Emily Rachelle Writes

Good morning, my lovely readers! Today we have a new guest, Taylor Bennett. She's here to talk a little about her new book, Porch Swing Girl , and share some old writing from her past for kicks and giggles. Enjoy! About Taylor Homeschooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl , released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads. Where to find her Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Goodreads Order Porch Swing Girl on Amazon About her book What if friendship cost you everything? Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year- old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common...

Good morning, my lovely readers! Or whatever time it is that you're reading this. Today an old friend of Emily Rachelle Writes is back to share her new book with us. Some of you may remember Tessa Emily Hall and her visit to talk about Purple Moon . Her newest title, Unwritten Melody , is available for purchase November 2016. About the Book Tessa Emily Hall on GoodReads Tessa Emily Hall on Amazon Tessa Emily Hall on Barnes & Noble Does breaking free require breaking the rules? Cassie Gilbert lives every day in the shadows of her deceased mom’s rebellion. But now that she’s seventeen, she finds herself longing to break away from her grandmother’s suffocating rules, experience what it’s like to be a regular teenager, and fulfill her songwriting dreams. James Russo, former American Spotlight contestant, escapes to small town Willow Creek, SC hoping to flee from his tarnished past. When a school project pairs him with the shy principal’s granddaughter, he’s determined t...

Sorry for the skipped week, readers -- the end of the semester is getting tight here at university. But we have two more weeks left in this series! R ebecca Bauman Name: Rebecca Bauman Age: 20 Gender: Genderqueer/ Genderfluid/ Non-Binary (I use she/her and they/them pronouns) Sexual orientation: Queer Religious denomination: Mennonite Education/career: Bachelor of Arts and Science (completed 2 years) Favorite food: I like to mix it up with various vegetarian creations. Taco salad never fails to please. Favorite book: I’m eclectically indecisive and love to read. Good LGBTQ+ fiction is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe  by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting Favorite color: Rainbow ;) (I am especially fond of the reddish hues) Hobbies/sports/interests: Reading, writing, learning (this seems to be a common homeschooler affliction) hiking and camping, singing (sometimes with my guitar or cello), spoken-word poetry, i...

Zack Name: Zack Age: 22 Gender: Male Sexual orientation: Gay Religious denomination: I was raised in a Nondenominational Evangelical Church and joined the Episcopal Church in college. Education/career: I’m currently finishing a bachelor’s degree in biology and public health, and going back to school to get a nursing degree. My dream is to be a public health nurse and work for a government agency or NGO in an underserved area. Favorite food: Chicken tikka masala Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird Favorite movie: The Prestige Favorite color: Green Hobbies/sports/interests: I love reading, spending time with friends and family, and I’ve recently started watercoloring. Myers-Briggs type: ENFJ It’s really hard for me to pinpoint the first time that I realized I was gay. I do remember being told at a very young age that people choose to be gay, so I didn’t have the framework to understand why I was so different from the other boys. Being gay was simply not an opti...

Steve Stevens Name: Steven M. Stevens Age: 27 Gender: Male Sexual orientation: Gay Religious denomination: Non-denominational Education/career: Illustrator Favorite food: Lasagna Favorite book: Life of Pi Favorite movie: Amelie Favorite color: Do sparkles count? If not, blue. Hobbies/sports/interests: Drawing, champagne, Pizza, and Pugs (in that order) Dreams/goals in life: Write and illustrate a children’s book Myers-Briggs type: Adventurer ISFP "Being myself for the first time in my life is truly a gift."

A Gay Southern Baptist I wanted to preface this post with my coming out experience and what that’s been like for me. I’m a guy and I’ve found guys attractive since I was just ten or so years old. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at university where I started to actually come to terms with it. I never planned on coming out, actually, I just opened up to my mom via Facebook , just about a year and a half ago and my life changed quite a bit! I really want to blog post to be a discussion of my experiences as a gay Southern Baptist, an amalgam of two seemingly juxtaposed cultures. "Gay Christians exist wedged between the LGBT and Christian communities, which can oftentimes prove frustrating or alienating." Gay Christians exist wedged between the LGBT and Christian communities, which can oftentimes prove frustrating or alienating. In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the legalization of same-sex marriage, the rift has only widened, forcing me into a limbo where I...

A Pansexual Nazarene Age: 22 Gender: Female Sexual orientation:  Pansexual Religious denomination: Nazarene Education/career: Pizza place Favorite food:  Anything Asian Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird Favorite movie:  The Sandlot Favorite color: Green Hobbies/sports/interests: Swimming, anything to do with animals, watching Criminal Minds Dreams/goals in life: To become a criminal profiler and have a good life for my partner and I, also whatever animals we have. Myers-Briggs:  INTJ "I can't help the way I feel, and I know that God loves me no matter how I feel."

