Author: Alina

A Seventeen-Days-Late New Year’s Blessing

~ Alina ~ 6 Comments

I know it’s three Fridays into the New Year. So posting a New Year’s blessing now feels late and a bit silly.

I also know it’s been two weeks since I blogged. I haven’t gotten up early every morning, and I’ve been writing a lot, but not 5 times a week. It’s discouraging to see myself fail to achieve my noble-minded New Year’s resolutions so quickly.

But maybe three weeks into 2014 is exactly when I need to be reminded that the year is still fresh and young. And maybe especially because those resolutions are already broken, it’s a good time to be reminded of grace. I shoot for the moon and miss on the first try. But thank goodness God isn’t done with this wayward archer.

Alina's Camera 00120

My mom tied up this poem with ribbon and gave it to me at Christmas. I love that it skirts the victorious sentimentalism of many New Year’s reflections. Rather, it focuses on a living relationship with God: sometimes gained through sorrow rather than joy; through failure rather than success. It’s a narrative of grace and a song of hope.

I hope it blesses you today.

New Year’s Blessing

In the new year I do not wish for you
that God will bless you,
since God already intends
only the deepest blessings for you.
I don’t wish that good things will happen to you,
since I don’t know
what will most beautifully shape your soul—
in what losses you will receive grace,
in what challenges you will gain wisdom,
in what struggles you will become more truly yourself.

Instead I hope for you this blessing:
that your heart be at peace,
that your mind be open
and your will be lovingly present;
that you live each day this year with love, courage and beauty,
with gentleness, trust and gratitude.
That you speak and be the truth,
that you find joy and wonder in your life,
that you be deeply mindful
of God’s indwelling presence,
God’s deep delight in accompanying you
in every breath.

May your work be fruitful,
your hope vibrant,
your voice clear,
and your friends faithful.

Whether you feel it or not,
deep blessing will be yours this year.
May you know it, and rejoice,
and live in harmony with God’s grace.

~Steve Garnaas-Holmes
(http://www.unfoldinglight.net)

Revving My Engine

~ Alina ~ 2 Comments

January 3rd, 2014. The year’s first blog post. (Check out the sidebar for posts from the blog tour I did last month.)

And now I have no idea how to write for my own author website, after the regular ol’ blog I kept for the past 2 1/2 years. I’m still figuring out where all the buttons are here, let alone how to write!

Well, here goes. Please bear with me as I figure out my voice like a 14-year-old boy.

In 2013, I set these goals:

1. Grow closer to God

Status: yes. By the bumpy, circuitous road by which one always approaches the Most High. Including some harrowing rappelling and scraped knees. Including some good books, like C.S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain and A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God. Including astonishment at the imagination, grace, and wisdom of a Love greater than myself.

2. See my novel accepted for publication or self-published

Status: Why, done, as a matter of fact 🙂 The labor and thrill of the year was seeing The Illuminator’s Gift published on December 2nd, 2013!  (Permanent links to its Amazon home are on the “Books” page.) After five years of writing and months of research into publishing options, I finally decided to self-publish…then did it in seven weeks, thanks to the grace, energy, and forbearance of everyone I know. I was also extremely honored to host my first book signing last month, supported by so many loving family members and friends.

9
Photo credit: Jim Hillmann

3. Work up to a monthly income I can live on

Status: This one’s a bit more vague than I realized. Rather than achieving the American Dream, I’ve come to peace with holding my hands open to God’s plan. For someone who likes to plan, that’s a teeth-grinding journey of trust. But I’m learning. And with His imagination, it’s a wild ride.

4. Learn the craft of bookbinding

Status: Not done yet. But it’s still a goal 🙂

And now, for some new goals in 2014. My practical, small-picture goals are too numerous to list, but here are a few big-picture habits I’d like to develop:

1. Pursue God first and wholeheartedly. (That goes for writing as well as everything else.)

2. Get up earlier….

3. …in order to write at least 5 times a week. 

4. Blog weekly. You all might have to help me with this one. Clamor at me if I lag! If I do, it’s probably because I’m working on the sequel to The Illuminator’s Gift.

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Photo credit: Jim Hillmann

 

I’m revving my engine for a busy, exciting year full of completely unpredictable adventures. What are your goals for the new year? 

 

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Book Launch Day!!!

~ Alina ~ 2 Comments

THE BOOK IS OUT!!!

