Set Your Sights On Things Above
We so quickly get our eyes off God. Let's get back into
perspective.
perspective.
4/24/2016
New From Author Annie Douglass Lima!
I'm excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to The Collar and the Cavvarach.
First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1:
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?
The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover). Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.
Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon for
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didnât commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?
Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon
for
Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guardfrom Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats) for
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her studentsâ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Connect with the Author Online:
Email: [email protected]
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnieDouglassLima LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn Google Plus: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of The Collar and the Cavvarach!
4/24/2016
Interview with Annie Douglass LimaTell us a bit about your latest work.
The Gladiator and the Guard is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, the first one being The Collar and the Cavvarach. The stories take place in a world almost exactly like our own. Although most aspects of the culture are just about what they are currently on Earth, a few sports are different, such as the martial art known as cavvara shil. The main difference, however, is that slavery is legal there. The Krillonian Empire rules much of the world. An emperor, who is never named, governs from the capital city, Krillonia, on the continent known as Imperia. Eight separate provinces (originally independent nations before they were conquered) can be found on nearby continents. Each province, plus Imperia, is allowed to elect its own legislature and decide on many of its own laws, but the emperor reserves the right to veto any of them and make changes as he sees fit. This seldom happens, however, and to most people the emperor is merely a vague and distant ceremonial figure. The prevalence of slavery is probably what would stand out the most to visitors from Earth. There are nearly as many slaves in the city of Jarreon, where both books take place, as free people, and they are easily identified by the steel collars they are required to wear locked around their necks. From each collar hangs a tag inscribed with the slave’s name, their owner’s name, and a copy of their owner’s signature. On the back of the tag is their owner’s phone number and a bar code that can be scanned to access additional information. Many families own one or more slaves who do their housework and yardwork. Businesses often own a large number of slaves, usually for manual labor, though some are trained for more complex tasks. Those who don’t own their own slaves may “hire in” one belonging to someone else. The accepted rate for an hourly wage is two-thirds the amount that a free person would earn for equivalent labor (the money goes to the slave’s owner, of course). To read more about the culture of the Krillonian Empire, take a look at this post on my blog. Here’s the back-cover blurb for The Collar and the Cavvarach†: Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse? And the blurb for The Gladiator and the Guard†: Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system†and seize his freedom†before that system crushes him? What first inspired you to begin writing? I’ve been writing for as long as I can recall. When I was seven years old, I had a sudden inspiration for what I thought was an amazing story and decided then and there that I was going to write a book and be the world's youngest author. I ran to my room in great excitement, found an old notebook and a pencil, and started in. Well, that first novel was never actually finished, let alone published, but it got me started. After that, I can't remember a time that I wasn't working on at least one book. Prince of Alasia, which I started in college, was the first one I finished that I thought was worth trying to get published. I looked into traditional publishing and spent a long time trying to get an agent, but to no avail. Finally I learned about Kindle publishing and did it myself the indie way, eleven years after I first started writing the book. A few months later I added the paperback edition. It was quite a thrill to me to finally fulfill my childhood dream! Now I’ve published a total of twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of my students’ poetry). What keeps you writing now? I can’t help it. Characters romp around having adventures in my head until I have to let them out. I have no choice! I know you do lots of traveling…what is your favorite place to have visited so far? Why is it your favorite? I’ve been privileged to visit so many wonderful places, it’s hard to pick just one! Since my husband and I live in Taiwan, we’re relatively close to a lot of Asian locations that would be harder and much more expensive to get to from the US, so we’ve been trying to take advantage of travel opportunities. Over our Christmas break, we enjoyed a vacation of a lifetime in the exotic country of Myanmar, and that definitely stands out as one of my favorites. One particular memory is of the boat ride we took through a town on a lake. And when I say “on” a lake, I really mean that the buildings were literally on the water. Not on the shore overlooking the lake, but standing on poles in the middle of the lake, accessible only by boat! Houses, stores, schools, factories, restaurants, government buildings – it was fascinating to see! (For pictures and video of this on my blog, click here.) Do you ever hear from readers? And if so, what is your favorite reader response so far? I do occasionally hear from readers I don’t know, but my favorite readers are my students. I teach fifth grade, and every year I read my class one or two of my books (sometimes an unpublished manuscript that I’m in the process of polishing). They always enjoy them, and I know I’ve done something right when they don’t even want to stop for recess! A few times I’ve even caught students sneakily reading one of my books behind their desk when they’re supposed to be working on an assignment. It’s really hard to scold them when that happens! How do your spiritual beliefs impact what you write? Although my novels are not Christian as such, I always try to keep them clean and to promote positive moral values. For example, in†Prince of Alasia†I bring out the themes of honesty and forgiveness, and In the Enemy's Service emphasizes honesty and grace. †Prince of Malorn features the idea that no matter how great a ruler is, his people aren't likely to care much about him or listen to his message unless he will humble himself, give up his rights and titles, and become one of them. My two books in the Krillonian Chronicles focus on the value of human life in any form. I hope The Collar and the Cavvarach, especially, will make readers think about the value of human life and perhaps take a second look at some of the practices we accept or choose to turn a blind eye to in our own culture. Legalized slavery sounds so impossibly wrong that it’s easy to think we could never let it happen in this day and age, but how many other wrongs do we overlook just because it isn’t convenient to do anything about them? And in The Gladiator and the Guard, I hope readers will realize, as Bensin eventually does, that we can all choose the type of person we want to be, no matter what our circumstances are. We might not have a say in what happens to us, but we can decide how we will respond and what kind of character we will exhibit. What inspired you to begin writing in that genre? Reality just doesn’t offer me enough freedom as a writer! I like to be able to make the rules. When I read, I like knowing that things could happen that just can’t in the real world. What are your plans for future projects? I plan to write at least one more book in this series, though I’m tossing around ideas that may eventually lead to other stories set in the same world. In the meantime, I’m working on a final book in my Annals of Alasia fantasy series, called King of Malorn, which should be ready to publish in the next few months. I’m also eager to get back to Heartsong, the science fiction novel that I drafted for last year’s NaNoWriMo. I hope to have that one polished and ready for publication in another year or so. Lots of irons in the fire!
