The Comfort of the Shire and the Need for a Burglar

No one asked for this.

No one wanted this pandemic, but it came knocking on our door without warning. And here we sit with it, several weeks into quarantine, trying politely to make it leave. We comply with the new laws, but the irritation grows, and we wonder when it will end. Then it hits us—there might not be a real end in sight. We panic, thinking we’re not equipped to handle this for one more day.

But we have everything we need to handle this, exactly like Bilbo Baggins had when Gandalf came knocking on his door.

Gandalf needed a burglar.

Gandalf invited Bilbo to leave the comfort of the shire to join him and the dwarves on an exciting adventure, one Bilbo felt ill-equipped to handle. But when Gandalf told him they needed a burglar, he was sending a symbolic message to the little hobbit. They needed him exactly as he was, faults and all. In fact, his unique skills as a burglar were exactly what helped them reach their victory at the end of the story.

You have what it takes—precisely as you are.

When we face a pandemic knocking at our door, and when it robs us of our comfortable life, we feel fear and uncertainty. We think we are incapable of handling the disaster. We wish we had more time to prepare, more skills to adapt, and more emotional stability to hold it together. When this happens, and it will happen again, take a deep breath. Remember the eternal power of story.

The bigger picture, the eternal power of story, sends us the message we need to remember.

When trials come our way, the person we are is the person who is able to handle the problem, every single time. Think of an unexpected challenge you faced in the past—you got through it despite the limited skills you had. You might have stumbled or even reacted poorly at first, but you did it. You’ve been the hero of your story all along because your story can only be successful with the main character known as you.

So during this crazy time, remember this: the pandemic might seem gigantic, and you might feel small and insignificant to handle it, but that’s not reality. Your special and unique skills, talents, and demeanor will rally together to help you be the hero you need to be. You can face and defeat this demon and every other demon that comes your way.

Never underestimate the power of story.

All my best,

Nanette

How Stories Bring Meaning When Life Seems Meaningless.

Tired of Being Out of Control?

The Coronavirus has put me on a rollercoaster of emotion. I’ve been determined not to let it get me down only to find myself depressed and full of despair at how it has robbed me of my normal life. It’s taken the life of friends, family, and the family members of dear friends. Each day I go between feeling numb with sorrow over the losses and overwhelmed with gratitude for my faith as it gives me comfort in ways I cannot explain yet cannot deny.

But what about those people who don’t share my faith? They don’t receive comfort from my faith-talk. In fact, it can be downright insulting to them. I have friends of all faiths and many friends who practice conflicting views of Christianity. If we were to meet in one room together, (after the social distancing has been lifted of course), to discuss our faith, I wouldn’t be surprised to see many plastic smiles between some of them at best and all-out brawls with others at the worst. What could possibly bring us together in unity with comfort and hope? One thing alone: the power of story.

Stories Delight, Unite, and Ignite Us

Good stories do three things that nothing else can do. First, they delight us. They provide entertainment when we need a break from the chaos of the world. They let our imagination visit foreign lands, fly to distant galaxies, or travel through time. We engage in wild adventures in a matter of hours and come back unscathed yet wiser and braver than before. And we need this distraction to give ourselves a break from reality. Second, they unite us. No matter what our religion, politics, culture, or age, a good story transcends all these divisive factors. We could sit in a movie theatre (once social distancing is lifted of course!) with people we vehemently disagree with in everyday life, but the movie brought us together like nothing else could. Finally, good stories ignite us. After reading an uplifting book, we are forever changed for good from the message learned, the values taught, and the principles honored between the pages. Whether we realize it or not, good stories can connect us to each other and lift us through times of great trial if we let them.

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My Coronavirus Playlist

I’ve been revisiting my favorites this month and thought I’d share insight with you in the next several blog posts. My desire is to give you a reason to feel hopeful during this unprecedented time. I’m not going to recap stories. You can watch the movies in your time. I only want to highlight certain scenes that are meaningful and life-changing. Maybe by reading my thoughts, you can take whatever wisdom is downloaded to your heart to help you get through today or tomorrow.

Here are the first three I’ll feature: The Lion King, The Hobbit, and The Sound of Music. Let me know if you have a favorite, and we can enjoy the meaning together.

We will get through this, one story at a time.

Nanette

What's Going On Beyond the Doorway?

Sometimes tragedy paralyzes you to the core, and other times it lights a fire so hot there’s no stopping you. I’ve had enough paralysis in my life—it’s time to burn the house down. Here’s my current arsenal:

The audiobook for BELIEVE. Voice actor Joe Christensen has been doing an amazing job getting the many voices right for my book series. I’d always had it in mind to have a male voice read the story, like a father reading to his children. Joe has the tender, caring timbre I’d imagined. He gives the perfect balance of humor, wisdom, terror, and triumph to each character, bringing life to the story in a new and exciting way. I can’t wait to announce the release, hopefully in a month or so.

The Story Nook. My newest segment is a Facebook Live series airing every Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time Zone on my Facebook author page, Nanette O’Neal Author.  We need a place to put aside the troubles of the world and renew our mind, heart, and soul. The Story Nook provides that place for story-lovers of all faiths and backgrounds. Each week I focus on an aspect of a good story and talk about what makes it special. My goal is to help people realize the answers they look for are hidden in the messages of all good stories if we know how to find them.

