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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Guest Blogger Diane Graham and I Am Ocilla

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DIANE GRAHAM lives in the mountains of eastern Oklahoma with her husband and five children. She is an avid reader and lover of all art forms that encapsulate imagination and goodness. She has been a waitress, a car saleswoman, a real estate wannabe, and had grandeur dreams of growing up to be a mom. Never in a million years did she expect to be a writer, but children do this awesome thing with a person's imagination. Now she can't stop writing. You may find out more about Diane at http://www.dianemgraham.com or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dianemgrahamauthor.

I AM OCILLA
by Diane Graham
Published by Splashdown Books

ABOUT THE BOOK

Open your heart and mind to the simplicity and complexity of a name. I know only my name. Beyond that is confusion, a void where fantasy and reality swirl together. Fairies, Giants, Elves, Dwarves, ancient Keepers, and...Dragons? A dark soul threatens the Five Kingdoms, but I am powerless to stand against it, overwhelmed by phantom memories, broken and lost.
Somehow, I must live. I must find my purpose.
There are friends to love and battles to fight.
I know my name. Perhaps that is enough.
I am Ocilla.
This is my story.

Readers, buy your copy of I Am Ocilla today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.-- Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

My very favorite part of being a writer is not writing at all. It is the stuff before the writing and the stuff between the words. It is the dreaming. No one ever thought I’d be a writer, but they did think I pondered a lot. Isn’t that the biggest part of writing? The dreams that catapult into your mind and plants itself in the membrane of your existence? It weaves in so deeply that no matter how much you try to think of other things, it always manages to sneak back to the center, dancing a silly jig or sticking its tongue out in a dare. A challenge presents itself to me like a jigsaw puzzle on a rainy day. Every time I walk by that table, I hunch over to fit one more piece, only this puzzle has no box and I have no idea how beautiful the picture will be until I am done.

That is what writing a fantasy is like for me. I write with a Christian worldview because just like the story, Christ is weaved into my soul. It wasn’t something I set out to do a certain way. It just happened that HE kept placing things in the stories I wrote that screamed to the world that I am His. Or maybe it doesn’t scream to the world, but it was like an anvil over my head when I first realized it.

I suppose it is like that for all Christians when they embrace the gifts God gives them. There is a level of joy you can only attribute to Him. A sureness that you are doing exactly what you are made to do.

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Thank you, Diane, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Do you have one thing you can do that you know is a blessing from God...a gift?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win ONE of TWO FREE eBook copies of the book above. There will be TWO winners this week! If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

6 comments:

Caprice Hokstad said...

Not entering the giveaway. I've already read I am Ocilla. Just stopped by to read the article. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Diane, and thanks, Amber, for hosting her.

Diane M Graham said...

Thank you for stopping by and supporting me, my friend.

Cheryl said...

What a wonderful post. Very inspiring.

My family is the second greatest gift God has given me. I didn't have a nice childhood, but as an adult my husband's parents accepted me as one of their own, and our girls provided so many wonderful chances to learn about God's love.

Thanks for the chance to win.

Cheryl

ccmal(at)charter(dot)net

Diane MGraham said...

Thank you, Cheryl. God comes to where we live each day and gives us the chance to work for Him...to love for Him.

Janna said...

God has gifted me with dance. I know that is from Him and I use it for His glory. I have a Christian Dance Studio with over 125 kids that take classes from me. We pray at the end of every class and I thank God for the opportunity to minister to each of them every week.

I would love to be entered.

Janna
ryanx6@msn.com

Diane M Graham said...

What a blessing, Janna. Isn't like a big, sloppy kiss from heaven each day?