The Illuminator’s Gift, a fantasy novel for ages 9-14 (and the young at heart) is now available in print here

and for Kindle here!

Book Cover
The amazing cover art by Amalia Hillmann

Writing and publishing this book has been such a process of learning, prayer, late nights, cough drops, tears, technical difficulties, love, and community. I’m so thrilled to be able to show it to you at long last. 

To celebrate the book launch, I’m doing a blog tour this week (check out the box in the right sidebar). I hope you’ll stop by to visit all these amazing bloggers’ sites. Here’s the schedule:

Dec. 2 (today): Guest post on Adrienne Pollock’s blog

Dec. 4: Cover special on Angela Wallace’s blog

Dec. 6: Audio interview on Caleb Fong’s blog

Here’s the synopsis of The Illuminator’s Gift, a fantasy novel for readers ages 9-14 (and the young at heart): 
Ellie is a twelve-year-old orphan who desperately wants a family. She just doesn’t expect to find one in the crew of the Legend, a flying ship in a secret rescue fleet. On board, she meets a boy with a pet tarantula, a bully with eyes like mirrors, and a librarian who can read eighteen languages. Unexpectedly, Ellie also discovers a powerful gift that only she can wield. But when the Legend is called to a dangerous rescue mission, Ellie risks losing everyone she loves. Will her mysterious gift be enough to save her and her friends from a deadly enemy bent on destroying their world?

Five Reasons I Love Self-Publishing

~ Alina ~ 2 Comments

With my book, The Illuminator’s Gift, releasing on Amazon in just 9 days, I’m almost done with this whirlwind publishing process. Not much time to sit back and relax yet, but it does give me pause to ask myself: is the self-publishing journey worth it?

Cover preview 1
A sneak peek at the book cover! Credit: Amalia Hillmann

Though the process isn’t yet finished, I’d say quite confidently, yes. Here are five reasons I’m happy (so far) with the decision to self-publish:

1. I like a job where I get to wear a lot of hats. As you may know, when I was in kindergarten, I wanted to grow up to be EVERYTHING. Little did I know that I’d get my wish. Since jumping into self-publishing, I’ve gotten to dabble in tax and copyright law and dabble in typography, write contracts and write PR materials, learn the difference between a domain name and a web host and learn the difference between watercolor and acrylic paint. I’ve found myself good at some of these things and bad at others, but it’s all an adventure.

2. It’s been a real blessing and privilege to work with friends instead of New York businesspeople (nothing against them). And this is not only because it’s nice to have a say in the final look and feel of my book. It’s also nice to take breaks from spacing ellipses and evaluating thumbnails to chat about church, relationships, travels. To compare coffee flavors and car gas mileage. To make excited noises about the beauty we’re co-creating. To work alongside other young creatives looking for a place to penetrate the forest canopy.

Cover preview 2
Credit: Amalia Hillmann

3. Going to “the publishing house” in my pajamas is a pretty cushy perk! Especially when I contract a very obnoxious illness just weeks before the release date.

4. I’m watching myself develop new traits, from learning the art of the diplomatic e-mail, to accurately budgeting time and money, to negotiating mutually beneficial agreements, to multitasking effectively, to making important decisions without dwelling or worrying. Some of these new skills go against my natural grain. But self-publishing a book that’s very close to my heart has given me the necessary push to face some fears and grow up a little more.

5. On December 2nd, I plan to be viewing my published book on Amazon.com. With a traditional publisher, my five-years-in-the-making manuscript could have waited an additional year or more to see the light of day. Publishing a book in seven weeks is definitely not something I recommend trying at home or plan on repeating, but with self-publishing, it can be done. All the concentrated labor and anguish will be over very soon, and it will be worth it to hold that sweet, 6×9 rectangle of paper and fresh ink in my hands. 

Cover preview 3
Credit: Amalia Hillmann

The Illuminator’s Gift will be available on Amazon.com December 2nd! In the meanwhile, I’d be delighted to have you sign up for my e-mail newsletter, like my Facebook page, or follow on Twitter using the buttons in the right sidebar 🙂

The Perks of Huge Tonsils

~ Alina ~ 4 Comments

I wasn’t excited when it started in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon.

I was even less excited when it was worse the next morning. The tight collar of pain behind my swollen tonsils. A sore throat so debilitating I couldn’t even speak.

Not now,  I thought. I have so much to do.

