Blog Archives
Marines Don’t Cry
Marines Don’t Cry
by Daniel Garcia and Jacqueline C. Garcia
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GENRE: Memoir, Non-fiction
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BLURB:
Have you ever been lost — really lost?
Danny and Jackie answer this question in Marines Don’t Cry with stories of death to life, deep sorrow to joy, darkness to light, and freedom in Christ.
Danny recounts his early life in Spanish Harlem and describes conversion from a life of drugs and “the fast lane” to one consumed with knowing and serving God. This makes his journey of walking more than 52 million steps on six continents for children and world peace such an incredible story.
Marines Don’t Cry is about the transformational power of God’s love: how Danny found his calling and is delivering the message of Christ at all costs.
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EXCERPT
Chapter 7: “You Must Choose Now”
One night in my living room, under the influence of several drugs and alcohol, I experienced something bizarre and frightening. Something happened to me, and I knew that something was terribly wrong. In a moment, I felt my spirit leaving my body; a wrenching separation and tearing from deep within. Life literally came out of my body. My feet lifted from the floor. I levitated upwards and felt myself being pulled out of this world. It was an out-of-body experience. I did not feel physical pain, but I knew I was dying. All my life, I had been in control and never let fear consume me. Now, I was terrified.
I panicked.
My thoughts raced. I knew that if I died, I would go to hell because of all the bad things I had done in my life. I learned in Catholic school that if I died in the state of mortal sin, I was destined for hell, a place of eternal fire and torment. Eternity flashed before me, and I heard an audible voice through time, space, and spirit say:
“Which way do you choose? Life or death? You must choose now.”
The voice enveloped my thoughts. In a flash, the Lord gave me a choice of life or death, and it was a choice of both physical and spiritual proportions. Although I had not been in church for over twenty-five years, I knew I was lost, had no hope, and was going to hell. I was completely petrified, and for the first time in my entire life, I was truly afraid and frightened beyond my understanding.
With a desperate cry, I screamed, “Jesus, save me!”
As soon as I said the name “Jesus,” my spirit immediately jumped back into my body. I experienced the terrible fear of God. To this point in my life, I paid no attention to the teachings that the Catholic church instilled in me. I had turned away from Him and disobeyed His laws.
By calling on the name of Jesus Christ, I chose life. I was saved spiritually; the moment of my salvation from death and beginning the transformation to a new life. This was a miracle. I was thirty-three years old—the same age as Jesus when he started his public ministry.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
About the authors of Marines Don’t Cry
Daniel Garcia
Danny Garcia, The Walking Man, was born and raised in New York’s Spanish Harlem. He served as a United States Marine, law enforcement officer, and ordained minister. Since 1996, he has prayed and walked over 52,000, 000 steps on six continents for children and world peace. During his journeys, Garcia met with dignitaries all over the world, ministering to the famous and to the poorest of the poor. Danny made presentations to Kings/royals, Presidents, and other world leaders, to include four Presidents of the USA, several Prime Ministers of other countries, the Pope, Mother Teresa, Ambassadors and various eminent personalities and multilateral organizations. Garcia began his journey as a personal commitment to peace and children and continued walking and raising funds for multiple charitable organizations.
Danny is married to the former Jacqueline Charsagua of El Paso, TX, and they work side by side to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information, visit Danny’s website, http://www.globalwalk.cc.
Jackie Charsagua Garcia
Jackie Charsagua Garcia is married to Daniel Garcia. She graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, in 1985 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Jackie holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management. While in the US Air Force, Jackie specialized in communications, acquisition, systems engineering, and information technology.
After a rewarding and fulfilling Air Force career, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the summer of 2006, having spent more than 21 years on active duty. Since 2006, she has supported and advised on all aspects of her husband’s walks and charitable initiatives within the United States and abroad. She joined Danny during his Africa Walk in 2007 and ministered in South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Southern Sudan. During this time, her faith and reliance on God grew tremendously under the mentorship of Danny Garcia. The Global Walk experience gave Jackie an opportunity to serve God abroad, and her vision is to spread the hope, love, and the grace of Jesus Christ through her writing. She is a native of El Paso, TX, mother of one amazing daughter, and a breast cancer survivor.
