Peace Garden Writer

Writer Spotlight: Author Candace Simar

2012-01-25T00:01:00.010-06:00

Remember Krista, my guest from last month? Now, as promised, I'd like to introduce one of the clients of her agency, Blue Cottage Agency, the sweet and talented author of historical fiction, Candace Simar.

Young Adult Author Candace Simar

Candace hails from Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, but she's got a connection to North Dakota and the Sioux -- a people dear to my heart as one who grew up among them. I'm going to slide over and let Candace introduce herself and her books. And then, if you sit tight, I'll give you details on how you can win a copy of Candace's latest book!

Beginnings and Where They Lead by Candace Simar

My childhood was spent on the family dairy farm in rural Otter Tail County. Being the middle child, I often felt too young to tag along with the older kids and too old to play with the younger ones. As a result, I spent a lot of time listening. I loved hearing my grandparents (who lived upstairs in our huge farmhouse) talk about the early days of the pioneers, when Minnesota was young. I was fascinated by their stories of passenger pigeons, dust storms, and the hardships of getting started in a new land.

I didn’t know these stories would become the basis for my historical novels. After all, I loved to read historical fiction. I never dreamed I would end up writing it.

In 2000 I discovered that my great-grandfather had driven the stagecoach to Fort Abercrombie in the years directly after the 1862 Sioux Uprising. When I told this family tidbit to our kids, I was shocked to realize they knew nothing about the Sioux Uprising—even though born and educated in Minnesota. My son challenged me to write a book about it. I couldn’t back down.

ABERCROMBIE TRAIL, my first novel about the Sioux Uprising, puts my protagonist as a witness while he drives the stage across Minnesota. Loosely based on my great-grandfather, Evan Jacobson is a Scandinavian immigrant who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The names of my characters are mostly family names and lots of family stories are tucked into my characters’ lives.

POMME DE TERRE, my second novel, investigates life in the aftermath of the Sioux Uprising, specifically at Fort Pomme de Terre near present day Elbow Lake, Minnesota. I loved resurrecting the history of the place and time.

BIRDIE continues the story of these characters a decade later during the grasshopper plagues of the 1870s. It investigates the lives of survivors and deals with issues of faith and family in the face of great hardship. The characters homestead in Otter Tail County, as my ancestors did. Yes, I am pulling on real history and family stories to propel my characters through the pages. (My sister says it is her favorite of the three published books.)

I’m currently working diligently on my fourth novel in the series, BLOOMING PRAIRIE. Watch for its release next summer.

Candace Simar is a poet and writer from Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. Check out her website at www.candacesimar.com. Her historical novels are available at Barnes & Noble, Zandbroz Books and Variety, and the Sandford Health System Gift Shop. They are also available online in hard copy and e-books.

Okay, so, if you'd like a copy of Candace's latest, Birdie, all you have to do is leave a comment in the comments box, and share a link to this post with someone else on either Twitter or Facebook. (I'm going on the honor system). I will announce the winner in two weeks on Wednesday, February 8.

The Buzz of the Creative Team

2012-01-18T00:01:00.092-06:00

My friend Mary (Play off the Page) and I have talked on more than one occasion about the thrill and vitality of being part of a creative team. Both of us have experienced having a part in the play (team), as well as times of working on our scripts (projects) in solo form, and agree each has its pros and cons.

I'm thinking also about the music I do for church. In the past I've enjoyed being part of a choir but also have loved serving as a cantor. The freedom of not having to show up for a choir rehearsal has been a good match for me as a mother, allowing me to feel that I'm sharing my talents but without taking too much from my family; i.e., rising before the rest of my brood for a 30-minute rehearsal with just the pianist before Mass.

It's interesting, though, how when a mother moves into a new season, many pathways change in tandem. My new job, for example, came just a few weeks prior to my husband and I deciding to rejoin our contemporary choir group, Metanoia. Immediately, we both recognized the life-giving quality of being part of a group of musicians. It's exhilarating when musicians come together for a common goal, creating harmonies and other variations that aren't possible with a lone cantor.

Enter my new reporting job at our local daily. Though I've deeply appreciated the chance to fashion my own schedule these past years, again based on my family's needs, I've rarely been privy to the entire creative process. But last Tuesday, I was dramatically reminded of how it feels to be part of the whole when I stepped foot into my new work space. There's nothing quite like the hum of a busy newsroom. And having a firsthand glimpse of how a newspaper comes together -- seeing all the parts in motion -- has given me a charge of new energy.

In one newsroom from my past, one of my co-workers referred to us reporters as humble working bees. Perhaps some are less humble than others, but there's no doubt that the general feel of a newsroom is one of intensity and life.

The layout of The Forum newsroom is circular. There's a section for the sports writers, another section where the photographers hang out, a hub where the editors sit and make their decisions, a block of desks where the technical-oriented guys work, and that all circles around to the reporter pods. Mine is pretty much right in the middle so that I see people coming and going and hear a lot of the buzz of our workplace. Around 3 p.m., the obit gals come in and start making their phone calls. Throughout the day there are meetings and discussions about upcoming editions and hourly conversations among individuals coordinating pieces so that it all comes together.

The next day, the process begins all over again.

My appreciation and respect for the newsroom and what is accomplished there every day has been renewed in my short time being on staff, and I have to say, it feels good to be a small working bee among many, helping to gather and fashion stories so that the reading public can better connect with its community. Newspapers end up taking a lot of slack at times, but I still believe in the mission, and am glad to be part of it.

Q4U: When have you experienced the buzz of the creative team? What role did you play?

Back in the Newsroom

2012-01-11T00:01:00.124-06:00

Meet my new workplace -- The Forum Communications Company, home of The Forum newspaper where I just started as a full-time employee.

Sixteen years ago, I left my budding writing career as a newspaper journalist to focus on raising our firstborn son. Following him came another, another, another and another child. Each new addition to our family seemed to take me further and further from the newsroom where I'd begun.

But as of this week, I'm back. And I'm realizing that even though I've been away all these years, I never fully removed myself from the heart of what I left. My writing continued. I became a children's author and speaker. I wrote articles for magazines, press releases for a company whose mission I love, and took part in many other communications endeavors, including my own small business focusing on this work.

But when I learned our local paper, where I've been working as a columnist since 2008, was looking for a full-time reporter for its new SheSays section (for which I've been writing as a contributor since October), it seemed like an opportunity too fitting to pass by. I know how to do interviews and fashion a story from information I've worked hard to gather. And I've been writing primarily for a readership comprising mainly women for many years. I honestly can't imagine a better match. And I'm grateful others thought so as well.

Yesterday was my first day back on the job outside the home. Here I am wearing the glittery, purple shirt my teen daughter picked out for me this past weekend. The necklace was given to me by a friend. I feel like I was bringing pieces of my current world into my new world.

This move has been a leap for our family, but not a leap in terms of professional qualifications and comfort. I feel like a fish back in her native waters. And I feel good about the fact that I've returned in many ways a writer who is both wiser and possessing a greater depth of vision than the first go-around.

This is my new desk with my brand-new computer. Do I ever feel lucky!

And a close-up view of an important detail:

The first night after my first day, I was exhausted. My body needs to get used to different hours and my brain needs to settle from all of the information it's taken in in the past week or so. But my enthusiasm hasn't waned a bit. I've experienced a beautiful virtual send-off by friends on Facebook, and one last lunch with a friend on Monday at my favorite restaurant.

Life is good. What a thrilling beginning to a new year! I'm looking forward to growing and stretching and sharing more of who I am and what I can offer with others.

Last week, I chose my Word of the Year: Ready! Less than an hour after I wrote that post, I found out exactly what was waiting for me on the other side of that proclamation.

Thanks for journeying with me these past months. I look forward to sharing more as I am able, and to hearing from you about your growth as a writer in this new year of 2012.

Q4U: What part of your life would you return to if you had a chance to go back and give it another try?

3 Laughing Literary Ladies, 1 Word

2012-01-04T00:01:00.039-06:00

My friend Mary and I have started a tradition of using some of the gracious down-time occupying space between Christmas and New Year's for a mini-reunion. Since she makes her way to Fargo more than I can get to her Minnesota town, the kids and I went there this time around.

We had a mere 24 hours but big plans were underway for the first evening. Remember Krista, the publicist I had here as a guest not very long ago? It was our good fortune that she was able to meet us for dinner at our favorite place in Baxter -- Prairie Bay.

This is the same restaurant where I met Krista for the first time, though only in passing, a year ago. This time, the three of us settled in for a cozy meal.

Something happens when a trio of literary-minded ladies get together. It has to do with the number three I think (there's a beautiful dynamic about three) as well as the simple fact that we're cut from a similar cloth. None of us sees life in a straight-forward way, and it made for a delightful, zany even, sort of evening.

Even our waiter, Brandon, began to relax the further into the night we went, eventually succumbing to the night's tempo. In his best French accent, he apologized for having run out of fresh mozzarella for the bruchetta (a to-die-for addition at PB), but offered brie in its stead. He redeemed himself fully later by throwing in a free dessert.

Bruchetta without the traditional mozzarella

Rather than ordering individuals meals, we shared three different appetizers and a Caesar salad (it was so fresh you could taste a hint of anchovy).

Steak and portobello mushroom flatbread

And then we got down to it; to the business of what it means to be a creative woman in today's world, and how we might best utilize our skills and even bring them together in a life-giving way. Among our list of topics was coming up with our individual "Word of the Year." Mary started me on the "One Word" concept last year, and our time together gave me a chance to zero in on what my new word will be. Are you ready? (Drum roll please....)

Yes, I'm ready! I'm vigilantly watching for the signs of what God wills for me in 2012, and when the signs are abundantly clear, I will not hesitate. I'll be ready. And that's a great feeling! Last year's word was "pursue" and I feel that I wore it well. 2011 pursue seems to have led nicely into 2012 ready.

We also, as a trio, came up with a collective "One Theme" to have in our sights as we charge into the New Year: "This is Our Time." Together, we've helped bring 13 children into the world. This is no small task. We are proud of our families, but we have more skills and talents to bring forth as well, and we're looking forward to seeing how far we'll get with that in 2012.

During the whole of our meal, a guitar strummed in the background. Was there any question that at some point we would make our way to his corner and exchange thoughts on the local art scene and other related topics? Jim (Olsen's the last name) was a good sport about it all. Apparently he plays frequently in the area, so don't miss looking up his gigs if you're ever near Baxter-Brainerd.

Finally, for some odd reason, even numbers have always appealed to me more, so I'm definitely approaching 2012 with open arms and a ready heart.

Q4U: How are you defining now how you will approach what is to come? What is your "one word" for 2012?

Parenting Perspectives: Taming the Machine that Spews ‘Stuff’

2011-12-28T00:01:00.003-06:00

[The following column was printed in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota's largest daily newspaper, on Dec. 27, 2011. Reprinted with permission.]

Parenting Perspectives: Taming the machine that spews 'stuff'

By: Roxane B. Salonen, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

For a while now I’ve suspected a gigantic, invisible, stuff-spewing machine lurks just below the surface of the earth. And all evidence points to said apparatus having several direct lines to my home and minivan.

How else to explain the extraneous material that finds its way into my life?

There’s no better time than December, when the contraption seems to be particularly adept at seeking spaces for its purging pleasure, to shed light on this beast.

The “stuff” comes in all forms; everything from mounds of junk mail to heaps of school papers to pile-ups of fast-food trinkets. And it’s proliferated exponentially with each person and pet we’ve brought into our family.

I see only one solution: tame the beast.

Some have turned to Fly Lady, a virtual helpmate who promises to lead all those living in CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) into SCHH (Squeaky-Clean Home Heaven).

After being referred to her website by a well-intending friend several years ago, I rolled up my sleeves and prepared for my new clutter-free life of order and awesomeness. Problem was I couldn’t stay on top of her incessant emails instructing me how I was to achieve a dust-free life. So instead of following her marching orders, I began looking around for a flyswatter large enough to drown out her high-pitched nagging.

There must be a better way for the domestically challenged to go about things, I thought.

And then I heard a quote that set things right for me. It comes from someone who regularly looked as if she’d just rolled out of bed.

“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing,” Phyllis Diller once quipped.

Now there’s a woman with some wisdom about her.

That said, I agree with those who contend we can’t have interior peace if our exterior life is a mess. I do feel more at ease when there’s some semblance of order in my home. But I’ll also admit to looking at people whose exterior worlds seem perfect with a suspicious eye.

Point being, we need to consider where we’re at in life and what’s realistic.

I’d come to a happy conclusion recently that someday our children will be grown, the dust (or snowflakes) will have settled, and I’ll have all the time in the world to sit in my tidy, quiet home and breathe.

Then a good friend with a decade on me burst my illusionary bubble. “Don’t count on it,” she remarked. “I have more time than ever now and I’m still not using it to clean my house.”

So maybe the beast can’t be tamed completely. Maybe the best I can do is feed it some of its own medicine – last week’s newspapers, those misplaced socks and the endless piles of odds and ends that don’t have anywhere else to go. Perhaps then it will settle down for a long winter’s nap and give me a little reprieve.

For now, I’ll continue ordering my world the best I can. Some days will be better than others. But every day I can remind myself of this: that the “stuff” that so overwhelms at times also represents those I love who are attached to it.

And that’s something even the stuff-spewing machine can’t overpower.

Roxane B. Salonen works as a freelance writer and children’s author in Fargo, where she and her husband, Troy, parent five children

Writer Spotlight: Literary Publicist Krista Rolfzen Soukup

2011-12-21T00:01:00.039-06:00

Krista Rolfzen Soukup

Last year around this time I was having dinner with my good writer-mama pal Mary in her Minnesota town and we bumped into some friends of hers. One of them was Krista Rolfzen Soukup. It was a brief meeting but I sensed a particular light in this gal and took note. When I learned through Mary that Krista has been helping her with promotion/publicity (and doing an exemplary job of it) I was not surprised. I also thought Krista's insights on the need for writers to receive assistance in promotion of their work would make for a great topic on Peace Garden Writer. Please enjoy the following introduction and interview detailing Krista's thoughts and how she came to start Blue Cottage Agency:

Krista defines her work as a literary publicist as someone who promotes books, authors and the literary arts in general. Her background is in business administration and marketing, and she loves marketing, events and promotions. Her own writing comprises the creation of press releases, work correspondence and an occasional letter to the editor in her community newspaper.

Q: How did you get started?

I have been in a book club since 2004. In 2009 we read Abercrombie Trail by Candace Simar and I loved it! Our book club contacted her and she actually came to our book club discussion. She mentioned that she needed someone to help market and promote her book. I called her up a few weeks later and told her I thought I could help her. Together we launched two more books and she is now North Star Press's best-selling author and has been on regional best-seller lists.

Q: How did you come up with that cool and very visual name for your business?

I chose my company name, Blue Cottage Agency, for a couple of reasons. First of all I live in a blue cottage and I work from home. I live in the beautiful Brainerd Lakes area in Minnesota, so there is a lot of "blue" in my world. Secondly, early publishing houses were actually in houses, and cottages are a smaller version. A publicist in a bigger company can have 150 to 200 authors at a time. I like to specialize in local authors, smaller presses, out-state book tours, and a more personal approach to an author's marketing strategy. There are so many amazing writers and regional books out there. It's fun to help them be shared.

Q: Why would an author need a publicist?

Some best-selling authors will attest that the success of a book is 50 percent writing and 50 percent visibility and promotion. Reportedly 960 books are released per day in the U.S. A good literary publicist can help draw maximum exposure to promote a book. A publicist lets the world know that the book exists and why they need it.

Q: How is the book world changing, and do you feel dizzy from the changes, or are you eager to take it all on?

It's an exciting time to be an author. More people are reading in more ways than ever before. We live in the information age; Kindles, I-Pads, social media and countless other factors are quickly changing how we consume information. Incredibly, the more available books become, whether in paper form or screen form, the more we want them. This new age also gives us more exciting ways to promote an author and their books.

Q: What's exciting about beginning your career as a literary publicist at this juncture?

There's an abundance of talent in regional writers and small presses. It’s exciting to be able to showcase those books to more people than ever before because of the changes in the way our society is now communicating. By combining my love of reading (and complete amazement of talented writers) and my marketing skills, I am able to help authors find their way through a sometimes confusing world of publishing.

Q: How do you get ideas for the best ways to promote in today's publishing climate?

My approach is individualized as opposed to a standard formula. Each book needs to find its own specific audience, its own community of readers. To develop a successful marketing plan, I continually do research on the market and keep in constant communication with my clients. New thoughts and ideas always emerge as a book is being promoted .

Q: What other work in your past or present has prepared you for this work?

After graduating college with business and marketing degrees, I was a manager for a large department store company where I learned consumer behavior and promotion from a retail standpoint. I have spent many years in event planning, marketing and promotions for various community and school organizations and projects.

Q: What can an author who employs you expect from this relationship?

It is of the utmost importance to represent my clients in the most professional and respectful way possible. I am communicating and talking to people constantly on their behalf and I always strive to be a positive reflection of who they are.

Thank you so much, Krista, for lending your thoughts. Readers, what are your thoughts on the need for a publicist? What other questions do you have for Krista? Also, please visit the Blue Cottage Agency page on Facebook, and "like" it, if you would!

Next month, we'll hear from one of Krista's clients, so watch for Part II! In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas!

The Art of Listening (+ book winner)

2011-12-14T00:01:00.033-06:00

In my growing-up years, one of my favorite moments during the Christmas season would happen the night of tree decorating. But it wasn't the decorating itself as much as what would occur later -- after everyone had scattered in another direction, or gone to sleep, when all that remained were me and the newly-lit tree with its sparkly tinsel and ornaments, there in the quiet...

