Author: Lindsey P. Brackett

We’re delighted to discuss boy bands, MASH, and wandering hearts with debut novelist Janine Rosche on today’s episode!

Meet Janine

Prone to wander, Janine Rosche finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her Madison River Romance series. When she isn’t writing or traveling, she teaches family life education courses to college students,
takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs, and embarrasses her four children and husband with boy band serenades.

Even a wandering heart needs a home …

No one in the quaint town of West Yellowstone, Montana, knows that unassuming geography teacher Keira Knudsen moonlights as sensational travel blogger Kat Wanderfull. No one, that is, except for her first love, Robbie Matthews, who has just discovered the woman he is falling for online is the same one that broke his heart five years ago.
But Robbie has another problem: the mother of his daughter, Anabelle, has resurfaced after a three-year absence determined to rip Anabelle away from him. Robbie needs a steady paycheck for a chance at custody, and now, on the eve of a grand adventure that could give Keira a chance to flee her old, troubled life once and for all, she is in need of assistance.
With so much broken trust between them, Keira and Robbie must keep an arms-length away to make this partnership work. But the more time they spend together, exploring majestic places and sharing new experiences, the closer they get–until their secrets and dreams threaten to cost them everything.

Links Mentioned

• Kimberly Duffy Interview and A Mosaic of Wings
• Kara Isaac
• MASH
• Still Waters, Lindsey’s debut Edisto novel
• Zion National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Hilton Head Island
• Edisto Island

Edit Your Life

Try something new! During this time of quarantine, we’ve all had time to reflect on what’s important and what we wish we had time to do. What’s your goal, and what do you want to accomplish if you have more time? Share with us and Janine!

You can find Janine on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for her newsletter (Love, Wander, Read Journal) here.

Don’t Miss these Debut Author Episodes

• Kimberly Duffy
• Lauren Crews
• Neena Gaynor (coming May 18)

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

This week we welcome debut author Lauren Crews to A Rough Draft Life! Lauren won us over with the tagline for her new non-fiction, Strength of a Woman, which “ain’t your momma’s Proverbs 31!”

Lauren is an award-winning author and holds an MDiv from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. With twenty years’ experience in women’s ministry, she dives deep into God’s word. She loves to explore our Jewish roots as believers and is eager to share the many layers with women in all roles of life. She resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and two brown labs who have their humans well trained.

Lauren tells us how this book is different from other Proverbs 31 books.

 Strength of a Woman looks at the Proverbs passage through the original Hebrew language. It is an acrostic poem of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew letters hold imagery and the images of each letter relates to the verse. Add to that word studies from the verses and we see interesting new insight. For example the passages has multiple references to warfare and the duties of the tabernacle priests. We begin to see the Proverbs woman sift from a homemaker to a warrior.

Order a copy for yourself or the strong women in your life this Mother’s Day. Visit Lauren’s website to purchase and she’ll ship you a personalized copy.

Don’t forget to follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram and Facebook where we’ll be giving away a bundle of books from all our debut authors!

• Kimberly Duffy, A Mosaic of Wings (be sure to listen to the interview!)
• Lauren Crews, Strength of a Woman
• Janine Rosche, This Wandering Heart (May 11)
• Neena Gaynor, The Bird and the Bee (May 18)

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

We are so excited to introduce our Rough Draft Life community to our dear friend and fellow novelist, Kimberly Duffy. In this episode, Kimberly discusses her lifelong dream of writing, her heart for India, and what it’s like when your traveling dreams come to a screeching halt during a global pandemic.

Meet Kimberly

Kimberly Duffy enjoys writing historical fiction that takes readers back in time and across oceans. Her books often feature ahead-of-their-time heroines, evocative settings, and real-life faith. When not writing or homeschooling her four children, she enjoys taking trips that require a passport and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. A Long Island native, she currently resides in southwest Ohio.

About the Book

Nora Shipley has one goal–to carry on the legacy of her late father by taking over the scientific journal he started. To that end, she’s fought to be taken seriously among her male classmates and graduate as valedictorian of Cornell’s entomology program. When pressures to settle down rise to a fever pitch, she impulsively joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field and win a scholarship. 
But India holds several surprises–she is impressed not only by the beauty of its natural wonders, but also by the gentle nature she discovers in the rival classmate who accompanied her, Owen Epps.
Instead of exploring, however, she is forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her. During the many quiet days, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.
In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

Edit Your Life

Kimberly is working on embracing the unknown and being okay with taking things day by day. We highly recommend you embrace at least one known thing–reading this fabulous novel.

Find Kimberly Dreaming of India …

• at her Facebook Launch Party on Facebook May 5
• on her Facebook author page as Kimberly Duffy
• on Instagram as @kimberlyduffyauthor
• on her website, Kimberly Duffy
• order A Mosaic of Wings wherever you buy books (and if you order from an indie, send Kimberly a message and she’ll give you a shout out on social media!)

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

When it feels like the world is shouting DO THIS, STAY, STOP, DON’T DO THAT, YES, NO, PIVOT HERE it’s okay to turn it all off and just “be still and know that I am God.”

