Ordering Gifts for the Road

Ordering Gifts for the Road.

You can go into any book store and ask them to order you one, using ISBN# 978163043670, or you can buy on line at Amazon or Barnes & Noble, they are both better prices than the publisher, America Star Books is a traditional publishing company whose primary goal is to encourage and promote the works of previously undiscovered writers. Like mainstream publishers, America Star Books pays its authors royalties and makes its books available through all bookstores. America Star Books offers a distinctly personal, supportive alternative to vanity presses and less accessible publishers.

Here is what the publisher says about Gifts for the Road. Enter the historical world of Jesus. In Gifts for the Road, McDaniel demonstrates her storytelling prowess as she chronicles Jesus’ birth in the midst of harrowing tragedy.

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, with helpers and borrowed servants, flee to Egypt from Bethlehem under the threat of Herod’s soldiers looking to kill Jesus. Two bungling thieves are also close behind hoping to steal the money Joseph carries with him. Travel with the wayfarers as they sleep in caves, face wild animals, ride camels and sail the Mediterranean. Meet the families along the way that Joseph and Mary share prophecy with and tell of Jesus’ birth when they are asked why they’re so far from home. Journey nearly two hundred miles south of Memphis to the cave where they live for over six months. Find out the fate of the two crooks and experience romance among the travelers when they help a destitute family in Alexandria get back on their feet. Meet the wealthy Roman who offers them safe travel back to Israel on his Roman vessel.

Gifts for the Road incorporates

Prophecy and truth, as well as traditions and myths established by the Coptic Orthodox Church and folklore recorded in Eastern and Western apocryphal literature.

 

 

 

Exciting News about Gifts for the Road.

Exciting News

A story about trusting God while facing the unknown!

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, with helpers and borrowed servants, flee to Egypt from Bethlehem under the threat of Herod’s soldiers looking to kill Jesus. Two bungling thieves are also close behind hoping to steal the money Joseph carries with him. Travel with the wayfarers as they sleep in caves, face wild animals, ride camels and sail the Mediterranean. Meet the families along the way that Joseph and Mary share prophecy with and tell of Jesus’ birth when they are asked why they’re so far from home. Journey nearly two hundred miles south of Memphis to the cave where they live for over six months. Find out the fate of the two crooks and experience romance among the travelers when they help a destitute family in Alexandria get back on their feet. Meet the wealthy Roman who offers them safe travel back to Israel on his Roman vessel.

Note: Gifts for the Road incorporates

Prophecy and truth, as well as traditions and myths established by the Coptic Orthodox Church and folklore recorded in Eastern and Western apocryphal literature.

I just talked to my publisher, America Star Books, (new publisher)and my book – Gifts for the Road – will be officially released in two months. You will be able to buy on line from any major book store, or you can walk in and ask them to order Gifts for the Road for you. You can call America Star Books and speak directly to Robbin, the Special Services Coordinator, at 443-684.7592 – you can do that today if you like.

Gifts for the Road will be published soon.

Gifts for the Road has been accepted by PublishAmerica – and this is not self published. They do not charge anything. However I will need to do some marketing, so you may hear from me more often than usual.   Here is a brief description of what the story is about, which I hope many will be edified by if not curious.

It is a story based on the journey taken by the Holy Family fleeing Bethlehem to Egypt under the threat of Herod’s soldiers looking to kill Jesus. The family is also pursued by two thieves seeking to steal the Magi gifts. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus travel with Mary’s maidservant, Joseph’s friend and borrowed servants. The wayfarers visit family, sleep in caves and are hosted by Jewish families living in Egypt. They face wild animals, ride camels and sail the Mediterranean. Answering questions along the way of why they are so far from home, Mary and Joseph share prophecy and the birth of Jesus. Some believe them, some do not. Joseph takes his family one hundred and fifty miles south along the Nile, where they spend six months in a cave and one thief comes to them asking forgiveness. Before heading home on a Roman vessel, Joseph and those with him help a destitute family in Alexandria get back on their feet.

