Alice J. Wisler's Patchwork Quilt Blog

When the Smoke Clears: Book Review

2012-02-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to review a new romantic suspense novel, When the Smoke Clears, by Lynette Eason. This is the first in a series called Deadly Reunions.

Ten years after her graduation from high school, Alexis Allen is a firefighter. When her equipment malfunctions, her department suspends her, believing she failed to follow orders. A friend calls to ask her to attend their high school reunion and when Alexis arrives back in her home town, her life swerves into danger.

Filled with lots of dialogue, this novel is a good read for those who enjoy fast-paced stories with continual action. There are no lengthy descriptions, in fact, many of the sentences are short and to the point. For those who enjoy romance in their stories, When the Smoke Clears provides this between Alexis and the handsome detective, Hunter.

When the Smoke Clears is available on Amazon and at your favorite bookstore.

I was provided with a copy of this book for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Still Life in Shadows

2012-02-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

Still Life In Shadows will be arriving at a bookstore near you on August 1!

Gideon Miller is known as the "Getaway Savior", helping other dissatisfied Amish men and women escape the Old Order lifestyle. He works as a car mechanic and lives in Twin Branches, North Carolina (a fictitious town created by the author. Doesn't it sound good? It's famous for its apple cider).

When thirteen-year-old Kiki Yanagi messes up the parking lot of the repair shop by riding her bicycle over the freshly-poured cement, Gideon wants nothing to do with her. Plus, Kiki is "different". She carries a cloth puppet with her wherever she goes.

Kiki does have one quality that pushes her into the lives of others---she does not give up. Eventually, Gideon lets her work at his shop fixing bikes. And she's good at doing this!

Things seem to be going well until Gideon's younger brother Moriah shows up one day. While Gideon is happy to be reunited, there is something not right about Moriah either . . .

Can Gideon save Moriah from his demons?

Still Life in Shadows

2011-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

My next novel, due out in the fall of 2012, is completed! I am so excited to have finished Still Life in Shadows, although I continue to pick at it. It's due at my new publisher's, Moody, on January 9th. So, yes, in just a short amount of time, I will have to abandon it and send it along.

Here's a bit about Still Life in Shadows so that you can be sure to want to read it as soon as you can.

Sixteen years ago Gideon Miller left the confines of his Amish hometown of Carlisle, PA and now has made a life in Twin Branches, NC. Known as the Getaway Savior, he assists other dissatisfied Amish men and women making the transition from Amish to English living. Employed as a car mechanic, Gideon believes in a hard work ethic. When his younger brother asks for help and ends up in jail, Gideon realizes just how inadequate he is. A story of belonging, finding God’s grace and forgiveness, Still Life in Shadows, is about a community in need of accepting all of God’s children.

Name that Character Contest Winners for my Next Novel!

2011-12-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Connected with my Author Page on Facebook, I hosted a contest. Name that Character Contest was specifically for two names I needed for my current novel----a work in progress, which will be my fifth book. I asked for the name of a waitress who calls everyone Sugar and one for the local mountain town sheriff's daughter. I told Facebook friends to LIKE my page and then play the game! From then on the names came in! What fun to read them all.

On December 4th, the contest ended. For the next two days, I decided which of the eighty-plus names to chose for my two characters. Now, some I couldn't choose because either I'd already used similar names for other characters of the names suggested are actual names of people I know. For example, our pet beagle is Dixie, so I stayed away from that one for a person.

Well, I'm happy to announce that the waiting is over.

Della is the name of the waitress, and thanks goes to Sallie Knott Deaton for that name

AND

Ashlyn is the name for the sheriff's daughter and thanks goes to Charlotte Stevenson for that name.

Both Sallie and Charlotte will receive an autographed copy of A Wedding Invitation, my fourth novel. They will also both be acknowledged in my new novel.

Thanks to everyone for playing!

By the way, this fifth novel I just received a contract for will be completed by January 9th, 2012, and published by Moody Publishers in the fall of 2012. The novel is tentatively titled Still Life In Shadows. The story is set in the mountains of North Carolina and is about an ex-Amish man who assists young Amish escape the Old Order lifestyle.

Where did I get the idea for Still Life in Shadows? Carl and I watch programs about an ex-Amish man in Columbia, Missouri who does help dissatisfied Amish leave their communities. Based on these programs, I set out to create.

Stay tuned for more!

Christmas Letter from a Needy Author

2011-12-07T06:19:00.001-08:00

Hi, Readers,

As we draw closer to Christmas, I wanted to share with you my letter to Santa.

Christmas Letter from a Needy Author

Dear Santa,
I've baked you extra sugar cookies and put them on a tray
hoping you'll deliver sacks of my novels Christmas day
I really want my books purchased by folks far and wide
my readership to grow, that many will have at their side
copies of Rain Song, How Sweet It Is, Hatteras Girl, too
A Wedding Invitation includes a recipe for beef stew.

So Santa, fill those empty places underneath the tree
with fun, quirky, southern fiction created all by me!
Faces dazzled, gratitude wide, such a joyful sight
when folks receive gifts they'll read long into the night!
This is my Christmas wish, this is my shameless prayer,
Get busy, Santa, help this author from pulling out her hair.

~ by Alice J. Wisler

All Things Southern: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

2011-11-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another posting in All Things Southern.

This is where I blog about certain products or places that are mentioned in my recent novel, A Wedding Invitation. I decided it was time to let the culinary juices take over and research one of Winston-Salem's finer qualities---doughnuts!

What does a secret recipe, a French chef and a hole in a building have in common? All of them are connected to the origins of the delectable, airy doughnuts we've grown to love over the years.

In 1937, Vernon Rudolph purchased a yeast-based secret doughnut recipe from a French chef in New Orleans. Rudolph rented a building (in what is today part of Old Salem, North Carolina) to start creating batches of doughnuts to sell to local grocery stores.

As folks walked past his baking facilities, the sweet aroma of the doughnuts made them hungry. They asked if they could buy doughnuts and thinking like a businessman, Rudolph cut a hole in one of the outside walls and started selling Original Glazed Doughnuts to passer-bys on the sidewalk.

By 1996, Krispy Kreme's fame spread past the southeast and stores opened in New York and in 1999, the first one opened in California. Along with sugary doughnuts, the stores serve hot coffee.

Krispy Kreme was 60 in 1997, and given recognition in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Artifacts are displayed at the museum for all to see.

In 2001, the company went international and hot doughnuts are now sold in Asia, Canada, Mexico, England, Australia, the Middle East, Puerto Rico, and Turkey.

It sure does make my southern heart glad to know that this North Carolina company's treats are enjoyed around the world.

And with a mission statement as pure as "To touch and enhance lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme", how could anything go wrong? I think I need to get some enhancement in the form of a raspberry-filled right now.

I'm headed to my local grocery store!

Lessons from a refugee camp

2011-10-16T16:04:00.001-07:00

In 1984 I left the United States for the Philippines. My destination? The Philippine Refugee Processing Center (PRPC) in Bataan, a refugee camp for Indochinese refugees, the majority waiting to relocate in the USA.

I was twenty-three. My job? I was an English-as-a-second-language teacher and also taught cultural orientation. I was at the camp seventeen months. I lived with and worked with an organization called World Relief.

What did I learn as I taught and lived among the Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians? That, in spite of turmoil, death, and political unrest, in spite of war, devastation, and loss, courage and hope prevail. The refugees opened their hearts and homes (scanty billets made of wood) to me. They gave freely. They taught me that although life is unfair, there is beauty to be seen. And most of all, no one---no one---can steal your joy and hope.

My newest novel, A Wedding Invitation, captures some of my experiences. A Wedding Invitation is a work of fiction, but I used many of the things I saw and did during my time in the camp.

This first picture is of the market place in Phase II of the camp. My classroom is in the building behind it. The other photos are of my students, many of them Amerasians, as my character Lien is in my novel.

All Things Southern: Moonshine

2011-10-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sugar, water, malt, cornmeal and yeast. These are the key ingredients for moonshine. No, I'm not planning on making a batch today, but I am interested in the subject, especially since it fits in with my novel A Wedding Invitation, and making moonshine has been quite profitable in my state of North Carolina.

What's the history of moonshine? Well, one thing is for sure, it came about before NASCAR (National Associate of Stock Car Auto Racing). In fact, making a moonshine run in a fast car was how NASCAR got her beginnings. During the Prohibition years of 1920 through 1933, running from the law in order to make a moonshine delivery at night in a souped-up car was common in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Once Prohibition ended, the question of what to do with these racing cars was raised. That's when car races became popular entertainment in the rural South. Wilkes County, North Carolina was the hot spot to see the races. Vance Packard called Wilkes County the bootleg capital of America.

Who invented moonshine? We can thank the Scots and the Scotch-Irish, who settled in the Appalachian Mountains 300 years ago and made moonshine like they did back in Scotland. In their Scottish farmlands, these farmers used leftover grains to ferment into liquor. The farmers, weary of over taxation on their properties and the absence of religious freedom, immigrated to America for better lives. They brought their hopes, families, and distillery ingenuity with them.

Today, folks are curbing the 180 proof moonshine of days gone by and giving the whiskey a smoother, gentler taste. Liquor stores sell moonshine flavored with fruit which is easier on the palate. And moonshine is legal to produce as long as you have a license like the makers of Catdaddy, a distillery in Madison, North Carolina.

In A Wedding Invitation, there is much talk of Uncle Charlie, a notorious relative, who had his share of moonshine tales. Here's some about him on page 53.

I nod, recalling having previously heard the name of this particular cemetery. Uncle Charlie is buried there, with a headstone that has a motorcycle engraved in it. My great-uncle liked to ride fast, and my relatives tell me that his Harley out-sped any police car on the Forsyth County squad. He also made moonshine, borrowing a recipe from Scottish immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains.

Anyway, I saw a program on how moonshine was made in our mountains (and am sure it still is), and ever since then knew I had to incorporate my new knowledge into one of my novels.

Moonshine, truly a Southern tale of adventure, secrecy, and the birth of NASCAR.

All Things Southern: Aunt Dovie's Oatmeal Bread

2011-10-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

In celebration of my newest novel, A WEDDING INVITATION, I'll be posting some columns under the heading All Things Southern. These posts will be about topics related to my novel and to the South.

My first entry contains a recipe which can be found at the back of my novel.

Dovie’s Oatmeal Bread

Aunt Dovie is known by some family members to pick up boarders quicker than a dog picks up fleas. Dovie's old house in Winston- Salem, NC (home to Krispy Kreme donuts) is always open to those in need of some good nutrition and love. Women move in for as long as they need a place to stay, enjoying her company and care. Two of my favorite boarders are Beanie and Pearl. Beanie has a bottle of cure-all for aches and pains and Pearl makes strawberry-rhubarb pies, using a pinch of tapioca.

Along with raising butterflies and hens, Dovie bakes oatmeal bread. She serves it at meals with a mound of fresh butter. At each meal her prayers end with "Amen and Amen!" Then she's been known to dance around the kitchen with a tea towel. The fact that she can't dance to the music's beat never stops her. Dovie believes in being jovial. Her bread recipe is full of warmth, and will make your mouth and tummy smile.

Dovie’s Oatmeal Bread
1 cup of old fashioned oats (not instant)
1½ cups of boiling water
¾ cup of molasses
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of warm water
1 tablespoon of active dry yeast
4 cups of bread flour
4 cups of whole-wheat flour

Combine the oats and boiling in a large mixing bowl and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Add the molasses, oil and salt to the oatmeal mixture, combining well. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add to the oatmeal mixture. Stir in the flour, one cup at a time. Once the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl, turn onto a floured surface and knead in the rest of the flour until smooth. Continue to knead for about eight minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it so that all sides are coated. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Punch down and divide dough in half. Shape into two loaves and place dough in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place loaf pans in oven for five minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Loaves should brown and will be ready to take out of oven when they sound hollow when lightly tapped.

A Carolina Journey

2011-10-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

A Carolina journey – for the author and characters

The Herald Sun

~*~*~*

AUTHOR READING:WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: The Regulator Bookshop
720 Ninth St., Durham
“A Wedding Invitation” (Bethany House)
By Alice Wisler
BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN
dvaughan@heraldsun.com;
419-6563

~*~*~*~*

DURHAM – Four years ago, Durham author Alice J. Wisler realized her aspirations with a book deal and her first novel, “Rain Song,” set in Mount Olive, N.C. Three more novels have followed, once a year – “How Sweet It Is,” set in the North Carolina mountains, “Hatteras Girl,” set on the coast, and now “A Wedding Invitation,” set partially in Winston-Salem. Wisler said she likes writing about North Carolina towns.

While working on “A Wedding Invitation,” she even held a contest for her fans to suggest character names. Lien’s and Carson’s names were both chosen by a Durham resident.With the first book, Wisler said, she was just so excited to be published. “Then as time goes on, there’s so much more to it. It’s not as though you’ve arrived,” she said. “You begin to see the long road ahead. You see others who’ve been continually published and learn from them. It’s not like you can rest – unless you’ve written ‘The Help.’ ”

Wisler has devoted fans, but even so, being an author isn’t quite the piece of cake one might assume.

Speaking of food, gathering at the table or in a kitchen is integral to building relationships in Wisler’s novels – and in most of our lives, too. The characters in “A Wedding Invitation” do much of their gathering in Aunt Dovie’s kitchen or in a Vietnamese restaurant.

At the center is Samantha, who lives in Northern Virginia and works at her mom’s ladies’ clothing store, but goes to Winston-Salem for a wedding it turns out she wasn’t actually invited to. She stays with her aunt, who takes in those who need some TLC. Samantha also reconnects with a man from her past. Seven years prior, in the mid-1980s, Samantha worked in a refugee camp in the Philippines for Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian people displaced from the Vietnam War. Carson was the young man she longed for, but he had a girlfriend back home so kept her at a distance. Samantha never got over him. In Winston, she also reconnects with a teenage girl, Lien, from the refugee camp. Samantha gains a new perspective of Lien and herself.