With book publication just a few weeks away, deadlines are rushing toward me and the workload is piling up. Now is when I have to get sick?

I got home from the doctor’s office, diagnosed with a vague viral infection, and plunked down on the swing in the backyard. Drained. Weary. The medical advice sheet read: “Your body needs plenty of rest and quiet time.”

Rock back, forth. No energy even to get up and go to bed. Back, forth. The sun shone warm on my face, relaxing my skin, closing my eyes.

Clouds

Rest. 

Sickness has a way of calling off life. Suddenly all responsibilities are shuffled down in importance, secondary to regaining health and energy. It reminds you, forces you, to stop and notice.

Notice the puff of a dandelion suffused with autumn sun.

Dandelion

Notice the falling leaves, yellow as summer peaches.

Notice the “breath of heaven” heather, and remember why it’s called that.

Book publishing is full of deadlines–exciting, rewarding, stimulating deadlines, but sometimes I’ve gotten so caught up in the to-do list that I’ve forgotten to take time to just stop and notice.

And noticing is the foundation stone of so many things: thankfulness (particularly in focus this month), rest, and writing–what book publishing is really about. Writing comes from words, and words come from noticing. 

Fall leaves

And so having huge tonsils, which felt like a frustrating setback, led to some forcible, sweet rest. Time to sit still. To let the sunshine play over my hands and enjoy the warmth. To hear a tiny bird sing, close enough to touch. To keep the doctor’s orders, true whether we’re sick or well: your body needs plenty of rest and quiet time.

So, perhaps, does your soul.   

 

Pumpkin Fun

~ Alina ~ 5 Comments

Today’s post arrives on a Wednesday. I hope that doesn’t lead you to think that tomorrow is Saturday…

I am introducing this confusing mix-up because tomorrow is Halloween and I want to write about pumpkins! 
My very favorite kind of pumpkin is the costume variety. I think all babies should be dressed up as pumpkins at least once in their lives. 

Photo credit: James Willcox

 Awww…just TOO adorable! Dogs make pretty cute pumpkins, too:

Photo credit: C Jill Reed
But at my house, there being neither babies nor dogs to dress up, we paint real pumpkins. One of the vegetables below was designed by the engineer, one by the artist, and one by the writer in the house. I’ll let you guess whose is whose.
See? They’re Betty Boop, a hot air balloon, and a poem.
Last year, I stopped trying to fight my klutziness and penchant for stick figures and instead repurposed Halloween as the World Literacy Project, decorating my pumpkin with the opening lines of “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes.

This year it’s a different famous, slightly spooky poem (which I subjected my family to a reading of as I was writing it out in Sharpie). 10 points if you can guess the title and author! 
But though I’m greatly enjoying the World Literacy Project (and I hope the neighborhood kids will, too), there’s nothing wrong with stick figures. In fact, they can even make pretty cute costumes. Get a good laugh out of this one, and enjoy tomorrow!

Get Motivated

~ Alina ~ 4 Comments

Today I’m THRILLED to announce that my long-awaited novel, a middle-grades fantasy adventure, is finished and going to be published! I hope to have it available in time for Christmas. To receive book updates, insider promotions, teacher resources, book-related games, etc., please sign up for my e-mail newsletter at the top right corner of this screen. Thank you!!
*begin blog post*
No matter how old you are or what you do, there are times you feel like you’re a failure. That you’re bad at what you do. That you’re just barking up the wrong tree in life. 
But when that happens, often the truth is that we’re tired. (Or lonely, or hungry. Sandwiches have solved some of my life crises.) Sometimes we do need to stop and rest, but there other times when we just have to press on. Move forward. Get it done. 
And it’s in those times that motivation becomes priceless.
As a writer, I may have more self-esteem problems than the average person. It’s important for me to stay reminded that I’m doing what I’ve been called to do, what I’m good at doing, what I love to do–especially on the tired days. Even with a book about to be published, it’s easy to get bogged down in the immensity of work and lose sight of the goal.
So I’m sharing with you 5 signs in my home/office that motivate me. They’ve helped me through some dry days, and now they help me celebrate as I get ready to see my dream come true. Most of them are word-based, because I love words, but I think motivation can come just as easily from pictures. When I lived in Seattle, nearly every student’s desk or worker’s cubicle contained a desk calendar with pictures of palm trees and white sand beaches. Case in point.
This one came from Barnes and Noble when I was probably 15 years old. Now I hang it on my door when I’m working instead of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. I look forward to the day when it’ll come true!
This was an “award” I received during my freshman year of college. Apparently it was my dorm floormates’ unanimous prediction. Later that year, I started writing my novel. Thank you, ladies.
This was drawn by my artistically gifted and always-faithful mother on a paper plate when I was in 7th grade. That’s me, doing what I still do almost every day. (Maybe minus the scrunchie.) 
This was a Trader Joe’s greeting card that almost made me cry when I spotted it in the grocery store. I bought two, framed one for my wall, and mailed another to my knit-designing friend Audry. When you’re in a career that doesn’t make financial sense and that takes a long time to produce gratification, you need this reminder EVERY SINGLE DAY. Actually, maybe you need it in any career, at any age. 

