Tag: contest

Body Image Lies Women Believe: Free Kindle eBook & $100 Giveaway

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

By Shelley Hitz and contributing authors

Download on Kindle

FREE three days only: 5/8/13, 5/9/13 and 5/10/13

PLUS enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

About the Book, Body Image Lies Women Believe:

  • Are you insecure about your looks?
  • Have you ever compared yourself to someone else and found yourself wanting?
  • Do complements or put downs determine the image you have of your beauty?

Real Stories of Overcoming Body Image Lies Women Believe with God’s Truth

Throughout this book, Christian women share their stories of how they have struggled with body image lies and a distorted view of themselves. However, each of their stories also contains hope – the hope of replacing these lies with God’s truth. Our prayer for you is that you find encouragement within these pages and allow Christ to transform you with His truth.

We Are Each Created Unique

God has created each one of us with unique abilities, unique talents and a unique personality. As women we are influencers and God has given us that role and our beauty to share with others. Yet so often we settle for a counterfeit. The enemy has counterfeited our idea of beauty, convincing us to share our beauty with the world in a distorted way. Today that often means that we see our beauty as what we look like on the outside.

What Lies Have You Been Believing?

Join us for the journey of replacing body image lies with truth from God’s Word.

Download on Kindle

FREE on 5/8/13, 5/9/13 and 5/10/13

Paperback | Large Print | Audiobook

Shelley Hitz

Shelley HItzShelley Hitz is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.

Follow Shelley Hitz
Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Enter Below to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Thank you to our sponsors!  The giveaway is sponsored by Staci Stallings, Spirit Filled Kindle, Grace & Faith 4 U and Body and Soul Publishing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share this FREE book and giveaway with your friends!

So far on writing goals

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments
Writing samples: Parker 75
Image by churl via Flickr

Starting the third month into the year I was prompted to evaluate how my writing goals have worked so far. Kind of assessing if I actually kept my new year’s resolutions or if they were already been postponed.  I feel closer to my writing than I have ever felt. Writing has slowly snuck up on me and it’s a need like eating and I love to eat! Every day I feel the need to write, but not every day I think I have something relevant to say.

I’m pushing myself to be a better writer and what are some of those things that I have put in place to accomplish that in 2011…?

  • I’ve returned to my reading roots. Last year I dedicated a lot of time to writing, but not enough to reading. I believe that a healthy balance is important for any writer.
  • I’m actually following my calendar. In December I created a calendar of contests I wanted to participate (if you’re interested in peaking at that calendar it’s on the publication and achievements page). Last year I created the calendar but actually did only a few of those. So far I have submitted to each and every one of those competitions that I committed to participate in. It doesn’t matter the outcome, it’s about the exercise of meeting deadlines and writing more.
  • Joined wordpress post-a-week challenge where I’m committing to at least post on my blog once a week.  I’ve been trying to post more than that. At my current rate I could have joined post-a-day, but at least once a week still gives me the necessary breather for days when things get complicated.
  • Accountability- I hired a proofreader who is aware of my deadlines, so the expectation of the workload I have to provide for her it’s a constant reminder that I have to come through with my committed contests. Also, I have some readers who have decided to contact me when I go without posting for more than two days to ask when the next post will come. I’m flattered that they enjoy this blog, but also the feedback gives me the sense of responsibility to keep it up.
  • Class- I have committed to be part of at least one writing workshop before the end of the year to improve my skills. I have invited a teenager aspiring writer to take the workshop with me. Have you been able to promise something to a teenager that they will forget? Trust me we will go to the workshop!
  • Social Media- I’ve subscribe to the Kristen Lamb’s Blog. She not only gives great advice for writers but also advises about how to utilize social media more efficiently. I just found this blog last week and I’ve learned a lot.

So these are some of the things that I’m doing to take my writing to another level and so far so good… Have some tips of your own? Share them!!!

Stay tuned.

Let the writing begin!