Like a true North Carolinian would know, after first reference, Winston-Salem is just referred to as “Winston.” Samples of Wisler’s own experiences are used in the book, like teaching in a refugee camp. In one scene, Dovie brings butterflies to a cemetery for a Compassionate Friends butterfly release, and Wisler leaned on Compassionate Friends after the death of her young son.

The book’s title, “A Wedding Invitation,” came also to Wisler, meant for the previous person who lived there. Unlike Samantha, Wisler didn’t go to the wedding. But she kept the fancy invitation and always wondered about it. It was the seed for this story.

Wisler’s four novels have been classified as in the “inspirational” genre, and published by Bethany House. The characters’ spiritual life is part of their daily lives, too. They go to church. They pray. They talk about God to each other. They don’t try to drive home a specific religious message or guarantee a happy ending. “A Wedding Invitation” is about second chances. It’s also about accepting flaws and moving on.

She wrote her first novel without aiming at particular genre, but Bethany House picked it up right away as inspirational fiction. She thinks there are more authors now in that genre that write more realistic stories.“I try to put relationships with God in their lives, but not in your face,” Wisler said. “It’s not like a sermon or prayer meeting. Certainly I want Christian characters to be flawed.”

The books Wisler is working on now may or may not be deemed inspirational, and she wants to reach a broader readership – both those who already read her novels, plus those who have yet to discover her. She’ll begin to veer away from 20-something protagonists in contemporary romances. Future books will feature an Amish man who fled the life to the North Carolina mountains, and another about a bereaved mother traveling the country in an RV, who also makes memory quilts.

“I’m looking to see where my writing is leading me,” Wisler said.

Copyright 2011 The Herald-Sun. All rights reserved. © heraldsun.com 2011

An invitation

2011-09-24T09:59:00.001-07:00

And so, in one week, my fourth inspirational novel will arrive! A Wedding Invitation has a little of everything from Elvis to missing cats to sorrow to joy. It is based roughly on my seventeen months in a remote refugee camp in Bataan, Philippines where I taught English to southeast Asian children.

I invite each of you to pick up a copy. A Wedding Invitation is about wanting to belong, to be accepted, and the beauty that comes when we are.

Here is a review from Library Review Journal:
Samantha Bravencourt has just returned home to Virginia after teaching English at a refugee camp in the Philippines. When she travels to North Carolina to attend the wedding of an old college friend, Samantha runs into an old flame, Carson, who broke her heart. She also meets a young refugee, Lien, who asks for Samantha and Carson’s help in locating her mother. The search reveals long-buried secrets that cause Samantha to examine her own past so she can move forward. VERDICT Romance and drama meet in this latest by Wisler (Hatteras Girl), who does a wonderful job conveying Southern charm. Readers who enjoy the works of Susan May Warren and Tamara Leigh will also appreciate this.

Almost here!

2011-07-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to the next all-day writing workshop I'll be hosting in Raleigh on July 30th. The two held last year still hold such fond memories for me. This year, the workshop is brand new---Gateway Through Life's Losses.

One of the things I love about these workshops is the people who attend. I enjoy teaching and sharing, but most of all, I like hearing insights about grief and struggles and loss from others. As they say, the teacher always learns the most.

Having said that, I received a nice post on a writers' loop from a woman who came all the way from Wilmington to attend one of last year's Writing the Heartache workshops. She wrote:

I attended Alice's workshop last year and was greatly blessed. I highly recommend it to anyone who has suffered loss and I think all of us have at some time. It had been a while since I lost my parents and my husband, but I found it helpful to remember and focus on some of the good things they brought into my life. I especially liked writing letters to them; that gave me a sense of letting go and freeing myself to go on with my life. I did some more writing after I returned home. I shared my writing with other members of my family.

If you live in the area, tell your friends about Alice's workshop. Just meeting Alice was a blessing.

July 30th is nearly here! Be sure to join us by signing up here for Gateway through Life's Losses.

Pamper yourself this summer!

2011-06-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

Last year I took a leap of faith and hosted two all-day grief writing workshops in North Carolina. I've taught my "Writing the Heartache" Workshops at other people's seminars, but never on my own where I was responsible for locating the venue, serving lunch, advertising, etc.

I'm happy to announce that this summer I will offer another all-day workshop in Raleigh, NC. "Gateway Through Life's Losses" will be held at the Raleigh-Cary, NC Hampton Inn and Suites' Capital~Piedmont Room on July 30th from 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM.

This is a workshop for anyone who wants to write from any kind of loss (divorce, death of a loved one, financial, etc.) or from broken relationships. The grief/loss scope is wide.

Writing therapy is a wonderful gift you can give to yourself this summer! One of the participants from last year said that she had taken care of so many, now it was time to take care of herself and pamper herself with the workshop.

I've created a page on my website with all the details.

Please spread the word to all your friends and family in this area who could benefit from a day of healing, health, and hope.

Giving away a summer read!

2011-06-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

Per my newsletter, Literary Lyrics, this month I'm giving away copies of a most suitable beach read, Hatteras Girl. In order to qualify for the giveaway which will be two drawings, one on the 18th and one on the 25th, you must follow this blog or LIKE my Facebook Fan Club page. After you do that, send me an email at info@alicewisler.com with Giveaway in the subject line and you'll be entered. I hope those of you who are already following my blogs and/or are Facebook fans will enter the contest as well.

Play to win!

Book Review: Chasing Sunsets

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a place to heal from wounds. In Eva Marie Everson's newest novel, Chasing Sunsets, Kimberly Tucker, under the insistence of her father, goes to a beloved childhood spot known as Cedar Key Island. There, she discovers truths about herself, her two boys, God, friendships, and the reasons behind her previous marriage which ended in divorce. She also rekindles her romance with Stephen Granger, wanting to believe that he is as good as he seems, in spite of someone who tries to convince her otherwise.

Written in an easy-to-read style, including chapters that convey scenarios from the past, Chasing Sunsets moves quickly and captures any romantic's attention. Everson knows how to create a well-crafted tale.

This book was received for the purpose of review from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing.

A Book Review: Steps to Courage

2011-06-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Three young lives are tied together in this debut novel, Steps to Courage, by Sandra Stiles. Plagued with scars, Lucas, Mark and Trina, must battle their own pasts. Little do they know that the past is not all they will have to deal with on that fateful day of 9/11/2001.

Written in third person, Stiles fills us in the background of each youth, as well as their reasons for being in New York City on this day. For those who remember the horror that unfolded in New York, Pennsylvania and D.C, the book will capture many of those events, painting them with realistic emotions. In spite of unfavorable circumstances, the three friends reinvent their lives, seeking hope and happiness.

Recommended for young adults, especially girls.

Just Around the Corner

2011-05-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's just about to happen! A Wedding Invitation, my fourth stand-alone contemporary novel, is going to be released by Bethany House this October! In honor of its publication, I thought this was a good time to talk about weddings.

Do you like attending weddings? How many do you get invited to each year? Did you watch Will and Kate marry this past April? What did you like best about viewing a telecasted wedding as opposed to physically being there?

Comment below about weddings----the wonderful, the bizarre, the quaint, and the sweet.

I invite you also to talk about wedding invitations you've received. And, of course, I invite you to read A Wedding Invitation.

And we have a winner!

2011-05-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who played the Hiding Food Contest at the Alice J. Wisler Facebook Fan Club Page. My daughter, Elizabeth, just turned 14, and since she has the birthday this week, I let her pick the name from the names of all who LIKED the fan club page and wrote a post about hiding food from yourself or other family members. (I do this all the time, and so does a character in my novel.) Elizabeth drew Faye McCord of Mississippi's name!

Congratulations, Faye! An autographed copy of my latest novel, Hatteras Girl, will be sent to you soon!

Thanks, everyone, for playing!

Contest! Win a Novel!

2011-04-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Here's a contest you can't miss out on.

In my newest novel, Hatteras Girl, Jackie hides tortilla chips in the kitchen pantry (behind a can of green beans) from the five-year-old who lives with her. Do you hide food from your kids? Your spouse? Your roommate? Go to the Alice J. Wisler Fan Club Page, click LIKE and join in the discussion. On May 1, there will be a drawing for a copy of Hatteras Girl for one lucky winner whose name will be drawn from all who participate. Open to all, as long as you LIKE the page.

Happy entries! Tell your friends!

Book Club!

2011-03-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

What a treat to be invited to the book club at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary yesterday!

Not only was the table filled with food from my novel, and a cake with my novel's title, but the discussion about How Sweet It Is was insightful. That's right; I wrote the novel, but these women who read it provided me with new thoughts and their ideas about the motivations of my characters.

The refreshment table was prepared by Joan (in the picture above). She even had chips and salsa which Deena makes for her cooking class. The lemon is from Grandpa Ernest's childhood story about always keeping a lemon in the fridge. Joan liked his words in his letter to Deena, his granddaughter, and so Joan added the quote to her lovely table as well.

What a fun time I had!

And the times they are a changin'

2011-02-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

I write to inspire.

Lately, with our changing markets, I need some inspiration.

I set out on this publishing venture with high hopes and a smile in my heart. My first novel, Rain Song, came out in October 2008. Offered only as a trade paperback for $13.99, sales did well. A new author, first novel, a small publishing house and yet Rain Song sold 25,000 copies within 18 months of publication.

I was not on Facebook then. I didn't have a Facebook Fan Club Page. Tweeter had not been created. I was not a member of the American Christian Fiction Writer. My website needed a make-over. I did not attend writers' conferences. In fact, I did not really know but one inspirational fiction author on a personal level.

But I arranged book events at bookstores, and marketed my novel and the next one---How Sweet It Is--when it arrived on bookshelves the following spring. I sent out newsletters and emails and slipped promotional postcards into everyone's hands. I blogged. My publicist was impressed with my efforts.

Now things are changing. Seems it doesn't matter about that number of 25,000 or that it is now at 28,500. Rain Song is going out of print. Immediately.

So is How Sweet It Is.

Oh, they will still be available in e-book format. People won't be able to dog-ear the pages, or underline sections with a pen, but they can download my novels onto their electronic devices.

When discussing sales at Penguin, Penguin Group CEO John Makinson said, ". . . We all recognize that the ebook is a fundamentally more profitable book with cost benefits for consumer, author and publisher alike."

My husband is not a CEO, but he's told me what Makinson stresses. Yet, I still wonder how the author benefits more with e-book sales over trade paperbacks? E-books cost less, yes, and authors get a higher royalty rate, but it all balances out that I get nearly the same amount whether it be 18 or 20 percent from a print book sale of $13.99 or 25 percent from an e-book sale of $9.99.

Are print books dying? Are e-books here to stay?

For five months, paperback How Sweet It Is has been in the TOP 100 categories on Amazon for Christian Fiction and Christian Romance. The novel ranges from #40 to #90 on these charts. I used to keep track of where it stood, now I realize that doesn't seem to matter. Paperback How Sweet It Is is not selling enough to make room for it anymore in the warehouse.

The times are changin' and I'm not liking it.

I need a good cup of inspiration.

Characters in Grief

2011-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

[I wrote this about a year ago, and just found it again to post here.]

An elderly missionary was asked to sum up his life which had been filled with sorrow and anguish. His words shocked many, especially those who were expecting something more profound. “Jesus loves me, this I know,” he said. Then he sat down.

Once upon a time, I wrote happy. As a little girl of ten, I wanted everything to turn out well. I thought that if you ate your vegetables and said your prayers life would be grand. I conveyed this in my writing. I also planned to save the world, although that was a bit later in life.

When my four-year-old son died, I could not write happy. Like the words in many of the Psalms, my tears were my food; despair filled every ounce of me. Writing helped to get the sad out, and pretty soon, I wanted to live again and had hopes for my fiction.

There is no surprise now that my novels depict both happy and sad, joy, light-heartedness, distraught, and confusion. My goal is to write real.

When I created Monet, the three-year-old in my first novel, Rain Song, some questions arose. Why was this child so loud and naughty? Was it the case of poor parenting? Her mother took her to many doctors to try to find out why she was the way she was, and while there was some conversation about autism, I never said that was Monet’s diagnosis. Yet, some readers were quick to label her with that and their reviews showed it.

Whether you like Monet in the novel or not, to me, she is the symbol that things are not always neatly-labeled in life. Everything is not black or white. My son was not immediately diagnosed with cancer. The doctors gave him other labels first and eventually he had to go through a surgery and a biopsy. A lot of waiting was involved.

I believe life in novels should mimic life in reality. I don’t have all the answers, and neither do my characters. They don’t get over grief, they heal a little. They might overcome some adversity, but they still have wounds. Mentally-challenged Jonas, in How Sweet It Is, will never be a scientist or a professor, yet he has the qualities of a humble man that surpass most scholars. We don’t know why God made Jonas the way he did, but we like him.

Can we live with not knowing everything? In our lives and in our novels? Is grappling with our faith okay? Is it acceptable to some days barely hang onto the hand of the God? I believe that creative ways to show our characters have not yet arrived are necessary in our stories.

Just like in my life. And in yours.

Sometimes when our days are a blur of uncertainty, when the future looks dismal, when our spirits have been crushed, what comes from our feeble lips is both simple and profound, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” It is a sacrifice to say it, and yet, it rings true.

~ Alice J. Wisler

The Long Corridor

2011-01-15T07:33:00.001-08:00

"How can I remember his life without the impact of his death?"

This is not like hitting a large pothole on a dark road and being caught off guard. It cannot sneak up on you because every year the familiar dates do not change. When I get a new desk calendar in January, I mark his dates. My son Daniel was born August 25th. And he died February 2nd. Both of those days have a heart drawn around them.

What continues to surprise many bereaved parents is the long corridor that leads up to the anniversary day of a child. How do our bodies and minds know that the date is approaching? I often tell people that I could be on a deserted island without my calendar, but my mind would still know.

The anniversary date of a child's death wreaks havoc with all our senses as we remember. The date of his death is not like his birthday, where as painful as it is without him, we can celebrate that he was born. The anniversary date is the flipside, reminding us that it all ended. Anniversary dates mean saying good-bye. No more memories. Gone. Finished here on earth. It's over.