And last, a beautiful picture made by my late grandmother, which she gave me for my 24th birthday. I think it’s made of watercolor, pen, and of course her signature–glitter. Besides representing a heritage of art, this picture reminds me of one of my literary role models, Anne of Green Gables, and all that she stands for: optimism, hope, and adventure to be found in the wild blue yonder.

So happy Friday! Be motivated today!

What signs or images motivate you in your daily endeavors? 

Beautiful British Library Mania!

~ Alina ~ 8 Comments

It’s Friday! I’d say it’s time for some beautiful libraries, wouldn’t you?

Let’s take an armchair trip to Britain to visit 5 beautiful libraries. (While the Republic of Ireland is not politically part of Britain, it is geographically part of the British Isles…it’s a long story, better expressed by a YouTube video than by me.)

1. The Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. No library tour would be complete without the Bodleian, which houses 11 million printed items in addition to thousands of other materials. It actually consists of many different library buildings as well as a subterranean storage labyrinth. (Mystery novel, anyone?) The fan ceiling is renowned as one of the most beautiful in England.

Photo credit: redjar

2. The Wren Library, Cambridge, England. A small gem, tucked away in Trinity College, this library was designed by Christopher Wren, one of England’s most famous architects. Containing first editions of works by Tennyson and Byron and the handwritten manuscript of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, the library also has a walking stick and lock of the hair of alumnus Sir Isaac Newton. Love the checkerboard floor, too–makes me think of Alice in Wonderland.

Photo credit: Photodesk.at

3. The Long Room, Dublin, Ireland. Two stories, marble busts of thinkers, and sliding ladders, oh my! Also located at a place called Trinity College (different from the Cambridge one), and sharing a building with the inimitable Book of Kells, they raised the barrel ceiling to accommodate more books! 200,000 of the college’s oldest, rarest books, to be exact…

4. The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland. A little-known gem I discovered quite by accident, this library is resplendent more with inner than outer beauty. More than a simple collection of books, it’s a curiosity cabinet of antiquities from all over the world, including some incredibly old manuscripts. Imagine illuminated texts, an ancient copy of Augustine’s City of God, and fragments of Bible papyri from as early as AD 150–yes, people, that would be an almost 1900-year-old book. Er, scrap of a book.

5. The British Library, London, England. Last but not least, a classic among libraries. Along with the Library of Congress, the British Library is the second-largest library in the world. Yes, world. It’s a legal deposit and research library containing over 150 million items. Contemporary architecture (including a bench shaped like a folded-open book) pairs here with a mind-blowing collection of some of the world’s oldest manuscripts. Inside you’ll find everything from Beowulf to Jane Eyre, from Handel’s Messiah to the Magna Carta, from a Gutenberg Bible to Anne Boleyn’s copy of the New Testament. It’s the Louvre of libraries.

Oh, guess what? It’s a…

Bonus #6! The Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic.

This one may not be in Britain, but it sure belongs in a tour of the most beautiful libraries. Tucked away in a hilltop monastery in Prague, surrounded by whitewashed walls and the waving stems of yellow roses, is this little-known gem. After a climb up a steep hill, one is rewarded with this sight:

Globes, illuminated manuscripts, a book wheel, and a painted ceiling! It became an important point of inspiration for my novel. And made me think of this scene from Beauty and the Beast: 


Photo credit: Jessica Ta


Happy Friday! Which of these libraries (the Disney one included!) would you visit if you had the chance? 

Rest along the Road

~ Alina ~ 4 Comments

What’s the purpose of your life?

The thing that’s bigger than yourself–your mission, dream, calling, purpose, the something that you alone feel uniquely designed to do.