CJ CJ wanted to use a dragon for his photo... Name: CJ Age: 19 Gender: Male Sexual orientation: Gay Religious denomination: Nondenominational (As of now at least. Denominations aren’t the most important thing in my being a Christian, I’ve regularly attended four different denominations throughout my life.) Education/career: Communications Favorite food: I’m mildly obsessed with sandwiches. I love pomegranates, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, persimmons, and oranges. Cucumber and spinach are daily staples of my diet. I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate because it sometimes gives me headaches. Favorite book: One Child is a really good book I recently read. Favorite movie: I don’t like being confined to an absolute favorite, but I loved Inside Out . Go watch it if you haven’t yet; it’s fantastic. Favorite color: Blue. My second favorite color is green. Hobbies/sports/interests: I play guitar. I like singing, I ride my boar...

Micah Hello! My name is Micah . I'm a 26-year-old trans man who just recently came out of the closet as pansexual . I tend to go between two different denominations, The United Church of Canada and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church , just depending on how much I want to put up with that week. I have one semester under my belt as a religious studies student at Burman University , although I'm looking to switch to a more non-denominational university in the future, as I want to be a United Church Minister one day. I hate to say it, but I don't have favourites . I tend to live in the moment and like whatever I'm cohabiting with in the moment. It gets kind of annoying because people call me wishy-washy, but it also makes me really easy to get along with! I love to read and write , though. I probably own two hundred books and I've read 2/3 of them . I enjoy making movies and have made a full-length documentary for the Seventh-Day Adventist church I was affilia...

Name: Nick Scarantino Age: 24 Gender: male Sexual orientation: homosexual Religious denomination: non-denominational Christian Education: B.S. in Biblical Studies Work: author | musician | blogger | Biblical scholar Dreams/goals in life: to ensure nobody feels alone or unloved Myers-Briggs type: INFP When did you first realize you were homosexual? Looking back, it was in elementary school. I wanted to spend more time with the boys than with the girls . Most of my friends were girls, but I could tell it was different than how the other boys wanted to spend time with them. Are you out? If so, when, how, and/or why did you come out? I am out now. After graduating from college, I slowly started to come out. I was working at a church at the time so it was a process starting with friends and coworkers (I was also working at Panera). But once I was fired from the church, I didn’t really care who knew anymore . I came out because I was tired of hiding who I was . B...

Kaleb Ashby My name is Kaleb Ashby . I am 24 years old , and I am a pansexual male . I work for Spokane AIDS Network doing HIV prevention, outreach, and testing. I am a non-denominational Christian . I want to make a positive difference, and be a big part in ending the AIDS epidemic. My favorite book is Harry Potter ; that series has molded me to be who I am and taught me to fight for what I believe, whether I have people backing me up or not. I love writing and reading. Slam poetry is a hobby of mine, and it’s one of my deepest passions. "I want to make a positive difference, and be a big part in ending the AIDS epidemic."

  Christy Introductions For the most part, upon meeting someone new, a “typical” person would start to fill out a mental fact sheet. Cover the basics, what you plainly see on the surface. Name: Christy. Age: college-aged kid. Height: tall. Hair: dark. Sex: female. As an introduction at work or a smile across the street begins to evolve into an acquaintanceship, a friendship, a whatever-you-want-it-to-be-ship, though, that fact sheet isn’t enough. A friend would soon discover that I can’t stand my full name, so using anything but Christy is a no-go. I’m 20 years old , younger than most of my friends, but not all. I was raised Methodist, but am a bit more of an eclectic Christian now that I’m an adult. I’m a cisgender woman, and though my skin is light, I’m proud of my Native American heritage. But even that is still just the basics. I’m an INTJ , a relatively rare and analytical personality type. I spend more time observing and listening than I do talking, but I can cert...

chilling in the massage chairs with the family and boyfriend Rowdy Wilson ​Name: Rowdy Wilson Age: 17.99... I'm almost 18! Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Homosexual, gay, whatever you want to call it Religious Denomination: Pentecostal Education/Career: Graduated high school early, and now I'm a house keeper, server, and cook. Favorite Food:  Macaroni and cheese/favorite kind of food is Thai Favorite Book: To Kill a Mocking Bird  by Harper Lee Favorite Movie:   Spy with Melissa McCarthy Favorite Color: Blue Hobbies/Sports/Interests: Singing, playing piano, traveling, fan-girling over Adele, listening to Adele, crying over Adele, volleyball Dreams/Goals in Life: I want to be a traveling nurse, with a nice house, a nice car, a good church to attend, and two beautiful kids... On the flip side I want to be a model, or a singer! ;) When did you first realize you were gay? I first realized I was officially gay when I was about 13 . I h...