Websites:
https://marinesdontcry.com
https://www.globalwalk.cc
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dannygarciawalkingman/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/263639465513321
https://www.facebook.com/jackiecharsagua.garcia
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dannyg_walking man/
https://www.instagram.com/jackiecg_usafa85/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIBYOx4vqntVWUtW8pnefqg/videos
YouTube link of an interview with Danny and Jackie for the Veterans History Project: https://youtu.be/tiJV0RdVmis
Linked In:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-c-garcia/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-walk-inc/
Buy links: Marines Don’t Cry (marinesdontcry.com)
BookFunnel: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/xq67q9237u
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marines-Dont-Cry-Delivering-Message/dp/163195640X/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marines-dont-cry-danny-garcia/1139454637
Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Marines-Dont-Cry/Danny-Garcia/9781631956409
BookShop: https://bookshop.org/books/marines-don-t-cry-delivering-the-message-at-all-costs/9781631956409
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781631956409
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Ten randomly chosen winners via rafflecopter will win a free copy of the eBook.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC or a copy of the book – a Rafflecopter giveaway
VBT – Jay Got Married
About the Book
Title: Jay Got Married
Author: James Robinson Jr.
Genre: Non-Fiction Humor
Jay Got Married consists of 9 humorous and, at times, poignant essays chronicling the ironies of everyday life in word and picture. Take for example the lead essay, aptly titled, “Jay got Married,” where I find myself mired in a horrendous dream.
In the fantasy, my aging father–dressed in his favorite Champion t-shirt with stains covering the front–marries my wife and I like he did 42 years ago but, this time around, the my 92-year-old ex-clergy dad forgets his lines causing me to coach him through the event with hints like: “ask for the rings, ask for the rings.” All the while, my best man sings Sonny and Cher’s, “I Got You Babe.”
Finally married, my wife and I end the ceremony with a kiss. But as I turn to exit, my eyes catch a glimpse of the bridesmaid who is no longer my wife’s best friend but now Gal Gadot from Dell Comics and Wonder Woman Fame. She is dressed in full Wonder Women regalia and looks totally shocked by the whole affair.
My mother turns to my father (now in the audience) with a quizzical look and says, “Dad, look at that bridesmaid. Isn’t that Superman?” She doesn’t get out much.
As we exit the church, and the bubbles fill the air–no one uses rice anymore—my wife ignores the limo and takes off on a sleek motorcycle, leaving me in the lurch—hence the cover.
Sure, it’s sounds crazy. But, in truth, isn’t the world of marriage crazy these days? In my case, what would one do when faced with the prospect of losing their beloved wife after 42 years? At age 67, would they remarry? Would they even want to remarry? These and other marital tidbits are discussed with humor and as much reverence as I could muster.
P.S. The author pairs up with Wonder Woman again in a final bit of photo wizardry Why? How? How are tricky copyright infringement laws avoided? Read Jay Got Married and find out.
Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjrobinsonjr_author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesjr3?ref=bookmarks
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-Robinson-Jr/e/B0074O0QLI/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Get “Jay Got Married” from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687046670/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
EXCERPT
CELEBRITY
Because We Need to Know
Who’s living with whom, who’s breaking up with whom, who’s having sex with whom? In the scheme of things, do we really need to know? Does the public really have the right to hear about the intimate details of the lives of the rich and famous? Well, guess what! You’re damned right, we do. It’s called celebrity. And they say that’s what famous people have signed up for. They may not have realized they were making a pact with the devil when they scribbled their name on the dotted line (You see, their eyes were all blurry with the prospect of fame and fortune.), but that’s what they did.
Had they read the small print, they would’ve seen the following:
“The public, including all the losers, bozos, Walmart dwellers…”
“…and sociopaths, whom I never would’ve come within ten feet of prior to success, will have all rights and privileges to my family, property, belongings, and garbage, should they choose to go through it.”
Translation: “Any member of the creepy public, as well as the paparazzi and my adoring fans, can get all in my shit any damn time they please, without so much as a Hello.”
