Jill Williamson’s Blog

An Audio Interview with Bill Myers

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 21st, 2012 in Adventures in Life, Jill Williamson's Blog, Podcasts | 0 comments

One of the first Christian fiction books I ever read was Bill Myer’s Blood of Heaven. I loved it!

Over the years I’ve read many more of Bill’s books and got my son totally hooked on his Wally McDoogle series for young readers. No matter how old you are, if you’ve never read a Wally McDoogle book, you’ve got to. They are so very funny!

When I first heard Bill Myers speak at the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Coaching Conference in 2010, I was spellbound. Bill is a great storyteller. I could listen to him all day long. So I thought you’d all like to hear him speak in his own voice. I’ve done a few podcast interviews before as the author being interviewed, but this was the first time I tried interviewing someone else. It was a little tricky, but I figured it out. 

FYI, in this interview, Bill talks about a film company that he’s working with to get some of his books made into movies. The name of this company is Amaris Media International, and if you click here, you can check out their site and keep up with what they’re working on.

So here is my interview with Bill Myers where he talks about how he became a writer, director, and producer, and about his latest ebook Supernatural Love, which is available on Kindle now. 

Click here to download the MP3 of my interview with Bill.

Or click on the gray Audio MP3 Play Button under the social media icons to listen now. 

An Audio Interview with Bill Myers Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Life is Short… 5 Ways to Make a Difference Today

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 16th, 2012 in Adventures in Life, Jill Williamson's Blog | 0 comments

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I inadvertently allow my To Do list spoil my opportunity to bless others and be blessed in return. Since then, when I’ve gone out, I’ve been making an effort to set aside my To Do list and to look for opportunities to interact with others.

William James said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”  Some simple ways I’ve tried to show appreciation to others are: 

1. Smile. This is the fastest way to show others you like them.

2. Give a compliment. Saying something nice is an easy way to make someone’s day.

3. Ask a question. And don’t stop at “How are you?” Questions are a simple way to start a conversation. And people feel good when you’re interested in their life.

4. Listen. Everyone likes to be heard, and listening lets a person know you care.

5. Offer to help. If you see someone struggling, jump in and lend a hand! Get the door for a stranger. Give up your seat on the bus. Slow down and let a pedestrian pass–even if they’re jaywalking! The other day, our car died three blocks from the mechanic’s shop. Some guy helped my husband push the car the rest of the way. I didn’t even catch his name, but he was a hero to us.

Check out the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation for more ideas. Granted, some of these are premeditated, but planned kindness makes a difference too.

What about you? Leave a comment and tell us other ways we can make a difference in someone’s day.

Valentine’s Treats

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 15th, 2012 in Adventures in Life, Jill Williamson's Blog | 0 comments

Yesterday my husband made these little English muffin pizzas for our daughter’s Valentine’s party. Just an English muffin, some pizza sauce, some cheese, and two pepperoni, one cut in half, and rearranged to make a heart. Pretty cute, huh?

Another mom brought in these cute cheese and hotdog hearts. (Click on the picture to see how to make them. They’re from Family Fun Magazine.)

And we had a lovely wedge salad with a tomato rose with our Valentine’s Fundraiser dinner. (Click on the picture to watch how to make one on YouTube.)

How about you? See any clever Valentine’s treats yesterday? Tell me about it.

I was Just Thinking… Do You Like Yourself?

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 14th, 2012 in Adventures in Faith, Jill Williamson's Blog | 2 comments

This Valentine’s Day, I was thinking about love.

When asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 28-31)

I think that’s pretty cool.

But I was just thinking, what if you don’t love yourself? What if you don’t even like yourself? What if you judge yourself harshly, think you’re too thin or too fat, think you talk too little or too much, think you do everything wrong? And if you think of yourself in such a critical way, how might that reflect on how you think of your neighbor? 

Perhaps, to truly love your neighbor, you need to first learn to love yourself as Christ loves you.

So just how much does Christ love you, anyway?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

I wonder if it’s possible for me to love anyone so much that I would sacrifice my son. I don’t think so. 

Wow. 

Anyway… that’s what I was thinking.

