Guest Blogger Georgiana Daniels

 Erica here. My good buddy, Georgiana Daniels is stepping up to help me out. I'm on deadline, and I'm currently huddled in a corner with my laptop, muttering and mumbling and generally ignoring the rest of the world as I finish this manuscript. And like the true friend she is, Georgiana has kindly accepted my offer (begging and pleading and a wee bit of sniveling) to post for me.

She gave me a sneak peek at the short story she's offering for free today, and let me just say, it is true-blue Georgiana all the way, and soooo funny! You won't regret signing up to get your copy!

Take it away, Geo!

Unexpected Blessings and Other Crazy Lessons

 

Does anyone else feel like 2020 whacked them in the head? The blunt force trauma of this year is unlike any other. Whether it’s health related, financial, or general anxiety, we’ve all been affected one way or another. But the good thing is, it’s also caused most of us to reevaluate what really matters in life—and I don’t just mean Clorox wipes and toilet paper (a-hem).

 As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to look at what we’ve learned over the past 11 months and the unexpected blessings that snuck up on us. No doubt many of us had to pivot both in our personal lives and in our writing careers or other areas that matter most. In doing so, we’ve probably realized how resilient we are—and how much we rely on God for His daily provision of everything we lack. That, in itself, is a blessing.

I’ve discovered a lot about myself over the past year—a good whack in the head will do that, you know. For example, I can spend an inordinate amount of time working and/or lounging in pajamas. Who knew? Also, I’m perfectly content to hide out at home—I mean quarantine—for the good of humanity, of course. And in other news, whoever is out there making memes this year is doing a fabulous job! (As a side note, I’m printing out my favorites for my journal.)

Then there are the deeper discoveries, like the fact that I’m not as introverted as I’d previously suspected. Because we are, as a family, on the careful side, I don’t get to see my people as often as I want to, and every time we do my well fills up. No longer do I take a moment with family or friends for granted like I did in the olden days—a.k.a. 2019. Also, I never thought of myself as a hugger before this year, but now I savor each hug, never knowing when I’ll get that next meaningful embrace. I’ve become that person that doesn’t let go in a timely manner, and it gets a little awkward. (Sorry, not sorry!)

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. The thing of it is, we never were. Yet most of us took for granted that we’d have tomorrow, and several tomorrows after that to accomplish our goals. We didn’t just set goals for this month, but we had our one-year goals and our five-year plans, as though it were entirely in our hands. Procrastination on issues big and small became a running joke along with endless to-do lists that bled over into the following week and the week after that. But so many of us now realize that what we have is today, and today is a great time to make things happen!

That’s why I’m no longer waiting on the publishing fairy to pay me another visit. I’m taking matters into my own nervous hands and joining the indie crowd! This could be the best thing ever—or it could be an epic disaster. We’ll have to wait and see. Honestly, though, the only epic disaster is never trying, never doing, and always waiting until that proverbial someday.

The point is, I’m barreling ahead because writing matters to me. Story matters to me. Making people smile and experience even a smidgen of joy matters to me. And isn’t that what 2020 should have taught us all, to invest our time and ourselves into what’s really important? (Kind of sad that it took a worldwide pandemic to open my eyes, but that’s a post for another day.)

Don’t put off what’s important to you until it’s too late. That doesn’t mean we jump willy-nilly into the unknown just to see what happens. But we can prayerfully and strategically take steps toward the goals God has placed on our hearts right now. Regret would be an even bigger whack in the head than 2020, and that’s saying a lot.

If you’re anything like me, you need a good laugh this year along with that dose of introspection. On that note, I’d like to offer you The Mystery of the Missing Groom, which is a fun free short story prequel to my spring 2021 release, Crumbs of Passion, as a thank you for signing up for my newsletter.

How about you? What unexpected lessons or blessings did you learn from 2020? How do you plan to carry those lessons into the future? Enquiring minds want to know!