We try not to let it take its toll. After all, most of us do not seek to dwell on every detail that killed our child. We hear the world say, "Still? It's been ten years." Or twelve, or like me, fourteen. Even so we wonder why we get this knot in our stomach as flashbacks snap before us on our memory's picture screen.

"The days leading up to Ethan's death anniversary date of January 19th are like this long corridor I have to walk alone. I even sometimes forget the dates leading up to the 19th are going to be hard," my friend Brina wrote to me recently about her infant son.

How well she described it! We replay those events that lead up to our child's death. Even years later, we still think that if we could have changed one or two of those circumstances, we would continue to have our son or daughter. Could have, should have, would have. Those are the phrases we learn early on not to say. But we still say them. If only. Why didn't I?

The days leading up to that marked date on the calendar can be lonely, painful, agonizing, irreverant. Yet each year we have to walk through them, until, at last, the day passes, and we are on the other side of the long hallway. For now. Until next year.

The first years without a child are all gut-wrenching, and when the anniversary day looms, parents wonder if they can survive another year. As time goes on, the harshness softens to some extent. Yet I've heard parents say that certain years were harder than others. My friends Gene and Linda just experienced fifteen years since Steve, their only child's, death. Because Steve was fifteen when he died, this particular year marked fifteen years with him, and fifteen years without.

I think of Stephen King's The Green Mile and what walking along it signified to the inmates. They plodded along that long corridor until they reached a chair. By being strapped to that chair, they would be removed from this world.

We parents re-walk that mile every year. Yet it is not we who sit in the chair, it is those memories of our child who died. The call is given, the act is done, and breath stops. There was nothing we could have done to prevent that action. Nothing, no loophole, that we can find, to bring our precious child back to us.

And so we walk. Scenes from years ago grab us like horrific nightmares, only we know we will not wake up and find our child safely in bed. We are still bereaved and that is why, year after year, we must make that lonely walk.

As Christians, we believe in life after death. This brings much comfort. Yet, I must emphasize that walking the mile is still treacherous, at times scary, and sorrowful, despite the promise that our child is experiencing the magnitude of Heaven. For those who want to say, "Be glad he is in Heaven," I would like to add, "Yes, but I want him here. Just like your child is here with you, living each day as part of your family."

For the corridor is not about life after death or that we will again be reunited with our child, it is about the truth that death, plain and vast, occurred, and every year we are impacted by this horrendous truth we cannot escape. Some of us have more events along their corridor, especially those of us whose child was hospitalized, had medical procedures, or suffered before his last breath.

Is there a way to make the approaching days easier? My friend Brina called a friend and planned to attend a chapter of a grief support group in her area. In December, Pam sent out an email message letting others know that the anniversary date of the death of her daughter Paula was around the corner.

Pushing aside the pain and need to be heard is not wise. Reach out, and hopefully, those you reach out to will help to shoulder the monumental walk. Cliches don't substitute for comfort. Loving the broken-hearted is always a good practice.

This year I plan to invision God holding one of my hands and Daniel holding the other as I make my way through the flashbacks from January 22 leading up to February 2, 1997.

And I will continue to follow the advice of my four-year-old Daniel during his own demise: "Deep breaths, deep breaths. That will help me."

Half a Century Reflections

2011-01-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

On this birthday, I reflect. Isn't that what birthdays are for these days? When I was younger, it was all about cake and presents, and hoping everyone would remember. Now I have lived long enough to have that wonderful thing called perspective. With perspective, comes gratitude. So here's a list of some of the many things I've come to be grateful for. And, oh, I still hope for cake, presents, and wishes from friends!

* It's really not all about me.

* Scented candles do enhance moods from sour to sweet.

* Saying "I'm sorry" are two of the most freeing words in my vocabulary.

* Taking time to watch a sunset is not a waste of time.

* I've learned to stop trying to get people to like me. They either will or they won't, and that's not up to me to determine.

* The longer I live, the more I realize we live in a broken world.

* The longer I live, the more I'm thankful for a God who shows His mercy and grace to broken people.

* Fifty actually is NOT old!

* Sending kisses up to Heaven does wonders for a bereaved mom's heart

* True friends are treasures and come in all shapes and sizes.

* As long as their is breath, there is hope for our children. They might seem on wayward paths, but hope remains.

* Being forgiven is wonderful!

* The capacity to love is life-giving.

* The more I know, the more I realize that I don't know much at all. (And that's okay because I never knew it all----even when I was younger and thought I did.)

* The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.

* Make love your aim.

* Writing out my feelings does provide peace.

* The more I discover about God, the more mystery I see. I have stopped putting God in a box or in my pocket. I do not understand His ways; my faith remains.

* The sun might come out tomorrow, or it might wait a few days, but it will come out.

* The smallest of gestures, done with self-less-ness, can bring the most meaning.

* Patience is one of the highests forms of art.

* Knowing when to end a list is also an art. :-)

Christmas Blah Revisited

2010-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010
~ Alice J. Wisler

Another Christmas. Here I go again . . .

Gearing up to this season, there were the nuisances from living (basically, things not going how I wished they would) that many of us face. I’ve learned to adapt to most of those because I’ve had lots of years of living to adapt!

Yet, what got to me was that feeling of apathy as I set out to do the inevitable—fight the crowds at Christmas shopping. I felt lifeless. Joyless.

What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel so ho-hum this Christmas?

The songs on the radio didn’t help. I couldn’t get excited over hoping for a white Christmas of wondering what Santa would bring me from his sleigh of goodies. And that was even after I realized he had to bring me something; I’ve been pretty good this year.

I decided that I needed to combat this mood with gratitude, so I counted my blessings. I have so many, including five kinds of tea in the pantry and a computer that works, and is currently, virus-free. With kids and a husband who love me, what was the problem?

When Mariah Carey sang, "All I want for Christmas is you," the words stuck, lodging in my heart.

Of course. I was missing my son, Daniel, and the desire to have him here, was heavy. Without his mother’s permission, Daniel would spend another Christmas in Heaven.

Putting on a pair of earrings and a scarf I love in hopes that they would make me feel festive, I set out to shop. With so many decisions to make, I took my time, the lump of blahness still filling my heart like the lumps of coal the naughty kids are threatened with.

It was while standing at the boxed chocolate that one word came to me. Write. I teach writing through grief and what amazes me, is that even after all these years since my son’s death, I sometimes forget that I need writing to help me cope.

Just knowing how helpful and healing writing is for my soul, I smiled, grateful that once this shopping ordeal ended, I could slip behind my computer and pour out my sadness.

Yes, I was missing Daniel. Yes, it has been thirteen years since he breathed his last. And, no, Christmas will never be complete without him here.

However. I typed that word really big. In spite of it all, or because of my loss, perhaps, I have learned. If Christmas is just a feel-good occasion with a romantical (this is a word, I know, my husband used it once and I told him it doesn’t exist, but some old Oxford dictionary agrees with him that it does) side, then no wonder I feel empty. If it’s about feeling warm and cozy or about being excited over a tree with presents underneath, then I feel cheated.

Because I don’t feel warm and cozy. And, compared to the rest of the world, I live in an affluent society; I don’t need more things.

Except for the gifts that cannot be purchased by humans. Peace. Self-less-ness. Humility. Grace. Forgiveness. The ability to forgive others. Over and over.

These lavish gifts were given. They came on a night halfway around the world thousands of years ago. These are the treasures that do more than sparkle and dazzle. These are what my aching heart need.

Christmas again. A season where so many promises are made on TV, telling me that all will be merry if I just bake the right cookie or buy the silver sedan for my loved ones. Of course I don’t buy into those notions. Yet, I would like to feel at least a little Christmas cheer.

And, lo and behold, I do! Because I’ve taken the gift of writing and used it to guide me into a peaceful realization! The conclusion has been the same every year since Daniel’s death: I am broken, frail, and wounded. There are days I’m tired of being me and wish some gracious, loving, carefree woman would take over.

There was a time when I was able to focus less on the Christmas story and the hope it brings, and more on the fleeting exhilaration of decking the halls and having a cup of eggnog. But no more. My son’s demise and death made me appreciate the birth of Jesus Christ more. I know what it is like to struggle, to suffer, to sink into sorrow.

For in the birth comes God with us: Emmanuel. Love Incarnate stooping down to meet us in our nasty conditions, in our pain, our shame, and blahness, so that we can have those valuable intangible presents he bestows. These are the priceless gifts the world with all its fortune can never master. Great blessings of His Heaven!

"How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Oh holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our lord Emanuel." ~ From “O Little Town of Bethlehem”

To read more about writing through grief, check out this article: How to Use the Tool of Grief-Writing to Healhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/115539/how_to_use_the_tools_of_griefwriting.html?#comments

Christmas at Harrington's: Review by Alice J. Wisler

2010-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Fresh out of prison, Lena Markham is on her way to New Haven, Minnesota to start a new venture. It takes some time for the reader to learn exactly why she was sentenced, thus providing some mystery to this story. (I always like mystery in my novels, no matter what the genre, so this was a plus for me.) Lena's money is running low, she has rent to pay, and her job prospects dwindle. Yet in the midst of her struggles she meets many who become helpful and supportive friends. At last, Lena lands a job as Mrs. Santa at the Harrington Department Store.

Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson provides an easy-to-read tale that will warm hearts at Christmas. The pages turn quickly and the story shines with hope. This is a book that can be read and enjoyed by women (and men) of all ages.

A hardback copy of Christmas at Harrington's was sent to me by the publisher so that I could read and review.

On Lookin' Good and Wondering Why: Stories of Book Signings Far From Ideal

2010-11-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Dressed for the occasion with my dangling umbrella earrings that match my first novel’s cover, I’m ready. Gas is in the car, bookmarks in the glove compartment, and the GPS is programmed to get me where I’m headed. It all seems good until arriving at the location---the bookstore, the conference, or the church. A squirmy feeling in my stomach tells me: This is not at all what I‘d hoped for!

The sun was invisible that day in mid-November when my friend Beth and I drove to the coastal town of Elizabeth City, NC. The independent bookstore was quaint and cozy. Although there was no poster on the door or wall announcing my event and I’d understood it was to be a book reading, instead of a signing, I was not discouraged. My novels were there, their covers ready for me to open and autograph for potential buyers.

I suppose my optimism waned when there came a warning from an author who was packing up his table. Yet even so, just because his luck was not good, did not mean mine would follow suit. I’d contacted churches and groups in this area, Twittered and Facebooked, and believed those who said they’d show up to meet me this morning.

“The streets are blocked off for the Thanksgiving Parade,” said the author before leaving the shop. “There is no way for anyone to get here.”

Yet the manager had told me that this was a high-traffic area with vendors on the grassy harbor front across the street, vendors that would help to draw a crowd. Seated at the wobbly wooden table, I waited for customers to enter the bookstore.

The rain drizzled. Vendors took their tents down and loaded their vehicles to go home.

Beth and I went outside, beckoning people to come inside, enticing them with my bookmarks. The manager waved good-bye and left.

An elderly man entered the store and I cheerfully told him about my book. He interrupted with his thoughts on the smut in today’s novels and how his wife refused to read them. I told this man that my novels were rated G, and encouraged him to get one for his wife who was home sick in bed. Ignoring my suggestion, he ventured into some tale about his cat, his brother’s girlfriend’s trip to Walmart, and a few other topics I wasn’t sure of----I had tuned him out by then.

Misery loves company, and I suppose having a story of my own about a book signing gone bad makes me actively listen to other authors and their accounts.

Kim Sawyer, author of dozens of novels including the recent release, In Every Heartbeat, always wears her “hope” pin and something purple. She also makes sure to have chocolate on hand. Of course, none of this helped when a bookstore in Kansas forgot she was to be there and placed her at an undecorated table in the back corner of the store with only two novels. Kim spent the day directing women to the restroom.

Last summer, a bookstore wasn’t ready for authors Jim Rubart (Rooms), Tosca Lee (Havah: The Story of Eve, among others), Robin Carroll (her latest work, Fear No Evil) or Brandilyn Collins (her most recent, Deceit) either. After purchasing their own cloth to cover the drab plastic table, the four sat in front of stacks of their books only to sit some more.

Obviously, even decorated tables are not enough to sell books. Angie Breidenbach, author of Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance, always wears her Gems of Wisdom jewelry and non-fatigue-showing clothing to her book events. At one store where she was scheduled to be, she was greeted with a lovely table displaying her cookbooks, complete with a gorgeous prize basket. Although she was told that the day before the shop had been booming with customers, the day Angie was there, the store was practically vacant.

Perhaps as we sit or stand in the cold and wonder why the event is not as we expected, we can see beyond our disappointment. It is in that moment that we realize the day can be redeemed.

In Elizabeth City, I started talking to the young employees, answering their questions on novel writing. Later, my friend Beth treated me to lunch at a restaurant in town. The crab cakes filled my stomach with happiness in spite of my earlier feelings of doom. She commented that at least the staff had learned something from me.

During our third book signing together, Marybeth Whalen considered leaving early. The store had only a few copies of her novel, The Mailbox. Yet so many of her friends came out to see her, that she stayed to talk with them. “It was not the optimum way to do a book signing,” she later wrote to me, “but I am moving forward and figuring that there was some reason I was supposed to be there that didn't involve selling books."

The art of peddling our wares to the public can be daunting, especially when we are an unknown name among shelves of bestselling books. However, Angie, along with my marketing and sales husband, Carl, would agree that establishing a rapport with book store employees is a brilliant business practice. When these employees are asked in the future to recommend a book, it just might be your book they select because you have taken the time to get to know them. Angie says, "The most precious things come out of the hard ones.” In the empty store, she spent time with store employees, building relationships with them. She concluded, "The beauty for me is in the new friends."

"Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life,” writes Charles Swindoll, pastor and author. “The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.”

Here’s hoping we’ll respond well, through the good events, as well as through those that invite us to build character.

~ Alice J. Wisler

Want to share your story about a book signing gone bad with me? Email at info@alicewisler.com

The Famous Bailey House Lemon Cookies

2010-11-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

You have to try these lemon cookies. Yes, they are famous! In my novel, Hatteras Girl, Jackie and Minnie need the recipe for the famous Bailey House Lemon Cookies, and when they find it, they know that they can carry on the cookie tradition at the bed and breakfast in Nags Head, North Carolina.

