Secret Ways : Character Building

Finding Sarah, Finding Me is the true-life story that started my writing career in the first place, way back in the year 2000. It was shortly after the reunion with my birth-daughter, the child I relinquished to adoption in 1979. We were reunited when she was an adult in 1999. But the reunion that I had prayed for, for 20 years, was nothing like the actual reunion. Coming face to face with the daughter I relinquished to adoption reunited me with all the original loss of her as my child---even though it was better for her at the time because I was a young unmarried woman. But finding my daughter Sarah turned me inside out emotionally and, for a few years, I struggled with a great many issues. As time passed though, the Lord brought healing to me, and it was through the journey of searching for my birth-daughter that I discovered my true identity in Christ. This is our story, and the foundation of all I write on and speak on. 

Rachel Moore, because she is my critique partner, and I don�t get to see her enough in person, and she is an excellent writer with the awards and nominations to prove it. Linda Nichols, Susan Meissner, due to excellent writing and going deep. I love fiction that is realistic without being too edgy.  

I read both ABA fiction and CBA fiction, so my favorite historical authors as follows: ABA: Kate Morton, Suzanna Kearsley, and an older author, MM Kaye simply because they are excellent writers. In CBA my favorite authors are: Sandra Byrd, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and Bodie and Brock Thoene. I�d like to chat with them simply because I enjoy their writing style.

Finding the time to be a good author, but squeezing in the time to promote my work. I love to write, but I hate promotion, and finding the time to do all this and still remain a mother, grandmother, wife, and friend to the people in my life.

Finding Sarah, Finding Me is a the weaving of three strands. Each chapter takes the reader through my search for my birth-daughter during the late �90�s, with a second strand that also takes the reader through my pregnancy and relinquishing of Sarah in the late �70�s. Each chapter also has a separate story from other adoptions and reunions.

Sometimes it is only through giving up our hearts that we learn to trust the Lord.

Adoption. It�s something that touches one in three people today, a word that will conjure different emotions in those people touched by it. A word that might represent the greatest hope � the greatest question � the greatest sacrifice. But most of all, it�s a word that represents God�s immense love for his people.

Join birth mother Christine Lindsay as she shares the heartaches, hopes, and epiphanies of her journey to reunion with the daughter she gave up ... and to understanding her true identity in Christ along the way.

Through her story and glimpses into the lives of other families in the adoption triad, readers will see the beauty of our broken families, broken hearts, and broken dreams when we entrust them to our loving God.

Do Not Be Afraid

The clandestine nature of my trip paints a picture of me I don�t want to look at too closely. As I drive from Maple Ridge to Abbotsford twenty miles away, I wonder if I am one heartbeat away from being a stalker.

I find the high school after several wrong turns. Squelching down the fear of getting caught, I park in the school lot and drum up the nerve to walk in the front doors. I repeat under my breath, �It�s no different than walking into Lana�s high school at home in Maple Ridge. It�s no different at all.�

I�m an ordinary person just like any ordinary parent in the Fraser Valley, the Bible Belt of British Columbia. I�m a Sunday school teacher, a bonded bank teller, a woman of forty-one, hair lightened blond, dressed like any nice mom in jeans, casual shirt, running shoes, my bag slung over my shoulder. I am David�s wife, mom to seventeen-year-old Lana, fifteen-year-old Kyle, and ten-year-old Robert.

I am also the woman who wrote in her journal last night, �For twenty years I�ve comforted myself that this time would come, that my birth-daughter and I could legally be reunited. And now I am afraid of her.�

I, I, I, yes I am all of the above. I hate my self-centered focus. Am I also obsessive? And dear God�am I stalking my firstborn?

There�s still time to turn around, get back in my car, forget this whole crazy escapade. Instead, coldness grips my spine as I stride past the office, praying none of the staff will stop me and ask why I�m here, like a criminal.

I�m only coming to Sarah�s former school just this once, not driving past her house like a real stalker, although I have the address. At least I�ve held myself back from that temptation. This one look�in a public place�I�ll allow myself. But I shudder.

Who can understand my hunger to know, to see? My husband and my mother understand, but do I deserve their pity? Close friends can relate yet aren�t able to hold back their trepidation. Those in any adoption triad who search for that missing biological connection will understand. I�ve heard plenty of their wild stories at the adoption support group. Certainly the militant ones with agendas of their own, if they knew what I was up to today, would urge me to barge forward despite my qualms. The average person though? Would they understand this slipping over the edge into a gray area that frightens the daylights out of me?

Please drop by Christine�s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazonon Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest , Facebook, and  Goodreads

I think there is a little of me in all of my characters, and I try to show my love for the Lord in each one.

