Susan McGeown, Author

A Well Behaved Woman’s Life  …Test

how good are you at remembering?

Multiple Choice:  Chose the best possible answer.

1)  Church for Bee

  a.Was a place to get someone else to watch the kids (154)

  b.Was initiated by her mother.  (153)

  c.Was a place for desperately needed adult interaction.  (154)

  d.All of the above.

2)  Pastor Duncan

  a.Has no experience with widows.  (7)

  b.Has a weakness for donuts.  (21)

  c.Has been Bee’s pastor for over twenty years.  (4)

  d.Always wanted a motorcycle.  (66)

3)  Deborah’s children

  a.All viewed their father in the same way.  (129)

  b.Were all worried about Deborah’s mental health.  (13)

  c.Were essential to her emotional well being.  (27)

  d.None of the above.

4)  Deborah

  a.Met her husband on a blind date  (151)

  b.Was very enthusiastic about her first date with Peter.  (59)

  c.Never really enjoyed being a teacher.  (152)

  d.Felt as if her entire life was one, huge lie.  (2)

5)  Alita

  a.Has been cleaning Bee’s house for five years  (25)

  b.Never met Jonathan.  (25)

  c.Has always been happily married.  (27)

  d.Once threatened to kick her husband out of the house – without his pants.  (27)

6)  Peter

  a.Has been a spiritual man all his life.  (185)

  b.Made some of the same mistakes Jonathan did.  (106)

  c.Was first attracted to Bee when he saw she drove a Porsche.  (70)

  d.Wanted Bee to serve on the Hospitality Committee with him.  (37)

7)  Jonathan

  a.Looked exactly like Todd in his younger years.  (14)

  b.Helped Bee to become a capable woman with his absences.  28

  c.Was a good financial provider.  (29)

  d.All of the above.

Who Said It?  (Your Choices: John, Alita, Deborah, Grace, Peter, Pastor Duncan, Todd, Jonathan)

1.                 “Nice toenails!” 

__________________________________________________________________(50)

2.                 “Don’t let the tail wag the dog.” 

______________________________________________________(29)

3.                 “Yuck, I’ve always been so well-behaved.” 

_____________________________________________(154)

4.                  “I’m used to being unwelcome so we have to push harder to get ourselves in the door.”

____________________________________________________________(20)

5.                 “Should I have told you, Mom?  Would it have been better or worse?” 

______________________________________________________(49)

6.                 “Do you know that one Christmas, I was so sick and tired of all the complaints and the guilt trips that I took a trip all by myself to Hawaii?  It was the best Christmas I ever had.”

_____________________________________________________________(106)

7.                 “Oh, you’re not going to like that, so let’s change the subject.” 

______________________________________________________________(111)

8.                 “Who is this woman?  Where is she now?  What is going on with the children?  Did she know about us?  Was she a home-wrecker or was she an innocent?” 

________________________________________________________________(130)

Matching  Match the biblical character with the spiritual lesson illustrated.

1.                   The Widow

2.                   The Heathen

3.                   The Unloved Wife’s

4.                   The Wise Woman

5.                   The Fiery Woman

6.                   The Greedy Man

7.                   The Foolish Man

8.                   The Saddest Man

9.                    The Hero         

10.                 The Courageous Man 

a.   What are your priorities?  Your life depends on your answer.

b.  Truth is not always measured by majority opinion.

c.    It’s never too late to change.  No mistake is so big that it can’t be forgiven.  The right decisions are rarely the easiest.

d.    Happily-ever-afters come directly from God.

e.   True success is measured by wise choices, wise prayers, and the following of God’s wise words.

f.   The measure of a gift was not how much is given, but how much there was to give.

g.   During tough times, we should seek to find those things God has given us to see us through and beyond.

h.  What things in your life are preventing you from becoming the man or woman God wants you to be?

i.  Our most important quality must be our faith.

j.  Our past does not determine our future.

EXTRA CREDIT: 

Of these above biblical characters, 8 were named: Achan, Rahab, Judah, Deborah, Leah, Caleb, Solomon, and Boaz.  Can you match them with their book chapter titles?

A printable version of this test (along with the answers!!!) is available in my printable notes section.