Emily Hope Age : 23 Gender : Female Sexual orientation : SOOOOO GAY Religious denomination :  Nondenominational. I refuse to draw lines where God didn’t draw lines. Education/career : I am a writer/YouTuber going for a degree in criminal justice/political science. Favorite food : steak Favorite book : The Shack Favorite movie : Lord of the Rings extended editions Favorite color : I am an artist; I don’t really have a favorite. Hobbies/sports/interests : I bike, walk, hike Dreams/goals in life : I want to make a difference. I want to help bridge the divide between the church and the marginalized. Myers-Briggs type : ISTJ "I felt God call me to live openly and honestly, so that others in my situation would know they are not alone."

After my last post, A Coming Out , I received some feedback from my support group about how they identified with my struggles and some of the things I said. I also had several requests, both from those within LGBT Christian circles and those outside those circles, to portray more specific examples of how the church and its people have hurt LGBT individuals, and give examples of what the church and its people could do or have done to help and encourage LGBT individuals. Today I'm starting a new weekly series featuring friends and acquaintances of mine, in an effort to fill those requests. Some of these wonderful people are loud and proud; some are still struggling to find their own identity; some have become comfortable in their own skin but not yet comfortable with leaving the closet. What we want to do in sharing this series is help straight cisgender Christians understand us as people and how they may have unintentionally harmed us, and help them know how to undo the damage don...

by Sarah Brooks At various times in our lives, and for an assortment of reasons, we seek inspiration to help us move forward. Sometimes external forces provide us with the spark we are looking for, but more often than not, inspiration comes from somewhere inside us. Whether you are stuck in a rut, looking for ways to elevate yourself, or simply striding forward through life; inspiration is at the center of your ability to succeed.  Beauty, charity, selflessness, natural sensory experiences, and a host of other external influences inspire us to feel and do things we might never touch-on otherwise.  But inspiration from within is highly personal; custom fitted to our individual wants and needs. Finding your true inspiration starts with inward reflection; tapping passion, faith, strengths and even weaknesses.

Happy Blogiversary! from Cidney Swanson Upon the anniversary of a blog, it seems appropriate to consider mile-markers, so today I thought I’d take give you a tour of some Marsian mile markers for people in my Saving Mars Series. For those of us in late twentieth and early twenty-first century Earth growing up in America, a few early milestones might include losing your first tooth, learning to read, and, if your family celebrates Christmas, figuring out Santa Claus isn’t the one filling your stockings. Kids on Mars have these same experiences, although on Mars, Santa is understood to travel by planet hopper as the atmo would pretty much kill any flying reindeer. A kid growing up in the USA would add middle school graduation and getting a learner’s permit to operate a car to their tween/early teen experiences. Kids on Mars have it a little different. They don’t observe eighth grade graduation as the school system only includes six annums of school. Now, before everyone on ...

How to Care for Your Writer for Dummies by Natalie Noel Truitt Have a writer in your life? No idea how to understand them? Looking for ways to bond with your writer? Well, here are seven ways to make your writer's -- and consequently your -- life easier. Seven easy steps to caring for one of the most confusing organisms on earth: writers. Step one: Give your writer time to write. This point is crucial. If your writer doesn’t ever get to write, your writer will shut down (see step number five on how to deal with your writer if they shut down). For most writers, working with their characters is equally -- if not more -- important than social interaction. Step two: Realize that if your writer talks about their character (or to their character) as if they are real, they are not crazy  -- well, not very crazy. Your writer is fully away that this is a figment of their imagination. But at the same time, the writer may develop strong feelings for this character and may talk about it...

Curing the Tendency to Dump by Victoria Grace Howell Every writer of fiction and maybe even some non-fiction have had the problem with dumping. It’s a very common beginning writer problem. So what exactly is dumping?  Dumping is when you over-explain and over-describe in your writing to the point it stops your story. This happens often in the beginning of your story -- especially with fantasy writers. You created this big world, so now you want to describe your amazing scenery and tell about that background of the royal family that dates back two thousand years. Well, the thing is, this gets really annoying when you’re reading. Let me give you an example.

Treasures by Elizabeth Liberty I hate winter. I love winter. I've hated winter for a long time. And ever since I've had a camera, I have watched for the little glow above the shade in my bedroom that means it snowed last night. And then I would vault up, rush through my chores, gulp a little breakfast, loop my camera round my wrist or neck, and stared out the back door at the lovely, hateful snow. I don't remember when I stopped playing in the snow. I just know that one year it became very cold, and nastily wet, and not worth the trouble. I suppose that was the year I grew up. I can't pinpoint the first moment I lifted my numb foot out of the snow, shook the ice out of my sock, and thought this is not worth it. I just...did. That is, until the camera.