Gifts for the Road incorporates prophecy and truth, as well as traditions and myths established by the Coptic Orthodox Church and folklore recorded in Eastern and Western apocryphal literature.

Knowing God

WHO IS THE GOD OF LOVE?

As we who do not belong to this world, our perception of God differs from those who do. Many opinions are figments of an imagination, and no figment or fancy ever saved one’s soul. So how do you measure your beliefs about the Lord? Hold them up to the revelations in His Word – the Bible. Isaiah 5:8 – and learn His ways.

It is impossible to have a personal relationship with Him based on reason or ideas, or rational thoughts. It simply doesn’t work that way – the answer is Faith, You can learn to live by faith by getting close to Him through his Word. However, God never imposes on us. He must be discovered and joyfully received for He is a loving and just God – loving all of humanity, even those who reject Him. Those who come to Him in repentance – turning their back on sin – will have life everlasting in His kingdom, because God is love.

TEA TIME

When was the last time you went to a tea party? Well, I hosted one for 28 people the other day – the proceeds are going to the wives of 5 African missionaries. After all, isn’t it the men who always get the funds?  A tea seemed the appropriate way to raise the $600 we ended up making.  $150 of that was from the sale of handmade jewelry – ‘fair-trade’ beads hand polished and painted by African women.

Do you know the difference between high tea and low tea? I assure you it is the opposite of what it sounds like. Low tea is held in the afternoon and supports all the elegant things you may think go with high tea, i.e. china tea cups, silver serving dishes and ceramic tea pots, and hopes for white gloves and wide brim hats.

The dining room table set for 6, baby carnations shared space with the ceramic tea pot





Angel fountain in living room, background sound to dining room

Entry hall where people signed in

2nd outdoor table set for 6

Outdoor table for 4, pond behind for background sound

Butlers pantry, decorated with children and sea shells

 

High tea is held at night and is referred to high tea because it is served off a high table! It is the last meal of the night and generally consists of a heartier fare than small decorative cakes and colored mint candies and dress is casual.

I have included a few pictures of tables – we had 2 outside decorated in red and four inside decorated in yellows, pinks, blues and white. Enjoy.

Traveling Again, Still Writing



I just returned from a Flair and Dare trip. First to Los Osos (means the bears) by Moro Bay where I rearranged pictures for my sister and her husband (he is an artist) after they remodeled. They like to cover the walls with his art work. I only made changes to the living room and dining room but did not photograph the rest. See below. 

Living area

Dining Room

 

The next stop was to my other sister’s in Alameda. I did some minor rearrangements there. So there are only a couple of pictures. The living area is long and narrow with the kitchen at the far end.See below.

Got the plant stand at Big Lots and the new rug from Sally's for $29.00 (Yeah)

Looking from the entry. Palm from Home Depot special $20, Cool lamp from Sally's for $5.00 (Yea!)

Looking from the kitchen toward the entry. Throw pillose on sofa from Sally's.

I took my writing with me to do some editing and to my surprise (though I should know better than to be surprised) my allegorical fantasy needed lots of reworking. I really like writing this stuff, it is fun. I have not completed the story yet, and have no idea when it will be done.

I also took my Crystal Pines Trilogy with me. I combined the published work of Morningside (#1 in the trilogy, published separately) with the middle story, Winter’s Inn, which was never completed and Crystal Pines, published first but is last in the trilogy. I am enjoying this project because since publication of Crystal Pines, I have wanted to make a lot of changes – true editing was never done.

The reason I am completing the trilogy is that a publisher called me and wanted to do a second edition of Crystal Pines, but I did not feel that it was worthy of one. This inspired me to make the changes necessary and complete the entire work. Don’t know when it will be finished, as it stands now it is over 550 words on 8 ½ by 11 paper with 1 inch margin.

I sent my Gifts for the Road story, about Jesus, Joseph & Mary’s travels to Egypt, out to another publisher but have heard nothing. I am going to send it to several all at one time. God Willing, it may someday get published –I don’t plan on self-publishing. That is it for now.