Bio: Georgiana Daniels is an author, homeschooling mom, and master’s degree student. “Busy” is her middle name, but if she finds a nugget of free time she enjoys knitting, reading, and fumbling around on the piano to the dismay of others. Though previously published in romance and women’s fiction, she’s dipping an anxious toe into cozy mysteries—because murder and mayhem are so much fun!

 

One on One with Georgiana Daniels

Hey, Seeker-villagers! Erica Vetsch here. I am thrilled to host my good friend, Georgiana Daniels, on the blog today. Georgiana has a brand new book out called Shadows of Hope, and as someone who has been privileged to read it, I can say, you will not walk away from this story without taking a hard look at your faith and asking some hard questions about what you would do if you were in her characters’ shoes.

Here’s what I had to say about the book: “Georgiana Daniels is a courageous writer. She emotionally takes you to places other authors rarely dare, making you care about her characters while eagerly turning pages. Just when you think you can’t bear the tension and heartache a moment longer, she shows you the true beauty of God’s love. Because she braves taking her characters to the very brink of emotional destruction, the redemption story shines even brighter. Shadows of Hope embroils its characters in an impossible situation that only God could unravel and heal, and only Georgiana Daniels could deliver such a story so fearlessly.”

(As a former critique partner of Georgiana's, I can say that I read her work through my fingers, wincing and laughing and thinking "Oh, no, she wouldn't!" just before she did!)

Georgiana and me at an ACFW Conference Gala

Georgiana and I have been on this writing road for more than a decade together. We met on the blog circuit, noticing that we read and commented on the same blogs, and struck up a friendship. We joined a critique group together, and we laughed and cried and cringed and celebrated our friendship and our writing, even after we no longer critiqued each other’s work.

Georgiana and me in Sedona, AZ. 

We’ve had some good times, and I am so happy Georgiana’s here today to share about her new book and about herself. I thought, rather than the same-old, same-old interview questions, I would borrow an idea from another blogger….my bloggy friend Charity, who did one of the most hilarious interviews I have ever participated in on her blog ATransparentMom. You can read our encounter on her blog here: https://atransparentmom.com/2015/08/25/face-off-with-erica-vetsch/

I thought it might be fun to interview Georgiana in the same vein, and then answer the questions myself and then let you score us with best answer in the comments! (Winner gets virtual chocolate that is delicious and calorie free!...also we’ll throw some virtual confetti and give you a virtual tiara….obviously all prizes worth striving for!)

From Flickr Creative Commons
No changes have been made.
https://bit.ly/2qU76cQ 

Georgiana: First, I want to say how much I appreciate getting to hang out with you lovely ladies today! Much has changed since the last time I was here, but the warmth and friendship are the same. You’re all the best!


1. What is the one thing you remember about when we roomed together at the ACFW Conference?
G: It all depends on which time. The first time we roomed together, the thing I will always remember is when we both realized we felt the same way about something but we’d each been too chicken to speak up. Then we roared until big tears—oh, the tears—were rolling down our faces! That’s when I knew I had a friend for life. I do hope we can room together again one day! There’s much more trouble to be had.

E: I remember rooming in Dallas together and getting absolutely NO sleep! We talked and talked and talked and then it was suddenly 3 am! Then we’d be up and at ‘em by 7 the next morning, and do it all over again the next night. And the last night was the night of the ‘sick out’ by American Airlines pilots, and we were on the phone at 5 am trying to get you a flight home! I think we maybe got 12 hrs of sleep the entire weekend!

2. What song is most likely to get stuck in your head on continuous loop?

G: Whichever song is featured in our youngest daughter’s latest play. Currently “I Like to Move It” is on my mental loop, and now I’m convinced that I do, in fact, like to move it. On a sad note, it’s not such a good song for when I’m reading historical novels…it doesn’t match. Do you ever get ear-worms that don’t match what you’re reading? Pure torture!

On no…there it goes again! What have you done to me?

E: LOL! You’re welcome! For me, it will be a song I only hear part of in a store or in the car on the radio, and I have to go to Youtube and listen to the whole thing before it will get out of my head!!!! At the moment, it's Ed Sheeran's Perfect. Sometimes it's Passenger's Let Her Go. Obviously coffee shop music features largely in my life.

