Why I Chose "To Speak" As My Poetry Book Title

 My book needed a title that fit its heartbeat.

I first loved “Once Upon a Garden, Green and Gold.”
That poem won an award.
It felt lush, peaceful, safe.

But as I sorted the manuscript, another thread appeared.

Poetry and Grace

Again and again, the poems whispered, “Stand. Speak. Act.”
They talked about courage, even in small rooms.
They named fear, then stepped past it.

I thought of my own journey.

It Takes Courage to Write

Sharing poems in class.
Publishing despite trembling hands.
Facing silence, doubt, rejection.
Each step required voice and bravery.

So I chose the poem “To Speak.”

Two words.
Simple.
Direct.
A challenge and an invitation.

The subtitle carries the rest:
Poems of Inspired Courage, Wild Grace, and Sacred Ordinary.

Gardens still bloom in those lines.
Grace still flows.
Ordinary moments still glow gold.

But the core is clear:
We speak because grace first spoke to us.
We create because courage keeps calling.

Thank you for joining that call.
May these poems help you speak, too.

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An Interview with Miss Jack and Celebrate the Small Things

I'm excited to be interviewing the one and only, However Improbable, Miss Jack Lewis Baillot:

Miss Jack Lewis Baillot is the author of the Steampunk adventure book, Haphazardly Implausible as well as the other three in this series. She has also written many other books which she hopes to publish someday.

She's also a fellow Sherlock and Psych fan, as well as a well-read fantasy reader, and usually has awesome quotes in every post at her blog. (Oh, and once in a comment section she gave a nod to my crazy idea that Psych is a very Americanized type of Sherlock (Shawn=Sherlock, Gus=Watson, Lassiter=Donovan or Lestrade, Julia=romantic Lestrade?) Anyway, on with the real interview:

Tyrean: What part of writing do you love the best - the daydream/prewrite stage, the first draft, the revision, the final publishing stage?

Jack: All of it. I have ups and downs with the editing but even it has enjoyable aspects to it.

I guess though, out of the all, I like writing the first draft the best. Sitting about, thinking up the new plot, and then writing it down in a mad dash. First drafts are wild and reckless and anything can happen in them – and some of those things cause me to cringe later – but it is still fun.

 

Tyrean: How much has the original Jack Lewis inspired your writing?

 

Jack: Considering the fact I didn't even know of him until the new The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe movie came out...a lot.

He has inspired me not only by his writing but his life. For one, he would answer every letter he got from his readers. He understood children and the need for them to use their imaginations. And he kept writing even when one of his closest friends told him his books were going to flop. He is an Author I greatly admire.

 

Tyrean: Do you have a favorite book by him?

 

Jack: Well...the only thing I've ever read by him is the Narnia series. I would read his space series but I cannot find the first one anywhere. So...the Narnia series. And out of that series I think...well, it is a tie between The Silver Chair and The Horse and His Boy. Those are wonderful stories and I adore Puddleglum.(Me too)

 

Tyrean: What's your favorite quote from C.S. Lewis?

 

Jack: Friendship is born from that moment when you say, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.” (And I've found this to be a very true quote.)

 

Tyrean: What's your favorite part of Haphazardly Implausible?

 

Jack: The characters, though I have also become very fond of the airship.

I've written many books, but these characters have become some of my favourites. They surprised me every chance they got, they pulled me along on some wild adventure I never dreamed I would go on, and they showed me that by the end of the series I didn't know them as well as an Author should know her characters. (In fact, very often they would do exactly what I would tell them NOT to do, just to keep me guessing.)

 

Tyrean:  And do you have a favorite quote from your book?

 

Jack: As odd as this sounds, aye, I do. This quote wasn't planned, it just kind of happened, and I think it captures one of the characters, Darcy, very well.

“I guess you're going to stay with us for awhile. Something about my stupid brother promising to keep you alive. Personally, I would have just fed you to the dogs.”

 

Tyrean: What's your next book planned?

Jack: A Stretch of Loyalty, because things got a little behind with book two.

The Loyalty book is one I wrote during NaNo a couple of years ago and was written before I discovered Steampunk so it will have none of those elements in it. It is more of a fantasy book, filled with somewhat evil princes, an elf with a sense of humor, grumpy dwarves, a one handed hermit, and a lot of running. And snow...