4/22/2016
Who is We?What's the definition of 'we'?
My contention right now is that in this country people have a fundamental difference in how they define that word. And the difference defines the difference between liberal social views, and conservative social views. I say that because I know people who label themselves socially on the liberal side - claiming that it's different than the conservative side...because they say they care about the poor. They think 'we' should give aid to poor people. They believe 'we' should have a greater focus on education. They think 'we' should take care of the environment. The thing is, I know people on both sides, so I KNOW that conservatives actually want all those things too. You understand, BOTH sides are saying they want the same thing. Conservatives think 'we' should give aid to poor people. They believe 'we' should have a greater focus on education. They think 'we' should take care of the environment. (Yes, they do - and if you don't believe me, it's because you're not a conservative and you're listening to the liberal media and leftist pundits putting a spin on conservative viewpoints.) So I look back and forth at both sides. They both want the same things. Why is there a difference? Here's what I think it is: The difference is in who 'WE' is. To the liberal, 'WE' is the government. To the conservative, 'WE' is you and me... 'WE' is the individual. The liberal suffers from a lack of trust in the individual. The conservative suffers from a lack of trust in the government. And this is the fundamental difference I see in liberal vs. conservative on social views.
4/13/2016
Our Spiritual Gifts in ActionÂI can't really take credit for the following. It comes from an illustration I heard in a sermon a long time ago. It's been a few years, and I've embellished the details a bit, but in essence, this is it. Here's what he taught us that our spiritual gifts look like when they're being used correctly in our churches. Say there's a potluck at church. Everyone's bringing in their favorite dishes and anticipating a great time of food and fellowship. Then one young lady walks in carrying a heavy load. She's got a full casserole dish, a big stack of paper plates, and a platter piled high with dinner rolls. Plus she's got her purse hanging off one shoulder, and a toddler clinging to her skirts. This woman is overburdened. Immediately upon her entrance, 'Mr. Helps' sees her and begins to rush to her aid. He doesn't make it in time though, and the woman fumbles her dishes. Her entire burden comes crashing to the floor - food smeared all over the carpet, dinner rolls scattering hither and yon, broken glass littering the entryway. Now the other gifts are all activated at once. "Helps" picks up the screaming toddler and walks away so the child doesn't get hurt on the glass. "Mr. Prophet" and "Ms. Teacher" walk over together. "Prophet" tells the woman on the floor that she tried to take on too much herself and should have asked for help. "Teacher" begins to show her how she could have balanced them more efficiently, or taken two trips to bring it all in. "Administrations" goes to get the janitor to clean up the mess. "Mercy" and "Encouragements" kneel at the woman's side and consoles her, saying everyone understands, it could have happened to any of the rest of us, and perhaps offers a humorous anecdote to take her mind off the embarrassment and help her relax. "Giver", without saying a word, has already left for the store to buy more food and replace the broken dishes. "Leader" helps her stand back up again and dust herself off, then leads her to a table where she can help in a different area. None of these responses are wrong. Can you see yourself in any of these? I know I can. And I can pick out people in my church who would react in these different ways, too. Do you see how all the needs of that situation were met? Spiritual, physical, and emotional. Where we get in trouble is when we fail to recognize the spiritual gifts of those around us, and begin to be envious or critical of each other. If the response turns carnal though.... "Mercy" can easily become upset with "Prophet" for being blunt and not caring how the woman felt, while "Prophet" gets annoyed and disdainful of "Mercy" for catering to the woman's feelings. "Teacher" is annoyed with "Administrations" for going to find the janitor and not teaching the woman how to clean up her own mess. "Helps" is annoyed with everyone for standing around talking when there's a mess to clean up, and "Giver" is frustrated that they're the only one who thought to replace all that ruined food and lost dishes. But See? If we just realize that the other person has a role to fulfill, and it's vital to having all the needs met, then we wind up working as a team...each person doing what they need to do, and respecting the role that the others are fulfilling as well. The woman will learn where she was wrong, and be taught what to do better next time. She will be soothed and comforted so she can receive the message and instruction in the proper spirit, and the actual mess will get cleaned up while the broken things are fixed and the lost items replaced. Amazing when you think about it. God created us to be a team, to work together and solve situations in the world as a team. Not to be at each other's throats.
4/1/2016
Guest Post on Grace & Faith 4 UI really like this photo - so I'm sharing it... (don't judge unless you judge this an awesome shot of a sunset at Santa Monica pier, taken by yours truly...then you can judge.)
But something neat happens if you click on this photo, and something even more awesome will happen if you share this post. First, you'll be taken to a guest post of mine over on a different blog, and second, we'll all be grateful if you read and share it. I think those are great reasons to share. Happy April Fool's Day! |
AuthorI'm Sherry Chamblee, aspiring author of Christian fiction, mom of six, wife to a cool dude, and caregiver to his granny. Besides that, I am just little old me - it's just a phrase, I'm not really old, honest. Check out my new release!
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