Tag: Lynda Schab

Burn Calories by Kissing: Guest post by Lynda Schab!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 You read that right! But you almost didn’t because at first I had the title, Burn Calories by kissing with Lynda Schab! I’m sure she’s glad I proofread my stuff! 
Lynda does list some interesting facts about kissing, but she’s talks about
marriage and romance and how that ties into her second novel, Madily In Love.
I’ve had the privilege of reading both her books and I’m begging, begging you to buy them. Today. Seriously. Fun and light-hearted, yet deep spiritual messages. I laughed, man did I
laugh, and I even cried at times. So enough gushing and let’s hear what Lynda
says about real romance!
Romance: A
feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.
Who doesn’t want
that? I mean, do you know anyone who doesn’t want
to feel excited about spending time with the one they love? If I had to guess,
I’d say 98% of us crave or desire romance.
Now for my next
question: Who actually has that? Who can say their marriage is bubbling over with romance?
My best guestimate would be 5%? Maybe 10%? Okay, 15% tops.
So maybe it’s not all about the romance. Love is an action,
blah, blah, blah. But, come on. There’s a reason God created romance. He wired us to have a desire for thrill and adventure
(don’t believe me? Read The Song of Solomon). Marriage without romance is sort
of like eating a slice of cake without frosting. The cake may taste good, but
the frosting makes it all that much better.
As a side note, kissing is a major romantic act. Here are three
interesting facts about kissing:
  • Men who kiss their wives in
    the morning live five years longer than those who don’t (tell your
    husbands!). 
  • A team of medical experts in
    Virginia contends that you’re more likely to catch the common cold virus
    by shaking hands than by kissing (great news!). 
  • A fairly passionate kiss
    burns an average of 9 calories (that’s equivalent to six M&M’s!)
In my book, Madily in Love, Madi McCall is just coming out
of a marital rough patch (you’ll have to read Mind over Madi for that story)
and is determined to get back the romance she’s lost with her husband over the
years. But that’s not so easy. Especially when she’s just re-entered the
workforce, is dealing with a rebellious daughter, a son who is dating a girl
who is not exactly Madi’s idea of the perfect choice for him, and a
mother-in-law who has (temporarily) moved in and seems to have…um…criminal
tendencies. But Madi isn’t letting that stop her.
She bites the bullet
and attends a romance class at church, which offers great suggestions… that
fail miserably. All she wants is to find the peace among the chaos, and
rekindle the fire that has gone out of her marriage.
Although this book
has to do with the importance of adding romance to marriage, the main thing I
hope readers can take away is that even though
life seems unmanageable, disorderly, and chaotic, God is always in control.
One of the recurring
phrases throughout the book—as mentioned by Madi’s counselor—is “Embrace this place.” In other words, no matter
what you’re going through, recognize that it won’t last forever. And down the
road, you might just look back and see just how that “unbearable” season was
essential in moving you to a place of growth and necessary change.
And most of all, I
hope to show the fun—and not the frustration—of trying to add a little zest to
your marriage. There are a few good tips to take away, along with fun quotes
throughout, beginning with this one, which pretty much sums it up:
“Happy
marriages begin
when
we marry the ones we love,
and
they blossom
when
we love the ones we marry.”
-Tom Mullen
Lynda Lee
Schab got her writing start in greeting cards (Blue Mountain Arts, Dayspring)
and from there went on to write articles and short stories (Mature Living, Christian Home & School)
and in many places online. As a freelance writer, she works behind the scenes
at FaithWriters.com and is a regular book reviewer for FaithfulReader.com, as
well as a staff writer for www.SharedSorrows.com. 
Both books in the Madi series have finaled or semi-finaled in various contests.
Lynda admits she has a lot in common with the character of Madi. Not only are
they both addicted to ice cream, chocolate, and computer games, they struggle
with the same types of insecurities and continually require a hefty dose of
God’s grace. Lynda lives with her husband, Rob, and two teenagers in Michigan.
Connect
with her on her blogs, On the Write Track (for writers) and
ThePrincessMentality (for princesses everywhere whose lives are not a
fairytale). Also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. The Madi series
is available through OakTara.com, and can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes& Noble, Christianbook.com, or ordered from any brick and mortar bookseller
around the country. Lynda also has signed copies available for purchase on her
website.
All Madi
Lee McCall wants is to fall madly in love again…
with her
husband.  
After a
rough patch, Madi’s determined to get her marriage back on
track.
She’s even taking a romance class at church and getting great
suggestions…that
fail miserably. The distractions are plenty. She has just reentered
the workplace as a health spa receptionist. Her 16-year-old daughter,Christina,
is pushing the limits, and Christina’s twin, Max, has fallen hard for a girl
who isn’t Madi’s picture of a perfect match for her son. Even younger
daughter, Emily, is developing a teenager-ish attitude.  
When her
mother-in-law moves in—temporarily, of course—the stress starts to drive
Madi a little crazier than normal. What she wants, more than anything, is some
peace among the chaos. 

