Petunias, Maze Work, and Masks

So, with all the talk about masks, and what kinds are best, and how you should make them, and where you're required to wear them, and how to get out of wearing them, I decided to just go with this mask!

Okay, so I didn't actually leave the house with this!!! I was just having some fun. :)

When Miriam and I go for walks, we often pass this sign with the faded heart, and I always get the urge to bring a red marker, and grammatically correct it. 

Like this . . . Only don't panic, I haven't actually done it!

Miriam and I have been doing some odd jobs around the maze, including sanding these pews down and painting them for benches.

And it's petunia season again! With a mile and a half of plowed dirt, two semi-trailers of flowers, and a great crew, we were happy to get them in the ground.

And, of course, I've been working on several books. I just talked with two of my editors yesterday, so I've got some updating to do on my PK Detective book, The Clue in the Pulpit.

15 Favorite Tween Books

  Recently, I've had several people ask me about books for 11-13 year-old readers. What books do I recommend? So, I've put together a list of books that either I loved as a tween, (and still do love), or books that my nieces love.
 
Now, I have to say, I'm super conservative and picky about books. I don't like books where the kids are brats, and I don't like books that delve into fantasy. So, if you're looking for fantasy or sci-fi, you probably won't find any on this list.
   
   I don't have any specific order to these, so I'm going to just start naming them.

1. Sherlock Jones Series, by Ed Dunlop 

2. Peabody Adventures, by Jeri Massi

3. Arby Jenkins, by Sharon Hambrick 

4. The Adventures of Arty Anderson Series, by Mark Redmond

5. The Accidental Detectives, by Sigmund Brouwer

6. The Young Refugee Triology, by Ed Dunlop 

7. Gatlin Fields series, by Sandra Waggoner

8. Freedom Seekers, by Lois Walfrid Johnson 

9. The Northwoods Adventures, by Lois Walfrid Johnson 

10. The Wall Series, by Robert Elmer

11. Adventures Down Under, by Robert Elmer

12. The Jed Cartwright series, by Ed Dunlop

13. The Missionary Adventures of Bob and Arty, by Jeff Barth

14. The Ivan books, by Myrna Grant

15. The Scripture Sleuth, by Mat Halverson


And then, I have a few books that I've written for those ages.

The Mystery in the Corn Maze

The Ty Carson Series

The Adventures of Amy

I hope these books will be a blessing to you and your young readers!

The 24-hour Book

   Is it possible to write a book in 24 hours? I might have said no . . . until I did it. Okay, so when I was 18, Mom suggested that I write a book for the corn maze. At first, I didn't really like the idea, but as she kept bringing it up, it grew on me, and eventually, I sat down to give it a try.
I wrote several rough drafts, and finally I completed one that I was semi happy with, but when I let my sister read it, she said it was way too melodramatic and sad for a kid's book. I was about to give up on the idea, but Mom encouraged me to give it one more try.
     I sat down, that evening, and started writing, and when I went to bed that night, (or early the next morning as the case may be,) I was over half-done with a book that I thought would work. I got up the next morning and kept at it, and right after lunch, I finished the rough draft to the current Mystery at the Corn Maze book.
      No, I don't think I could do it again. At least not on any book longer than that one, but thankfully, The Mystery at the Corn Maze is an earlier reading book and not as long. It's geared for 8-12 year-olds and has several real stories mixed into the fiction.
Stories from the corn maze. Like the time vandals ran a four-wheeler through the field, or the time someone hung our scarecrow from the fort walls.
If you're an entrepreneur, and you're super familiar with the corn maze world, you may recognize a few other hidden references in the book as well. ;)

Bagels

I usually always have a bagel for Sunday morning breakfast, so this week, I decided to try making them myself. It was harder than I thought, and I think it’ll take a little while to get the feel of making them, but for a first attempt I think it went well! 

I found a recipe for French toast bagels online, and they actually tasted just like the store bought ones, but better! 

On another note, I ordered the proof copies for the first PK detective book. But don't get your hopes up! It's still going to be a looong time before it's ready, and I may end up actually publishing another one first. We'll see. :) 

Reminders

   I started writing my first book when I was thirteen. It was a school project, and when I was seventeen, I published it, along with the next two books in the series.
    I have mixed feelings about The Adventures of Amy series. Part of me looks at it as my beginning, and I don't ever want to forget where I started. Another part of me is embarrassed.
    When I flip through the books now, I can tell they were written by a thirteen-year-old with a wild imagination. They're not perfectly written, or edited, and some of the scenes are . . . yeah. Very amateur.
      I've spoken with other authors who have quit selling their first books, because they don't want people to read them, and judge the rest of their writing by their beginning. I've thought about doing that with the Amy books. I've thought about re-writing them. Who knows, maybe I will someday, but for now, I'm going to continue carrying them as a reminder. A reminder to never despise meager beginnings. As a reminder that there is always room for growth, and as a reminder of all the things God taught me while I was writing them.
    So, yes, I know that they're not the most well-written books in the world, but I'm so thankful that God led me on this journey, and while I'm not where I'd like to be in my writing, I'm thankful that I'm not where I used to be.