Sunday, February 26, 2017

In the Nook



There is a room in our home we call "the nook." It is cozy with my grandma Elzinga's writing desk, a love seat, two bookshelves (one is grandma's), a large window, a cat condo, and my great grandma's rocking chair. Although I've tried writing in different rooms, it seems to work best in the nook. Every day I bring steaming coffee and my imagination to this little spot, and take a trip to Cherish.

I'm never in the nook alone. The felines who live in To Love and To Cherish and To Have and To Hold (plus a couple who haven't been introduced yet), always join me. These rescue kitties, like Marmalade above, settle in for the day. Besides the occasional break to drink out of the toilet (yummy), they curl up and dream their way through the hours. Except when...

They don't. I am also caring for a small rescue bird named Smitty. So before six-hour cat naps commence, the kitties often take time to gaze longingly into the bird cage, which sits on grandma's desk. Smitty is usually surrounded by a minimum of three cats. Smitty is less afraid of the cats than he is of me. Which is annoying, because I feed him, buy him toys, clean his cage, and give him three Rice Chex a day (mixed in his birdseed) for a fun little snack. And because he needs salt.

Back to the point, I enjoy reading about other writers. I like to know where they write, how they write, and what inspires them. It's so different for every one. Some can write in any space and in small chunks of time. Others need a block of several hours. Some have a specific number of words they want to complete per day. Some don't. I admire writers who do intense research and create a story from another time or place. I write from experience, which sometimes feels like the easy way out.

Writing is so personal. It's difficult to tell someone how to write without the possibility stifling them.

The freedom to create stories and characters has no boundaries. We all see life from different angles. That's what I love about writing.

Pastor Maggie, the protagonist of my book series, listens for, and hears whispers from God. I do too. I know where my inspiration comes from. 

No matter what I write, I know where I write best. In a nook full of furniture belonging to strong and intelligent female relatives-my good heritage. I'm surrounded by cats who were each on their ninth life when they were rescued. There's a little bird who had been trapped in a suet cage, and now lives in a bird mansion. Lots of Coffee.

And you the reader. There would be no point in writing, if there weren't people interested in reading.

So, thank you! You are all crammed in the nook with me every day. Please don't step on the cats :)


     

Saturday, February 11, 2017

The Box



When the first box of books arrives it's...very heavy!

It's also exciting to see the dream of a story beautifully published, and ready to share with you. It was just as exciting to open the box with copies of the second Pastor Maggie book, To Have and To Hold, as it was with the first. I'm guessing a similar picture will be taken with the third book, coming this fall! I am so appreciative of my publishers Duke and Kimberly at Pen-L Publishing, Pen-L.com. 

I hope you enjoy another visit to Cherish, Michigan. Maggie is as clumsy and impetuous as ever. She's also growing her cat collection. Oh dear! And scrumptious Dr. Jack Elliot is never far away. It's a good thing, because someone is breaking into the church. Who could it be?

I enjoy going to Cherish every day via my computer. I'm often surprised by what my characters are up to, as the story often takes on a life of its own. Writing is a joy for me

To Have and To Hold is available for pre-order and will be released on Valentine's Day. What a perfect day to read a little romance. Order your copy on my website:
Click here:  www.barbara-edema.com

If you would like to order 10 or more copies at a discount for book groups or other gatherings, you may do so at Orders@Pen-L.com.

Would you like a free book? Send me a 100 word reason why you enjoyed Cherish, Michigan, and who your favorite characters are. I would love to know what you love about Pastor Maggie's world. You can do this on my website (under "contact").  The first 5 people who post will receive a free signed copy. Please include your home address. Enter by February 18. I will post the winners in the next blog.

Thanks again for your support of Pastor Maggie and Cherish. Many more Maggie adventures are on their way!

Barb


BarbaraEdema@goodreads.com

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Here we go!

Latest book in The Pastor Maggie Series! Pre-order now at Pen-L.com or Amazon.com





Praise for To Have and To Hold:

An enjoyable read. Not a murder mystery but a gentle exploration of relationships, connections and the power--and the mystery--of love. Pastor Maggie is one to watch.
--G.M. Malliet, award-winning author of the St Just mysteries and the Max Tudor mysteries


“To Have and to Hold”, is a welcome and worthy addition to the wonderful Pastor Maggie series.  Barbara Edema captures perfectly the joys and struggles of the Pastoral life, with all its complexity, mystery and grace.  It’s also a page turner!  This is the real deal. The Reverend Stanley Jenkins, Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, Michigan.





Hi friends,
If you followed my previous blog, A Little Good News from Pastor Barb, you will find this new blog somewhat different. I was going to call this blog, From Pulpit to Pen. But Barb's Blog is simpler.

As I am not serving a church presently, I have poured my overwhelming amount of spare time and energy into writing about the church. WAIT! DON'T LEAVE! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!

The church can be quite funny. In the midst of the comfort and boredom of the church year calendar, the tragedies, struggles, and loss; the church is also full of creativity, personality and personalities, accidents, goofiness, forgiveness, and love. Each of these things is wrapped up in holy moments and outrageous grace.

This blog gives me the freedom to write about writing. Being an author has opened up a new realm of creativity and thoughtfulness. Decades of pastoring different churches has given me endless experiences. My books are fictional. However, some people and their stories have wended their way (with their permission) into this fun series.

The Pastor Maggie Series follows a young clergy woman into her first church with very little life experience. She navigates between loving her parishioners and wanting to occasionally smack them with a hymnal. That's because a church is a family. People full of different ideologies and belief systems. But a place where everyone is welcomed. To lead this crowd one must tread lightly, unless you're Maggie. Then you just blow in like a strong wind and find yourself on the receiving end of cranky old ladies, a creepy male parishioner, and the Chief of Police who marches you off to jail. Just a day in the life...

To Love and To Cherish is the first book in this series (available at Amazon.com) And the second book, To Have and To Hold will be released on February 14, 2017 at Pen-L.com and Amazon.com.
They are books full of sinners and saints, friends and foes. But perhaps that's who we all are at one time or another.

Howard Baker is one of those precious saints. He died last week at the age of 90. My heart wasn't the only one that was broken. Here is a small part of the eulogy I gave at his funeral on February 3, 2017:

...Thank you for saying “yes” when I asked if I could use your name and personality in my books. After you read the first book I asked you if I liked it. You said, “It was okay.” I could tell you weren’t thrilled. “Oh, didn’t you like it?” I asked (slightly heartbroken). Then you said, “Well, you married me off to that old bitch, Mrs. Abernathy! Why?”

I laughed so hard when you said that. And I responded, “You were the only man who could truly love her and make her a better woman.”

And Howard, that’s just who you were and are in our hearts. Everyone who has ever known you has become a better person. You were a man with a huge heart, a bit of a temper, a naughty sense of humor, a world traveler, and voracious reader, a creative builder, an honorable husband and father and grandfather, a man who loved and is loved so completely.

You wanted your funeral to be ten minutes long. Sorry. If you were here, I would take your hand, look in your tear-filled eyes, and say, “Now Howard, let’s be reasonable, how can all the love and sadness of this day be contained in ten minutes. You are just being ridiculous.” 

He was a precious man, and will live on in printed word married to Verna. Whether he likes it or not.

This new blog will share bits of my writing. I'm happy to answer questions-I would LOVE to hear from you! Once in awhile, I may just leave a thought or wonderment. I hope you join me as pulpit and pen are melded together in stories you can hold in your hands and hearts!

Barb