Behold the wonderful layers of a scene

I was inspired to create this infographic after reading an article posted in Writers Helping Writers. Since I never produced an infographic before, I did some research online which led me to Piktochart. Super fun and easy to do. It's like "Paint" on steroids, but without the brushes. 

You can do a lot with the free account. Check it out and let me know what you think. Feel free to Pin the image, print it out for future reference, or share on your website/social media pages. 

PTSD-Not All Wounds Are Visible

photo credit: https://www.mildenhall.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001558999/

The hero in the book I’d just written served three tours in the Middle East. He’s a proud warrior and thankful for the privilege of serving his country. When an IED explosion ends his military career, this twenty-seven-year-old returns home to fight a new war: PTSD

I’ve always considered myself patriotic. My father served during the Korean War, my brother was career Army, and my father-in-law saw combat in Vietnam during his twenty plus years in the Air Force. Yours truly did a three-year hitch in the Army and, fortunately, didn’t have to go to war. I stand with pride during the National Anthem and get teary-eyed every time. When I see someone in uniform or wearing a ball cap bearing the name of a military branch or the war they fought in, I stop and thank them for their service. The glint in their eyes and heart-felt “my pleasure” makes my heart sing.

While doing research for my book, I discovered a new appreciation for the men and women who left their comfortable homes to protect our freedom in foreign lands. We’ll never fully know what they’ve gone through (unless you’ve been there too), but we can do our part to make their lives easier here at home.

Here are a few resources to check out:

• https://www.usveteransmagazine.com/2019/06/public-resources-ptsd-awareness-month/
• https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
• https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/veterans-charity-overview
• https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Remember, not everyone suffering from PTSD is a veteran of war. It can affect anyone who had experienced trauma.

Thanks for reading this article. The next time you see a soldier, first responder, law enforcement, firefighter, or anyone in uniform who sacrifices his or her time for the betterment of others; thank that person for their service. It will be worth your time. They’ve already given theirs.

It's Done and I'm Ready to Jump

For once I’m not here to apologize for not posting or to make lofty promises of turning this blog into the most exciting thing on the web. I'm here to dig in my heels and become more productive, such as taking my novel to the next step.

My manuscript went through the critique process with other writers going through each chapter, adding and deleting, and making suggestions. Along the way, I used editing software to further refine the piece. After I revised the final chapter, I ran the entire story back through this software and ended up cutting about 9000 words.

I tell you, the accomplishment of typing “the end” and then spending a few weeks fine-tuning a project is compelling me to want to do more. So what is the next step?

I typed up a query letter and emailed it to a literary agent—an agency I had my eye on for a long while. This is a huge step for me. Something I’ve never done before, and it’s a little scary. They say to expect rejection and consider it a learning experience. There are other agencies to submit to, so all is not lost. If I don’t get a reply in thirty days, I’ll go to Plan B and send a query to three more agencies I’ve researched. In the meantime, I'll rest in the knowledge God has the perfect place for my novel.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with taking a leap of faith and watching for a favorable outcome. It could be a job interview, purchasing a raffle ticket to win a coveted prize, or even waiting for test results from a doctor, hoping for good news. Was the wait agonizing or were you able to "let go and let God?"