Author: deborahanndykeman

Writing has always been a love of mine. Except for school reports! I didn't cherish those moments. I began with poems in grade school, and short little stories that I illustrated. I created something for each family celebration and probably wore my family out. But I graduated to a longer 'book' by the time I was 18. Following traditional romance novel writing, I pounded out a pretty cheesy story on a Royal typewriter I had found at a garage sale. You didn't worry about your nails when using one of those! When four of our five children were still young, I wrote my first full-length book back in 1998. I followed it with three more in that series. Those are my current WIP, needing many updates and editing. I'm happy to say as of this writing, the fourth in the Love Defined series is written and waiting for edits! I can't wait to get this final book in the series into my reader's hands! Currently, I have published twelve books, creating the covers on most of them. The cover work is something I really enjoy! Stay tuned for more on that. My husband and I have been married for forty-one years, and we have five children and nine grandchildren. I've been a homeschooling mom, Sunday school teacher, AWANA director and a pastor's wife. I've worked as a CNA and an Activity Director. When I'm not busy writing...which I love, BTW, I'm working on home projects, marketing and attending events, where I love to meet you...my readers!
A Quick Thought

When Simple Was Special

deborahanndykeman

If you are a city person, loving the lights and glamour, then this post is probably not for you! This post is about simplicity, and the pleasure found in having little, access to nothing.

Years ago, young couples wanting to marry and begin life together, didn’t start off with car loans, home mortgages or exorbitant rent. They didn’t plan for a vacation every year to an exotic place, running up credit cards to do it. What was a credit card?

At one time, life was based on survival. You hoped, prayed, and worked for a shelter to cover you, something to keep you safe and warm from the environment. Often times the home was built by a young man or couple. You grew your own food, made your own clothes, and were thankful to have loved ones around you. Maybe you had a small church to attend where you could fellowship with others. 

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Yes, life was probably difficult, a daily struggle, and your years on earth were not as long as they are now. But there is much to be said for simplicity, taking pleasures in the little things in life.

The world today, and those of us living in it, face a much different reality. Yes, we have beautiful homes, each child having their own space. A chef’s kitchen awaits us, while we spend a big percentage of our paychecks eating out. We have manicured yards that we may sit in once in a while, but much more time is spent keeping them that way. The lawn mower is more familiar with the grass under our feet than we are. If we have gardens, the goal is to grow big and beautiful, chemicals helping us along the way. The food harvested there is not for our survival, but a fun hobby.

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It is no wonder that the tiny house movement has become so popular. We are burned-out on surviving in this world today, trying to keep the pace at a fast and furious rate that our ancestors would not have tried, or even wanted.

I know I want off the merry-go-round. My head is spinning with all of the have-to items that we self-impose into our lives. I don’t want to have to be fashionably dressed, just decently clothed. I want to enjoy my yard in the peace and quiet of nature, and not worry about the town’s standards of what I should and shouldn’t do. I don’t want a career, but enough to meet our needs.

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I really wouldn’t mind living in a home such as these pictured, the only criteria being a porch for my rocking chair. For those of you that shake your head, saying I don’t know what I’m talking about…I do have a clue. I learned to cook on a wood cook-stove, baking seven loaves of whole-wheat bread every Saturday for several years. I’ve split firewood, unloaded cords of wood to heat a house for the winter. I am extremely grateful for my inside bathroom, and running water, but I could even get use to no electricity if needed.

It’s whatever we’ve become used to. What we’ve accepted as normal.

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I think I’m feeling nostalgic today. Autumn is playing for real now here in the mid-west. The trees are becoming bare, leaves scudding across the ground. My thoughts turn to outside chores needing to be done, and the holidays ahead. And like every year, I don’t want to be caught up in all the items that are expected of us. I just want to enjoy those people around me that care enough to be part of my life.

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In our world today, we have missed the bigger picture. We’re frantically trying to survive, by having the best education, successful career, showplace for a house, every opportunity for our children…and we have lost love for what life should really be about. That list above won’t last into eternity, and after we’re gone, we won’t care.

The holidays are coming and I challenge you as I will be doing myself to seek Him first in all things. Be thankful for what you do have in the forms of jobs, housing, family and friends. But strive to connect with what matters, and get rid of what doesn’t. All of us have much that we could put on a back burner…and especially during the next couple of months when we celebrate the holidays. Make time for family and friends. Put down the phone when in a public place and connect with those around you. And most certainly put the phone away and relate to the loved ones you’re with. They may not be there tomorrow.

