A New Year

Finally, 2023 is over. It’s been a difficult year for many people, myself included. As you may have noticed (or forgotten about me) I have not updated this site since the summer of 2022. That is how long it has felt like my life has been in chaos. Alas…I shall fret no more. I am learning to live in and love the chaos. Isn’t that the best any of us can really do in this life?

You may be wondering what I’ve been doing for a year and a half? Did I trek off to some remote part of the world with no technology? While that does sound intriguing, that is not the case. The biggest part of my time was spent writing and publishing A NEW BOOK!!!! I am so excited to tell you about it because it is a wonderful addition to your bag of productivity tools. More about that in a moment.

Another thing I have been doing is lots and lots of Bible study. I’ve taken a deep dive into studying scripture and applying it to my life to better understand myself and my God. Wow did that get my brain going in a million different directions. But the comforting thing through all of it was learning how every part of life gets easier when I focus on God instead of the chaos. I have written several essays on scripture that I will be sharing over the next year right here on this site. I hope you visit often to read and grow closer to the Lord.

Now, did I mention my new book? Of course, let me tell you about it. Take This Job & Bless It! is a devotional and journal to keep handy in your workspace, wherever that may be. I spent a great deal of time learning what God has to say about how we should handle ourselves in working environments. I then compiled all my notes into this handy little book to keep you motivated and striving for the best while at your job. It doesn’t matter if you are CEO of a giant corporation or COO of your household. This book will provide wisdom for tough situations and motivation for when you feel burnout creeping in. This book is a devotional and a journal; the pages are lined to use however you like. I keep mine on my desk to read every day, and I use the extra space for my task list.

Thanks so much for stopping by my site. I hope you’ll visit again soon. And please do click the link above to preview Take This Job & Bless It! over on Amazon.

Flash Fiction: Knock Knock by Andrea Cannon

Photo Source: Pixabay

No, don’t come in. I’m not ready yet. I need more time. I don’t know, a few more minutes maybe. I’m looking for my mask. Please don’t come in. You can’t see me like this. 

Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes only minutes. Other times, on the really bad days, I just lie in bed. 

I found it, but I’m not ready to put it on just yet. It takes a lot of strength to wear it all day. No, I can’t come out without it. You don’t want to see. You’ll turn away from the ugliness of me, the emptiness. 

There is no smile on my true face, but no one will ever know. My mask is flawless. I’ve spent years perfecting it. I wear it most every day, except the days when I am tired, when I am sad, when I hate myself too much to pretend. So those days I stay in bed, unable to bear the weight of the mask. 

But I’m okay today. Just give me a little more time, please. I am putting on my mask now, adjusting my smile, adding a twinkle to my eyes, so all you see is an image of strength and happiness. 

No, you can’t see the real me. It’s too awful to share, and I’m afraid the rejection would crush the last little piece of my heart that is still intact. 

Thanks so much for reading this piece. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a tip via my Paypal link or purchasing one of my books on Amazon. I also love feedback, so feel free to comment – let’s start a conversation about depression.

My First Ever Book Signing, Y’all!!!

I am so excited about this upcoming event. Check back next week as I will tell you all about it.

And if you happen to be in the East Texas area this Thursday, I’d love to see you there!

Book Review: A Wisp of Faith by Chrystal J. Gilkey ( and a bit of news )

Hello everyone. I want to share my thoughts on this book – A Wisp of Faith by Chrystal J. Gilkey. This is my final review of the books I discovered last month at a local book signing. I met three wonderful authors that day and have enjoyed reading three great books. The others were Emma and Jane by Peggy Nelson and A Day At The Beach by Rolanda Hasten. (You can read those reviews by checking out my two previous posts.)

A Wisp of Faith is Christian fiction with a romantic twist and even a bit of historical suspense. It is a heartfelt story about rediscovering faith and love. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to the second book in the series that Chrystal Gilkey is working on now.

If you enjoy Christian fiction I definitely recommend A Wisp of Faith. This book is available in all formats. I have included an Amazon link for your convenience.

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And now, a bit of news….

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.

For those of you who have been following MyWhateverBlogsite for a while, you know that book reviews have been a pretty big part of my content. After much consideration, I have decided not to post any more book reviews on this blog. I love books and I am by no means going to stop reading – EVER!!!
I have found myself spending so much time writing and formatting book reviews for various sites that I contribute to, that it’s cutting short the time I have for working on my own writing projects.

I currently have several projects in the works – another devotional, a novel, an inspirational book, and a few short stories. My problem is this: I love reading and probably spend too much time reading. Then I want to process what I’ve read and get a review written. Then I try to spread out posting the reviews on various sites. And all this planning and processing of other peoples’ works often leaves me too exhausted to work on my own projects. —- whew, it feels good to get that off my chest!

