My Friend, the Queen

I've been excited about this Friendly Friday visit since the idea hit me--today my friend is "the other half of my brain", Joanne Sher. Her birthday was this last Wednesday, so this post from her is spot on. It also shows you who Joanne is at heart, a totally incredible woman. There's not many moms that I know who would do this while grocery shopping. Join me welcoming Joanne...

The Queen Mother Goes Grocery Shopping

By Joanne Sher (written August 4, 2009)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Yesterday was a fun, silly day. But in all the fun, I got terribly convicted about a huge issue in my life.

You see, it was my birthday yesterday. And when it's your birthday, and you have two elementary-aged children, celebrating is less about you and more about them. I'm not one to want to pass up my birthday (or even "pick an age and stick with it"), but even if I were, it just wouldn't work. They KNOW it's your birthday, and those cute children are going to make a big deal about it no matter what. SO, you might as well go along with it.

My lovely 5 1/2-year-old daughter, Annika, with no guidance, made me a birthday crown out of some of my old scraps of scrapbooking paper. She worked hard on it - even used scalloped scissors on one edge to make it look more "crowny." She was very proud of her creation, and I was thrilled to wear it.

I was the birthday queen.

Only one issue. Monday is the day we go grocery shopping. And when I say "we," I mean all of us. For a minute, I debated what to do with my birthday crown. I could easily just place it on the kitchen counter and put it on when we return. She hasn't even asked me if I was going to wear it to shopping.

But then I realize that I would rather make my daughter beam and be a bit embarrassed than make her sad and save face. So the crown stayed right on my head. And she was so proud.

So, here we all were at Meijer, me with an obviously blue circle of paper on my dark brown hair. It was interesting how people reacted to me. Most, to be honest, either were purposely ignoring me or just didn't see me. I got a couple "this woman should be in the looney bin" looks, too. Several (most who had children with them) smiled or laughed when they saw me. And a few actually asked about it.

The "askers" were, by far, my AND Annika's favorites. Cuz, of course, when they asked, she got to tell them it was my birthday--and I got to share that my beautiful daughter had made the crown for me. And did she EVER glow. It made the embarrassment MORE than worth it.

And that's how it should be in our Christian walk. When we follow Christ's commands, we might look odd to others. And sometimes, we'll try to "tone it down" so we don't get too embarrassed standing out in the crowd. And I hate to admit it, but I do this way too often.

But it's amazing what simply being willing to live for Him, and risk the embarrassment of being different, can do for His Kingdom.

Sure, some may completely ignore you. Others may even give you a hard time. And some will look at you and smile, knowing exactly why you're acting the way you are.

But the best ones are the ones who stop you and ask why you are the way you are. And then, you can tell them why you're a bit different from the others, and Who you are serving. And just maybe, you can make your Savior beam--and maybe even gain Him another follower.

And that is nothing to be embarrassed about. Even if you are a Queen Mother (for a day).

~*~*~*~*~*~

Joanne Sher is a Jew by birth, a Christian by rebirth, and a writer by gift. A native Southern Californian, she now lives happily in West Michigan with her husband and two school-aged children.

Her first book, still seeking a home, explores God's preparation, protection and provision through her husband's serious health issues. She is also working on a biblical fiction set during King Saul's reign and centered around the handmaiden of Saul's daughter Michal.

She is also a blogger, not only at her own site, but at the FaithWriters blog, where she posts daily. She also posts monthly at Jewels of Encouragement, The Barn Door, and Internet Cafe Devotions.

Joanne on:
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A Few -apparently needed- Hints and Tips From an Agent

Join me welcoming my agent, Linda Glaz.(Wow. I still don't know whether to flop back in shock or dance when I say that. My agent. hehe. Sooo cool.) And she's a very cool lady and friend. We're even friends on days other than Fridays.

And now, here's Linda with

A Few (apparently needed) Hints and Tips 
From an Agent

When you approach an agent or editor, what makes you stand out in the crowd?
In a good way…

Let’s first analyze a few of the bad ways to stand out.

Agent: I enjoyed your query and am very intrigued by the premise of your book. Could you please send along a proposal per our agency guidelines at your earliest convenience?

Writer: I appreciate your interest, while I’m too busy to put together a formal proposal, feel free to stop by my website and have a sample read. www.bigdopeywriter.com

~*~

Writer: You’ve been selected out of all the agents I’m submitting to as the one to have the first crack at this work. I just know you’ll see the potential for the future of this book. Hopefully you will have the intelligence to see this and the connections needed to get this book into the right hands. From what I’ve heard about your agency, I’m sure you do.

Agent: I don’t want to hold you back. Feel free to send to Number Two on your list.