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment
Factura Electrónica 2011
Image via Wikipedia

To all my readers:

I’m dropping just a little note to let you know what’s going on in my writing world. The short story “Loud Silence”, yes the same one on the e-reads will be submitted today for the “Snag Today” magazine writing contest.

My two new short stories, “Hope” and “George” were already submitted this morning for “Nurturing Paws” the new anthology by Whispering Angel Books….

 If any of my fellow writers would like to enter their stories, the information is in my upcoming calendar on the Publications and Achievements page. There’s still time.

 So, cross your fingers and say a prayer, 2011 here I come!

The Road to Nanowrimo

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

Never underestimate the places were God puts you. I’m not saying that it was God’s will for me to be sick for the last week, but  he knew I needed to stop the train of life I was running and there was a lot that I had been praying to hear from him, but had not stopped to listen. Few days in bed shivering with fever, dragging to do every move and knocked out on medication will do wonders to your spiritual ears.

For the last few weeks I’ve been working on the anticipation of my yearly writing main event, Nanowrimo. This is the race to write a novel in a month of 50,000 words or more. Last year was the first time I ventured to do such thing and I was nervous due to the unknown. It’s worth mention that Nanowrimo was the precursor of The Rising Muse. I had so much writing energy after being in writing boot camp that I needed to channel it somewhere, that’s how The Rising Muse was born.  It also gave me the opportunity to finally finish a novel, which in itself was a great accomplishment, winning the competition was not bad at all. The rest of the year has been dedicated to editing the fruits of my labor (hint, hint to my editor, get yourself in gear, we’re trying to publish a book here! LOL!)

Anyway, at 52 hours from facing the challenge one more time, I’ve taken the time to review my life within the last year and see how far God has brought me during this time.  A lot of things have happened in the last 12 months.  I don’t work in the same position, I don’t drive the same car, and I don’t live in the same place. My spirit and my love for God are not even at the same level. I do have more responsibilities, but I wouldn’t trade it for the past. I have new friends, 20 less pounds (that I hope not to gain in November, it tends to happen); a total new life.

In my writing career, what have been those accomplishments in the last 12 months?

  • My first publication, the short story “The Janitor”
  • Winning Nanowrimo, “ The Road Home”
  • Starting my blog, “The Rising Muse”
  • Starting a Spanish Version of the blog with a collaborator (yes, Yanira you deserve a lot of credit too) “TRM en Espanol”
  • My second publication, the story “Obedience and Willingness”

I look at it and I can’t believe it myself. Someone asked me today which was the  accomplishment  I was most proud of in my life ; I responded allowing God to shine through the talents he gave me and letting him use my gifts and mistakes to touch other people’s lives. So to him the Glory of all he’s allowed me to do!

Now at 51 hours the clock continues to race for me to start writing, “Breaking Free”. I think we’re doing better this year. Last year my novel didn’t have a title until the very end. I think we have a good start. Last year the anxiety was because I didn’t know what I was facing. This year the anxiety is because I do know what’s coming.

I want to take the opportunity to thank God for his love, mercy and for giving me this gift. I thank all my readers, my friends and family for your support. Thanks to Yolanda and Jeff for inviting me for the second year to their house for Thanksgiving allowing me to write instead of cooking. I promised a pie and a cake, Publix may end up doing them for me…LOL! To Seth, my editor, for loving me and putting up with my Spanglish writing. Only he understands the things I write, especially when I write in a hurry.

To those around me, remember, as of Monday there’s no cooking. My dog will appreciate visitors to let her out and I will appreciate anyone bringing me a sandwich, a smoothie (Carrie hint, hint), a soy chai latte or (Noe hint, hint) just listen to me fuss about how this story is not coming along. Let the writing begin!!!! 50 hours to go!!!