Several years ago my daughter and I were Black Friday shopping ,and we got our basket full of items we had bought, stuck in the gravel trying to get it to our car. After several attempts to get it to move, we were laughing so hard we couldn�t even budge it. We finally took the items a few at a time to the car. Once it was empty one of us got on one end and one on the other and lifted it out of the gravel so we could return it to the store. We still laugh about that occasionally when we go shopping on Black Friday.

One afternoon, I was reading one of several romance novels I had read, and I felt the Lord telling me this was what He wanted me to do. I prayed about that for awhile and just kind of played at writing. I wrote two books which are still on my shelf and one day I may work on them again. Finally one night before I went to bed I prayed, Lord if you want me to do this, please give me the story You want me to write. The next morning when I woke up I knew the whole story He wanted me to do. With help from a good friend, Barbara Warren who is and author and editor, some of the authors from ACFW, including you, Lena, I wrote the first Christian Romance book that was published by a Christian Publishing House. Violets For An Amish Girl is now my 13th book published. The Lord truly answers prayer if you follow his calling.

The Bible, Christian Romance, Amish Christian Romance, and Christian Romantic Suspense.

I try to start my day with prayer, reading my Bible and my devotional book. I take time to exercise, go to church, have quality and fun times with my family, as well as spending time to write.

I have a baby book of names and I use it some and sometimes I use names that I�ve heard that I like. I try to choose names that fit my characters personalities.

Being happily married for many years to Andy, my wonderful Christian husband and together raising our children in church. They are born-again Christians, and they are raising our grandchildren in church. Our grandchildren are also born-again Christians, all but the two who are just babies, but I know they will both also be raised in church as they grow up. I am not only proud, but we are so very blessed.

To be honest, I�ve never had the desire to be an animal, but since I need to choose one it would be Bentley, our little Boston Terrier. He is such a good little guy and he is very well loved, gets lots of hugs, he�s is fed well, gets treats, and has a soft bed to sleep in.

I love Mexican Food.

Pure POV. When I joined ACFW I got into a Critique group which taught me how to write with pure POV.

Katie Fisher is raised by an Amish mother in an Englischers world. After losing her mamm in childbirth, Katie is scared and alone. When child services threatens to take Susie, her baby sister, Katie honors her mother�s last request and runs with the baby to her Amish grandparents house where they won�t find them. When Katie and Susie arrive, Katie discovers her Daadi is the Bishop. She struggles with his decision to shun his own child. She is given a farm, but in order to keep it, she has to agree to be baptized into the Amish faith and marry Caleb Schmucker, one of the Amish young men she has just met in her grandparents� community.  

Katie Fisher had been sitting on the bus holding her boppli sister in her lap, for twelve long hours. The closer the bus brought them to their daadi and mammi�s community, the more nervous Katie became. What would they say? Would they let them stay? If not, what would she do? She had very little left after buying her bus ticket and even if she had the money, she didn�t have anywhere else to go. Mamm said she had been shunned for jumping the fence, as she had referred to it and married Katie and Susie�s daed. Mamm said even though she had been shunned, her daed and mamm would take Katie and Susie in because they were their grandkinner. Katie prayed her mamm was right.

Thinking about Mammbrought tears to Katie�s eyes. She missed her so much and didn�t understand why Daed had to die eight months ago in a car accident and now Mamm in childbirth. It didn�t seem fair, but Mamm said it was Gott�s will and we should never question it. She said Gott would take care of me and little Susie because He loved us. Katie knew Gott would provide for them she had no doubt, but she prayed, Please Gott let it be by Mammi and Daadi taking us in like Mamm said they would.

Katie felt better after her prayer. She dried her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this, Gott would help her. She had no other choice. Susie depended on her and Katie wouldn�t let her down. She kissed Susie�s little head. �You don�t worry Susie and you don�t have to be afraid, everything will be all right. I will take gut care of you. Child Services won�t find us at Daadi and Maami�s, we�ll be safe there.�

Katie looked out the window and noticed the bus was pulling into the station. She took another deep breath and with Susie in one arm and the diaper bag over her shoulder, she grabbed their suitcase with the other hand. Their bag and the diaper bag held everything she and Susie owned so she took them and followed the passengers off of the bus. She looked around the town of Mattoon, Illinois, and wondered if Arthur, Illinois, was as nice a community. Maybe the station master would know someone who could take her and Susie to Arthur, where her grosseldre  lived. She headed inside to hopefully find a way to get there. It was too far to walk.