I recall feeling in that bath of stillness as if all my cares had vanished, if only for a short while. Mesmerized by the lights, I'd allow my mind to take me away into another place; a world of hopeful wonder. And if I quieted down long enough, I would hear a small voice whispering. Nothing booming or even explicit. It was just a murmur of something indistinguishable but important all the same.

I can't help but think how important those listening moments are during this time of year. There's a strange dichotomy going on, however. We are experiencing one of the most stressful seasons culturally, and yet one of the most significant in terms of our needing to slow down and listen.

I'm trying really hard to listen. And this is no small task for someone prone to interrupting, especially if I'm passionate about something. I get excited and I want to forge ahead. But that's not always the best course. Sometimes, only listening will do.

As writers, we're so used to doing. We've become accustomed to having a goal -- often a deadline -- and putting all our energy toward meeting or even exceeding it. We are in motion even if only expending mental energy. The forward push keeps us going, going, going. The output is the goal.

But what about input? How do we fill back up so we'll have something to give? That's what I was doing as I sat on the couch in the dark, only Christmas lights shining, all those years ago. I was forcing myself to pause, and I was letting myself fill back up. That's why it didn't necessarily matter if the words I heard were completely formed. In the filling-up times, that's not always the goal. Later, we can discern more clearly what it is we need to do, but in the filling-up phase, that's not necessarily required.

I think of reading a good book as one way of filling up, of quieting our souls so that we might fill them up again. Praying can be another. Chatting with a friend and really entering into their world is yet another important way of listening during this season. It's that experience of relationship that is so good for the soul. We don't always even have to have an answer or come up with a solution. Nor do we have to be moving somewhere specific.

Oh, this is so much harder than it sounds. We are creatures of movement. But practicing the art of listening, or settling in with ourselves, is very important. Whether we're listening for God's voice or simply trying to purge our mind of frenzied thoughts, everyone -- we writers included -- need these pulling-back times.

Q4U: What is your favorite quiet sound? (After you've pondered that, see below for winner of the book giveaway mentioned two posts back).

The winner of M.B. Tosi's book, The Sacred Path of Tears, is Mary Aalgaard! Congratulations Mary! (I think I know where to find you. :))

Dickinson's Sweet Indulgence

2011-12-07T00:01:00.037-06:00

'Tis the season for sweet treats, yes?

Oh dear, I'm writing this just before lunch and it's really not fair to be gazing upon such deliciousness at this time. Nevertheless, I've been saving this one for a while and am delighted the day has finally come!

Several weeks ago my friend Maria drew my attention to an article she'd happened upon on the National Public Radio website regarding the great American poet, Emily Dickinson, "A Coconut Cake from Emily Dickinson: Reclusive Poet, Passionate Baker." Follow the link to the article and the recipe -- in Emily's handwriting as well as a "21st version" of it by the article's author, Nelly Lambert.

I'll paraphrase just a few pieces of the article to make my points. Lambert begins with the lovely revelation that though she was reclusive much of her life, Dickinson had a propensity toward giving and "was known to lower a basket full of cakes from the window of the home she rarely left to crowds of expectant children on the street below. Dickinson probably never met these children, yet she connected with them through her baking." Isn't that a great visual? It can't get more Christmas-y than that, I'd say.

Indeed, even in her obituary, Dickinson's sister-in-law wrote, "Very few in the village ... know Miss Emily personally ... [And yet] there are many houses among all classes into which her treasures of fruit and flowers and ambrosial dishes for the sick and well were constantly sent."

Apparently at least five recipes for treats Dickinson baked are in existence, but Lambert said her coconut cake is especially memorable, "perhaps because it has a layered taste and perhaps because it is both substantial and light at the same time," reminding her of "the combination of whimsy and gravity in her poems."

Dickinson mentioned baking on more than one occasion in her letters, including in one to a friend referencing her burnt caramel rule: "I enclose Love's 'remainder biscuit,' somewhat scorched perhaps in baking, but 'Love's oven is warm.' Forgive the base proportions." Lambert suggests that such statements hint at both Dickinson's "trademark wit and a zest for life that belies the common image of her as a depressed figure."

She adds that Dickinson "seemed partial to the creativity of baking, not the rules." Consider the closing lines of one of her poems: "Spices fly/In the Receipt." "In other words, ingredients are expressive," Lambert concludes.

I've always personally felt that baking can be as creative an endeavor as any, and as much a release of the soul as other creative acts.

Now, I haven't made this cake yet, but I do intend to try at some point over the holidays. If you dare to try with me, I hope you'll share the results. Either way, the marriage of words -- food for the soul -- and actual food -- sustenance for the body -- seems a particularly fitting union this time of year.

May your writing and feasting, as well as your generosity of heart, be especially fruitful this season, as it was for our dear writing friend Emily Dickinson.

Happy Holiday Baking!

Q4U: What is your favorite of all Christmas treats?

Writer Spotlight: M.B. Tosi

2011-11-30T00:01:00.015-06:00

Greetings Readers! Is it possible to meet someone on Twitter and find real common ground - enough to strike up an online friendship with true depth? Well, in the case of M.B. Tosi, I discovered it is possible. We crossed paths several months ago through a Tweet that led to a really nice and real Facebook exchange (real meaning I can tell she's down to earth, warm and generous). So I asked her if she'd be my next guest on Peace Garden Writer and she agreed. Not only that, but she's offered to give away a copy of her book, The Sacred Path of Tears.*

I like to keep these things simple, so just leave a comment and you're automatically entered. I'll announce the winner here two weeks from now on Wednesday, December 14.

And now for some words of wisdom from our guest!

Author M.B. Tosi

Developing a Writing Theme by M. B. Tosi

One morning a year ago, I woke up with a burning desire to finish a dusty manuscript tucked away in a dresser drawer. My children had been raised, life’s major problems had been faced, and suddenly there was a gift of time to pursue my love of writing. As I picked up that unfinished manuscript, however, I realized my approach to writing had changed over a lifetime, and that is what I want to share with you.

When I was younger, I wrote simply because I loved to write. In retrospection, my writing was unfocused, but fun. Now that I’m older, I have experienced life’s deepest emotions and known heartache and disappointment. I’ve also found peace in the midst of my troubles, love where I least expected it, and courage when I most needed it.

My life had developed a theme that no matter what problem I faced, I could summon an inner courage through my faith. Suddenly, I felt moved to develop a theme for my writing based on my lifelong experiences.

Drawing on my journalism background, I began developing a plan for my writing and defining the audience I hoped to reach. The next step was writing out my goal to write inspirational fiction that helps readers find a path of peace, love, courage, and faith during the times of trouble we all face.

Because of my interest in Native American culture and my love of doing research, I chose to focus on the historical times of the Indian Wars in the late 1800s. I realized that people in every century face the same challenge of how to find an inner courage to face life’s difficulties.

In choosing this time period, I had unknowingly developed a goal to present Native Americans in an honest, unbiased light with a rich culture of traditions and family life. Soon, another goal evolved. Was it possible I could help Native American schools through my books?

By setting goals outside of myself, my writing took on a new life of its own. My unfinished manuscript from twenty years ago was completed within a month. Instead of one manuscript, new ideas began spinning off into an entire series called The Indian Path Series. Soon, I had completed the first four manuscripts of the series, each focusing on a different Indian tribe during the Indian Wars.

The most exciting thing is that the first book of the series, The Sacred Path of Tears, has been published. It is about a young Cheyenne woman torn between two worlds at war after the Sand Creek Massacre and the two men she loves. The second book of the series, The Secret Path of Destiny, will be out in 2012.

My theme remains constant for everything I write. I want to inspire my readers to discover that hidden well of courage during their times of trouble just like my characters. My focus has changed from the mechanics of writing to my readers. It’s been a very freeing experience, and one that excites me every day.

Finding a theme is well worth the time it takes. For me, my writing has become more fluid and focused. By writing with a sense of purpose and following my goals, the words can’t flow fast enough. Writing has become a joy again.
Author M. B. Tosi, The Sacred Path of Tears, www.mbtosi.com

* [From book jacket:] The Sacred Path of Tears is a journal written by a young Cheyenne Indian woman, nicknamed Mokee, during the Indian Wars in Kansas in the late 1860s. After Mokee and her companion observe the Sand Creek Massacre, they warn the other Indian camps along the Smoky Hill River. They take cover in a barn near Salina, Kansas, where they are discovered by a widow and her two sons. Mokee’s companion leaves to join the fi ght against the white soldiers but hating war, Mokee, with her lighter coloring, gains a safe haven with the widow’s family. She finds a mentor in the well-educated widow and embraces the opportunity to read and write English. As her life unfolds, Mokee is torn between two worlds at war and the two men she loves, one a white settler and the other her companion, who has become a Cheyenne Dog Soldier. Though war is her constant shadow, Mokee tries to find the purpose for her life and a path of peace in her war-torn world.

Q4U: What are your thoughts on writing themes? Any questions for M.B. Tosi?

Writing from the Prairie: Curse or Blessing?

2011-11-23T00:01:00.082-06:00

I have to say, being a writer from the prairie, it ain't always so easy.

Okay okay, I don't really talk like that. In fact, I don't even say, "Yah, sure, you betcha." Well, not unless I'm mocking the movie Fargo. Even so, I've been forced at times to grapple with this question of whether it's a curse or blessing to write from the prairie; something writers from the coasts will never have to confront.

I'm reading a book by an author who has articulated many of my related feelings quite nicely. Larry Woiwode first found his writing legs, you could say, while living in New York City. Or perhaps it would be better to say his writing legs got noticed there. But from what he reveals in his new book Words Made Fresh: Essays on Literature & Culture, it wasn't until he moved back to North Dakota, the place of his roots, that he rediscovered his soul.

That said, in Chapter 2, "Homeplace, Heaven or Hell: On the Order of Existence," he challenges those he calls "the canonmeisters," who, when labeling a writer as regional, "suggest that the writer isn't in quite the same league as the big boys, equating regionalism with parochialism -- an attitude that honors certain areas of the United States (or the world for that matter) as right and proper, preferable to others -- while the rest is regional."

How true it is, or so it seems through what I've experienced in many moments as a writer living in the middle part of this big ol' country.

My thoughts on being a writer with a regional lean run the gamut. At times the isolation I've experienced living somewhere many from Other Places see as The Middle of Nowhere has felt wide; an annoying stumbling block to achieving what I'm meant to do. This has been especially hard-hitting when dealing with the bi-coastal publishing world. At a time when marketing and niche-placing are of supreme importance, it's been disenchanting to discover the lumping of the Dakotas into one, or the regarding of either and both as just a long stretch of lonely land one must pass through to get to Somewhere Significant.

How does a writer, then, find what she needs to persevere knowing the likelihood of being wrongly perceived and even passed by, perhaps, because of mere misunderstanding or limited vision?

Even while I struggle through this conundrum, I see a happy side to all of this as well. I loved writing about North Dakota through my children's book, P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet. The experience of bringing our state's treasures to light brought me great joy. My roots run deep here and it was a thrill to honor them and all the residents of our state in this way.

Likewise, I've enjoyed my work as a columnist for North Dakota's largest daily newspaper. Though I don't consider my columns necessarily regional in tone, the paper itself is, and so in some ways reflect my prairie living.

Just as place can be seen as a curse, so too can the reverse be true. As often as I've felt I must push a little harder in order for my work to find air, I've also experienced the privilege of writing from a place not as deeply known or appreciated. Rich soil begs to be unearthed, and I'm one in a smaller pool in position to do it. I don't take that responsibility and privilege lightly.

Woiwode, bestselling author and poet laureate of North Dakota, adds to his earlier thought: "Let me say, then, that the properties of a particular place are important, yes, but that human beings are more important than locale. And the inner state of a character is of far greater importance than any external estate containing him or her, no matter how extraordinary its geophysical distinctions. Of even great import is the character's need to relate events that have had an emotional effect on his or her character to a friend or neighbor, the auditor of fiction."

Amen! I'm so with him there.

And so it is that as writer who writers from the prairie, I recognize in tandem both my limitations and limitlessness. And I'm continually reminded that though uncontrollable factors might come into play and determine, to some degree, the exposure of my words, I cannot not write, and there's where the bottom line must stand.

So I will, and as I do I'll continue to hope that my words find their intended audience, have their hoped-for effect, and change the world somehow, however slight. I might never know just how much, and to large degree I can't worry over such variables. What I can do is call up the scenes that are alive to me, do what I can to translate thoughts to paper and hope that others will be moved, wherever they as readers find themselves.

Q4U: Have you ever felt limited by location? If so, how have you overcome these restrictions?

Parenting Perspectives: Defining Facebook 'Creeping'

2011-11-16T00:01:00.025-06:00

Wait! Before you get any further, please make sure you read all the way to the end. The results of the giveaway for Lisa Hendey's book on saints will be announced!

And now, without further adieu...read on to discover my most valuable and profound insights, gleaned after copious amounts of arduous research...

[The following column was printed in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota's largest daily newspaper, on Nov. 15, 2011. Reprinted with permission.]

Parenting Perspectives: Defining 'Facebook creeping'

By: Roxane B. Salonen, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

One of my teens recently accused me of Facebook creeping.

Apparently this is an actual crime in the world of adolescence.

Before you call the Facebook police, let me share how it all went down.

The information had been gathered after an innocent pass-by on a friend’s Facebook wall, and involved rather innocuous facts she likely would’ve shared over our next coffee visit anyway.

I hadn’t been searching for dirt. I’d simply gotten a jumpstart on what was going on in her life because she’d made it public by choice.

Isn’t the main purpose of Facebook to share bits of your life with people you know in order to make and foster connections in a world of busy?

This all begs the question of what is and isn’t appropriate when it comes to Facebook-gazing. Wanting a serious answer, I turned to the best resource possible: my Facebook wall.

“What exactly constitutes Facebook creeping?” I typed as my status update. “And how does one draw boundaries between normal curiosity and all-out Creepfest?”

Quick vindication came from Natalia, a young adult in the age group for whom Facebook was first designed. “The fact that you’re asking means you’re not a creeper,” she noted.

Chris, a father who has worked in teen ministry, said he finds it odd how many adolescents define creeping as the mere act of reading friends’ posts. “To me, it would only be creeping if you were practically monitoring someone’s page all day, or reading the page of someone you’re not friends with.”

Shane offered that creeping ultimately should be defined by the intent of the one accused.

Natalia explained that in pre-Facebook days, angst-filled teens naturally obsessed about certain people for a variety of reasons, including crushes, gossip and curiosity. “Facebook provides an outlet for really digging deep without anyone knowing.”

I recall my own teen days as a babysitter faced with the temptation of perusing photo albums and book shelves in the houses where I worked. How did other people outside my own family live? An inquiring mind wanted to know.

Since posing the question on Facebook, I’ve narrowed down three main levels of Facebook “creepage.”

Level One – perusing: It’s perfectly acceptable to take a gander at any information on your friends’ walls and pages. They’ve made them accessible to you and other friends. Carry on guilt-free.

Level Two – Borderline creep-peeping: You casually read a comment on your friend’s wall and end up page-hopping, including onto the walls of “friends of friends.” Seven hours into it, you can’t remember where you began. You also question whether it really matters that your friend’s sister’s brother’s child’s friend has purple hair. It’s still not criminal but certainly a loss in wasted time.

Level Three – mega-creeping or stalking: This is the most covert level. According to Natalia, the offender is sometimes revealed after casually dropping information into a conversation that can only have been acquired through an all-night creep-a-thon. Said creeper usually experiences natural justice through a moment of extreme public embarrassment.

Apparently, level three can be a true aggravation to those on the receiving end. One friend, who requested complete anonymity, shared her nightmare of dealing with a mega-creeping mother-in-law.

I have to admit, I’m more fascinated by the study of human nature than in overspending hours on any one person’s Facebook page. I might make an exception, however, when it comes to my teens’ Facebook walls.

After all, we’re obligated as parents to guide our children toward respectful social behavior, not to mention help see to it that the real creeps stay away.

Roxane B. Salonen works as a freelance writer and children’s author in Fargo, where she and her husband, Troy, parent five children. She blogs on family life at http://peacegardenmama.areavoices.com.

___________________________

And now, for the announcement you've been awaiting. The winner of Lisa Hendey's lovely book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, is...Rina Heisel! Congratulations! And if I don't already have access to your contact information, please leave it in today's comments box. For the rest of you who entered, another giveaway is in the works, so stay tuned!

Write Your Worst!

2011-11-09T00:01:00.039-06:00

Last May I attended a Young Author Conference in northern Minnesota, where I was one of the presenters. Our keynote speaker, children's writer/poet Brod Bagert of New Orleans, offered some of the best writing advice I've heard in a long time. Though I did a post on it back then, his golden suggestion may have been a bit hidden within the myriad photos and other news from that outing. I decided Brod needed another shot in the Peace Garden Writer limelight.

The gist of his message? Aim low. Aim very low. Set out with the goal of writing your very worst. Only then will you achieve success.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, you say? Hogwash, says Brod. Forget about what your English teachers have been telling you, kids. Set the bar at the ankles, people. Because when you do, there will be only one place to go, and that's up. And up and up and up!

Look, I can't tell it like Brod does. This guy's somewhat akin to one of my personal favorites, Shel Silverstein. He's not only a writer but an ac-tor as well. Yes, a true thespian, as well as a former lawyer. And, he sings an amazing rendition of "Amazing Grace," as some friends and I discovered during our time together.

So, without further adieu...Mr. Brod Bagert (drum roll please...)

Pretty cool huh? I mean, have you ever thought about it quite like that before? I hadn't, in all my 42 years of life leading up to meeting Brod. It's a gem of a concept.

I'm in a bit of a playful mood today, if you hadn't noticed. Perhaps it's because I'm going to be presenting to three groups of eighth-graders this afternoon. I'm in a youthful state of mind. I'm hanging with my inner writing child, remembering what it was like when I was 14 and my writing stunk like an old bottle of Channel 7.