3. What is your guilty pleasure tv show?

G: Ancient Aliens! I once asked on Facebook if it could be used as homeschool history with the caveat I was asking for a friend. I get the feeling people knew it was for me. So yeah, the truth is out there. I was asking for me. Because Mondays.

E: My guilty pleasure tv show used to be Survivor, but now, thanks to another writing friend, it’s The Amazing Race. We watch it at the same time and text each other our impressions. What is it about that show? I usually wait a couple weeks to get to know the players, then pick my team. And I also pick the team I like the LEAST…who inevitably seem to win. Obviously, I need to watch several more seasons so I can perfect my technique!

4. What is your favorite memory of fourth grade?

G: It certainly wasn’t my bell bottom pants! The sad thing is, I’m having a really hard time remembering 4th grade. How embarrassing is that? Let’s see…I had just had a baby sister, just changed schools, and had ginormous cheeks. I’m going with baby sister.

E: A baby sister is a cool thing to get in 4th grade. My favorite memory of 4th grade was when Mrs. Cunningham stood in front of the class and asked who had ‘accordion-pleated’ the filmstrip? And she unrolled a beautifully zigzagged roll of plastic. Someone had sat in the back of the classroom (where we were allowed to watch filmstrips…with the accompanying red plastic square record as long as we had our work done and wore the headphones) and frame by frame folded the filmstrip into a little stack. …There went our filmstrip privileges for the rest of the year. FYI, it wasn’t me! 

5. What fashion trend do you wish would return?

G: The 80’s, the 80’s, anything from the 80’s! Except those Richard Simmons shorts. Those were a bad idea. But what I really miss is having giant hair! Did you have the big bangs that curled over your forehead like a tsunami? Man, I sure did. I was really tall in the 80’s.

E: YES! Bring back the giant hair! I rocked those bangs, and the big curls, and the side-ponytail. And the banana clip. If we could only bring back the banana clip…I still have big hair, even without the hairspray and hot rollers of the 80s. As my son likes to say, “Mom, sometimes your hair OWNS you!” He's such a brat. lol!

6. Salty or sweet snacks?

G: Salty—just like me.

E: Ha! Ha! Salty? You? No!!

Is it wrong of me to say both? I love mixing my snacks…M&Ms with potato chips, Raisins with peanuts. That’s probably why I like Kettle Corn so much! Anybody else like mixing their snacks?

7. Favorite thing about church?

G: Aside from the obvious—GOD!—I love being with His people. Is there anything more wonderful than fellowship? We can see how much He loves us by the people He gives us to journey with.

E: YES! Me too! The people! My little church has the most hilarious, generous, fun people who love Jesus and want to be more like Him. Also, at least one hysterically funny thing happens every week at church, which has us rolling and keeps things lively. What more could you ask?

8. What is your secret talent?

G: I’m supposed to have a talent? Now you tell me! Evidently it’s a well-kept secret, even from me.

But here’s something few people know: I was 2nd runner up in the 1990 Miss Arctic Circle Pageant. For the talent competition I played the piano. I want to say it was a Chopin piece, but I’m certain that if it was I didn’t do it justice! I was never that good and only played for fun.

I was always better at clarinet, and when my kids are getting salty they call me Squidward.

E: Cheeky girls! LOL! I had no idea about any of that! Miss Arctic Circle? Piano? Clarinet? Where have you been hiding these facts??? I want a picture of you in a pageant with tsunami hair!

My hidden talent…hmmm…is it possible that I’ve asked a question that I have no answer to? Okay, I’ll fess up to being able to play the piano. I took lessons for 10 years, and I learned to play Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, etc. But I never learned to play hymns. I’m scared someone will ask me to play in church sometime!

9. What unpublished story do you have in your stash that you really hope sees the light of day someday?

G: Ooooo, I love this question, but it’s tough to answer because there are just so many—unpublished stories, that is. Plus I’ve tried All The Genres. You’ve read most of the stories, I think—chick lit, suspense, romance.

