Every-Day People with Great Stories

I am currently working on a suspense story about a forty year old woman who finds herself overwhelmed by the prospect that her life is half over.  With her children now in college, her wonderfully warm home has become an empty nest…a place where her big-shot attorney husband comes only to sleep, shower and change his clothes.  She’s lonely.  For eighteen years her life has revolved around her children, their interests, their activities, and their dreams.  Somewhere along the line she lost herself in them and now that they are gone, she wonders if life is even worth living.  Her lavish home in an upscale neighborhood feels like nothing more than a million dollar shroud of loneliness.  Her hopes and dreams have all but been forgotten until an old friend reminds her of a passion once pursued, now lying dormant, but still very much a part of her heart.

If you are in this age group and have felt this empty nest syndrome…I would love to hear your story.  How did you handle it?  How is your life different today?  Email me at:  AuthorSRClaridge@gmail.com

Behind every great novel are the great stories of every-day people. ~

Blogging Blues

Blogging can be demanding.  Though I see the benefits of it, it can become overwhelming because my writing time is limited and I would much rather be working on my next novel than carrying on about nothing.  It’s not that I feel that bloggers, such as myself, ramble pointlessly; quite the contrary.  I enjoy visiting a handful of blogs that prove to be informational and entertaining. 

 

However, when it comes to consistent blogging, I often find myself behind the eight-ball, so to speak; and it makes me crabby.

 

My life in general is not that different than those in my demographic.  I do all of the normal things that most forty-two year old, married women do.  I pluck my eyebrows, wax my upper lip, color the gray in my hair, and consistently rub my face with revitalizing, uplifting, plumping, wrinkle-reducing, age-defying creams.  I take care of my children and the dog, satisfy my husband, clean my house, do the laundry, keep everyone’s schedule organized and spend a greater part of my week driving to practices, games and rehearsals.  Around all of that…I write.

There are days when I have a cohesive block of time to let my creative juices rage, and those are my most fun writing moments.  Four hours of uninterrupted creativity is very fulfilling.  Unfortunately, those days are not the norm for me.  Most of the time I am squeezing in thirty minutes here or an hour there, hoping that my brain can easily pick up where I left off and continue the story.  It’s a challenge.  I find myself hurrying to my computer and uttering a silent prayer, "God, please let the words flow quickly, because I don't have much time."

Between phone calls and emails, the time to write dwindles…and then I realize, crap, I’ve got to post a blog.  Ugh.  There goes any hope of getting another chapter done today. 

And then I sing the B-L-O-G-ging Blues.

I don’t know if most writers feel this way?  It would be fun to conduct a comparative study and see if the majority of writers love or loathe blogging; but that study will have to wait until I get my next novel completed.  J

 

Mail of Malice

As I’m wading through mounds of emails I thought I would take a moment and share with my readers some of the expressions of malice I have received as a result of my novel, House ofLies.  I don’t have any proof that these were sent to me by International House of Prayer (IHOP) members, however, my gut tells me they were, as previous emails of this nature have been from IHOP members; so I’m going to proceed in that manner.

 

“You have chosen to befriend homosexuals instead of the Lord and have mocked His people in House of Lies.  You mock our prophetic understanding and may God make an example of you and strike you down with the lightning of justice.”

 

“You would be better off dead than to cross the Lord’s work.  Read Acts and be warned.”

 

“If I were you I would watch my back.”

 

“Mike Bickle is a chosen apostle of the Lord and you are a fool to stand against him. Gods favor rests upon the godly.”

 

Yes, I am friends with homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals and metrosexuals.  I don’t befriend nor defriend people based on their sexuality.  I don’t judge.  It isn’t my job.  It isn’t my calling. It isn’t the way I want to live my life.  Furthermore, if you want to pull out your Bible I’m quite certain you’ll find several verses in the New Testament that specifically tell you NOT to judge.

 

As far as the accusation of mocking God’s people in House of Lies, I do not see how this is relevant.  I don’t mock your “prophetic understanding” because there is no understanding to mock.  The prophecies upon which your cult group (IHOP) is built have been proven false.  (* Look up the KC Prophets, The Blueprint Prophesy, The Ernie Gruen Report) Your leader has openly admitted to the fact that the majority of prophesies coming out of IHOP are not accurate and he preaches that inaccurate prophetic words are acceptable.  For me to say this practice of false prophesy is bogus is not me mocking you….it is simply me stating a fact.  It is my personal belief that any prophetic word that comes from the Lord will be 100% accurate.  If there is even the slightest inaccuracy than the so-called prophetic word is not from God.  It's either all right or all wrong.  God doesn't deal in half-truths.

