The Official Home Page of Michelle Medlock Adams

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I wanted to let y'all know that my latest children's board book in the What Is... series is finally out! It's called, What Is Thanksgiving? and is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and most bookstores, as well. It retails for $6.99 and is published by CandyCane Press, a division of Guideposts Books. What Is Thanksgiving? follows the best-selling board books: What Is Easter? and What Is Christmas? as well as What Is Halloween? In What Is Thanksgiving? I talk about the festivities of Thanksgiving such as yummy food, parades, football games and visiting relatives, but I focus on the real, most important reason for Thanksgiving—to take time to be thankful and praise God for His many blessings.

   For example, the last few verses say:

   Thanksgiving is a special day to praise the Lord above. We take time on this day to say: "God, thank you for your love."
   "I thank you for my family and for the food I eat. I thank you, God, for friends and toys and for my hamster, Pete." ...The yummy food and grand parades, my family and football—they're great, as long as I give thanks to God who gives them all!

   I feel if we can teach children to have grateful hearts, we've accomplished much.

   By the way, I was interviewed this morning by Tom Sullivan, the general manager of 91.1 KCFN—American Family Radio—in Wichita, KS., about What Is Thanksgiving? That interview will air at 9 a.m. EST on Nov. 18. People can listen online at www.kcfn.net.

   Blessings!

Monday, July 20, 2009

   Out of hundreds of entries, I have just been named one of the 12 finalists in the ABC’s Children’s Picture Book Competition!

   Currently, I have been paired with an illustrator who is hard at work, bringing my words to life. Her name is Pegi Ballenger. Next, all 12 books will be posted online at http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/5th_comp/5th_index.html and the public will vote for its favorite. It’s sort of like American Idol for children’s books. So, like American Idol, whichever book gets the most internet votes, wins the publishing contract.

   That’s why I need your help! Please vote for my book called Mama’s Belly.

The voting begins September 20, 2009, and ends October 4, 2009.
Only one vote is allowed per 24 hours per computer IP address, so if you’re going to help me out and ask folks at your place of work to vote for my book, (which I REALLY hope you’ll do), please tell everybody to vote from their home computers in order for their votes to be counted.
Also, please tell everybody who is planning to vote to make sure they have their computers/internet browser set to “allow cookies” or their votes will not register.

THANKS! I so appreciate your help on this. I am very honored and excited to be part of this contest. Whoo hoo!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

   Hey guys! I am so excited to announce the release of my latest children’s book, What Is Thanksgiving? available in September, published by Ideals Children’s Books/CandyCane Press and illustrated by Amy Wummer. This is the fourth in my “What Is?” series which already features: What Is Easter?, What Is Christmas?, and What Is Halloween? Together, these three little board books have sold more than 400,000 copies! Whoo hoo! God is so good! I hope you’ll enjoy my latest children’s book. Oh, and be on the lookout for a new size and price point for my Christmas picture book, Memories of the Manger. It will now be an 8.5 by 8.5, 32-page format for only $8.99. It’s still hardcover, though, just smaller than its original version, and a better price point for holiday gift-giving. Blessings to all!

   Enjoy the rest of your summer,

   Happy Mother’s Day to every Mom and Grandmom. I was blessed to have an absolutely wonderful mama, Marion Medlock. She went to heaven on May 3, 2006. Her birthday, May 11th, often falls on Mother’s Day weekend, so of course I am thinking about her even more this time of year. I still miss her every day, but I am thankful to know that she is in heaven with my dad. If you’re missing your mom this weekend, I am praying for you. I can honestly say I know what you’re going through, and I feel for you. But more importantly, the Lord understands your hurting heart and desires to love you through this time of missing your loved ones. So, turn to Father God and let Him love on you today.

   I am also posting a story and poem that I wrote in honor of my mom as a tribute to her. Love ya, Mama! Happy Mother’s Day!

   The sunlight poured in through the window, warming the frigid hospital room and making the day a little more bearable. Mom’s skin seemed to glisten in the afternoon sun. At age 77, even though the cancer had taken its toll on her body, her skin was gloriously radiant.

   “I hope I age that well,” I thought.

   As I held her hand, I studied its markings, tracing each and every vein—some of them bruised and sunken from the frequent IVs.

   “I have my mother’s hands,” I thought.

