Far From Tempest and Storm

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” -Psalm 55:6-8

What do you think of when you read this passage from Psalms? Does the idea of escape tempt you? Have you ever cried out for relief from life’s storms?

In Wings Like a Dove, Anna faces growing difficulties in her life. Psalm 55:6 is brought to her attention and she ponders it more than once, especially as the difficulties in her life steadily increase.

As Polish Jews in the early 1900s, Anna’s family lived in constant upheaval, so fleeing danger is nothing new to her. The problem is that Anna craves connection and community. While she was often uprooted, at least Anna enjoyed the security of family—until now. As the story begins, she is turned out of her home and must journey across the country alone, a heartache that only intensifies the persecution she faces as a Jew, an immigrant, and an unwed woman with child.

But her journey is temporarily delayed out of necessity, and she quickly falls in love with those who have taken her in. The idea of leaving them is as painful a prospect as leaving her own family, but because of the troubles that follow her, it seems she has no choice.

Psalm 55:6 isn’t tempting Anna to leave her surroundings; it tempts her to escape the negativity that robs her joy.

For Anna, and for the rest of us, we can’t flee trouble any more than we can grow wings and fly. The desire for relief is understandable. But what if there is a purpose in the difficult situations we face? What if we are called to more than simply outlast life’s storms? What if our weakest moment is exactly what God wants to use to show his power, love, mercy, and grace?

What if God is waiting for us to stop fluttering our wings and find joy in knowing that we are in the very place we need to be, for a purpose, for such a time as this?

Quote from Anna:

“If these past months have taught me nothing else, they have taught me that though I am only a seed blowing in the wind, I must still be fruitful wherever I land. I have learned that wherever we find ourselves, we must have the courage to stretch out roots and produce something useful, even in times of difficulty. We must bloom boldly in whatever field our seed has fallen.”

May you find the sweet spot of joy and purpose in the midst of your storm!

-Camille

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If Only I Could Fly Away…

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” -Psalm 55:6-8

What do you think of when you read this passage from Psalms? Does the idea of escape tempt you? Have you ever cried out for relief from life’s storms?

In Wings Like a Dove, Anna faces growing difficulties in her life. Psalm 55:6 is brought to her attention and she ponders it more than once, especially as the difficulties in her life steadily increase.

As Polish Jews in the early 1900s, Anna’s family lived in constant upheaval, so fleeing danger is nothing new to her. The problem is that Anna craves connection and community. While she was often uprooted, at least Anna enjoyed the security of family—until now. As the story begins, she is turned out of her home and must journey across the country alone, a heartache that only intensifies the persecution she faces as a Jew, an immigrant, and an unwed woman with child.

But her journey is temporarily delayed out of necessity, and she quickly falls in love with those who have taken her in. The idea of leaving them is as painful a prospect as leaving her own family, but because of the troubles that follow her, it seems she has no choice.

Psalm 55:6 isn’t tempting Anna to leave her surroundings; it tempts her to escape the negativity that robs her joy.

For Anna, and for the rest of us, we can’t flee trouble any more than we can grow wings and fly. The desire for relief is understandable. But what if there is a purpose in the difficult situations we face? What if we are called to more than simply outlast life’s storms? What if our weakest moment is exactly what God wants to use to show his power, love, mercy, and grace?

What if God is waiting for us to stop fluttering our wings and find joy in knowing that we are in the very place we need to be, for a purpose, for such a time as this?

Quote from Anna: “If these past months have taught me nothing else, they have taught me that though I am only a seed blowing in the wind, I must still be fruitful wherever I land. I have learned that wherever we find ourselves, we must have the courage to stretch out roots and produce something useful, even in times of difficulty. We must bloom boldly in whatever field our seed has fallen.”

May you find the sweet spot of joy and purpose in the midst of your storm!

-Camille

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You Make Me Want To Be a Better Person

Many people have inspired me. One of them, who I’ve mentioned & blogged about several times, was my late father-in-law, Al Eide. (The little cutie on his lap is my husband, Dan, and the other cutie is his brother, Phil. And yes, Al was once a sailor, if you caught the tat. 😉 )

Al was a man who never met a stranger, never said an unkind word, rarely ever complained, prayed and meditated on God’s word daily, always went to church, and never failed to trust in God, even when dementia in his 90s muddled his mind. Even then, he still loved Jesus and asked caregivers if they knew Him. Even then, he displayed kindness, patience, and the living spirit and love of Christ. 

Many who knew him will readily tell you they want to be like Al when they grow up.

In my NEW novel, Wings Like a Dove, sisters Anna and Shayna are not only very close, but inspire each other to be better, each in their own way.

If you have read the book, I wonder if you can spot (and name) the person in the story inspired by my father-in-law.