In addition, and not to tread on your arrogance, House of Lies wasn’t written about YOU.  It’s a fictional cult group with a fictional leader.  (The only reason IHOP members believe the book is about them is because an IHOP member's [Bethany Deaton] murder was striking similar to the story.)

Second, I’m not crossing the Lord’s work, nor would I ever.  I know it and He knows it and that's all that matters. 

Third, I have read the book of Acts and my backside is being watched...but thank you for your concern.

As for Mike Bickle… he is a self-proclaimed apostle of the Lord.  I don’t stand against him on a personal level.  I stand against ANY cult leader who manipulates Scripture, spews bigotry, spreads lies in the name of God and deceives the youth in an attempt to build an end-times army that has destroyed families, taken lives and has the potential to become ever-more dangerous.  I stand against that, not against one man.

You can continue to email me with your words of warning, but it would better behoove you to  spend your time researching IHOP for yourself, instead of settling for being spoon-fed lies simply because the acceptance of it all "feels" good.  Drugs "feel" good too, but they destroy you from the inside out.

 

Instead of pointing a finger at me, it sounds like you have some very tough questions to ask yourself...

...and to ask God.  Good luck.  ~

A Delayed New Year

I’ve been under the weather the past several days, which has delayed my jump start on the New Year.  Those of you who know me, know I don’t do sick well.  I can’t stand lying around doing nothing… especially when there is SO MUCH to be done! 

My Christmas lights are still up, as is the tree and my list of resolutions sits idly by, awaiting the moment when I am able to begin checking them off.  UGH!

Alas, it has given me time to reflect on those items which I have resolved to improve upon or entirely change during the course of 2013. 

 

 

1.     Work out a minimum of 3 times per week.

2.     Prepare meals in advance so we are less tempted to eat out when our schedule is tipping the red zone of the chaotic-ometer.

3.     Eat healthier.

4.     Lose 25 pounds and several inches and tone the wiggly areas.

5.     Have more sex... with my husband, of course.

6.     Save more money… budget better.

7.     Write 3 novels. (The fifth in the Just Call Me Angel series; the sequel to House of Lies; and another independent mystery.

8.     Re-paint the bathroom.

9.     Schedule more book tours this year than last.

10.   Stress less and enjoy my family, my friends and life in general more.  After all, the very fact that we are living is a gift, and gifts are meant to be enjoyed.

These are just ten of the twenty-five items I’ve listed.  I am beginning the year hopeful that I will be able to tackle these head on and make some positive changes going forward.

May 2013 be a wonderful year of health, happiness, success and prosperity for all.  J

 

 

AnonBerean12 - Dwelling in a House of Lies

I received the following message last night from someone who calls themselves "anonberean12."  Here is the message:

S.R.Claridge, I have read your blogs about IHOP and your book House of Lies. I know it's written about IHOP but your information in the book isn't accurate. You tried to make your character Max Sagan be like Mike Bickle, but Bickle is a true man of God and a true prophet. You are going against God and God will not allow you to spread lies about His chosen people. You are offended by what you don't understand and you're mocking people you shouldn't. If I were you I'd be careful. 

 

This isn't the first message I've received from an obvious IHOP member and I am certain it will not be the last.

 

IHOP cult members are obviously upset about my book.  They are angry because they think it was written about their cult group and at the same time, they accuse me of not accurately depicting IHOP.  I find this humorously ironic. 

 

House of Lies is a fictional story.  The fact that it has similarities to what has happened in the Bethany Deaton murder or the fact that people are drawing similarities between characters in the book and real-life cult leaders is coincidental.  As I have stated many times, I studied five cult groups before writing House of Lies.  IHOP was merely one of those five.

 

I have not "accurately" depicted IHOP because the book is not written about IHOP.  It is a story about a fictional cult group named P3.  The character of Max Sagan, the leader of P3, was designed to be a cult leader to which people could relate, a leader from which readers would sense a spirit of evil and deceit. It is obvious that on some level IHOP members are relating to Max Sagan.

