Back during the Fall Reading Challenge, I saw on a couple of people’s reading lists the book Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker by Lynn Bowen Walker. That sounded right up my alley! Though I enjoy being a homemaker and have wanted to be one all my life, like every job, there are days when I feel uninspired, challenged, and tired. There are plenty of great tips and ideas even for super-homemakers. I let my family know it was one of the things I would like for Christmas, and I received it and started it in January. I am loving it!

A few weeks ago Lynn e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to be part of her 30 Blogs in 30 Days blog tour. Did I ever! She also sent me a copy of her book to use however I wanted to. I decided to give it to a commenter on today’s post, so, if you are interested, leave a comment on this post and I will draw a name Thursday morning.

I’ve enjoyed communicating with Lynn and asking these questions:

1. You mentioned in the first chapter that you read many books about homemaking but none seemed to meet your needs, so you wrote your own. What was missing from the books you read?

I love reading about homemaking. And many of the books I read were great as far as they went. But most of them focused so narrowly on just one part of being a homemaker, and I needed help in all kinds of areas! I wanted to know not just how to be a great mom, but also how to manage my time when there were so many requests to volunteer, how to get dinner on the table when I wasn’t home in the afternoons to cook it, how to cope with the drudgery of doing the same old chores when I’d rather be trying a new cheesecake recipe 🙂

I also wanted not just information on what to do, like how to clean and organize, but encouragement to help me want to do it. When I understand from the book of Proverbs that God values the character quality of diligence, for example, that helps me to drag out the vacuum cleaner a little more often.

2. What do you think is the greatest need of homemakers today?

That’s a tough one. I think so many of us go to school and prepare for a career in the work place, whether it’s being a teacher, an accountant, a chemist – then we find ourselves home, raising a family, and we don’t really know what we’re doing! So I think training would be nice.

But also, and probably more important, would be encouragement. We are doing the toughest job in the world, one that demands 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no vacation, no sick days, no tangible paycheck, not even the chance to go to the bathroom by ourselves sometimes (!), and our culture says we “don’t work.” That’s discouraging! It takes real effort to value what you do when no one around you seems to value it. I would really like to tell women who are keeping their homes, loving their husbands, and raising their children, good job! Keep it up! What you are doing is important. By building a strong family and providing a place where people can come to have their needs met, what you’re doing is really making a difference in the world.

3. What’s your least favorite homemaking task?

Probably mopping.

Most favorite?

That would be baking. Preferably something chocolate.

4. Can you tell me about the process of writing this book? When did you first consider it? How long did it take you to write once you started?

The book actually started more than ten years ago. When my youngest entered kindergarten, I joined a writers’ group, where we met monthly and exchanged manuscripts. At the top of each manuscript we were supposed to say what kind of work this was – “This is the beginning of the third chapter in my memoir,” for example – so everyone could get a context for what they were reading.

I noticed that month after month, I kept submitting things where I wrote at the top, “This is another article for a women’s magazine on the importance of the job of homemaker.” After a couple of years it finally dawned on me: being a homemaker was my passion! And it bothered me that we were so under-represented in books and magazines. I wondered if maybe God was directing me to do more than just write articles; maybe He wanted me to put my passion for homemaking into a book.

It was probably seven or eight years later before the book was done. I can’t remember exactly, but I know my boys were in elementary school when I started, and as I was finishing it up, our eldest headed off to college.

5. What is your writing schedule like? Just in bits and snatches as you can, or a regular system?

I had to write Queen of the Castle in short snatches of time, between driving the kids to where they needed to be and doing everything else that fills the committed homemaker’s day. I learned to jot down notes in my lap as I was driving (do not try this if you can possibly avoid it!). I wrote while in the bleachers at school waiting for the Washington D.C. informational meeting; I wrote in parking lots waiting for Little League practices to end; I wrote in the corner of the wrestling mat in the muggy gym, in the midst of sweaty boys. It was a rare treat when I had an hour to actually sit at the computer and write.

But that’s one of the things that has made me so thankful about this whole process. God so graciously allowed me to be a devoted homemaker and mom, and not miss a minute of my kids’ growing up years, yet still gave me the opportunity to write a book. How cool is that? What an amazing God we serve. I have no idea how He managed that!

