Category: Life

Life, Stories, Writing

New Novel – No Title Yet!

Mark Wayne

I wrote a first draft of a new novel during November’s National Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo) creeping up on 70k words. I have no title yet, but here are some teasers of the story.

“I breathed a huge sigh…”

This is the line in the story that put me over 50k words and made me a winner in #NaNoWriMo for the third year in a row!

A silver shekel

The story revolves around the discovery of silver shekels in America that come from the time of Christ in the first century.

The book blurb!

So tell me what you think? Interesting or not?

I still have a lot of editing, along with working on my memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry’ and ‘The Chronicles of Faith’ series. Even with the lock downs and such, 2020 has been a busy year.

So what have you been up to?

Life, Poetry

My Name is Nobody, What is Yours?

Mark Wayne

The old Cheers television show theme song contained the following lyric…

“Sometimes I wanna go where everybody knows my name.”

Well, sometimes if we are honest with ourselves and others we want to get away to places where nobody knows our names.

We need the escape, even a brief respite, from the chaos and responsibilities that hound us. Especially with everything that has happened in 2020 and now during this often hectic and crazy time of year.

Take time for yourself, it’s okay to not be okay. #SelfCare #Holidays #MentalHealth

Sometimes we wanna, and need to, go where nobody knows our name. #BlogPost #MentalHealth #Holidays

Do you ever feel the need to just get away, to some place where nobody knows your name?

#JustBelieve #HopeLives #LiveYourDreams

Grief, Life, Writing

One Line, No Context, No Explanation

Mark Wayne

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.“ ~Mark Wayne ©2020

The line above is from my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry’ to be published by Christian Faith Publishing due out in Spring 2021.

And the best thing you can do with death is to ride off from it? #WickedQuestions #Grief #Memoir #UpcomingBook #Wip

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.” ~Mark Wayne ©2020 #Memoir #OneLine #NoContext #NoExplanation #Teaser

God, Life

Living the Paradox

Mark Wayne

We live in the paradox of our existence. Our world is small compared to the universe. Even in comparison to our planet that revolves around the sun here in this little corner of the galaxy. There is so much unexplored and unknown, both out there and within the human heart. And yet, we have eternal significance and worth just as we are to a sovereign and holy god. Do you believe that?

And what are we to make of that? #MondayBlogs #MondayQuestions #MondayMotivation #YouMatter #JustBelieve

Life, Poetry, Writing

Supporting Poets and Helping Others

Mark Wayne

2020 has been a troubling year for all, some more than others. Do you need some support and self-hope? Do you know someone who does? If so, take a look at this.

My Still Waters – An Anthology of Self-Hope

A poetry anthology by A.B. Baird Publishing

The book My Still Waters is available for presale on Amazon.com right now and on track to be available for purchase Dec. 10th!  Get your copy ordered today! Order a couple more for family and friends and please share the link with others as well. The theme of the anthology is poems related to self-hope, self-discovery and healing

The publishers narrowed the list of submissions to 120 poems for inclusion in the anthology. I had 5 poems selected for inclusion in the published anthology. Better yet two received honorable mentions and my poem ‘Wake the Beast‘ made the short list of the top 25 and then the top 11 to compete for the people’s choice award.

I tiptoe around afraid to wake the beast – He rests sleeping his power unreleased “Wake the Beast” #poetry #poetrycommunity #amwriting #writerslife

Purchase a copy of the anthology and you can read the rest of the poem. 😉 As well as poems by many other talented writers.

Adventure, Life, Writing

Do You Really Think You Are In Control?

Mark Wayne
Lyrics from the song ‘There Was a Life’ from the TSO album Night Castle

As we face tightening restrictions due to COVID-19 all over the world, the US and the state in which I live, the lyric above got me to thinking about how much we really have no control over. We spend so much time and energy trying to control things in our lives. We schedule and plan out our tightly controlled days and when it does not go according to plan, what then?

So much is happening outside of our control:

  • There are waves crashing on beaches that no sees.
  • There are flowers blooming on high mountain tops of snow.
  • There are packs of wolves running across ridge lines in forests unseen.
  • There are trees bending from the force of the winds and weather.
  • There is birth, life and death happening all around us.

What is happening around you for which you have no control? #WickedQuestions

For the sake of our own sanity and mental health, we must learn to detach from that over which we have no control. To trust in a good outcome, to hope in a better tomorrow, and a better future for those who come behind us.

#JustBelieve #HopeLives