Fun Archives | Lynn H. Blackburn

March Social Media Roundup

Lynn Blackburn — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:00:20 +0000

March Social Media Roundup

Welcome to this month’s collection of highlights from my social media! For those of you who prefer to stay connected through the blog, this roundup ensures you don’t miss anything!

Highlights

Granny Quinn’s prayer journal has been a popular feature this year! Just wait until she shares her prayers for Mo and Bronwyn…:)

I love my #WackyWednesday posts so much. They’re silly and goofy and yet, sometimes, eerily accurate! I mean, really, potatoes are a superfood!

I created a reel that has had more views than just about anything I’ve ever posted! As a mom to teenagers, I get a real kick out of using their slang – they hate it and tell me to “stop” and “never say that again” on a regular basis. LOL! So I asked an AI to generate book reviews of Break My Fall using Gen Z slang, and y’all…it did not disappoint!

https://lynnhblackburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/I-asked-an-AI-to-describe-Break-My-Fall-using-GenZ-slang.-Yall.mp4

I also shared multiple quotes from Break My Fall! If you haven’t snagged your copy, now’s a great time!!

Did you enjoy this social media roundup? Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see more of!

Grace and peace,

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What I Learned in August

Lynn Blackburn — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 22:35:00 +0000

It’s that time again. August was a wild ride and the stuff I learned this month?

Pretty random.

Here goes.

1. The Olympics are my favorite. Oh my word. I get lost in the backstories of the athletes, the drama of the competition, the rivalries. Love me some rivalries. You have medals? I want you to win more. You don’t have medals? I want you to finally win one!
I will cheer for the USA as long as we are in the fight, and if we aren’t, I’ll pick some other country to cheer for. And my reasons for choosing are as logical as wanting to see the home country win or as random as having issues with the color of someone’s uniform. I love it. I stay up late to watch even though I know I could Google it to find out who won. But where’s the fun in that?! I know some people who just don’t care about the Olympics, but I am not one of those people.

2. The InstantPot rocks. I got mine a few weeks ago when they lowered the price on Amazon Prime day. I’m still figuring it out, but I love it. Boiled eggs – perfection. They peeled so easily, I might actually be able to make some pretty deviled eggs now. Roasts in 70 minutes. Frozen chicken breasts become shredded chicken in under 30 minutes. I have dreams of meal planning and always being prepared when dinner time rolls around but I have yet to see them come true. The InstantPot is a lifesaver for someone like me

3. Lularoe for the win. Have you heard of this stuff? Leggings that are as soft as butter. Shirts that actually hang down long enough to cover your rear when you are wearing those leggings because—say it with me—LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS. My sister got me hooked on LLR and I now own several (cough, cough) pairs of leggings and a few (or, you know, 6) shirts. They are so comfortable. Seriously the most perfect outfit for a homeschooling, writer mom who needs to be able to run outside and throw the football one minute and then snuggle up with her laptop in the next. These are actual clothes—and they look like clothes—but they are as comfy as pajamas. What more could a girl want?

4. Always travel with $1 bills. Let me explain. I rarely have cash. When I do, it’s because I just hit an ATM. So I have $20s. $20s work just fine until you need some smaller bills. Say to tip the bellman at the fancy hotel you just showed up in. But you only have $20s. And he’s nice and friendly and he got your key card to work for you but $20? I’m generally a big tipper, but I can’t go $20. So instead you turn as red as your laptop cover and mumble how you don’t have anything to tip him with but could you please get his name and hunt him down later? And you can tell he totally doesn’t believe you will, and then you spend the next 3 days trying to locate him in the lobby of the hotel. Lesson learned. Keep some $1s and $5s handy.

BTW—I found him. His name was Kevin and he was awesome and I was right. He didn’t believe me. We ended up having a lovely chat and he told me people say that all the time and then never follow through. So if you don’t heed my advice and fail to have small bills handy, promise the bellman a tip and then make good. It just might open up an opportunity to share a teensy bit of the Gospel with him and who knows what God might do with that?

Me with Lynette Eason after the Carol Awards!

5. Listen to your mentors. Someday I’m going to talk more about this, but for now, here’s what I’ve learned. If God has been gracious to you and put mentors in your life, when they tell you you “must” do something? You should probably do it. I’m not going to say always, because humans are fallible and it’s possible they could be wrong. But if you have two mentors who gang up on you and INSIST you take a certain course of action? Yeah. Probably better just say, “Yes, ma’am” and do it.