6. How do you keep track of the quotes you use? I have little pieces of paper sticking up out of books to mark passages I want to go back to. 🙂

The little sticky notes in books is a wonderful method! I also photocopy quotes I like from library books. My favorite method is to copy quotes onto 3 x 5 cards, and to make sure I note where I got the quotes from in case I want to go back to the source later.

7. I like the weekly format. Often with these types of books, I read straight through and get all excited, but at the end of it I don’t retain much. This format helps me think on the chapter for the week all week. In fact, in light of this interview I tried to read ahead, but felt I was cramming in too much at once and decided I’d rather stay with the format as is. How did you decide on this format?

I’m glad you like it, Barbara! I like the weekly format, too, probably because I’m very distractible and very forgetful; focusing on just one thing at a time works for me  I also like knowing right where to go when I need ideas for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, or a refresher on how to make that Thanksgiving gravy!

The format kind of evolved over the years, I’m not quite sure how. I originally thought I might do a “365 days of homemaking” approach, but soon realized if I did that I’d end up with a thousand page book!

8. I like that you mentioned that every woman is a homemaker whether she is single, has children or not, etc. Sometimes ladies in these various situations feel left out or avoid what they think of as “mom blogs” or “mom books” or get-togethers when there is really good, helpful information there. How would you encourage us as women to come together as women rather than segregating into “moms” and “singles,” etc.?

Because I go to a really small church, we don’t have enough women to form a college group; we don’t have enough singles to form a singles group. We all just meet together as ladies, so I’m sure that’s impacted my thinking. We did a “homemaking” Bible study a number of years back which I co-lead, and one of the real joys of that for me was seeing women who hadn’t considered themselves homemakers before realize that even if they lived alone, they had a home, they used it to minister to others, they were indeed homemakers. Our homes are vehicles God has given us where we can minister to others, no matter our marital situation, or whether or not we have kids.

9. Do you have another book project in mind?

Nothing definite. I love homemaking and I love to cook, so any book project would probably have to include those two. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them!

10. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I love to read essays and I love to read humor, so any authors who marry the two, I devour! Some of my favorites are E. B. White (who wrote Charlotte’s Web but also wrote lots of essays for The New Yorker), Bill Bryson, Calvin Trillin, Dave Barry. I also love to read essays about homemaking, so those writers would be Beverly Nye, Peg Bracken, Phyllis McGinley, Laurie Colwin, Erma Bombeck, and Gladys Taber.

11. Do you have a web site? If not, do you think you might in the future?

I don’t, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready to make that technological leap. I just got a cell phone and still can’t quite figure out how to retrieve messages. Of course I’m married to an electrical engineer, the daughter of an electrical engineer, and my two sons are both studying electrical engineering. God has a great sense of humor.

12. How has your family responded to your book project and publication?

Book? Did Mom write a book? 🙂

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Thanks so much, Lynn, for visiting and allowing me to ask these questions. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. And thanks for the encouragement and inspiration. You can find Lynn’s book in many bookstores, at Amazon.com, and Christianbook.com. Or you can try to win a free copy here! Just leave a comment on this post. You don’t have to have a blog to enter. I will draw a name Thursday morning and post the winner then.

The contest is closed. Congratulations to Bet on winning the copy of this book. 

The question for today is:

1. Does what you read vary by the season? For instance, Do you read different kinds of books in the summer than the winter?
2. If so, do you break it down by genre, length of book, holiday, or…?

No, I really don’t choose by books according to the season except I might read a book whose setting is Christmas around Christmastime if I happen to see one out around then that looks interesting. Otherwise I choose my reading based on what my favorite authors have out, what I have seen recommended by others, and what I just happen upon that looks interesting.

Join the Booking Through Thursday meme here.

I met Mitch and D.K. Raymer through the Thursday Thirteen. They both seemed like kind and gracious people, were genuine Christians, and I noticed Mitch often posted helpful job tips. My husband is in business and my oldest son was a business management major in college, so these caught my eye. At some point I noticed that Mitch had written a book called Finding Your Path: Your Path to a Job. It looked like something that would be good to pass along to my sons, but I never got around to ordering it. Then came a Thursday Thirteen in which Mitch offered a free copy of his book to thirteen people who signed up for it, asking only for our thoughts about the book when we were done. So I signed up right away! I received my book in the mail, told my son about it and left it on his desk, but kept forgetting to pick it up myself. So I finally put it on my Spring Reading List and just finished it this morning.

