Chatting with (Author, Life Coach, Podcaster and more...) Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Deb: Today, I'm welcoming Dr. MaryAnn Diorio to the Inkwell! I  follow her by email and thought it was a great time to reach out and chat.  
MaryAnn, with your career background, how did you find your way to writing fiction?

MaryAnn: The simplest answer is that God led me to write fiction. In fact, God led me to writing, in general. My formal education was in Romance languages (French, Italian, and Spanish) and Education. For several years, I taught foreign languages, mostly at the college and university level. Writing had never been on my radar, although journalism had once flitted across my find when I was in high school. But after my first day of French class, my fate was sealed. Or so I thought! :)

Then, at age 30, I discerned God’s call on my life to write for Him. In response to that call, I attended my first writing workshop, a session on how to write light verse. Now, I am not a funny person by nature (my husband is the comedian in the family), but I attended this workshop because it was the only one with an opening left. While the workshop was excellent, I left thinking that I would never write anything funny.

About a week later, my two little girls at the time had a terrible argument. I had just read a parenting book about letting children solve their own problems without parental intervention. Well, when the decibel level skyrocketed, I trashed the book and invaded the argument. As I was disciplining my children, I started laughing. I should write a poem about this, I thought. Well, I did write a poem, and, by God's miraculous intervention, that poem was accepted and published in The Saturday Evening Post. This was God’s way of confirming to me that He had indeed called me to write for Him.Deb: Yes, it's funny how that happens. Our plans are not His plans. Thankfully!

It seems that so much of what you do revolves around helping others deal with the ups and downs of life. Have you always been a Christian counselor and how has your faith helped you in what must be very exhausting work due to the emotions involved?

MaryAnn: First off, I am not a licensed Christian counselor. I am a Certified Life Coach. The difference between a counselor and a coach is that a counselor helps the client look backward into his past to discover obstacles to overcoming problems, whereas a life coach deals with people who are, essentially, emotional healthy and ready to move forward with their lives. I became a life coach because God has given me the gift of exhortation in the Body of Christ, and coaching is an outstanding way to encourage those who need it.

Deb: Thanks for the insight on that. And boy, Encouragers are so badly needed right now. 

CLC Bookstore
Moorestown, New Jersey
November 28, 2015

Tell us about your move to using Podcasts and how we can find them.

MaryAnn: I started listening to podcasts as the result of a writing course I was taking. Up until this time, I had been writing a weekly blog titled “Winning with the Word.” As I was listening to my writing podcasts, the thought occurred to me that I could put my weekly blog posts into the podcast format as well. I had recently read that more people are listening today than reading. They read in their cars on the way to work. They read while working out or doing the dishes. So, because I wanted to reach more people with the Gospel message, I started to record podcasts. My podcast name is “Winning with the Word” and it can be found on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, iHeart Radio, Soundcloud, Spreaker, Podbean, Podchaser, Castbox, and Deezer. Listeners can subscribe to the venue of choice to receive “Winning with the Word” in their mailboxes each Monday morning.

Deb: I've just subscribed! It's nice to switch over from audiobooks, (which I listen to all the time), and hear thoughts on so many topics. Podcasts just seem to have boomed in popularity from five years ago. Maybe it's the fact so many of us have smartphones now!
MaryAnn, what do you most enjoy when it comes to free time?
 
MaryAnn: I enjoy spending time with my family. My husband is now retired, so we spend a lot of time together. One of our daughters lives with her husband and six children within walking distance of our home, so we get to see our grandchildren quite a bit. Our other daughter lives about 40 minutes away, and we get to see her frequently as well. Next to spending time with my family, I enjoy reading, painting in acrylics, playing the piano, and tread-milling (my coined word for exercising on a treadmill. :))

Deb: Perfect! Creative breaks and exercise. Congratulations!

Thanks so much for being my guest, MaryAnn. 

MaryAnn: You are most welcome, Debra! Thank YOU for having me on your blog!

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is a widely published, award-winning author and former Professor of Fiction Writing.Her riveting books explore the deepest issues of the human heart.Her latest work is a children’s picture book entitled Who Is Jesus? MaryAnn may be reached at maryann@maryanndiorio.com or via her website at www.maryanndiorio.com

HEART-MENDING BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG, and YOUNG AT HEART

MaryAnn's latest novel is In Black and White, which happens to be on sale in celebration of Black History Month. 

A white woman. A black man. And their forbidden love.

Can endurance and faith sustain the love between a white woman and a black man, threatened by rejection, guilt, and racial injustice? Can love alone reconcile their starkly different worlds, lighting the way to a bright future together?

When graduate student, Tori Pendola, a white American woman, and Jebuni Kalitsi, a Ghanaian exchange student and heir to his tribe's chieftaincy, fall deeply in love, they must face not only their own inner demons of rejection and guilt but also the demons of societal hatred bent on destroying their relationship. Will their love survive the cruel and bitter attacks against them? Or will hatred and prejudice gain the upper hand?

In Black and White is a deeply moving story of the power of God's love to restore all that is broken in their lives.
Buy IN BLACK AND WHITE:
PRINT
EBOOK
(Note: The above are MaryAnn's affiliate links)


Find Mary Ann on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram also!

