Wednesday, October 23, 2013

THEY'RE HERE!

Izabella's Christmas Dream can be purchased at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and ordered from your local bookstore. It is not stocked in stores. The prices vary, but I have seen it on amazon for around $3.20, with postage it would be about $7.00.





The Adventures of Super Pig, two: Contains 6 stories with illustrations within it's pages and is a rewrite of some of my favorite stories from my first two books, which are no longer in print. It can be purchased from me while my supply lasts. Price: $14 for (1) $25 for (2)  -  Postage included.
 

If you are interested in purchasing a book, please email me at : superpinkypig@gmail.com  for details, put Book Order in subject line.

They can also be purchased at any local bookstore but you must ask for it to be ordered. Also for sale on line at : amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other online book stores. Search by my name. Prices will vary at different online and local bookstores.


Friday, August 30, 2013

Ever Been Really Excited?

Well thats how I'm feeling these days. I hope to have 3 Super Pig books out by Christmas. You should be excited too. I just solved that ever present problem, "What should I buy so and so for Christmas?"  =}

My illustrator has been very busy working on new artwork for the 6 new stories I have written. It is so great, and I can't stop bring it up on my computer and looking at it. I'm hoping the kids and parents will feel the same.

I will be sure to let you know when and where to buy the books.

The first to be published (in just a few weeks) is "Super Pig and Izabella's Christmas Dream."
Here is just a small preview of the artwork and what the covers, front and back, looks like. You can see why I'm so excited about the artwork. I can't stop looking at it!

Cover of the book

Back cover

First page
The animals of Hollyhock Farm gathered around the
 baby Jesus


Baby Jesus and His gift from Izabella

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Fellowship Of Suffering







What is your definition of suffering?
There is a book titled, 'The Insanity of God.' It was written by a missionary who worked with a very poor and seemingly hopeless people. For years he tried to help them but with little success and if he did reach someone for Christ, they were badly persecuted. He finally said, "God, you must be insane."
He became so discouraged and faint of heart that he left, but he decided he would visit countries around the world where people are persecuted for being Christians and see how they endured.
In a country in Russia, when it was still the USSR, he met a man who spent seventeen years of unimaginable torture in a wrenched prison, just for being a Christian. When asked how he kept his faith, he said it was because of two things.
Everyday when he woke he stood in his tiny, filthy cell, faced east, raised his hands to God and sang a song of praise. The other prisoners mocked and screamed at him to shut up, they threw human waste at him in protest, but nothing deterred him.
The second thing he did was write down every bible verse and hymn he had memorized. He scoured the prison for any scrap of paper and used a tiny pencil stub if he could find one or a piece of charcoal. When he had completely filled the paper, he would stick it high on a leaky drain pipe that ran through his cell as an offering to God.
The guards always tore them down and he would be badly beaten. This happened day after day, but his faith remained strong. One day the guards dragged him from his cell, beat him horribly and told him his wife had been arrested and his children were now wards of the USSR.
After days of this he finally broke. He could take it no more. He agreed to renounce God and sign a paper saying there was no God. All he had to do was sign that paper and he could go home. "Yes, bring me the paper, I'll do anything, sign anything, just let me go home and find my children."
He was taken back to his cell and the guards went to prepare the papers. As he sat on his bed feeling forsaken, his family and friends in his hometown felt an urgent need to pray for him. They gathered and did just that. God allowed the man to hear the prayers of his family and friends. He heard his wife and children praying for him and he knew the guards had lied. His family was safe and together.
When the guards returned with the paper, he refused to sign, saying God had shown him his family. The guards dragged him from his cell and out to the common area to execute him. As they dragged him through the prison, the other seven hundred incarcerated men, the same men who had ridiculed him, stood and lifted their hands to God and began to sing.
The terrified guards jumped back from the man and asked, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am the son of the living God."
He was released a short time later to go home to his family and he sat among them and his friends as he told his story.
This is a shortened version of his story, I'm telling it from memory. I left out many amazing things that God did for this man.
He endured unimaginable torture, hatred, filth and no doubt, much of the time, starvation, with no real hope of an end except death. Yet he endured, his faith wavered only once and God revived him.
Is this suffering? I say yes, and then some. Have I ever had to really suffer? No.
There are many elements to suffering, and I can't truthfully say I have endured any of them, maybe a broken heart, pain over the death of a loved one, but never real poverty, or hunger, nor homelessness or persecution. Could all these things happen one day? Of course, and I don't doubt that Christians here in the US will one day be imprisoned and executed for our beliefs.
Do I want to suffer? No, but there is something amazing about those who have suffered and endured. They are forever changed. It has made them strong and brave, compassionate and impatient with the small, silly stuff. They see miracles and have an unshakable faith and I would like to be like that.
The fellowship of suffering isn't an exclusive club; millions are persecuted and put to death for their faith. You'll not hear much about it on the news, it may be called 'genocide', but don't be fooled, those dying are Christians. More Christians are killed today than ever in history.
When the Sudan in Africa was ravaged by 'genocide', thousands of young boys were left alone. When the killers swept through their villages, they were out in the field caring for the cattle, most far from their village. As a result these boys came together and began a thousand mile walk to Kenya.
The Red Cross set up food and water station along the way for the thousands and thousands of young boys and the strange and eerie silence that surrounded them. The worker said the boys were so exhausted that none spoke, it was completely silent. Many lay down to sleep not waking in the morning, having died during the night of exhaustion and starvation.
Camps were set up for the boys and most lived there until turning eighteen. They were clothed and fed, and received a good education thanks to the dedicated missionaries who ran the camps.
You would think after going though such a horrendous ordeal they would be angry, bitter. Several of these young men came to the US and were given a tour of a Boeing factory. When asked what they thought of what they had seen, one answered, "How great is our God that He has given man the ability to do such amazing things!" No bitterness at all.
The Fellowship of Suffering, is not one people are clamoring to get into, but it is one that causes you to shine like gold, refined by fire and nothing can dull that shine.