Question: Who inspires you to be a better person?

And as Al would say, God bless you real good!

~Camille

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My Book Baby is HERE!

Wings Like a Dove is HERE!!

My Book Baby has finally arrived!

(So, coincidentally… there is a birth scene in this book, but let’s not camp on that topic just yet, since you may not have had a chance to read the book. But soon, I hope to get some conversations going about the journey each of the characters take in this story, including a couple of intense scenes…)

Needless to say, I’m excited to finally be able to share Anna’s story with you!

“BOOK BIRTHDAY” PARTY: Since today is Launch day, I’m celebrating by hosting a Launch Party & Book Signing, so if you’re in NW Oregon, come on over to Sandy Assembly of God Church between 3 – 5pm (PT) today.

AND … this party is NOT limited to local folks only. We are also hosting a Facebook LIVE “virtual” party to coincide with the “real” party, so you are invited to celebrate with me online from wherever you are. We will be giving away some great prizes, both in person and online, so come on over and join us!

If you do, be sure to say HI and let me know you’re there! Virtual attendees will have their name entered in our drawing pool once you leave a comment. My rocking publicist Cara and I are going to magically combine everyone into ONE party!

So I hope you’ll jump in and take part in the LIVE video feed, it should be fun.

But …

If you can’t make it to either party, or are of a more introverted nature (totally get THAT), did I mention that the book is now available? (yay!) So another way you can join me in celebrating its release is to read the book and then come back here or email me to discuss Anna’s story and some of the topics & themes. I’d love to hear from you!

-Camille

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You’re Invited!

We’re wrapping up this week on a high note with Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Pumpkin-Pie-Is-Totally-Appropriate-for-Breakfast Saturday, and then bam! Sunday is December.

How did that happen??

I want to take a moment to say (to those not recovering from a Turkey Coma) that you’re all invited to a special “Book Birthday” Party on Sunday, December 1 to celebrate the launch of my new book, Wings Like a Dove.

There are 2 ways to join the party:
1. LOCAL: “In Real Life” Book Launch Party at the Sandy Assembly of God Church Coffee Café, 39800 Hwy 26, Sandy, Oregon from 3:00pm – 5:00pm. We’ll have goodies to snack on, books to sign, and drawings for some great door prizes.

2. ONLINE: click here to join the “Wings Like a Dove Book-Birthday” Facebook Event where we will gather online and rub “virtual” shoulders via LIVE video, thanks to my super-savvy publicist, Cara, aka Queen of All Things Fun & Exciting. We will have giveaways for virtual attendees as well.

So if you are planning to come, head on over now and mark “going,” and then join us on Dec 1. Be sure to comment on the “CHECK IN” post so we can add you to the drawing pool.

Hope to see you soon!
-Camille

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WINGS Giveaway

In my upcoming novel, Wings Like a Dove, sisters Anna (20) and Shayna (16) are many miles apart and the distance serves as a reminder of how much they miss each other, and even more, how they draw inspiration from each other, and in ways they may not have realized or expressed before.

Wings Like a Dove releases December 1, and to celebrate, I’m giving away a signed copy. To enter, just hop over to my Facebook page and name someone who inspires or has inspired you in some way. The winner will be drawn December 11. (US only, sorry!)

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Pass it Down

If you haven’t yet signed up for my newsletter, you’re missing out! That’s where you’ll find special things I don’t share anywhere else, like a mouth-watering pie recipe (next newsletter) that I found while researching for my upcoming book, Wings Like a Dove. [You can sign up for that newsletter HERE, and when you do, you’ll also get a link to download a free novella, a tender love story only available to my newsletter subscribers.]

Due to a lack of standard ingredients (as in the Depression, and war rationing), some recipes were altered, and new ones were invented. One of the recipes from such an era is “Wacky Cake” which gets its name from its “crazy” lack of eggs, butter, and milk. The decision to invent a chocolate cake without eggs and dairy was sheer genius. Wacky Cake is easy to throw together in a pinch, and has always been a favorite around my house.

But back to pie…

I’m not sure why pie kept turning up in Wings Like a Dove, but I have a theory, which we’ll come back to in a minute. In one instance, pie plays a part in mastering sixth grade math. In another, pie is involved in something far more dramatic.

A young black boy named Samuel is accused of stealing a pie, and Anna, the heroine, inserts herself in the situation hoping to divert some potentially ominous consequences.

So how did pie find its way into my 1930s story? From a conversation with my late father-in-law, who was a boy of Samuel’s age the year Wings is set.