Here's some of the proof:

Meet Kareena, my diary from 1982. Yep, I named my journals back then. They were my friends, after all. They contained my deepest secrets. The boys who'd won my affection (but didn't know), and all of my most embarrassing moments -- like when our water pipes broke and we had to take showers at other people's houses. (At 14, I thought I'd never recover...) Oh the stories I could tell (and have told!). So my diary of old is going to make a brief presentation at my presentation today.

I tell ya, it's humbling to write your worst, but it's also a necessary part of being a writer. Of being human, for that matter. Like Brod points out, sometimes it's only when we offer our very worst that we can discover our very best.

Q4U: Writing can be a very emotional experience. Describe how you feel after reading your old journals and first drafts.

P.S. There's still a week left to get your comment/name in for the drawing for the saints book. If you haven't entered yet, here's your chance! (Details here...)

Saints and Stories

2011-11-02T00:01:00.020-05:00

"A saint is a sinner who just keeps getting back up." - Brian Patrick on EWTN's Son Rise Morning Show (quoting an unknown source)

Back in May, I introduced my friend Lisa Hendey to Peace Garden Writer. Today it seemed fitting to introduce Lisa's newly released book:

As I write this, we are celebrating All Saints Day in the Catholic world. By the time you read this post, it will be All Souls Day. I can think of no more fitting time than now to have my first book giveaway of a book titled, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, here on Peace Garden Writer!

Before I go further, I want to address my Protestant friends, who probably account for at least half my readership. Although the subject of canonized saints might feel a bit foreign and not applicable to you, I really do feel that this book and the concept of heroes -- which is really all that officially recognized saints are -- can apply to anyone regardless of particular denomination or faith.

It might be helpful to explain why I'm personally drawn to the saints. Well not all saints. We have upwards of 40,000 who have been officially recognized within our tradition over the years (we realize there are many, many more saints who have not been officially recognized). But certainly, ones who have crossed my path and held my attention for one reason or another.

Basically it comes down to the same thing that compels me to anybody and anything: story.

The saints have all led lives marked with wonderful stories! Stories of heroic virtue. Stories of ill-fated beginnings that have turned brilliantly faith-filled. Stories of despair and hope, suffering and redemption. This is the stuff good characterization is made of!

Just in case someone might feel alienated from the subject of sainthood, let me remind you, as author Thomas Caughwell did me this morning, that a good many saints have colorful histories. His book, Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints, is a helpful reminder that we need not begin as a saint to become one.

Lisa's book includes stories also; inspiring stories that can help us as mothers in this journey of attempting to achieve holiness. She highlights a sampling of 52 of them, which means one saint for every week of the year. Each section is broken up into the following categories related to the relevant saint: stories, lessons, traditions, wisdom, Scripture and activities.

It's my privilege to offer a free copy of Lisa's book to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment to let me know you've stopped by, and some way of getting in touch with you, should you be chosen. Though I'll choose the winner randomly, I'd love for you to include, in your comment, the name of your favorite saint, or a saint you're interested in learning more about, and why.

Meanwhile, I'm going to be taking these saints week by week myself. I'm looking forward to hanging out with these holy men and woman of God who have so much to share with us about why it's worth it to travel the journey of faith.

I'm going to give this a couple weeks. I'll share the winner of the giveaway in the November 16 edition of Peace Garden Writer!

Writer Spotlight: Natalie Bahm

2011-10-26T00:01:00.022-05:00

Natalie Bahm crossed my path somewhere between the blogosphere and Twitterland. One of the things that impressed me about her is that in the midst of mothering young children, she crossed through a major hurdle toward authorship in having attracted the eye of an agent. Someone in the industry recognizes her gift and it's only a matter of time before an editor/publisher discovers her. I thought she might turn me down for this guest post, busy as she is, but Natalie came through for me. In between doling out spoonfuls of food, wiping hands and changing diapers, she finds a way to balance her life of mothering and writing with just enough left over to share insight with others. Thanks, Natalie, for allowing us to glimpse one aspect of your journey and the wisdom you've collected along the way.

Natalie Bahm, writer of mid-grade silly

Discovering a Love for Middle-Grade Silliness

by Natalie Bahm

I decided I wanted to write a novel the week after I had my third baby.

I was still on the I-just-birthed-a-child-and-I-can-do-anything high, so I didn’t realize this was a crazy idea.

I had a great idea for a story. It would be the kind of story that would change lives! People who read it would want to make the world a better place! I figured if I was going to spend a bunch of time writing a book it had better be THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN, right?

So I set to work writing my masterpiece.

All was going GREAT until I had to write the first sentence.

An hour later I had a crying baby, a disastrous house (courtesy of my toddler and preschooler) and a blank page.

I’d tried to write something down. I really did. But nothing that came to my fingers was nearly as brilliant as the vision of my story I’d had in my mind.

I should have probably given up on the whole novel-writing thing then, but I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. So I kept at it. I wrote some short stories, started a couple truly awful adult novels and then I wrote and finished a really bad YA fantasy.

You would think that year would have been really discouraging, but it wasn't. I learned a lot of things about myself and about the way I write.

First, and most importantly, I learned that writing some huge life-changing book for adults was not my calling. The stories I'd written for kids and young teens were the ones that I felt best about. The voices felt authentic.

Then I got an idea for a middle grade novel. At first I dismissed it. It was just a fun story, nothing like the deep grownup story I'd originally planned. But then I thought about my own childhood and the stories that had meant something to me. There were some deep, serious stories, like Lois Lowry's The Giver and Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia, but I also loved every silly book ever written by Roald Dahl. Those books meant something to me when I was a kid, and they mean something to me now.

That's when I realized I didn't need to write some brilliant, deep novel for my writing to be worthwhile. That made all the difference.

I gave myself permission to write the fun middle grade adventure. I’ve been writing, and enjoying, middle grade silliness ever since.

I realize I probably won’t ever change the world with my writing, but I love what I write, and hopefully, someday some child will love it too.

(Read more about Natalie at her blog, Natalie Bahm.)

Q4U: Any questions for Natalie about what she's shared about her writing journey today? What is your favorite children's story?

She's a Writer! Celebrating Vicky Westra

2011-10-19T00:01:00.006-05:00

I don't even remember now exactly how Vicky Westra and I found one another. Was it she who bumped into me first, or me her? I know that it started online, and that we were instantly and mutually attracted to each others' photos and words. Then I learned, to my surprise and delight, that rather than residing somewhere across the country, Vicky lived right across the river. Which meant our friendship wouldn't have to be limited to words on a computer screen.

And so we met for real at a lovely restaurant in wintertime, last December 2010. I blogged briefly about it here. Even though I was just getting to know Vicky, our conversation went deep quickly. One of the things on my mind: the recent death of my friend Roberta. Vicky listened to this and other concerns, and I listened as she shared some of hers, just as deep. Gazing out the window onto the frozen Red River with snow gently falling, I knew with certainty that this wouldn't be our first and last meeting. I'd discovered a friend, a kindred spirit. The kind you don't let go.

But as is so often the case, life proves itself bittersweet. It wasn't four months after our luncheon that I learned Vicky had been diagnosed with cancer; that even as she listened as I quietly grieved my friend, unknowingly, the same disease, though in different form, was about ready to announce itself in her life. In this post, I ask for prayers.

The prayers are still needed. Vicky's still fighting valiantly, yet with so much grace. But this post isn't about that so much as it is the celebration of Vicky becoming a full-fledged writer. No, she didn't train for this profession, but through avid reading and her desire to learn the craft, it's come to pass.

I've gotten permission from the On the Minds of Moms publisher to reprint Vicky's article that just came out. Through sharing it here, I honor Vicky. Because she is a writer -- a good one. And I'm proud to know her. Not just because of that. She's a good person first but she's a writer, too, and let's just call it what it is.

Vicky, you're showing us what it takes to be a writer. Step one, open your heart, and go forward from there. That's what you've done and will continue to do. Thank you on behalf of all of us blessed to read your words.

And to you who have happened by today, hang on. You won't regret staying just a while longer. I promise.

Fight on, and write on, dear Vicky. You did it! And you deserve every column inch. Not because you have cancer. Because you're you.

By Vicky Held Westra

I'm whispering in their ears a lot lately, repeating the same messages. “When you need me and I am not there, you know you can always find me in your heart.” “I love you to the moon and back forever," etc. I have such an urgency for them to know my heart.

My youngest son is nine. Our relationship has grown especially tender. He still holds my hand when we walk to the park. He brings his blanket and curls up beside me to watch “cooking shows,” watching and pretending not to notice when I doze off. He has changed a lot these past few months, in all the ways 9-year-olds do, and in ways no mother wants for her child.

My 11-year-old is changing too. He is taller and faster. He consumes enormous quantities of food and is still starving 5 minutes later. But he has turned down three birthday parties and two sleepovers with his friends. Instead he sneaks upstairs to our room and sleeps on the floor next to my bed, just to be near me. He is stronger on the outside, but it belies how soft he is on the inside. My heart swells and aches for him.

The lump in my breast appeared last December. I knew the feel, the slightly jello like wiggle encased in what I assumed to be cysts again. I kept a careful watch on them. I cut back on caffeine. I got enough sleep. And yet they grew. In March it was time to see the doctor.

I recall at that time, I feel no panic, no worry. I've been here before. The exam, the mammogram and then the ultrasound. But urgency rears its ugly head. I am sent immediately for the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech, briefly examines me, lowers her eyes, walks out to speak with the doctor. She is somber, quiet when she comes back into the room. She flips on the ultrasound image. Its then that I see the blood-red, angry splashes leaping from the screen. “We think it has many characteristics of cancer... no, we know,” she says, “its cancer. I'm sorry to tell you, you have breast cancer. The doctor agreed I could tell you. I think you should be prepared. A lot is going to happen very quickly now. Surgery as soon as next week. Chemo and radiation too.” I find myself crying. Just like that? A few seconds and you can tell? I haven't even had a mammogram yet, or a biopsy. I learn that day, you can see cancer on an ultrasound if it’s big enough. Clearly, my tumor is big enough.

The tech brings me kleenex and my phone. How am I going to do this? I am filled with regret, worry, concern. My husband, my kids, my mom. What will this do to them? She, the tech, is compassion and concern. And it dawns on me, she is brave. She made a decision to be the one to tell me, and not wait for the doctor. I marvel at how she did that. And she hasn't left my side. In all my blubbery, salty-teared sobs, she stands witness, as my heart breaks. Yet a seed plants in my head. She is also courage. And she is showing me how to do this.

Later, it occurs to me, I chose the word “alive,” this year. Each year I choose a word as a theme and watch how it manifests in my life. I went with the word "alive" after my Dad died. I simply wanted to feel "alive" in everything that I do. “Fighting to be" alive was not how I hoped to experience the word. Life is funny like that. And oddly, 6 months past my diagnosis, breast cancer has kicked open the door to feeling my aliveness in ways I couldn't have anticipated.

After much reflection, I realize I have both an urgency to live, while at that same time, wanting to slow down enough to savor every moment of each day. And the key to really doing that? Expanding your time, instead of worrying about extending your time.

I feel more and notice more in the tiny moments of my day. The sweet smell of sunshine and sweat mixed in my son's hair after playing outside in the sun. How golden the sunshine is in August. How water lapping at my feet soothes my aching soul. How joy tickles and spills over when you delight in the small. And how gratitude in everything, even cancer, leads to wanting for nothing.

I have discovered grace can be found even in the most painful and seemingly hopeless times. Like the time my youngest got up in front of his entire second grade class at sharing time and boldly told them his mom had cancer. And that she was going to get better. The seeds of grace sewn by my second grader.

That was just the beginning of a tidal wave of grace and blessings I would receive, and cancer has made me take notice. I've learned to live my moments, feel my aliveness. Put my “grace glasses” on and live my best day today. To expand. Count my gifts. I am finding you can see them in the tiniest moments. If you are open to seeing them, they are all around us.

A stay-at-home mom to two active boys, Nolan [11] and Colton [9], and the wife of Rick, Vicky spent her childhood growing up in Moorhead, MN. She graduated from Concordia College with a BS in Psychology and earned her MS in School Psychology at MSUM. After following her husband to Idaho for 10 years where she worked in Adolescent Psychology, they moved back to Moorhead in 2003 to raise their boys. When not hauling boys to the hockey arena or the golf course, Vicky loves to read, take photos and write. She was recently diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo. She chronicles all of her daily life adventures at http://thewestraworld.blogspot.com.

The Spiritual Writer: Seeking to See Beyond People As Trees Walking

2011-10-12T00:01:00.116-05:00

Trees ready to take flight?

I don't know that anyone sets out to become a spiritual writer; at least not intentionally, not in the beginning. But for some of us that is the path we stumble upon over time, or perhaps the path that finds its way to us.

In the beginning, I simply wanted to become a better writer. Of all the things I tried, writing seemed like one I was decent at or at least seemed capable of improving upon. As I fumbled through those childhood and young-adult years of trying to figure out who and what I was to be, whenever things became fuzzy, writing always felt like a sort of homecoming, a place that led me back to myself.

But a spiritual writer? That's something that seems to have evolved beyond the original scope, though I consider it one of the greatest surprises and blessings of my writing career. Certainly, there are times I need to take on projects that don't require the kind of depth that spiritual writing effects, but inevitably, most end up feeling so shallow that I have a hard time sustaining my interest. The spiritual element doesn't even have to be overt to hold my attention. But if there is nothing within a project that connects to something beyond the material, I can easily fall prey to boredom.

Over the past year or two, as I've taken on more assignments that have been spiritual in nature, I've found my editors naturally eying those sorts of stories for me, whether or not I've requested them. That's where the surprise enters in. What was it that told them I loved that kind of story? Did they detect my excitement at being assigned these topics, note the immediate spark in my eyes? I'm not sure how it happened but more and more, my editors began to identify the spiritual story as a "Roxane story."

I marvel at all of this, realizing things easily could have gone in a different direction; one in which my passions and my editors' ideas didn't line up. Instead, I've been identified as a writer inclined to go deeply into the heart of things. Through this, I feel I'm coming closer and closer to the center of myself and my best work.

One of the ways I nurture this leaning is through my Catholic writers' listserve, where spiritual-minded writers gather to discuss not just what it takes to be a writer, but a writer of spiritual works. Through this communion, we encourage and empower one another, usually agreeing that our common path often leads to fewer material benefits but greater spiritual nourishment. It's a payoff we're willing to tolerate to a point because we understand that writing for the spiritual sector is as much vocation as job. And the implications of our work have the potential to extend beyond this world.

Sometimes our group discusses writers who've inspired us along the way. The most recent has been the great Flannery O'Connor. Compared to some in our group, I'm still at the beginning of an acquaintance with this fellow wordsmith, but I'm intrigued and hope to get to know her more in the coming months.

The other day, one of our members shared the following excerpt from a lecture O'Connor once gave entitled, "The Catholic Novelist and the Protestant South." In it, the late novelist described the Christian disciple who is a poet or storyteller in this way:

"The poet is traditionally a blind man. But the Christian Poet, and the storyteller as well, is like the blind man Christ touched, who looked then and saw men as if they were trees - but walking. Christ touched him again and he saw clearly. We will not see clearly until Christ touches us in death, but this first touch is the beginning of vision, and it is an invitation to deeper and stranger visions that we shall have to accept if we want to realize a Catholic literature."

Like my friend from the listserve, I was affected by this short passage, which helps define for me why I do what I do, and why I am so powerfully drawn to it. It also provides me a renewed sense of purpose that will surely help me not lose heart when the bumps come along. Even more, it reminds me that if I keep at it, I might just begin to see the humans around me not as mere walking trees, but something much more detailed and astounding.

Q4U: Do you see a writing niche evolving in your work? If so, what is it?

Not Your Grandmother's Women's Section

2011-10-05T00:01:00.038-05:00

This week, a months-long dream became reality when North Dakota's largest daily newspaper rolled out its very first edition of SheSays, a daily offering that will be produced by and for women.

The presses are rolling!!! SheSays becomes a reality...
(photo credit: Heidi Shaffer)

The first run of SheSays folded and ready to go!
(photo credit: Heidi Shaffer)

I wrote about this exciting venture on Monday (here), when the first edition hit the streets. But I wanted to share a little more about the vision behind the section and how I'll be involved.

When the idea for SheSays was first presented to me this past summer, Mary Jo Hotzler, deputy editor of The Forum, admitted there were some naysayers. After all, women's sections in newspapers had made their mark years ago, then disappeared as the feminist movement became prominent. It had been deemed that sections dedicated to the female sector were archaic, no longer useful.

Problem was, nothing concrete really replaced them. Rather than having a strong voice within newspapers, women largely slipped away and papers went back to being mainly the domain of men. But a new dilemma has arisen in recent years, something this struggling medium has been forced to consider. Women make the majority of buying decisions within households; likewise, they are the most invested in keeping an eye on advertisements showing products they're considering. (Gulp!)

The Forum recognized this deficiency and decided to do something about it. So over the summer, a group of contributors -- designers, writers and editors -- was assembled to produce what may be the first women's section in the country with this volume of output. Not just once a week, but daily, we women will be singled out in a good way. Our local newspaper wants to make itself a place where we can mingle with the rest of the female population, ponder matters important to us, and even allow our male counterparts a closer glimpse into the feminine mystique.

Last week, the players of SheSays got together with business people in our community to share this vision, be introduced, and mingle over appetizers and drinks at The Avalon in Downtown Fargo.

Business folks meet with SheSays crew over appetizers at The Avalon, Downtown Fargo

A "story behind the story" video was shown, and our young publisher (below) dug out some old papers with women's sections from long ago. I enjoyed being part of the festivities launching the section. The resulting energy has been palpable!