 

If you are drawing similarities between the fictional Max Sagan and IHOP founder, Mike Bickle, those are your own personal conclusions and not a connection I have made.  If you are connecting the two then perhaps you should take a deeper look at the leader you are following.  Bickle, like many of the others I have studied, is a "self-appointed" prophet of God, and if you study his history you will find that not even one of his prophesies has come into fruition.  He disbanned the Kansas City Prophets because they were publically proven false.

Bickle claims to have visited heaven twice and says he has been chosen to change the face of christianity as we know it.... perhaps he is doing this by replacing God with his own ego (?)  Perhaps this egotism is the similarity you see between Bickle and my fictional character, Sagan (?)

I would ask you to compare Bickle to the real prophets from the Bible.  They were nothing like what you see in your cult movement today.

 

I am not "offended" by what I don't understand.  I am cautioned by what I do understand.  I am not the one who has jumped into a movement without studying it from the roots up.  I am not the one who has adopted an elitist attitude, one that refers to oneself as God's "chosen people," with the implication that others are not His chosen. (I am quoting from the above message sent to me.)

 

I am not mocking Mike Bickle nor any IHOP members.  I am saddened by him and by this cult group, just as I am saddened by other cult groups with similar beliefs and heresies. 

 

You want to point a finger at me because deep down you know I have struck a chord of truth, and when you allow yourself to ponder it, it reverberates through your fickle foundation; and you fear if it cracks beneath you, you will fall and when you fall there will be nothing left.   

 

What you need to understand is that it is only when you let go of the cult group that you will truly realize the depth of God's love and mercy for you.  He will not let you fall.

 

You can continue to threaten me, but your time would be better spent studying the movement to which you have devoted your life.  I will "be careful" as you said.... careful to examine every group from the roots up, looking at the fruit and making sure it is not dripping with judgmentalism, deception and utter falsehood.  It is my hope that you will do the same.

 

I will end this blog by asking you one question:  Could it be that House of Lies offended you because deep down you know you are indeed dwelling in a house of lies?  Could it be that it is just too close for comfort?  ~

 

 

Tour of Thanks And Giving

Thankful For My Readers Tour

November begins my "Thankful For My Readers" Tour and I am excited to be able to offer a book club  special.  During the month of November, I am giving a free downloadable copy of my latest release,  a political cult suspense entitled, House of Lies, to book club leaders in the states of Missouri and Kansas (since this is where the story takes place and where my book tour begins).  St. Louis is my hometown, I attended college in Columbia, Missouri and lived in Overland Park, Kansas for seven years...suffice to say, beginning my book club tour in these two states is as personal to me as the book, itself. 

 

If, after reading the novel, you choose House of Lies for your book club, you will receive discussion questions and bookmarks, free of charge; and I will arrange a time to visit with your group and enter each member into a contest to receive additional free downloads or print copies of my other novels. 

Whenever I visit a book club, I bring wine and snacks, because experience has taught me that gnoshing and discussing often go hand-in-hand.  :)

To receive your free Ebook copy of House of Lies, and to read an excerpt from the book, please email me at:  AuthorSRClaridge@gmail.com

In the subject line, write:  November Book Club Special

Please feel free to forward this message to fellow readers.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Reading!

House of Lies

I am excited to announce the release of my new novel, House of Lies. 

It is a political cult suspense about Skylar Wilson, who sets out on a quest to save her sister from the grips of a deadly cult.  While searching for answers, Skylar discovers that this particular cult group stretches far beyond its evangelical, house of prayer veil; penetrating the upper echelon of the United States government, and pushing a lethal, International agenda.  To expose the truth, Skylar must learn to unravel the lies, each one leading her down a twisted trail of deadly scandals and mysterious deaths.  For the nightmare to end, she’ll have to take her sister back to where it all began.

 

House of Lies is a mystery-suspense-romance-thriller all rolled into one.  Ebook is currently available at Amazon.  Availability from Barnes&Noble, Smashwords and AllRomanceEbooks coming soon.  Look for print editions at all online retailers this Thanksgiving.  Download or Pre-order your copy today!