Even though Dad had dementia, he loved to tell stories. I got him talking once about growing up in the 30s, and since I was working on this novel, I asked him what kinds of things he and his friends did for fun, how they spent their summers, etc. He and his buddies rode their bikes all over, sometimes from Northeast Portland all the way to Multnomah Falls and back, a fifty-mile round trip. (50! I’m trying to picture kids doing that now, but I can’t, sadly…). They did a lot of fishing, hiking, and exploring. I asked what they did for food on a long day like that, and he said he would pack himself five or six sandwiches.

And then out of nowhere, my conscientious father-in-law piped up and said, “Sometimes, I’d swipe a pie.”

“What? You stole a pie? Like a whole one?” I wasn’t sure if this was actual fact, or the dementia talking.

He chuckled. “Yeah, but most of the time, I paid for it.”

“How much did a pie cost back then?”

“Twelve cents,” he said without missing a beat. Even with dementia, his ability to remember history and ancient detail was sharp.

“And I’m guessing you shared it with your buddies.”

He just smiled. “Sometimes.” (Al was a tall, lean Norwegian with an appetite the size of Rhode Island—anyone who knew him can attest to this.)

Stories from previous generations ought to be passed down and treasured up. And sometimes, bits of real-life stories can be preserved by inserting them into a novel—like a pack of adventurous boys and a twelve-cent pie.

Q: Do you have stories passed down from parents or grandparents, from childhood, from earlier eras, from simpler times? Can you think of some special ways to make sure these stories are preserved?

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Double Good News!

We Have a WINNER!

If you were following the Fall CF Scavenger Hunt hosted by Lisa T. Bergren and you entered the additional drawing on my stop (#25) for a Camille Eide ebook, the winner of that drawing is:

TRIXI OBEREMBT

Congratulations, Trixi!

---

And for more good news…

1.99 BOOK SALE!

I just found out that in celebration of my upcoming novel, WhiteFire Publishing is offering a special sale price on ALL my previous titles (eBook) for a limited time, one per week for the next 3 weeks. You can browse, read sample chapters, and buy all 3 for 1.99 each HERE.

Or find these titles one by one:

• Like There’s No Tomorrow – Contemporary Romantic Drama (Nov 11)
• Like a Love Song – Contemporary Romantic Drama (Nov 18)
• The Memoir of Johnny Devine – Historical Romantic Drama (Nov 25)

And if you’d like to check out my upcoming novel, Wings Like a Dove, you can read a sample chapter HERE and also find it on my website. It’s now available for preorder.

Are you new to my fiction? I write poignant dramas with a solid love story. My books include both contemporary and historical, serious and sarcastic, and I season it all with hope, faith, and grace. You can find me hanging out on social media, at my website, and you can also join me in marveling about the awesome love and grace of God right here at Along the Banks.

Thank you for following along and sharing the love of story! Drop me a line anytime, I always enjoy hearing from reading friends!

~Camille

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The Great Upcycling: An Era of Making Do

During the Great Depression, money was tight, food and other necessities were scarce, and people quickly learned to stretch meals, make things last, make do with what little they had, or do without.

One resource I found useful while researching my upcoming novel, Wings Like a Dove, was the book We Had Everything But Money: Priceless Memories of the Great Depression. It’s full of interesting, first-hand stories of how people got through some tough times.

People in the 1930s quickly learned to get more than one use out of everything they could — which created a recycling mindset. Feed and flour came in large sturdy sacks, sometimes made from colorful fabrics.

When women started using their empty feed sacks and flour bags to make clothing, manufacturers began printing the bags in brighter colors and prettier patterns. Women would try to collect enough of the same print or design to make a dress or other clothing. Old schoolhouse photos depict sets of siblings wearing clothes of matching fabric.

In Wings Like a Dove, Anna tries to make money using her skills as a seamstress. She mends clothing for her new friend, Sarah, including a dress made from a flour sack in a pretty print. The dress inspires Anna to collect flour sacks in hopes of making herself a new, larger gown, which will soon be needed as she is desperate to keep her expanding belly hidden.

She also collects fabric scraps and sews quilts to sell, in order to earn money both for herself and to send home to her sister (unbeknownst to their mother) to help with the family’s rent.

If you were alive during the Great Depression, or your parents or grandparents were, you may be familiar with the impulse to save things that might have another use. While we should probably avoid becoming hoarders, we might save a few bucks, lessen waste, and maybe invent a cool new hack if we took the time and used a little creativity to get another use out of things.

Okay. While not earthshaking it its originality, here’s one of mine: I reuse paper towel tubes to contain electrical cords on appliances that store in a small space, like the hair clippers, and I also use them for keeping my silicone baking mats tidy.

Q: What is something you’ve been surprised to find comes in handy for a completely new use?