Publisher Bill Marcil Jr., with Tracy Briggs, explains SheSays vision

Yesterday, my parenting column was the first of our "Parenting Perspectives" offering to be published in the new section. (You can go here to read the blog version; I'm counting on it eliciting a few giggles!) And my first article, coming in a couple weeks, will be about women and faith. I'm in the middle of compiling the interviews for that now and am looking forward to sharing what I've collected and learned.

One of the things I love best about writing locally is that I frequently bump into readers around town -- in the grocery store, at my kids' sporting events and at other community gathering spots. I love hearing real-life feedback from people I know, and meeting new people who recognize me through my column and appreciate what I share with them. Honestly, I can think of few better rewards than to hear, while pushing my cart between the banana and onion aisles, "Hey, I really loved your last column. That's exactly the way I feel!" Makes the hard work and mental energy it takes to be a writer worth it.

And honestly, for me personally, this is something of a "she-volution," as that first edition called it:

SheSays launch party included "story behind the story" video, schmoozing

When I left my newspaper career to be a more focused mother, it wasn't without some measure of regret. I knew I'd miss the newsroom and I didn't want to abandon all that I'd learned during my hard-working years in that environment. Finding my way into column writing was one step in the process of coming "home" to the newsroom without actually being there on a daily basis. And now, with the advent of SheSays, I'll play an even larger part in what began to unfold when our parenting columns debuted nearly four years ago. I'm genuinely excited for what's happening, and what's yet to come.

Editor Mary Jo Hotzler and contributing columnist Chris Linnares look over the first edition of SheSays section
(photo credit: Heidi Shaffer)

Q4U: What sorts of articles would you look for in a women's section of your newspaper?

Writer Spotlight: Beth Dotson Brown

2011-09-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

My end-of-month guest for Peace Garden Writer, Beth Dotson Brown, has been gracing my inbox for more than a decade now through a Catholic writers' email list; a group that has offered abundant support and encouragement to me in the freelance journey. Beth is among the voices on that list that I find especially peaceful and comforting. I'm so pleased to highlight some of her insight into the writing life today. May her words offer you encouragement as you push forward in the sometimes difficult but often rewarding pursuit of writing.

Blessing in the Detours of the Writing Life

When Roxane asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I gladly welcomed the invitation. I had just resumed teaching an elementary school creative writing class, met with the after school girls’ writing group I facilitate and was in the midst of preparing to attend the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Surely, I thought, something among all of that would provide inspiration.

Indeed, the students reminded me of my own childlike curiosity and creativity; two speakers at the conference gave me an idea for making my writing schedule more productive. All of that good energy was flowing onto the page, then . . . our kitchen sink backed up, the toilet began gurgling and we ended up with a sewage tank in our driveway to prevent the backflow from our neighbors’ homes from flooding into our house.

But that wasn’t all. I resolved to begin anew on Monday and not let the house problem distract me from my writing work, even though I could see the tank through my office window. As they worked to repair the city sewer system, I turned on my shower to warm the water, put my hand under the cold stream to test the temperature, then waited and waited and waited. There was no hot water.

Oh my. Sometimes things just don’t go as planned.

That’s certainly been the case for my writing career. As a seven-year-old, I decided I wanted to be a novelist. As a 12-year-old I made up my mind I also needed to study journalism because maybe writing novels wasn’t so practical.

As a 49-year-old, I’m trying to do both because regardless of the change in plans, some dreams never die. Those dreams can also enrich life in unpredictable ways.

Twenty years ago when I decided to make a go of freelancing as a writer and editor, I chose that path for a few reasons. I thought that I would be able to pursue assignments about subjects that interested me and could make a positive contribution to society. I also wanted to make more choices about how I spent my work day so that, when possible, I could pursue my love of fiction writing. What that ultimately meant to me was having more freedom regarding what I spent my time on every day, whether it was work, being with friends or family, volunteering in the community or whatever else seemed most important to me. Rather than letting the pursuit of money drive the direction of my life, I wanted God to lead me where I needed to go.

The gifts I’ve received from that choice have been tremendous. I’ve spent time with people from so many walks of life—athletes, entertainers, full-time volunteers, environmental activists. Parents who struggle to provide for their families, women who have suffered abuse, individuals who survived war, people who are thankful for the most basic amenities like food and shelter—they’ve all shared their stories, invited me into their lives. By doing so, they have made my life, and my writing, richer. They’ve also contributed to my understanding of who we are as children in God’s creation.

I may never be a millionaire. Freelancing isn’t a lucrative career choice, especially when you write primarily for nonprofit organizations and Catholic publications. I’m also unlikely to garner worldwide fame, although I felt a warm happiness spread through me recently when a 12-year-old told me her favorite book is the one I wrote —Yes! I Am Catholic. That’s the sort of thing that brings me happiness and fulfills me.

My research and interviews as a journalist also inform my work as a fiction writer, an area where I’ve enjoyed a few successes. I continue to pursue publishing my first novel. During writing retreats and even when a sewage truck in my driveway tries to distract me, I carve out time for my creative work. Through all the distractions, that seven-year-old’s dream has continued to thrive.

I’m sure there will be more detours along my path. I won’t try to avoid them. I hope you don’t either. It’s possible that it’s just those side trips through which God sets us on the path we’re supposed to be traveling today.

[Keep up with Beth's gardening journey on her blog, The Goodness of the Garden.]

Q4U: If you have any questions for Beth, please share them here!

Happiness Is...

2011-09-21T00:01:00.076-05:00

I spent this past weekend with a group of soul sisters, most of whom I've known since my college days. We gathered at a cabin near a Minnesota lake called Green Lake and kept the theme of "happiness" in our sights. That doesn't mean there wasn't a good deal of sharing some of the deeper, heavier things in life, but it always followed with zeroing in on happiness as the end goal.

Shriveled up frog, one of few unhappy things at Green Lake

One of the gals read a list she'd found online of the top ten things that make us happiest in life. At the front end was family and relationships. The last entry was a surprise: watching television. Some of us conceded that "reading a good book" would make us every bit as happy (if not more so) as relaxing in front of the tube.

Just a few days before our mini retreat, my spiritual director shared an article from Forbes magazine referring to a study that listed "The Ten Happiest Jobs." At the top? Clergy. "The least worldly are reported to be the happiest of all," a short summary reads. But not much further down on the list was author. The reason given: "For most authors, the pay is ridiculously low or non-existent, but the autonomy of writing down the contents of your own mind apparently leads to happiness."

Interestingly put, wouldn't you say? The autonomy of writing down the contents of your own mind... I've never heard it put that way before, but it certainly affirms how I've felt in my life as a writer.

There's something particularly exhilarating about the writing process. "Writing down the contents of your own mind." (Can you tell I'm rather enamored with that description?) The article also lists the ten most hated jobs, which were generally better-paying positions that lead to higher social status.

According to the findings, in order for a life to be meaningful it must also be worthwhile. "Engagement in a life of tiddlywinks does not rise to the level of a meaningful life, no matter how gripped one might be by the game."

I didn't need much convincing. I've lived the reality of this, both in my life as a writer and as a mother. Both are very creative processes that require the person engaged in the vocation to give everything, but with an end result that is somehow worth all the sweat and tears oftentimes required.

So, there it is in black and white: being an author/writer can lead to great happiness. The same is true of having a life rich in friendships and other meaningful relationships. I guess that would make me doubly happy on the best days, and doubly blessed even on the worst of them.

Here are some other things that make me happy -- all of which I experienced in some form during my weekend at Green Lake:

Fresh gladiolas intentionally placed by someone you've never met...

Walking and talking with friends, some of whom you see only once in a blue moon...

Fuzzy caterpillars inching along the pavement...

Slipping out of shoes post-walk and relaxing on the sofa, socked feet curled up and under...

The pitter-patter of rain on the roof in the morning...

A bird's-eye view...

Yummy, fresh, colorful soul food...

And ending the day with a good-night story from God...

Q4U: What makes you happy?

'The Help': Freed by Story

2011-09-14T00:01:00.052-05:00

Though I haven't read the book yet, I'd been wanting to see The Help because of the glowing responses and because it had been a while since I'd seen a movie so highly recommended by people with similar tastes. So when my birthday rolled around earlier this month and my hubby said he'd use his "two free movies and a snack" tickets on me, there wasn't any question about what we'd see.

Without giving too much away, I'll start by saying I'd rate it a thumbs-up (I hear the book is even better, goes even more deeply into the character's lives). Of all the poignant scenes, however, one keeps playing over and over in my mind. It was a fleeting but memorable moment when two of the main characters -- black maids Aibileen and Minny -- finally give into their fears and begin sharing their stories with Skeeter -- the young, white aspiring writer, daughter of a plantation owner.

It is Aibileen's beautiful, uninhibited smile that keeps flashing before me, and the words that come to me as an interpretation of that moment: freed by story.

In days leading up to her eventual divulging of her life as a maid in 1960s Mississippi, it's obvious Aibileen is plagued by all of the usual things that hold us back -- fear accompanied by feelings of vulnerability, doubt, and all of those ugly voices that tell us our stories aren't worth telling, and that if we tell them, we'll regret it.

But as with so many anxiety-producing situations, the thought of doing something is far worse than the actual doing of it. The anticipation of telling her stories gripped Aibileen, kept her cowering and doubtful -- about her stories and their worth, as well as her own worth as a person. These were deeply ingrained patterns that were holding her captive inside herself. Any of us in her position likely would have responded similarly. Perhaps we have.

But when at last she was able to turn off those voices and rise above them and share, the newer and truer voices of welcoming spilled over the darkness and brought light and love and yes, joy to Abileen's face and heart.

"Tell Me Your Story" read a button on the bulletin board at my second full-time newspaper job back in the early 1990s. It had been left there by the person whose beat I was replacing. She'd moved on to the cops and courts beat and I was taking over the lifestyles section she'd previously written for and edited. But in switching desks, she left behind that little gift for me, and I've never forgotten it. It was so simple, yet so striking in importance. I became determined to be a conduit for people telling their stories, and I've never looked back.

It is, after all, in the telling of our stories that our spirits are freed. And in doing so, not only do we free ourselves but we give others the permission to tell theirs and, in turn, also be freed. Easier said than done, perhaps, but once the words are uttered, once our stories are no longer sealed up inside our souls, our lives of liberation begin.

Q4U: When have you been freed by story? When have you helped others become free?

Writer Spotlight: Shannon O'Donnell

2011-09-07T00:01:00.019-05:00

I'm pleased to have an especially bright light on Peace Garden Writer today. Shannon O'Donnell resides in my home state of Montana and, like the people who formed me from infancy, claims the profession of teaching for her day job. Her efforts to change the world one child at a time begin each morning at home through mothering her three children, and continue when she enters the school building where she works as a high-school English teacher. But "Mrs. O'Donnell," as her students know her, is no ordinary teacher. She's exceptional in her tireless efforts to connect, encourage and inspire.

A few years back, Shannon began expanding her reach from classroom to blogosphere, and in the process, has picked up nearly 1,000 followers to her blog, Book Dreaming. Being privy to this, I couldn't help but wonder what sort of writing tools she's collected in her file cabinet. Happily, Shannon agreed to share a few with us today.

Book Dreaming Shannon and Daughter

The Need to Bring Others Along

I’m honored to be featured on Roxane’s blog. She’s one of my favorite people in the blogosphere, and someday I WILL have coffee with her.

One of the most surprising things I’ve learned along my writing journey is that no matter who we are, we need help. No matter how well we write, we need help. No matter how many times we proofread, we need help. NO ONE can navigate these waters alone.

I teach high school composition, and I try to hammer into my students’ heads the importance of showing vs. telling. We work and work and work on ways to write more descriptively, incorporating more of the senses and stronger description and more powerful verbs . . . As adult writers ourselves, we understand the importance of “showing” our readers, rather than “telling” them information. Right?

I found my critique partner through blogging long after I’d finished my manuscript. I was thrilled to finally have another pair of eyes as backup. Imagine my shock, though, when I found notes in the margin letting me know that I was “showing” rather than “telling” in parts of my story. What?! That’s not possible. I KNOW BETTER, just ask my students! In spite of that, I had not fully followed my own rules.

Here's the problem: we are often blind to errors or holes in our own work. We know what we mean. We know how we want our readers to feel, think, and understand. We don’t always write as clearly as we think we do, though.

One of my favorite writing gurus, Ralph Fletcher, once shared a letter he received from an editor pertaining to a new picture book he’d submitted. It was intended as a companion to a previously published (and hugely successful) story. The editor corrected things in every single stanza, pointing out details that were missed by both Ralph and his agent. Ralph is a HUGELY successful, multi-published author in children’s fiction and non-fiction, as well as writing resources for teachers. The man is brilliant. It doesn’t mean he can do it alone. None of us can.

Moral of the story: Make sure you have people (not family) to critique your writing. Consider hiring a freelance editor if you can afford it. Your writing will be MUCH stronger if you make this journey with others.

Note: Shannon added separately that picture books and middle grade literature are her passion, and that her blog, Book Dreaming (visit if you can), "began as a way to reach out to others in the writing community. It is a mixture of book reviews and writing-related information. I chose the name because my blog gives voice to the dream of being a published author one day."

Q4U: What do you think of Shannon's advice? Have you ever run into the problem she's outlined, and what did you do about it?

And by the way, Shannon, we will have coffee someday. You can count on that!

Parenting Perspectives: Minnesota Kept Mom in Summer Suspense

2011-08-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

[The following column was printed in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota's largest daily newspaper, on August 30, 2011. Reprinted with permission.]

Parenting Perspectives: Minnesota Kept Mom in Summer Suspense

By Roxane B. Salonen, The Forum

This summer turned out to be a real nail-biter for the Salonen family.

I’m not talking about the myriad tornado warnings that had us routinely running for cover in the middle of the night, forcing the seven of us to squish into a lower-level closet like sticks of gum in a pack and prompting numerous verbal “last wills and testimonies” and bleary-eyed mornings.

I’m speaking to the suspense that the state of Minnesota kept us in regarding our much-anticipated vacation to one of its state parks.

Indeed, for the better part of the season, my stomach knotted up daily knowing a room full of politicians held my very sanity in their hands. And until the final hour, it wasn’t looking so good.

The sleeping bags were nearly rolled and tucked away for the year when I heard the news: The state’s budget had been agreed upon. The state parks could re-open. Our end-of-summer getaway would commence.

With a collective sigh of relief, we loaded up the big yellow “banana” – a kayak my husband had won at his company’s annual party months earlier – and set off into “Big Paw Country.”

Imagine a seven-person, one-dog, two-vehicle caravan stuffed to the gills with all we’d need for a weekend – including two acoustic guitars. Or just repeat after me: the Griswolds.

“How many more hours left?” We hadn’t even left the cul-de-sac when the whining began. Eventually our littlest rephrased his question: “Well then how many years until we’re there?”

Eventually our destination arose on the horizon, and I can say now it was well worth the wondering and waiting.

It’s hard to grumble about hanging out at the “beach” (for all the kids knew, we’d landed in the Bahamas), squishing sand between your toes, snorkeling at the headwaters of the Mississippi with two straws bound together, and watching goose bumps rise on your arms at the onset of loon calls resounding across the lake at dusk.

Sure, we also had that car-sickness incident, a near-eviction from the kids’ constant slamming of our cabin door, and frequent “killer bee” sightings near the fire pit. But all was made right with a final trip through the coveted state park gift shop, where we claimed a hand-painted clay ocarina, a bird whistle, two beaded rings and a harmonica, all for less than 20 bucks.

Unbelievably, these treasures made the return trip even noisier than the drive there. Nevertheless, the state of Minnesota has redeemed itself in our eyes, even if narrowly. Though we realize not all families came out as well following the budget fiasco, we are grateful for our brief but luxurious time together in the Deep Woods.

Now then, what’s this about a harmonica gone missing? I’m sure it’ll turn up somewhere … maybe …

Roxane B. Salonen works as a freelance writer and children’s author in Fargo, where she and her husband, Troy, parent five children. She blogs on family life at http://peacegardenmama.areavoices.com

How to Become a Better Person: Write

2011-08-24T00:01:00.045-05:00

Recently, a writing pal shared with our online freelance community some words of wisdom from Writer's Almanac about the value of the writing process. It was one of those excerpts I immediately latched onto and knew I'd be blogging about in short order. Words like these aren't meant to be hidden away.

The author, Andre Dubus II, is talking about how when a manuscript is submitted (or "mailed out to the world where other truths prevail," as he says), the possibility exists that it will never be picked up for publication. If so, he cautions, the writer could well "suffer bitterness, sorrow, anger, and, more dangerously, despair, convinced that the work was not worthy, so not worth those days at the desk."

But Dubus recognizes the danger in this kind of thinking, likely because he's learned from experience. Having overcome the twisted logic, however, he wants to share his hard-earned wisdom with others. And so he gives encouragement, saying:

"But the writer who endures and keeps working will finally know that writing the book was something hard and glorious, for at the desk a writer must try to be free of prejudice, meanness of spirit, pettiness, and hatred; strive to be a better human being than the writer normally is, and to do this through concentration on a single word, and then another, and another."

Isn't that great? Okay, it's better than great. Let me repeat for emphasis sake: "...for at the desk a writer must try...to be a better human being than the writer normally is...through concentration on a single word, and then another, and another."

Yes! Yes! And Triple Yes!

Oh, but Dubus isn't finished; not yet. He goes on:

"This is splendid work, as worthy and demanding as any, and the will and resilience to do it are good for the writer's soul."

Did you hear that? (I get so excited about the little things in life...) "This...work...and the will...to do it are good for the writer's soul." Oh, and let's not forget that he calls the work SPLENDID...as worthy and demanding as any. (Any writer knows this to be true! Or at least hopes that it is so.)

I'm still with him. Are you? Well now, let me warn you. There's an if coming up. But trust me on this. It will be okay in the end. Just wait and see.

