new book

So why don’t you cry about it?

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Rona Shively isn’t known for her relationship prowess.  She’s often been plagued by ridiculousness and until she met Garrett, she’d been involved with a number of unnecessarily difficult entanglements.  Her sister, Jane is worse.  She tends to pick the wrong guy even when ten of the right guys are lined up in front of her.  I mostly get my inspiration for these two and their romantic shenanigans from my own misfortunes in the dating arena.  Inevitably, there’s some guy out there who claims to want to date me and then decides, after disrupting my life with his overtures, that maybe, it just isn’t worth the hassle.  And then comes the lying, the backpedaling, the scheming, and ultimately…the ghosting.  The funniest part of it all is that they always think I don’t know what they are doing, but I ALWAYS know.  I only go along with it because it’s easier than starting a big argument.  I let it fizzle out and move on.  So, as I’m writing the next book in the Rona series, I’m enjoying giving these ladies the necessary backbone to head off the drama that comes with taking too long to call a spade a spade.  Instead of sitting and wringing her hands and wondering why her boyfriend hasn’t called, Jane goes out and picks a fight.  It’s hilarious and empowering…even for me.

Another thing that has given me motivation for writing these stories is watching TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy.   After this last week’s episode, I had more than enough fuel for the raging fire of disappointment, anger, and frustration that Jane is trying to fight.  Let’s see what she does with it.  I mean, really.  Who is the genius that decided it would be great to see one of our most beloved characters (Alex Karev) completely de-evolve and hop back into a shiny, happy relationship with the very woman (Izzie) that none of us could stand for the sake of two children whom he had no idea she’d made without him.   Come on, Shonda!  Alex isn’t that stupid or shallow anymore.  And we had all just gotten comfortable with the fact that we never had to hear about Izzie again…or at least I had.   All of the news articles that said we should expect tears as we watched the final “Alex” episode were just plain wrong.  I didn’t want to cry, I wanted to slap him.  And let’s not even start on how upset I was for Jo!  I see what you’re up to, Ms. Rhimes…and I just don’t like it.

It pains me to admit that I’m so invested in the characters on Grey’s, but it’s been a decent show for the most part.  So why not?  Why shouldn’t I be a fan? Or rather, why shouldn’t I have been a fan before this unfortunate showing last week?

The point is, when we love our characters we sometimes do some really stupid things to them.  Whether the motivation comes from having made our own mistakes or having studied the mistakes made by others, we get motivation from all sorts of places.  I can only hope that what I write will motivate someone else to take action in their life or at the very least, they will be so irritated with watching someone make a stupid mistake that they will try that much harder not to do the same.  So, I’m hoping that what I just witnessed on Grey’s will keep me from letting my characters do things that are completely against the character I’ve built up in them over the years.  Grey’s may be able to recover from pulling stunts like this, but I’m not sure Rona could.

Keep your eyes open for news about the next big Rona Shively Story.  I think you’re going to like it!

New Contest: Tell Me Your Story and you might win a Kindle…

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Well, it’s that time again. I haven’t had a contest on my blog for a while and so I figured that it would be great to do something this holiday season!

Here’s the scoop. To enter this contest, all you have to do is follow this blog (Benston Blogs) and then send me your story about the most ridiculous Christmas gift you ever received. The winning story will receive a brand new Kindle E-Reader as well as Keeping the Faith and This Side Up for Kindle. And, I’ll include your story in an upcoming Rona Shively book. Easy! Follow, share, win!

Deadline to enter is December 10th. Winner will be announced on December 15th right here on Benston Blogs!

As I’ve said, proceeds from all sales of the Rona Shively Stories goes to help my women’s empowerment ministry, Higher Ground Ministries. With that in mind, please consider purchasing all five Rona stories for just $50. This price includes shipping. Just e-mail me to order! If you don’t want to order all five, my newest Rona Shively story, Now You See Me just came out on October 31st so, it’s a great time to order the latest story if you’ve read the rest. You can get your copy of this book or of any of the Rona Shively Stories for just $10 (includes shipping)!