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Strive to live a simple life among the luxuries of today. Think about those people and things that are really important to you, and make time for them. Don’t waste time on the other.

 

 

A Day to Remember, Marriage

To Thee I’m Wed

deborahanndykeman

Today, October 20, 2019, my husband and I have been married for thirty-five years. I never really thought we would get here. Just too busy living life and surviving on a daily basis…and now all those years are gone!

This is a transition time in our lives. So many unanswered questions about what we are to be doing now. So many tests in the areas of health and finances. So many thoughts on what we did wrong and what we could have done better.

Even though we are overwhelmed right now, we’re still on the right path…just walking very stooped and slow. The light is dim at times, but it hasn’t gone out. I hope and pray for better days, more memories to look back on and smile about.

To Thee I’m Wed is the title to the first book I published. The character of Jason Miller is my husband, and I hope that I portrayed my husband’s patience, his enduring love for his family, and his dedication to his marriage in that book. Men such as Jason and George are hard to find. And without George, our marriage would not be what it is today.

Happy Anniversary, George! I pray that we have many more years together. I share these three pictures because they make me smile, and I think of all the reasons that I fell in love with you back in 1984.

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Marriage, Our Christian Walk

Truth Be Told

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When I first began this blog in 2015, my goal was to write about me and my family, and light issues that would help my readers connect with me as a person. I didn’t want to bombard  with just writing topics. For one thing, I don’t have a master’s degree in writing anything. I rely heavily on my editor to fix all that I do wrong. I don’t know much about branding or marketing. I go to others and read lots of other posts about it to broaden my knowledge base. And considering sales of my books…I have lots more to learn in those areas! 😉

So now, four years later…I’m still a little mired down in this blogging world. I read other sites that are really successful. I try to figure out what they are doing right, and what I’m doing wrong. I wonder if my scope of topics is too large, or the site just not interesting. I’ve even considered starting over, but what would my focus be?

Truth be told, my knowledge base is marriage and family. It’s what I’ve done for all of my adult life. Sunday, the 20th will be my husband and my 35th wedding anniversary. It’s one I’ve looked forward to. Others celebrate by going on a cruise, having another ceremony to rededicate their married lives, or going out for a nice dinner. I thought that by this time in our marriage, we would be doing the same. We won’t be. I think spam is on the menu this year.

My husband and five children have always been the world to me. It’s what I invested all my time in. Some may say that was crazy, and that I didn’t plan for the future. I always thought it was the best way to plan for our future together. But children grow up and have families of their own, they move away, and they make their own choices in life. I am no longer in control of all of that…and maybe I never really was.

So, here I sit at almost 55 years of age. This past year as been beyond difficult in so many ways. There are days when I feel as though the rug has been yanked out from under us, and we haven’t hit the floor yet. But when we do, it’s going to be bad. My faith has taken a serious hit, and there are more days than not that I would like to run away and be a different person.

This Life is Real…and so are the Answers. I truly believe that. None of us live in a fairy tale world with light and laughter, flowers and fun, around every corner. Many of us deal with darkness and tears, an inability to breathe because of all that has been dumped on us. The flowers in our lives are dead and crumbled, blowing away in the wind, and a smile is hard to summon.

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I don’t have a master’s degree in anything. Just a lot of learning through difficult experiences. I try to share that in my books. In my books, there is an answer for that struggling character. Writing helps me work through all that has been allowed in my life. This blog has been a release for me to express all that bottles up…whether it be good or bad. I pray that my books reach people and the struggles they have in their lives. I pray they find an answer.

So for now, I’ll stick with what I’ve been doing here, and I welcome any suggestions to improve.

Philippians 4:6-7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Writing

New Release!

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It’s autumn here in the mid-west! Yay! Cooler weather, leaves turning, and that autumn aroma of damp and wood smoke. I’m loving it! What better time for a new release?

When Faith Begins - Love

When Faith Begins is the third book in the series that began with When Hope Blooms and When Love Grows. It is available in paperback and e-book right here: https://www.amazon.com/When-Faith-Begins-Deborah-Dykeman-ebook/dp/B07Z28984V/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=when+Faith+Begins+deborah+ann+dykeman&qid=15712

If you haven’t read the first two, or need a refresher, they are available on Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million (BAM). Or, right here: https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_8&qid=1571243983&sr=1-8

It’s autumn! Pick up a great book and snuggle beside the fire with a hot drink. Have a great day!