I’ve never attained celebrity status, but I often wonder what it’s like. They say everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, but frankly, that isn’t nearly enough. It could be wasted on some real bullshit. It could come when you happen to witness some “exciting” event. You may find yourself in the middle of a holdup or carjacking.
“Oh, look, there’s Sharon!” friends and family might say, as they watch the evening news. “They’re interviewing her about that drug bust over on Carson Street. Guess that was her 15 minutes. That’s it for her. Boy, that sucks.”
Sharon would reply, “Wait, that didn’t count! I want another chance!”
I’ve fantasized about my name being a household word. Remember when Kim Kardashian flashed that $4,000,000 ring on social media, alerting every criminal in the free world to the fact that it was there for the taking? Well, when she was gagged, tied up, and robbed in her French hotel room, celebrity status lost a bit of its luster for me. Kim thought her life was over and was shaken up for a long time. But it’s all a part of the superstar experience. And for me, the charm quickly reappeared when I found out that she is worth $100 million.
Sometimes I like the idea of fans approaching me and asking me for autographs or for photos with them. You know, these days, those in the cellphone generation ask celebrities for selfies. Such a request would make me feel good for the moment—the thought that these people like me enough to approach me and ask for my name on a piece of paper or to record my picture on an iPhone.
As an author, I have written my name on the inside covers of my books when asked, but it’s not the same thing. Being recognized and summoned for a signature is attention based on fame and notoriety, which is quite different.
Sometimes rock stars, rappers, and other music artists are asked by crazed female fans to sign their body parts. “Here,” a young girl might say, pulling down her top, “sign my breast.” I’ll never be asked to do that. But if it were to happen, and I did it, my wife would shove a dagger through my heart.
“James,” she would say. “Have you been signing women’s breasts?” I might gather the strength to nod. “I hate to do this, but…”
She would regret it afterwards.
VBT – REVISION IS A PROCESS
Revision is a Process – How to Take the Frustration Out of Self-Editing
by Catherine E. McLean
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GENRE: Self-Help, Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction
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BLURB
A first draft holds the possibility of what will be a great story. Revision turns that rough diamond into a spectacular gem worth a reader’s money and time.
Writers are individuals but to be a producing writer means creating a system to revise and polish a work so the reader thoroughly enjoys the story. REVISION IS A PROCESS is a guidebook for writers and authors that shows how a simple 12-step process can be tailored to eliminate the most common and chronic maladies of writing genre fiction. This valuable guidebook contains secrets, tips, practical advice, how-to’s, and why-to’s for taking the frustration out of self-editing.
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EXCERPT
From Section 1, An Overview of Revision is a Process
. . . revision is a process . A logical, straightforward process where you don’t try to find and fix everything at once. Instead, you break the monumental task into component parts and focus on only an item or two at a time.
Okay, so the reality is that creative people, especially writers, hate logic and straightforwardness. And it’s a fact that logic and creativity have always been at war with each other. After all, creativity gives a writer a high like no other. It’s the fun part of writing and storytelling.
On the other hand, revising, rewriting, and self-editing are linear, logical, objective—and not fun.
But necessary.
Ever so necessary if one intends to be commercially successful in the writing business.
Here’s something I’ve learned about writing and self-editing—a writer should find a middle ground. That means having the logical part of one’s mind work with the subconscious imagination (the creative self).
It’s about adopting a different view of self-editing—calling it a process—and diligently organizing that process into small steps that can easily be done. This gives a writer confidence that they have polished their story and increased its marketability.
I strongly believe, and have seen, that revision-as-a-process enables a writer to use both their left (logical) and right (creative) brain to become even more creative.
That’s because the writer not only tailors a one-of-a-kind process but they also develop their own revision master cheat sheets. As a result, the creative subconscious (the imagination) becomes aware of the pitfalls and glitches that must be checked for, and subsequently, little by little, the creative self dishes up better first drafts with far fewer errors.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
Catherine E. McLean’s lighthearted, short stories have appeared in hard cover and online anthologies and magazines. Her books include JEWELS OF THE SKY, KARMA & MAYHEM, HEARTS AKILTER, and ADRADA TO ZOOL (a short story anthology). She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes lighthearted tales of phantasy realms and stardust worlds (fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal) with romance and advenure. She is also a writing instructor and workshop speaker. Her nonfiction book for writers is REVISION IS A PROCESS – HOW TO TAKE THE FRUSTRATION OUT OF SELF-EDITING.