Instagram and Psalm 46:10

Do you feel like there are things you should be doing right now?

• wiping down all the groceries
• attending all the Bible studies and church services available online
• saying yes to all the Zoom invites
• renovating your house
• cleaning your closets
• cooking big family dinners

Maybe it’s enough to just take care of the people inside your circle.

Look at what is good instead of what you should.

Ask yourself–what do you value?

“Our values drive our decisions.” Anne Bogel, Don’t Overthink It

Why Values Thinking Works with David Allison

You don’t have to do what “everyone else” is doing. Everyone usually means a few loud people in case you don’t remember middle school.

Links Mentioned:

Some Good News with John Krasinski

Lindsey’s Newsletter (you’ll get a free book!) and Kristi’s Newsletter (you’ll be inspired)

Free Audible Stories for Kids

Lindsey’s Exercise Plan (recommend one for Kristi! She likes to dance.)

Upcoming Author Visits:

April 27: Kimberly Duffy, world traveler and debut historical A Mosaic of Wings

May 4: Lauren Crews, teacher and debut non-fiction, Strength of a Woman

May 11: Janine Rosche, social media ninja and debut contemporary romance, This Wandering Heart

May 18: Neena Gaynor, beekeeper and debut women’s fiction, The Bird and the Bees

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

Mr. Rogers

Kristi and Lindsey chat about finding the joy in our current global situation. While we can’t tell you when the pandemic will end, we can share that all around the internet people are making tomorrow’s life better than today.

• Cast of Hamilton Surprises Young Fan on Some Good News
• Drive Thru Prayer Circle for Hard Hit Rural Georgia Hospital
• A Sewing Army Making Masks for America
• Skit Guys Bedtime Bible Skits
• Holderness Family Tunes to Fight the Gloom
• UK Family Parody of “One Day More” for Quarantine
• @KurtTocci Parody of Disney Characters During Quarantine

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

Feelings are much like waves, we can’t stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.

Jonaten Marttensson

• That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief
• The Enneagram
• At-a-Glance Yearly Wall Calendar

Some Things to Bring You Joy:

• Kristi’s A Noble Masquerade is on sale for Kindle right now! (psst… she’s working on a book club supplement you don’t want to miss!)
• Lindsey’s sweet Christmas novella, Magnolia Mistletoe, is always free with newsletter signup at lindseypbrackett.com.
• Enneagram Types Under Quarantine is the funniest YouTube video right now.
• I Still Believe has gone straight to streaming! Check out this movie we highly recommend.
• For the kids, Onward is streaming now too–Lindsey’s four loved it (and so did her husband, she missed out on this lovely family experience because she put herself to bed after a coronameltdown.)

Grieve small losses. Celebrate small wins.

A Rough Draft Life

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-strand rope isn’t easily snapped.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Be sure to listen to last week’s episode on Overthinking for our first discussion about the evolving situation with COVID-19.

We’d love to hear how you’re hanging in there during this global health crisis that is editing the way we live one day at a time. Join us on Facebook in our A Rough Draft Life community or chat with us on Instagram–we hang out the most there.

Links and Stuff

• Go straight to the source: CDC Responds to Coronavirus
• Voxer for talking back and forth with friends.
• How to use Zoom for group meetings with video chat. (Trivia: we record our podcast via Zoom.)
• How to use Facebook Messenger for video messages.
• Netflix Party extension for Chrome!
• Fun idea–Cook the same dinner and have a virtual dinner party!
• Freedom app to limit social media time if you need it.
• Drop us some ideas in the community or DM us at Instagram.

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23

Links and Stuff

• Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel
• Follow Anne online at Modern Mrs. Darcy for her Stay-at-Home-Book-Tour!
• Book Riot COVID-19 Updates
• The Chemistry of Calm by Dr. Henry Emmons
• Voxer because you shouldn’t overthink what you’re saying to your friends.
• Left Unread definition
• Where to Order Groceries during Coronavirus

How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. How we spend this day or this hour is what we are doing.

Annie Dillard

Edit Your Life Challenge

Choose one thing you need to stop overthinking and limit your time or choices to help restrict the cycle of overthinking. This one decision should not rule your life!

Tell us what you’re thinking over in our Facebook community or follow us on social media.

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!

The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.

Mark Twain (maybe?)

As Christians, we are ones beloved by God. Everything we are called to do is influenced by that identity. We are as worthy on the days we feel worthless–when we accomplish nothing–as we are on the days we get all the things done.

Who you are is more important than what you do.

Tweet

References:

Kristi’s A Pursuit of Home

Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” sells for $450 million

Edit Your Life Challenge

Find something that can remind you through the tough days that you have value and importance. Then share it with us in our new Facebook group! Or over on Instagram.

You are made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27

As always, find us @lindseypbrackett and @kristiannhunter on Instagram or Facebook. Follow @aroughdraftlife on Instagram or Facebook and join the community! Find out more about Lindsey’s and Kristi’s books on their websites, lindseypbrackett.com and kristiannhunter.com.

Now go, edit your life, and make tomorrow better than today!