I have a deep desire to help other authors get their books noticed and bought and read. And then I feel depleted for not working just as hard at promoting my own books and finishing my works-in-progress.

I will continue to read new and established authors. I will continue to post short reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. (You can follow me on Goodreads here.) And I will continue to follow all the great blogs here on WordPress.

So, what are you going to b posting on MyWhateverBlogsite going forward?

I am so glad you asked.

This site is going to be dedicated to my work as an author. I will share snippets of my works-in-progress, information about my writing process, ways I boost my creativity, and of course some random stuff. Because that’s what this blog started with – Whatever Happens to Be on my Mind!

Thank you so much for visiting MyWhateverBlogsite. I hope you’ll continue visiting as I turn the corner to devoting more time to the craft of writing – AND COMPLETING – new novels.

As always, feel free to share any thoughts in the comments, and happy reading everyone!

Book Review: A Day at the Beach by Rolanda Hasten

Hello to all. I am back with another review. This is a picture book written by one of the authors I met last month at a book signing. It was such fun!

Image from Amazon

A Day At The Beach is a book of onomatopoeias – a big word with an easy-to-remember meaning. Onomatopoeias are words that sound like the noise they are describing. Rolanda Hasten is a school teacher. I think she teaches elementary school, but I could be completely misremembering what she told me. I failed to take notes when I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Hasten at the book signing.

Anyway, this book describes all the interesting things you might hear and see while spending a day at the beach. It’s a fun and entertaining way to introduce youngsters to a little bit of grammar. It’s never too early to foster a love of reading in our little ones.

This is my 2nd review of three books I bought last month at the book signing. Three local authors – three great books. Stay tuned for my final review coming soon. Happy reading everyone.

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This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

These small commissions help support this blog – thank you.

Book Review: Emma and Jane by Peggy Nelson

Hello, fellow book lovers. I am back and this time I am reviewing a book by one of the authors I met last month at a local book signing. You can read more about that day here. Today we’re talking about Emma and Jane – One’s Fancy, One’s Plain by Peggy Nelson.

Emma and Jane is a wonderful picture book celebrating the differences that bring us closer together. It shows how we can love and appreciate differences in the people around us. And the illustrations are spectacular. Carmen Rockett really brought Emma and Jane to life with her artwork.

The best part about Emma and Jane is the story does not end with this book. No, no, no. This is the first in a series of three. I can’t wait to read book two where the girls visit the Texas State Fair, and book three when the girls meet a frog prince.

And about the author, Peggy Nelson was a joy to meet and talk with. You can learn more about Peggy by visiting facebook.com/childrensbookspeg/.

And click this link if you want to purchase a copy of Emma and Jane, One’s Fancy, One’s Plain.

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Thanks so much for stopping by MyWhateverBlogsite.

I hope you have enjoyed your time here. Happy reading, everyone!!!

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

One Tiny Request

Hello, hello again to all of you out there in the wonderful world. I have a favor to ask. It’s not a big favor, but it means a lot to me.

As you know I am an indie author. I have several books available on Amazon, and a very tiny marketing budget. My goal each month is to sell at least 1 book more than I sold the previous month. So here we are at the end of April, and I just need one more little ol’ sale to beat my March total. Are you in the market for a new book? Would you care to do a bit of shopping? Can I interest you in one of these fine titles?

Growing in Faith is my newest release – a Christian devotional that shares my experiences and hopefully will bring you closer to the Lord also.

Climb is middle-grade fiction that tells the story of a young girl who learns to cope with the death of her mother through an unusual experience.

Mamaw’s Kitchen is a collection of recipes attributable to my husband’s late grandmother. This project was a labor of love and a testament to the matriarch of a wonderful family.

So that is my request. If you’ve been drinking your latte and thinking, I need something new to read, perhaps you could take a chance on an indie author trying to share her stories with the world. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by MyWhateverBlogsite, and happy reading!

Local Authors – Up Close and In Person!

Hello everyone. I am so excited to tell you what I did last weekend. My local Christian book store (aptly named The Good News Store) hosted a book signing for a local author.

I saw this on FB and knew I had to go to the event.

So come Saturday morning, I high-tailed it into town and bounced into the bookstore brimming with excitement. And what did I see when I walked in? Not one, not two, but THREE local authors – live and in person!!! I love meeting other writers, talking to them about their books, their writing processes, how they got started…all kinds of stuff. It was really great meeting these three ladies: Rolanda Hasten, Christal J. Gilkey, and Peggy Nelson (pictured from right to left).