The screen shot that left me stunned.

In my case, two of my mentors (Lynette Eason and Edie Melson) ganged up on me last March and insisted I enter a couple of contests. Contests I had NO PLANS to enter. None. I said things like, “It’s a waste of time and money for me to enter.” They refused to listen. And now they walk around with big heads saying, “I told you so.”

Me with Edie at the ACFW Gala.

6. Sometimes obedience is fun. Edie shared that little nugget with me a few weeks ago when I was being all angsty about winning awards. Recognition and awards are awesome. Really and truly awesome. But I struggle with it. I don’t want to be prideful—and I know how fast my sinful heart can go there. But I also don’t want to be ungrateful. As another dear friend (and frequent deliverer of spiritual Gibbs’ slaps), Lori Roeleveld reminded me, these awards are gifts from God. Gifts from my very good Father. And as a parent, how would I feel if I gave my children a gift and they said, “It’s nice, but I didn’t really want it?” So I’m trying to stay close to Jesus and enjoy the gifts He’s giving. And trying to remember that while sometimes God does ask us to do hard things, sometimes, obedience is fun.

So what about you? Did you discover something awesome in August? Share it with us in the comments!

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What I Learned in July

Lynn Blackburn — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:05:00 +0000

How is it possibly already the end of July? How?

Anyway – it’s been a C-R-A-Z-Y month, but here are a few things I learned in July.

Dollywood has an amazing guest assistance program. If you travel with a child with any sort of disability, you know how difficult it can be to face long lines, loud crowds, and staring patrons. We spent two days at Dollywood this month and we were very impressed by their attention and care for their guests with disabilities. A quick stop at the ride accessibility office provided us with a card that gave us easy (and fast) access to all the rides, as well as a phone number we could call if we needed anything, or wanted access to Dollywood’s new calming room. The Calming Room was fabulous. Thirty minutes of peace, quiet, books, comfy places to sit, and a break from the crowds. It was just what our girl needed to get through the rest of the day. Who am I kidding…it didn’t hurt me, either!

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Cacao Nibs are amazing. They are my new favorite writing snack. They are tiny, it doesn’t take much for me to feel like I’ve had enough (unlike milk chocolate which I can eat in large quanities and still want more), and they have the crunch from the cacao nib that makes them simply delightful. I’m a fan!

Lavender Oil is the BEST thing for burns. I promise I’m not going to turn into an essential oil evangelist, but despite my original skepticism toward them I have been blown away by how well Lavender Oil works on sunburns and kitchen burns (which I have a LOT of experience with). Our youngest managed to get a pretty bad burn after a day at the lake. I slathered him in some coconut oil that I mixed with the lavender. No complaints, no drama, and next morning, no redness. Even my husband was amazed. I keep Lavender in my kitchen for when I splatter myself with grease or attempt to reach into the oven and burn myself on the rack (don’t ask). It works every time.

Chocolate Avocado Smoothie – I can’t call this health food because people have checked the calorie/sugar counts and shared them in the comments (just look), but this is way better for me than a milkshake, and it satisfies my sweet tooth. Even better, my kids hate it. Probably because of the flax seed, or maybe it’s because I don’t use as much honey as called for so it’s not super sweet. Regardless, I don’t have to share!

Buy the big pot. I have several recipes that are part of our regular meal rotation. I make them often, and I usually double the recipe and freeze whatever is left to save myself some time and trouble later. The problem has been that I haven’t had a big enough pot to double the recipe without having to divvy it up into multiple pots or deal with lots of spillovers. I finally broke down and bought a BIG pot. WHY did I wait to do this? It made meal prep so much more enjoyable and cleanup so much easier. Take my advice…by the big pot.

SaveSave

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What I Learned in April and May

Lynn Blackburn — Tue, 31 May 2016 05:11:00 +0000

I missed the April version of this post because…well….you can read about that in a minute. So I’m squeezing two months into one.

Here goes…

Cancer Sucks. This isn’t new information, but it was brought home to our family when my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. In the past few weeks, she’s been through major surgery and two of a planned six chemo treatments and she is A.MAZ.ING. She is totally rocking the “no hair” look and hats may become a permanent part of her style going forward. She’s a fighter and she’s battling this cancer with everything she has.

Prayer Works. Again, not new information, but sometimes you get slapped between the eyes with prayers that you’d given up on ever being answered and then God does it in His own time and His own way and all you can do is stand back in astonishment and know in the core of your soul that “God did that.”

