@theartofmadeline
Misplaced Lens Cap
pixel skylines
$LAYYYTER
Andulka
Sweet Seals For You, Always
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Monterey Bay Aquarium
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d e v o n
todays bird
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Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
AnasAbdin
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Origami Around
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Kiana Khansmith
tannertan36
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@deborahloi
Lolli, You're Not in Bolingbrook Anymore!
My First Non-working Vacation Ever – Part 3 – Finale Aunt Debby and I awoke on Day 2 and had a disappointing breakfast at Imaginations Dining Room. The coffee was pretty good though. I fit easily into a much too big red swimsuit (looking ready to burst through a brick wall demanding artificially flavored fruity drinks), and covered it with a bright white top buttoned crooked. I dropped my shades…
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What's This... What's This? I Can't Believe My Eyes...!
My First Non-working Vacation Ever – Part 2 The JAXPORT Terminal So yeah… this is one of the oldest and smallest ships in Carnival’s fleet. It has 15 decks and, for this trip, accommodated more than 2800 guests and almost 900 staff. It has several bars and nightclubs, a good-sized theater, a smoky casino, a relaxing spa, and more and more! I don’t have a passport (don’t worry, I’m getting…
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Preparing to Step All Up Out of My Comfort Zones
My First Non-working Vacation Ever – Part 1 So… last Monday, the 10th, my son agreed to drive me to the train station to begin my journey to the JAXPORT dock in Jacksonville, Florida. He was then shocked and appalled to learn that I was going to the Amtrak terminal at Chicago’s Union Station… in downtown Chicago… and hour away. We took my car that had half a tank of gas. His phone was at 13% and…
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I Love Book Clubs
They like me! They really like me! Mary Not Broken is the third book in The Bishop Women series. It takes place in Flora and Jackson Mississippi, and in Chicago, Illinois; with a brief stop in Harlem. In the story, Mary does a lot of cooking, and I included some of her recipes in the book. Tragedy, woes, and a loss of faith. Can she claw her way back into the light? In Depression Era…
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Doritos...
… and another sign of aging… Please forgive the distortion. My friend was sitting a few yards away recording this. The audience laughter hid a few words, but you’ll get the gist of it. I only had 2 minutes, so I read fast. This was at the open mic event at a writer’s retreat in 2016 (at least I think it was 2016). I had just finished a bag of Doritos and couldn’t think of anything to read for…
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2025 is Here
… another year… another WTF… Happy New year… again… So yeah… Happy New Year has taken on a new meaning in my world. A year ago this week, I felt like all hell was breaking loose. I was having trouble breathing and eventually hospitalized twice in the first two weeks of 2024. Guess what I got for Christmas! My Aunt Patsy once had an ornament that looked exactly like this. I have no idea where…
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Me & Christmas...
… and the Terran High Holidays in general Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Christmas Treats I Didn’t Bake Whoa… where do I begin? Last year I wrote about gratitude, and bread, and The Bakening, and my annual holiday rituals; and if you’ve ever followed my personal Facebook profile, you surely got a glimpse of my psycho manic holiday mania. I give a play-by-play of my process… literally…
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Woohoo!!
Imposter Syndrome— the Thief of Joy Literary Global Independent Author Award Winners When I got the three emails yesterday, my first thought was that they were more spam contest emails, and then I vaguely remembered entering said contest. I opened and skimmed the email. It appeared to be an announcement letter, thanking and complimenting the judges and entrants. Then I remembered that I had…
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So I got a call from my publisher…
“How’s your next book coming along…?” I admit I almost panicked. I’ve been so focused on my existing books (ebooks, paperbacks, audio books, swag, launches, etc.) all because I’ve been feeling totally uninspired. It’s been at least six months since I’ve written seriously. My new book was stalled… and I mean frozen… not moving… nothing happening. Meanwhile, my co-author was happily plugging…
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Health Update...
… and other news… Hi all… it’s been a minute since the drama of my New Year’s hospital stays. My blood pressure is stable, but still too high for the amount of medication I’m on. I just had a minor surgery called “renal denervation” to hopefully bring my numbers down to normal. I was fine immediately after the procedure, but the next morning, the pain hit. It’s slowly going away and I’m doing…
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In 1930s Mississippi, Mary Johnson hates the oppressive heat, working on her family farm, and having to attend her minister father's church several times a week. But she loves Mason Carter, her musician boyfriend. Both fantasize about living the high life up north in the big city. When William Bevers, a wealthy old preacher, comes to court her, he promises a life of luxury along with money and status for her family. Mary wants nothing to do with him, but her parents decide for her. Determined to avoid a forced marriage, Mary elopes with Mason to the bright lights of Chicago. But life up north is not the dream they expected. Multiple tragedies push Mary to the brink, and she soon returns home to the very world she tried so desperately to escape. Too numb to stave off the pressure from her father, Mary considers accepting William's proposal. But she soon realizes that life as the preacher's wife might not provide the safety and security she craves.
T minus 5 days and counting. The audio book launches in 5 days. You can pre-order today and get 2 more audio books free!
In 1930s Mississippi, Mary Johnson hates the oppressive heat, working on her family farm, and having to attend her minister father's church several times a week. But she loves Mason Carter, her musician boyfriend. Both fantasize about living the high life up north in the big city. When William Bevers, a wealthy old preacher, comes to court her, he promises a life of luxury along with money and status for her family. Mary wants nothing to do with him, but her parents decide for her. Determined to avoid a forced marriage, Mary elopes with Mason to the bright lights of Chicago. But life up north is not the dream they expected. Multiple tragedies push Mary to the brink, and she soon returns home to the very world she tried so desperately to escape. Too numb to stave off the pressure from her father, Mary considers accepting William's proposal. But she soon realizes that life as the preacher's wife might not provide the safety and security she craves.
More About Giving Thanks
…and Princess Dora’s Observation…or…When I Started Hurting Myself for My Family… Yeast rolls Another long post… So, about 8 months after my homeless shelter epiphany (see previous post), my two youngest kids and I were invited to help provide early Thanksgiving dinner at the shelter. Of course we jumped at the chance because when it comes to helping the less fortunate, my kids understood the…
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Giving Thanks for the Blessing of Everything
…and a little something else… Photos by Pro Church Media and Getty on Unsplash Years ago my kids and I spent a Sunday preparing and serving dinner at a homeless shelter. Our group made sloppy Joes, corn and mashed potatoes. While the adults cooked and set the tables, the young people prepared sack lunches for the residents to take with them the next morning. See… the shelter guests were…
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OMG! Guess What's Coming!
Just in time to start the new year… Glory Bishop, Glory Unbound, and Mary Not Broken coming soon in audio I’m so excited! I just can’t hide it! I about to lose control and I KNOW I like it… Ok… I know I promised not to spam and to just share news and writing bits. Well, I’ve got good news! Glory Bishop, Glory Unbound, and Mary Not Broken are coming to audio! The books will be available through…
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Saturday Was a Good Day
Long Post: Debriefing on the Launch of Mary Not Broken Lining up to buy books My heart is full. I feel like I say that a lot, but it is for real this time… I really mean it. I’d say the launch of Mary Not Broken was the best launch I’ve ever had. I guess prep began on Sunday the 15th with my daughter braiding my thick heavy butt-length locs, which I kept braided for a week. I could hardly…
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Mary Not Broken is Available for Pre-order
Ebook is Only $2.99 until October 10th If you happen to be in Chicago, join us for a reception to celebrate. Click here to get your free tickets.
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