Maybe it’s writing a book (harrumph). Maybe it’s spiritual growth. Maybe it’s investing in a relationship. Maybe it’s leading a ministry. Maybe it’s raising a child (or a few). Maybe it’s spending a year backpacking across the country, like my friend David. Maybe you don’t have a clue, but you’re seeking it. Something you were born to do. Something you believe in, that gives you purpose, that makes you feel alive.

Purpose is a great thing. Without it, we constantly ask ourselves, “What am I here for?”

But journeys of purpose are big. And big journeys take time. Lots of time.

As time passes, energy drains away. We lose sight of the distant, big-picture goal because our myopic vision gets crowded with small failures, hiccups, hardships, naysayers…and tiredness. Just plain road-weariness.

Photo credit: Chaz Harding

I read this story about the Biblical prophet Elijah today. Talk about someone with a big life purpose. But at one point he said to God, “I have had enough, Lord” (1 Kings 19).

Had. Enough. 

Photo credit: Soon

The long road of pursuing purpose can leave us feeling burned out like fire-gutted stumps. Elijah was so fed up with chasing purpose and feeling like a failure that he wanted to die.

God’s advice, delivered by angelic messenger?

“Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

God even sent Elijah an ancient Hebrew Happy Meal to get him started.

Photo credit: Stefan

Before God urged Elijah forward in his journey of purpose, the prophet’s immediate needs had to have some attention. He ate some food. Took two long naps. Went away to Mount Horeb for some refreshing alone time. Spent time in the presence of God. Found a helper.

And THEN he was able to go back to full time prophet-ness. Proclaimed God’s words to difficult people. Did miracles. Made history.

There’s a lot on my plate right now, especially as I look to move forward with my writing career. Maybe there’s a lot on your plate, too. But Elijah’s story encourages me.

The strength to carry on, to continue down that long and worthwhile road, may be closer than you think:

Eat food. Get sleep. Take some time away to refresh. Be in the presence of God. Get a helper.

Or, in the sweet and simple words of my friend and fellow blogger Anna Taylor: Peace, darling.

Purpose is a long road. So pace yourself. Rest along the way. You’ll make it in time.

How do you find rest along the way of purpose? 


Inspiration: The Playlist

~ Alina ~ 4 Comments

How do you get inspired to create? 

Some authors (and other kinds of artists, too) have the luxury of full-time creative work. Others, like the 40 pictured in this article, have had brilliant, inspiring spaces dedicated exclusively to their craft. 

But some of us have other jobs. When I’m not writing, I’m teaching kids to craft paragraphs or fixing people’s grammar. I’d love it if my workspace always looked like this:
But more of the time, it looks like this: 
Or just this: 

Just enough space to sit in the middle of the explosion.
So how do you get your mind to travel to far-off places and create vivid, enthralling scenes when all you can see is the carpet that needs vacuuming or the piles of unanswered notes on your desk? 

I’m going to be writing a series of blog posts on where I find writing inspiration. These are my personal quirks to trick my brain into creating, even when the space around me doesn’t inspire or my brain would rather just spend all day staring out the window.

Number one is the playlist. 

For my novel-in-progress (which is very, very close to being my COMPLETED novel), I write to a list of songs that take me to the fantasy world of my story and reconnect me with the characters. I’ve developed an almost Pavlovian response to the song “Ora” by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi (the first one on my list). The first few notes play, and I’m instantly in the story. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write another story to this song. It’s too tied to this set of characters. 

Over time, I’ve collected more and more songs for this list. There are now 43 songs on it, for a total of 2.9 hours. I know it’s a good writing day when I finish the last song and have to start the playlist over. 


With a few exceptions, most of the songs are instrumental, so the words in my head don’t have to compete with the ones in my ears. Some tunes are classical (like Beethoven’s 7th Symphony or Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”) but more have a Celtic flavor to them. I especially like Enya, Jim Brickman, and Loreena McKennitt. 

Soundtracks are also one of my favorite resources. Music that was originally composed to tell a story helps me tell mine. My list includes selections from the live-action Peter Pan, The Lion King, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. 
I’ve made playlists for other stories, too, but they look completely different (well, except for the emphasis on instrumental music). One has a couple of Irish drinking songs on it; another emphasizes classical Spanish guitar. When this novel is done, I guess I’ll have to start an entirely new playlist of inspiring songs.

Does music help you to create? What songs get your creative juices flowing?