- Hub Website: http://www.CatherineEmclean.com
- Website for writers: http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com
- Writers Cheat Sheets Blog: https://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com
- Linked-In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/catherine-e-mclean/7/70b/372
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.e.mclean.5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatherineMcLea7
- Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/catherinemclean
- Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-E.-McLean/e/B00A3BVG6I/
- Link to buy REVISION IS A PROCESS at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0988587440
- Link to buy REVISION IS A PROCESS at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/revision-is-a-process-catherine-e-mclean/1126295618
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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INTERVIEW 6 – cant live without
by Catherine E. McLean * catherinemclean00@gmail.com
(alternate email: Catherine@CatherineEmclean.com)
What are four things you can’t live without?
I have to narrow this down to four? Okay, how about— pets, a typewriter, a computer, and a camera.
Pets— When my daughter needed a cat for a small animal 4-H project. Her 4-H book said it was best to start with a kitten. Cats being cats, it would be hard to tell what specific kitten would end up tolerating becoming a 4-H project. So we decided to get three kittens. Long story short—we ended up with seven kittens.
Breeze, whose mother was feral, became our house cat and the 4-H cat. As the years went by, some of the cats died until we were down to the last three. They succumbed to kidney failure at ages 16, 16.5, and 17.
All during the cat years, we had a dog. He died two years before the sixteen year old cat. So, being without pets sounded like a great idea, and the husband and I vowed that after the last cat passed there would be no more pets. Well you guessed it. The house seemed empty. After much soul searching, I decided to get a dog for myself. I wanted a lap-sized, dust-mop type dog. After three months of searching pet shelters and answering ads, I bought a mini Schanuzer-Bichon Frize female puppy. All fluffy gray. Her name is Mojee. She thinks she’s the cutest thing with each wag of her stubby tail. Please note Mojee has no aggressiveness in her at all. None.
Back to the cat situation. Without cats, little wild varmints invaded the house. Chipmunks and birds thought they owned our deck. At a fall Tupperware party hosted by Amish neighbors, I mentioned I was looking for three barn kittens about six months old (that’s old enough for the mother cat to teach them to hunt and be self-reliant). Again, cats being cats, there was no telling how good a hunter a kitten would be. I was hoping for one out of the three.
Long story short—in the spring I took ownership of three, identical “black” cats (no white) from an Amish farm two roads away. I named the kittens Winkin, Blinkin, and Nodd. Unfortunately, weekenders with a cabin came up over the 4th of July and ran over Winkin, killing him. Now I have two cats. Although it’s hard to tell them apart, both answer to Kitty-Kitty. Nodd prefers being a house and lap cat (she sleeps on my lap when I’m watching TV). Blinkin was renamed Mr. B and is a terrific hunter. As unbelievable as it seems, both cats love Mojee, play hide and seek with her, and allow her to drag them by the ear or paw across my hardwood floors.
There is nothing like waking in the morning to the thunder of twelve paws racing across hardwood floors.
As to the typewriter. I learned to type on a manual and despite the evolution to a computer, I have not only the original, manual, Smith-Corona portable typewriter my mom bought me when I was 16 but also a portable electric. When forms need to be filled out, an envelope typed, or I want to go downstairs and work on ideas for a story, I use the typewriter. There are still some things a computer cannot do as easily as a typewriter.
Which brings me to my desktop computer. I live in front of it when drafting a story, when doing blog posts, when communicating with other writers by email. It’s the workhorse of my office, my storytelling, and for doing my online workshops and courses – http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/upcoming-workshops.html .
Lastly, I cannot do without a good camera. My first camera gave me black-and-white pictures and eventually I bought a 35mm Cannon, which opened a new world of photography for me. Currently, I own a Canon Rebel digital camera. I went from having film processed to downloading photos to my desktop computer. However, because I used film, which was expensive to develop, I learned to frame my pictures before I took them and limited myself to only three shots of anything. As a result, the only touch-ups I might make to pictures is to crop them. Often, I get the photo with the first click. My photos have even won blue ribbons at the local fairs.