Lynda Lee Schab Is In The House with Debut Novel Mind Over Madi!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Think sunshine, giggling, chocolate, friendship, and holding hands. 


All things that make you want to be there. Where is there?


Mind Over Madi!


I have the honor today to interview Lynda Schab after reading her debut novel, Mind Over Madi! 

The book was incredible. I read it in a sitting and a half. Only because I knew I had to get up early and I couldn’t drag it all day since naps weren’t going to be in order.

I connected with Lynda through her fun blog, On the Write Track. You should join the site.  Thanks for letting me read your debut novel, Lynda, and thanks for coming by to chat with us today about the book and you! 

JP: So…tell everyone what Mind over Madi is about? 

LS: Madi McCall is a 38-year-old mom of three whose insecurities are destroying her marriage. When she suspects her husband Rich is cheating with the mother of one of his fourth grade students, she kicks him out of the house and he moves in with his bachelor brother. Madi is then forced to take a deeper look at herself and her insecurities. She does this with the help of a counselor, her best friend Sylvie, and a few cartons of Edy’s Dibs. At a 20-year get-together with former high school classmates, Madi runs into “the other woman” and things come to a head. It’s a lighthearted story about taking a true look at ourselves and accepting God’s grace when we think and do dumb things.

JP: I loved the first person present tense. I was right there with Madi through her antics, every Dib she shoveled in her mouth, and through her discoveries. I can also relate to some of Madi’s insecurities, as I think most women can. Which character is most like you, and why?

LS: There is a lot of me in Madi. Insecurity is something I’ve always struggled with. As a child, I was very shy. As a teenager, I was insecure about everything, which resulted in a lot of rebelling and contributed to hundreds of my mom’s migraines, I’m sure. As an adult, early in my marriage I experienced some of the insecurities Madi deals with, regarding her husband and his faithfulness. That isn’t something I deal with anymore today, but I still have similar insecurities about what others think of me, as well as doubts about God’s love for me. Other ways I’m like Madi is that we share bad eating habits, a love for coffee, a tendency to waste hours of time playing computer games, and an insane fear of spiders.
JP:I raise my tacquito and nod in agreement to bad eating habits. Let me wipe the grease off my fingers so I can ask the next question. Okay, I love the tiara on Madi’s head (on the cover, people, look alive). I know why it’s there, but you tell it best! 
LS: Madi’s therapist challenges her to think of herself as a princess – the daughter of the King. Madi has never thought of herself this way, and throughout the story, there are references to various Disney princesses as Madi tries to figure out which one she most relates to. I had fun with the theme, even giving “the other woman” the fairy tale-ish name of Fawn Witchburn.
JP: I loved that by the way, and my very favorite line in the whole book has to do with the crown. I will never forget it. Brought tears to my eyes. It was lighthearted, but the subject matter was poignant. Great job! What’s next for you? 

LS: I am currently working on book #2 in the Madi series, titled, Madily in Love. Now that Madi and Rich are working things out, she attends a class at church to try to put the romance back into her marriage. But with her mother-in-law living with them, Madi’s new job, and issues with her kids, things don’t exactly go as planned. It’s a fun book that will look at finding peace –and romance – in the middle of chaos. 

