Welcome back to Author Diony George
I’m a wife, mother of seven, and grandmother of two originally from Alaska, but currently live in Utah with my family and now consider myself a true city girl at heart. I will readily admit I don’t miss the giant mosquitoes or the cold and long, dark winters way up North, but I absolutely miss the fresh seafood. Fish and chips made with fresh-caught halibut is my favorite!
My beginning as a writer started in elementary school when a poem I had written for a contest was chosen as a winner, set to music, and sung by the whole school at an assembly. I wrote my first picture book, 11 pages long in fifth grade as an assignment, bound it myself and have read it to my children several times. The next book I wrote, I was in eighth grade, 48 pages long with photograph’s and was a memoir.
The first edition of my first published novel, Torn Apart was released in July 2008, when I was 42 years old, the second edition under a new publisher was released nationally in February of 2009. So…never give up on your dream of writing. I’m currently working on my third novel.
When I’m not imagining a new plot-line or typing frantically away at my computer, I love to spend time with my family, read (my favorite genre is romantic suspense) travel, cook or bake something delicious, sew, scrap-book, or work on crafts.
The best advice I would give on how to become a better writer is to read and write everyday!
You can find more about Diony at
diony-george.blogspot.com.
GUEST POST:
How many of you really believe it’s the small things that matter most?
Giving service to others can be about small things: Taking a bowl of homemade soup to a friend that’s ill or an unplanned visit to someone who’s feeling blue; doing the laundry for a new mom of twins, helping someone stranded in the rain, or watching the children of a friend. This are all seemingly small acts of kindness, however the impact is anything but.
Emotional connections between women—sisters—showing each other they care through acts of service. This is what my new release, “A Sisterhood of Strength” is all about.
Here is one of the stories from the book, submitted by Anne Bradshaw:
Wiped Out by a Sprout
It was a dank September afternoon in Southport, England, and I was in the early stages of pregnancy with our fourth child. As usual with my pregnancies, I felt so ill that all I wanted to do was curl up in a corner somewhere far away. Silent. And minus all smells.
Unfortunately, I was in the kitchen, preparing an evening meal, surrounded by three demanding little people, with no chance of curling up anywhere. Ever. Near or far.
I can still see the Brussels sprouts. As I broke off each outer leaf, a powerful odor, which I don't normally notice switched my stomach to overdrive. It was breaking point. The long, sick day finally got to me and those sprouts wiped me out.
The children had taken their noise into another room, and I collapsed into a chair by the table, dropping my head onto folded arms, weeping. I told Heavenly Father I was sorry I was such a hopeless mother, but I simply couldn't do this anymore. It was all so hard, and I was too sick to cope.
A few minutes later, the front door bell rang. I debated whether I had the strength to go and open the door, knowing that whoever was there would want to talk, and talking created saliva, which also made me throw up.
Somehow, I pushed through the "can't do this" and did it. Was I ever glad? A dear LDS friend who lived miles away, just happened to be passing my house and felt she needed to check up on me. She immediately took in the situation, suggested I went to bed for a while, and told me she would watch the children, finish preparing those nightmare sprouts, and make dinner.
What an angel! I've never forgotten Freda Whiteley's service to me that day, and the way she followed spiritual promptings that answered a prayer. Now, some thirty-four years later, I still think of her every time I peel a Brussels sprout.
One reviewer said: “This book made me want to be a better person and even showed me examples of how to do it.” A great way to forget about our own troubles and challenges is to go out and do something nice for someone else…small things can make a big difference!
“One person can make a difference. Each one of you has unique gifts. Use your gifts to serve others. As we walk in His light, we become women of vision, women of destiny, and women of eternal value…”—Mary Ellen Smoot
Sisterhood of Strength: True Stories of Miraculous Service
Experience for yourself the pure love that inspires ordinary women to serve and accept service in a truly extraordinary manner. This inspiring collection of true stories from the lives of women just like you is told with heartwarming sincerity. Perfect for sharing, this remarkable book is sure to uplift, encourage, and cheer any woman, whether it’s her turn to serve or be served.
Please visit the tour page:
http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/blog-tour-a-sister-hood-of-strength/
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