According to Mitch’s blog:

This book introduces Christian principles that will not only help you find a job, but find Christ, too. It is not intended for degree-holding professionals – they’ve already found their career path. This book is written for you, the backbone of America’s workforce. If you are:

• a high school student who is not going on to college
• a college student looking for part-time work
• a SAHM who wants to supplement your family’s income
• a blue-collar or service worker looking for “an edge” before your next job interview
• a middle-aged worker facing a career change
• a retiree re-entering the workforce
• anyone who wants to brush up on your job hunting skills

Mitch has been an administrator and Human Resources director, reading thousands of applications and interviewing thousands of job-seekers. This book grew out of some of his experiences, finding that some did not know the basics about preparing for a job interview. Mitch is imminently qualified to write this book” he has been on the other side of the desk and knows what employers are looking for.

The first few sections of the book establish some basic foundational principles: how to have a relationship with God and know your sins are forgiven, how to grow in Him and depend on Him and seek His wisdom in “finding your path,” several character issues such as honesty, self-esteem (not based on false flattery but in the security of knowing God created you and has a plan for you), fear, humility, integrity, patience, God’s love and provision. As I read this part, I thought, what a great way to start! These issues are helpful in all of life as well as in finding and keeping a job.

The next section helps determine which path to follow by asking questions and giving advice about interests, aptitude, skills, levels of responsibility one would be comfortable with, needs, wants, and priorities. Two of my favorite passages in this section are Exodus 31:1-5:

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

and Exodus 36:1:

Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.

It was an encouragement for me when I was a young person to learn that God didn’t just call people into “full-time Christian service,” but He also called and gifted all of us for the particular task He has for each of us. Mitch’s section here is very helpful for someone trying to determine just what skills God has gifted him with.

The next detailed and extremely practical section defines the tools one needs when job-hunting: resumes, cover letters, letters of reference, and examples of each. Then he moves into how to find job openings, how to proceed in applying for a job, what to expect from the interview process and how to present oneself during an interview, the best way to follow up an interview. Sprinkled throughout this section are helpful business etiquette tips.

I think Mitch did a wonderful job with this book. The words “practical” and “helpful” came to mind often as I read the different sections. There are many nuts-and-bolts tips and a foundation of faith: he not only starts out the book establishing Biblical principles, but all throughout the book he reminds the reader that God is in control and will guide and help him in this process.

This book would make a wonderful graduation gift or a great tool for anyone seeking to “find their path” in today’s job market. I highly recommend it.

This week’s Booking Through Thursday question is:

Have you ever missed an important appointment because you have become so engrossed in a book you forgot the time or were up so late reading that you didn’t wake up in time? Been late to work because you couldn’t resist the temptation and left the house too late?

I don’t think I have ever missed an appointment completely because of reading, but I have made myself run late a few times because I was reluctant to put a book down. I’ve also stayed up too late reading, then was tired the next day, then needed a nap and so wasn’t as productive as I should have been. I try to avoid doing that — but for some books it is just worth it. 😀

I finished two of the books on my spring reading list: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Forever by Karen Kingsbury.

I have to say I didn’t like Sense and Sensibility as much as I did Pride and Prejudice, though I liked the film version of it more. It may be because I read it in kind of a disjointed way. The “show, don’t tell” mantra of writing apparently wasn’t in vogue then. 🙂 And there seemed to me to be a lot of derogatory sarcasm rather than a gentle poking of fun at the foibles of others. I felt that I got a fully-fleshed out version of Elinor, Marianne, Mrs. Jennings, and a few others, but not really of Edward Ferrars and Colonel Brandon. I liked Marianne’s progression in the book. I was disappointed that one of the main  storylines was wrapped up with the anticlimactic, “About three hours after his arrival he had secured his lady’s hand, engaged her mother’s consent, and was not only in the rapturous profession of the lover, but in the reality of reason and truth, one of the happiest of men.” I thought, “That’s all you’re going to tell us after waiting for this moment all through the book?!” It may be that in that time such moments were considered private and handled with discretion — I can’t remember how the similar scenes in P&P were handled. It also may be that the events leading up to a climax just before this were considered the major components of the story, and this result considered just a natural outflow. Overall I am glad I read the book, though, and want to continue on exploring Austen’s works.