Speaking of keeping a sharp eye out for good stuff, join me and dozens of award-winning authors THIS THURSDAY for the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt, beginning Nov 7 at 12 noon (MST) at http://www.LisaTBergren.com! Get ready to have some fun, and I hope to see you there!

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Bread: The Stuff of Life

BREAD …

Do you salivate just hearing that word?

Bread is a staple of so many world cuisines. Mix flour, oil, water & salt and you have a tortilla. And good heavens, some bread is more addictive than street drugs (just a guess, Mom). Have you ever buttered a slab of homemade bread still hot from the oven? Sunk your teeth into a freshly-baked cinnamon roll? Guarded that sweet, spongey little center knob with a hiss that would scare off a coyote?

Don’t give me that look, you know what I’m talking about.

Bread symbolizes Life in so many ways, don’t you think? It’s so universal, so basic a life-giving staple that we ALL need, recognize, and can relate to. I wonder if Jesus referred to himself as the “Bread of Life” for this very reason.

Because my upcoming novel, Wings Like a Dove, is the story of a young Jewish woman, let’s talk about Challah (pronounced: KHAH-luh). This is a Hebrew, ceremonial bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Have you ever baked it? Eaten it?

In the story, Anna often bakes bread for the boys she tutors, and sometimes, it’s challah. For her, there is special meaning in the baking and sharing of this bread. For example, she explains to young Samuel that the braid symbolizes unity and mankind’s interdependence, that people need one another in order to succeed. For Anna, this is a belief perhaps discussed by her family as she grew up taking part in Shabbos. But in the story, as Anna’s journey progresses, this philosophy will be put hard to the test.

I am not Jewish, but I do like to bake, and I used to bake bread quite often. We didn’t have a lot of money and it’s such a ridiculously cheap but delicious treat. When my kids were younger, I found a recipe for challah and made it a handful of times, to my “if you bake it, we will come” carb-a-holic family’s delight. The challah recipe I used came from a magazine (remember those??).

I was intrigued by the fact that the recipe called for extra egg yolks, which makes the finished bread golden yellow. The yolks also gave the loaf a rich, satisfying flavor. We loved the bread, but none of us had any idea what challah was actually meant to be used for. All we knew was that we loved to inhale it, and the more butter we could slather on it, the better.

So since we are breaking virtual bread together, I asked my Jewish friend, Donna Cohen, if she would share some thoughts about challah with us.

“I am no expert in Judaism but I sure do love my challah! The interesting thing about challah is that, while it is associated religiously with Shabbos (the Sabbath) it is also associated culturally with the Jewish people.  In our home, leftover challah is used for making French Toast, garlic bread, PB&J, and just plain toast!

For me, baking my own challah is part of the spirituality of Shabbos. On Shabbos, two challahs are set on the table representing the double portion of manna that came from G-d. The process of making the dough, braiding the bread, and the amazing smell of the bread helps to put me in the spirit of Shabbos.

Here is an important fact: There is no such thing as a typical challah. There is a basic challah recipe but so many variations from that recipe. Some use sugar, others use honey. Some use white flour, others wheat flour. Some use oil, others margarine. Some may have raisins, others do not. Many have a combination of these. There are even recipes for gluten free challah.

Actually there are certainly hundreds of recipes (and that is probably an understatement)!  I have a cookbook devoted only to challah. Not only does it have recipes, but it includes rituals related to challah as well as instructions on how to braid challah (there are many techniques using various numbers of strands and different ways to create various shapes). The most common types are probably plain, or topped with poppy or sesame. I’ve seen them made with other toppings as well such as garlic, sprinkles, or even chocolate chips (usually pareve which means non-dairy as in kosher homes meat and milk are not mixed). Some people get extremely creative! In my assortment of various other kosher cookbooks, there are inevitably a few recipes for challah. YouTube has many tutorials as well.

Challah baking is more than bread baking. It’s tradition, it’s a personal and spiritual experience, and it is a way to bring blessings into the home. I’ve experienced “Challah Bakes” where hundreds of women get together to bake. It is amazing to feel the energy in that room. All over challah.

Here’s a picture of my plain challahs that I baked for Shabbos. Wish you could all join us for a taste! To those who celebrate, Shabbat Shalom!”  -Donna Cohen

Thank you, Donna! So my question for Donna is why the two different types of braids in the pictured batch?

There are many options as far as recipes and styles of challah, but if you want to give it a try, here’s one fairly basic recipe that I found online. And please feel free to share your bread recipes and stories, challah or any other kinds.

Let’s Talk:

• What is your favorite bread to eat? To bake?
• Have you ever baked or tried challah?

If you have not and are now determined to try challah, I hope you’ll come back and comment (or email me) and share your challah baking or sampling experience.

Blessings!

-Camille

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