~*~

Please stop sitting at your computer laughing. Worse has been done and said.

So now we know how to get negative attention. Let’s look on the positive side.

~*~

Agent: Your premise is very intriguing. I would love to have a look at a well-polished, professional proposal. Please see our agency guidelines and submit to me at your earliest convenience.

Writer: I’m anxious to show you my proposal. Let me freshen it according to the agency’s guidelines, and I’ll have it to you within a week. Thanks for this opportunity.

~*~

Do agents and editors want people groveling? No, but a person who shows that they can follow directions and are eager to make a presentation in a timely matter will find themselves at the top of the pile for a read. While others with VERY good books will never be seen. Few people are willing to wade through giant-sized egos to be lucky enough to have that read.

The way an author responds with a proposal shows the editor or agent how well and how timely the writer will be when editing a manuscript. There’s nothing worse than working with someone who doesn’t “have a clue”.

Sending children’s books to an editor who only handles adult fiction is a tip-off that the author didn’t do his homework.

Sending erotica to an agency that considers novels from a Christian world view, is not only foolish, it closes doors that didn’t need to be closed.

Please don’t get me wrong. We all have foolish and embarrassing stories from when we started out. You don’t? Ooh, I’m bad. I have a drawer full, but I learned from the mistakes and moved on.

I would rather have one good author who is willing to work his or her behind down to a size one than forty amazing authors who are difficult to work with, having egos that are a size 18. There isn’t enough money in the world!

That being said. Send me your proposals:
per the agency guidelines…I love nothing better than a good read.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Linda Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency and is always looking for the next great book and wonderful writer to work with. While she will look at any proposal other than children's, fantasy, and erotica, her heart is with fiction. No graphic sexuality or language. A veteran of the Air Force, she's already had the opportunities in life to meet a lot of characters; show her some interesting ones in your book. Please check the agency guidelines before submitting.

You can find Linda online at her blog http://lindaglaz.blogspot.com/ and at Harline's blog.

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A Friendly Friday with Jennifer Slattery

Where would we be without friends? Friends are so very important and every now and then I'll introduce you to a friend of mine on Friendly Fridays.

One of the ladies I've met while working with Clash of the Titles is Jen Slattery. Jen quickly turned into a special prayer friend and today she's sharing a bit of her marriage with us...


Last year for our anniversary my husband and I packed our suitcases and got away…to downtown Kansas City. Quite honestly, I felt a bit silly when we checked into our hotel.

“Where are you from?”

“Kansas City.” The guy’s face scrunched in confusion so I quickly added, “Up north.” Like a whole twenty minutes north.

True, we could have spent the weekend at the Plaza without getting a hotel, but there’s something about getting away that makes the evening special. It’s like it puts your brain in romance mode. There’s no dishes to think about. No television to distract you. No phone calls to ignore. It’s just you and your spouse.

It was a wonderful evening. I’m a jeans and sweater kind of gal, but this time I dressed up and…(gasp) wore heels.  For about ten minutes. My husband booked a hotel room in the heart of downtown, walking distance to the shops and restaurants. That night, we strolled hand in hand, me talking a mile a minute while my husband offered that strong-silent-type-loving-smile. (Although halfway down a major sloping hill I turned around and changed shoes.)

We didn’t really do anything exciting. Mostly we just walked, hand in hand, which is my favorite thing to do. Then, after dinner, we went for ice-cream and watched a magician from the ice-cream store window. It was a time to laugh, to relax, and to forget about paying bills, raising children, job stressers, or housework. And it’s something we do once a year, without fail, regardless of our schedule or budget.

Initially, this was hard. Our daughter was a toddler the first time we got away. It was near the Easter holiday and the hotel we stayed at hosted an Easter egg hunt for its guests. I literally felt ill as I stood on our balcony watching little girls flitter across the lawn, floral bonnets tied around their heads, baskets in hand. It was a tug and pull kind of thing. My heart was drawn to my husband, and I cherished the one-on-one time with him, yet I missed our little girl terribly.

At lunch on the first day, as my husband and I sat across from one another in a quaint San Diego restaurant, soft music playing in the background, I realized how crucial that weekend was. The way my husband looked at me, the way his eyes centered on mine as if I was the only person in the restaurant, electrified my heart. Suddenly we were dating again.

Jennifer Slattery is a novelist and freelance writer living in the midwest with her husband and their thirteen year old daughter, Ashley Slattery. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, The Christian Pulse, and Samie Sisters and is the marketing manager for the literary website Clash of the Titles. Visit her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud to find out more about her and her writing.

Jennifer Slattery
Broken Lives Saturated by Grace
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JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com
ClashOfThetitles

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