The Lord

has sought out a person

after His own heart. 

I Samuel 13:14

I eagerly expect and hope

that I will in no way be ashamed,

but will have sufficient courage

so that now as always

Christ will be exalted in my body,

whether by life or by death. 

For to me, to live is Christ

and to die is gain. 

Philippians 1:20-21

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

      and have made the Lord

their hope and confidence.

 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

      with roots that reach deep into the water.

   Such trees are not bothered by the heat

      or worried by long months of drought.

   Their leaves stay green,

      and they never stop producing fruit. 

Jeremiah 17:7 & 8

 1 O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you. 

My soul thirsts for you;  

my whole body longs for you 

in this parched and weary land 

where there is no water.

 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary 

and gazed upon your power and glory.

3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; 

how I praise you!

 4 I will praise you as long as I live, 

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  

I will praise you with songs of joy. 

6 I lie awake thinking of you, 

meditating on you through the night.

7 Because you are my helper, 

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

 8 I cling to you; 

your strong right hand holds me securely.

Psalm 63:1-8

How Do I Get Your Books On My Sony EReader? 

(Thanks to Michele L!)

1.   After you send me a normal pdf, I copied it to my Calibre Library on my PC.

2.  From my Calibre Library I send it to the ereader. It is very simple.

3.  The Calibre Library Program is on the Internet and you can download it for free. It is a simple program and you still can change or add data to it, which is fun.

4.  Additionally, Sue's books are delivered as .pdf files when purchased on her publishing website storefront.  Ebooks are priced the same as on Amazon or Barnes & Noble but are delivered in the .pdf format.

I am a not a Nook girl, I'm a Kindle girl.  Through the kind assistance of my Nook readers, I have gained the following information (thanks, Jan!).  I hope it helps!!

Nook Color is easy:

1.  On your Nook, go to your email account.

2.  Find my email with the .pdf attachment.

3.  Open the attachment .  It should automatically by opened by your Nook and be able to be read.

"OLD" Nooks are much more difficult.  Click HERE for the direct link to these directions on the Barnes & Noble Forum.

How to read Adobe PDF and Adobe ePub books [ New ] Options 03-29-2010 02:07 PM

I have not found a thread such as the one I am now posting so I'm going to do it for future nook owners and those with questions on how to read these two specific eBook files types. This is for Adobe PDF and Adobe ePub books. I gleaned this information from several posts and did my own experiment.

The nook WILL read secure Adobe PDF and secure Adobe ePub files. This is how you do it. (Note: These instructions do not address any possible technical support issues you may encounter. Also note that I am writing how to do this for a Windows 7 computer. Windows XP will be similar. I don't know anything about Macintosh and whether the process would be the same.)

On your computer, perform the following steps:

1.  You will need the Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) software. You can download it here: Adobe Digital Editions

2.  When you run the ADE software for the first time you will be prompted to register your computer. Registering your computer will require a unique ID that will be tied to an email address. 

3.  Next, plug in your nook. (Note: If ADE does not automatically recognize your nook, close ADE software, plug in your nook, then start ADE. If ADE still does not recognize your nook, search the forums for help on this issue as it is beyond the scope of these instructions.)

4.  Through the ADE software, authorize your nook. Now that you have ADE installed and your nook authorized when you want to purchase a book that is in Secure Adobe PDF or Secure Adobe ePub perform the following steps:

5.  From the eBook retailer site, when you have chosen a file format, during the download process you will be prompted by your web browser on what you want to do with the file. Select the option that says, "Open with: Adobe Digital Editions." This should be a .acsm file. This file tells ADE where the download of the actual eBook is.  ADE will automatically read the .acsm file and proceed to download the eBook into ADE.

6.  To get your eBook in ADE onto your nook plugged into your computer, you will see the nook on the left hand pane. Drag the ebook from the right hand pane to the nook icon in the left hand pane. The mouse cursor will show a green "+ (plus) symbol. Drop the ebook onto the nook. ADE will copy the file to your nook.