"If the work is not published, or is published for little money and less public attention, it remains a spiritual, mental, and physical achievement; and if, in public, it is the widow's mite, it is also, like the widow, more blessed."

I know. This is where some writers are inclined to become mightily discouraged. "But I want my work to receive due compensation. I don't want to settle for the widow's mite. And even more, I want all the glory associated with the writer's life!"

Okay, so here is where I want to extrapolate just a bit. I would never discourage a writer from seeking compensation for work that is worthy of it. I also don't believe a writer ought to set out with low expectations about her efforts and only expect the widow's mite for her work.

But...for the spiritually-minded...there is more. Even if, by some series of unfortunate events, the submission process does not result in the recognition and compensation the writing and writer deserve, there is still so much gain. So much! To speak of one, the writer ends up...blessed. What could be better than that, really?

I've said it before and I'll say it again now: no writing is ever wasted. Even if the reward isn't immediate or obvious, it will come. It's so much like the spiritual journey, isn't it? We must look Big Picture whenever approaching disappointment in the writing life or suffering in general.

Now then, dear writer friend, please let these words of Dubus be an encouragement to you. Let them be what frees you to take pen in hand and set out to write what you will, and see where it takes you. If it takes you through 250 pages that turn into a book-length manuscript, you will have accomplished something very few people do. Yes, even if that work (made up of one word, and then another and another) does not find light in this world, you will be changed forever. You will be stronger, just for the effort. You will be more compassionate, for what your own writing has revealed to you. And you will be more human.

When all is said and done, and with this excerpt from Dubus now analyzed from this angle, I can only come to one conclusion, and it's in the form of a question: What's to be lost? What?

Go, write, and be transformed! Start with one word, add another, and then another...and see where you go. Could anything be more thrilling?

Q4U: How do you feel about the widow's mite? Do the words of Dubus make you feel frustrated or free?

For the rest of the Dubus quote, go to the middle section of this page.

Hanging with the Hummingbirds

2011-08-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

Our family just returned from a brief end-of-summer getaway; a reprieve just before the onset of backpacks being flung onto shoulders, principals' voices resounding over loudspeakers and teachers asking children to write essays about their summertime adventures.

Kiddos #2 and #5 just after arriving at Itasca State Park

I can't guess what memories are churning most vibrantly in the hearts of my five children. They are as varied, no doubt, as each child's fingerprints. But I do have some of my own that have lit my heart afire. One is so fresh I can almost reach out and touch it. I can in part through the photos I was blessed to snap during a quiet moment of observation.

The memory happened, as they often do, while thinking on other things. We were wrapping up one phase of our visit to the park, seated in a round corner table by the window of a restaurant.

Our corner table with the incredible view (with Daddy and Kiddos #s 3 and 4)

The greenery around was captivating enough...

Kiddo #1 (the feeder was located just behind him...)

but then my eyes caught the flutter of something: hummingbirds at a feeder just outside the window. For the rest of our time there, I sat mesmerized by the exquisiteness of these beautiful creatures. They are so tiny, and so fast. At times, their wings were going so quickly they seemed to disappear altogether.

See the wings of the little bird to the left? Yeah, not so much, right? Too fast!

I could have stayed there for hours watching them.

Peace Garden Writer and Kid #4

It seems fitting to allow a favorite poet to help me put words to what I experienced as I hung with my family and the hummingbirds for a short while. Nature has so much to say to us if we can be still just long enough to watch...and listen.

Summer Story by Mary Oliver (from the poetry book Red Bird)

When the hummingbird
sinks its face
into the trumpet vine,
into the funnels
of the blossoms
and the tongue
leaps out
and throbs,
I am scorched
to realize once again
how many small, available things
are in this world
that aren’t
pieces of gold
or power-------
that nobody owns
or could but even
for a hillside of money-----
that just float
in the world,
or drift over the fields,
or into the gardens,
and into the tents of the vines,
and now here I am
spending my time,
as the saying goes,
watching until the watching turns into feeling,
so that I feel I am myself
a small bird with a terrible hunger,
with a thin beak probing and dipping
and a heart that races so fast
it is only a heart beat ahead of breaking------
and I am the hunger and the assuagement,
and also I am the leaves and the blossoms,
and, like them, I am full of delight, and shaking.

Q4U: When did nature last speak to you, and what did she have to say?

Your One Wild and Precious Life

2011-08-10T00:01:00.037-05:00

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?"

- Mary Oliver

I love these lines from Mary Oliver. I keep them in my "favorite quotes" section on Facebook, as well as in my heart. Whenever I read or hear these lines, I smile.

I wanted a photo to go along with them and I thought of this one of my sons and their cousins jumping into Lake Minnewaska back in June.

At the time I received this shot, I was hiding away at a Carmelite monastery working on a project. My heart and mind were at rest and peace-filled. And then this visual blast of young energy from my dear mother-in-law came into my inbox filled with these sweet boys sucking in life for all it's worth!

Precious and wild, indeed, like four little boys jumping off a dock into a cool, Minnesota lake.

Juxtaposing the words "wild" and "precious" produces an immediate sense of energy.(!!!) Wild and precious wouldn't normally go together. One implies serenity and sweetness. The other, something quite the opposite of that; something untamed and unwieldy.

What is life if not wild? It's full of unexpected twists, occasional heartache and a whole lot of joy as well if we're awake enough to see it.

As for precious, oh yes. Each of us is an unrepeatable individual, and we all have a story; one that's meant to be shared in some form. My stories come out mainly through written expression (though not exclusively). Sharing my stories is a life-giving act for me, and, I dearly hope, for those who read or hear them as well.

But this line wouldn't be what it is without the word that ties it all together: one. Here is where things get really interesting. One implies singularity, but also brings with it a sense of energy and movement; namely because we don't get an exponential number of chances to do this life, only one. Oh, we are sometimes offered second and even third chances within this life, but there's really only one earthly life in which to do what we're here to do.

I don't know about you, but I am very aware of the fact that I've been given one wild and precious life, and that it comes with an expiration date.

Our lives are always in motion, but perhaps now's as good a time as any to step back and evaluate where we are, and discern whether it's where we're supposed to be. And then, once we've figured that out, to take steps to use the time that's left for how it's meant to be used.

Certain seasons in our life allow us to grasp this "bird's-eye view" perspective better than others. Sitting where I'm at now, I'm able to see more vividly what I'm here to do, and I'm positioning myself to do just that.

I can't imagine many things more exciting than to be aware of one's purpose.

So I ask the question of you, as Mary did all of us: What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

The Burden-Blessing of Having Author Friends

2011-08-03T00:01:00.003-05:00

One of the most pleasurable aspects of entering the larger writing community has been meeting other authors and building relationships with them, whether through online means or in person. One of the most frustrating? Trying to make room to read all of their beautiful books!

Some of my author friends have crossed my path prior to their debut work being presented to the world. I've been privileged to be part of the amazing build-up process that takes place in the months before publication happens. Watching others' dreams come true is a wonderful thing. Even better, there's the fruit of their hard work at the end of it -- the book they've helped produce, sometimes through many years of labor and tenacity. Others have been well-established prior to our meeting, and I've enjoyed that experience as well. They've often produced several works that, especially after having met their maker, I'm eager to find and read.

This all leads to a whole lot of sparkling titles vying for my attention. And as my own work has picked up speed, getting at these treasures in a reasonable amount of time has become more than challenging. During the school year especially, I'm filled up with research reading for book projects, "homework reading" to learn more about a subject prior to an interview for a radio show or article, and, oh yeah, running five kids around town.

This dilemma has weighed on my soul in this last year especially. It's felt a little like arriving at a much-anticipated party (I'm often part of the cheering section as my author-friends' books find their way into the world) but having to bug out before the really awesome part of the evening has begun.

Thankfully, summertime usually offers some sort of chance to get to a portion of these books that have been sitting rather impatiently on my "dying to get at" stack.

Here's one I just finished:

Memories of the Beach: Reflections on a Toronto Childhood by Lorraine O'Donnell Williams. I interviewed Lorraine back in April 2010 (here) when her book had just been released. Her memoir on her childhood in the Beach area of Toronto was enjoyable, introducing me to a part of the world that is nearby yet far enough away to merit discovery. It also seemed especially fitting to read it mostly poolside in the heat.

In June I mentioned having read my friend Rosslyn Elliott's debut book, Fairer Than Morning.

This one moved to the top of my list because I won it in a drawing. It was my first exposure to Christian historical romance. Though my reading of romance pretty much ceased after I left home for college (and no longer had access to my mother's Danielle Steele novels), I enjoyed the pairing of history with a love story as seen through the eyes of faith, and was very impressed by what seemed a extraordinarily polished effort. Rosslyn was another of the authors I featured as part of my guest series (here) on Peace Garden Writer.

Here's another of my summer 2011 reads:

It took me all of two days to finish Abby Johnson's Unplanned. I devoured it, hardly glancing up to do things like make dinner, do laundry, etc. All else came second to finishing this incredible account of the author's drastic transition from serving as director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas to becoming a passionate prolifer. I met Abby in person just a few days before gobbling up her compelling and important book. And though you wouldn't call us friends, I can say we shared a conversation and a hug during her June visit to Fargo.

So what's next? Today, I ordered Jody Hedlund's debut novel, The Preacher's Bride. My goal is to read it before her second-in-three novel comes out next month!

Jody's book has been on my "can't wait to read" list since its release last fall. A fellow mother of five and well-loved blogger, Jody has been a inspirational force for the writing community in general, and Christian writers in particular. Like Rosslyn, she's all about history, love and faith. Jody was the first author featured as a guest on my debut blog, Peace Garden Mama, back in October of 2009 (here). Her book wasn't out yet but we'd crossed online paths and I was anxious to help shine light on Jody's exciting new career.

Finally, I've started my friend Lisa Hendey's not-yet-released book (I'm an honored recipient of an advanced copy), A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms.

Since this book was meant to be taken a saint-per-week, I'll be savoring it in the coming weeks and perhaps months. (Lisa was just featured here in May!)

So yes, it can be a "burden" to have authors for friends, and piles of books that they've written on the stack, mixed in with all of the other "must reads" of the year. But trust me, I'm really not complaining. How blessed I've been with these relationships, and the works that have flowed from their pens. The most difficult part is truly desiring to support them through getting to know their "babies," yet knowing I must pace myself and take them in the order in which I'll truly be able to cherish them.

It's not a bad dilemma at all, after all. In fact, within the burden-blessing of having author friends, I find far more blessing than burden. I can only hope that when my next book comes out, they'll all feel the same about me and my work!

Q4U: Who was the last author you met? What's the title of their work you read (or hope to read)?

oops!

2011-08-01T11:04:00.000-05:00

I wrote up a post I'd meant to schedule for Wednesday but forgot to do the postdate before hitting "publish." So, the promised post showing up in feeds is M.I.A. This is just a friendly explanation to let you know that "The Burden-Blessing of Having Author Friends" will be posted on Peace Garden Writer on Wednesday as usual. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Writer Spotlight: Karen Edmisten

2011-07-27T00:01:00.008-05:00

Karen Edmisten is among a group of distinguished writers I've met through an online community of Catholic communicators. Along with being a fellow mother/wife and writer/blogger, she's also an author of several faith-related books, and a convert from atheism whose thoughts about life and God never fail to inspire me. I'm honored to have Karen as a guest today on Peace Garden Writer!

Karen Edmisten

The Writing Life and Abandonment to God

When I took my first tentative steps toward Christianity -- after years of atheism and doubt -- one of the things that made me shudder was the Christian idea of surrender. “Dying to self” sounded suspiciously as if I’d lose everything that was important to me. Everything that was me. My tastes and opinions? My ideas? My personality? Sense of humor? How does one give all of that up without feeling like a Stepford wife?

I didn’t see that as a blessing. Oh, sure -- now I know what a huge blessing it’s been to let go of my old life, but I couldn't fathom that at the time. I couldn’t see, as C.S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain, that, “we are not merely imperfect creatures who must be improved: we are ... rebels who must lay down their arms."

I didn't want to lay down my arms but clearly they slipped or were wrenched from me because here I am, a Catholic. And in waving those white flags and accepting that I could become a new creation in Him, I’ve found the kind of peace of which I couldn't have conceived in my atheist days.

In the midst of that peace is the knowledge that while I “lost” myself I also paradoxically gained a truer version of me. In surrendering everything to God, He showed me that He will lead wisely and well in all things. And in striving to practice obedience, I've been given the greatest freedom I've ever known.

The path to my writing career is an excellent example. I still often don't think of it so much as a career, but as something that just keeps happening.

When I was young, I knew I’d be a writer. I scribbled out stories, penned poems and crafted essays, dutifully submitting them to magazines. They always returned with rejection slips. Occasionally, I got to revel in handwritten notes from editors who encouraged me to persevere, but nothing was published.

Eventually I gave up on writing because I was following another dream. I called it, “Let’s Find Out the Meaning of Life.” It was a time-consuming, sometimes painful dream that led me to surrender one thing after another, in both the realm of ideas (such as long-cherished philosophies and a personally crafted system of morality) and the realm of practicalities (where we lived, what jobs I took, my aversion to having babies, the conviction that I would always work outside the home.) Stunningly, I somehow became everything I'd once mocked: I was now a Catholic, stay-at-home wife and mother.

Getting something published was the farthest thing from my mind when my priest suggested that I send my conversion story to one of his favorite magazines. I did it only because he thought I should but I worried that seeking publication at that point in my life would be "all about me.” I feared it would seem I was seeking glory when I knew the glory of my conversion belonged to God. But, in the spirit of surrender and obedience to my confessor I sent the article off. It was my first published piece.

And now I trumpet, "And it all took off from there!" Right? Not quite. I was still learning what it meant to be a fully committed, homeschooling, stay-at-home wife and mom, still embracing (or struggling to embrace) the necessary sacrifices. But the more my faith fell into place -- the more fully I surrendered to my vocation -- the more the writing fell into place, too.

Other writing opportunities came my way. Articles, essays, devotions. I wasn’t able to predict them (though some of them were at the suggestion of that same priest -- perhaps I should call him my agent?) and many of them surprised me. When I tried to predict or plan too much, God dismantled my plans and all but said, "No ... try this instead." I had to let Him navigate.

Not that I sat passively by. A navigator maps the course, but He still needs the pilot to do the driving. Someone had to sit at the keyboard and compose this stuff. But publication seems to have happened on God's terms, not on mine.

My articles led to blogging, and my blog led to an editor finding me online, and that in turn has led to the publication of two books, with a third on the way. Still, it’s all in God's hands. I've come full circle, back to that surrender stuff I once hated so much.

In the future, if God wants me to write more books, I will. (I do wish I had a foolproof strategy to recommend for discerning His voice. That part, I’m afraid, is an ongoing, neverending bit of on-the-job training.) Or, if He wants me to write something else -- oh, say, instruction manuals for assemble-it-yourself furniture (because, really now, couldn't anyone do that better than the people who do it?) then I'll earn a paycheck that way rather than in Catholic publishing. Or, if He wants me to quit writing altogether and learn to be a better cook, I'm in (though I don't see that happening ... the kitchen is not where He deposited the greatest "natural talent and desire" in me.)

But you get the picture. Where He leads, I try to follow.

Mainly, I pray for the grace to stay out of His way. The fear of "losing myself" is gone because I know that when I surrendered “me” I didn’t lose my core. I found it. And God doesn't send me rejection slips, just revisions. My life is so much better with His deft editing Hand at work.

Karen Edmisten is the author of The Rosary: Keeping Company With Jesus and Mary and Through the Year With Mary: 365 Reflections. She was a contributor to Atheist to Catholic: 11 Stories of Conversion, and A Little Way of Homeschooling: Thirteen Families Discover Catholic Unschooling. A book on miscarriage is in the works and is due out in 2012. Find her online at www.karenedmisten.blogspot.com

Lettin' the Piggy Rest

2011-07-20T00:01:00.064-05:00

Last week I was honored with a mention by the esteemed publisher/author Michael Leach of Orbis Books on his blog, Why Stay Catholic? Michael apparently stumbled upon my writing while perusing the offerings over at Catholicmom.com, and has named me on his list of favorite bloggers. It wasn't the worst way to begin the day, especially as a new admirer of Michael's work.

As Michael mentions, "cyberspace is flooded with light" through the many faith-filled writings one can discover there. He also points out that we're lucky to make even the smallest of dents in reading all the good works available to us on the Internet. And though it can be downright overwhelming at times, I liken discovering a good blog to attending a dinner party filled with potentially shallow conversation, and then inadvertently meeting an unassuming soul over by the punchbowl and discovering he or she is an absolute delight. The air shifts, clouds part, a miserable evening is saved as the conversation with a fellow soul sister or brother ensues.

That's how I see blogs like Michael's -- a delightful, surprise. Anyone out on the Internet for any length of time is bound to experience such crossings on occasion. It's one of the greatest blessings of today's technology and one of the reasons I'm "out there." I don't want to miss the chance meeting that could give me a new blast of food for thought and sustenance for the soul.

But Michael brings up another important point in his shout-out post: "One thing to know is that virtually all Catholic bloggers write not for money but to express truth or beauty or humor," he says.

I've had opportunities to make money from blogging but have never followed through. To me, it's sort of like being paid for watching your own children. Sure, it would be wonderful to make money from being a mother, but somehow it seems that receiving a paycheck for the work of your heart could lead to the work becoming tainted. When you're doing something for the pure love of it, even if it contains some amount of sacrifice, monetary compensation is not only unnecessary but would somehow spoil the joy (and freedom) involved in the process.

That's not to say that blogging is futile and shouldn't be considered real work (anymore than mothering should be excluded from the category of real work). It serves many valuable purposes, including keeping one's work fresh and vital, and possibly, leading to paid work. Aside from that, God gave me a desire to move through life in a reflective way and to record those experiences. He also laid on my heart the yearning to not keep the good stuff to myself. It's not a chore for one who has this propensity to observe, record and share. It's part of who and what we are as writers, and we're mighty lucky to have such a format for doing what satisfies our soul.