The Insanity of God is written by Nik Ripkin. The Lost Boys of Sudan was an NBC TV special, really amazing.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Stupid Things





Stupid Things

Sometimes I do stupid things,
I know better, usually,
Because in my head a bell rings,

A little voice saying, "Don't do that!"
But, you know, I do it anyway.
Sometimes I wish someone had sat,

On me when I didn't listen to that voice.
Sometime it's not so little.
I know I didn't have to, I had a choice.

But we humans can be so dumb,
And if I want to do something,
I tune out the voice, make myself numb.

Then I'll say, "How come I'm in this mess,
I don't deserve it!"
But I know I do and I must confess,

I want someone else to take the blame,
I think, "It's not my fault!"
But deep down inside I feel the shame,

Of doing what I shouldn't do.
And I bet,
Sometimes you feel it too.



I wrote this poem after doing several stupid, unChrist like things. That little voice said, "Don't do that, don't say that, don't post that!" But did I listen? NO, of course not.

Now I have damaged my witness. I'm very grateful God forgives, but people aren't so forgiving and they have long memories. 

I had to block people on twitter because they were real unhappy about something I said, which I didn't even think about and had no idea it would get such a reaction. Gay people are so sensitive! I hadn't thought a thing of it and the other day I check my twitter responses and saw all these unhappy people. I couldn't even remember what I had said, and I assure you it was not directed at anyone and not intended to be offencive in anyway. But it got swift reaction, gay supporters don't mess around, let me tell you. So I thought it prudent to block them so they couldn't continue to harass me.

I don't mean or think we shouldn't stand up for what we believe in though.

Anyway I got into trouble several times this week and felt very defeated for a day, but I got over it. I do hope people will forgive and come to see how wonderful I really am.  =} But most of all I hope I learned a good lesson to think, to remember I may be the only Jesus some people see and act accordingly.




Friday, June 14, 2013

Let Me Tell You About My Friend Evelyn

I think I have told you that I belong to a writer's site called FanStory. It is a site for writers who want to improver there skills. You post your stories, poems, even books and get feedback from other writers. It has been really helpful in improving my Super Pig stories.

Another great thing about the site is meeting some amazing people, Christians, people who are into horror and, new agers. A really interesting mix. One of the people I 'follow' (you are notified when they post anything), is writing about 6 books at once. They are all very well written, but how she keeps them all straight I don't know.

You have people from every age, I follow a 13 year old and an amazing 86 year old named Evelyn Fort Stewart. It's Evelyn I want to tell you about.

Many of the writers on FanStory have had such horrendous lives. Have been badly abused as children or adults and out of that comes amazing writing. Evelyn is one of these.

She lived a live of terrible abuse at the hand of a demented husband. She had come from a loving home, the youngest of twelve children. She was sheltered, loved and cared for by two hard working, loving parents. She grew up in a tiny town where everyone was related, the town was even named for her family. Evelyn has shared many wonderful stories of her growing up years on FanStory and the amazing family she belonged too.

I started following Evelyn when I saw one of her stories featured on the site's home page. Here was this picture of this wonderful looking woman wearing a big cowboy hat. I had to check out what she was writing about and was hooked after the first story. To get on the home page, you have to be very popular with the reviewers. Every one of Evelyn's posts get featured on the home page.

