Category: My Writing Journey
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Reviews of RUINED
There are hundreds of reviews at Goodreads. I’ll link a few others of which I am aware: #3. Review by Mavis Moon at her blog on 7/1/17. from the review: The church did fail Ruth. People like ministers and chaplains, college administrators and others, who might have been a source of comfort and healing, were…
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Reviews of CHASING THE DIVINE IN THE HOLY LAND
#4. Review by Lois Sibley at Reviewing Religious Books (her blog) on 5/24/13. from the review: When Ruth Everhart was invited to participate in a ten-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she thought about it for awhile. As Presbyterian minister of a church in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, busy with both family and church, she…
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The Parable of the Sheet Cake
It’s surprisingly difficult to give away half a sheet cake to strangers, piece by piece. I know this because I had a book signing last Sunday. My husband and I set up a table full of books — all 3 of my titles — and half a sheet cake. And not a single person came.…
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I Got Trolled by Breitbart
Two months ago I wrote an Op-Ed for “Acts of Faith” at the Washington Post and conservative media slandered me. Since Breitbart is a cultural force and “truth” continues to be at issue, I decided to set out the facts for anyone who wonder what it’s like to be falsely vilified by the media. Op-Ed…
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Get It Written, Get It Published: How a Writing Group Can Help
Should a serious writer bother with a writing group? I led a forum on this subject at Festival of Faith & Writing. About 30 writers came to the forum and I shared with them why I believe in the power of writing groups. Here are my notes: BENEFITS of a Writing Group: can help each…
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A Book Signing: Sitting In My Chair
My book-signing table was at the very front of the Books-A-Million store, so at first I felt self-conscious, sitting so conspicuously with my books. Then I realized I had a front row seat to life at the mall, more observing than observed. People who were alone tended to walk past at a fast clip, on…
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Writing Workshop at Collegeville Institute
Today while on a writing workshop, I enjoyed Benedictine hospitality. I drank a cup of tea in the Japanese style, then demolished a piece of homemade custard pie served on a handmade plate and garnished with strawberries. Gift upon gift! The Fire that Produces Pottery While we enjoyed our tea, Master Potter, Richard Bresnahan, sat…
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The Devil in the Numbers
How is my book selling? How does it compare to other books? Is it good enough? Those numbers can make me question my value.
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An Artist’s Date
If you’ve read “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, you may recognize the phrase “Artist’s Date.” It’s basically a block of time you spend by yourself to fill up your senses and restore your creativity. Her website puts it like this: Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. . .…
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Oiling the Bike Chain: Distracting Myself from Writing
When I first met my husband, I was into long-distance bicycle riding. I was also very busy writing short stories and submitting them to contests. Early on in our relationship, my husband realized that whenever I got stuck on a story, I would get a powerful urge to go oil my bicycle chain. After all,…