I’m going to go with Honey Do, Inc. because I like how the heroine didn’t figure out which man she was truly in love with until the end. Or maybe Shadows of Alaska where no one (including me!) knew who the villain was until the end. Wait….I’m sensing a theme.

E: Um, yes, that used to drive me crazy…I kept thinking “How can she be so adept at keeping readers in the dark about who the bad guy is, or who the heroine will chose?” And all the time it was because you didn’t know yourself!!! FYI, Honey Do, Inc. is my favorite!

For me, my unclaimed treasure is Drums of the North Star, a story set in Minnesota during the Dakota War of 1862. The hero is a missionary to the Dakota, and the heroine is his fiancée, and when she’s kidnapped by the people he’s come to serve, he has to decide if he’s out for revenge or repentance.

10. What one piece of writing advice to you have for those seeking publication?
G: Run for your life! Mostly kidding….but be ready for all the hard parts. When it came to being prepared for the hard parts, I was clueless.

In light of that, my real piece of advice is to write because you love to write, not only because you’re seeking publication. Also, pursue other areas of interest that will grant you immediate success. It’s good to have something that will give you a quick win on days where writing isn’t going as planned. For me it’s knitting. I can make things—pretty things, all the things—even when my writing life gives me a swift kick.

E: Excellent advice! I would add, build your community of support. Without my writing friends (like YOU, Georgiana!) I don’t know if I would’ve had the fortitude to keep on in this business when things got hard, or gotten the information I needed to make some choices, or been able to celebrate successes with people who really know what the writing journey is all about.

11. BONUS QUESTION: What are some words or phrases that you have USED TO DEATH in a manuscript, that your critique partner had to cull for you over and over???

G: Apparently I have chosen to block it out! For some reason I can remember other people’s really well: leather (cough, cough), peered (cough, cough).

Oh, wait! In Shadows of Hope I seemed to have a penchant for the word “peeled.” Everyone was peeling things, like Tristan peeling the glasses off his face and such. Thankfully it was caught and changed. Mostly.

E: LOL, Leather! Yep, that was me. Everything was leather…leather buggy seats, leather blotter, leather wing-back chairs…Okay, peered was mine, too…Everyone was peering into, over, and around everything! LOL I seem to choose a different pet word or phrase for each story I write. It’s so funny later, but when I get edits back, I am smacking my forehead and wincing! 

Thanks for visiting with us at Seekerville today, and for letting me put you through this ridiculous interview! :) Such a good sport!

Georgiana: Thank you so much for inviting me to Seekerville! I have long admired you lovely ladies. And this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time!

So, there you have it, the silliest, most fun interview format ever. Now it's your turn!

• Give us your thoughts, answer one or more of the interview questions yourself
• Score us on who you think answered the questions better
• Let us know your thoughts of Georgiana’s new book, Shadows of Hope! (Blurb below)
• Leave us a comment and you’ll win all the virtual prizes, PLUS you'll be entered to win a copy of Shadows of Hope for yourself! 

About the author: Georgiana Daniels resides in the beautiful mountains of Arizona with her super-generous husband and three talented daughters. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor's degree in public relations and now has the privilege of homeschooling by day and wrestling with the keyboard by night. She enjoys sharing God's love through fiction and is exceedingly thankful for her own happily ever after.

About the Book: A story of hope in the aftermath of inconceivable betrayal and broken dreams

What if. . .
. . .you struggled with infertility but unknowingly befriended your husband’s pregnant mistress?

What if. . .
. . .the woman you were seeing behind your wife’s back gets pregnant, threatening your job and marriage?

What if. . .
. . .your boyfriend never told you he was married and you discover you’re pregnant?

Crisis pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy resource center and things seem to be turning around. But when Marissa and Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin, Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor. When their private lives collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope.
If you absolutely can't wait to get your hands on a copy, you can purchase your copy by clicking HERE. 

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!