 

Thank you Jack, for visiting with me, and sharing some of your favorite quotes, and your writing! Check out Miss Jack at her blog However Improbable and learn more about her book Haphazardly Implausible while there.

 

 

Celebrate the Small Things is an awesome exercise in positivity from Viklit. We're encouraged to celebrate anything, whether it's getting the laundry done, or getting a sentence on the page.

 

1. I had only one day of feeling miserably (pickaxe pain in the head and throat) sick. I made myself rest. (Actually my kids said I stumbled around barely speaking and grading their math homework before falling back into bed) And thanks to that rest, I started getting better (no more pickaxe pain, just sniffly, achy, manageable stuff).

 

2. Somehow I made my best onion beef soup ever while sick. My kids said I leaned against the stove and stirred for 40 minutes and they weren't sure I was awake. Maybe that's the trick to good cooking . . . dozing half-asleep while stirring.

 

3. Homeschool lessons actually got done this week, and a creativity issue in writing was resolved. (It was a formal, reality based, descriptive writing assignment that took an unexpected creative twist. I finally said, fine, take that starter paragraph and write a full story. And I want it on my desk in 5-7 days - yes, I'm a tough mommy sometimes)

 

4. Before I felt seriously sick, I got the courage up to do three things: I asked the local library if they would stock my book, I asked my homeschool co-op if I could do a book signing there, and I asked a local bookstore if they would stock my book. They all said . . .wait for it . . .as I did, with my blood pounding in my ears feeling slightly light-headed . . .yes! The librarian and the independent bookstore owner then proceeded to give me a huge amount of advice and information that I'm still taking in, and feeling a bit foolish for not knowing already (although they were totally nice about it and very positive - it's me feeling like I should have known all that already).

 

5. I got a tiny amount of outlining/creative brainstorming/craziness done for my second draft of Champion in Flight. (the first draft is filled with pen marks and notations)

 

6. Two loads of laundry got done, and some of the dishes are clean. (otherwise the house is seriously messy - because I've been sick, I think)

 

 

What are you celebrating this week? And do you know Jack? If you haven't, go meet her - she rocks! (Also, have you ever wondered about a deep, undercover connection between Sherlock Holmes and Psych?)

C is for Courage, and 365 Days of Blessings Day 309

C is for C-C-C-Courage!

When I hear the word courage, it is inevitably linked with the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz movie. He attempts to scare Dorothy, the Tinman, and the Scarecrow in the forest, but he is really scared of them. He wants courage so he can be the King of the Forest. So he joins them on their quest, and finds courage in himself. The Badge of Courage he gets at the end of the movie is really a celebration that he has found his courage while adventuring with Dorothy, finding the courage to help Dorothy and his friends. To see the Cowardly Lion as he struggles with his courage, check out this link: Cowardly Lion meeting the Wizard of Oz

However, another Lion I think of when I hear the word Courage, is the Lion of Judah. Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of OT prophecies, was the Lion of Judah. His unexpected submission to the cross still amazes the world today, but yet, it took courage for him to decide in the Garden of Gethsename, "Thy will be done." He gave himself for each one of us, a Lion turned into a willing Lamb of God.

Courage:
–noun
the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

—Idiom
2. have the courage of one's convictions, to act in accordance with one's beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.

For today's 10 Blessings, I'm picking 10 out of the many real life characters, and fictional characters who stand out to me at this moment for having courage:

1. The apostle Paul, found in the Bible.

2. The missionaries of today who live in many countries around the world. Today, I'm especially thinking of the Kraft Family in South America. Each person in their family from age 7 to age 40ish acts and lives in a missionary.

3. Stephen, in the book of Acts.

4. My dad, who has lived life fully even with a lifelong disability.

5. My mom, and she knows why.

And in fiction

6. Creel, in Dragon Slippers.

7. Bilbo, in The Hobbit.

8. Ender, in Ender's Game.

9. Lucy, in Prince Caspian.

10. Marcus, in the Farworld series.


Scripture Blessings:

"Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" Matthew 26:42