Guest Post from Author Bonnie Leon with Book Spotlight

Today Blooming with Books is hosting author Bonnie Leon.

Enjoy this guest post from her:

Do you ever feel as if you can’t do one more thing? That life is just too much? It’s too hard? You’re too busy? You’re overwhelmed? In these trying times, my guess is that many of us find ourselves in such a place.

Writers often feel this way, even in the best of times. And when life throws something awful our way the weight of it all can feel too heavy, be too great a burden.

Writing books is a solitary endeavor, usually. Most of us don’t mind that. In fact, being a novelist in today’s publishing world forces many of us out of our comfortable dens.

There was a time when novelists “just” wrote. Mostly.

Today writers are also now advertising experts, bloggers, publishers,
researchers, secretaries, bookkeepers, speakers, social media experts ...
and they are also mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, caretakers. Writers
work other jobs and serve in their churches and communities. They have
families that need them and long to-do lists that have nothing to do with
writing.

Yet, at the end of our very long days we are expected to have minds that
can think creatively and if we hope to craft a novel we need the energy to
labor through the hours that make up the months required to get to the
place where we write The End.

I’m certain God called me to write, but I’m also convinced that he didn’t
expect me to kill myself doing it. We as writers need to realize that none of
us are required to work ourselves into the ground.

I long to write great novels, to lose myself in unique and interesting tales,
and to get caught up in the lives of characters that I care about. But that
doesn’t always happen. The blaring horn of the world distracts me.

I cannot ignore the hubbub. So much of it matters too. The diversions,
mysteries, heartaches, and the fun are also part of life. If we anchor
ourselves to our desks and skip those pieces we really aren’t living at all.

We need time of quiet to listen to the hush of the forest or the humming
noise of the city, time with friends and family, time to take in the moments
with a child that will never come again—laughter and tears—we need to live
it all, no matter what job we are called to.

I marvel at those who live quietly in the ebb and flow of life. Those who
don’t fight the tide, but allow it to carry them out to sea and then rest when
washed into a quiet pool. Can I find my way to such a place, in the quiet
presence of the lord or in the friendship of someone who comes alongside,
and in the confidence of releasing a pursuit and learning not to strive so
hard?

And what about all the writerly things I need to do? I’m still sorting that out.
I can’t do it all and instinctively know that I should focus on what comes
naturally, to do the things I enjoy and to write what I feel passionate about.
If I do that, the tasks are not a burden, but an opportunity to create.

As part of God’s family, we need to encourage and uplift one another. As a
writer, I need to hear from fellow writers and from readers. Words of
understanding and encouragement can brighten a dark day.

Only in the presence of God can we truly find contentment and gratitude
about who we are, where we are and what we do. It’s good to be in the
place God plants us. He knows our hearts like no other, and in Him we are
able to find peace and rest. And are able to write another day.


More about Bonnie Leon:
Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty-two novels, including the recently released One
Hundred Valleys, the popular Alaskan Skies and bestselling The Journey of Eleven Moons.

Bonnie’s books are being read internationally and she hears from readers in Australia,
Europe, Poland, and even Africa. She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and mentoring up
and coming authors.

Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children

and seven grandchildren.

Unveiling Truth Through Fiction

www.bonnieleon.com

Now Available for purchase: One Hundred Valleys

After the death of her mother, Emmalin Hammond discovers she is not the heiress she’d always

assumed she’d be. The revelation exposes her fiancé’s true intentions when he withdraws his

marriage proposal, leaving Emmalin heartbroken and humiliated. When she discovers the father she believed to be dead is still alive and living in the Oregon Territory she decides it is time to meet the man who has been hidden from her all of her life.

Accompanied by her Uncle Jonathon, she sets out for the Oregon Territory in search of answers and hoping for a renewed relationship with her father. When tragedy strikes, she confronts the terrifying challenge of completing her quest alone. Faced with few options, she entrusts her life to a mountain man named Jacob Landon who agrees to transport her to a small settlement in Southern Oregon called Deer Creek, a place also known as the Land of One Hundred Valleys.

Emmalin is not prepared for the hardships of life in the Oregon wilderness. Each day presents a new challenge. Newfound friends, including the reserved Jacob Landon, who unexpectedly stirs her heart, come alongside to help her adapt. Yet she feels out of place. Should she brave the arduous journey back to Philadelphia for the life she once knew or remain and hope for something better in the Oregon wilderness?

Other titles by Bonnie Leon:

              The Journey of Eleven Moons  

              Return to the Misty Shore

              In the Land of White Nights, book two in the Northern Lights series.

              To Dance With Dolphins