Southern Tides Newsletter

This week’s post will be a little different because there is an extra Tuesday and Wednesday in September. It is a sort of newsletter. Next week, we will be back on schedule with flash fiction story.

I want to start by telling you what has been happening on my writing journey. The other day someone said to me. “Everything is going so well for you.” Of course, this made me laugh. I had to confess that was because I only post about the good stuff, but don’t worry I’m not planning on dwelling on the bumps. Let’s just say, there have been lots of disappointments, but as my writing coach told me, “He is the God of the hills and the valleys.” Here are a few highlights from the last couple of months, I got a new agent, Bob Hostetler, and he is amazing. He has written dozens of books and served as a pastor.  His newest book, The Bard and the Bible, won book of the year at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. We are working on proposals for my book and series to send to acquisition’s editors. My flash fiction piece, Croquet Kiss, was published in the August edition of Spark. If you would like to read it, there is a link to Amazon on the right column on my website. Lastly, I have become a blogger which is much harder than I thought it would be. Please bear with me as I learn this new art form.

People are always asking me for book recommendations, so I would love for y’all to check out some of the book reviews on the website. I just added two more. I love to read and my children love to read, so we will all be posting book reviews on Christian fiction books. If you want to learn more about Christian fiction, please check out my post from July. Here is the link: https://lesliedevooght.com/2017/07/christian-fiction/

Lastly, I don’t like to be too serious on here, but I felt called to share this message. Last Sunday I attended the memorial service for a friend who was murdered last week. Yes, you read that correctly, and he didn’t have a dangerous job. He was a chef in an upscale restaurant. He was thirty-seven years old and had two precious children, four and ten. Please pray for this family. Obviously, this shook my perspective on life—what’s important and what’s not. (Probably not soccer. Although, here I sit at the fields for practice two of five for the week.) Friday morning, as my family left for work and school, I wondered would they come home, but God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us walk with him in faith, knowing we will have eternal life. We need to show love to those around us, not just our family and friends, all those around us. We never know when we are planting a seed that will lead someone to Jesus. At the service, my friend’s widow spoke. I wish I could tell you what she said, but I was too emotional to remember the words. All I can say is that she found her strength in Jesus. He lifted her up to speak and seeds were planted.

Seriously, our most important role in this world is serving the Lord and bringing people to Jesus. If you don’t have a relationship with Him, if you don’t know the power He holds for those of us who love him, please reach out to me. Jesus wants to know you. I know my friend is with Him, but I want to be sure you will be there my sweet friends. I will pray with you and love you. For Jesus lovers, how can you show love to someone today? How can we plant seeds?