What do you think? Have you ever had trouble loving yourself? Leave a comment and let me know.

Making a Birthday Cake with Fondant

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 9th, 2012 in Adventures in Life, Jill Williamson's Blog | 6 comments

Every year I look forward to making birthday cakes for my kids. It’s always a lot of work, but it’s fun too. This year my daughter wanted a kitten party. I LOVE this about my daughter. While other girls her age are having a Justin Bieber party, Kaitlyn wants kittens.

*contented sigh*

So, Kaitlyn and I went looking for kitten cakes online. And the one she wanted was really cute, but it was made with fondant icing. I’d never tried that before, and I don’t live in a place where I can run over to Michael’s and pick up a few packs of fondant. But there’s always the internet and YouTube. I found some recipes (Marshmallow Fondant Recipe and Marshmallow Fondant) and a video (How to make a ball of yarn cake) to give me some help.

Here was our goal:

Here’s how I did it:

The night before, I baked my cakes so I could freeze them overnight. I baked two half cake mixes in a pyrex bowl to get my ball cake. And I added a package of pudding to the cake mix to make it dense so that the cake wouldn’t be crumbly. Here is the link to that recipe.

The next morning, I used this recipe for Marshmallow Fondant and set out all my ingredients ahead of time. 

I put all my marshmallows in a big microwavable bowl and zapped them for about a minute. Then I stirred them up till they were gooey.

I added my vanilla, stirred that in, then added my water and stirred until creamy.

Then I started adding the sugar a little at a time. The mix got really gooey. 

When I had all the sugar mixed in but the last cup, I butter up my hands and started kneading it in. I thought it was still way too sticky, so I ended up adding more sugar than the recipe called for. Don’t know if I should have done this or not… But in the end, I got it to a bread dough consistency.

Then I divided the fondant into three parts. I set aside a little bit of white for the cat’s eyes and mouth, some to make orange for the cat’s body, since Kaitlyn wanted an orange cat, and the rest to dye pink. I covered each bit of fondant in cling wrap so that it wouldn’t get hard when left out to the air. Then I added a few drops of food coloring and kneaded it in, trying not to actually touch the food coloring until it was mixed well. Didn’t always work…

Once I had my colors, I set the orange aside (wrapped in cling wrap to keep it soft) and I rolled the pink out on the table. Now, the really cool guy on the YouTube video made strings with his cookie press. I tried this and it did not work! (I was very depressed.) Perhaps it was due to the fact that I added so much extra sugar, because my fondant was too thick to come out the holes of the cookie press. *sigh* So I had to cheat. Thankfully, this was not Ace of Cakes, and my daughter did not notice anything different about my cake and the picture we started with. So I rolled it out on the table with big plans to cheat.

I rolled it into as flat of circle as I could and covered the ball of cake. It was a little lumpy and I had WAY TOO MUCH fondant, so I rolled out another layer and covered the whole cake again.

Now it was time to cheat. Using a butter knife, I drew yarn lines onto the cake. This did not make me happy. I like things to turn out perfectly. But I didn’t have a choice. So I carved my ball of yarn, then used the orange and white fondant to make a kitten. It was like playing with playdough. I used the white to make a bit of green for my cat eyes, and melted a chocolate chip to get pupils. Then I used my hands to roll out a bunch of yarn to tangle around my kitten. I also spelled out Kaitlyn’s name in yarn, though it was hard to see on the wrapping paper board.

Kaitlyn didn’t care. She loved it. And it tasted pretty good too, though the fondant wasn’t very good the second day. Not surprisingly, everyone wanted a piece of that poor kitten’s head. You can see what the cake looked like after the party.

How about you? Ever made a fancy birthday cake? Ever tried fondant? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!

An Interview with Nicole O’Dell and her Daughters Natalie and Emily

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 7th, 2012 in Adventures in Faith, Jill Williamson's Blog | 4 comments

Today I’m talking with Nicole O’Dell and her daughters Natalie and Emily. This mother-daughters trio writes an online advice column for teen girls called Girl Talk and have a brand new Girl Talk book that has come out of this experience. Talk about finding a way to turn life into an adventure! Check out this trailer for the book.

