New Directions

Welcome to my little space on the world wide web. I thought I’d give an update. Last time I updated, I’d begun the process of discerning what to do with my career. I hadn’t written romance in a good long while… and knew I was looking for a new direction. As 2025 is waning, I find myself coming to some conclusions. I’m going to talk about them here…and let you decide if you want to keep poking around.

I published my romance books, and my Hawk Elite Security Series, books between the years of 2016—2021. I was young and a little rebellious. I’m not so different today, but I am older and wiser. I love my stories and the characters that inspired them, but after some time contemplating… I can honestly say a few of them are outside the moral bounds. My characters aren’t always married, something I strongly believe in…but i’m not foolish enough to think that “real” people don’t sin, real people have faults. We all do. I talk more about my opinions on the nature of marriage on the START HERE page. God created marriage and He created sex—as a procreative and unitive, amazing and provocative.

Unfortunately, I’ve spent the last five years watching the world turn to chaos. Starting with the reaction to Covid. We lived in Mississippi at the time of the “Pandemic," and we didn’t give a hoot…we didn’t bother with masks and we turned our noses up at “the rules.” Because we saw them for what they were…

LIES.

Then came the vaccine mandates…and the boosters, and the discrimination against people who CHOSE to decline. And we ignored those, too. Because, we saw through the first lies and weren’t willing to give in to the demands of a government that seemed to be over-reaching and siding with pharmaceutical companies, scientists who use dead babies to make serums—no thank you. Untested drugs and vaccines and we experienced the consequences of those “jabs” personally. We’ve watched good friends die—for no reason at all; just drop dead. We’ve seen good, strong careers get slashed, destroyed. Fortunately, my husband was able to ‘stay under the radar’, so to speak. But he wasn’t unaffected, either. His refusal to take the vaccine caused upheaval, even for our family.

There’s just too much to talk about in regards to politics and where this country has gone.

For me, I’d been willing to ride the middle line for a long time… I could be sad about the loss of morality, the confusion, but it wasn’t up to me to fix things. I needed to pray for my country and the world. But then things got heated, and it wasn’t just “let people live,” it became a matter of persecution. Because, if I refuse to call my nephew a girl or if I believed a woman doesn’t have the right to choose to kill her baby or if I think we need borders or if I believe the Catholic Church isn’t a racist, white male supremacy organization, I am the bad guy.

Charlie Kirk’s death hit me hard after years of…growing faith and growing unease. In the same month that my own life officially took a new direction, the world experienced the assassination of a man who 100% believed in the way of life I wanted. He spoke truth about family and God.

And that is the one thing that made me ask… am I worthy of persecution? Have a stood up for my beliefs? Have I not backed down?

Or have I been wishy washy, live-and-let-live, for far too long. It’s not about being political or a voice for politics. It’s about turning to God and asking Him, What do I do to serve you and your Church?

Peace.

Bethanne, writing as Beth Rhodes

P.S. I’ve had some good discernment and feedback on what to do with my books… I’ll drop that in the next blogpost/newsletter.

Learn on the Fly

This is a bit of a writing update as well....
I wrote book two to my Letters From Home story and sent it to my editor, who, I hope, will like it.

And then I looked around and thought, let's do that again! So I decided to write book two of the story I have coming out later this year. But here's the thing. I'd already started that book, and it's about a doctor who is married yet separated... but I didn't like that. Oh no. BORING!

BTW, thank God I didn't like that right now, because the book coming out later this year actually references this hero and his wife. But I'll have to scratch that, because I can write a much better book about this doctor if he falls in love with the maid-of-honor at his younger brother's wedding. Especially when she shows up on  her Harley!

Oh, the part about learning... sorry, I got distracted by Brian and Lisa--oh crap. I think I know a couple named Brian and Lisa. ha! Well, let it be said here and now that I did NOT have them in mind when I created this story.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW!
Did you know Doctors without Borders is an unaccompanied tour? Yup. No spouses, no SOs. No crazy, fun lady you just met who wants to follow you on this project. So, I learned something new, and then I had to tweak my story. And instead of being ready to leave on a tour with Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Brian is just going to have some other...mission in mind. Perhaps a trip south because his buddy from college and med school asked for a favor?? Maybe his buddy is from a rich family, and the villages in the surrounding area depend on the buddy's family. So the buddy asks Brian to come down and start a clinic deep in the jungle of some country. And by south, I mean.... central or south America. That would be interesting. Yeah! That could be very good.

Anyhoo... still writing here.
With Love,
Beth

Post Ideas

I've had two ideas for blog posts in the last week, and I've forgotten both of them...
Ugh! Life is fast! So fast, I forget myself half the time.