I have the World’s Greatest Friends. You may think you do, but, I’m very sorry, because you don’t. (Unless you are in the same circle of friends that I’m in, in which case, you’re as blessed as I am). My friends have performed the friendship equivalent of Cirque du Soleil acts over the past few months. Watching my kiddos, bringing food, calling, emailing, texting, praying . . . They have loved me so well.

I really do love knitting. I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like, but I do enjoy it. I need to spend more time with my knitting needles and a little less with Pinterest or Instagram while I’m watching TV.

It really is an honor to be nominated. You hear people say that all the time about the Oscars or the Emmys, and I have to admit I’ve often wondered if it is true. Well, it is. When I got the word the Covert Justice had been named a Selah finalist I couldn’t believe it. I never for minute believed I would win it, I was just thrilled to see my name in the same space as my mentor. (See this post for more info).

It’s fabulous to win. I had the closest thing to an out of body experience that I’ve ever had when Covert Justice actually WON the Selah award. I had one of those, “wait, was that MY name” moments and then one of those “I hope I didn’t hear that wrong and am making a huge fool out of myself” moments as I walked back to the stage. If there were bubbles over my head filled with my thoughts all anyone would have seen was, “What?” “Really?” “Did I hear that right?” “I wonder when they’ll realize they tallied the votes wrong?” “Is this really happening?” “I hope I don’t trip” “HOW did this happen?” and “I can’t believe it!” The best thing about the evening was that I didn’t have to make a speech because it would have been a disaster.

Reading outside my usual genre is something I need to do more often. I write romantic suspense and it is my favorite genre to read. I’ve never understood people who only read one genre, but over the years I’ve found my own reading frame narrowing, not by choice but necessity. There are only so many hours in the day! But over the past couple of months I’ve picked up a couple of fantstic books and while I certainly didn’t learn anything about how to better write a suspense novel, I hope the way the authors laid their stories on the page—with unique structures and prose so beautiful I often had to stop and savor the words—will inform my own writing in ways I can’t yet know.

Middle School isn’t so bad after all. I cannot begin to tell you how I dreaded making the transition to middle school with our daughter. A new school, new kids, new teachers. So.Much.New. But she has thrived. She loves it so much that we are all dreading the long days of summer ahead. She particularly enjoyed all her Special Olympics activities—especially cheerleading. That little bitty one in the front? That’s my girl.

Chalk Pastels are cool. I heard about chalk pastels on a podcast a few weeks ago and promptly ordered a small set. They are cheap and require nothing more than paper and some baby wipes for cleanup. I saved them for a day when we needed a new activity and my boys LOVED it. They drew apples, pumpkins, clouds, tornadoes, BB8 (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and then went wild creating their own masterpieces. I don’t consider myself an artist, but this is something we can do. Definitely worth checking out if you need a rainy day activity with your crew this summer.

I learned so much more, but this post is already ridiculously long. What did you learn this month?

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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Make the Jump

Lynn Blackburn — Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve been asking God to “Edit At Will” (you can read my last post here) and this week He took out His holy red pen and told me it was high time to MAKE THE JUMP.

Let me explain.

I love Star Wars.

I’m not a complete nerd about it. I haven’t read all the books. I don’t know all the backstories. I can’t remember the name of every planet. But I do enjoy the movies and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with our boys. We watched Star Wars: A New Hope a few weeks ago, and one scene jumped out at me in a way I never expected.

Side note #1 – If you don’t think God can speak to you through ANYTHING, I would like to remind you about a guy named Moses and one burning bush. God can and will use things in your day-to-day life to speak TRUTH into your soul if you’ll pay attention.

Side note #2 – Don’t worry if you hate this stuff. I promise it will make sense in a minute, even if you’ve never seen the movies. (Although, if you haven’t, can we talk later?)

Anyway, in this scene, our favorite characters are on board the Millennium Falcon (that’s a very fast spaceship for those who don’t know) and they are being chased down by Imperial cruisers (the bad guys). Young Luke Skywalker is questioning why Han Solo (the captain of the Millennium Falcon) isn’t making the jump to light speed.

You can watch the clip here:

Ben Kenobi: How long before you make the jump to lightspeed?

Han Solo: It’ll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer.

Luke Skywalker: [frantic] Are you kidding? At the rate they’re gaining—

Han Solo: Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that’d end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?