Welcome to my blog, ladies! I can’t wait to learn more about your journey. Congrats on the new book. Nicole, when did the Girl Talk Advice Column first start? Did Natalie and Emily help you answer questions from the beginning or did they come in to the project later on?

The column started in December 2009, and the girls were a part of it right from the start. The whole idea was to provide a format for teens to ask other peers about the issues in their lives, but also to have adult guidance as well.

It was a wonderful, important idea! You guys have answered so many questions. Where did the idea for the Girl Talk book come from, Nicole?

I got one of those magical emails from my publisher: “Hey, Nicole! We were thinking about making your Girl Talk column into a book. What do you think?”

Ahhh! Music to an author’s ears!

Ha ha. I’ll bet it was! Natalie and Emily, what went through your head when your mom told you there was going to be a Girl Talk book? Have either of you ever wanted to write a book?

Natalie: I thought it was a really cool idea, and a lot of fun. I thought it would be a cool accomplishment for me, and that it would help other girls, too. Writing a book isn’t really my thing… I mean, I didn’t really think that I wanted to be an author anything. I’m more interested in the part of the project that means I get to help people out. The fact that it involves writing right now is just the way God decided to use me. That’s cool with me.

Emily: I was like “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’m going to become a published author like my mom.”  Writing is something I totally love to do. I don’t know if I want to do it full time, like my mom, but I do want to write more stuff.

When I was in fourth grade, I wrote and illustrated a book called The Girl on the Runaway Pogo Stick for a district-wide contest. I won! That was it for me; I wanted to write from that moment on. You know how it is with dreams though, sometimes we just think they’re too big and move on to something more “reasonable.”

Speaking of big dreams, Jill is going to be writing a monthly column on the Choose NOW Ministries website called “Jill Williamson: On Dreaming Big”. You’ll have to check it out!

To Do List Ruining Your Chance to Bless and Be Blessed?

Posted by Jill Williamson on Feb 3rd, 2012 in Adventures in Faith, Jill Williamson's Blog | 3 comments

I love the idea of blessing others with little things. The trouble is, I’m often so caught up in my To Do list that I miss the chance.

For example, I was late to church last Sunday. When I got there, I remembered that I needed to talk with Greg, so I ran up to him and started talking before I even said “Hi” or asked how he was doing. The worship music cut me off. So I sat in the pew in front of Greg, knowing they play half the song, let us do a meet and greet, then finish the song.

When the song stopped, I talked to Greg about the thing that was on my mind, then the music started back up and I ran to my pew. A song and a half later, I remembered that I hadn’t written my tithe check, so I sat down and did it right then, knowing I might forget otherwise. 

Jill’s opportunities to bless people lost:

1. Because I was late, I missed opportunities to say hello to people before church.

2. I missed an opportunity to bless Greg with a kind greeting because I was so set on getting information about his upcoming church event.

3. I missed the opportunity to worship God because I was waiting in that empty pew to talk to Greg, thinking about what I was going to say.

4. I missed the opportunity to stand with my family during worship. 

5. I missed the the opportunity to meet and greet others—as did Greg (because of me)—because I was talking business with Greg.

6. And I missed another opportunity to worship while I wrote my tithe check!

Go, go, go, eat, go, go, go, sleep, wake up, go, go go, eat is my lifestyle.  I long for life to slow down. To have days where I sit and relax with my family or friends. And I often think that my busyness—and my agenda (the long list of things I need to do that constantly runs through my mind)—sometimes keep me from making a difference to people I come into contact with.

Does this ever happen to you?

What are some ways you slow down?

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this.

Ten Adventures to Try in 2012

Posted by Jill Williamson on Jan 31st, 2012 in Adventures in Life, Jill Williamson's Blog, Top Ten Lists | 10 comments

Since it’s the start of a new year—and since I usually fail to follow through on my New Year’s Resolutions—I decided to try something different for 2012. I thought up ten things I’d like to do that I haven’t ever done or that I haven’t done in a long time. I figure blogging about it might hold me accountable, and you all can witness my adventures and think about trying something like this for yourself.