�Excuse me, Sir, would you possibly know how we could get to Arthur from here?�

The man looked at Katie and then at Susie. �If you hurry next door, Mike Davis, the Chief of Police from Arthur, is at the caf� and he�ll be heading back there shortly I imagine. He might give you a ride.�

�Thank you, so much.� Katie hurried out of the bus station and headed to the caf� next door. Oh, please Gott, let him give us a ride.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

or by email: jeaniesmithcash@yahoo.com

Thank you so much, Lena. I appreciate you doing this interview with me.

I have served as a Freedom Pastor for the past 10 years at Gateway Churchin Southlake, Texas. I recently left Gateway to pursue speaking and writing full-time. I have served in freedom for over 35 years and have a passion for seeing peoples lives changed as they discover their true identity in Christ.

I attended one of Lena Dooley�s writing classes around 2003/4 when God first spoke to me about writing a book. She did a great job of encouraging us to write with excellence and also motivated the class to dream!

I have two daughters and sons-in-law and 6 amazing grandchildren, Corey, Kyle, Colson, Quinn, London and Owen. They are one of the primary reasons I wrote Origins! They give me incentive to leave a Godly legacy!

My husband Jim and I were married for 38 years. He passed away in 2006.

Yes, my first nonfiction book was Letting Go (Seeing Regret from God�s Perspective) and was released in October of 2013.

Yes, I have a book in the rewrite stage that I wrote in 2004 but never published. It is on the subject of heart conditions outlined in the Bible. I also have one in my heart on the subject of fear that would incorporate many of the teachings I�ve done through the years on the subject.

I love books and have way too many for the bookcases I own. I can�t resist buying them and do eventually read them. Enjoy having lunch with my friends and hanging out at Starbucks having a yummy coffee � and sharing each others lives.

Love the beach and get there every chance I can. Jim and I raised our children in Los Angeles and spent many weekends there and in San Diegowith our children at the beach. Some days, the beach just calls my name! I can feel the sand between my toes, smell the salt sea air, and feel the moist breeze on my face.

As a result of having ministered to hundreds of people through the years. There are times I would see breakthrough in a person�s life only to have them return in six months or so (or less) experiencing the same recurring issues. As we dug deeper into the root systems and generational bloodlines, they were able to identify family bondage, help them to hear and see truth more clearly (that is, come into agreement with God and out of agreement with darkness) and break the enemy�s hold.

To sum it up, people experienced deeper more permanent freedom after identifying generational patterns and bondage�and in many cases break generational curses (consequences) that have been in operation for years (sometimes decades and in some cases, hundreds of years).

I want my readers to recognize the fact that the lives our ancestors lived still affect us today�whether it be blessings are curses as outlined in Deut. 28.  Attending family reunions help us learn a lot about our tendencies and heritage. So many issues run in families such as poverty, anger, rage, bitterness, fear, shyness, gossip, sexual issues (perversion), adultery, etc.

There are a number of books written on the subject of generational iniquity. Often people read these books but don�t know how to utilize the information. I feel that my book is especially helpful because of the activation exercises following each chapter. This book teaches individuals how to apply the principles outlined. It also teaches the reader how to connect with God and get insights and answers from the Holy Spirit that are often hidden from our view. In addition, many of the chapters cover extensive testimonies and stories of people (including yours truly) who have identified areas related to families of origin and gotten the victory over generational sin and iniquity.

Can you think of a trait in your family of origin that you dislike? Or, on the flip side, are there characteristics you really appreciate about your family? Chances are, you can identify both good and bad qualities in your family line. Most families have traits to be admired and desired, along with some we would like to sweep under the rug, never to be remembered again.

           
A woman came to meet with me some time ago. As she sat down, I asked her the usual question: �What brings you here today?� She replied, �Have you ever seen the television series Everybody Loves Raymond? Well, that is my family�total dysfunction!� We had a good laugh; but as she told me her story, I realized that she was telling the truth.

           

The majority of us have inherited both good and bad family characteristics. Occasionally someone will say to me, �I can�t think of a single good trait in my family.� Still others insist, �My family was a Leave It to Beaver family, and I can�t think of anything I would want to change.� Most of the time neither extreme is true. No family is perfect, and very few are deficient in every single area.

Bible teacher Beth Moore, in her book Breaking Free, wrote: �Between every unfaithful generation and faithful generation is one person determined to change.� Whether or not we break unhealthy generational iniquity and ungodly patterns is a matter of the heart. That�s where the battle is being waged�over the heart! No matter who we are or how we grew up, the question we all must answer is: Whom will we serve?

A Spiritual Eye-Opener

I remember a special insight God gave me one morning many years ago. My husband had left for work earlier than usual, so I had the house all to myself when I returned from taking the children to school. Sitting down at the dining room table, my Bible in hand, I began reading and felt drawn to Isaiah 58:12: Those from among you shall rebuild the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations.