Good luck to those who enter and thank you for following Rona!

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Are you ready for Rona’s next adventure?

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Here’s a preview of the latest Rona Shively novel, Now You See Me:

The realization hadn’t quite hit me all the way, but the minute the words were out of my mouth, a wave of panic shot through me. What kind of mother would I be? I had no idea what I was thinking. What made me think I had any business bringing a child into the world? I didn’t even know how to take care of myself. When it came to loving people, I was a first-class loser. Case in point, I had a guy here that wanted to marry me and I was trying to push him away because I felt like he loved me too much. Isn’t that the point? That someone would love you too much?

As I stood there, stunned by the realization that I had absolutely no confidence in my ability to be someone’s mother, Trey put his arms around me and pulled me to him. He completely abandoned his own pity party to pull me out of mine.

There’s alot going on with Rona. In case you missed the last installment, well, I’m not going to tell you. You’ll have to read the book. 😉 I’m hoping to have book 5 in the Rona Shively series out soon. Due to a series of unfortunate events, the writing of this book was delayed. But do not fear, it’s on the way…as are the many changes that will undoubtedly carry Rona into a whole new set of challenges.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.”

~Ephesians 5:13-14~

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My Best Worst Example…

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It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude when it seems that people are just chomping at the bit to see how quickly you’ll revert to your old ways. I’m by no means perfect, but it isn’t likely that I have been on the deserving end of some of the criticism I’ve endured over the past few weeks. It got me to thinking, who is the best example of the worst person I’ve ever had to deal with on a regular basis?

Sadly, I’ve had no shortage of candidates lately. But if I had to pick one, it would be the person(who shall remain nameless for now)who most frequently approaches me as though I’m a twelve year-old child and attempts to make me feel inadequate because I am not a mind reader. She knows who she is and it really isn’t necessary to throw her under the bus to make my point…though it would be quite satisfying. The point is that I’ve worked for and with many people who made it their life mission to point out what others aren’t doing well enough to suit them. I’ve often wondered what it would take to make them focus less on what others are unable to do and more on what their own shortcomings might be. I’ve wondered, but no answers have ever materialized.

Rona Shively is trying to turn her life around. She’s got big changes ahead in Book 5 and I hope you’ll hang in there with her as she starts turning her life around. It’s often easy to enjoy reading about the faults and misgivings of someone like Rona because it helps us remember that no matter how bad we are, there’s always someone out there who is worse even if they are a fictional character. Rona has been my best worst example for several years now of what a single, self-sufficient woman can be if she gets too hung up on what she believes others think of her. With my own newly regained freedom and an attitude of gratitude, I’m hoping to bring her around to my way of thinking and empower her just a little as the series continues. I’ll keep you posted as I get closer to finishing this next book.

Until next time…

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Rona Shively must die…

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This isn’t a joke. Everything you know about Rona is about to be changed forever. She’s done what she can to stop it, God knows she fought it all the way. But the time has come. If you missed This Side Up, buy it now on Kindle so that you are ready for the latest installment in the Rona Shively series. Coming soon…Now You See Me: The Rona Shively Stories.

Until next time…

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What if it’s really not you?

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I’ve been thinking about identity theft lately. Partly because this is the main offense being perpetrated in my latest Rona Shively novel and partly because someone I know recently claimed that their identity was being tampered with. In their case, they were lying to cover up some unsavory behavior. In Rona’s case, however; it’s a bit more entertaining.

Without giving too much away, Rona Shively will soon find herself in the middle of a twisted case of identity theft. Someone wants to make her look bad and they are not above taking advantage of unsuspecting elderly women to do it. When a new client comes to Rona, pointing fingers and asking questions about why she is trying to swindle old ladies out of their savings, Rona has no choice but to dig in and set about finding well, herself.