My favorite subject is nature—flowers and rocks. Currently, I’m sky watching and taking pictures of clouds. I periodically post snapshots at my website http://www.CatherineEmclean.com (click on the menu for Photos & More). Take a look—which is your favorite?
# # #
VBT – CREATING PLACES
Creating Places
by Randy Ellefson
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GENRE: Non-fiction
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BLURB
Creating a unique, immersive setting one place at a time.
CREATING PLACES (THE ART OF WORLD BUILDING, #2) is a detailed how-to guide on inventing the heart of every imaginary world – places. It includes chapters on inventing planets, moons, continents, mountains, forests, deserts, bodies of water, sovereign powers, settlements, and interesting locales. Extensive, culled research on each is provided to inform your world building decisions and understand the impact on craft, story, and audience. You’ll also learn how and when to create history and maps. Experts and beginners alike will benefit from the free templates that make building worlds easier, quicker, and more fun.
Learn the difference between types of monarchies, democracies, dictatorships and more for realistic variety and believable conflict. Understand how latitude, prevailing winds, and mountains affect climate, rainfall, and what types of forests and deserts will exist in each location. Consistently calculate how long it takes to travel by horse, wagon, sailing vessels, or even dragon over different terrain types and conditions.
CREATING PLACES is the second volume in THE ART OF WORLD BUILDING, the only multi-volume series of its kind. Three times the length, depth, and breadth of other guides, the series can help fantasy and science fiction creators determine how much to build and why, how to use world building in your work, and whether the effort to create places will reap rewards for you and your audience.
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Excerpt
The term “tidal locking” will make many of us think of tides, but these are unrelated phenomenon. Our moon is tidally locked to the Earth. The same side is always facing us because the moon rotates on its axis in the same number of days it takes to orbit us. This might seem coincidental and unique, but most significant moons in our solar system are tidally locked to their planet; those nearest experience this first. Tidal locking is an eventual result caused by gravity. Early in a moon’s orbiting, it might not be tidally locked, but ours may have become locked in as few as a hundred days (its proximity and size having much to do with this). A moon that is not tidally locked may have recently formed or been captured by the planet. Either way, the stabilization process hasn’t completed.
As world builders, we have some leeway to claim a satellite is locked or not. Most people are unfamiliar with the concept and we should only mention it if locking has occurred, as readers will assume the opposite without being told. Note that a close, large moon like ours will almost certainly be locked; during the brief period when ours was not, it and the Earth were molten and devoid of life.
Normally, only the satellite is locked to the planet, but they can become mutually tidally locked, as happened with Pluto and its moon, Charon. This means that each of them only sees one side of the other. If we stood on our moon, we’d see all sides of Earth as it rotates, but from Earth, we see only one side of the moon because they are not mutually tidally locked. If they were, the moon would stay in the exact same spot in the sky. About half the planet would see it, while the other half wouldn’t even know it existed unless traveling to the far side of the world. This would eliminate most tides (see next section) except those caused by the sun.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
Randy Ellefson has written fantasy fiction since his teens and is an avid world builder, having spent three decades creating Llurien, which has its own website. He has a Bachelor’s of Music in classical guitar but has always been more of a rocker, having released several albums and earned endorsements from music companies. He’s a professional software developer and runs a consulting firm in the Washington D.C. suburbs. He loves spending time with his son and daughter when not writing, making music, or playing golf.