JP: Amen to that, sista! 
LS: There will also be a book #3. I have the title and the premise, but I’ll save the details for later, when I have the plot worked out.
JP: Can’t wait! You’re going to be busy! Do you have a “day” job?

LS: I do freelance work, but I also work in a warehouse as part of a pricing group for Meijer. It doesn’t sound all that glamorous (and it’s not!) but I actually enjoy the physical work. It’s a nice change from the mental strain that freelancing and creativity can cause. If I got a couple of additional regular writing gigs, though, I wouldn’t mind staying home full time to do what I love to do most.
JP: I bet not! With work and a family, what’s your writing process? 

LS: Honestly, I don’t have a typical process. As this is my debut novel, I’m on a learning curve. While writing MIND OVER MADI, I basically wrote when I felt like it, with no set schedule. Now that I have contracts for the next two books in the series, which my editor wants to publish 6-9 months apart, I’m doing everything I can to learn how to organize my time effectively. But I do tend to work better on a deadline, so hopefully that will work out for me. We’ll see!
Lynda, I know you’re floating in the clouds and that is such a cliched statement. But everything I can think of is a cliche to so, I’ll say this: Congratulations! 

Connect with Lynda at her website,
her blog, facebook, and twitter!

Have any questions for Lynda?
What Disney Princess or Prince if you’re a guy, are you?

It’s Official…I’m a Paradox

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Yesterday, I had a plan. Really. I did. Until I visited Lynda Schab’s blog, On the Write Track.

My plan, went downhill after that. She was talking about this brain test she took. No harm or poking involved.

Naturally, as I read, my interest was piqued. And then she did the unthinkable…

She posted the link to the test and gave me permission to take it.

There went laundry, revising, working on a crit for a friend, researching books for the bookclub, and the treadmill. Because after I took the test, I had to blog about it. Like Lynda did. Go check hers out. It was fun and entertaining.

Here are my results. I was shocked at how accurate the answers were.

“Jessica, you show a slight right-hemisphere dominance with a moderate preference for auditory processing, an unusual and somewhat paradoxical combination of characteristics.”
What a way to start off.  I’m not only unusual, well duh, I’m a paradox of sorts. Nice.

Oh yeah, a reasonable degree of success. That’s…comforting. “Don’t you want to be successful?” Sure, I mean to a reasonable degree. Oy!

“You are drawn to a random and sometimes nonchalant synthesis of material. You learn as it seems important to a specific situation, and might even develop a resentment of others who attempt to direct your learning down a specific channel.”
Seriously! I just got out of my mouth a couple days ago. “Ugh, I wouldn’t want to go back to school to save my life. I love studying, but I don’t want anyone telling me what I have to study. I study what I want.” And, I am drawn to random and nonchalant material. I’m often told, “How do you know that?” “You have more useless knowledge than anyone I know.” Yeah, I’m proud of that! I studied for that! 
 “Your right-hemispheric dominance provides a structure that is only loosely organized and one which processes entire swatches of reality, overlooking details. You are emotional in your reactions and perceptual more than logical in your approach, although you can impose structure and a language base when necessary.” *I did not highlight this for any specific reason, but I couldn’t get blogger to make it white! What’s up with that?
That’s pretty much true. Probably why I’m more of a pantser than a plotter, although I do plot when necessary. See!

“Your tendency to be creative and free-flowing is accompanied by sufficient ability to organize and be logical, allowing you a reasonable degree of success in a number of different endeavors. You take in information methodically and systematically which can then be synthesized rapidly. In this manner, you manage to function consistently well, although certainly less efficiently than you desire.”

“You prefer the abstract and are a theoretician at heart while retaining the ability to be practical. You find the symbolism in a great deal of what you encounter and are something of a “mystic.””
Nailed it! I do find symbolism in everything, because everything is a physical picture of something spiritual! Mystic, L.O.L. But spiritual, definitely.

Okay, now I give you permission to take the test and come back with your answers! After you take the test and it gives you the %’s, click on view summary to get the detailed rundown!

BRAIN TEST