You’ll never guess in a million years who is behind all of this. Rona faces some difficult losses and ends up in an all out war with her worst adversary to date.

In 2011, be on the lookout for Rona in Now You See Me: The Rona Shively Stories.

This Side Up is now available! Just e-mail to order your copy today! Be sure to write “This Side Up” in the subject line of your e-mail!

Until next time…

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From the latest Rona Shively Story…

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Here’s a preview of my new Rona Shively story:

I waddled into the restaurant, mentally ordering my pancakes, eggs, and sausage as I scanned the dining room for someone who fit my client’s description of herself. She had said that she was tall and thin with dark brown hair. She said that she would be wearing a red leather jacket. I spotted her almost immediately. Her hair was short, in a stylish bob. She was almost too conservative-looking to be meeting with the likes of me. I walked up to the table and made one of those “Ahem” noises to get her attention. When she looked up, the expression on her face went from calm to catty in something like seconds.
“So, you’re Rona Shively,” she said, her tone extremely unfriendly.
“So, I am,” I said, “What’s the problem? Are you Susan Fleming?”
“That’s right, and I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” she said getting to her feet. She jabbed a finger in my face as she continued her tirade. “Where do you get off trying to take money from helpless, old ladies?”
Now, I’m not generally speechless. This is especially true when some hag is pointing her gaudily painted fingernails in my face as this woman had done. A few months ago, she would have been on the receiving end of a nasty ass-whooping for this kind of behavior. Today, however; I was feeling generous. Whether it was the nature of the accusation or the instability of my hormones that made me stop and think before taking a swing is not important. What’s important here is that I simply stepped back and calmly asked, “What are you talking about?”
“You know very well what I’m talking about,” she said loudly. People were starting to watch our exchange and with my reputation, I really didn’t need this kind of publicity. “I’m talking about Esmerelda Haynes, my grandmother, the woman you convinced to sign over $5,000 of her retirement money for a phony insurance policy.”
Okay, now she was just being ridiculous. “Esmerelda Haynes?” I asked. My patience was wearing thin and since she was making it very difficult for me to order those pancakes I’d been fantasizing about, I was starting to feel a little less charitable and seriously considering punching her in the mouth to shut her up.
“Esmerelda Haynes,” she said. “You just spoke with her last week, didn’t you?”
I took a moment and then shook my head. “Uh, no,” I said, “I’ve never spoken with any Esmerelda. Not last week or even over the course of my entire existence. I do not sell insurance, nor have I ever convinced anyone to give me $5,000.”
She gave me a look that said she absolutely didn’t believe me. This woman did not know me and I wasn’t sure who had told her that I was the one who swindled her poor old granny, but at this point, I just wanted to sit down.

You can order your copies of The Rona Shively Stories by contacting me here. Get all four for just $40!

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This Side Up: The Rona Shively Stories

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The newest installment in the Rona Shively series is set to be out on February 4th! I’m giving away free copies to five lucky individuals who subscribe to my blog or to my Rona Shively Newsletter. You can be included in the drawing by going to my website and subscribing or simply becoming a follower here at Benston Blogs. The newsletter is quarterly, so you won’t be bombarded with Rona Shively stuff every day of your life…unless of course, you request it. In that case, I’d be happy to e-mail you with more frequency and tell you to buy my books, read my books, give my books away as gifts….etcetera, etcetera…

This Side Up is another big mess. Rona is trying to make some big decisions and becomes involved in helping a teenager figure out whether or not she was adopted. In the process, Rona learns that there is just no end to the terrible things that people will do to one another when they have no direction in their lives.

Still searching for some sense of her own purpose, Rona tries her best to help this girl figure out what’s going on and why. By the end of this book, Rona is, as always, even more confused than she was to start with.

I’m now accepting pre-orders for This Side Up. Anyone who orders between now and January 31st will get their signed copy for just $12.95. That includes shipping! Check out my book trailer and order your copy of This Side Up at the Rona Shively website!

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