At a recent craft fair, I sold these cookies and received many wonderful comments.

Enjoy making these cookies today! Easy to make, and so yummy! The recipe is from the back of the novel. If your eyes are like mine, you'll need to click on the photo of the recipe to enlarge so it is readable.

Happy baking!

Saturday at Cornerstone Bookstore in Boone

2010-10-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed an afternoon at Cornerstone Bookstore in Boone this past Saturday. This beautiful bookstore is one of the most inspirational shops I have ever been in, so what a nice gift to be able to sign copies of all my novels there, along with author Marybeth Whalen (The Mailbox).

One of the highlights for me was to see my childhood friend, Jo Moore Haynes. My novel, Hatteras Girl, is about friendships and childhood dreams coming true, and Jo is connected in a round-about way to that. When she and I were at Kyoto International School in Japan, we used to spend our Saturdays writing love stories. Jo seemed to love mine and her encouragement has played a part in my own story of becoming a published novelist. So, to see Jo, her husband, and the many friends she invited to the bookstore, was a fabulous treat!

The store had a pen engraved with my name and one for Marybeth. They also served refreshments to the customers while we signed. The Russian tea was delicious!

Marybeth and I will be in Wilmington on Saturday at the Salt Shaker Bookstore and Cafe from 2 to 4 PM and at Family Christian Stores on 301 Crossroads Blvd. from 11 AM to 1 PM on the 30th. Hope to see you there!

Hatteras Girl comes alive!

2010-10-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today, October 1, marks the debut of my third novel, Hatteras Girl. While the heavens have yet to light up and a plane with a banner reading Hatteras Girl skirting across the sky has not been spotted, nevertheless, I am grafeful.

There have been postings on Facebook (a.k.a. the 21st century's town crier) and emails from readers, singing sweet songs of recognition.

Tonight, I will have the privilege of reading from and signing copies of Hatteras Girl at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, NC. (Jimmy Carter was unable to make his book date there earlier this week, but I'll be there.)

So, here's to readers, family and friends, who offer support and encouragement. And here's to the wonderful region of the Outer Banks, my inspiration for writing about Jackie Donovan, the young woman eager to run a bed and breakfast on North Carolina's coast.

Hatteras Girl goes to Hatteras, NC!

2010-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

We took our friend, Rick (visiting us from England) to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. What a fun time I had making sure Hatteras Girl (release date 10/1/10) got into nearly every photo. Stopping at the Orange Blossom Bakery and Cafe was a sweet treat. The bakery is mentioned in Hatteras Girl, so the staff there gave us the sweet royal treatment!

And Hatteras Girl arrived!

2010-09-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Excited that my new novel, Hatteras Girl, arrived. Thanks, Bethany House, and the Fed-Ex man!

Choosing to SEE: a book review

2010-08-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

At first, Choosing to SEE, by Mary Beth Chapman with Ellen Vaughn, appears as a mother's tale about her life, the wife of a famous singer and songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman. Upon opening the first pages, you soon learn that the chapters hold so much more. This memoir to me is really little Maria's story. Four-year-old Maria's words and life rang throughout the book and filled them as did the poignant line she often said: "Just SEE the glory of God today."

As a mother who has also buried a child, my heart goes out to Mary Beth and her family. It has been stated by many that the worst loss is when a child dies. My son Daniel was also four when he died from cancer treatments. I know of the screams, the tears, the agony, and yes, the anger at God that consumes you after losing a child. I also know that the longing to be with your child never ends. When a class of young children wrote notes on balloons and lifted them up to Maria in Heaven, Mary Beth writes: "Part of me couldn't help but want to go right along with the balloons . . . to be gathered up by the wind and swept to heaven to be with Maria." I completely understood.

Like so many bereaved parents, the Chapmans chose to create a foundation in memory of their daughter. Maria's Big House of Hope is located in one of the poorest provinces in China and provides orphans with the care they need. Maria's legacy lives on as these children are given medical attention, food, clothing, love and hope.

While the Chapmans have celebrity fame and status, Choosing to SEE shows that no matter who we are or what we have accomplished, when we lose a child to death, our hearts break. To experience that deep anguish and sorrow is the nature of being a parent. If the book had denied the reader of that truth, and tied to sugar-coat the tragedy with spiritual platitudes, it would have been a shame. I appreciated the honesty of this memoir and am sure others will as well.

~ Alice J. Wisler
Author of Rain Song, How Sweet It Is, and Hatteras Girl

[A copy of the book was provided for me by Revell upon request to write this review.]

Hatteras Girl!!

2010-08-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

My third novel, Hatteras Girl, makes her debut soon! And we are going to celebrate with two events. The first is at Starbucks on 3801 Guess Road in Durham, NC on Saturday, September 25 from 4 to 7 PM. Come, get your favorite coffee concoction and listen as I read from Hatteras Girl.

On Friday, October 1 at 7 PM, we'll gather at The Regulator Bookshop on 720 Ninth Street in Durham, NC for a book reading and discussion. If you have a favorite tomato pie recipe, come ready to share it. Or how about a dream you've had since childhood and at last have seen it fulfilled? Come, ready to share those stories.

Hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Honoring the Memory: BlogTalkRadio Show

2010-08-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Listen to the recent Writing the Heartache Show about ways parents honor the memories of their children.

Writing the Heartache: Honoring the Memory

Interview with K. Dawn Bryd

2010-08-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

1. I have always been fascinated by your name. Tell me about how you got the name K. Dawn Byrd.

K. Dawn Byrd is a pen name due to the fact that my employer wasn't entirely comfortable with my using my real name. I think my pen name is kind of catchy. I've been called everything from Kay to Karen to you name it.

2. What do you enjoy most about writing?

I love, love, love to plot! It's the best part as far as I'm concerned. I plot heavily before beginning a new novel, but I do allow my characters the freedom to take a life of their own. That's when things get really exciting!

3. What is the most humbling aspect of being an author?

I'm totally humbled by all the work that goes into marketing. Prior to a new release, I'll spend days just filling out blog interviews.

4. What inspired you to write your recent book, Killing Time?

I've always been an avid reader and planned to write a book one day. When I began work as a counselor in a jail, I thought that would be a neat setting for the book. I began to jot down notes about the environment such as sights, sounds, and smells. Before I knew it, my heroine had formed in my mind, begging me to tell her story.

5. Summer is a great time for a break from the routine. Where do you like to vacation best, and why?

I enjoy the beach and go at least once a year, sometimes twice. Since I live in the mountains, it's nice to escape to a new environment for a while. However, I'm always glad to return to the mountains when vacation is over.

Thanks, K. Dawn, for the interview!

Read more about K. Dawn Bryd and order Killing Time today!

Queen of Hearts (April 2010) & Killing Time (August 2010)
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/KDawnByrd/Page.bok
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/kdawnbyrd#p/a/u/0/grqPjGvfRa0
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncljBid61g
BLOG: http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Another workshop on the horizon

2010-08-02T14:47:00.001-07:00

The first Writing the Heartache All Day Workshop was a wonderful experience, and we are going to have another! This one will be held at the Hampton Inn in Cary, NC on August 21 from 8 AM to 5 PM. We will have a full day to write from our pain for healing, health, and hope. Come to write with us--poetry, from photographs, letters, and essays.

Bookmarks and Postcards for Hatteras Girl!

2010-07-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

The new bookmarks and postcards for my novels has arrived! I am so pleased with the creativity of these. As you can see, all three of my novel covers are on these items--all looking lovely.

Hatteras Girl makes her debut in October. If you'd like to pre-order a copy or two, please do so by August 1. My website holds the details of how to order a novel. This special deal ends soon, so order Hatteras Girl for only $10.99 now!

Writing to Sanity

2010-07-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

The all-day grief-writing workshop held at the Country Inns and Suites in Morrisville, NC was a dream come true. Nine attendees were present, all eager to learn and write. We talked about coping with grief and how to write effectively for healing, health and hope. We wrote poems, essays, timelines, and letters. We shared stories and listened to each other. There were tears, revelations, and understanding.

What a wonderful day!

We plan to do many more Writing the Heartache Workshops. So stay tuned to see when the next one will be.

Hatteras Girl & How Sweet It Is in St. Louis

2010-06-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

On June 26th, I flew to St. Louis for the 2010 Christy Awards and the International Christian Retail Show.

The Christy Awards was a dynamic event. How Sweet It Is received a nice medallion in the Contemporary Romance category.

What fun it was to be at the Baker Booth at the International Christian Retail Show at the convention center after the Christy Awards! The awesome cover for Hatteras Girl was displayed and truly made me smile. At noon on the 28th, I signed advanced reading copies (ARCs) of Hatteras Girl.

One of the recipes in the upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl

2010-06-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl. Hatteras Girl takes place on the Outer Banks of NC, home to all things Southern.

L. J.’s Cornbread with Bacon

1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of white corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of creamed-style corn
1 cup of crumbed bacon, fried
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add eggs, sour cream, and corn. Lightly blend and add bacon. Bake in a greased 13-inch pan at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Don’t overcook! (L. J. will tell you that if you do, it just won't taste as good.)

When Fathers Weep At Graves

2010-06-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

I see them weep
The fathers at the stones
Taking off the brave armour
Forced to wear in the workplace
Clearing away the debris
With gentle fingers
Inhaling the sorrow
Diminished by anguish
Their hearts desiring what they cannot have
To walk hand in hand
With children no longer held
To all the fathers who leave a part
Of their hearts at the stones
May breezes underneath trees of time
Ease their pain
As they receive healing tears
. . . the gift the children give.

~ Alice J. Wisler

Interview with Mom 2 Mom Connection

2010-06-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Interview: Alice J. Wisler’s Novels and Help for Grieving Parents
Interview with Heather Ivester of Mom 2 Mom Connection

Those of you who’ve been reading here for a while know I’m crazy about Japan. I taught English in Osaka for a couple of years, and when I came home, I left part of my heart over there. Well, I’ve become acquainted with a Christian mom who writes novels in North Carolina, after living in Japan 18 years! I’m so happy to introduce you to author Alice J. Wisler.

Hi Alice. Welcome to Mom 2 Mom! We’re so glad you’re here. Can you tell us a little about your background as the daughter of missionaries in Japan?

I was born in Osaka, Japan in the sixties to career-missionary parents. I went to Japanese kindergarten in Osaka and an international elementary school in Kyoto. High school was in Kobe, and since the distance was far, I lived in the high school dorm for four years. Then I went back to teach English in a church-run school in the eighties after college and a stint in the Philippines. So, I’ve lived 18 years total in Japan.

Wow. That’s amazing! Do you still find yourself remembering Japan? How do you keep your memories alive? Do you have any favorite Japanese dishes that you like to eat or cook?

Japan is a huge part of my life. I love authentic Japanese food (Kanki and any restaurant that serves their food with sword-like knives is not what I grew up with). Sushi is my favorite. I like to make tempura at home with my fourteen-year-old son. I sing Japanese songs from childhood around the house all the time.

How did you get started writing fiction?

Click to read the rest here at Mom 2 Mom Connection.

Vulnerable

2010-05-28T12:54:00.001-07:00

I remember when I told my boyfriend I felt vulnerable in our relationship. Actually, I wrote the word in a note. He told me I'd spelled vulnerable incorrectly. How was I to know it had a "l" after the "u'? When I said the word, I never acknowledged that sound.

Seems as a missionary kid growing up with strange English being spoken and mixed with my own mother's made-up words and Southern phrases, I often was not sounding like a native speaker. To add to my confusion, the English bookstore in Osaka, where I bought many books, sold books printed in England. Not only did I have to deal with Japanese-English, Momisms, and Southernisms, but there was the Queen's English. Those Puffin books put "u" in so many words that when our spelling tests at Kyoto International School rolled around, I never knew what the proper spelling was for color and favorite.

I guess I was always a little off-kelter, a little lost in the crowd. At five-foot-nine with blond hair, I stood out. Literally.

Things haven't changed. While my spelling is more sound on most days (on other days I rely heavily on spellcheck), I am still vulnerable. And on days like these, my sadness surprises me.

For you see, it's been thirteen years. And after that length of time, apparently, a mother isn't supposed to miss her son anymore. Which makes me feel even more of a freak.

Here in the US, this is Memorial Day weekend, a time of celebrating with hamburgers, dunks in the pool, flags, lemonade, and retail sales.

All I can do is remember the sound of the pediatrician's voice--a real native American speaker, educated at the finest schools---telling me that my son had cancer. I remember the curtains in the family room were light blue with dots. I remember how weighty and big the phone felt in my palm. That was fourteen years ago, and yes, I recall it better than yesterday.

Some days I feel like steel, toughened by this bereavement thing. Watch out world, here I am! Look at me, I am courageous and bold and compassionate and capable. I am a survivor!

Today I am annoyed by the mail, text messages, the woman who cut me off in the grocery store, and especially my own tender heart.

I have traveled far on this rocky road. I'm no longer angry at the doctors, friends who failed, family members who did not step up to the plate, or even God. That is washed away--forgiven, as I've forgiven myself.

But today, on the beginning of this weekend that will never fade from being Diagnosis Weekend even if it is called Memorial Day weekend by everyone else, I am reduced to tears.

Vulnerable. No matter how you spell it or pronounce it, it sits right there underneath my ribcage, lodged in every crevice of my heart.

I miss you, my Brave Cookie. I miss sitting by the pool and cooking you a hamburger. Perhaps by this age, you would have learned to like pickles and even called them pickles----not radishes, as you used to do.

On days like these, the language of the grieving heart sounds the same--yearning for what might have been.

A Dream Coming True!

2010-05-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Many know that I believe in the value of writing through grief after loss. I've seen it bring healing to my own life when my son died, and to the lives of others, as I've taught across this country and conducted my online workshops.

For some time, a dream of mine has been to have a Writing the Heartache All Day Workshop. You know, in a real location, with coffee and people, stories, pens, paper.

