Peering Through Life's Window

STAINED GLASS ART BY CAROLYN BOYER Ah, the tangled webs we weave Right, Copper cross, geode, stained glass Connecting art and faith began for me in the 70’s as I linked new theological insights regarding women in biblical history and interpretation with the work of two contemporary women artists, Judy Chicago and Sister Corita Kent. At that time I embraced the women’s movement and the feminism which espoused equality and inclusion in secular and religious life. I still do. As inclusive language became the norm in public life, I longed for the church to utilize it in worship and conversation including references to the feminine imagery for God found in the Bible. I became acutely aware that visual images and words, read and spoken, influence self image and behavior and inform an understanding of the world and faith. Left: Now we see in a mirror dimly... The works and words of artists Judy Chicago and Sister Corita Kent profoundly influenced me as a woman and an artist. Viewing Chicago’...

AND THE WINNER IS...... DANIELLE CONGRATULATIONS, DANIELLE It’s great to have K. Dawn Byrd, author of Killing Time. She'll be giving away a mouse pad with the image of her book cover on it. To enter to win leave a comment with your email address (U.S. residents only). I'll select a winner on November 3rd! First, tell us how your story originated. 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. What a worthwhile job! Tell us about your journey from idea to publication. This book didn't go through rejections because I never sent it out. I did enter it in some contests in order to get feedback. It finaled in the Duel on the Delta last year. An agent took a look at it and said that she really l...

I carried the blue canvas stadium chair to the beach and planted it in the deep, white sand. A baby lizard lay in the seat. My husband, Rick, flipped it out with his hand and turned around to set up his chair. Tail and all, the tiny creature measured only one to one-and-a-half inches. Trying to move, it writhed in the grained earth. Bright sunshine lit up the fall day, but the shore felt chilly to my bare feet. He must be cold. I stared at the lizard. His little arms and legs so thin; his fingers, like short pieces of thread, wiggled frantically. “Now you’ve done it.” Rick sat down. “He can’t travel on the beach,” I said. Rick stood. Using his foot, he scooped up a large amount of sand with the lizard atop it. He took several steps, and the sand filtered to the ground, so he flicked off the lizard and repeated the process. At first the little reptile squirmed as though he tried to escape. But after a while he lay very still while Rick picked him up and moved him. At last Rick reached ...

Football is on television tonight. Once right after we married my husband, Rick, turned on the T V at 2:00 a.m., to watch two high school teams I’d never heard of. I’m not sure everyone is that huge of a fan, but college games bring out fierce loyalties among their alumnae, and followers of professional football will often travel hundreds of miles to support their favorite teams. During the first five years of our marriage we had season tickets to a college team on Saturday and a professional team on Sunday. I grew to appreciate the skilled players and the execution of well designed plays. I still abhor those who must commit a flagrant foul with the intent of injuring a talented player to gain an advantage. But, desperate behavior shows up in all walks of life. In many ways a football game with its set-backs, momentary glories and determined players resembles a snip-it of life. Possibly, that’s what fuels the sadness over a loss and the ecstasy of a win. When our team wins, we feel tha...

What fun we've had celebrating with Linda! Be sure to stop by her blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com and check out the give away.

Linda Weaver Clark tells us about her journey from romance to mystery writer and talks about Anasazi Intrigue and Mayan Intrigue, the first two books of the adventure series about John and Julia Evans. To enter to win a copy of a book click on the link below to Linda's blog. Romance VS Mystery! I have written five historical romance novels but have changed to mystery. The writing process between romance and mystery is quite a change with a completely different mind set. It's so different from telling a love story. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write, you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader feel excited that one day they're going to hit it off and fall in love. You, as the reader, know what the outcome will be. But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one knows about until the end of ...

Thanks to all who stopped by to read about Anita and Irene's wonderful new book! The winner is...drum roll...Miss Kallie!