Although Bible scholars say this passage is about the restoration and redevelopment of Jerusalem, I knew the Lord was personalizing it for me. That promise to Israel was predicated upon their returning to true worship that comes from a pure heart. Since their works didn�t match the claims of their faith. God wanted to change their hearts.

           

As I meditated on the passage, I saw in my mind�s eye (some would call it a vision) a country setting with an old, run-down house that sat on a large parcel of land. I saw a bulldozer lift the house from its pier-and-beam foundation. When it was raised, I could see all sorts of bugs, mold, mildew, and other gross things you would see underneath an old house that has been in place for years. That house clearly needed to be renovated, and I realized this picture, or vision, represented the spiritual restoration that needed to happen in my life.

lindagodsey.com (in the process of updating)

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Bio: Besides being an active participant of many writing groups, Carole enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in southeast Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

Tell us a little about your family.

Hubby and I just celebrated our 40th (can it be!!!) anniversary. We�ve had such wonderful experiences, plenty of problems, of course, but we�re still in love and expect to be till we cross into heaven. We�ve traveled through most of the United States, ministering, visiting many memorable sites, and making friends as we go.

We had two sons that traveled with us while young. I taught them to read before they began formal schooling, and we home schooled them as we traveled. Both now, as grownups, live fairly close, and times spent with them are highlights hubby and I cherish.

As an added bonus, and one of our greatest blessings, we have three grand boys that are the light of our eyes. Planning activities and adventures with them are prized and memorable hours.

It certainly has. The busier I get with my writing career, the less I find time to read as I used to. I�ve had to learn to be choosier, and, of course, with requests for reviews and endorsements, I get to discover and enjoy newer authors I might never have known.

I�m working on the second book in my WWII Spies Romantic Suspense series, called A Flute in the Willows, featuring the second red-headed daughter of the Rayner Family. She�s rebellious and talented, and in the first book eloped with Jerry Patterson. Now she and Jerry have to face some hard trials to waken them to God�s mercy and work together to stop a certain spy who�s out to destroy them both.

Besides our Lord? Probably any of our past authors. Louis Lamour (tremendous researcher), Jane Austen (love her stories), Grace Livingston Hill (yeah, she�s one of the authors who got me started on reading books for adults), and many, many more.

One thing I wish I�d done was begin earlier. Life was busy for me, and I realize that all things work as God wants if you�re following his will, but I do wish I could have begun seriously writing a little earlier.

Actually, it�s been an ongoing lesson for a little over a year now. With five deaths in less than six months within our families, and two of them tragic, unnecessary ones, it was a haunting, depressing time. But God gave me strength and the encouragement I needed to become stronger in my faith and a lesson in trusting him�not just in a few things, but in all things, those we understand and especially those we don�t.

That depends (to me) on what each person defines as successful, but I would suggest these:

Here�s the blurb:

Starli Cameron gave up her career plans to be a concert pianist to marry the man of her dreams. He turned out to be a nightmare. When he dies in a car accident, Starli takes the insurance money and builds a successful and upscale restaurant: Apple Blossoms in rural West Virginia.  Threats from someone determined to ruin her life and the suspicious romantic advances from her new chef force Starli to search her heart and finally turn to God for real healing.

Sir Joel Peterman-Blair, top notch chef from England, is roped by his uncle, into filling in as head Chef at Apple Blossoms. Joel, with his sanguine-personality, has always laughed and flirted his way through life. But now, confronted with and attracted to the most beautiful woman he�s ever met, Joel has to prove his sincerity and depth of character to his icy-cold employer. Can his love for God and for this woman reach out far enough to rescue her from her own mistrust and bitterness? Will he learn that life is not all play?

And can they both work together to find the source of threats that seem to be coming from Starli�s past?

Starli Cameron slashed off the last name on her list, the last possible candidate.

It�d been a long day, in spite of loving her work, so saying that was saying the impossible�for her�because she'd never said it before.

She had to admit, she was picky when it came to her beloved restaurant, Apple Blossoms. Anything and anyone to do with it came with high scrutiny from her. She wanted the best and only that for her business.

That last chef applicant, with his incessant sniffing, had driven her crazy. And what about the pompous one who�d strutted into her office with his fake Italian accent itemizing his demands. She'd not had a chance to say a word about her requirements. Good thing too. His dismissal had been fast�although she hoped, politely done.

She ripped the paper from the tablet, crumpled it, and tossed her pencil to the tabletop just as the loud pounding began.

Hurrying to the front door, hoping it would be one of her best friends�Toni or Caroline�so she could let off some steam, she flipped on the porch light and peeked through the peephole.

An eye glared at her, and she jumped back, heart beating like a woodpecker determined to get at the insects behind the tree bark.

Roland Stratton.

He can�t see me.

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