Here is a video trailer to give you a glimpse into the novel:

 

“House of Lies will take you to the edge and dangle you over the abyss.” Maxwell Crighton, Publicist

 

 

F A I T H

The other day someone asked me to define my faith.  At first I thought, "Wow, that's a tall order!"   But the more I thought about it, it became clear to me that the answer was really quite simple.  My faith doesn't hinge on hoping God will, but on knowing He can.  My faith is believing in the unseen, the untouched, and the unheard.  My faith isn't connected to a particular religion, it's housed in my relationship with God.  I trust Him in all things because I believe that from Him came all things.  ~ 

Be Real

I have a pet peeve, actually I have many, but I’m only going to talk about one today.  It is sugary sweet, dripping with honey, fake people.  You know the ones…. their smile is plastered on, and every other word is “wonderful” or “wonderfully” as they go out of their way to tell you about how perfect every element of their life is.  They unnerve me.  It takes all of my strength to restrain myself from slapping them.  Don’t get me wrong, I like happy people and I like positive people.  I am certainly grateful for those moments in my life when I have been down in the dumps and a friend has pointed out the silver lining to my crisis.  I like smiling and love laughing and there is no better feeling of elation than sharing the excitement of life with others.  BUT… there is a big difference between genuine happiness and the overly sugary façade of fake fulfillment.  When people are over-the-top it makes me think they are merely using words to compensate for the unhappiness and un-fulfillment from which they are suffering.  It’s the same principal as the ever-popular joke about the man with the small penis who drives the fancy sports car. 

Overly compensating for something is often obvious to outsiders.  I wish these people would realize that happiness shines from the inside out and can be seen and felt without a word.  I wish they could see that fulfillment illumes the face and can be transmitted without an utterance.  Most of all, I wish these people would learn that it’s okay not to be the perfect, perky Pollyanna all the time.  It’s okay to have down days, sour hours and moments when you feel like you’re barely hanging on.  It’s okay to fail, fall down and make a few faux pas.  It’s life and it’s real and you can be too.  ~

Scary Stuff

I’m working on a new book.  Actually, I began this book last year, after spending three years researching a worldwide cult group…a group that shrouds themselves under the blanket of pseudo-evangelical Christianity, but spreads its tentacles deep into the political world under the guise of pushing “God’s Agenda.” This group believes in falsified prophetic visions and has built their foundation on prophetic words that have already been proven untrue.  They blindly follow their leader, despite the well-known fact that he consorts with demons and has twisted Scripture to fit his teachings.  His charisma and ego knows no bounds, as he manipulates the minds of his followers through contemplative prayer, group hypnosis and mantra, mandatory mortifications and many other tactics.  He feigns humility but his ego is powerful.  He teaches his flock that THEY are to build God’s kingdom on Earth so to usher in the second coming of Christ, and must thereby take control of every element of society….socially, economically, politically and spiritually.  His tentacles run deep and spread across the globe.  The Bible warns us against him:

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.  2 Corinthians 11:13-15."

  It is scary stuff, to say the very least.

 

A Writing Assignment

I needed to go to Wal-Mart for some bulk shopping.  Our home was bare, which happens every time I am deep in the throes of writing another novel.  I needed to replenish just about everything.  Toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, detergent, cleaning supplies, not to mention bulk food items.  As usual I was on a tight schedule so I told my 9 year old and 11 year old, who I was dragging with me to the store, that we were not stopping to look at clothing, toys, video games, books or anything else remotely exciting.  We were on a mission.  Get in, get what was on Mommy’s list and get out…quickly.  The key word:  Quickly!  As we walked toward the front doors I reiterated, “we are only buying what is on my list and nothing else.”  The underlying message in that sentence was:  DON’T ASK ME TO BUY YOU ANYTHING! 

We entered the store and my 11 year old daughter made an immediate beeline for a blouse, meanwhile my son jetted off toward the chocolate chip Poptarts and the begging began.  “Pleeeeaaase?”  Their eyelashes bat and the pouty lip came out.  “I neeeeeed it!” They said in unison.   I re-stated my original stance that we were in a hurry and NOT looking at things that weren’t on my list.  The begging continued.  “Well, if I can’t have pop tarts, can I have an action figure?”  Negotiated my 9 year old son.   

By the time we made it out of the store, I was flushed with frustration and anger; convinced that I had raised the most spoiled children on the planet.  Driving home I resolved to fix my poor childrearing skills by giving them the spiel every mother gives on how there are other children in the world without toys and video games and who have never tasted a pop tart; and how they should be thankful for all they have.   

