Photos & Thoughts from Carpenter Booksigning

Hi Friends,

I had a booksigning at The Carpenter last night. It was a lot of fun and quite a few people came out (thanks!!). So, I thought it would be fun to share some pictures from the event. Then, I'll share a few thoughts that came out of a conversation with Bob from the Californian newspaper last night. So, read on!

First, here I am with Lois, the first to come in an pick up a copy of Beyond the Night (in fact, she got more than one, and Veil of Fire too ... thanks, Lois!)

And here are a few others, including the fun gals who own The Carpenter . . .














What fun! Thanks, Ladies for coming in and buying books. Enjoy the read and bless you for your support!

After the signing, I had some time to talk with Bob Walch from The Californian (the newspaper here in Salinas) for a feature article he's writing up for the Living section (for you locals, keep your eyes out for that in the future!). One of the things he asked me about is what advice I would give to up and coming writers. Part of what I thought about and shared is applicable I think to whatever we do - not just writing, but our jobs, our dreams, everything that we give ourselves to do. And that is . . .

I believe that what we do, and what I do, shouldn't be all about pursuing my dreams, following my vision, accomplishing things for my own status. We are so often bombarded with that kind of goal-setting message in our culture: Follow your dreams, you can do anything you set your mind to ... all those success posters you see in business catalogs. But life isn't about that. What we do should be a gift to others. My reason for writing can't be to succeed in my dreams, but to offer something to others of quality, hope, and help. My books are an act of faithfulness to God that He may use to bring wonder and blessing into the lives of His loved ones (that's you!). And I think whatever we do (jobs, hobbies, etc.) should be that too ... ways we can show our love to God by offering something to others, by serving, by making lives a little brighter, a little more filled with hope, a little more connected to the God of the universe.

So, there's my little thought for the day, coming out of my time last night. So now, if there's a way your job, your hobby, or whatever other thing you're doing blesses others, or a way you hope it will, I hope you'll share your thoughts here. Comment away! I love hearing from you!

May your day be filled with wonder and your life be brimming with light!

--Marlo