I’ve been thinking about this clip for days, because you know what else I seem to think isn’t like dusting crops?

Life.

Sadly, I’ve come to realize this is how I approach much of my life. I’m anticipating making the jump into the unknown and I’m terrified I’ll run into obstacles. To mitigate the danger, I plan—obsessively—and far too often I never make the jump.

Millennium Falcon

I don’t have the Millennium Falcon’s navicomputer. I have a Bullet Journal and a bunch of colored markers. I have the type of personality that enjoys making lists. I’m the kind of control freak that wants to plan things days/weeks/months in advance and finds great comfort in my plan.

The problem isn’t with the planning. Planning is smart. We serve a God who came up with the most elaborate and glorious plan ever conceived. I don’t think God is anti-plan.

The problem comes when I keep trying to land on a plan that will help me avoid failure, and until I find the perfect plan, I remain stagnant. Pretty sure God is anti-stagnation.

I’m thinking about moving forward.

I’m dreaming big dreams.

I’m imagining a bright future.

But I’m going nowhere fast.

God did not call me to go nowhere. He didn’t redeem me to live out my life without making an impact for Him. He hasn’t left me here to think about doing things for Him. He actually expects me to DO them. He expects me to use my brain (hello navicomputer) and then he expects me to MAKE THE JUMP.

Maybe I’m the only one, but I don’t think so. My guess is that as you’ve read this you’ve come up with at least one thing, and maybe a whole list of things, you’ve been delaying.

Maybe it’s a ministry you need to jump into. Maybe it’s a story you need to write. Maybe it’s a business you need to start. Maybe it’s a class you need to take. Maybe it’s a neighbor you need to talk to. Maybe it’s more about your health or your diet because you know you can’t serve effectively when you can’t even walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air.

I don’t know what yours is.

I know what mine is, well, are.

I know I’ve done more than enough planning to avoid the major catastrophes. I’m not in any danger of bouncing too close to a supernova and you probably aren’t either.

Jumping may take us out of our comfort zone.

At this point, the jump may mean things get hard. It may take me out of my comfort zone. It may make me sweat (literally and figuratively). Jumping now will probably mean hitting a few bumps, scraping some knees, and probably being embarrassed at least a time or two.

But the alternative is unacceptable. I’d rather risk the jump now than find myself blown out of the sky before I ever have a chance to see what God has out there for me in the “hyperspace” of His will for my life.

Anyone want to make the jump with me?

Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Click to Tweet – Is it time to Make the Jump? Lessons on faith from Star Wars!

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What I Learned in March

Lynn Blackburn — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 19:56:00 +0000

Last month’s “What I Learned this Month” was quite well received, so I’m doing it again. It’s coming to you a little late … I hope you don’t mind!

Without further ado…Seven Things I Learned in March.

1. Kittens are cute. This winter, a stray cat adopted us (long story) and a few weeks ago, she had kittens on our deck. I don’t like cats, but really, the kittens are adorable. And while having a cat have kittens on the deck isn’t the kind of thing I would have written into our lesson plans for the year, it’s been a fun experience for the kids.

2. Sometimes you need a new cup. I have a stainless steel thermos with a straw top I have used for years. I love it. It keeps my water cold, it doesn’t make a huge mess if it gets knocked over, it fits in my cup holder, it’s not made out of plastic…all excellent features. But I realized recently that the very act of sipping my water through a straw was slowing down my water consumption—by a lot. I’ve been ridiculously loyal to my thermos, but this month, I broke down and purchased a new Tervis tumbler (complete with Clemson Tiger paws) and a “water bottle lid” and my “glasses per day” numbers have skyrocketed.

3. NEVER ever wait until the last minute to enter a contest. You know when the deadline is, you know it’s going to cost you money to enter, so you might be tempted to think, I’ll wait until the last day. DO NOT DO THIS. I recently entered a contest that I have never participated in. It wasn’t a difficult process, but there were a few extra steps I wasn’t expecting. Because I was entering two weeks before the deadline, they’d didn’t cause me any trouble, but I made myself a note that cutting the deadline close could be disastrous.

4. Peter and the Wolf is awesome! A local orchestra put on a free performance of Peter and the Wolf for school aged children and we absolutely loved it! The musicians brought their instruments into the audience and showed the kids their clarinets, French horns, flutes, and trombones. The music was engaging, the narrator funny and appropriately dramatic, and the performance kept even my five-year-old mesmerized.