   Gently, I smoothed lavender moisturizer over Mom’s thin arms and across her chest, feeling her heart beating slow and steady. I held my hand there for just a moment, so thankful she still had life in her, and so thankful for the life she had already lived. As I gazed at my Mom’s precious face, I whispered, “Mom, I definitely have your hands…I wish I had your faith.”

   Mom moved to heaven on May 3, 2006, leaving behind a wonderful legacy of love and faith. As we prepared for her funeral service, my sister and I reflected on Mom’s life. We laughed about the times Mom got lost driving her Cadillac around the country, trying to navigate without any sense of direction. (I inherited that from her, as well.) We shared how Mom had made each of her children feel like her very favorite person in the whole world. And we marveled over Mom’s ability to go through good and bad situations with grace, dignity, joy and an unwavering faithfulness to the Lord. Her life had truly been a journey of faith.

   Dictionary.com defines faithfulness as: “The quality of being full of faith,” and my Mother certainly was. Her heart overflowed with it, inspiring all who knew her. When given the grim news that her cancer was inoperable, Mom’s faith never wavered. She simply said, “Well, Doctor, I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, and I understand that you can’t do anything else…but it was always in God’s hands, and all of my faith is in Him.”

   Over the course of her cancer battle, Mom beat many odds and outlived every prognosis the medical experts gave her. It was her enormous faith that carried her through to the very end—the day when she let go of my hand and took hold of the Master’s.

   As I stood by the casket, greeting those who had come to honor my Mom, I could hardly take my eyes off of her. I knew her spirit was no longer there. She was celebrating her new body and life in heaven, surrounded by many who had gone before her, including my Dad. Her spirit was gone, but her faith lived on. She had imparted it to us; and story after story revealed how each one of our lives would never be the same because of Marion Medlock’s faithfulness to her community, her friends, her family and most of all, her Lord Jesus.

   As I glance down at my hands today, typing this story, I once again see my Mom’s hands. I only hope that one day people will look at me and see more than just my mother’s physical characteristics—I want them to see my mother’s faith which came straight from the Heavenly Father’s heart.

   How is your faith today? Are you facing some situations that are challenging your faith? Are you tempted to give up? We’ve all been there, but stand firm on your foundation of faith and face each obstacle like my Mother did—smiling the entire journey.

   Even if you don’t have a mother who taught you about faith, you have a Heavenly Father who loves you and has provided you with all of the faith you’ll ever need to accomplish all that He has for you to do. Take the Father’s hand today, and let the journey begin...

   Nugget of Wisdom: Live a life of faith and make an impact for generations to come...

   Favorite verse: I Samuel 26:23 NIV

   “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.”

Sunday, January 11, 2009

   Happy New Year! Can you believe it's already 2009? Whew, where did 2008 go? We had a whirlwind end of the year at the Adams household. We were part of the Lawrence County (Indiana) Holiday Home Tour, which benefited the cancer patients of Lawrence County. We decorated our house "Clark Griswold" style as one of six homes on the holiday home tour. I think we ended up having nine Christmas trees and WAY too many Christmas lights and lots and lots of garland. It was a wonderful experience. We were so glad to be part of something that benefited the cancer patients in our community—especially since my precious mom battled colon cancer before going to Heaven in 2006. Also, our recently renovated historic home was the subject of a feature article in H&L Magazine, published in Bloomington, IN. When the reporter and photographer came to our house last fall to do the interview and take pictures of our 108-year-old home, we had no idea we'd be featured in the December issue, nor did we know we'd be on the cover! But, that's what happened. We were very surprised and honored. Abby and Allyson enjoyed their brief brush with fame as several of their high school teachers referred to them as "cover girls."

   We begin 2009 with fond memories of 2008, and anticipation and hope for this new season. This year, my two new children's books, What Is Thanksgiving? and Counting Cows will debut via Ideals Children's Books; Abby will get her driver's license; Allyson begins her very first fashion design college class (even though she is only 14!); and Jeff enters into another tax season with several new clients. Praise the Lord! We are thankful and truly blessed. We pray that your family has the best New Year ever! May God bless you—every one! Please keep checking back for updated news... my New Year's Resolution is to update my "news section" of the website more than twice a year.

   Blessings!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

It's almost Happy Turkey Day—yay! I hope you're enjoying this beautiful time of year and taking in every minute of this lovely weather!! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I just wanted to remind you to praise the Lord for the many blessings in your life, and I'll be doing the same. He is a good God, isn't He? Try keeping a "Thankfulness Journal" in which you jot down five things you're thankful for every single day. It will change your life and create an even more grateful heart on the inside of you.

