So, Trolly People, what have you been up to lately?
I realize I've been away and then, suddenly, I started just posting tons of blogs. Good for me!
Well, I decided to give you a personal update, rather than preach at you all the time to listen to people and be nice.
I got a new computer! Most of the Facebook friends know this, but let's say that there are people--ok, maybe one person-- out there that is not from Facebook. You must know that I bought a new computer!
This means I'm supposed to be responsible and write more.
. . . .
Ok, ok, I've been writing a little. But April --gasp, yes that's BFF's name-- has been working on her own book as of late. Our book has been left, abandoned, sitting in the corner gathering dust.. T.T
This has left me to my own projects.
. . . .
Ok, they're not that bad. But it was hilarious, for a while I was working on this one book and it was going great. It was a Christian book about a guy on the streets that turns his life around and so on. So, just to do my own homework for once, I look up different publishing houses to see which ones accept letters of inquiry and which ones are super strict on having a literary agent (I really would prefer not having to get an agent..) Much to my surprise--though I should have known better-- I found this list from Barbour Books (one of the bigger ones that accept non-agent Authors).
After explaining that the books should express a conservative evangelical Christian view, and explaining a deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ is important for their Authors to have.. They list this:
THINGS TO AVOID:  Avoid such
controversial topics as the following:
1.  Spirit baptism (and time of, at
     conversion vs. Second experience of            
     grace)
2.  Water baptism (meaning of and time of,
children or adults)
3.  Gifts of the Spirit (e.g., are tongues    
  still around?)
4.  End times (setting dates)
5.  Lord’s Supper (ordinance vs.
 Sacrament)
6.  Women’s ordination
7.  Christian perfection
8.  Transferring qualities of Jesus—or                
 passages in the Bible that refer to
 Jesus—to heroes in books.  This
 also applies to Mary, Jesus’
 earthly mother.
Avoid strictly any language that could be
considered foul and use of mention of alcohol
or drugs.  Euphemisms such as heck, darn, and
so on should not be used. To many of our
readers these words are substitutes for curses.
. . . . . . .


So what on Earth am I supposed to write about now?? A Christian Publisher that doesn't want you to write about Christ, apparently! Oh- oh! Then they go ahead and say that a particular Biblical message should be threaded throughout your book. What message is there left to give??
Number 7 really got me--Christ coming and dying on the cross to destroy the bonds of sin is what the Bible's all about--He defeated sin and death! These people published a book of Cathy Marie Hake's in which a young woman is raped (of course they don't show that happening, but you figure it out.) but they won't publish anything that has truth in it? They obviously would rather have a wordly book with "God" thrown in than a good book with morals and truth! The foul language I could avoid. But the alcohol is laughable! How am I supposed to have a drunken bum crawl up from the ashes without mentioning he loved alcohol? There goes his witness! Christ saved him from the bottom rung but he can't talk about it because it would involve mentioning alcohol!
These guidelines very much reflect Christianity these days, fluffy and soft, not wanting to offend anyone--ever. I should remind you that Christ offended the Pharisees often.. and then they killed him.
Ugh. So, regardless, I'll just have to appeal to a worldly publisher to publish my book. Which is sad, isn't it? That my book full of Christian truths has a better chance of being published by a secular publishing house than a so-called Christian one?

Anyway, so I started on my fairytale book that I wrote a while ago for my youngest brother. I stopped writing it because I realized the name I used for the land was actually made up by J R R Tolkien. Classic, Andrea.
But I got over that and made up a new name.. and then found out it is associated with Chinese foot binding....
Ok, so forget the name! Just write! And that's what I'm doing right now. Or, attempting to do..
Which is where you come in! Instead of writing, like I should, I write blogs! Hey, at least it's literary.
I'm also going to be doing some studying, too, and I'll post those for your reading pleasure.
I also traveled West to visit my sister and her family. It was good to see the kiddos but I was glad to be back home, where I belong. I could tell you, I will be quite happy living in this area for the rest of my life. Unless, surely, there's a better place, but I haven't found one yet. Nor do I expect to.
Also, last month, I bought myself a neat little wing-backed chair. It's green and it sits yonder, in the corner. I do so love it.
And tonight I'm going to paint some pottery with my mother and two of her friends.
None of my friends, though, because they can't. Bah, what good are friends if they never go anywhere with you? (That's a joke, because I never go anywhere with them!)
Oh, I also signed up for a 5K called Graffiti Me. It's great, you get sprayed with powdery paint as you run and get completely colored! My brother's friend is going to run with me-- see that? My brother's friend! I can't even beg my own to come!! Anyway, it's going to be cool and I'm excited about it.
One last bit: April has started a blog of her own! writelicious.blogspot.com Is it evil of me to mention that I came up with the superb name?? >=)
Actually, I thought of it, and then she said she thought of it before I mentioned it. But then I persuaded her to use it rather than the others she was considering.
So go look at it. Chop chop!
And here's a picture of my delightful new little computer. I named him Jarvis.

Tata you leopards!