Forever is the last in the second series about the Baxter family: the first was the Redemption series with five books; the Firstborn series followed and ends with this fifth book. The Baxter saga will continue and conclude with the Sunrise series, the first book of which is due out May 8 (I didn’t know that when I made my reading list, but will definitely add this one on!)

One thing that you can definitely say about Karen is that she knows how to spin a story, how to draw you in and make you care about the characters.  I have heard her speak three times now, and between that and her comments at the end of her books, I know her heart is to convey Scriptural truth to her audience. And I think she does do that. My only relatively minor criticisms are that I think she overplays the emotional aspects of a story a little bit, and I have heard her say that she tends to write fast, and I think that shows just a little (I didn’t think to make note of particular examples).

Some of her books do have kind of a made-for-TV-movie feel to them. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I have heard some criticize many of the modern Christian fiction writers for not being very “literary.” But, you know — a high-end literary classic style just isn’t going to appeal to everyone. I think of it kind of like this: I love some of the meaty, doctrinal, literary hymns of the 1700s. But I also like short and simple choruses that emphasize one truth that I hum around the house while I’m dusting. I think there is a place for both styles. And I think that’s true in literature, too. Some of these thoughts have me considering a post along the lines, “Just what does make a classic, anyway?” I might explore that some time.

But for now, back from general principles to this book, this continues the story of Dayne Matthews and Katy Hart and a major obstacle to their wedding plans, while the rest of the Baxter family is still coming to grips with the reality of Dayne’s being part of the family. The underlying theme has to do with loving and serving others, and this is played out in several different directions. One of my favorite scenes was when Regan thinks her husband, Luke, is leaving her alone with the children when he gets home in the evening, cleaning the stovetop in the kitchen piece by piece, after she’s been alone with the kids all day and wants not only a break but time with him, but later realizes that that’s his way of showing love (“acts of service,” if you’ve ever read or heard of the Five Love Languages.) I think Luke’s and Regan’s struggles to find a way to get on the same page in the midst of the problems in their lives is probably pretty typical of many couples.

I was a little disappointed that one of the major storylines wasn’t wrapped up at the end of the book — I discovered that accidentally at an author event with Karen Kingsbury when someone from the crowd mentioned it, so I was a little sad knowing ahead of time. But, when I got to the end, I could understand why it was written that way.

I am looking forward to Sunrise. I don’t know how many books will be in this final series, but it will be a little sad to have the Baxter’s story come to an end.

I went to the library this morning to try to check out A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or The Princess Bride, but they didn’t have a copy of either one at any library in our system. :O  There’s always Amazon.com, I know, but I hadn’t intended to buy them (my bookshelves are over-flowing). I guess I can always resell them if I decide I don’t want to keep them. I just got a Barnes and Noble coupon in my e-mail this morning — I may go see if they have one or the other.

I just discovered, through Katrina at Callapidder Days, a weekly meme about books called Booking Through Thursday. I had never seen or heard of it before, but it is right up my alley! Every week they ask a question about reading or books.

Today’s question is:

Where do you do most of your reading? Your favorite spot? (Show a picture, if you want to!)

(And yes, I understand that these might not be the same thing–your favorite spot could be the beach, but you do most of your reading at home . . . in which case, tell me about both!)

Well, probably most of my reading most days is done in the bathroom. 😳 (What a way to begin this meme!!) May as well make good use of the time, right? 🙂

My favorite place to read, though, is at the end of one of the couches with my legs stretched out on the couch and a throw blanket over me.

The little pillow below, the longer one, is just right to lean my neck against when I am sitting sideways on the couch. It’s special to me because it was a gift from my mom

I also like to read while traveling — traveling is not my best thing, and reading keeps my mind occupied as well as provides a pleasant way to occupy my time. I also read in doctor’s waiting rooms — the ability to read undistracted almost makes up for having to wait an hour to be seen.