Are you a collector?
I used to collect stamps and coins and every other imaginable thing a child finds to collect. But I have one collection (besides books) that I still cherish and add to every year—my Christmas ornaments.
Some of the ornaments were lovingly crafted by my children. Some commemorate births and anniversaries. Some I crafted. But most were gifts.
Why am I telling you this?!
Because one of those ornaments, the dove photographed below, became an important symbol in my debut Love Inspired Suspense, Deep Cover (September 2011).
The undercover cop hero had given the dove to the heroine when they’d dated previously, saying, A soaring dove to remind you God is watching over you when I can’t be. She hung it from her rearview mirror. After the hero left her, it became a reminder that she needed to lean on God alone.
Later after the heroine’s world has crashed around her, and quite literally around the dove in the car, the hero sets out to rescue and return the gift as a symbol of God’s protection where he failed.
As I opened my box of Christmas ornaments this year and pulled out that dove, I was reminded of the story thread it inspired, and more importantly of the truth behind it. That God is watching over each one of us. We may not always feel that He is, but if we’ve surrendered our hearts to him, He has promised to never leave us.
As a special gift to my readers, I’ve generated some novel “Extras”. Think DVD extras, except for a novel. Things like deleted scenes, bloopers etc. You are all invited to hop over to my website and check them out. There are also two free recipe books you can download, and for my newsletter subscribers, a bonus Christmas story.
Your turn: Do you have an interesting or unusual collections?
Posts
I love the dove and how its in your novel.
ReplyDeleteI use to collect postcards, matchboxes, ornaments. Now its mainly autographs mostly cricketers.
I do love my ornaments too. (Oh I have started to get some stuffed toys from places I visit like Canada and Hawaii.)
Wow, Jenny, it sounds like you have quite a collection
ReplyDeleteI like to pick up locally made pottery when we travel. I've gotten a good start on a beautiful collection of serving bowls and platters, as well as a juice pitcher and a gravy boat that makes me smile every time I use it.
ReplyDeleteIn Christmas ornaments, we also focus on handmade, either from family members or craft fairs. No Hallmark for us! I have an increasingly large 'choir of angels' on my tree!
That sounds exquisite, Valerie, and a wonderful way to relive vacation memories!
ReplyDeletei no longer have the matchboxes used them to start fires.
ReplyDeletei also gave away alot of the ornaments (not chrsitmas ones.)
Love how you got to use that ornament in your novel Sandra!
ReplyDeleteEach year we add new ornaments to our collection that remind us of something fun we did during the year, a trip, a milestone, etc. It's nice to take out the ornaments year after year and remember the good times! :)
Sandra,
ReplyDeleteThe cover is awesome and my eyes were instantly atracted to the Dove hovering.I always associate Doves to the Holy Spirit so it's a Special detail indeed and the story you created touching.
I don't collect. Not in the sense that I search for a determined item or subject for my collection. But without knowing very well how it started I found myself collecting Nativity Scenes... every year someone gives our family one (people who aren't related or ever saw eachother always manage to give a different Nativity...). So probably I do collect.
Merry Christmas and Wishes of a Successful Novel that will touch many Souls.
Blessings,
Teresa
Thanks so much, Teresa...I had a similar "collecting" experience with snowman decorations for a few years in a row. How I wish they'd been nativities :)
ReplyDeleteEva, I love your idea of choosing ornaments that remind you of fun activities.