7.  From Windows explorer, find the drive your nook device is connected to. Right mouse button click and "eject" the nook from your computer. (If you have an extra memory card on your nook, find the drive for that memory card and "eject" the memory card from your computer also. ALWAYS eject the nook and it's memory card from the computer.)  It is now safe to unplug the nook from your computer.On your nook, perform the following steps:

8.  From the main menu on the bottom bar, select, "My Library."From "My Library," if you are not already in "My Documents," select that option.

9.  Select "Check for new content."You should see your newly purchased Secure Adobe PDF or Secure Adobe ePub book.

I mourn the loss

of thousands of precious lives,

but I will not rejoice

in the death of one,

not even an enemy.

Returning hate for hate

multiplies hate,

adding deeper darkness

to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness:

only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate:

only love can do that. 

First part of this quote is attributed to Jessica Dovey and the remainder of the quote is attributed to Martin Luther King

I liked this Last Supper painting better than the more famous one.  This is far more accurate with Jesus and the apostles reclining rather than sitting on chairs. "In Remembrance of Me, Walter Rane"

One of the only pictures I found of Jesus laughing.  This is by the artist Liz Swindle.

This was the best picture, in my opinion, of the resurrection.   "Created between 1601-02, this work - entitled The Incredulity of Saint Thomas - is owned by the Sanssouci in Potsdam, Germany."

This is a fabulous painting of Pilate shouting down to the Jewish religious leaders (they wouldn't enter his residence) about Jesus.  The woman in the foreground, with her back to everything is Pilate's wife who had a nightmare the night before and had urged Pilate to release Jesus.  "Ecce Homo by Antonio Ciseri"

This is supposedly the face from the Shroud of Turin.  Cool, huh?

BEING A WRITER:

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

THE FACTS:

• I have a Masters in elementary education with a 

specialization in gifted education.

• I have been writing seriously since 2001.  

• I write about two books a year.

• I have one book published in 1990 by Creative 

Learning Press.  So far royalties for this book total 

approximately $350.

• I have eleven books self-published through the online 

site www.lulu.com  (5 historical fiction, 5 contemporary 

fiction, and 1 nonfiction Bible study) since 2008.

• I have two books in proofreading/editing stage.

• I have two book in process.

• So far, I have received approximately 430 rejections …

• I have one agent.

• 2007 was my biggest “loss” year with approximately 

$1800 in out of pocket expenses although 2006 was close 

with $1250.

• 2009 is the first year I turned a profit as a writer.  I 

made $562.  

Top Ten Writing Advice Tips:

1.       The more you write, the more you improve.  

(Hey,that’s better than “Practice makes perfect.” Isn’t it?)

2.       If your writing stinks right now, that only means 

you have that much more room for improvement. 

(Let’s face it, if you’re perfect now, the most you can 

dream of is to stay the same for the rest of your life.)

3.       Even if you hate your lit teacher, he or she is 

teaching you information you must have in order to 

be a good writer.  (Learn it now or you’ll be forced to 

learn it later.)

4.       Learn to live with rejection.   In fact, negative 

feedback is more valuable than positive feedback.  

(It’s usually more honest and you can use it 

to get even better.)

5.       Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Even an 

inquisitive idiot is better than a speechless blob. 

6.       It’s not too soon to begin learning about the 

publishing industry. Try submitting something.  

(Even if you’re not successful, well, see my comment  

about rejection.)

7.       Enjoy what you do.  Writing is tremendously time 

consuming.  If it ain’t fun for you, forget it.

8.       A unique voice is your #1 asset but that doesn’t 

mean you shouldn’t listen to good advice.  

(And please note:  being bizarre only caters to others 

just as strange.)

9.       You cannot proofread your own stuff.  

Neither can your computer.  I mean it.

10.    Don’t count on your writing career to support 

you. Writing is a slow process that teaches patience and 

humility.  (Stephen King was a teacher, John Grisham wasa lawyer, 

J.K. Rowling was on welfare, Mark Twain was a journalist, 

and Louisa May Alcott was a teacher, seamstress, 

governess and maid.

Critical Writing Words To Know

Query.  To ask.

Market.  To sell.

Publish.   To Print.

Genre.  A kind.

Voice.  The author’s style. 