So here is my list of ten things to try in 2012:

1. Make my own laundry detergent. My friend Mama Lusco taught me how to do this and even gave me a five-gallon bucket to keep it in. It lasts a long time and is inexpensive. I bought the stuff to make more, and it’s been sitting in a bag for months! This year, I will do this on my own, and I will teach you all how to do it.

2. Go scuba diving (or snorkeling, if that’s the only option). My husband has ALWAYS wanted to go scuba diving. Me? I’m not a great swimmer. But for him, I’ll give it a whirl. We are going on a cruise this year, so if we can find a place to scuba dive, I’m in! If not, snorkeling will be our back-up.

3. Try new church. I love doing this. I find it fascinating to see how other people and denominations worship. I’m traveling a bit this year, and I’m hoping to have a Sunday away to give this a try in some other states.

4. Choose a life verse and/or write a mission statement for my life and career. This is something I’ve always wanted to do and never have. 

5. Volunteer to be a lunch buddy at my local elementary school. This sounds like a fun way to love on someone who could use it and to get to know the kids my kids go to school with.

6. I will try a Zumba class. What!?! It looks fun! As long as no one is watching…

7. Call old friend. I have some dear friends that I don’t talk to often enough and I hate that. Facebook, while a lot of fun, just isn’t the same, you know?

8. Paint self portrait. I just think this sounds like a lot of messy fun.

9. Learn to fire a rifle. I have a friend who invited me to come out and shoot some of her guns. I figured this would be really good writing research and fun as well.

10. And then… *sigh* I will go hunting (for a BIRD). My pal Greg who helped me with hunting details for my Blood of Kings books continues to invite me to go hunting. Will I eat the bird, if I get one? I suppose. Might as well go all out. (I’m not going to waste the poor thing’s life!) As long as I pretend to be Achan or Eli (characters from my books who hunt) then I should manage. Though Achan wouldn’t have a gun…

So there you have it! Wish me luck. I’ll post my adventures throughout this year so you can see how I fare.

A Medieval Fairy-Tale Romance for Teens

Posted by Jill Williamson on Dec 12th, 2011 in Team Novel Teen Blog Tour | 8 comments

Once upon a time…

We girls are raised on fairy tales. Before we can walk our parents likely dressed us in at least one outfit with a Disney princess on it–maybe even the word “princess” written on the front.

And then we get a little older, and many of us play with princess dolls or dress up in princess gowns. My daughter has a Cinderella dress and matching one for her Barbie that I made her for the Disney Princess-themed birthday she had when she turned six.

Ready? One, two, three, everyone say, “Awwww!”

And when we are, again, a little older, we start dreaming about our own fairy tale romance. And we believe, deep down, that there is a Prince Charming out there for each of us.
So it’s no surprise to me why I enjoy reading books like the ones Melanie Dickerson writes. Now, Melanie’s books aren’t Disney cartoons. She writes medieval stories in realistic historical time periods and creates her own version of those beloved fairy tale characters. Her first book, The Healer’s Apprentice is a sleeping beauty story. And her latest book, Merchant’s Daughter, will remind readers of Beauty and the Beast. (Click here to read my review of Merchant’s Daughter.)

And this is not the end of fairy tale romances from Melanie Dickerson. She is also working on a Snow White story, and one I’m sure my daughter will love someday, Cinderella.

I hope we won’t have to wait too long.

——————

This post is part of the Team Novel Teen blog tour for Melanie Dickerson’s Merchant Daughter, which means that there are a lot of other readers talking about this book.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. To see what the other bloggers have to say, click on any of the links below.

The Librarian’s Bookshelf • Rachelle Rea • ADD Librarian • The Book Fae  • My Life with a Mission  • Katie McCurdy • Terri Harr • Book Nook 4 You • My Story Shelf • Sugar Peach

A Chance to Win a Copy of Replication

Posted by Jill Williamson on Dec 8th, 2011 in Replication: The Jason Experiment | 0 comments

I stopped in over at Amber Stockton’s and wrote a guest blog to post about meeting my readers. If you leave a comment in answer to one of my final questions, you will be entered to win a free copy of Replication.

There are only three comments so far, so your chances are great!

So head over to Amber Stockton’s Fictional Life blog and leave a comment to win!