Please also don't misunderstand this: I enjoy being paid for my writing. In fact, I really wasn't ready to jump into the blogging world until my paid writing work was fairly established. "Don't give your best stuff away," they say, and I still abide by that. But with a life as full as mine is, I highly doubt I will run out of material anytime soon.

So for now, when it comes to blogging, I'm going to keep lettin' the piggy rest, allowing him to turn his back for a while and think on whatever he pleases, rather than be obsessed over who will place the next coin in his back slot. As long as I receive a few grateful comments from time to time and continue to believe it's not for naught, I'll show up here, thankful to do so even without promise of pay. And I'll continue to keep my eye out for the blog treasures of others that abound.

Q4U: What pursuits have you taken on for the simple joy of it?

Summertime: Living to Write

2011-07-13T00:01:00.008-05:00

Sometimes, we writers become so absorbed in our work, we forget its lifeblood.

For us Northerners in particular, summertime can be a much-needed time of restoring ourselves with the life and colors all around us; the life that, later, when the earth becomes frozen again, will bring warmth to our souls, and thus, to our writing.

We need this time to revive our weakened senses. Even if our writing routine changes, nothing is wasted. If we don't live well, we won't be able to write well, either.

Here, my sister and sister-in-law are pausing a few moments in the afternoon, summertime breeze, allowing it to mesmerize them.

So far this summer, I've absorbed time at a monastery...

Welcomed a new puppy into our family...

Witnessed the lakeside wedding of a friend:

And experienced a trip of a lifetime with my sister in the South.

New Orleans was a city of vibrant colors and intriguing history that I inhaled with great curiosity:

I call her the Rainbow Lady.

This little boy...

couldn't get his eyes off the Silver Man.

He was out in the humidity, silver paint all over, hot clothes too, doing a routine on the street. Eventually, the two joined forces and did a little break dance, wowing the crowd that had gathered. (My camera wasn't quick enough.)

Part of the fun in people-watching is watching others' reactions to things. I enjoyed observing this mime attempt (very successfully) to be perfectly still...

But even more, the passersby watching her. (When it rained, I learned she was real, as she quickly bent down to collect her props and run to shelter.)

The writing life isn't just about sitting behind a computer screen tapping out word patterns.

It's about being out in the world and taking it in. It's about filling ourselves up with experiences, and yes, that includes good food, like shrimp gumbo:

There are few better places to be restored than the beach (look closely and you'll see the hermit crab inside).

If you go the Gulf, just don't leave without adding evidence you were there:

In between all these grand adventures, I've sucked in the summertime routine of family life: swimming lessons, relaxing at the pool, and finally getting a chance to read those books I've been dying to get at for months.

What will we write about if we don't first fill up with life? Go, fill up, and enjoy every minute of it! The blank sheet of paper will still be there when you return, only now, you'll have something to fill it with.

Q4U: Where do you plan to fuel up next?

Our Dream Day in New Orleans

2011-07-06T00:01:00.153-05:00

Two years ago, when my Mom started talking about a possible trip to New Orleans with her two girls for her cousin's 50^th wedding anniversary, I was simply excited to see family and experience the city as an adult. My last visit there was at age 12, and I knew my adult self would take in details my pre-teen eyes had not.

Mostly, we let Mom plan the trip, since she knew details of the family events we would attend. But about a week before we were to leave, my sister, Camille, started doing a little research of her own, knowing we’d have a day or so to do as we pleased in the city. When she mentioned that three prominent children’s authors would be in the city the very day we'd planned to hang out there, the whole trip took on a different and exciting color!

As it turned out, Mom, who would have loved this piece of our journey as well, was unable to accompany us due to a health scare back home. Thus, in the final hours, it became a sisterly-duo adventure. And I'd say our Sunday in New Orleans was the most empowering day of our five-day journey.

Where there’s a will there’s a way. We were intent on finding our way to Octavia Books, where, we were promised, three highly regarded children's authors – Tomie DePaola, Richard Peck and Kate DiCamillo -- would be visiting.

Winding our way through the streets, sizing up street signs, we finally came upon the one that told us we were close.

And there it was! We’d done it!

All on our own, two gals from the humble state of North Dakota had found their way through the city in a rental car, and all the way to Uptown. Incredibly, I even recognized a neighborhood where we'd dined for lunch all those years ago!

Timing-wise, it looked like we’d meet Tomie first, and this indeed came to pass. I discovered him alone in his chair, readying for his signing, and was first in line to give him a big ol' "Hello!" from the Peace Garden State.

Mr. Peck was there at the same time.

Both were in town for a library convention, which had brought in thousands of librarians from across the United States, as well as various presenters of a literary lean.

I still marvel at the blessing of it all. What were the chances things would line up like this? Camille has always been an avid reader and a talented writer as well. So there was no argument as to our hoped-for destination. We couldn't have planned the conjunction of our visits better if we'd tried! (Credit goes to Camille for her initiative in finding out about the event!)

With time to kill in between the first round and the promised meeting with Kate, we strolled along the sidewalks of Uptown until we came to a bistro that was both open (it was Sunday; some were closed) and looked promising.

Nice patio, but not for us, thank you.

With sweat dripping down our backs, we were more than relieved to find reprieve in this charming place.

It was a lovely lunch.

Even the bathroom had character.

Heading back to the bookstore, we came upon some more colorful sights, including this street car adorned with bottle caps.

Here's the real one we trailed on our way to our destination:

When we got back to the bookstore, one store attendant told us we’d missed Kate; she’d just left. Another said, no, she wasn’t gone just yet. Camille was more optimistic than I, but we did in fact find her not far from the store entrance being escorted to another event. Since we’d been so looking forward to seeing Kate, Camille and I got a little bold and cornered her on the way out. (Actually, she was quite sweet about the whole thing.) She signed our books and after a short chat, said a cheerful goodbye. It wasn’t until a while later that we realized, in the excitement of trying to find her, we’d missed a photo opportunity.

Slightly forlorn, but not completely deterred from making the most of our day, we headed next to the Ogden Museum, where a jazz exhibit had caught the attention of my music-teacher sister.

After we'd gotten our fill of history, both past and present, we added our admission sticker to the pole where others before had done the same (a different color for each day of the week).

There were more wonderful moments in our day, but our foray with the children’s authors in a New Orleans bookstore in Uptown was a special part of it; I’ll be forever grateful for the privilege of having chatted with all three of them for a short while. Really, the only disappointments in the day were the trouble we experienced in finding our way out of the city (you can get in but you can’t get out apparently) and the missed photo opp with Ms. DiCamillo.

But then, surprise of all surprises, at the airport, I was walking in the halls waiting for our flight and brushed past a tiny gal who looked unlike...! It was her, and she was just as gracious as before. The second-chance photo with Kate DiCamillo became a reality; the trip was complete.

She even rode on our plane back to Minneapolis, her current place of residence. As we made our way through the first-class section, I couldn’t help but notice her opening a brand-new book. Though I couldn’t make out the title, I smiled as I noticed her reading the acknowledgements at the back before digging in. This is something I also do. It may be an author thing – having perhaps as great an appreciation for and curiosity about the process of book-making as the story itself.

I can’t help but think back to our younger years when Camille and I would while away the winter months curled up with a captivating book. We both appreciated good literature and the written word. We used to ponder our someday-adult lives and what it might be like, but back then we never could have dreamed up a day such as this.

Writer Spotlight: Liz Morgenstern Paul

2011-06-29T00:14:00.000-05:00

Meet Liz, a terrific gal I met first through online means, then in person two years ago at a celebration honoring Emilie Lemmons, a mutual writing friend who brought us together in a sense after her early death at age 40. It's been a privilege connecting with Liz and seeing her writing take off these past couple years, and it's really no surprise, since Liz has a bit of author in her genes. Well, why don't I just let Liz speak for herself? Without further adieu...

Liz Paul, wife, mother, blogger

When I was in Elementary School my mom had an idea; an idea for a children’s book. Now many people think they can sit down and write a children’s book any old time, but the reality is that much work goes into a “simple” 32-page picture book. My mom’s idea wasn’t entirely out in left field, however. She’d been writing poetry for years with some local success. Still, this idea sparked her journey as a children’s author.

Being her oldest child and an avid reader myself, I became the natural guinea pig for her books. She would read them aloud to me. I would read them to myself, too, and I’d share my opinions. As I grew older, my mother continued to ask my opinion and often took my words and advice to heart. Watching her, I knew that writing was work even though it was fun and creative, too. I’ve seen her spend two weeks agonizing about a phrase or a word of a book. Two weeks spent on a single word, but her work and editing and persistence paid off, and in 1991 her first book was published: Good Night Feet. These have been followed by One for Me, One for you (under her pen name) and Waking Day. She has since moved away from children’s books and into writing hymns and church music. She still has a large number of stories in the editing process and someday plans to send them out again to see if they can be published.

I am proud of my mother and admire her work, but this is not her story. Roxane asked me to share my writing journey and mine feels much different. Growing up with my mother, I knew writing was work but fruitful work, but it wasn’t my work. I was a reader, MAYBE an editor type, but certainly not a writer. In high school papers were agonizing for me, made even more agonizing by having a writer as my proofreader. And yet I have always been drawn to the written word. Though I didn’t write as a child, I read everything in sight, drinking it in.

In college I majored in English (and religion and math, but those are other stories) due to my love of reading. But while my classes all had numerous papers required, I did not take a single creative writing course. Through college and, later, seminary, I was content to read, think and respond.

Then I went out in the working world and my life was shaken. I was working for a church and quickly learned that just because you work for a Christian organization, that does not mean cruel, demeaning and belittling people don't exist in that world. I felt a little trapped in a job I needed, in a career I enjoyed, but surrounded by a small handful of people who made it clear that my real, whole, self was not welcomed.

As a result, I turned to my online community of friends and, following their lead, began a blog. I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I felt I wasn’t a writer, but I needed a space to be wholly me. So I began blogging, and while it didn’t lessen the pain of my job, it kept me sane and knowing who I was. I wrote about silly things, political things and all sorts of random thoughts on a variety of topics, including weight loss, pregnancy and eventually motherhood. (I was careful not to write about my job situation, of course. I might have been struggling, but I wasn’t stupid.)

I’ve been writing now for six years on that blog, and little by little it has changed my perspective of myself. I am no longer just a reader; I am a writer, too. I write for me, to help me process life and see things in a new way, but as my blog continues I find I am starting to really identify myself as a writer. Book ideas are popping into my head. I’ve taken a writing class online and have started taking some of my writing offline. I’m a long way from being published, or even having something worth publishing, but the change has begun. I’m not “just” a reader anymore; I have things to say, so I say them.

My blogging has taken an interesting turn lately, which I am working to process. After nearly six years at the job that made blogging so necessary to me, I found a new church last summer; a church that knows and relishes me for who I am. Since then my blogging has been less about clinging to a sense of self and more about growing myself to new and unknown reaches. Writing is a part of that for me now. Suddenly two weeks spent on one word seems a little more realistic. I’m not quite there yet, but at the same time I can’t quite imagine my life straying too far from this writing path. The what and the how may be questions for me, but I’ve settled on the why. I am a writer. It is part of my true self; a part that I didn’t even know was there until I was forced to find it.

Writing saved me from despair. Melodramatic perhaps, but true. So I continue to write and wonder what gifts writing will bring me next.

A few of my favorite posts:

· My Most Precious Dust

· Soap

· Elizabeth Come Out

For Mother’s Day

Thanks, Liz, for sharing with such honesty! That's often a huge part of our journey isn't it, the recognition of our identity as writers.

Q4U: Got any questions for Liz? And while you're at it, what do you think makes a writer a writer?

Parenting Perspectives: Snickers the Puppy a Sweet Addition

2011-06-22T00:01:00.005-05:00

[The following column was printed in The Forum, North Dakota's largest daily newspaper, on June 21, 2011. Reprinted with permission.]

Parenting Perspectives: Snickers the Puppy a Sweet Addition

By Roxane B. Salonen, The Forum

Ironic that I, the long-ago girl who dreamed of someday owning a puppy store, would be the staunch hold-out.

For three solid years my family has been on a fervent crusade to turn our five-kid, two-cat home into a canine-comfy casa.

“Absolutely not!” I said repeatedly, unquestionably.

Stepping back 35 years in time, you’d never have guessed it. I was growing up in a reservation town without a leash law. The world was my puppy store, and I had my pick.

Marlene, Tammy, Salty and Sheba were strays that found their way into and out of my life and heart. (I never had a chance to name the rabid hound who sauntered into our yard one day, so quickly did the cops come once Mom saw the steady stream of saliva running from its mouth.) Eventually the “real” dogs – Tickles, Midnight and Corky – arrived, all hand-selected from farms my father had visited during his work for the county.

It was an environment replete with canine calls – the yelping of dogs nudged by car tires, the territorial growling of springtime packs, the screeching of mutts weary from the monthlong run of fireworks.

In that canine-laden culture, I was mostly content. Though frightened by the roughest of them, the softer ones had me enraptured.

This love continued through early marriage. But when kids arrived and our yellow Lab became, well, just a pet, I began questioning whether dogs and family were inseparable.

I was up to my mother eyeballs in dirty diapers, after all. The daily topping-off of doggy-doo had become excretion overload. So after Frasier died when our middle child was a baby, we didn’t seek a replacement.

Now, after years of canine-free adamancy, I’m undergoing reversion.

The blame goes to said middle child. On the cusp between childhood and adolescence, she begged once more for a puppy, offering to forgo her 11th birthday party in exchange. And in a moment of maternal weakness, foreseeing future years of boys replacing pets, I caved.

After some careful searching, an Adopt-a-Pet puppy pranced into our lives and has taken up residence.

I have yet to shake all my mother-guardedness, concerned as I am about the added responsibility for which I’ve just signed up. But watching this 3-month-old cutie turn somersaults in our backyard grass – not to mention the kids’ glee the other day when he got “stuck” in a pillow and ran around haphazardly like a pillow with legs – I remembered a few things I’d forgotten in these years of practiced practicality.

It’s OK to let go and be a little goofy. Living in the moment is underrated. And unconditional love is the best.

Snickers, welcome to the Salonen household. (Thank goodness we decided to wait on installing new carpet.)

Roxane B. Salonen works as a freelance writer and children’s author in Fargo, where she and her husband, Troy, parent five children.

No-Fail Cure for Writer's Block

2011-06-15T00:01:00.011-05:00

I've discovered a no-fail cure for writer's block. And I know it's effective because I've just swallowed a week's worth of the remedy myself: time at a Carmelite Monastery.

During my last post, I shared that I would be hiding out for a while. Here's a peek at said hideout:

While I was tempted to write a quick follow-up post from my place of refuge last Wednesday, something inside whispered, "No, just wait. Save this for the work at hand. Blogging can return in time." It felt good to listen to that voice and not let anything interfere with my immediate goals.

Of course, it helped that I had a specific project that needed my attention -- one I feel passionate about -- and that I'd done quite a bit of preparation beforehand.

Guest house dining room table and kitchen (one of my main working areas)

But it wasn't enough. I needed space and time. I needed to move away from the madness of May and into a place of calm; a place where I, for the first time ever, could experience life without any kind of exterior tension.

The squawking of these curious Guinea fowl was the only conflict I ran up against in my time there, and even that was more amusing than annoying. Besides, Guineas are known for ridding the grounds of ticks. Noisy though they were at times, I wasn't about to complain.

When I made a connection with the monastery in February after writing an article on a solemn profession of vows of one of the Sisters, I wondered if Carmel of Mary could be the place to bring my project to give it its due. Everything was frozen then, and I couldn't imagine how different the place would look in a few months' time.

Carmel of Mary delivered...and then some. By midweek, I had to pinch myself that I was only halfway through my visit and had another four days to go.

Scene from the front door of the guest house

Funny, at first I slightly resisted the Sisters' request that I attend 7 a.m. daily Mass. Don't get me wrong. I knew what a luxury this would be! But 7 a.m.? That's usually the time I'm rolling out of bed to bring the kids to school -- in my pajamas. I can't help that I'm a born Night Owl.

But I soon realized...getting up for Mass at 7 was no problem, especially since I had the rest of the day obligation-free, save mealtime. In fact, it was the most peaceful, useful way to start the day, and if I should need a nap later, that could easily be arranged.

View from my bedroom window -- the Wild Rice River

I've never experienced anything quite like this in all of my years as a writer, and may never again. Though I've had two previously wonderful stays at a Benedictine monastery and will be forever grateful for that time as well, the difference with this is that I was completely immersed in solitude, since the nuns are cloistered. Even mealtimes took place in silence. Did this bother me? Not even close. The true writer-soul thirsts for the kind of contemplation I was afforded at Carmel. Having no other commitment but the project at hand was an unfathomably rich experience.

And so I thrived there. When one more fruitful day passed, I peeked around the corner expecting a desert. But it never happened. Each day was a gift unlike any other I've experienced. I spent an hour out by this state of Mary one day and, while at the base of her, an entire chapter poured out.

Some might wonder how I was so fortunate to have experienced such a tremendous gift. The only explanation I have is that divine providence came into play. I won't take the time to explain all, but I know that God's hand, and loving heart, was at work in my time at Carmel. So aware was I of this that I rarely prayed out loud. I was living a prayer each day and felt in constant touch with the eternal presence.

Affirmation came once more when the peonies by the guest house bloomed during my stay.

How happy I would be if all my writer friends could have a Carmel-like visit! When one experiences something so lovely, it's hard not to wish the same for others. For now, I offer you my words and pictures and the hope that you, too, are moving closer to your summertime oasis.

