Reading Is My Super Power

Cheerleading and Other Dangerous Sports
(Happy Birthday, Mom and Arin)
Back to Ellie Kay's Questions--Question Number 2:


2. Who is your favorite cheerleader and how does he/she cheer you on?
(Remember, they don't even have to understand the game)

My favorite cheerleaders in writing are several.

First my husband, because even though he doesn't read my writing, he is always helping me out. He encourages me to do anything I want to try, and has paid for classes, conferences, even a computer. My favorite thing he bought me related to my writing was my first Writer's Market. He wrote inside the cover and let me know he believed in me. I hadn't even asked for one!


Then, my mom always encouraged my reading and writing. She gave me a love of books. She encouraged me in writing for the school newspaper, my cartoons, and even in college. She lived to see me publish some articles as an adult. Everyone would understand the love of God if they had someone like my mother in their life. While she is no longer here praying for me, the reverberations of her powerful prayers will be felt for years. You should have someone who loves and prays unconditionally for you like that, and if you don't, then maybe I'm praying for you.

My husband's Aunt Lola and his mother, Imy, were always available and more than willing to stay with Chris and the boys when I went to conferences. They cheered me on and gave me peace of mind when I'd leave my family (a hard thing to do sometimes.) Aunt Lola died from ovarian cancer a few years ago, but before she did, I had connected her with an author who was writing the book,Hope in the Face of Cancer.(Amy Givler, M.D.)She was able to tell her story of survival, faith and hope before cancer came back again five years later and took her life. That book still gives hope, and Lola would've liked that. She was the master of hope, as she had the One Who gives hope in her life (and now she's with Him.)

My mother-in-law, Imy, is of the best people on earth. I've heard a lot of people talk about their mils, but I never could join in on the criticism festivals. My mother-in-law is as precious to me as my own mom. Oh, and she's a writer. She has kept stories about her life, and it's funny stuff. The whole family is upbeat and faithful.

I can't leave the topic of cheerleaders until I tell you about my husband's sister, Melba, and his aunt, Edie. (I told you they're the best--my husband's family.) I wanted to go to the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Nashville last year and then on down to my Aunt Linda's and to my Grandmother's 91st birthday afterwards, since they lived so close. Melba drove down and she and Edie toured Nashville while I did the conference. (You have to know how much I hate traveling by myself.) When we arrived, I was hugging friends at the door of the hotel and introduced Melba and Edie. Edie had written this great journal (fun stuff) and I had published it on my web site and many of my friends at the ACFW conference had read it. My friends immediately recognized them--from the story on my web site.

And Melba and Edie, as they would head out each day on their trips, because they do not know strangers, would talk to ACFW members in the elevator and lobby--even greeting one of my friends from a town close to us (yes, that was you, Sabrina!) Oh, and we had a blast going to my Aunt Linda's house. (It was fun--just wished we had a bigger car to stash all those great shoe bargains we found in Waynesboro. We were taking them out of the shoe boxes and squeezing them into any space we could find. Some of you women would understand.)

I would have long ago given up if not for these people because they are my "Jesus with skin on" people.

I have my favorite cheerleaders online--Terry, my SALT critique group(Wendy, Paula, Nancy,Teena,LeAnne,Marti, Karen,) Janet--and I have made some local writing friends (and if I go naming them all, I'll leave some out.) I've got critique partners and people who check up on me with my writing. But in day-to-day existing, breathing in and out, and having people encouraging me just to keep going at all--these people are my husband, my boys and my family.

Everyone should have a cheerleader in their life. I have many. I hope that I can always be a cheerleader to writers because I've been given so much. It is the one thing I know I can do for other writers (praying over their work and for their concerns, encouraging them) because I've been given so much. If you're reading this, then I probably count you as my cheerleader!