Tag: rebirth

Posted in inspiration

Easter, a time of hope and renewal

Posted on by Sherri

Easter, for the Christian is a time for renewal, rebirth, and rejoicing. It is a time we celebrate Christ’s triumph over the grave. It is a time of HOPE. Like spring, there is the hope of renewal: renewing the heart of a sinner, renewing the spirit of the downtrodden, renewing the faith of a weakened spirit, and renewing our faith and belief in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter, even more than Christmas, is the time for Christians to rejoice for this is the foundation of our religion. Christ arose. It’s simple. Because Jesus lives so can we.

My stories may not appear religious. They are filled with sex and violence and darkness, but there is also love and hope. Without hope we have nothing. For the Christian, that hope is centered around our faith that Jesus died and is risen. For genre fiction, we have hope in the romance that the heroes and heroines will live happily ever after. In mysteries, thrillers and suspense we hope the good guys will win and the bad guys will get justice.

I’m not going to stretch the truth and say “Chrome Pink” is in any way Christian fiction but my own beliefs and moral code are evident in Rae Lynne’s struggles. I believe we are all searching for something. Whether it is love or justice or faith, that journey of discovery is an important part of being human. I am a believer in happy endings and I’m confident that everyone can find happiness. Sometimes it is making the choice to be happy.

As the flowers burst into bloom and the days begin to warm, a romance writers’ mind goes to love and marriage and happily ever after. Life isn’t fiction and after nearly twenty-seven years of marriage, I know, every day isn’t happy. I believe we have to make the choice to be happy. “God won’t give us more than we can bear.” I have struggled with this my whole life, faith versus the world’s oppression and darkness. My life hasn’t been a story book with perfect people living charming lives. No, I’ve lost loved ones, seen cruelties first hand, and struggle still with guilt and anger over things I wish I could change. I’ve lost a home to fire, had a miscarriage and lost a sister to birth defects. And I still believe we have to make the choice to be happy. It’s not easy to find the silver lining or hold your head up when you feel like weeping. Our Preacher mentioned this passage from Romans and I thought is summarizes all I wish to say. Romans 5:3-5  3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, …

Hope, is what keeps us believing in happy endings, the future and faith. For me, being a writer is tied up in my faith that good will triumph over bad.

Happy Easter, may you all find your spirits renewed and filled with hope.

Posted in Thoughts

The Pins on My Lapel

Posted on by Sherri

The pins on my lapel are not expensive or even rare. To most people they would mean little but to me, they are a testament of love, friendship and dreams come true.

The silver feather, a find from my husband reminded him of a quill and my dream to be a published author. He gave me the pin to encourage me to keep writing even when it seemed everything I wrote was destined to be almost good enough but not quite. He believed in me and gave me a gentle push towards achieving those goals.

The butterfly, a gift from my mentor Marni Graff from her trip to England. A butterfly is the symbol of hope and rebirth. I have had need of both. When we lost our home to fire, I struggled to keep believing in hope. When my dad died the year after, hope faltered. When my mom fell and broke her hip, it became nearly impossible to keep writing and deal with life. But like the butterfly who is reborn, death, destruction and life’s tragedies make us stronger. We burst from the darkness of our cocoons a new being. For me, I came back with a renewed determination to achieve those goals.

The RWA PRO pin is a sign of achievement. I worked hard, finished a novel and moved up in the ranks of Romance Writers of America to the status of professional. I am on the path of becoming a published author. I have faced road blocks along the way. I have stumbled and fallen, but I am blessed to have a group of people who believed in me, even when I did not believe in myself.

The cover of my book, Chrome Pink. This is the cheapest of the jewelry I’m wearing for I made it myself. It is nothing more than paper and glue, but it is a symbol of what I have overcome. Because of the people who have stood beside me, pushed me, comforted me and cheered me onward, this book became a reality. Writing maybe a solo act but in truth, I could not, would not have published this book without the love and support of my family and friends.

The pins on my lapel remind me, I’m not alone. Each success I achieve is because of you and each failure is easier to bear, because you lift me up. These pins remind me to be proud, to be humble, to be thankful and to know, I am loved.