SumNoWriCha

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

I know it sounds Chinese but it’s not.  It’s The Summer Novel Writing Challenge. It’s the new writing competition I just joined. It starts on June 1rst and ends August 31rst. This one is for a 100, 000 words novel. I love the idea as I’ve had some projects roaming my head for a while, but also because it give me more time even when it’s double the number of words.  The challenge for me: I’m still editing “The Road Home”, so writing and editing…hopefully I don’t cross the stories…LOL

I’m determined to cross the finish line and not have a “frenzy” moment.

What am I planning to write? The title will be Days of Dolores. It’s the story of a survivor, who endured not only emotional pain but a lot of physical pain as well and how she came through. It will be fiction based on a true story. No, it’s not a story from my life.

 I’m psyched about this opportunity. We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 3 of the Mercy series. Stay tuned.

Ten days to go

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

It seems so closed and so far at the same time. April has flown away. I can’t believe that during nanowrimo, I had written over 150 pages by this time of the month and I have not been able to make it to the dreaded 100 this time. There’s so much of the story left to write and only ten days left. So the real question is , will I’ll be able to finish this script in the next ten days and hopefully with more than a hundred pages. Let the writing continue.

Painful writing

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings3 Comments

Someone brought to my attention today that I had stopped my script frenzy updates. I guess it’s because I’m having so many difficulties with this script, it’s hard for me to describe the already painful experience after using what is left of my brain in actually describing what these characters are supposed to be doing.  As my readers know this is my first script.

I truly believe that God is teaching me something through this experience; get out of your comfort zone. I’m a novelist. I can write a short stories and essays. I’ve even done a poem or two and even received recognition for some of them in earlier years. Why is this so hard? I don’t know if it’s the structure of it, or the unfamiliarity. I have to admit that I struggle adapting  to new things, so I guess this writing experience is a reflection not only of where my life is, but also where God is taking me. Now, I am almost 95% sure that God doesn’t want me to be a script writer, that’s not what I’m saying. He’s calling me to move out of my comfort zone and take risks and experience new things. It does sound great in theory, who doesn’t like something new.  Nobody tells you that just like a beautiful vase that needs first to be molded and placed in the fire to get to that final product; those new things that we’re embracing have a struggle of their own.

This weekend I was about to throw in the towel. I have already written in my mind the blog posting announcing my withdrawal from the competition, then an e-mail came through. It was from one of our frenzy sponsors advising us of what they call, “the moment”, and how to get over it. The email busted every excuse I had come up to get out of the race…once again, I was busted! So I sat in front of my computer and wrote another six pages. Even with my kicking and screaming. Amazingly I’m ahead of schedule.

The story…, it’s not quite what I had envision. It has taken a life of its own, but even then I’m enjoying it again.  So here’s where we are… Page 44/100 of my script on Day 12.

Progress in quality not quantity

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

Part of the challenge of not knowing what you’re doing is that you may have done tons of work and it could be done wrong. Last night after writing, I decided to look into our frenzy resources page and realized that there was specific software that helps you format scripts. I subscribed to one of them and had to reformat all that I had written. So today instead of progressing in my story, the time allotted went to reformatting the story. Thank God I’m ahead of schedule and that I found http://www.scripped.com

Day 5 Script Frenzy 26/100

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

More than expected; since I am ahead of schedule, I figured I would do just a page, but the inspiration hit and was able to do much more. I don’t have a structure of where I’m going with this story, but I do know that it’s taking a life of its own. I’ve been able to enter some not necessary comedy, but some sarcasm to the story, through the sister of the bride. She’s the voice of reason. This one is definitely going to be more than a 100 pages, so now my goal is not so much the page count, but to actually finish the story.

Day 4 Script Frenzy 22/100

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

It was a productive writing day I’ve been thinking all day on how to make this funny. I placed some physical humor. There is nothing better than a couple accidentally knocking themselves over in their honeymoon to make some great memories. Thinks are getting hairy for my main character. She’s starting to discover that her husband and she have different expectations and goals. They just made it home from the honeymoon. We’ll see what will happen next.