A Quick Thought, Our Christian Walk

Take a Moment…

deborahanndykeman

and think.

 

What would you do if you woke up tomorrow morning and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday_

When life becomes difficult, we tend to focus on the problem and trying to solve it. When life seems hopeless, and not worth living, we try a multitude of things to ease the pain.

What if we concentrated more on being thankful for what is?

 

Writing

NaNoWriMo

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Everyone connected with writing has heard of National Novel Writing Month, which takes place in November each year. It is commonly referred to as NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write a 50,000 word count manuscript between November 1st and November 30th. It’s to be a rough draft. There are even places that you can sign in so that you have encouragement to keep going from others typing their fingers to the bones.

I do think about this each year. But November is a really difficult time for me to write. The holiday season is upon us, and we have several birthdays, mine included in the month of November. Not to mention that turkey day is a pretty big celebration towards the end of the month. But…if you aren’t well on your way by Thursday, the 28th this year, you’re probably not going to get that 50,000 word count accomplished.

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Since I left my job as the activity director at our local nursing home this past August, I have been writing. I had my third book in a series started before I began the job on January 15, 2018. I had about 20,000 words written. I had also designed the cover and had it ready to go. Well of course, the best laid plans always have a hitch in them. During that year and a half, the publishing program I used went over to Amazon. So many changes there. Yes, I was already a part of KDP, but now it was all-encompassing. The new publishing format changed the way covers are created. So will probably have to start from scratch with my cover.

The good news…since I left my job on August 9th I wrote 48,000 words in about a month! This also included me doing some of my own editing along the way. So, in my own little world I’m going to count that as my NaNoWriMo. It’s a huge feeling of satisfaction to know that manuscript is finished and now ready for my editor to take over. Two proofs were ordered yesterday, and now I need to learn all I can on how to get that cover I designed into the new formatting.

I know I’ve had many readers asking about the third book in this latest series. I’ve had many readers encouraging me to write and keep it up. A huge “thank you!” goes out to all of you. Without that, it would have made it very difficult to continue thinking about writing over the past year and a half. It would have been very easy to give up and concentrate on another career. I absolutely love to write and could do it 24/7, but life has to happen along the way. This includes having a home, fixing meals, laundry, and paying bills. We all know that those basics of living can get in the way of our dreams. The key it to juggle them while you still pursue your dreams. Encouragement from others along the way is huge!

I’m shooting for an early November release of When Faith Begins. Our community has an event held in early November called Candle Light Charm. I usually have a table set up for this event. Our community has been extremely supportive with my writing. Many have purchased my books at this event and others. The local library has been phenomenal with their support, and they are SO appreciated. My daughter just shared a photo this past week of When Love Grows being displayed with a review from one of the librarians. We also have a store in our town that has my books for purchase. All these go a long way in supporting an author, and keeping that drive to get another book out there.

So, I’ll be updating about the release of When Faith Begins. In the mean time, please read When Hope Blooms, and When Love Grows, or read them again to refresh your memory!

October Front Cover                 When Love Grows Cover - 6.2 x 9.5 measurements

If you would like to visit my author page on Amazon, here it is: https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1568484768&sr=1-1

As always, I would love to hear from you, and if you are taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge, the best of writing wishes for you!

Where do I go?

Hello! Are you out there?

deborahanndykeman

Growing up with a father that worked for IBM meant many moves over the years. I became accustom to starting a new school, and trying to make the best of it. I have always been a bit of a loner, so that lifestyle probably worked fairly well for me. Changing schools didn’t give a lot of time to get involved very deep, so I didn’t. Even though we have now lived in our little town for almost twenty-five years, and our house for fourteen, I still find it difficult to really fit in and feel a part of everything.

Those old feelings are coming back as I navigate this blog once again. For the past year and a half, I’ve been working full-time as the Activity Director at our local rest home. I loved the job…my co-workers and the residents making it extremely hard to leave. But I just couldn’t keep up the pace any longer. I have some health issues that I’ve dealt with for about twenty five years, and they need to be taken care of. But because of the job, health and life in general, writing was sitting in the ‘way back’.