Personal:
Just to keep you up-to-date, I ran my seventh 5K last night. Ran is debatable, but still, ran a good bit of 5K last night. This whole diabetes thing is a real pain in the you-know-what, if you know what I mean. Lows, highs, balance, energy, etc. I have to admit, I was a little frustrated as I walked most of the 5K, if only to make sure my sugar didn't drop too low. And I think I hate eating. I mean, I want to just NOT eat... especially before I run. But alas, I end up eating. And the worst??? Eating while I run. [hahaha] I know marathoners have to do it because you have to build the energy stores. And a full marathon... gotta down some kind of energy source. But this is just 5K! 3ish miles. I was really frustrated when my calves started hurting by the half mile. All these people running with me and by me... aren't they sore? aren't they tired? Am I the only one who still feels like I'm out of shape? When I feel like I should be in better shape.*eyeroll*

Ugh.

Anyway...enough about that. I'm taking the kids tonight to do another 5K, and we are DEFINITELY walking it. Strolling even...with a stop or two to smell the flowers, right? :D

Army Life:
Today, I'm taking the kids to our first Change of Command ceremony. What?!
Yes, I know. I've been in the Army--haha, I mean my husband's been in the Army for 2.5 years, and I've never been to one. So, we're going. Maybe I'll get a few pics. It's not really that big a deal... the turnover rate around here seems so high, I can't imagine they aren't doing these things at least once or twice a month. But still, there are times, I feel the kids don't get the whole picture of what being in the military or being a military family is...except for their dad is gone alot more, works longer hours, etc. This is a little special, and I've bribed them with ice cream to sit through the speeches. Ice cream and oreos, actually.

Writing:
Revisions on One Heartbeat are in full swing again. After recieving interest in the story from an editor who suggested a few changes, I'm going through it to see if I can't tighten up the story and make it better. Two major[ish] changes, though, and I hope I don't completely LOSE the editor over them, but they do fix the problem she had with the story in the first place. So we'll see. I'm actually excited about the changes, so even if she doesn't like them... by the end of the year, I'll be putting this story out for sale even if I have to self-publish it.


That's all around here.
Have a great week.
With Love,
Bethanne

Pitching a story.

I did it.
I pitched my story to another author for a contest she is holding.
Donna Alward. I found her webpage by chance--or no, through my a CP--and I hate to say, I haven't even read one of her books...yet. I will. It wouldn't be right not to. :)
The contest closes at the end of the month.
I'll let you know what happens.

I do things on the spur of the moment...alot.
this was one of those moments. No editing, no researching. Just throw something together and shoot an email. I must be nuts. [Time will tell]

~~~~~~~
It's snowing again on the Plains.
We're all cuddled up in our home, enjoying the winter weather...
I think I finally figured out what to do about exercising.
I'm going to try tomorrow, using our little Vehicle DVD player while I'm on the treadmill.
Hopefully that stupid thing isn't slipping on it's belts...tensioner needs some work.

~~~~~~~
My manuscript is revised and completed through chapter five. You could say six, but I would like to get a few more crits before I move on. I've done my own revisions through chapter thirteen...and have a rewrite ready for thirteen when I submit the original and my CPs holler that it's BAD! VERY BAD! LOL That never happens, btw. But I'm pretty worried about that chapter cuz it has a love scene in it...and maybe it's too soon. *eyeroll* Anyhoo. We shall see what they say, when they type it. :D

~~~~~~~
Thanks for stopping by.
See ya around.
Bethanne

update

I have Chapter one completed.
No more editing [so I say]...
No more revisions...
It's just sitting there waiting for the other chapters to catch up.
I have a round of edits for my chapter two to go through then it will join one.
YAY!
Thank you Grandma GiGi for reminding me that sinks, including the counter tops, were made of caste iron and porcelain. Duh. :D

Updates--end of Spring

Sunday morning, June first.
I realized just this moment that I'd wanted to have my revisions done by now. That goal has morphed as has my story. The revisions are coming along wonderfully, and my story [depending on how you count it] has reached 49,750words. Heh. *sigh* Not such a short story anymore. The story is basically the same... I've deepened it in some spots, clarified it in others. I'm rewriting Mark's scene in France. Which will hopefully add a few more words. HOnestly, though, it's more likely to subtract words.

In short, i'm halfway to my goal on this, my goal date.

I've decided to enter a contest, deadline August 2nd(I think), allowing my goals to be pushed back a little. I'll start subbing to agents/publishers as soon as my ms ready as well. I'd like to go PRO at RWA. Technically, I think I've reached that status...only I haven't because that first sub a long time ago might have been before I was a RWA member. LOL.

I'm still comfortable with where I am. I'm writing/editing consistently and I'm keeping up with the critiques I've agreed to do...want to do, really. In June I might be able to help out and judge a contest. So that'll be different and fun. And it'll keep me busy.

Otherwise, no new news.
Happy Writing!
and don't forget,
show don't tell.

A little blip for old time romances...you gotta have conflict, right?
From when days were simpler than being kidnapped by Indian savages or being caught amidst military espionage and terrorism: :D

Had a couple of deadline setbacks but i'm close.
the ww2 is almost finished with first read reviews. I'll be entering some changes and sending it off to the CP this Friday. Sounds familiar, doesn't it??? lol

I'm still sick. yiiuck! I hate being sick. Just haven't quite killed this cold yet.

Have a great week everyone. Feel free to comeback for another day in history this week and, of course, a Thursday Thirteen!

Overcome the Odds this week!