5. Vitamin D for the win! Seriously. I don’t realize how desperate I am for sunshine and longer days until I finally start experiencing more of it in March. My general disposition improves dramatically. Next year, I need to be more intentional about getting outside even on the cold days.

6. Sometimes I just need to stay home. There are a lot of great homeschool opportunities in my community. We have wonderful friends. We have family nearby. But sometimes what I need to do is stay home. I need to say no to field trips, lunch dates, quick visits, and meeting people for dinner.

Not because there is anything wrong with any of that. But sometimes for the sake of my sanity and well-being, instead of saying “That sounds great – when should we meet you?” I need to say, “That sounds great but we can’t make it tonight. Another time?”

And then I need to curl up with a book or watch a movie that I’ve seen 100 times and not feel guilty about it (that’s the tricky part). It’s a fine line to walk. Sometimes the excursion is so worth the rushed afternoon or the late night, but I’m trying to think hard about what my “Yes!” means for the rest of my day or week, for myself and for my kiddos.

7. I am not responsible for the miracle. This was my number one takeaway from the homeschool convention I attended in mid-March. It was shared by Sarah MacKenzie of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast and Teaching from Rest fame (who I got to chat with at a meet-up after the convention and she is as delightful as she sounds on the podcast). I think she was quoting someone else, so I’m not exactly sure who to give credit for this, but I wrote these words in my journal and stared at them as she continued to speak. “I am not responsible for the miracle.”

There’s much rest for a weary soul in those words. Whether it’s my efforts to rear my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, or my prayers for fragile relationships, broken bodies, or lost souls, I am not responsible for the miracle. God’s not fretting over my ability to “fix” anything, and if I’m stressing and working myself into a tizzy about it then I’ve installed myself in a position I have no business in.

So that’s it for March. What about you? Did you learn something new this month? Share it with us in the comments!

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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What I Learned in January and February

Lynn Blackburn — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 02:30:00 +0000

Two of my favorite bloggers (Emily P. Freeman and Modern Mrs. Darcy) do something toward the end of each month that I always look
forward to, so I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon.

I love to learn new things, and I want my kids to be
lifelong learners. To help me model this for them, each month I’ll be sharing a
“What I Learned in…” post. There are no rules here. The learning can be
profound or profoundly ridiculous. The point is to pay attention to it
all.

So, without further ado…

What I Learned in January/February (I’m doubling up)!

1. I prefer cashew butter to almond butter.

I know, it sounds silly, but it’s been a big deal for me. I
don’t consume a lot of peanut butter, even though I love it. Most people who
make the switch to “healthier nut butters” go straight to almond butter. For
the past couple of years, I’ve use almond butter and I like it. I just don’t
love it. But cashew butter? Yumminess.

I think there might be a larger lesson
here. Something about not trying to force yourself to love something just
because everyone else does? Or maybe about how it’s better to keep trying new
things instead of assuming they are all basically the same? Come to think of
it, that seems to be a theme for the entire month. Read on.

2. I do not like e-books.

I don’t hate them. I’m not anti-Kindle or anti-Nook or
anti-iPad. But if I have an e-book, there’s a good chance I’ll forget about it
and never get it read. It just doesn’t speak to me the way the hardback on my
nightstand or the paperback in my purse does.

3. I love going to movies alone.

After a ~~near~~ implosion mid-month, my wise husband sent me to
a movie by myself. It was glorious. I may go to another one this month (he
doesn’t know this yet). It’s not that I’m anti-social. But I am a highly-sensitive
introvert and spending all day, every day with people, even the people I love
more than anything in the world, makes me ~~a little~~ seriously crazy.

That night,
I went to dinner with my husband, then drove myself to the theatre where I
arrived 45 minutes early (the only appropriate time to arrive for a move in my
opinion). I got the best seat in the empty theatre then disappeared into
another world (which included Chris Pine and that’s always a good thing) for a
couple of hours. It was rejuvenating, both emotionally and creatively.

4. I love coffee. I don’t need the caffeine.

I gave up coffee in January. After 7 straight days of
headaches, I finally broke free of the caffeine addiction. The coffee
addiction, however, seems to be here to stay. I love a great cup of coffee in
the morning, or with friends, but now I’m drinking decaf. Even at 6 a.m.