Sometimes, dreams do come true.

On July 17th from 8 to 5 PM there will be a Writing the Heartache All Day
Workshop at the Country Inns and Suites near the Raleigh-Durham Airport. What is nice about this hotel is that there are places to venture outside, should one want to get some fresh air while writing a poem, letter, or memory.

There will be time for instruction, music, coffee breaks, and a catered lunch. And each participant can read from their work, should they choose to share.

I hope you'll join me for this day of writing, healing, hope and health. I look forward to seeing you there.

Read all the details here and be sure to register soon.

A Boy and His Tree

2010-05-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

“It was time to dig up the thin maple that died last fall and, like Daniel, did not bloom in the spring.”

It was time. In an hour the November afternoon would be dark. With Baby Elizabeth in the stroller, we headed to our front lawn. Benjamin immediately began to run around, but my husband, David, seven year-old Rachel and I stood beside the thin tree. Rachel held the order of ceremony that she had spent the afternoon writing. It was three pages of her own creation, the "service" for our family's gathering that afternoon. Five members were visible to the human eye; the sixth member was held within our yearning hearts.

"We are very sad at this moment," Rachel began to read from her printed page. "We think of the things we did together, and we think of the sad things that happened too, and it won't be so hard. But we will still be a little sad in the heart." Then she somberly passed the papers to my husband. She had written the next lines for him to read and they ended with, "It's going to be hard to keep the tears away, but we will still dig up this tree, even if it hurts."

And that was our reason for the ceremony. It was time to dig up the thin maple that died last fall and, like Daniel, did not bloom in the spring. It wasn't just any old maple tree. The tree had so much significance, and that was why it had taken us all of spring and summer before we were ready to uproot it. Without leaves, it spent months in the front lawn. I was prepared to tell neighbors why we couldn't dig it out of the ground, but no one asked why we kept a dead tree in our yard. Could they
have known it was the very tree we planted three weeks after Daniel's birth? Did they realize it died only a few months before our four-year-old son?

I had looked at that tree many times since Daniel left us, remembering how he played by it, rode his Cozy Coupe under it and ran around it. Just the other night when looking through the hundreds of pictures we have of him, I found one with him at age three in a hat and funny sun-glasses, holding the tree. Never in our wildest dreams, had we known both boy and tree would be gone in the same year. When the lines of
the memories of Daniel had all been read, David dug up the dead tree. "Good-bye, Daniel," I said within my heart.

It was as though a part of Daniel was again being taken from me. It was the same feeling of "good-bye" as I had felt when the men from the Vietnam Veterans had come to take the old, plaid sofa. Daniel had lived on that sofa during his last months. There he'd eaten cereal, watched videos, looked at books and thrown up.

David cut a few branches from the tree, and Rachel announced we could make a cross out of them to place in the little memorial garden we have by the side of the house.

Then, with David placing the maple over his shoulder, he and Rachel began to walk toward the nearby woods. Daniel had enjoyed the woods so much, and we knew it was a fit-ting place to carry his tree. I was reminded of the time he and Rachel had ventured in there alone and were rescued by the brother of one of our neighbors. And there was the time Rachel, Daniel and I, along with one of Daniel's friends, went for a walk in the woods and got lost. It as raining when we finally found our way out. We had no idea where we were, so we asked directions to get home. A kind, elderly man offered to drive us home. The kids had been excited about riding in his Oldsmobile, while I just felt foolish for getting lost.

When we returned from taking the tree to the woods, David placed a stake in the ground where the tree had been. This was to mark where we wanted the next tree to be planted. The local nursery was to come that week with a new tree, given to us by friends who wanted to do something in Daniel's memory.

What a surge of joy I felt when I looked out the window the next day to see the newly planted tree! We had chosen a gentle and drooping weeping willow, because there was such significance in its very name and stature. It would be a reminder to others of our weeping spirits over the loss of our precious son, and, to us, we would watch this tree grow and flourish, as our memories and love do for Daniel.

~*~*~**~*~
By Alice J. Wisler
Reprinted from BEREAVEMENT MAGAZINE, November/December 1999,
5125 N. Union Blvd., Ste. 4, Colorado Springs, Colorado 89018

Announcing a new site for writing through grief

2010-05-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Please join me as I launch the new Writing the Heartache website.

This site is where online courses, grief-writing postings, talkradioblog
segments, and seminars for my organization, Writing the Heartache, will be shared.

Thanks for spreading the word!

May 13 Radio Show: Building Self-Esteem After Loss

2010-05-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

May 13 Radio Show: Building Self-Esteem After Loss

Be sure to listen to tips on how to build self-esteem after death at 9 AM (PST) or noon (EST).

Writing the Heartache Writing Workshop begins soon

2010-05-09T18:01:00.001-07:00

Writing the Heartache Writing Workshop begins soon

Posted using ShareThis

Remembering Daniel on Mother's Day

2010-05-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

As Mother’s Day Approaches

Time, back in time,
A moment well-etched
The road swerved
the course changed
And the path led only uphill
to thick darkness
where boulders blocked the way
Clawing over them,
I almost lost my breath
Putting my head down
Tempted never to
Watch another sunrise.

But in the stars I saw your smile
By the honeysuckle I felt your kiss
From the brook, I heard your voice
Day dawned; I kept on.

Time, too much time
My feet are calloused
My arms sore
And some days the tears
Grip me without warning.

It’s been seasons since I held you
And while the myth taunts me:
It’s not supposed to hurt anymore
You’re still gone
And it does.

Book Signing on Saturday, May 1!

2010-05-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

It was a nice afternoon of seeing old friends and signing copies of
How Sweet It Is! Thanks to all who stopped by, and thank you
Life and Faith Tours for being there as well with your giveaways.

Special gratitude for Family Christian in Durham and their store's staff.

2010 Christy Award Finalists have been announced

2010-05-01T14:27:00.001-07:00

2010 Christy Award Finalists have been announced

Posted using ShareThis

What a sweet treat!

2010-04-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

The Christy Award nominees for 2010 were announced today and
How Sweet It Is is a finalist in the contemporary romance
category.

Last year, Rain Song was nominated in the First Novel category.

While last year I was excited to hear the news, this year I am even more
honored.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me along this journey.

And thanks to my inspiration, my sweet and brave
Daniel Paul Wisler (8/25/92---2/2/97). Miss you, son.

BlogTalkRadio Share Show Widget

2010-04-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

Interview on building self-esteem after the death of a child

2010-04-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

When a child dies, our self-image suffers. Join me and Gloria and Heidi Horsley on Open to Hope Radio as we discuss how to build self-esteem and confidence after the death of a child.

The show has been recorded and will air on May 13 at noon (EST),
9AM Pacific time.

This link will take you to where you can listen to the program via your
computer speakers. It'll only take 18 minutes of your time.

Check out this new novel: K. Dawn Byrd's Queen of Hearts

2010-04-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

About the book:
Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.

About the author:
K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance. She holds a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University that she believes gives her better insight into the minds, feelings and emotions of individuals, which helps her to better understand her characters and develop them more fully. Queen of Hearts, a WWII romantic suspense will release April 1 and Killing Time, a contemporary romantic suspense will release August 1, both with Desert Breeze Publishing.

Order the book:
From Desert Breeze Publishing

From Amazon

Visit K. Dawn Byrd's website where she features many authors and their works.

Beverly Lewis and Me!

2010-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to hear bestselling Bethany House author, Beverly Lewis, speak at Cary's Page Walker Center, an event sponsored by the Wake County Libraries.

Beverly shared how she grew up in Lancaster County, PA, observing the Amish culture around her. She enjoyed playing with her Amish friends and recalled the fun of riding on a tire swing at one of the farms. Her knowledge of this group of people was remarkable. Later, Bev took questions from the gathered audience and then signed copies of her books, the newest being The Telling.

As for me, I was happy to just be there. The icing on the cake was being invited to eat lunch with Bev, Steve Oates and Julie Klassen---all Bethany House people. How nice it was to talk with folk from the home office as we dined outside at the Czech restaurant, Klara's.

One of the fun facts I discovered about Beverly in addition to her sweet nature, is her love of dessert! Her choice was the apple strudel. Julie selected the ice cream with espresso sauce. Steve and I went without. (Only because I knew that night I'd be dining at my writers' critique group and Catherine would have a scrumptious dessert. She did, and I had a deluxe-size portion of strawberry shortcake. Not sure if Steve got dessert or not yesterday.)

What a fun day it was, and what an honor to experience a small portion of Bev's 2010 book tour.

Blog Talk Radio: join me!

2010-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

I like doing new things, for the most part. And I get to this April 23rd
at 1 PM (EST). I'm going to be on my own Blog Talk Radio program talking
about easy steps to writing through grief. I do hope that many of my
friends will join me and listen in. You can learn more at this link here.

For those of you who want to know the tools of writing through grief,
please tune in and share how writing has helped you in your journey.

Book event at Raleigh's Family Store

2010-04-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

What a nice time I had this afternoon at Family Christian Stores.
Thanks to Sarah, John and James, plus all those who bought novels.

Hope at Easter

2010-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

The first Easter after Daniel died, we left Durham for the coast of
Virginia. On that Sunday, we attended a huge outdoor celebration,
happy with resurrection songs of praise and a lengthy sermon. I
recall telling the stranger next to me that my son had just died.
I also remember leaving the service early with my broken family.

Desperately, I wanted to see my own child alive, laughing and enjoying
his Easter basket, along with his new baby sister, brother, and older
sister.

Now thirteen years later, I still see in my mind, my little son
with his Easter basket, digging into all the gooey candy. Easter brings
back a cartful of memories. At age two, he had his photo taken at Olan
Mills in a gray suit (his Easter suit), his blond hair in need of a
haircut. He also had gum on his lapel. The Easter he was three was just
a month before his cancer diagnosis. We were naive then, content, joyful,
as Daniel searched for the colorful eggs his grandparents hid. We
didn't know what the future held.

Easter makes me grateful that because of the resurrection, that
because of forgiveness, mercy and grace, there is new life.
Easter is hope. Easter reminds me that those who have died are
still alive, just hidden, like eggs, from our earthly eyes.

See you soon, Daniel.

My Newest Fan---Carolina Country

2010-03-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

And so the mystery has been solved as to why I received three copies of
the April issue of Carolina Country in the mail last week.
Today, while flipping through the magazine (yes, I should have been
writing my fourth novel, tentatively titled, A Wedding Invitation),
I saw a familiar sight. On page 17 is a picture of my novel, Rain Song,
and beneath it, is a blurb about it. Thrilled, I posted my findings on
Facebook, and not only joined the Carolina Country Facebook Fan Page,
but wrote a thank-you email to the editor.

For all of you Carolinians, please come to my book signing and get your
own copy of Rain Song! I'll be at Family Christian Stores across
from Triangle Town Center in Raleigh from noon until 2 PM on Friday, April
2. I'll be at Family Christian Stores across from Southpoint Mall in Durham
on May 1 from noon until 2 PM. Chocolate and prizes! See you there!

A weekend of comfort

2010-03-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

March 19 and 20, 2010, was the regional Compassionate
Friends Conference in Frankfort, KY. I was honored
to be part of this meaningful weekend. The Memorial Garden
was especially beautiful.

How Sweet It Is in now avaiable in Dutch!

2010-03-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Rain Song---Regenlied---was published
in Dutch by Kok in the winter of 2008,
shortly after it came out in English in
October 2008.

Now How Sweet It Is---De Zoete Inval---is
in Dutch as well!

And as you can see, the cover remains the
same.

I Went to Your Grave Today

2010-03-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a poem I wrote in 1998 in memory of Daniel. I placed it
in my first cookbook, Slices of Sunlight.

I went to your grave today,
taking daisies and roses.
I ate lemon poppy seed bread
and felt the warmth of the sun
As I sat on a yellow cloth
watching the children run.

I went to your grave today
and felt the soft wind whistle
and felt the grass tickle my bare feet
and heard the baby cry,
the older ones laugh---
and then I listened for you.

I could not see your face
with its bright blue eyes
Or feel your head on my shoulder.
I could not touch your hands,
for that body is no longer you,
covered in the grave.

It was the brilliance of your soul
that flooded my senses---
it was the radiance of knowing what you are,
And what you have become
That energized my heart
when I went to your grave today.

~ Alice J. Wisler

Making Peace with the Month of March

2010-03-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

March is one of those devious months. In the South, it holds
the potential of spring. In other parts of the USA, it's only
another cold month of winter.

For me, March is the month after. Daniel died in
February, and the first March after that, I was appalled to
see buds on the forsythia. What was life doing displaying
herself like that after my son had died? How could spring
make herself known when my child would never cradle a rose
or iris in his hand again (even if he did pick it from
the neighbor's garden)?

Since then, spring has flourished, sometimes early---at
times late---and yet my son has not joined her. In my
opinion, those first springs were gleaming with too much
life. I was not ready to let go of the damp and bitter
days of winter because the coldness better matched the
state of my damaged heart.

Gradually, I learned to handle the frustration. Under
weeping willow trees, I wrote out my pain. I cried.
I teetered between wanting to make the most of each day,
and wanting life to abruptly end.

Somewhere along the years, I came to embrace. Now the
colors of the irises and beauty of the delicate roses
are signs of hope as they thrive in the sun. I hold the
memories of Daniel close, and when I see spring's new
buds, I try to focus on his new life in Heaven.

That is usually too mind-boggling for a simpleton
like me. So, I simply watch the caterpillars on
the leaves, touch the petals of the azaleas, and
as the warm breezes blow, am grateful.

Even so, I cry. After all these years, I still
experience that tinge of emptiness when March
arrives. Like she doesn't quite belong in my
sorrow. Like she's trying to show-off when the
mood is supposed to be somber.

I guess it will always be this way for me.
Finally, I have realized, that's okay.

Remembering Childhood: Aunt Mary Lou

2010-02-21T12:40:00.001-08:00

She named me Crazy Alice and I called her Aunt Mary Lou.