At the end of one of her posted stories was a video of a woman reading an excerpt of Evelyn's book "Behind Closed Doors." The woman read of one of many incidences of abuse that Evelyn suffered and I was appalled and fascinated at the same time. I knew I had to get that book. I ordered it that evening from amazon.com.

As soon as I received it in the mail I began to read and was amazed at the skill of her story telling. The book is so well written though self published and unedited. She did a masterful job.

The book begins with a 13 year old Evelyn being sent to the big city of Charleston South Carolina, where her parents hoped for a better life for her. I can't imagine being sent all alone by train to a big city I had never been too. Though scared, Evelyn drew on what her parents and a kind nanny had taught her about faith in God. She found a place to live and a job. Her brother lived in the city as well, so her parents sent her without fear knowing her brother would be there for her. Unfortunately her brother had to do double shifts at the Naval shipyards where he worked so saw little of Evelyn. But this was one brave, resourceful and bright young lady. An excellent worker, she had no trouble securing good jobs, and became very self sufficient.





One day her brother came to visit and brought a co-worker with him. Evelyn's life took a dramatic turn as a result of that visit and her journey to survive began. Tricked into a loveless and abusive marriage at 16, Evelyn used her intelligence and faith in God to survive. Her life would become a constant battle to survive abuse and keep from being devoured in poverty. 
The book is hard to put down and is fascinating and heartrending at the same time. I grew to have a love and have great respect for Evelyn. I am proud to call her a friend. Evelyn not only survives. but manages to raise 3 wonderful children.

I highly recommend the book which can be found on amazon.com or you can contact Evelyn directly and order a copy at: Evelyn Fort Stewart, 412 Cooper St. Mountain Home, AR, 72653. Send a money order for $28.95, this includes shipping.

Evelyn now works for a domestic abuse rescue center when she helps women and men of domestic violence escape or get the help they need after escaping. Evelyn was married during a time where nothing was being done about domestic abuse, women had no rights and men could do just about anything they wanted. Thank heavens we have grown much wiser over the the last few decades.

Monday, May 27, 2013

A New Book Coming Soon To An Online Store Near You.



I'll soon be a published author again. I have submitted my book, "Izabella's Christmas Dream" to the publishers and hope it will be out by June!

I'm am so excited! I also hope to have the rewritten and republished Super Pig book out by July and my third out by Nov. Not sure about the last as it will need all new artwork and that takes more time, but hoping for the best.

The first SP book will be 8 rewritten stories from my first two book, The Adventures of Super Pig and Super Pig to the Rescue.

I have changed the stories, some just a bit and some a lot. I am having a hard time coming us with a name for this book so if you have any ideas for a title, send them to me.

Thanks so much for being such great fans. Super Pig would be nothing without you and my illustrator Don Cononge, who does all the great artwork and formatting.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Another Book In The Works



I'm excited to write that there is finally a Super Pig book in the works. I had hoped to have one out last year, but with the illness and death of my younger sister Sherry, it had to be postponed.

In some ways the postponement was a good thing as my publisher is now having a sale, two books for the price of one. I am republishing some of the stories from the first two books (the publisher went bankrupt so those books are no longer available for purchase)  and a book with all new stories.

I will keep you updated on the progress as I know you are all just dying to get your hands on a new book.

Many if you know I have joined a writing site where I can post all my work and get feedback and reviews on them. This has been so helpful and I'm hoping my writing has improved greatly. I get mostly good feedback, which is very encouraging. The reviews really enjoy the stories too, so I'm hoping the parent
who often has to read the same story over and over will enjoy it too.

The writing site is called Fanstory so if you any of you are interested in posting your work and getting helpful feedback I would recommend it. I have found there are many Christians on the site and many are popular among the membership so they are getting read by many and being a witness.

I have gotten to know a few of the members and some have the most tragic life stories. I am amazed they are able to function at all let alone write the amazing stories they do. They use their life experience to fuel their passion for writing, some have become Christians and many do acknowledge that God has a part in their lives. It is interesting to say the least.

Some have physical handicaps, one is almost blind, but is one of the top writers and reviews for the site. She has gotten to know and fall in love with another writer on the site and they now plan a life together. Another couple met on the site and have since married, and I don't doubt there are many others. It is a fun and interesting community.

I try to be a witness and an encouragement on the site. I hope I'm doing that. I pray for many of the fellow writers as I hear their life stories or an illness or just troubles they have.

I have gotten to read some of the best books on the site. There are many amazing writers and it has been fun to get to preview their work before they publish.

Anyway, stay tuned to this channel to hear more exciting announcements about the next book.

God Bless, Roxanna

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