Creating Places universal buy link: http://www.books2read.com/creatingplaces
The Art of World Building Podcast http://www.artofworldbuilding.com/podcast (launching a week before the tour)
The Art of World Building Website: http://www.ArtofWorldBuilding.com
Author Website: http://www.RandyEllefson.com
FREE eBook: http://fiction.randyellefson.com/freebook/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/randyellefson
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/RandyEllefsonAuthor
Google+: https://www.google.com/+RandyEllefson
NOTE: The book series has a new podcast where even more details are discussed. This podcast is free to listen! Follow along here: http://www.artofworldbuilding.com/podcast
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Randy Ellefson will be awarding an ultimate world builder’s package to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
http://www.artofworldbuilding.com/giveaways/ultimate-world-builders-giveaway/
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/10/blurb-blitz-creating-places-by-randy.html
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Book Release – If You Leave This Farm by Amanda Farmer
If You Leave This Farm: The Dream is Destroyed
by Amanda Farmer
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Release Date: July 2014
Description: My book chronicles the story of our move to Minnesota as a family when we are teenagers to farm together. The first year’s catastrophic crop failure sets off a determination by our father to totally control our circumstances and leads to 12 years of struggle by my younger brother and I to leave the farm. Interweaved into the story is our life as Mennonites and the influence that has upon our lives.
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Amanda grew up on the farm and worked together there with her family until the age of 29. She now lives with her husband on a hobby farm in southeastern Minnesota. They have one grown daughter. Amanda holds a Master’s Degree in Nurse Anesthesia and currently works in that profession.
Author Links –
Website: www.farmgirlwriter.com
Blog: https://farmgirlwriter.wordpress.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Farmer/762017803836447?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/farmgirlwriter5
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22833980-if-you-leave-this-farm?ac=1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/You-Leave-this-Farm-Destroyed/dp/1480809284/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423873269&sr=1-1&keywords=if+you+leave+this+farm
Excerpt One:
I grab a book to read while supper is being put on the table. Reading is my escape to adventures I probably will never see, but there is nothing to stop me from dreaming. I work in a few paragraphs before it is time to gather at the table. Daddy begins by reading a passage aloud from the Bible. Then he prays before we dig into a hearty meal of farmer’s fare: potatoes, meat, a vegetable, and always a dessert.
“Children,” Daddy says tonight, “Next Monday evening, we are going to go to Nirvana to see some slides of farms that are for sale in the Midwest. They are being shown by a real estate agent from there. I need you to get the milking started right away when you get home from school.”
Daddy has been talking for some time now about buying land “out West” and moving out of the crowded Pennsylvania area. Currently, Daddy is renting land in small blocks of five to ten acres, as far away as twenty miles from the home farm. He and Paul are farming around five hundred acres altogether. We all spend a lot of time on the road, traveling back and forth to the various fields and hauling the baled hay home during the long summer days. Daddy and Paul think it would be so much easier to just have a piece of land all in one block to farm. I am not so sure about this idea, but Daddy promises that if we do this, we won’t milk as many cows. We will only have maybe fifty cows. That sounds like a wonderful idea to me and I am open to an adventure. By now it is nine thirty, and I fall into bed, exhausted with dreams of faraway places and fewer cows to milk.
Excerpt Two:
I spend my morning after milking today reading the local newspaper and the Budget (Ohio), an Amish-Mennonite newspaper. The Budget is a compilation of letters from “scribes,” or writers, in various communities all over the country, telling of the happenings in the lives of other Amish and Mennonite families. The letters hold a certain fascination to me as, it seems, all kinds of strange and exciting things happen in other people’s lives. In contrast, my life is the same stressful combination of work and sleep and nothingness every day. I have started to become increasingly more discouraged and just plain tired of the life that is mine. Daddy’s response to any voicing of this weariness is, “God gave us all these gifts. We need to be good stewards and work hard to take care of them.”
After about an hour of reading, I make my way to the barn to stand upon my perch, from which I scout for cows that I will need to breed later in the day. Then it is time to hook the gooseneck cattle trailer to the pickup and take the bull calves that have been born in the last week to the sale barn. It is a job I enjoy. It does take a special skill to back a gooseneck trailer around, and I am proud that I have mastered it. Not many women can do what I do on a daily basis.
As I return from my fifty-mile round trip, I notice a car in front of the house. Daddy is talking to a building salesman. I step inside in time to see him signing a contract for another machine shed. My heart drops. Just what we need. More buildings to pay for. I am feeling depressed, but the day is warm, so I walk out into the pasture to check on the dry cows. I lie on the grass in the pasture, with the sun on my face, and allow the tears to course down my cheeks and onto the fading grass of summer. Oh God! Help us! is all that I can pray. I want my life to be about more than paying for buildings and cows.
C.A. Milson 