is deeply appreciated.

Your comments are welcome at any time!

Until we meet again...take care and remember to buy and read a book...support a writer!

Writing With a Purpose

Hide e Ho!! And finally it seems as if spring has truly sprung here in the Queen City! Things are definitely coming up roses; lots of bright blue skies and sunshine. The rain has washed away the pollen and left behind a clean and clear atmosphere. The beautiful flowers are in bloom, and it's all just so nice.

Anyway, since my last post I have been very busy! I am composing fresh and new articles for submission to several online journals, as well as putting a new spin on some old ones for the same purpose. This will get my foot in the door as a freelance writer, and I will be paid for those articles that get accepted for publication. Isn't that wonderful? Just imagine...soon I will be a presence in the online world of journalism!!

Plus, I have started on the preliminary work for a new book (in addition to the one I'm already working on), but this is something entirely different. First off, it will be a much shorter book...probably no more than ten chapters. And it is my very first attempt at writing spiritual and inspirational work.

It should not be a problem though; I have so very much to be grateful to God for, and I have gained quite a bit of knowledge and wisdom over the past year...all coming to be as blessings, grace and mercy from my Heavenly Father. So, it is no reach for me to be able to put into words how much I love him, and how much he loves me and the revelations he has given me.

What is my purpose for writing this? To share with others my experiences; both good and not so good...so I can be an encouragement and a witness for God that he might receive the glory! Simple!
I am very excited (as I usually am) about this new project. It is a welcome break from my current projects, and everyone knows that it helps to be versatile, right?

So now you have a new and exciting book to look forward to in the near future, and I am glad to oblige you in your anticipations. Here is an sample of what the book will be about. But...the title is tentative, so for now its just "the book".

Take a look.

Recently, I learned three very important things about the word witness. The New Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word ‘witness’ as both a noun and a verb, and we all understand that many words can have both connotations,  and we understand the difference. I will list a few of the descriptions found for the word when described in both vernaculars.  As a noun, witness is defined as one who has personal knowledge of something or one who can testify as to a cause (gives evidence). As an action word (or verb) it is defined as one who can furnish proof of something.

Next, let’s look at the word ‘program’. Once again, the dictionary supplies us with meanings and once again this word is interchangeable as a noun and a verb.  We can safely say that a program is an outline for a plan, a specific curriculum or an agenda. Using the word program as a verb we can say that it means to process or to apply a platform or database.  All of this is quite interesting, but now it’s time to pull it all together and look at the personal side of the title and what it means to me.

I recently learned a lot about the meaning of the word witness and how important a role it plays into my new life. 

During a special event that took place at my church, I learned what it truly meant to be a witness for the Lord, how crucial a part of my spiritual life it was, and how as a believer and a disciple of Christ, it was required. I had heard my own Mother speak about “witnessing for Christ”, but I never questioned her as to what she meant. Truth is, I didn’t really care. The not really caring part of me coupled with the lackadaisical attitude of thinking it didn’t matter dominated most of my adult life as a ‘so-called’ believer. The word ‘disciple’ never entered into my mind much less my vocabulary outside of referencing Jesus' apostles. 

 

When our eyes are open wide, our ears are tuned to hear and our hearts are ready to receive, that’s when the fullness of Him and all that He is can be given over to us. We can be transformed in the twinkling of an eye from our old self into a brand new self. He is ready and willing to accept us into His Witness Protection Program with open arms. All we have to do is take the first step, and He’ll take two. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and walking by faith and not by sight …walking by His grace and our lives will never be the same.