She wasn't my real aunt, but I was allowed to call her Aunt Mary
Lou, just like the Southern Baptist missionary kids did.
We all grew up together, sharing the bond of living as American
Presbyterians and Baptists in Japan, where the missionaries
went by aunt and uncle. My own children say,
that was a zillion years ago. But I haven't forgotten.

I remember the sleepovers with Aunt Mary Lou's daughter, Grace, and
our mutual missionary kid friends, Cathy and Jo. After pizza and
chocolate cake, a few minutes gazing at Teen Beat Magazine's
celebrities (how could any twelve-year-old not swoon over
Donny Osmond or David Cassidy?), the four of us got into character.
Seated in a circle on top of our sleeping bags, we'd place a cassette
recorder in the middle. Then each one of us created our own silly
persona (there was a Mrs. Mousetrap and Mrs. Pipsqueak) and the
early hours of the morning were spent making recordings--usually
in British accents--about older women who went to tea parties and
had uncanny adventures. We wore those tapes out playing them over
and over, laughing and giggling.

Aunt Mary Lou must have heard us and thus, gave me the
nickname Crazy Alice.

I was the type of kid who didn't mind being singled out with a nickname
as long as I knew it was said affectionately. She'd greet me with a
smile that was as wide as the state of Tennessee, and in her Southern
accent say, "There's that Crazy Alice." There was always a warm gleam
in her eyes.

Acting in front of her and the other missionary aunts was easy. We
mimicked English Conversations (borrowing from real-life conversations
we'd been persuaded to hold with Japanese men on the long train rides
to and from school) and gave productions of these dramas. Aunt Mary Lou
always laughed the loudest. She made us feel we were better than any
sit-com, funnier than any future Saturday Night Live episode. No wonder
we continued, eager to be in the limelight.

The last time I saw Aunt Mary Lou I was in my twenties. My dad had just
had surgery for cancer at the Baptist Hospital in Kyoto. Aunt Mary Lou,
working as a nurse there, sat with Mom and me as we waited.
Proudly, she talked about her grown children and updated me on
what they were doing. Even then my childhood name spilled from
her lips. Crazy Alice.

Now, with the news of her death, I picture Aunt Mary Lou singing and
dancing in Heaven (I think even Baptists dance there), freed from
Earth's restraints. Her memory lives on in the hearts of her children,
husband, grandchildren, and those privileged enough to call her Aunt
Mary Lou.

And in the pages of my Southern novels, characters as fun and loving as
this aunt will continue to find their way into the hearts of my readers.
Because, you see, while she thought I was a character, she is one of
the loving, charming inspirations from childhood who continues to
make me smile each time I add one of her characteristics to my stories.

She laughed well, loved abundantly, and served God zealously. And if
angels smile, you can bet they are, as they welcome Aunt Mary Lou.

~ Alice J. (Stubbs) Wisler never strays far from her childhood in Japan
as she writes Southern fiction from her home in Durham, NC. Her novels include Rain Song and How Sweet It Is. Hatteras Girl will make her debut in October.

Radioblog Fun

2010-02-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the privilege to be interviewed on the CFBA
(Christian Fiction Blog Alliance) radioblog with Jill Hart of CWAHM.com and Takiela Bynum of BooksALatte.com.
After they asked me about my novels, they turned the focus to my
online writing course. To hear what I had to say about how writing
through pain helps with healing and health, tune in here and start to
listen by clicking the play button under the heading:
CFBA Radio featuring Christa Allan and Alice Wisler
And after listening, don't forget to sign up for the grief-writing
course that runs from Feb. 22 to March 26. Writing is cheap
therapy! Learn more by visiting my webpage.

Toffee recipe from Down The Cereal Aisle

2010-02-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Down the Cereal is now available for purchase on my website. The cookbook is in memory of children who have died too soon. From the simple to the more complex, Down the Cereal Aisle holds tender food-related stories, recipes, poetry, and tips on how to cope with the loss of a child.

The recipe below is one I make a couple of times a year. With it comes a great memory in the actual cookbook. I'm only placing an abbreviated version of the entry here.

Teresa's Wonderful Toffee

15 graham crackers (2 1/2-inch squares)
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
6 oz. pkg. milk or dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a 13 by 9-inch pan with foil, oiled generously.
Arrange graham crackers in the pan. You might need to break the squares so that they all fit. In a saucepan melt the butter and sugar until the mixture boils. Pour this mixture on top of the graham crackers. Bake for 5 minutes and then remove from oven. Pour the chocolate over the top and spread it evenly. Add the chopped nuts by sprinkling them over the chocolate. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Cut into bars or break into pieces.

Store in refrigerator. Makes 24 bars.

~ From page 70 of Down the Cereal Aisle
In memory of Teresa Wesley Hough, April 25, 1968--October 2, 1993

What February Holds: Novel Giveaway for you!

2010-02-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Friends, readers, and bloggers,

The month of Feburary might be the shortest one in the number of days, but those days trigger many significant feelings for me.

When I was in high school, February was a depressing month, thanks to Valentine's Day and cold weather. I had no one I liked, or else the guy I liked didn't notice me. And the days were bleak in Kobe, Japan.

So when Daniel died on February 2, 1997, I thought, well, at least I never cared much for this month anyway. Now I have even more of a reason to despise February.

Two years ago I talked on the phone for the first time with Carl on February 16th. The next year (last year) we were married in Vegas on the 7th.

This year, I look forward to our anniversary and Valentine's with Carl. My football-lovin' friends think I should be happy that we get to celebrate our one year date on Superbowl Sunday.

But, for you, friends, I want to tie this month up in a huge red bow and offer my novel, How Sweet It Is in a random drawing. Just post something here about why you like or dislike February.

In memory of my sweet Daniel, the winner of this giveaway will also get a copy of my cookbook of memories, Down the Cereal Aisle. And a pack of my one-of-a-kind remembrance cards, Songs from Heaven.

So enter the contest by posting here! Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you, should you be the winner. Enter any time this month. The winner will be announced in March.

Cake recipe from How Sweet It Is

2010-02-04T07:54:00.001-08:00

This winter, warm up your kitchen and taste buds with a delicious
cake. Jonas, the plumber, in the novel How Sweet It Is, loves
this recipe. I hope you will, too.

Jonas’ Favorite White Velvet Cake

4 large egg whites
1 cup of milk
3 teaspoons of vanilla
3 cups of shifted white flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
12 tablespoons of softened butter

Directions:
Mix the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and blend on low. Add the softened butter and rest of the milk. Mix on medium speed, beating for two minutes. Scrape down the sides and continue to beat. Add the egg mixture a little at a time, and mix for thirty seconds after each addition. Pour batter into two greased 9-inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then loosen the sides with a metal spatula. Invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting with butter cream icing.

Reflections on a life well-lived

2010-02-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.
All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. ~Helen Keller

And so, here I am again, approaching yet another anniversary of the death of Daniel Paul Wisler, my son, who left for Heaven on Ground Hog Day, 1997.

And I am grateful that after thirteen years, the anguish leading up to his death date anniversary is gone. I can look at his photo by my computer and smile into his blue eyes and not feel the panic or misery I felt on the first February 2 after his death. I see him with hair--lively and mischievous. I view the professional photo taken of him and his big sister, Rachel, where he had a wet spot on his little vest--my attempt to remove the sticky chewing gum before the photographer snapped the portrait. In another photo, I see his clear eyes, before cancer treatments touched them, and his wide smile at the birth of his baby brother, Benjamin.

Another year and I am older. Although the pain has lessened, and I've learned to cope with being the mother of a deceased son, the love has only grown. I have learned to love my three kids on earth--Rachel (19), Ben (14) and Elizabeth (12) much more. So, my love for Daniel (who would be 17) has increased as well.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of Daniel. His life, so well-lived, and death, has shaped me into what and who I am today. Losing a child is so powerful, considered the worst loss. Of course, it literally restructures your life.

I used to come to Compassionate Friends meetings and look at those tear-stained faces with new losses, like myself. Then I heard the voices of those who were more experienced, having lived through years of grief. Now, I am one of the latter--seasoned in grief, tougher, more resilient.

Yet tears still catch me. Sometimes, even unexpectedly, I will feel my eyes fill. Sometimes the tears come when I see a blond-haired toddler at the mall, or a kid wrapping his arms around his mother at church.

I have missed you for 4,745 days, dear Daniel. And I have loved you during every single one. I toast your life of four years, I sing to your memory, and I carry the love. None of it can be stolen from me. I'm grateful that you are my son and that I am your mother.

Sending a bereavement card to show you care

2010-01-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

Bereavement cards, or more commonly known as sympathy cards, offer comfort and love to those who have had a loved one die. Most people send a card immediately after learning about the death. However, sending a card months later, as well as on a significant day of the year, is also appreciated. Those grieving want to know that you are thinking of them and aware of their loss throughout the year.

Songs from Heaven is one bereavement card you can send, letting the recipient know that you are remembering with them. On the front of the
postcard is a verse, and the back has ample space to write a note. The cards are sold in packs of ten, with white envelopes.

Venture to this website to learn more.

Hatteras Girl

2010-01-27T09:52:00.001-08:00

My third novel, Hatteras Girl, will be released by Bethany House in October. The cover has been completed and I'm excited.

So what is the novel about? Read on.

There are two things that journalist Jackie Donavan dreams about--marriage and owning a bed and breakfast in Nags Head, NC.

But why is the bed and breakfast she desires deteriorating, and why won't her relatives behave so that she can go out with the handsome realtor? Filled with quirky friends and relatives that help and hinder Jackie to and from her goals, Hatteras Girl, is about uncovering the truth while finding the way to your dreams.

Why Writing the Heartache Works

2010-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that I teach and promote writing through sorrow and loss. The ability to release my anguish that bottled inside me each day after my son's death was healing. I took my journal and pen and wrote in between changing diapers (I gave birth to my fourth child three months after Daniel died), making peanut butter sandwiches for my toddler, and walking my oldest to the bus stop for first grade.

One of the books I bought that I highly recommend to the newly-bereaved is Forever Remembered. This small book is filled with cherished messages of hope, love, and comfort from courageous people who have lost a loved one.

The other day one selection jumped out at me, and I thought, "Ah, this is good. I wish everyone realized this!"

Here it is for you to read. It's nice to see that others feel that writing through grief is some of the best therapy there is. Give it a try today.

It was a few months after my grandmother's death that
I was taking a course in creative writing. My teacher suggested
that I record some of my thoughts to help me work through my sadness.
This diary became my memorial to her. Even now I read aloud the pages.
I still laugh and cry about times we shared together.

~Earl A. Grollman

2010-01-15T09:14:00.001-08:00

Alice's Wonderland: Writing from Home

Jill Hart of CWAHM (Christian Work at Home Moms) has posted my latest column at her blog. Gear yourself to write, put excuses aside, and read more at Alice's Wonderland: Writing from Home.

Rain Song reviewed

2010-01-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

It's always a bit like Christmas when an author finds her novel has received a good review. So, head on over to Grace Thorson's blog and read about pineapple chutney, Pretty Fishy, and quirky Southern relatives. That's right; Rain Song!

Memories of a smile

2010-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

There's a pull on my heart today---the kind that won't let go even though I'm enjoying a day that's all about spoiling me---my birthday. The wrapped presents on the kitchen table embrace mystery, and a magnificent chocolate cake made by my son Ben awaits. My two daughters whisper in the next room, and once my husband comes home, the five of us will go out to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Yet, through moments of this day, the bittersweet mixture of pain and joy is evident. There's no denying that this ache stems from years ago when I sat in a hospital room with a little boy. He was the patient, but it was my birthday. The nurses brought in a cake with candles for me. The boy smiled, and wiggled with excitement as the nurses sang. Later he ate two pieces of cake.

Much later, he threw up. Seems chemo and birthday cake do not go well together.

Less than a month after my birthday, I cradled his breathless, bloated body in my arms and wondered how I'd ever live to see tomorrow.

I was not planning to have to live his August birthday without him. Nor mine.

Now, thirteen years later, I'm wrinkled. I might even have gray hair; I don't really know because I color it at least once a month. But the little boy is still four.

Each year on my birthday, his smile warms my heart as I recall the way he sat on his hospital bed, happy because his mommy was being treated to a cake with candles.

Each year I wish I could see that smile for real, and not just in my bin of recycled memories. When my birthday cake is sliced, I want to offer him at least two pieces.

Sweet Daniel, perhaps there's cake in Heaven. Perhaps the angels sing. Once I've wiped the tears from my eyes, I'll listen for your voice among them.

Carrying Memories Into the New Year

2009-12-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

With the church bell’s ringing
the New Year enters
echoing the days of yesteryear.

Memories of happiness
the smiles of our children,
the sunlight within each face.

Who will remember these dear ones
far from our yearning arms?
Who remembers all they were,
the way she danced, the hat he wore?
With the old year gone
will they no longer be known?

We will remember them, each one.
We will hold them in our hearts
as we carry memories into this New Year.

We will allow the memories
to make us laugh, to make us sing.
Their lives will fill the air
as the church bells ring.

~ Alice J. Wisler

Entering the new year with old memories

2009-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas has ended, and the living room still has that unwrapped look. With the festivities now part of future memories, I anticipate the next hurdle----the new year. The TV commercials romanticize champagne toasts illuminated by glowing candles. People start to make resolutions, hopeful that this brand-new unblemished year will be the one that fuels their successes.

For the parent who has lost a child to death, a new year can be daunting. The first New Years' after my son Daniel's death was scary. I wanted to hold onto 1997. Although it was the year he'd lost his battle with cancer and died, it was also the year he'd lived. 1998 would mark the first calendar year without him.

For some reason, the image of an old-fashioned wooden bucket came to me. With this item I heard the word carry. That's it, my newly-bereaved mind said. The key with a new year is to carry the old into it.

So here we are, on the brink of another year, a new decade, with fresh hopes and dreams. A clean slate. There are many things about 2009 I wish to forgive and forget, but I don't want to ever forget my son.

Each year marks a year further from when I last held him, heard his voice, and saw his smile. I yearn to hug him, tell him how much he's grown, and ask him what he'd like for dinner. My heart feels that distinct hollowness and sorrow that belongs to a mother without her child.