   Recently, I was contacted by a magazine journalist who was working on a book review/article about my soon-to-be released picture book, I Will Not Be Afraid (Concordia Publishing House). It will debut in January 2008. Here is the cute cover for that book. In case you want to read the interview, I have it posted here.

   Many blessings to you today!!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

   Happy November! Hope you remembered to "fall back" last night. If not, you were probably pretty early for church today, eh?

   Well, I am just back from a wonderful weekend at the Wesleyan Writers' Workshop just north of Indianapolis, IN. It was a huge honor to serve on the faculty alongside Doc Hensley, Larry and Heather Wilson, Shannon Hill of Water Brook Press, and many other great writers and editors. I met so many great writers and enjoyed teaching "Ten Tips to Double Your Freelance Income" and "How to Get a Children's Book Published." If you attended my classes and want the handouts that we ran out of... just email me!

   For those of you living in the Bedford, IN, area, I hope you can join me for a fun booksigning at the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore this coming Saturday, November 10. I'll be signing Memories of the Manger (a Christmas picture book in which a dove retells the Christmas story to all the little animals in the manger), and What Is Christmas? (a board book that celebrates the true meaning of the holidays). The Lighthouse also carries many of my other children's books and women's devotional titles, so I'll be happy to sign any of those books, too. It's not too early to embark on your Christmas shopping so come on out and support the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore. Keith and Brenda, the owners, have lots of great stuff planned—talented musicians and singers, special goodies for the kids, crafts, etc. I'll be signing from noon to 3 P.M. alongside my good friend Barbie Jenkins who is signing her book The Legend of the Christmas Kiss. So stop by and see us!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Monday, September 3, 2007

   Hey there. OK, it's been like a year since I wrote anything for my news section so I thought I'd do that today:

   Well, school is back in full swing and Labor Day is over. Time to put away those white shoes and get ready for football tailgating. Whoo hoo! (Go Bedford Middle School Cutters! Go BNL Stars! Go Indiana Hoosiers! Go Indianapolis Colts!) On a personal note, we've finally moved into our historic home! It's not totally done, but we're close. We've been asked to be on the American Cancer Society Holiday Home Tour in Bedford, IN, this year, and we've agreed to do that, so we'll have to be finished by then. Ugh! Abby is a freshman this year, and Ally is in the 8th grade—both are cheerleaders. So, we're attending lots of junior high and high school football games these days. So much fun!

   I wanted to let you know of some upcoming speaking engagements on my schedule in case any of you can attend. September 27-29, I'll be speaking twice at the "Red Hot Monogamy/Marriage Fest 2007" couples conference in Galena, Illinois, sponsored by The Rock Church of the Quad Cities. I will also be speaking on Sept. 30 at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning service at The Rock, 4730 Tremont Avenue, Davenport, Iowa 52807. For more information, call (563) 386-ROCK or visit www.rockchurchofthequadcities.com online.

   In October, I'll be heading to New Mexico for one of my all-time favorite writers' conferences—The Glorieta Christian Writers' Conference, Oct. 17-21. I'll be co-teaching a continuing session called, "Quit Your Day Job! 30 Secrets to Turning the Corner and Making a Living As a Writer" with highly-acclaimed and totally hilarious author and friend Steven James (www.stevenjames.net). Here is the description of our class: Together, your instructors have written thousands of articles and stories for more than 100 different publications, and 62 books since becoming full-time writers. They are here to tell you, "Hey, you can do it, too!" So you've finally decided to do it, huh? You want to write and sell what you write, right? Well, in this intensive seminar, you'll learn how to locate and land new writing assignments, write killer query letters and book proposals, and generate ideas for tons of articles you can write without doing a shred of research. Steven and Michelle will also teach you the secrets to writing the kinds of articles and book proposals that editors are craving. From the idea stage to landing your assignment to submitting a fabulous finished product, this seminar will give you the tools so you can start earning a living as a writer. Join Steven and Michelle for a wild, wacky, "way-too-much-fun" but totally rewarding time! Oh, and Michelle promises to bring chocolate.

   To learn more about this fantastic conference or to register, go to http://www.classervices.com/CS_Glorieta_Information.htm online.

