A day late ... but not a penny short!

March is here and as much as I am dying to announce from the roof tops that Spring is also ... that is wishful thinking. It is minus 25 here in Alberta, Canada this morning and we have still a ton of snow.

What I am announcing is that March is Speedbo month!  What is Speedbo, you ask? It is another writing month similar to NaNoWriMo, focusing writers to put their butt in a chair and their fingers atop a keyboard and not look up till the clock strikes midnight on March 31st. Unlike NaNo, Speedbo allows you to set your own goals, big or small, encouraging you to write with purpose and intention.

Check out the fun at Seekville Blog and be sure to comment because that's how you win prizes.

I seriously debated whether I would do it this year. I've been writing on and off but was really in a place of seeking God since the year turned over.  What did God want me writing? When? Why?  And all that jazz!

When the New Year hit I wasn't totally sure what my 2014 goals were. I floundered trying to find my 'word' for 2014. After much prayer and angst I decided that maybe this was a wait and see time for me. I didn't need a word to start out the first day of the Year, as long as I was seeking God and waiting on Him. So I waited.

And waited.

Slowly I began to hear God whispering to me "be present".

As I drove in my car, He'd whisper ... "Be present here. Don`t fuss about all that."

As I washed the dishes or folded the laundry, He'd say ... "Be present here. Don`t try so hard to sort it all out."

I am a slow learner, but I started to catch onto a theme - God wanted me to live in the moment he'd given me. My every waking second didn't need to be in preparation for the next one. That maybe it was time for me to have a year of moments.

I was reminded about the saying I have seen from time to time that 'Life isn't measured by the breaths we take ... but by the moments that take our breath away'.

So when it came time to sign up for Seekerville's Speedbo, I immediately started this internal dialogue that 'that's not taking moment by moment'; 'that's not waiting on God'; so I guess it`s not for me this year.

But here I am a day into March, sending off my email to join the group for writing mayhem throughout the rest of the month. Why?

Because sometimes God whispers to us 'wait' and sometimes He whispers to us 'now' - almost like we're in a race where timing is more important that speed. So March this year is about timing for me - not speed. I am not in a race against myself or anyone else to write a novel in a month, or write 25,000 words in a month or even to plot out a single scene in a month. I am in a race of timing - being sensitive to His whispers and being in each and every moment fully awaiting his nudge that now is the time to run!

So, anyone wanna run, wait, dream, write, hope or listen with me?

Book Review - In Too Deep by Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy is an author I follow on Seekerville.  I was delighted at the offer to review her latest book as I had never read any. The rave reviews she receives on her previous books sweetened the deal further.  I was eager to begin.

In 1866 Colorado, Ethan Kincaid agrees to a marriage of convenience with the same casual disregard he gives every decision. Audra Gilliland, young mother of two, accepts his proposal because she wants to stop being a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.

And suddenly both of them are in far deeper than they'd planned.

Ethan doesn't expect Audra to affect him so profoundly, and when she begins to, he's terrified of the pain he's felt before when someone he loved was seriously injured on his watch. He's determined that his new wife will do as he says so he can keep her safe from the dangers that lurk on their ranch.

Audra has been cared for all her life by one man or another--and they've done a poor job of it. Now she's planning to stand up for herself. And her new husband had better agree or get out of her way! 

What will it take to transform two wayward hearts fearful of getting in too deep into two trusting hearts ready to risk falling deeply in love?


I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Connealy makes it effortless to read straight through.  Her story is compelling and entertaining. The story tells the relationship between Audra and Ethan as they find themselves shoved into a marriage of convenience.  Neither one is looking for love or expecting to find it.  The story follows the relationship between the three brothers, Rafe, Seth and Ethan as they try to run family land in an unforgiving wilderness.  The interactions between the brothers were a joy to read.

In Too Deep is book two in the Kincaid Brides series.  I have not read book one yet and that may be the cause of the areas I did not like in the book.  For starters, I had a little trouble getting into the characters - especially Ethan and Seth.  They seemed a little flat at times.  Also the relationship between Audra and Seth seemed pre-existing but with little or no explanation of that. However, based on the quality of the rest of the book I am certain that IF I HAD READ book one I would have felt more comfortable with those characters and their development.  Mary did a great job of creating the other characters to feel so real.

Another area of struggle was the 'head' antagonist.  Jasper felt outside of the story to me.  He was the one calling the shots perhaps but not the bad guys whom Audra and Ethan had to face. Chapter after chapter seemed to dive further into his life and I could not make the connection.  AGAIN, I apologize if his part is explained more in book one and I missed it.  I found myself skipping some of those pages.  Sorry Mary :(

Overall I recommend this book to all my book lover friends.  It is a delightful and fun read.  I am looking forward to the release of book three in August of this year.


I received a free copy from Bethany House for the purpose of giving a review.  My opinions are my own and I am not required to give a positive review.

In case you are wondering, the first book is Out of Control.  The third book is titled Over the Edge and is due out in August.


Now, on a more personal note ... as a follower of Seekerville, where Mary posts regularly, I won a draw.  In April I am able to send 15 pages of my own writing in to Mary for a critique.  I was so excited when I heard that, then to have her book arrive in the mail two days later was surreal.  I will let you all know the outcome of that in the future.  Wish me luck!