But the bucket I have isn't hollow. It is brimming with memories and fondness, warmed with love and laughter; I hold it tightly.

Just as I carried Daniel's four-year-old memories into 1998, now---thirteen years later---I will continue to carry them. And I will do more than just hold them, I'll let them trickle out, forming their own glow, as I share this special boy with my world. "Wasn't it funny when Daniel called adults redults? Do you remember how he gave stickers away in the hospital, and once when bored made a collage out of baby lotion and glitter?"

Daniel lived, he loved, and I believe he continues to live in Heaven.

So, get yourself a sturdy bucket and carry. Boldly carry the memories into the new year. Along the way, give yourself permission to forgive. Let the memories you recall be the brightest ones.

Listen. There is nothing to fear. Listen. Your child's voice can be heard in your heart.

Eleven Tips to Deal with the Holiday Tinsel

2009-12-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

That holiday-pang hit my stomach the first October after Daniel died. Greeting me at an arts and craft shop were gold and silver stockings, a Christmas tree draped with turquoise balls and a wreath of pinecones and red berries. What was this? And was “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” playing as well? It was only October.

I had anticipated that Christmas and the holidays would be tough. In fact, I’d wake on those cold mornings after Daniel died in February and be grateful that it was still months until his August birthday and even more months until Christmas. I dreaded living both without him. I would have preferred to have been steeped in cow manure. At least then I could take a hot bath with sweet smelling bubbles and be rid of the stench. But bereavement isn’t that way. As those who had gone on before let me know, you have to live through it.

Christmas came. I did live through it. It continues to happen as do the other significant days of the calendar year. Daniel never arrives at any of them although his memory lives on. By incorporating him into these days of festivity, I can cope.

Some of you have your child’s birthday and/or anniversary day within the November through January season. These days, in addition to the holidays everyone else is celebrating, make the season even more complicated and painful, I’m sure.

I offer eleven tips I’ve used to survive the holidays. Some are my own suggestions and some are borrowed from the many who walk the path of grief.

1. Know you will survive. Others have done it and you will, too. Keep in mind that your first Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day will not be easy.

2. Find at least one person you can talk to or meet with during the holiday season. Perhaps this person has gone through a few Thanksgivings and Christmases before and can give you some helpful ideas that have worked for her.

3. Things will be different this holiday season and perhaps for all the rest to come. Don’t think you have to do the “traditional” activities of years past when your child was alive. Your energy level is low. If no one in your household minds, skip putting up the tree. Forget spending hours making your holiday cookies.

4. Spend the holidays with those who will let you talk about your child. You will need to have the freedom to say your child’s name and recall memories, if you choose to do so. Your stories about your child are wonderful legacies. Tell them boldly again and again.

5. If going into the mall or stores brings too much pain, shop for gifts online or through mail-order catalogs. Thinking everyone is happily shopping at the malls with intact lives while your heart is crushed is terribly tough. Go easy on yourself.

6. Getting away from the house is an idea that worked for my family. The first Christmas without Daniel we went to a nearby town and lived in the Embassy Suites. The kids enjoyed the indoor pool and breakfast buffets. Christmases that followed were spent at a rented cottage on the shore and the Christmas we rented the beach house, we were able to invite extended family to join us. We all shared in the cooking.

7. Create something to give to those who have helped you throughout the year. I made some very simple tree ornaments with “In Memory of Daniel” stamped on them and gave them to friends that first Christmas.

8. Decorate the grave. Put up a plastic Christmas tree with lights. Sometimes being busy with decorating the grave gives a feeling of doing something for a child we can no longer hold.

9. Do something in memory of your child. Donate to a charity or fund in his memory. Volunteer. My oldest daughter Rachel and I volunteer at the Hospice Tree of Remembrance each December and share memories of Daniel as we spend this time together.

10. If your bereavement support group has a special candle-lighting service to remember the children in your area who have died, attend it. Doing something in memory of your child with others who understand the pain these holidays hold can be therapeutic.

11. Spend time reflecting on what the season is about. Everyone around you may be frantic with attending parties, services, shopping and visiting relatives. Perhaps you used to be the same way. Now you may want to avoid some of the festivities. Give yourself permission to excuse yourself from them. Light a candle in your favorite scent. Record some thoughts in a journal. This is great therapy, too.

One day you will wake up and it will be January 2. The holidays will have ended. You will have made it. If you are like me, you will find that surviving the tinsel has made you stronger and although you may cry, somewhere within you, you will feel that core of new steel.

Reviews of Rain Song & How Sweet It Is

2009-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Rain song / Alice J. Wisler. LCCN 2008028123. Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany
House, 2008.
PAP 0764204777, 9780764204777, $13.99
Fic 295 p. ; 22 cm.
Adult Rating: 4
Rain Song, the debut novel of Alice J. Wisler, offers a charming plot that is partially a mystery with overtones of a romance. The story centers on Nicole, who lives a solitary life which is focused around her interactions with her quirky southern relatives and caring for her aquarium of fish. Her life is filled with teaching middle school English and periodically writing an on-line column for Pretty Fishy. It is through her column that she becomes acquainted with Harrison who lives in Japan and owns a koi pond. Nicole has strong ties with Japan, having been born there to missionary parents; however, her mother tragically died there when Nicole was but a toddler. Nicole vows she will not return to the land of her birth, no matter that her correspondence with Harrison reveals he knew her as a child. Nicole begins to waver as the mystery of her mother’s death begins to unravel, and she tries to overcome her apprehensions of flying and returning to her birthplace.

Wisler’s style is captivating. The story unfolds as a soliloquy of sorts, as Nicole goes through life. Set in North Carolina, readers enjoy the cast of distinctive relatives, ranging from the matriarch Ducee to the wild child Monet. Each character adds to the story in such a way that the eccentricities add and not distract. Amid life’s emergencies such as an ailing grandmother and a cousin’s failing marriage there is quibbling over serving cucumber sandwiches at the family reunion luncheon and the need to make and provide pineapple chutney for all occasions. The heartbeat of the story is pineapple chutney, and the old family recipe is provided. Tender spiritual truths are present, mainly those dwelling on the strength of faith, even if it is just a seed. Gently-paced, this story was surprisingly a page-turner.
Pam Webb
From Christian Library Journal, August 2009

How sweet it is / Alice J. Wisler. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2009. LCCN 2009004739
PAP: 0764204785, 9780764204784, $13.99
Fic 309 p. ; 22 cm.
Adult Rating: 4
Alice Wisler provides another likable heroine in her second novel, How Sweet It Is. Deena Livingston had been planning her wedding until her car accident. The accident left her with serious scars, both emotional and physical. In order to start over she leaves her comfortable job as a pastry chef at an upscale restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, and moves into her grandfather’s North Carolina mountain cabin. The cabin and all its belongings will become hers, after she fulfills the will’s stipulation that she teach cooking at an after-school center. Upon arrival Deena is embraced by her flamboyant Aunt Regena Lorraine, who helps Deena move into her beloved father’s cabin. As Deena adjusts to her new life she realizes she is not the only one who carries scars. With the help of an Eagles-lyric spouting plumber, surly middle-schoolers, and the charming social worker, Deena decides life can once again become sweet.

Wisler’s first novel Rain Song showcased her ability for providing readers with an absorbing plot laced with a cast of memorable characters. Her second offering builds upon this talent, making the reader eager for her next novel. Her plot devices and character interactions breathe life into the Christian fiction genre. The only real holdback is the cover, which is embarrassingly saccharin in design. The content is definitely solid, and Wisler is a welcome addition in those writers who offer spiritual truths wrapped up in believable, contemporary settings.
Pam Webb
From Christian Library Journal, October-December 2009

Alice's Wonderland

2009-11-17T10:14:00.001-08:00

Take a moment to check out my new column about writing from home, Alice's Wonderland: Writing from Home at Jill Hart's Christian Work at Home Moms website. At the end of my post, I ask readers to send me their reasons for not diving into their writing dreams. Take a moment to send me yours. But read the article first!

Rain Song: Interview & Chance to Win

2009-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Another opportunity to win an autographed copy of Rain Song! Simply read the author interview at this blog, and toss in your comments. It is that easy!

Novel Giveaway

2009-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

Want a copy of Rain Song or How Sweet It Is? Then, follow these simple rules for the Win by Joining Contest for a novel giveaway!

Contest Rules:
1. The contest runs from November 13 till November 30.
2. During that time, if you haven't already, join the Alice J. Wisler Fan Club on Facebook. (Scroll down to click on the FB badge to the left of this page.)
3. Once you've joined, submit your name for the drawing by
answering the following question: How do you get away from it all?
What do you do to relax, have fun, or take a break from your daily routine? Submit your entry by posting below here (include an email address)or on Facebook at the Alice J. Wisler Fan Club page.
4. In December, those who have entered the contest, will have
their name placed in a drawing and one will be selected to win!
5. The prize is either an autographed copy of Rain Song or an autographed copy of How Sweet It Is.

TalkRadioBlog Tonight!

2009-11-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Join me, and host Sarah, at 9:40 PM tonight, November 10th, for Sisters on Assignment where we'll be discussing my second novel, How Sweet It Is.

Thanks to all who entered!

2009-11-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Name Contest to name characters for my fourth novel has ended, and I was grateful to all 38 who entered! The winners are:
Sarah P. for the handsome American from Winston Salem, Carson
Shelly E. for the half Vietnamese, half American girl (Amerasian), Lien
and Carly K. for the aunt in Winston Salem who raises butterflies, Dovie

Thanks, to all who played this contest for my fourth novel. You will be acknowledged in the back of the book when the book comes out in 2011. Also, copies of Rain Song and How Sweet It Is (your choice) will be sent to you soon.

A Cup of Coffee

2009-10-28T07:04:00.001-07:00

October, for me, will always be radiation month. My son Daniel was diagnosed with cancer in May, and by the fall, he was scheduled for radiation treatments every morning. For two weeks, after putting my six-year-old daughter on the school bus, my sons and I would make the trek to UNC-Hospital. After unbuckling both four-year-old Daniel and eleven-month-old Benjamin from their car seats, I would put Benjamin in a stroller. The three of us would enter the clinic. As we sat in the lobby, waiting for Daniel's turn for the tumor on his neck to be radiated, coffee in a Styrofoam cup, would be handed to me. I'd thank the hospital worker, an elderly man, and sip the hot beverage.

Soon Daniel would be called and taken into the small room for his treatment. Ben, usually content with a toy, and I'd wait in the lobby where I'd pray for all to go well. I also spent time thinking about buying winter clothes for Daniel; he'd outgrown all of his pants, and his next chemo treatments. I sometimes gave a little thought to my pregnancy; I was due in May.

While my thoughts during those chilly mornings changed, the coffee never did. Faithfully, each morning, the worker presented me with a cup. His name was Lawrence, although his name tag said Larry.

Daniel did get winter clothes, and a baby sister. But he never saw his sister as he died three months before her birth.

Now on October mornings, I think of that time at the clinic. Thirteen years later, I still remember the cups of coffee. I look back on that woman of thirty-five, pregnant, with a first grader, a toddler, and a cancer patient. I wonder how she coped. I do know that the kindness of a man who was once a stranger, continues to warm her spirit. He must have seen her coming that first day, fumbling with the front door, hair still damp from her hurried shower, and knew he had to help her in any way he could.

You never know how meaningful your acts of concern---even the simple ones---can be to someone. At the time you perform them, and, many years later.

Name Contest

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you like to participate in a name those characters contest?
Here's your chance.

What I need for my fourth novel, set in North Carolina, are the following names:

1. Name for a 15-year-old girl who is half Vietnamese and half American
2. Name for a handsome 28-year-old American man from NC
3. Name for a 65-year-old aunt who raises butterflies in Winston Salem, NC

What to do? Simply send your suggestions to info@alicewisler.com by October 30th.

If your suggested name is chosen for the book, (right now the novel is tentatively titled A Wedding Invitation), you can choose your prize. Winners will receive
either a copy of:
Rain Song
or a copy of:
How Sweet It Is.

Winners will be notified by November 5.
Happy creating!

Rain Song in Canada

2009-10-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

What fun it was to be on CHRI Radio in Canada yesterday!
Hear the whole broadcast by clicking on this link.

Thanks to Salem Storehouse in Ottawa for offering Rain Song at a discount this week.

Down the Cereal Aisle

2009-10-14T08:04:00.001-07:00

Down the Cereal Aisle is not your ordinary cookbook. This book is a tribute to children who have died much too soon. Their loved ones have sent in recipes and memories so that all of us can now enjoy the treats these precious kids once enjoyed. Learn to make Amy's fruit cobbler and Ethan's frog-eyed salad.

The book also holds poetry as well as tips on parental bereavement. Get a copy today! Special offer from October 14 to October 31 is this:
Pay only for shipping/handling. (Down the Cereal Aisle retails for $12.95)
Send $4.00 checks to the address below:
Daniel's House Publications
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

Blog Tour: A Taste of Fame serves up fun, romance, and delectable food!

2009-09-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

With a whimsical flair, co-authors Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson have written A Taste of Fame, a story that takes the reader into reality TV and cooking. What could be more fun than that? The six Potluck Catering Club women of Colorado are on their way to New York City to be contestants in The Great Party Showdown. Their adventures and challenges in the big city, as well as their ties to friendship, make for an easy, comical, and tasty read.

With recipes at the back of the novel, readers can cook up sweet potato fries or easy banana cream pie and eat while enjoying the flawed and feisty characters. My favorite one is Lisa Leanne, the president of the catering club, a woman struggling in her marriage and yet, determined to make it work.

The Potluck Club Cookbook

The Potluck Club Cookbook, also by Shepherd and Everson, accompanies A Taste of Fame in a rich way. The cookbook holds some wonderful treats, including one of the best desserts ever created--Grandmother's Coconut Chess Pie. In addition, there are plenty of recipes for appetizers, main dishes, soups, and salads. The stories that are inserted in the pages make this book a legacy of past family cooks.