What do YOU say?

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV 

What are YOU telling yourself every day?

Spring has Sprung! Five Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Spring

Happy first day of Spring!
Is it warm at your house yet? Here, my daffodils are blooming and the blossoms are already gone from my stone fruit trees. It's felt like spring for a few weeks already.

Today, however, marks the vernal equinox. On this day, day and night are equal in length because our planet reaches a turning point in its orbit, and neither the North or South poles are tilted toward the sun. Earth hits the turning point in its orbit where neither the North or the South poles are tilted towards the sun.

So let's celebrate!
Here are some ways the first day of Spring is celebrated around the world.

1. Plant seeds to honor someone. In ancient Rome, women planted seeds in the gardens of Adonis. The custom persists in Sicily today, but not in honor of Adonis. Instead, women plant flowers in baskets. When they sprout, the flowers are placed on graves of loved ones on Good Friday as a symbol of life triumphing over death. I like the idea of sharing flowers with friends and neighbors who have recently lost a loved one.
2. Eat some eggs. Eggs represent new life and rebirth, after all (one of they reasons they are symbolic at Easter time). A Chinese tradition says you can balance an egg on the equinox. Is it true? I don't know, but if it breaks, no worries. You can scramble the egg, just like people in Bosnia do for the "Festival of Scrambled Eggs" where eggs are cooked in massive pans and distributed for free. I love the idea of feeding people. Maybe there's someone I can treat to a meal, or I can volunteer at my local shelter.
3. Let go of old resentments. In India, a Hindu tradition welcomes spring with people gathering in the street and throwing colored powder at one another (sort of like the "Color Runs" we do in the US where you toss colored powder at joggers--and the joggers pay for it!). It's also a time to forgive, which is a great idea no matter where you are.
4. Read, Write, and Encourage Reading and Writing. Did you know the vernal equinox is World Storytelling Day? Me neither! But what a fun idea! Celebrate literacy, read to a child, and thank God for His Word!
5. Spring Clean. This isn't a vernal equinox tradition, like visiting Stonehenge or Chichén Itzá in Mexico, both of which were built thousands of years ago to map the movement of the sun. But it's a spring tradition, one I intend to tackle. My house desperately needs a good cleaning, but so does my heart. Why not use this time--which happens to be Lent, by the way--to take a good look at our hearts and pray for ways to better serve God?

Easter is coming soon. Let's use the time to prepare our hearts, homes, and thoughts for the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection!

***

Susanne Dietze is the author of a dozen historical romances, including The Reluctant Guardian and My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho. You can learn more on her website, www.susannedietze.com.

Spring Cleaning and Spiritual Decluttering

by C.J. Chase

If you’ve ever read my bio (available here or in my books), you’ve seen my confession that I was born without a housekeeping gene. This actually isn’t the full story. I do try to maintain and clean and orderly home. The problem is that I’ll often start one project only to realize I need to do something else first, so I start that… At the end of the day, I’ll feel like I have little to show for all the time I spent working. I guess it’s not so much my lack of a housekeeping gene as the presence of housekeeping ADD.

Sometimes my husband (who, I should add, has absolutely no room to talk in this area) would say, “Our house is messy.” And I would respond with, “It’s clean. It’s just cluttered.”

So, after a brutal February where the kids were out of school almost two full weeks because of snow, the warm weather (and, oh, yeah, the knowledge that guests are arriving next week) motivated me to do some spring cleaning. I decided I wanted to be organized in my approach this year, so I started googling until I hit a site with a handy spring-cleaning checklist. 

To my surprise, I discovered that my justification comeback (clean, just cluttered) was essentially accurate. I do most of the items on the list—and pretty regularly. (Wash curtains? Check. Wipe baseboards and moldings over doors and windows? Check. Dust ceiling fans? Of course. Launder pillows? It’s just gross not to. Wash windows and screens? Frequently. I hate dirty windows.) Then why does my house feel messy so much of the time even though I seldom bother to put the vacuum cleaner away since I’ll just be getting it out again in a few hours?

Yep. Clutter. I just can’t get a handle on it. And the rest of my family is as bad or worse. At times, (like, when the arrival of company is imminent) I’ve resorted to a “magic box” where I toss in all the accumulated stuff. But part with it? Someday I might need that school paper/magazine/jar/mystery screw/box/coupon/business card/receipt/etc. Furthermore, I love my children. How could I possibly discard the clay turtle, rainbow painting, or indefinable yarn project they bring home from art class? Worse, what if I throw it away and they see it in the trash? They’ll be convinced I hate them, and

therapy is expensive.

As I meditated on this while scrubbing a floor this week, I realized my clean-but-cluttered situation is a metaphor for my spiritual life. My life is relatively “clean.” I’m a pretty moral person. No murder, adultery, or stealing here. I’ve never been charged with a crime. Never even gotten a speeding ticket. You can run my name against any law enforcement database, and I come back clean.