5. There are thousands of pounds of unexploded ordnance buried in
Europe, particularly in Germany.

I read
a fascinating article in The Smithsonian about how/why so many bombs didn’t
explode and were lost underground after the Allied bombing raids over Germany.
My writer-brain is having a field day with it. I know there’s a way to use this
in a story someday!

6. Mental clutter shuts me down and it’s worth the effort to
clear it away.

I’m a very visual person and clutter drives me crazy, but
I’ve always thought that as long as it was out of sight, it didn’t bother me.
So things like cluttered closets or the kids’ messy bedrooms weren’t really an
issue. WRONG. I spent a week cleaning out the kids’ rooms and closets and it
has been deliciously freeing.

7. These sushi stacks are awesome.

Try them. I’m not saying you
won’t miss your favorite sushi restaurant, but they may help you survive until
your next roll. (Random: The fact that I now love sushi is a complete mystery
to anyone who knew me as a kid. If you have a picky eater, take heart. They may
outgrow it!)

Ok – that’s it for now. I actually have five more things,
but this post is already too long.

I’d love for you to leave a comment and share
one, two, or twenty things you’ve learned so far this year.

The post What I Learned in January and February appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Writing Update and Links I Love – April 25th Edition

Lynn Blackburn — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 22:10:00 +0000

Covert Justice

Covert Justice goes on sale in just six weeks!

Members of Harlequin’s Readers Service have already received their copy, and Covert Justice is starting to get some love.

My dear friend and mentor, Lynette Eason, has given Covert Justice a fabulous endorsement.

And Leslie R. McKee reviewed it for Romantic Times and gave Covert Justice 4 stars. Here’s what she had to say…

Isn’t that lovely!

I’m working on my Fiction Newsletter that will go out to my newsletter subscribers next week. Newsletter subscribers get behind-the-scenes info on my writing, including an exclusive deleted scene from Covert Justice. If you haven’t signed up yet, the signup form is in the sidebar. Or you can go here…

Yes, I want to signup for your newsletter!

I’m also hard at work on a new book. I’d so appreciate your prayers for this story. Writing a book while preparing for the release of another book is challenging. It’s a little bit (a very little bit!) like having your second child.

When you had your first baby, you could put all your energy into that little bundle of joy. But when the second one comes along, you need to nurture and feed and stay up late with this new creation, while still giving your firstborn lots of time and attention as well.

It’s a challenge to adjust to the new demands, but eventually, you find your rhythm.

With my books, I’m still in the “challenging” stage, but every now and then I get hints and glimmers of a manageable rhythm, so I’m pressing on.

For your weekend…here are a few finds from the internet that caught my eye!

Faith
My friend, Lori Roeleveld, has been writing some powerful posts about love. Start with this one, What Hope When Murderers Reign, and then be sure to read the next severals posts and allow these truths about LOVE to sink deep.

Fiction and Fun (well, fun might not be the right word…)
I was so sad to hear about Jonathan Crombie’s passing. (I may have watched all of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables, the Sequel…in one day…) From Buzzfeed, here are 25 Times Gilbert Blythe from “Anne of Green Gables” Melted Your Heart.

Family
Loved this perspective from Modern Mrs. Darcy – Balance Isn’t a See-Saw. It’s a game of Twister.

Food

And another one from Modern Mrs. Darcy – My Favorite Things to Buy at Trader Joe’s.

Fitness
Fitness is more than just hitting the gym. Hitting your pillow and getting a full night of sleep is crucial. I enjoyed this post from Michael Hyatt on Sleep and Your Productivity.

Grace & peace,
Lynn

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Writing Update and Links I Love

Lynn Blackburn — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 23:55:00 +0000

Writing Update

I’m working away on a new novel. A secondary character from Covert Justice just showed up on the front porch and sent things in a very interesting direction. This guy is persistent! I looked at him and thought, “I’m so glad you’re here, but I wish you’d let me know you were coming!” (I realize for those of you who don’t write, this may be a bit disturbing…welcome to my world!)

My author copies of Covert Justice should be arriving soon. I’m insanely excited to see them and hold them and put one on my bookshelf! I’m up to my eyeballs in promotion work for Covert Justice and excited to offer some fun treats for my readers!

For those of you who might not know, my publisher is Love Inspired Suspense and they offer a book club. If you sign up, you receive new releases in your mailbox 2 months before they are released to the public. This means that book club members will start receiving Covert Justice in just a few weeks! AAAGGGHHH!