Edit.  Correct. Revise.  Adapt.  

Agent.  A person who represents you.

Publisher.  One who works to bring written material to

the public.

Writing Opportunities

REMEMBER THIS!!!!!

• If you have a magazine you like to read in print or 

online someonehas to be writing the stories!  

Check for submission information – it has to be there 

but you might have to hunt a bit to find it.

• It you’re asked to pay money up front to submit 

or to have your work read/edited run in the other

direction!!!

• Rejection is almost as important in improving 

your writing as acceptance is.

Websites:  The technological age has opened up many opportunities.

Lulu

Self publishing at its best.  

/misfit.org/writingcontest/"> MISFITS

“Minnesota Society For Interest In Science Fiction and Fantasy” 

About Teens

An online magazine for teens. Includes funny photos, jokes and humor, short stories and book reviews. Submit your own work for publication on this site only. 

Cyberteens

Owned by Able Minds, Inc. Humor and upbeat articles receive special attention. 

Midlink Magazine

By kids from 8 to 18. Invites participation on specific themes. Has won many online awards. 

Teen Ink

Teen Ink's monthly print magazine, daily website and new book series are all written by teens for teens. Publishes essays, short stories, reviews, interviews, poetry, art and photography, and have published more than 25,000 teens since 1989. 

Wire Tap Magazine

Wiretap is an independent news and culture web magazine that generates and amplifies daily content by young people from diverse backgrounds. We mentor and train young journalists, citizen reporters, bloggers and provide a daily platform for young activists, social entrepreneurs, and artists from across the country. 

Print:  Established publishing companies always are seeking quality writers.

Carus Publishing Group/Crick Magazine Group

Cicada Magazine. A literary magazine for teenagers and young adults, from the Cricket Magazine Group.

National Writing Board

The Concord Review. The first and only journal in the world for the academic work of secondary students of history, has published students in 38 states and 25 other countries. Essays average 5,000 words. Published essays are considered for the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize. 

Merlyn’s Pen

Students in grades 6-12 may submit writing. Art is not considered. Submissions are considered for both Merlyn's Pen Magazine and the American Teen Writer Book Series. Fewer than 1% of all submissions are selected for publication.

Skipping Stones: A Multicultural Magazine.

An award-winning, international magazine, celebrating ecological and cultural diversity. Young readers and contributors of Skipping Stones, ages 8 to 16, hail from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Stone Soup Magazine

For students to age 13. Looking for "works that will inspire our readers to excel". High standards. Selects 50 stories and 10 poems a year.

The Writers' Conference.

Publishes The Writing Slate, a magazine that publishes original poetry and prose from students enrolled in grades K-12. Three issues per year are printed with one devoted to publishing winners of the writing contests. 

Guideposts

Do you have an inspiring story to share with us—the kind that will give goose bumps or bring us close to tears? If so, we’d love to read it. We receive thousands of submissions each week, and we read every one. 

Highlights

Highlights for Children is a general-interest, advertising-free magazine for children up to age twelve. It was founded in 1946 by Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, and is still owned and run by their family. The magazine has no religious or organizational affiliation. Highlights has a circulation of about two million and is published monthly.

Young Writer

The magazine for young people with something to say! Published four times a year, it is an international platform for writing by young people up to the age of 18. It is also full of fun exercises, star interviews, author tips and great writing competitions! If you enjoy writing or would like to enjoy it, this magazine is for you!

Contests:  Besides the traditional route, contests are THE best way to get yourself noticed.

The Writer’s Conference

Publishes The Writing Slate, a magazine that publishes original poetry and prose from students enrolled in grades K-12. Three issues per year are printed with one devoted to publishing winners of the writing contests. 

Kay Snow Writing Contest

by Willamette Writers. Poetry, short stories, screenplays. Submission free for student writers. Contest begins February with a deadline of May 4. 

Amazing Kids

Amazing Kids! is a children's non-profit organization and kid-created online magazine dedicated to helping kids realize their amazing potential! 

Highlights

Fiction based on a true story from your family. 

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Longest running, most prestigious recognition program for Teen artists and Writers

The Writer’s Digest

Writer's Digest sponsors several writing competitions annually.