A Taste of Fame, as well as The Potluck Club Cookbook, are available September 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

How Sweet It Is Novel Dessert Decorating Party

2009-09-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Dessert Decorating Party held at my home on Saturday, the 12th of September, was so much fun. We filled chocolate tarts and mini-fillo shells with whipped cream, walnuts, berry crisp, brownies, custard, chocolate, peaches, kiwi slices, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate pudding, and icing. And then . . . we ate!

Woman to Woman

2009-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

It is always a treat to find yourself online where you least expect it. Thank you to Woman to Woman website for listing my novel, How Sweet It Is, as your October 2009 pick. Discussion questions are even included from the back of the novel. I'm impressed!

Blog Tour for Fools Rush In

2009-09-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

In this delightful tale, Fools Rush In, author Janice Thompson has combined the state of Texas with the country of Italy--two cultures that manage to provide humorous entertainment for those eager for a light and fun read.

Taking on the responsibility of the family's wedding-planning business, twenty-nine-year-old Bella Rossi, is determined to make her Italian-residing-in-Texas family proud of her. She jumps at the idea of holding themed weddings, the first one starring cowboy boots. Along comes D. J. to provide the music, and more fun than she ever imagined, as he captures her heart with his charm and good looks.

Yet, D. J. and his Southern family are clearly different from Bella, causing her uncertainty. In steps Aunt Rosa to let Bella know that different isn't bad and following one's heart is important.

Skillfully written, with a playful narrative and a host of quirky family members, Fools Rush In is a romantic comedy that makes reading an adventure. I particularly liked Twila's beauty secrets (I'll never look at a bottle of Pepto-Bismol without being able to wonder how it would feel against my skin).

Fools Rush In is the first in a three-book Weddings By Bella series.

September Reminds Us

2009-09-09T12:05:00.001-07:00

When September rolls around, I look like any other haggled parent standing in the checkout with three kids. The shopping cart is filled with packs of pencils, note paper, crayons, markers, and tissues.

"Why do we need to buy tissues for school?" my kindergartener asked last year.

I pictured a whole class of five-year-olds with runny noses and was tempted to reply, "So kids won't use their sleeves." But I chose the logical, "For when your nose is runny."

My neighbor claimed it would be a busy year when she found out I'd have one in kindergarten, one in first grade and one in middle school. But not busy enough, I thought, and again resisted the urge to let her know that I was wondering what my fifth-grader would be needing for school this year.

My fifth-grader, Daniel, never passed fourth grade. Or third, or even first. He didn't get a school supply list. Instead he got a kit from the hospital with syringes and bandages, all highly sterile.

On Memorial Day Weekend, 1996, Daniel was three and diagnosed with neuroblastoma. After eight months of treatments, surgeries, prayers and hope, this bald-headed kid, who acknowledged he was a “Brave Cookie,” was ready to be a cancer survivor. But a staph infection entered his weakened body and we had to kiss him good-bye.

September—now meaning for me, not only back to school, but Childhood Cancer Awareness Month— has rolled around again and as I stand in line with my kids, I know why the supply lists include tissues.

Just the other day while joining other parents and children in the “shopping for school supplies frenzy,” a woman noticed the gold ribbon pinned to my T-shirt. “What’s gold for?” she asked. “I know that pink is for breast cancer.”

“Children,” I said.

Her puzzled look caused me to further explain. “Gold because our children are golden to us.”

I half expected her to show shock or horror, being one of the thousands who refuses to believe that cancer is the number one illness among children. Another person who has no idea that each year one in every 330 kids will be diagnosed with cancer before age 19.

I was ready for her to walk away from me down the aisle. Why should today be any different? Instead, she mouthed the words, “Did a child of yours . . . ?”

“Yes,” I said, avoiding her look as I grabbed a Curious George notebook. “A son who would be ten now. He died.” He loved Curious George; we'd read it ofen in the hospital.

When I did manage to catch her gaze, her eyes showed tears. They were blue, like my son's.

Then this woman—a stranger—touched my arm. “I am so sorry.” She smiled at my other three children. “They are beautiful. I’m sure your son was, too.”

I nodded, wiped my nose, and thanked her.

If you happen to see a mother wearing a gold ribbon on her shirt—the symbol of childhood cancer awareness—don't be afraid. Ask about the ribbon. The opportunity to talk will help with her healing, and might even give you new wisdom. Most likely, the mother will cry. Feel free to hand her a tissue. Although she has done it before, she probably shouldn't be using her sleeve.

(Borrowed from a piece written by Alice J. Wisler in 2002 and dedicated to all mothers who have to kiss their bald-headed kids "good-bye.")

Jill & Diana's new book!

2009-09-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Home-based businesses are estimated to be a $427 billion-a-year industry. In recent studies it was found that as many as 105 million people in North America alone were working at home. Considering this information, it is obvious that home-based businesses can be successful and authors Jill Hart and Diana Ennen will help you succeed with your own.

So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom details all the basics of starting a business in a spiritual, motivational, and comprehensive manner. From deciding what type of business to start to keeping your family and faith first, this helpful tool details every aspect of establishing a business. With proven success tips utilized by the authors and others who own work-at-home businesses, this inspiration approach will provide you with the resources you need to start your own home-based business.

So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom includes:
* Detailed information on types of businesses to start
* Ideas and assistance for setting up, operating, and marketing your business
* Definitions and descriptions of work-at-home terminology and processes
* Help for developing your Website
* Explanations of the business nuts and bolts, including bookkeeping, taxes, and more

About the Authors
JILL HART is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. Jill has published many articles and is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed. She holds a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies. Learn more about working from home at http://www.cwahm.com/work-at-home/ .

DIANA ENNEN has been a leader and mentor in the work-at-home industry since starting her business, Virtual Word Publishing, in 1985. She is the author of many books, including Virtual Assistant the Series; Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and Words from Home: Start, Run, and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She resides in Margate, Florida, with her husband and their three children.

Below is an interview with the authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom – Jill & Diana.

If
have questions they are happy to answer your questions anytime. Leave a comment below or email Jill@cwahm.com or Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com

How long have you been working at home?

Jill Hart - I've been working at home since 2000. I had to go back to work full-time for a brief period in 2003 when my husband got out of the Air Force. At that point I got even more serious about making my business work and I've been home full-time since then.

Diana Ennen – I’ve been working at home since 1985, when my son was born. He’s now graduated college and already working towards his own career. I absolutely love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

What types of businesses do you operate?

Jill Hart – I run Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com, a website full of free resources, job listings and information about home businesses. I also write articles and books (yes, more books to come!) and am a blogger for sites like Time/Warner's Christian Momlogic.com and a member of the Guideposts blogger team

Diana Ennen– I’m the President of Virtual Word Publishing. I’m a virtual assistant and specialize in marketing & publicity. I’ve also written numerous books on how to start a VA business and offer PR and VA Coaching.

Tell us about your book? How do you think it can benefit those who want to start a business?

Jill Hart - The book has been such a "God thing." He orchestrated the entire sequence of events - from putting Diana and I together as co-authors to bringing us to the right publisher. The book is a hands-on practical guide for anyone who wants to build a business from home. We cover topics ranging from how to select the right type of business for you, to how to get started, to how to market and grow your business.

Diana Ennen - I think one of the best features of our book is that it’s not only informative, but motivational as well. You’ll feel like friends are helping you on your journey to success. Also, we discuss numerous types of businesses to start and provide proven methods to achieve success. We also often hear how starting a business can be so overwhelming. That’s why we pay special attention to all the how tos. We feel very confident our book will help, not only those starting a business, but those already in business wanting to expand it.

What types of businesses are featured in your book?

Jill Hart - We have such a great range of contributors - everything from direct sales companies like Southern Living at Home and Avon to unique product-driven businesses like BSM Media and GrillCharms. These woman are amazing and give readers a great insight into how they've grown their businesses in very different ways.

Diana Ennen - We cover everything from direct sales companies to specialized areas such as medical transcription and virtual assisting. Also, Jill shares detailed information on starting a community based membership site. We think you’ll get a lot of helpful tips too from such work-at-home powerhouses as Maria Bailey and Lesley Spencer Pyle.

Do you have any tips for success for Christian entrepreneurs that you’d like to share?

Jill Hart - I think my favorite tip - shared with me by one of our contributors, Tammy Degenhart, almost ten years ago is that working together benefits everyone. She told me, "Jill, what you give to others God brings back tenfold" and I've seen that hold true time and time again. It may not be in financial gains and it may not look like what we expected but God is so faithful in that when we work together there is no competition - it's a win-win situation.

Diana Ennen - Do what you believe in and use your own skills and prior experience to find the business that’s just right for you. Research/Research/Research. The more you research, the better your business. Continue to market and be out there. So many once they find a few clients stop marketing. You need to get out there continually. You then become the go to person when someone needs services or products that you offer.

What are some of the challenges that you see with those starting or operating a business?

Jill Hart – In my experience, I've talked with many women who get frustrated because success doesn't come easily or quickly. Working from home may sound easy, but in reality it can actually be just as hard as working outside the home. There are many unique challenges, especially when working at home while raising children. If women don't prepare themselves, they can become discouraged and disheartened.

Diana Ennen– One of the major challenges I see is losing belief in yourself that you can do it. That’s why I think a faith-based book will be so beneficial. Even when times get tough, you can rely on your faith to forge ahead.

With the economy, do you believe it’s still a good time to start a business? Why?

Jill Hart – I think it's a better time than ever. The internet is so much more widely used than it was even nine years ago when I began my website. If people do their research and find a company that fits them as well as their budget this can be a great time to break into the work-at-home field.

Diana Ennen – Absolutely. In fact, I think there’s never been a better time. You might have to work a little harder, but it absolutely can be done. Plus, there are so many businesses who need us more than ever because of the economy. For example, with virtual assistants because businesses are downsizing they are seeking the help of a VA to help on an as needed basis.

Your book is written from a Christian perspective? Tell us a little about that and how you feel that makes it so unique?

Jill Hart – My faith is central to who I am and therefore central to my business. I began Christian Work at Home Moms because I wanted women to have a safe place where they could discuss not only business things, but also talk about an area that doesn't get talked about a lot in business circles - how our faith affects our businesses. The book is written in a way that doesn't hit anyone over the head with our faith, but it's true to who we are and talks about things from the vantage point that we see life - through the lens of our faith.

Diana Ennen – There are so many books out there today on starting a business. However, few have the Christian mom in mind. We provide a lot of scriptures and examples of how you can use your faith to help you. Our hope is that not only will your business thrive, but it might just give a little boost to your faith as well.

Learn more about the book at Beacon Hill Press or SoYouWantToBeAWAHM.com.

The BMW and the interview

2009-08-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Along with learning about how I got my literary agent and two-book deal, listen to the interview today at I Just Finished and hear how distracted I became at the end. Husbands should not come home with a 2009 BMW for parents to test-drive in the middle of a radio blog interview!

Broadcast of Promoting Your Books

2009-08-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be talking with Jill Hart on her Christian Work At Home Moms (CWAHM) program. To listen to the show and get some tips on how to promote your books, head over to this page at 10 AM CST / 11 AM EST on August 27th. You might even learn something!

Here we are again . . .

2009-08-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding down and everyone is busy with school starting. Walmart's aisles are filled with overwhelmed parents and active children as pens, notebooks, and markers are tossed into shopping carts.

I wish I had a seventeen-year-old, wanting an over-priced binder and new clothes to wear to school. I wish that I had one more kid to send off in the mornings. One more child to ask each afternoon, "What happened at school today ?" so that I could hear him say, "Nothing."

Daniel would be seventeen tomorrow, starting his senior year of high school.

Instead of wishing him a good day, I will visit the grave and brush the twigs off of his headstone. Instead of buying him an iPod or a new cell phone, I'll purchase colorful helium balloons to send off into the blue sky.

On the attached note, I'll write as I have every year, Miss you, Daniel. So happy that you came into my life. I love you always. ~Mommy.

I wish I had a seventeen-year-old to sing Happy Birthday to.

Instead, it will be another birthday without him.

Seems after thirteen years of watching balloons lift into the summer air, I would be calloused and used to this. But every birthday, it breaks another piece of my heart.

The Daniel Journal

2009-07-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

I embraced it; I loathed it. It was a cloth bound book with blue and red swirled flowers on the cover. Inside were the raw words from my heart and soul.

Once it was filled with crisp, lined pages. That was the day it was gifted to me by my three-year-old son Daniel's oncology nurse. That day it was just a pretty journal. Daniel smiled as I thanked this nurse for her thoughtful present.

Months later, this object contained sentences no one wants to ever write.

Never far from me, I lived for moments when I could take respite from my days to visit with this book. No longer clean and white, it was stained with tears, full of questions, anger, agony, and sorrow.

I'd kept a plaid-covered journal when Daniel was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. That was a journal where hope lined the pages because I was certain that with faith and prayers, chemo, surgeries, and radiation, my son would be cured of his aggressive tumor.

After Daniel's funeral, I knew that the blue and red journal would never hold hope. Life, as I knew it and wanted, had ended. With Daniel gone, I only wanted the floor to open up and swallow me, taking me away from pain and misery.

The floor never opened. But the journal was there every day, allowing me to deposit whatever I needed onto the numerous pages. I wrote under a weeping willow tree at a local park, at a secluded booth in my favorite coffee shop, at stop lights. I wrote when I was frustrated with those who didn't care about my brokenness, and when a stranger sent a card to comfort me.

When the pages ran out, I purchased another journal, and then another. I never expected one journal to be able to contain the entire volumes of my heartache.

My journals of the early years after Daniel's passing sit in a bag in my closet now. I know that at anytime I could open one, and read. Yet, I don't. Although much stronger now, thanks to my journal-writing, I still don't want to face that woman who didn't want to live.

The blue and red journal is more than a journal. This gift I received became a gift to myself and my sanity whenever I opened it to release parts of my torn heart.

While I often hated having a reason to have to write in it, I will always be grateful that it was there for me---never judgmental, never belittling, never preachy. Writing made me a believer that putting pen to paper is one of the best resources we have as humans for healing.

Because as I wrote, this journal provided me with something I didn't think it ever could or would. Hope.