Now, if only I could take a bit of Carmel and bottle it up so that I could always have a little with me whenever I hit a bump in the road of this writer's journey!

Q4U: Where is your summertime writing oasis? If you're not there yet, what will you do to get there?

(Read more about how I was nourished by the Carmelites on my Mama Mondays post on Peace Garden Mama.)

Hiding Out

2011-06-01T00:01:00.032-05:00

Dear Readers,

Don't even bother looking for me. I'll be long gone by the time you read this post, hidden in the safe harbor of a cloistered monastery somewhere in the world.

Rest assured, you will all be in my prayers, and I will be back in a week or two.

Love,

Roxane

*****************

Can you spell h-e-a-v-e-n? This is the way all writer-mothers should begin their summers, no? And if not this, then perhaps by creating some other closer-to-home haven to find peace amidst the busyness and chaos of family life.

I'm undeserving and extraordinarily blessed to have a chance to start the summer by plunging into a project that needs my attention. And I'm tremendously grateful for all of the pieces that have come together in order to make it happen: especially to the Sisters at the monastery, my in-laws for taking some of the kids during this time of mama's refuge, and for my husband for holding down the fort and keeping the teens in line.

Before leaving, I'll complete one last mothering task of taking all five kids to the dentist for their regular check-ups. Once the last one has been properly investigated and run through the routine, I'll head out to begin my working reprieve. During my time away, I plan to do a lot of reading, ruminating and writing, as well as praying and reflecting. I'm looking forward to sharing some of what I'll experience upon my return in a week or two (not sure whether I'll have reliable Internet access where I'm going, but check back next Wednesday to see if there's an update waiting).

I'll be thinking of you all and hope that by sharing this, you'll be inspired to seek a summertime hideaway, too. We all need time to reboot, and for me, the time is now! I'll likely be drawing on this solace for the rest of the summer.

Peace be with you!

Q4U: Where will you find your summertime refuge?

Writer Spotlight: Lisa Hendey

2011-05-25T00:01:00.041-05:00

Greetings Readers! I'm pleased to introduce my friend Lisa Hendey to Peace Garden Writer. The timing of her guest post is quite fortunate for us all; she's just returned from a very exciting adventure that would not have happened if she hadn't stepped into the world of blogging. I hope you will take away some insight by reading of her once-in-a-lifetime journey overseas!

Lisa M. Hendey, blogger and author, Rome, May 2011

Dear Roxane,

What a treat to be invited to share a few thoughts on writing and my work with you and your readers at your lovely blog! I remember our first “meeting” online years ago through CatholicMom.com. You contacted me to share a very special piece of your writing on the topic of miscarriage with our readers. I recall how touched I was that you would be so willing to share an experience like this so that other mothers around the world might be helped through their own times of loss and pain. That experience of our first “meeting” mirrors the generosity of so many other talented writers like you who have made my work on the web so filled with joy, with inspiration, and with friendships that have drawn me closer not only to writers around the world, but to God and to my faith along the way.

You invited me to share a bit on the topic of my recent trip to Rome for the first ever “Vatican Blogger Meeting”. Being one of the fortunate (and randomly selected) 150 bloggers from around the world to attend this meeting was truly a dream come true.

Lisa and other bloggers from the Vatican bloggers' meeting, May 2011

The meeting was hosted by the Vatican’s Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications. The Councils knew that many bloggers would likely be in Rome for the Beatification of our beloved Blessed John Paul II. They decided – on very short notice – to put together a special half-day event for bloggers. I honestly believe that the organizers were shocked by the excitement with which the blogging community greeted the news of this meeting. I personally knew so many who desired to attend, so upon learning of my invitation I set out to share the experience as widely as possible with my friends and fellow writers.

As it turned out, the Blogger meeting was only one of the amazing highlights of my trip to the Vatican. During the course of my five-day visit (planned on the spur of the moment and largely possible due to the support of my publisher Ave Maria Press and a private donor), I attended the Beatification mass, the Mass of Thanksgiving, a private mass in the crypt at St. Peters, and the Wednesday audience with Pope Benedict XVI. Sleep was in short supply, the food was amazing, and I learned that my “cute” American shoes were not made for walking on cobblestones. This was my first real trip to Rome, and I did everything possible to soak in as much of the experience as I could in such a quick time.

Lisa beaming during an encounter with the Pope during his Wednesday address

Certainly, for me, the highlight of my spur of the moment pilgrimage was standing in the thick of over a million fellow Catholics, crying for joy at the moment of the Beatification. Nestled between a group of Polish nuns and some pretty feisty Italian housewives, I cried and prayed and rejoiced with the rest of the crowd – each of us in our own native languages, but united as a one, holy, catholic and apostolic nation of believers whose lives had been touched by this incredible man. I remembered in my mind flashing back upon the three days I’d spent on my couch when Pope John Paul II died – in those moments I would have done anything to be present for his funeral… I remember pondering the crazy thought of jumping on a plane and simply camping out in St. Peter’s with the rest of the mourners. And now, there I was, six years later, huddled with so many who owed the intensity of their faith to many of the teachings of “JPII”, the only pope most of us had ever really known.

Honestly, a few weeks after this amazing experience, I am still praying about and absorbing so much of what I learned and experienced in Rome. Our Vatican Blogger Meeting was another highlight – as much for the informal relationships and conversations that flourished through “in real life” interactions as for what was formally presented that day. I’m thrilled at the direction that the Vatican has planned to take with respect to implementing new media technologies in evangelization, communications and catechesis. Over the next several months, as we watch their initiatives being unveiled, Catholics will be able to take great pride in the fact that our faith leaders really “get” the importance of being on the cutting edge in communications, but more importantly holding fast to the true teachings of our Church. My fellow bloggers around the world are equally committed to using our keyboards and mobile devices to help share our passion for the Good News. On our blogs, our Facebook profiles, and our Twitter accounts – and with whatever new tools come along – we are each living out the great commission in our own ways. This is an exciting time to be a Catholic blogger!

A lovely day for a visit to Rome and St. Peter's Basilica! May 2011

I welcome your readers’ specific questions about my experiences in Rome and invite all of you to visit me at CatholicMom.com or at my Facebook or Twitter pages. I hope you’ll check out my book The Handbook for Catholic Moms and that you’ll watch for the release of my newest book A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms in September.

Blessings to each of you and to your families!

Lisa

Q4U: Any questions for Lisa? You can ask them now!

Reasons Blogging isn't a Waste of Time - Part III

2011-05-18T00:01:00.024-05:00

I've been blogging about the benefits of blogging for the past couple weeks, and while I don't plan on beating this horse to death, I happen to like things in threes, so I'm going to give it one more shot.

Three words to sum it up: journaling with benefits. That's right. Blogging is like keeping a journal, only it offers so much more than a journal alone can.

I don't recall any writing instructor ever suggesting journaling is a waste of time, but I have been asked whether blogging is. I think there's a disconnect between what people think blogging is and what it actually is. To me, it's an improved way of staying engaged in the writing process on a regular basis. You've heard it before, right? People saying they want to be writers but never actually writing? Conventional wisdom says, if you want to improve at something, if you want to become more polished at it, then do more of it.

That time spent on "meaningless work"...will pay off in one way or another. I'm convinced that blogging can be an important way of getting things started well enough to keep things going and improving.

I no longer journal. Blogging fills the void that emerged when I locked up my high-school diaries and stowed them away in a dust-collecting closet. My blogging began as a new way of recording my life stories so that my children would have a record of them someday, but it's become much more.

Blogging is a journal with benefits because it fills a similar purpose but without going into hiding. And though, yes, this requires a different kind of filter than the diaries of old, I have to admit that even when I was keeping a diary in high school, I always thought, "What if?" and filtered out anything I wouldn't have wanted someone to see and repeat in print someday. Consider that The Diary of Anne Frank was one of my favorite childhood books.

Speaking of Anne, she can help make my next point. I mean, can you imagine how amazing it would have been if Anne Frank had had access to a laptop and Blogger or WordPress? There's no question the act of journaling was hugely valuable to Anne, and it ended up becoming even more hugely valuable to the rest of us in time. Who's to say our writing can't have the same kind of impact, right here right now? Even if we don't all achieve fame through our blogs, there is something edifying in the act of recording our thoughts, not just for us, but for others who might gain from taking a closer look at the ways in which we approach our lives. We learn from one another.

Writing in general is a journey of discovery, and I see blogging as specifically addressing our need to discover who we are and why we're here. Blogging can help us reveal some of the most profound answers inside of us; things that can take a while to get at but need to be gotten at.

Blogging is not a destination but a process, one with unlimited potential.

Q4U: What void does blogging most fill for you?

Reasons Blogging isn't a Waste of Time - Part II

2011-05-11T00:01:00.022-05:00

Mother's Day 2011 - Peace Garden Writer and seedlings

I'm borrowing a photo I posted a few days ago on Peace Garden Mama to make my point, which you won't see in full until the end of this post. For now, keep those five children in mind as I continue on.

This short series on "Reasons Blogging isn't a Waste of Time" started last week, after a writing friend who doesn't blog challenged me regarding my blogging activity. My purpose isn't to defend myself so much as to share what I have found to be true of blogging versus what some might perceive.

Writers who haven't dipped their toes into the blogging world for one reason or another (and some do have good reason not to) assume that starting a blog will be a major inconvenience, and furthermore, could ruin a writer's chances of garnering paid work - the kind that really counts.

Please don't get me wrong. I enjoy being paid for my communications work as much as the next professional. I wouldn't do it all for free, not after the training I've received and the commitment I've given to my profession. I value that part of what I do and how it helps my family make ends meet. But the act of blogging is not much different, really, than keeping a diary or journal. Sure, there might be a bit more of a time commitment, but for the efficient writer, it's really not that taxing. So from a time perspective alone, the argument is on the weak side. Reading and being an active respondent on others' blogs is another matter, of course, but let's just consider the keeping of a blog for now.

In practice, instead of hindering my other, more professional writing pursuits, I've found that blogging keeps the machine well-oiled. Through blogging and staying in the channel of the online writing world, I'm motivated to do even more. My output is actually greater than if I were to pull back and only accept paid pieces. Blogging offers a type of creative reprieve that helps me gather up steam for the next round, if you will.

Another way to think of it is like stretching your muscles before a race. Blogging is the stretching, whereas paid writing is the actual race. The former gives energy to, adds fuel to, gives rise to the latter. It's the arpeggio a piano player will take up before the recital piece to get her fingers limbered up.

But what about multiple blogs? Isn't that a bit much? Currently, I have three blogs. Peace Garden Writer is an extension of what I'd begun on Wednesdays on my first blog, Peace Garden Mama. Starting PGW didn't require anymore time than what I was already doing; I just switched spaces for it. Granted, my newest blog, An Atheist and a Catholic, which I co-founded with a friend, requires a slight bit more time and effort, but since I was already engaged in a regular back-and-forth with the other founder through email several times a week, again, not much more time, if any, has been expended through starting that particular blog. In fact, I see that blog as a streamlining of our previous efforts to some degree, which helps us make even better use of our time, and carries the added benefit of bringing even more voices into the discussion.

Time is important to me, and I'm not going to undertake pursuits that don't make good use of my time. But contrary to what it might seem on the outside, blogging is much less taxing and more valuable than what some believe.

Now getting back the point I set out to make at the beginning (remember the photo?), as far as multiple blogs go, it's kind of like having kids. When you have your first child, you find that thought that you'll ever be able to love a second child more than the first rather impossible. Finding enough love in your heart for a third, well, utterly unthinkable. But somehow, your heart expands with each child, and you are able to open your life to more. Though it's not a perfect parallel, I see blogging similarly. Just when I thought I could never accept another, a new one emerged and it's become life-giving rather than -taking.

Nevertheless, there's a season for everything, and I might find at some point that blogging is too much of a diversion. For now, it works for me and I'm grateful for it.

Q4U: When did you make room for something that seemed previously limiting?

Reasons Blogging isn't a Waste of Time - Part I

2011-05-04T00:01:00.066-05:00

The Meeting of Pinke Post and Peace Garden Writer

Meet my new friend, Katie Pinke, a fellow North Dakota wife and mother, prairie blogger and faith-seeker. Katie is my #1 reason why blogging isn't a waste of time.

Let me explain. Recently, another writer friend who works very hard as a full-time communications professional challenged me about the time I spend blogging. She wondered whether it isn't a waste of time and if I'm giving up other valuable work to keep up with my blogs. My response was swift and certain, but I reflected on it more later and realized my longer answer is worthy of a post -- or even a series of posts on the value of social networking.

During my three years dabbling in blogging and other social media, I've come to realize that the top myths of social networking are held by those who, quite simply, have never given it a try. Until you step into the channel, it's very difficult to understand the value of social networking. It's quite possible that if you haven't stepped into the channel, you either truly don't need social networking, or you're missing out on some wonderful opportunities. I'm not going to make a judgment call here because everyone who uses social networking has a slightly different life and varying motivational factors to do so (or not). I just know that for me, social networking has been much more blessing than curse.

Here's why Katie gets the top spot. To put it plainly, Katie is real (yes, she's as beautiful in person as she looks here, both inside and out, not to mention much taller -- she was bending down for my benefit). Even though we met through a computer, she's a living, breathing human being with a beautiful soul, tons of energy and a great outlook on life.

Without social networking, I likely never would have met Katie. We met on Twitter several months back. Turned out she was a fan of my children's alphabet book about North Dakota, P is for Peace Garden. After that first encounter, we would bump into each other in a virtual way every once in a while, and then last week, when she was in town for a presentation, we had the chance to meet for lunch. We started and ended with a hug and made it very difficult for our poor waiter to get a word in edgewise (he tried valiantly).

Another way to say this is: It's all about relationships. In other words, if you don't really want to meet new people and make new connections, do not, I repeat, do not dare try social networking!

I realize not everyone wants or needs to meet more people. Maybe you're an introvert. Maybe you have a nice collection of friends already and feel you're circle is plenty wide. Maybe you're just too busy to nurture new relationships. Again, we all approach the whole social-networking thing with different circumstances.

As for me, I have a wonderful group of in-real-life friends so wasn't necessarily looking to increase those numbers. But here's the bottom line: I'm a freelance writer. I often work in isolation. Blogging in particular allows me the chance to connect with like-minded people, as well as some who are not as like-minded. It increases my awareness of who is in the world, and brings me in closer contact to those with whom connecting might be to our mutual benefit.

As a freelance writer, I don't have a chance to mill about the water cooler. This is my water cooler. The blogging world, along with Facebook and Twitter, are my virtual office hang-out spots, and every bit as valuable to me as those places are to those who work in an office 9-5.

I had no expectations regarding my meeting Katie other than she seemed like a lovely person from her blog and Tweets, and I always think it's nice to reach through the computer screen and find the real person on the other side whenever possible. But by the end of our time together, Katie had shared a dream with me, and it's one that could include someone like me. We were still talking about this dream and how we might contribute to it on our way out to the parking lot. What a thrill. And all from a meeting on Twitter!

Someday, I truly believe Katie and I are going to merge some of the strengths, skills and ideas and present something fabulous to the world, or at least to our region. She has a great idea and I'm on board just as soon as we can figure out how to implement it and still maintain control of our busy lives as modern-day mothers of (collectively) eight children.

All this to say, really, honestly, it's not a waste of time.

Social networking starts with the click of a computer mouse, and before we know it, something has taken place -- something real beyond what we ever could have imagined. Yes, there are always the negatives -- the time-gobbling factor and potential for misunderstandings in mainly dealing with online communication, not to mention online predators. The key is to have your wits about you, and find the balance between virtual and in-real-life. When the real-life part enters in in a positive way, the world can open up anew.

To read more of Katie's posts from The Plains, go to PinkePoste blog.

Q4U: When has the world of social networking surprised you, and how?

Writer Spotlight: Lenore Puhek

2011-04-27T00:01:00.006-05:00

Author Lenore Puhek "in character"

“Don’t Give Up On The Dream” by Lenore Puhek

Dear Roxane:

How nice of you to write asking about my career as a writer. I can honestly say I believe it is a gift from God. To verify that statement, let me say I cannot ever remember being taught to read and write. When I started kindergarten I tested at second grade level in those two subjects. Now, math? That still is another story.

I just “knew” how to do it. I was a constant entrant to Jack & Jill Magazine, hoping against hope to win a puppy with my poem or short story. Nada.

When I was in high school I was the editor of “Spires,” our newspaper. Our yearbook says, “Will someday write the all American Novel.” Erma Bombeck became a personal friend and I cherish the correspondence we shared.

I continued with life. I married Prince Charming, and worked as a secretary to put him through college. My writing dream was buried but not forgotten, due to the birth of my son, Joseph. Joseph had a birth defect that required all my time and, thankfully, I was able to care for him 24/7 until his death at age 17.

Through the years, I have written hundreds of magazine articles, travel pieces, historical pieces, poetry, recipes, books, and have even received some really unique and wonderful awards for that work. Recently, I was given an all expense trip to NYC to speak to a group of Civil War Re-enactors of the Irish Brigade. My first book is about that group’s original leader. It is titled, The River’s Edge.

My second book, ANNIE, is focused on pioneering spirit. Both books have been selected to be audio books for the visually impaired and have been processed by the State of Montana Library. They can be checked out like library books. I am most proud of this honor over any and all I have been awarded.

Eons ago, however, I had a huge stack of rejection letters, some hopeful, some downright rude. I joined writer’s groups, attended conferences and learned the tricks of the trade. It does no good to send a story about cats to a dog magazine and then wonder, even though it is a masterpiece, why they didn’t buy it.

Discouragement? Oh! Yes. Times of stopping writing all together? Well, kind of. The flame to write always burned in my soul. Sometimes it smoldered, but it never was distinguished, even when cold water was tossed upon the desire.