   In November, I'll be teaching at the Wesleyan Publishing House Christian Writers' Workshop "Developing the Writer Within You" in Indianapolis, IN on Nov. 2 and 3. I'll be teaching "10 Tips to Double Your Freelance Income," "Ten Misleading Myths About Writing for Children," and "How To Write a Children's Book and Get It Published." For more information, go to http://www.wesleyan.org/ME2/Sites/Default.asp?SiteID=6DFD844FC25A4D3B8F119325068DCDF5 online.

   That's it for now. Happy Fall! I can't wait to put out lots of mums, drink hot chocolate, and break out the sweaters. It won't be long now. Many blessings to you! Oh, and happy writing!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

   Well, I can't believe it's the end of October. Where did the month go? I just returned from teaching four classes at the Glorieta Christian Writers' Conference in New Mexico, and if you didn't get to go this year, mark it on your calendar for 2007. It's always a great conference, and this year was no different. To learn more about GCWC, go to http://www.classervices.com/CS_Glorieta_Conf.html online. This year, editors from publishing houses such as Zonderkidz, AMG, Standard, J.Countryman, Harvest House and many others were present, as well as an all-star faculty of professional writers, image consultants, professional speakers, etc. And there were several magazine and website editors there, giving out assignments and looking for willing writers. Very exciting! Even if you weren't there to experience it all, you can still feel like you were there by purchasing CDs of the classes. Many were recorded. So, check that out!
   For those of you who live in Southern IN, I hope you'll stop by my booksigning at the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore on Saturday, Nov. 11th, from noon to 2 p.m. in Lawrence County. I'll be signing Memories of the Manger (my Christmas picture book) and What Is Christmas? (my latest holiday board book) among others.
   I'll also be speaking to the student body at Taylor University on Nov. 13th at 10 a.m. during their chapel time, so say a prayer for me. I have really enjoyed teaching "Writing For Children" to the students at Taylor this fall. What a great class! I have two more all-day classes on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 with those talented students in Fort Wayne, IN.
   I hope our paths cross in the near future. Enjoy this lovely holiday season and take time to jump in a pile of leaves. It will be winter before we know it...

Monday, September 11, 2006

   I just returned from teaching at the North Texas Christian Writers' Conference in Keller, Texas. It was a glorious weekend of networking, writing, teaching and ministry. Frank Ball, the conference founder and director, really outdid himself this year, bringing in such writing talents as Cecil Murphy (the author of more than 100 books including 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life which is a HUGE bestseller) and John Riddle, the founder of I Love to Write Day and a marketing genius. John makes a 6-figure income on a consistent basis doing freelance writing from his home in Delaware. He is funny and inspirational. Then, on Friday night, Dallas Holm gave a concert at the church—wow! I have always loved his music, but to hear him perform in person was really a gift. I highly recommend his new cd, "The Good News Blues"—quite good!
   For those of you who attended my sessions at the NTCWC and wish to find handouts to go along with those sessions, please email me and I'll send them your way. Also, I will be happy to send you a sample query letter as promised if you'll remind me by way of email. Happy writing!
   Lastly, on this five-year anniversary of Sept. 11th's terrorism attack, please pray for those families who were directly affected and for the continued protection of our nation. Don't forget to remember to thank the Lord today for our freedom. And, pray for our leaders—both local and national—and the men and women who serve in our armed forces so that we can enjoy our freedom. Sept. 11th, 2001 changed every single one of us. Let us never forget...

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

   I'll be heading to Keller, Texas, this coming Thursday (Sept. 7) to teach at the third annual North Texas Christian Writers Conference, Sept. 9 and 10. If you can join us, please do! It's a great conference for learning the writing craft and the business side of writing, as well as for networking with important people in the industry. I always leave the NTCW inspired and fired up!
   Also, I'll be teaching my first session of "Writing For Children" at Taylor University on Saturday, Sept. 16th. I can't wait!
   On a personal note, we're finishing up the drywall on our 100-year-old historic home that we're restoring in Bedford, IN. Yay! I can finally see progress. For the first two months of work, I was sure we'd purchased "The Money Pit." Ha! Anyway, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Praise the Lord!
   And, last but not least, news from the home office: my darling husband of 15 years, Jeff, just celebrated his 40th birthday on Sept. 3. We were high school sweethearts, but he was a few grades ahead of me, so I haven't hit the big "4-0" yet.