As we pulled into the garage I turned to my children and announced they were grounded for the next thirty minutes, during which time they would each go to their rooms and write me a one page essay on the difference between needs and wants; and they would write about how richly they have been blessed. 

I lectured them on how, as their mom, it was my job to provide for their needs, namely to give them food, water, clothing, shelter and to let them know they are loved and cherished, to support their dreams and help them achieve their goals.  It was NOT my job to buy them everything they wanted every time they wanted it. 

Thirty minutes of writing didn't un-spoil my children, but it did give me a half an hour of peace and quiet; not to mention two adorable little letters I have tucked away to use one day as instruments of blackmail, or at the very least, for a good laugh.  :)

ALL Things Possible

As you continue to pursue your dreams, remember Psalms 37:4... "with God ALL things are possible" and don't give up.  Success never comes easy... but it's possible for those that don't quit.  :)


Visit my website at: www.AuthorSRClaridge.com Twitter: SRClaridgeWrite Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorSRClaridge

BookWatch Magazine Reviews

BookWatchMagazineReview:  Tetterbaum’s Truth by S.R.Claridge

A Best-Seller Candidate Indeed

Your Customer Rating: FIVE STAR Posted on Barnes&Noble

Tetterbaum's Truth is a pleasurable dichotomy of action/adventure and suspense; with a thread of romance worked in just enough to keep tension rising. We follow Angel Martin on a trek of self-discovery where her whole world is turned upside down and every moral and value she ever had is tested in the violent burning coals of Mafia life. What I especially found remarkable about this novel was the authors ability to portray character relationships in a realistic light. She not only connected the players but her audience as well, a task not easy to achieve. I would look for this book to hit the best-seller list in the next twelve months and continue to climb. Fortunate for readers, Tetterbaum's Truth is book one in the Just Call Me Angel series, which indeed means more enjoyment is yet to come. Kudos to author S.R.Claridge and Vanilla Heart. Looking forward to the sequel. Robert Westin - BWM

BookWatchMagazineReview:  Traitors Among Us by S.R.Claridge

An Action-Filled Adrenaline Kick

Customer Rating: FIVE STAR Posted on Barnes&Noble

Posted 08/22/11: Rare indeed are the instances in life when the sequel is equally as good if not even better than the first; but this is the case in the Just Call Me Angel series by S.R.Claridge. Book one, Tetterbaum's Truth, introduces us to Angel Martin and involves us on her trek for self-discovery which leads her into the murky shadows of Mafia life. Book two, Traitors Among Us, is nothing short of an adrenaline kick; each page packed with action-filled suspense. The author skillfully weaves the story around each character and takes us deeper into conflict at every turn. This book will keep you up late at night reading and will leave you begging for another chapter in the life of the feistiest Mafia female to hit the literary world. Keep your eyes open folks, I predict you'll be seeing a lot more from this author. Robert Westin - BWM

TCM gives Tetterbaum's Truth a Thumbs-Up Review

Tetterbaum's Truth S.R. Claridge Vanilla Heart Publishing ISBN: 1935407899

5 STAR REVIEW by TCM

Twenty-nine year old Angel May Martin is the owner of Tetterbaum’s Pub in Chicago. Tetterbaum’s Pub was opened in 1936 by the Tetterbaum family and Angel worked as a waitress at Tetterbaum’s until the sudden death of Ernest Tetterbaum. His widow sold the pub to Angel at a price she couldn’t resist.

For the past year Angel has been carrying on with one Grayson Galante, it is only in Grayson’s arms that Angel feels she can be anyone she wants to be. Even after multiple warnings from co-worker Andrew, Angel continues seeing Grayson until a tragic accident changes everything and turns Angel’s world upside down.

To complicate her life even further Angel’s ex-boyfriend, Tony, reappears in her life and everything is spinning out of control. Angel’s obsession for finding answers grows stronger with each passing day and she decides to search for answers on her own. Angel soon discovers she isn’t who she thought she was and that Tetterbaum’s Pub may hold the key to her past – a past she knew nothing about.   Tetterbaum’s Truth is fast-paced, full of surprises and will keep you reading long into the night.

WELL WORTH THE READ.  5 STARS.