After my husband died, I was thinking about my future. I believe this time has been given to me as a reward for being a faithful wife and mother over the years. “There is a time and a place for everything,” the Good Book tells us and God’s timing is not necessarily our timing. I began writing again, burning the midnight oil at the computer, passing through the dark night of the soul. My writing became a great catharsis for my grieving, ultimately leading me out the other side into a beautiful new life that I continually thank God for and am in awe of. ME!

To discipline myself to work on a book proved a mighty task. I have files full of wanna-be novels. To my credit, I have two published books, and I am working on that gang-buster, All American Novel. You know, the one they will want to make into the movie of the year? It will be out by summer’s end, hopefully.

I have a degree in English/writing. For many years I have been active in the writing community, and I have started several writing groups. Fun projects include editing and doing work-for-hire research. Private tutoring brings in some financial help. Teaching adult education classes is a great way to stay in the writing game. There are so many angles to writing. Even your grocery list is a writing exercise.

To promote my work, I uncovered another talent: acting. For several years now, I take on the first person character in my books. I advertise I am available to speak at luncheons, dinners, conventions, craft shows…any opportunity to have my book for sale. I dress in authentic period costume to transport the audience back to another time. It does no good to write a book and not promote it yourself.

My books are set in the Victorian era of 1800s to 1900s, a Montana historical period of growth. I choose women who gave so much of themselves in very ordinary ways, but whom I believe deserve recognition today.

The industry has changed drastically. To get any press at all, the author, even famous ones, have to do book-signing tours to keep the book in the public eye. The publishers do not set up tours and treat the author royally. Those days are gone. To be given six months of a book store’s shelf space is an honor.

Don’t write for publication. Write for the joy of writing. Keep up with their guidelines that are available to every writer just for the asking and possibly a postage stamp and envelope. Some are available now on the web sites. Spend time learning about the business. Read the magazine before you send in your work to see if it has the standard of quality they look for.

There are many pitfalls that can be avoided by doing your homework first. I spend one day a week looking for periodicals that might like my type of work.

Yes, we all want to write for the New Yorker some day, and maybe you will. I am content writing for the smaller presses and having the check in the mail. The stresses are less and the rewards are great, seeing your work in print.

Any advice for writers? Well, most importantly, write for yourself and keep writing. Read every kind of book you can for style and focus. Decide what interests you. Spend time on the web looking up bits of information, filing it away for that “someday dream” resurfacing into your life.

Be able to take constructive criticism. Don’t assume your readers know what you are writing about. Most of my work goes through at lest five rewrites before I send it out. Be professional in your dealing with editors. Keep your questions short and to the point if you telephone them. You can talk an article to death before you even put it onto paper.

Oh, I did a lot of volunteer writing when I first got started. Call your church office and offer to type up the bulletin for a while and see if you can maybe get some work through church reports. Offer a monthly column to your local newspaper on any subject dear to you, things others would find humorous and helpful.

Be positive and write in active voice. What is active voice? Here is an example between passive and active voice:

The mouse was eaten by the cat. = Passive. The cat ate the mouse. = Active. Do you spot the key words in both sentences? See the prepositional phrase?

Remember that the writing never put out to the public is never seen. You have to develop a thick skin to take the rejection that will come. Learn from others. Let God direct your path. Write to let your light shine and always remember the source of your writing talent.

Have a happy spring,

Lenore McKelvey Puhek

P.O.Box 6002

Helena, Mt. 59604

lpuhek@gmail.com

[Greetings from Roxane, readers! And welcome to Peace Garden Writer, Lenore. As you can see, readers, I'm trying a new format for my guest posts. Instead of sending out questions, I'm allowing the writer to go where she feels most comfortable. I hope you enjoy the new format, as well as meeting Lenore, someone I consider one of several wonderful writing mentors I've been privileged to know!]

Q4U: What struck you about Lenore's story? Is there anything that made you pause and want to know more? I've asked Lenore to stop by and answer any questions from readers, so here's your chance!

Beautiful Views, Brown and Bruel...Bad Kitties, Buster, Baskets and Birthdays

2011-04-20T00:01:00.011-05:00

I'm a bit hung up on B's momentarily. It's been quite a bounteous past week!

It all began with a beautiful view of Downtown Fargo from the board room on the 16th floor of the Radisson building:

You might argue that an April snowfall doesn't lend itself to beauty, but in my book, you'd be wrong. I'm like a bird that way. Anytime I can get a high-up view, I'm in my element. I love seeing the city -- any city -- from the top down. And I felt like the luckiest presenter at the 2011 North Dakota Reading Association spring conference this past Friday and Saturday, having been given this awesome room for my presentation, "Five Things Your English Teacher (Probably) Never Told You About Writing."

By the way, don't put English teachers in the title of a presentation unless you want plenty of them to show up with their arms crossed! Ah, just kidding. But I did have the privilege of having no less than five of my kids' teachers and/or English teachers, both past and present, in my presentations those two days. (Truthfully, it was wonderful having them there. I didn't mind a bit!)

I also had the great privilege of sitting next to the wildly talented children's author and illustrator Nick Bruel, both during an afternoon book-signing and luncheon. Perhaps the coolest thing of all is that we didn't just talk shop, but about life -- specifically, our lives as parents. Yes, Nick Bruel is real, of that I can attest! I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on some parenting issues I'm experiencing at the moment. His creative, problem-solving suggestions just may get put to use. Thanks Nick!

Nick was the keynote speaker for the evening banquet and did a terrific job. Then, for Saturday's lunch, we all were treated to a real-life meeting of the widely acclaimed author of the Arthur series (if you haven't heard of Arthur, we need to talk...), Mr. Marc Brown! Marc showed us slides of his newest book, as well as a photo of his third-grade class, from which many of the characters for his successful series derived. Yes, there really was a boy who was his best friend who later became "Buster."

His youngest sister, Kim Brown (a.k.a. "D.W.") joined him, along with another sister (a.k.a. Francine), both teachers, I believe. I got to sit next to and chat with "D.W." during another book-signing:

Yeah, it was pretty great. I always love the chance to be around book people anyway, and I have to say, teachers are among my favorite people to present to. They live and breathe books and appreciate authors, so it's a great deal all around.

And if it wasn't enough to be in this mix (I count myself blessed), presenters often are treated to something extra special at events like this, and this one was no exception. I love the baskets that accompany conferences. But I have to say, and I mean this truly, this was the BEST such basket I've ever received.

A beaded pen and blue ribbon, a book-cover canister of Tic-Tacs, a pack of the famous Fargo Chipperz (chocolate covered potato chips...which lasted about a minute once I got them home), a book of cards, and a bottle of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds!

The final day of the event was also my "baby's" birthday. How many kids named Nick get a birthday present that's a book called "Happy Birthday Bad Kitty" signed by the author, also Nick, fresh that day?

What better way to turn 6?

Q4U: Thanks for allowing me to share my special time at the NDRA! What letter comprised your weekend, or week so far?

Landmarks: Anniversaries, Awards

2011-04-13T00:01:00.018-05:00

A year ago, I presented my debut post on my new writing blog (this blog!), Peace Garden Writer:

Debut post for Peace Garden Writer, April 14, 2010

I just went back and re-read that post and it was as if I were reading it for the first time! It brought me back a year ago to that conference in Sioux Falls, SD, where I sat in a hotel room with my writing buddies and tossed around ideas for blog names and subtitles for this blog. It was an important time in my life as a blogger and writer; a time of stepping more boldly forward with my professional work and separating it slightly from my life as an at-home writer-mother. It seemed like something of an experiment, too.

And how has the experiment gone? As the writer and creator of this blog, I can only speak for myself and say that I have truly enjoyed having this space to come to each week to hang out with my writing friends and others interested in any facet of the writing life. There has been something meaningful to me in separating out these aspects of my life and creating a distinct home for my writing thoughts. I've truly enjoyed the exchanges that have taken place here. I wanted Peace Garden Writer to be a nurturing place to visit; I hope I've succeeded to some degree.

One measure of whether I may have done so presented itself to me this past weekend at the North Dakota Professional Communicators spring conference in Grand Forks, ND. There, I was awarded my first professional award related to my blog writing when Peace Garden Writer received first-place honors in a communications contest for specialized blogs. This was a delightful surprise, one my daughters were present to watch (we made it a girls' weekend). My youngest daughter captured the moment here:

1st-place award for Peace Garden Writer

I also received first place for a speech I presented to a local mothers' faith group in November, as well as some awards for my columns and other communications work. The first-place awards are headed to nationals. The competition stiffens there, so I don't know whether they'll get any further, but it is fun to have your work acknowledged.

But really, if I didn't have readers to write for and fellow writers and bloggers with whom I might connect, this wouldn't have happened. I think that's why winning an award for my blog was such a thrill. When I went up to accept my award, it was as if I were bringing a little piece of all of you along.

Thank you for hanging with me this past year. Year One has been a joy for me. I'm looking forward to Year Two!

Q4U: What are some ways you measure your success as a writer?

Yellow Light

2011-04-06T10:12:00.001-05:00

Regarding the possible project I've been hinting at...I promised an update, didn't I?

I need to begin with an apology that I won't be able to give you a fuller update. I really thought I would have more to share today, but instead, I mainly have a lot of questions that won't be answered right off. At the very least, I can say I've been given a yellow light of sorts. It's definitely not green, but I don't think it's red either, from what I can read (my vision is a bit hazy this morning - perhaps I need more coffee!).

Short answer: My proposal has been sent back to me with a request for more. So, we're on hold...

Well, you're on hold. I'm clearly not on hold and have some work ahead of me. I'm just not exactly sure what that means right off. Today will be a day of processing and prayer and further conversations with the editor with whom I've been working. I wasn't convincing enough to merit a meeting with acquisitions, so we'll see what can happen from here and whether I have it in me to produce the book that is being envisioned by others.

In the meantime, I'm very pleased to be able to share something with a bit more certainty this morning. My friend Clara at Authentic Woman blog is featuring my ruminations today. A bright spot in my morning has been remembering this and being able to share it with you.

Thanks again for being there...

And if you're disappointed, be assured, I wasn't kidding about the God's-will thing yesterday. It's all in His hands and I continue to trust.

Q4U: What are your thoughts about yellow lights?

Ants in Pants

2011-04-05T11:07:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I don't really have ants in my pants. It's really a cross between ants and butterflies. Let's just say if I weren't somewhat restrained by logic and good sense, I'd be jumping out of my seat right about now!

Today's the day my book proposal will make its first move out into the big world to see whether the rest of the world is ready for it. I won't have a full update until tomorrow, so I'm planning a special Part II to share more when I know more. But at the very least, I thought I would quell my raw nerves by writing what I'm experiencing right now. That's what writers do, after all, as you all know. When we have extra energy, thoughts, emotions, we put them to paper! It's cathartic to us, and hopefully brings something of value to others, too.

So here's the skinny: at 2 p.m. today (CST), a group of editors will gather hundreds of miles from where I sit to hear one of them (my advocate in this project) make the case for the book idea we've been tossing about the past several months. I'm excited and feel positive about things, but of course, nothing is ever certain until that contract appears and is signed.

Perhaps most important of all in this is that I have risked sharing bits of this journey publicly in order to garner prayer support, and you have come through for me. I need to thank you for that regardless of how this turns out. For example, my dear spiritual mentor, Linda, told me she will be at Mass today at the appointed hour, and that my project will be foremost on her mind. My friend Donna-Marie shared today that she brought my project before God in prayer on Friday in a very intense way. And just a few minutes ago, my best writer-mama-pal Mary wrote this in an email: Cool! Tick, tick, tick....watching the clock with you!

It's a wonderful feeling knowing I'm not in this alone. And I've assured my editor of the same. I've got my writer friends, family, and spiritual warriors all holding this up in prayer, not to mention the one who would be the main subject of the book. As I hope to share soon, her pull in this is both vital and powerful.

Perhaps the most comforting thought of all is that God already knows the outcome, as well as what I and others need through this project. If it is indeed part of His will, if good will come of it, it will happen. I've handed it over to Him in a huge way, and through that, I know that however it turns out will be what's best.

Peace be with you all, and I'll be back at some point tomorrow with an update, hopefully!

Q4U: What have you been waiting on lately?

So the Kitty Can Breathe Some Fresh Air

2011-03-30T00:01:00.004-05:00

Over the past several months, I've been sharing little hints of something brewing, a change in direction. Well, as promised last week, I'm ready to let the cat out of the bag; at least as much as I can.

The poor kitty's been in hiding for a while now and the air in that bag's becoming quite stale, so I'm going to let her pop her head out so she can take a look around. She won't be allowed a full-out bounding-away just yet, however. As President George Bush Sr. once said, "It wouldn't be prudent." But she is ready to breathe.

Since you've been so patient (and I do thank you kindly for that), I'm going to reveal this a little at a time. I promise to get to the good stuff by the end of the post. (No fair cheating!)

Hint #1: This is a board room at a publishing house where book ideas are discussed. Though I was fairly removed from the process of what was said as the manuscript of my first book, First Salmon, was up for consideration back in the mid-2000s, this past October, I had the privilege of touring its publishing house, Boyds Mills Press, and seeing the room where that conversation took place.

It was fun to imagine what it might have been like that day, whom might have been present, and the details of the deliberations. I loved the thought that this is where the vision for my book was conceived.

Hint #2: Meet Larry Rosler, my editor at Boyds Mills Press. It was a thrill to cross paths with him for the first time in person during that October 2010 visit. I really cherished the editorial process of creating both of my children's books; the point at which a frequent back and forth between me and Larry, or me and Amy (as was the case in my second book to be published, P is for Peace Garden) happened.

It's fun to think back on this, but I'm afraid I'm leading you astray, so I'll be a little more explicit now. I'm not going to be presenting a new children's book idea to Boyds Mills, though I haven't discounted the possibility for someday. I'd love to work with Larry again, and during my visit to Boyds Mills in October, he said the same. But around the time of that fall workshop, which was focused on writing for young adults, another door had begun to open ever so slowly in a slightly different realm. And I have to admit it left me feeling a bit conflicted. I knew that if I were to step in the direction of the new door, I would be moving away from writing children's literature. Maybe not forever, but for a while. That was a difficult decision to face, especially while in the middle of a wonderful workshop filled with children's writers and their fantastic ideas and inspiring words. But by the end of my time in Honesdale, PA, I realized something: the newly opening door held a lot of promise and I would be a fool to ignore it. At the very least, I would need to discern carefully whether I should reach for that knob or walk away and back into the world of kids' lit.

When I returned home, I talked with my spiritual director to sort through my confusion. He helped me learn how to turn off the voices calling out to me (all of them well-intending, I might add) so that I could listen to the one that mattered most. It was a process of deep prayer, listening intently, and waiting.

In time, clarity began to come, and it's led me to where I'm at now. And that is this: I've been talking with an editor fairly seriously in the past month about a book idea for the spiritual non-fiction adult market. That's a long way from children's literature, right? Well, sort of, but not as much as it might seem. It all comes from the same heart.

I'm going to wait to share the publishing house and the editor's name. All of that will come in time if this idea materializes. For now, I at least need the support of my writing community for this next step. I've put together a fairly detailed proposal of the book I'm hoping to write, including an introduction, sample first chapter, marketing plan, prospectus outlining chapter subjects, and a resume of sorts, along with an introduction to the house of who I am and why I'd be qualified to write the kind of book I'm proposing. On April 5, the editor will present my proposal to his department, and on April 14, it will go before the full acquisitions committee. After that, it will either be fly or die. I would love it to fly. I feel it's a strong idea and I would be grateful to have a chance to present it in book form to the world. But I realize that it's far from a done deal and that more patience is required as I wait it out over these next couple weeks.

That's why I've been quiet. I've been living and breathing this potential book, but I'm not disposed to share everything about it. Alas, I don't want to keep something this huge hidden away, either. I'll need your support however it turns out.

Someday, if it's meant to happen (and I really do believe in the meant-to-be's), I might just be back with a shot like this -- a book shelf in a publishing house where a book has been placed, and on its binding, the name of yours truly:

It's a dream of most writers I know -- the chance to become an author. It's one I've lived through twice now, and would thoroughly enjoy experiencing again. And it would be a privilege to share the process of book creation with you.

Q4U: What is the dream on your heart today?

When Arrows Change Direction

2011-03-23T00:01:00.007-05:00

Have you ever been moving along a certain path, one fairly cut and dry, when suddenly the wind shifted unexpectedly? And when you looked up at the signs guiding you through your life you noticed a new arrow? And not just any arrow but one with blinking lights flashing the words: THIS WAY, SILLY!?

It's not that the journey until that point had been wrong, but something new had presented itself -- something you hadn't exactly foreseen. And really, it made so much sense, looking back at other steps along the way. You'd been heading in this direction all along; it had just taken you a while to realize it.

As you've guessed by now, I'm sure, this has happened to me recently and it's been quite a revelation. I was cruising along in my life as a freelance writer, working on a few other larger projects besides, thinking I was moving over here, when in fact, I was meant to be over there. Not that there's anything wrong with here. In fact, here might very well be a place to which I'll return at some point; in fact, it's likely. But for now, there are so many forces drawing me to there and there is a very exciting place to be!

Next week I'm going to share more of the details of what there is, and what some of the next steps toward getting fully entrenched in there will entail. For now, let me just say that doors have been opening at a rapid rate, and I'm growing more aware that I'll be more messenger than creator in this latest possible venture. Yes, I can be creative in sharing this particular message, but it's not really about me. That said, I'm thrilled at the chance to be the carrier of it.

Oh, I know. I'm not being fair. I'm speaking in code. But hang with me if you would be so kind. I really do want to share more -- I just can't. Not yet. But the day is coming.

Thanks for sticking with me in these elusive days of code, and for being with me as I move more assuredly onto this exhilarating new path.

Q4U: Have you ever read the signs wrong? Was the discovery more exciting or scary?