But I continually wage a battle against spiritual clutter—all the “stuff” that fills up time that should belong to God, a minute-by-minute conquest of my day as surely as old mail, a grocery list, son #3’s perfect spelling test, the refrigerator repairman’s phone number, the paper I need to sign for son #2, and a checkbook that needs balanced have appropriated my kitchen table.

Beginning today I'm going to start getting more ruthless with that spiritual clutter, reclaiming a few minutes here, some more time there. Besides, it will be nice change to spend more of that time on my knees having a conversation instead of wielding a scrub brush!

I Don't Like to Read Christian Non-Fiction for Women

Time for a Book Picnic

by Gina Welborn

I subscribe to Crosswalk.com's Daily Updates. Yesterday they sent  me an e-mail with this article:

5 Books for Christian Women who Don't Like to Read Books for Christian Women

Oooh. How intriguing! But then--

Hmm, do I like reading books for Christian women? I do like reading non-fiction. Maybe it's talking about fiction. But how many "women's books" uninterest me? Maybe I'll find a new book I'd actually enjoy reading. Needless to say I had to click on the link.

Andrea Lucado wrote:

If you relate to any of the below, the book recommendations that follow are for you:

• Your brow furrows with confusion when an author refers to you as her “dear sister” or a “daughter of the king.” You are not this lady’s sister—you’ve never even met—and “child of God” will due.
• If you have to read one more book about how to better organize and manage your life, your time, your kids and your marriage, you are going to run away and give up on everything altogether. All of those areas seem to be hanging by thread no matter what you do and you would like your reading time to be escape time. Just tell me a good story.
• You would rather read about someone’s imperfect life that is remaining imperfect, than read about a woman who used to no have it altogether but now she does and here’s how you can too. Vulnerable stories speak to you more deeply than success stories do.

Umm, yes, I relate! I have been known at times to think, "If I see another Christian lady all decked out in purple and driving a car with a license plate BLESSD or 'I'm not perfect, just forgiven,' I'm going to puke on her and then on her car."

I remember reading a book that began about lies women have been taught. By the time the author got to the section on marriage, birth control, and parenting, I quit reading. Once she's married and raised a few kids, then I'll listen to the "wisdom" she's gained. Most of the book, though, was good.

Let’s All be Brave: Living Life With Everything You Have by Annie F. Downs (Zondervan)

How often does fear hold us back from the very things we most want to taste, touch, and experience? The call to be brave isn’t just for one person—it’s for everyone. Let’s All Be Brave is more than a book, it’s a battle cry. Annie challenges us to live boldly, she calls us to step into those places that require courage, and she gives us the help to take the next step forward—even when it’s scary.
This non-fiction, essay-driven book opens the door to many different views of courage—nudging, encouraging, and inspiring readers to be brave whenever given the chance. Kindle Price : $3.79


Girl Meets God: A Memoir by Lauren F. Winner (Shaw Books)


The child of a Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, Lauren F. Winner chose to become an Orthodox Jew. But even as she was observing Sabbath rituals and studying Jewish law, Lauren was increasingly drawn to Christianity. Courageously leaving what she loved, she eventually converted. In Girl Meets God, this appealing woman takes us through a year in her Christian life as she attempts to reconcile both sides of her religious identity.
Used hardcopies as low as $0.01
New hardcopies/paperbacks as low as $2.99

 
Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control by Elisabeth Elliott (Revell)


Very few books on dating have stood the test of time like Passion and Purity. Its much-needed message remains strong and hopeful in an age when doing whatever "feels right" is common practice. Using her own life as an example, Elisabeth Elliot guides singles of both genders and of any age on how to put their love lives under the authority of Jesus Christ. Passion and Purity covers dating issues such as: •how to know which person is the right one to marry •loving passionately while remaining sexually pure •the man's and woman's role in relationships •putting God's desires ahead of personal desires •how far is too far, physically This best-selling book now has a new cover, an updated interior design, and a foreword from popular author Joshua Harris.
 Use copies as low as $0.01
New copies as low as $5.97





Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay (Thomas Nelson)

Lucado writes, "If Francine Rivers and Karen Kingsbury just aren’t your thing, give Katherine Reay a try. Her novel is a delightful and honest tale of two sisters, cancer and a restaurant."

Reay is a 2014 Carol Winner for her novel Dear Mr. Knightly.

Kindle $9.99




Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist

Cold Tangerines—now available in softcover— is a collection of stories that celebrate the extraordinary moments hidden in your everyday life. It is about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways in which an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It is about spiritual life, and about all the things that are called nonspiritual life that might be spiritual after all. It is the snapshots of a young woman making peace with herself and trying to craft a life that captures the energy and exuberance we all long for in the midst of the fear and regret and envy we all carry with us. It is both a voice of challenge and song of comfort, calling you upward to the best possible life, and giving you room to breathe, to rest, to break down, and break through. Cold Tangerines offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, in and among the heartbreak and boredom and broken glass.
Used copies as low as $0.61.
New copies vary from $3.79 kindle and $11-12 print copy.

I've put Let's be Brave, Girl meets God, and Cold Tangerines (all new copies) in my Amazon cart. Do any interest you? Have you read any of these?