“What I’ve been Reading Lately”

NOTE: See our notes after this article to hear about a new BookSweeps Giveaway you can enter for a chance to win 40+ books by multiple authors! ALSO, there’s an update on EVE of DESPAIR! Now, here’s David Telbat—

Dear Friends, part of the reason I was inspired to become a writer is because I loved to read. Neglecting even school work, I spent my junior high years with my nose in a book. One of the reasons I wore glasses at a young age was because I read by flashlight at night. I lived for Louis L’Amour adventures!

Now much older, I do not read by flashlight, and I haven’t picked up a L’Amour novel for a decade or two. Lately, my interests have been more along the lines of nonfiction than fiction, though I still check out a novel now and then.

Here are a few titles I’ve been into lately:

• Title 1: On Writing Well, by Willima Zinsser. The subtitle is, “The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction.” Now, you may ask why a fiction novelist is reading up on writing nonfiction. Well, I’ve actually been writing more nonfiction behind the scenes. A dear writing friend heard of my personal projects and gifted me this wonderful book with remarkable insights into every facet of nonfiction writing, like using humor, writing about sports, writing a memoir, and writing about other real-life people. This book is worth reading once, then using as a reference book for additional projects. 
  Utilizing this book, I was guided to produce a small manuscript that I’ve already sent to Dee to be release to you sometime in the near future. It is called, Thirty Life Lessons. In its pages, I examine my adolescent years of rebellion under the spiritual microscope and consider principles from God’s Word to share with you. These lessons have shaped me for years.

• Title 2: The second book I’ve read is a reference book worthy of note for any writer today. Its title speaks for itself as well: The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need, by Susan Thurman. Every type of writing assignment seems to be covered in this small publication. The grammar rules are clear with quick, relatable examples, so I can look up something and get right back to writing. I’ve found the “Finding the Right Words” section especially helpful.

• Title 3: As I begin writing Book Three of The ELM Series, I’m finishing reading a book for research, Search and Rescue Dogs, produced by the American Rescue Dog Association. Though I trained a hound dog to hunt lions in my youth, this formal book has prepared me to write in ELM Book Three about a rescue dog named Dizzy (you’ll actually meet her in Book Two). It has been a very interesting read! Keep moving through The ELM Series if you want to see what I’ve picked up and chosen to share about rescue dogs. 😉

• Title 4: It is very rare for me to read one of my own books, but in my older age, my memory of what I’ve written over a decade ago now seems brand new to me! Maybe some of you can relate. Last week, I picked up the Steadfast Collection to remind myself how the story started, and I didn’t put it down for several hours! I often refer to this book when talking to people who are trying to make sense of the non-resistance Jesus teaches His followers. This book contains example after example of how non-resistance can and often does triumph over and/or wins over the adversary. Rereading this collection of my six Steadfast novellas has reminded me afresh about the high standard of Christian character my writing team and I agreed to early on, and we’ve aspired to hold to that standard as an example for Christian living today.

I hope you’re enjoying your daily Bible reading time, and perhaps you’ve found other books to appreciate as well, fiction and nonfiction. Perhaps, like many authors, you’ve become inspired to write because of something you’ve read.

See you on the next page!

David Telbat

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NOTE-1: Click the link here to enter our latest BookSweeps Giveaway for a chance to win 44 Inspirational Fiction & Nonfiction Books, including STEADFAST Collection: Books 1 – 6 by D.I. Telbat! The grand prize winner will also receive a new eReader! This Giveaway is scheduled to end May 22 pm.

NOTE-2: David is about finished with his final tweaking of EVE of DESPAIR, Book Two of The ELM Series! Dee will be sending our Beta Reading Team an email in the next few days to see who would like to receive the PDF for your input and suggestions. We SO appreciate your help and comments!

NOTE-3: As soon as we have EVE of DESPAIR ready for you, I’ll first put the link up on our DITelbat.com landing page so watch for that in a week or so. AND it’ll be priced very low for a few days just for David’s followers! 😊

COMING UP: Join us next time for a new short story, “It’s Not Propaganda.”

If you missed our last newsletter, you can find it here.

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