According to a study by Darius Foroux, 88% of people in the workplace spend at least an hour a day in procrastination. These figures probably apply to writers as well, especially if they work from home.
Just think! If that is true of you, that would mean if you overcome this habit you would gain an hour a day. Read on and see how many of these apply to you, and how you can overcome procrastination. read more
Writing can be like trying to start the car on a cold morning. The engine cranks, but it won’t turn over.
Writing can be like trying to start a car on a cold wintery morning. The engine cranks, but it won’t turn over.
Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels
If you find yourself wasting precious time staring at a blank page, you probably have the cursed writers’ block. Here are some suggestions to get you moving. read more
I enjoyed this book immensely. For some days, it became part of my daily quiet time with the Lord. I appreciated this slow meander through Psalm 139, and the way Ms van der Tang illustrated each little step with personal anecdotes and stories. read more
As a citizen of this wonderful land of Africa, I loved this book by Deryn van der Tang. I revelled in the beautiful descriptive scenes of Africa, from sunrise to sunset.
Her words bring alive a myriad of pictures that resemble a never-ending, ever-changing slide show. They describe a show that displays the glory and majesty of God in all His splendour. Readers especially see God in the magnificent skies experienced over Africa from sunrise to sunset.
Thank you Ms van der Tang for sharing your gift of words with us in this lovely book of devotional readings
If you are looking for a short, devotional book that will tell you something about Africa and its amazing scenery, from sunrise to sunset, don’t skip this one. It truly reminds you that God is in His heavens and He loves and cares for each one of us.
If you would prefer a longer book, most of these devotions are found in the compilation by eleven authors, In All Things, available in paperback only. Read more about this volume here.
To learn more about the author, see Chatting to Deryn van der Tang here.
Purchase the Kindle book from Amazon.
Ava Jackson has lived a lie since she learned her father’s secret at the age of fifteen. She left her chosen career in the military when her mother took ill, but now she finds herself in the sights of a serial killer. read more
Historical Fiction is not my favourite read, but when the author gave me an ARC to read with a view to leaving a review, I could hardly refuse. And I’m so glad I didn’t.
From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the lives of Kitty and the residents of the small village of Eyam. As I got to know the fictitious but very believable young woman, Kitty, and the family she stayed with, I had to read more about their story. Would they get the plague? How would they relate to others who were ill?
As more and more of the residents fell ill with the deadly pestilence, I couldn’t put the book down. The village faced an epidemic, not unlike our current situation. Yet there were no antibiotics, no sanitisers or masks for sale, and certainly no thought of a vaccine.
Seeing how the residents faced this horrific scourge, and how they cared for one another while keeping their faith in God, makes for a fascinating read, all the more because of our own current pandemic. How amazing to know that the story is true – and it happened in the village of Elyam over 400 years ago.
If you enjoy historical fiction OR nonfiction, this book will make an excellent read for you. But if you, like me, don’t normally enjoy historical fiction, at least give the book a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Although I received my copy with a view to writing a review, I was not asked for a positive review. My opinions are entirely my own.
For an interview with the author of this book, follow this link to read about Anna Jensen.
Purchase this book at https://books2read.com/givenlives.South Africans may buy the paperback direct here, or from Anna’s Facebook or Instagram author page.
Rugged Roads by Anna Jensen… is a pure delight to read. It is based on the author’s travels on sometimes extremely rugged roads into various exotic places in southern Africa. The book covers seven journeys, divided into fourteen days of devotional readings. Prose alternates with poetry to give an absorbing reading experience. Keep Reading!
Question for the Week
Welcome To My World this week asks, What question would be good to ask yourself—or if you’re a fiction writer, your characters?
In my Quiet Time every morning, I read from a number of devotional books. One of those in my current reading list is In All Things, the boxed set eleven of us South African Christian writers published during lockdown, and which is now available as a paperback. I am currently reading this through for the second time (apart from many reads-through during the editing process) and am amazed how I continue to receive blessings with each chapter.
I have just been reading Ashley Winters’ book, What God Wants – Seven Desires of God’s Heart. In her introduction, Ashley has this to say:
“When I write fictional characters, the question I continually ask myself is, ‘What do they want?'”
And that’s my answer. Read on ….
Question of the Week on Welcome to My World blog challenge is:
What book (paperback or ebook) would you recommend to your readers this week?
In view of Mother’s Day being just around the corner, it seems obvious that my answer needs to be something for Mom. And I have some really lovely books to suggest. Some written by me. Others written by friends. Many … written by awesome authors.
So in answer to the question, I’m going to suggest a new boxed set I’ve compiled especially for mothers.
To Mother with Love is a selection of three devotional books especially for that person you call Mom. (Or if that’s you, then treat yourself!) read more
Question of the Week
This week, Welcome to My World asks the question: “If there were no limitations, which country would you most like to visit?”
No question for me. I would love, love, love, to visit Montenegro. Hands up if you don’t know where that is! When I first heard the name, I had no clue.
And I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it in conversation to anyone without being asked, “Where is that?”
So let me start off with a brief geography lesson for you. One of the first countries I learned to identify was Italy. My mother taught me that “Great big Italy kicked poor little Sicily into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea”!
Isn’t that clever?
In the process, I learned to find Italy, Sicily, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Little did I know at that tender age I would one day learn about a small, rugged country a third the size of Switzerland, called Montenegro which lies opposite the boot of Italy.
Why do I want to visit there? Because it is the current home of my daughter and son-in-law, who have shared photographs of some of its incredible beauty over the past years.
Sadly, this is one goal that I am not likely to ever achieve for a host of reasons. That’s a pity, as my life is governed by goals, most of which I achieve. But yesterday, I decided to move a set of goalposts.