Rolanda is the author of A Day At The Beach – a children’s book that explores the sounds you might hear at the beach.

Chrystal’s book is A Wisp of Faith – Christian fiction full of romance and mystery.

And Peggy is the writer of Emma and Jane, One’s Fancy, One’s Plain – another kids’ book about sisters who couldn’t be more opposite.

I had a wonderful time visiting with these ladies about their backgrounds and their writing. I also got to share some of my own writing with them. Now be sure to check back in at MyWhateverBlogsite in the coming weeks for my reviews of these wonderful books.

Have you ever been to a book signing? If so, please share your experience in the comments. I’d love to hear about it. Happy reading, everyone!

Full disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Security In Him … a poem inspired by scripture

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5: 18–21 NLT) 

Image and artwork by the author.

We are children of God. 
He holds us securely. 
He has given us understanding. 
We walk in fellowship with Him, 
and he protects us from the evil one. 

We know the one true God. 
He loves us, for we are His. 

The evil one creates chaos, 
but he cannot touch us. 
We have been given knowledge 
by our Father in Heaven, 
wisdom to separate ourselves from the sinful nature of the world 
and the idols dangled about by the evil one. 

We press on, 
persevering in the faith 
living with joyful hope of the eternal reward yet to come. 

Thank you for stopping by MyWhateverBlogsite. I hope you enjoyed my little poem based on 1 John 5:18-21. This is just one of the poems found in my new book…Growing in Faith. It’s a collection of essays and poetry based on several years of studying the Bible. To find out more, hop over to My Books page or just click the link above to find it on Amazon. If you’ve read my book, I’d love to hear your feedback. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks again and happy reading, everyone.

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Image from SheWhoIsApparel.com

I love this new shirt available from She Who Is Apparel. It’s a Christian clothing company dedicated to empowering women and giving back to the community. Order by clicking this link and be sure to use coupon code Faith2022 to save 15% on your entire order.

Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me!

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Hello everyone. I hope all is well and life is giving you lots of lemonade.

I thought I’d take a moment to do a wacky little post and share some random info about myself. I’ve seen this done on other platforms and it’s always lots of fun. After you’ve read my ten things, I hope you’ll comment with some fun facts about yourselves. Or even better, create a post of your ten things and tag me it!

1. — When I was in elementary school, my family and I lived in Roswell, NM, where I may or may not have been abducted by aliens who might have implanted a tracking device under my skin. (Oh wait – that was an episode of The X-Files – nevermind!) We did live in the desert for an entire year. My brothers and I would hose down the dirt yard and run and slide around in the mud. It was our homemade version of the Slip-N-Slide.
2. — I love all animals, and I have an irrational desire to hug them.
3. — I raise chickens, as you might have discerned from my last post. I once had to sew up the flesh of a chicken named Goldie that had the unfortunate luck of being carried around the yard in the mouth of one of our dogs. After treating her wounds, Goldie lived in our shower for a week and I gave her antibiotic injections daily.
4. — My super power is finding grammar mistakes in restaurant menus. Every time we eat out, no matter where, I will find the misspelled word or wrong punctuation or subject/verb disagreement. I have pictures to prove it.
5. — My telephone voice sounds like that of a ten-year-old girl, even though I am well into my forties. When telemarketers call they end up asking for my parents, and I politely say they are not home.
6. — One of my first published pieces was a letter to the editor praising my 4th grade math teacher. She read a chapter from a Zig Ziglar book at the beginning of class every day, and those lessons have stayed with me longer than any math formulas.
7. — My middle-grade fiction book Climb was born from a homeschool writing class that my son and I completed together. He chose the One Year Adventure Novel course as a high school elective. After reviewing the curriculum, I loved it so much that I decided to take the class also. We both completed novels that year. My son chose not to publish, but Climb is available on Amazon in paperback and digital formats.
8. — I love to draw when I am not writing. Sketching helps to get my creative juices flowing. I even converted my garage into an art studio that I lovingly call my Lair of Creativity!
9. — My favorite movie of all time is The Princess Bride… as you wish…inconceivable…ROUS’s….my name is Inego Montoya….true love….Humperdink, Humperdink, Humperdink…(shall I go on?)
10. — I hate cooking. I would rather eat a bowl of cereal than cook any day of the week.

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Well, there you have it – ten little things you have learned about little old me today. Hopefully, it’s been a bit entertaining. Thanks so much for stopping by MyWhateverBlogsite. Feel free to share some interesting trivia about yourself in the comments. (One more thing: this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission, of which I will be very appreciative.)