Everything changes after a time. The same with WordPress. I will have to learn new stuff on here again. But, I hope to reconnect with many of you on here, and gain some new friends. So, be patient as I learn the ropes, and try to update.

I am currently writing the third book in a series. The first two books are When Hope Blooms and When Love Grows. This WIP is titled When Faith Begins. As you can see below, my goal was to have it finished in 2018. Just a bit behind! I am so excited to be writing again. Last week I managed 12,000 words, and I’m hoping to have it finished soon! It was becoming very stressful to have readers coming up to me at events and asking if I had another book for them! As a writer, you don’t want to let your readers down, especially those that have been so loyal.

Wordpress Book Page - Landing Page (2)

So this is a quick “Hello!” hoping you all are still there. I’ll post more when I can clear a path!

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Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com
Parenting 101

Slipping…

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A few years ago…but just a blink in my eyes…our oldest daughter was preparing to be married. I visited her in Colorado, where she had been living for a few months. We went to see Mama Mia! at the theater…and I loved the movie. I haven’t seen the new release, but I’m very excited to. ABBA was a favorite singing group of mine, back in the day. I loved their songs, and I thought the movie did a great job of capturing ABBA’s songs. Not to mention the actors singing the songs, and doing a pretty good job, I thought.

I’ve shared a song from that movie. I’ve always loved it…one of my favorites. But watching that movie with our oldest daughter, and hearing that song was difficult. Thankfully the theater was dark! I don’t cry often, and I’ve never been one to want to share my tears. But sometimes they just have to fall.

With every daughter that has married over the years, and every child that has left for college, this song has come to mind. My life was spent with my children, every day, all day for so many years. And it’s hard to let go!

I really do wish them the best. They are starting to scatter. Families of their own, houses being bought, far from ours, and grandchildren growing up so fast with me working full-time. I want to push the pause button, and savor the times I was drowning, (I thought) , it days of cooking and laundry. Constant children chatter, and battles among siblings ruled my days, and I wished them to hurry… at the time. Now I would like to replay them, late at night, in the dark, when no one can see my tears of missing them all so much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi7OXmTmgGg

You’re all Slipping Through My Fingers…but always in my heart. Much love to my five babies!

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Oldest daughter’s wedding.
A Quick Thought, Our Christian Walk

It Will Be Okay!

deborahanndykeman

Some days the words to this song ring very true. As a human, I’m on a constant treadmill of making ends meet, and the day-to-day struggle of life in this world. It can be very exhausting at times!

This song is a gentle reminder to those of us that believe our home is in heaven, our hope is in heaven. A reminder that this daily life is but for a time.

Yesterday, I saw something that made me think. I will probably repeat it wrong, but you’ll get the general idea. It’s so true!

Spoiler Alert! I’ve heard the end of the story, and it will be okay!

Here’s some Jim Reeves for you on your Sunday. Have a good one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndMZqT6i4I

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A Quick Thought, Writing

My Cup Runs Over…

deborahanndykeman

Hi, my name is Deborah, and I write books.

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I feel the need to introduce myself on here. I knew it had been awhile since I had posted anything, but when I checked just now, March 3rd was my last post. Way too long!

I started working as the Activity Director of our local nursing home on January 15th of this year. This past week, I finished the course to be certified as a director. To say I’ve been busy is an understatement. Most days I’ve come home from work, and felt as though I didn’t have the energy to shower and get ready for bed.

Our yard is a catastrophe, my kitchen project is hanging in mid-air, and the third book in a series I began last year is calling me desperately. Usually around 2:00 am when I should be sleeping. I’ve taken to playing games on my Kindle rather than reading, trying to block out the constant barrage of that ‘to do’ list. People I’ve known for years probably think I’ve died. But I’m still here…

I love my job. The older generation has always been a joy to me. They have so much to share, so much to give, so much to express…in so many ways. I think our facility is especially wonderful, staffed with caring people that have been there for many years. It takes a very special person to work in a job setting such as a nursing home. Let’s face it…it’s not really just a ‘job’. And if you think that…you probably shouldn’t be there.

Today, I hope to read the first pages of the book I was working on. That other life is calling me, and if you write, you understand. If I’m really motivated, these fingers just may type a few words, a chapter or two over this weekend.

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My life is busy and crazy. But it is also overflowing, and a daily blessing to me. I’m so very thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given, and all the talents bestowed. I pray I use them for His honor and glory in everything I do.

Have a wonderful weekend!