Be on the lookout for an opportunity to join my prayer team. I’m convinced that there is NO WAY I can do this without having a strong team of prayer warriors behind me. I’ll be giving you the opportunity to commit to praying for me, and for the readers of Covert Justice, in the months ahead.

On Wednesday (April 1), we’ll be celebrating the first #KillerVoices book releases on Facebook with an all-day release party. Follow me on Facebook and join in the fun!

Some Links I Love for your Weekend:

Family

I loved this. We’ve all got strengths so let’s stop comparing! No, You’re Not More of a Real Mom Because Your House is Messy

Yes! Yes! Yes! I prefer books over Kindles – this explains it so well. Why Digital Natives Prefer Reading in Print – Yes, You Read that Right

Faith

Wisdom from my dear friend @LoriRoeleveld The Day God Forgot His Call On My Life

Fiction

A must read, whether you write or not. The Trajectory Principle

Useful for all suspense writers. Writing Spies – Which Agency Does What To Who?

Food and Fitness

We love our foam rollers. Do you have one? 2 Things You Should be Doing on Your Foam Roll (That You Aren’t Doing Now)

I couldn’t decide if I should post this under food or fun! Yeah for coffee! 3 to 5 Cups of Coffee a Day May Lower Heart Attack Risk

Wanting to give spaghetti squash a try? This recipe is a staple at our house. We add pepperoni! 5 Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie

Fun

A little bit of salty language. Don’t read this one if you never make snide remarks – it’s high on the snarky scale! 17 Motivational Posters for Sarcastic Parents

The post Writing Update and Links I Love appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Links I Love

Lynn Blackburn — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 01:34:00 +0000

Happy Sunday Out of the Boat readers!

Today, I’m starting a new weekend post. Let me know how you like it.

1st up – A writing update

(Because about three of you really want to know)!

Covert Justice has a cover! Stop back by tomorrow for the big reveal!

Book 2 is actually starting to come along. By come along, I mean the characters have decided to talk to me again and I have a good idea of what sort of torture I’m about to inflict upon them. By Tuesday, I will probably be back in the Pit of Despair, convinced I’ll never finish another book. EVER. It’s a vicious cycle.

I now have a Goodreads Author Profile. If you are on Goodreads, I’d love for you to stop by and add Covert Justice to your to-be-read shelf and maybe ask me a question about the book. Thanks!

Covert Justice is also available for pre-order on Amazon. Seeing the book, with my name, on Amazon and Goodreads has been C-R-A-Z-Y fun. Until I start thinking about getting reviews. Then I experience shortness of breath and the room starts spinning. (I’m joking. Kinda).

2nd – A little link love.

Some of my favorite finds this week. Maybe you’ll find something that inspires or encourages you. Or maybe it tickles your funny bone. Note: Not all of these posts are from Christian sources. Occasional salty language is possible.

Faith and Family

The One Question Every Parent Should Quit Asking by Scott Dannemiller @HuffPost Parents – good stuff

Dear Mom Who Refuses to Rest by Ruth Simons @ gracelaced – toe stomping good stuff

7 Ways to Prepare as a Homeschool Mom @ Teachers of Good Things – Yep. We’re thinking about heading down this path and this was a great post.

Fiction

Top Ten Things You Need to Know About the Writing Life from James Scott Bell @ The Kill Zone – JSB always has good advice.

On Becoming a Writer from Jen Hatmaker – Got doubts about writing? Read this.

Write Free by Carla Laureano @ Seriously Write – And this.

7 Days to Less Productivity and More Creativity by Allen Arnold @ Novel Rocket – This totally changed my week. It specifically applies to writers, but it could be just what you need for whatever God has called you to this week.

Fitness, Food, and Fun

Sausage, Potato and Spinach Soup from Damn Delicious – Best recipe find from our recent Whole45. You don’t have to eat Paleo or be on a Whole30 to appreciate this soup. It’s awesome and reheats beautifully. Comfort food for a cold day. (If you’re dairy free, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I promise you can’t taste it).

Chalk This One Up – Do CrossFit? Lift heavy? You need some chalk. This cracked me up!

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That’s it for this week.
I’m headed out to stock up for the winter storm that may or may not give us some snow and/or ice tomorrow. This the first real shot we’ve had all winter. I know my friends up North are sick of the white stuff, but I won’t lie…I wouldn’t mind a snow day!

May your week be filled with grace and peace,

Lynn

The post Links I Love appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.