Saturday Stories: Going strong into its second year, this weekly video series is designed to uplift families and individuals as I tell my favorite stories and help people imagine being the heroes of their life’s story. It’s gotten easier to produce, and I’m delighted with the feedback. You can find a new episode every Saturday morning on my author page on Facebook, Nanette O’Neal Author.

Launching My Course in June. I’m thrilled to announce after several years of being on hold, my course based on my book series will finally be up and available by June. My new title, Your Doorway Back to Forever: A Story-Lover’s Gateway to Becoming Fully Alive, is designed to help people find meaning and direction through the comfort and safety of story. Stories do three things nothing else can: They delight us as they entertain, they unite us by bringing people together, and they ignite us to be better than we have ever imagined. They can also bring a sense of worth back into our hearts if we know how to let them. More details to come.

A Doorway Back to Forever: REMEMBER: Book five in the series is progressing, but not as quickly as the rest of my work. It needed a major overhaul after the first draft, and that was tough. I'm now working on completing the storyline, and I will then revamp it with editing to sharpen the story and character arcs and give it all the pizzazz it deserves. This book asks readers to ponder this thought: What if you lived before you were born and your worst enemy here was once your best friend? My target date for publication is July 2020.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Skyborn Warriors, as you strive to stay healthy during this pandemic and safe at home as much as you can. We will get through this and we will be stronger because of it.

Forever yours,

Nanette

Who Do I Want to Be During COVID-19?

The Meme Hits Hard

If I had seen this meme during the first week of COVID-19, I would have been upset and defensive. No, I wasn’t one of the toilet paper hoarders, but I felt a bit of fear from this new unknown enemy that had attacked the world and spread like a tsunami with no warning, leaving devastation in its wake. Fear is a natural first reaction, but it doesn’t have to be our last.

 Stages to Pass Through

One of the most boring phrases in scripture is now my most favorite because of its wisdom: and it came to pass. True, my eyes have glossed over it more times than I’d like to admit, but now I cherish it. God has been telling us all along no matter what hell we’re experiencing, it is only a phase and we will pass through it. It came to pass back in Old Testament times, and it will come to pass again for us.

In the Fear Zone, a sense of urgency and panic well up inside us. We might even react to that initially because we get swept up in what the mob might be doing. We become paralyzed in fear, and if we’re not careful we can live there for a while. But it came to pass, and we can move on.

In the Learning Zone, we become introspective and realistic, and we’re not afraid anymore to face what is. It might still be scary, but we are moving, passing through it, and becoming teachable. We’re learning to balance our emotions with logic and faith so we can continue to press forward.

In the Growing Zone, we’ve mastered fear and put our needs aside, looking for ways to reach out and help others. We’ve taken the step toward selflessness and begin to touch others around us, helping them deal with their fears so it can pass for them, and they too can learn and grow.

Let’s Grow Together

I don’t know how long this virus will last or how much of a toll it will take on the world. But I do know it will come to pass that we will overcome this. And when we look back, we might see the devastating aftermath, one that cannot be helped, but we can prevent a similar effect it could have on us if we choose to pass through fear, move on to learning, and make it a habit to be positive, helpful, patient, and willing to grow from this and every experience we are given.

Stay safe at home when you can,

Nanette

Berks County PA Resident, Nanette O’Neal’s Book, A DOORWAY BACK TO FOREVER: HONOR, Nominated for Global Award

Berks County PA Resident, Nanette O’Neal’s Book, A DOORWAY BACK TO FOREVER: HONOR, Nominated for Global Award

 O’Neal up against hundreds of authors worldwide for prestigious 2020 Author Academy Award

Berks County, Pennsylvania (March 13th)—A DOORWAY BACK TO FOREVER: HONOR, written by Bethel resident, Nanette O’Neal, has been nominated for a 2020 Author Academy Award, an honor bestowed for literary merit and publishing excellence in the writing and publishing industry.

O’Neal’s book is up for an award in the Fantasy category.

“Hundreds of books from authors throughout the world are up for an Author Academy Award,” said Kary Oberbrunner, founder of Author Academy Elite and the Author Academy Awards. “Our goal is to help further connect this global community of authors, maintain excellence and integrity of the book publishing industry, and raise awareness that the stories being told and the authors who write them are worth our attention.”

Authors of all kinds—indie (self-published), traditional, or collaborative published—are being considered for the award in one of sixteen categories. Entries are being reviewed and evaluated on popular vote, social contribution, and overall presentation (cover, content, flow, and originality) by the Academy's voting membership comprised of best-selling authors, literary agents and industry leaders.

If interested in supporting O’Neal and participating in the popular vote portion of the award evaluation,  please click the “Vote for 2020” button. Once there, click through the poll to view the Fantasy category, then find and click on A DOORWAY BACK TO FOREVER: HONOR.

The top ten finalists in each category will be invited to present their book synopsis at an Author Academy Awards Red Carpet Session on October 23, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. Winners will be announced later that evening at the Author Academy Awards Ceremony where they will be invited to give an acceptance speech. Winners will also receive:

·         Press release and media story presented to their hometown press by a professional PR firm.

·         Traditional media and social media press including features on select podcasts, shows, vlogs, blogs, and articles.

·         Lifetime "Your Pace" level access to 30 Days to a Bigger Stage Experience^©, an online program helping authors get publicity for their book.

·         The opportunity of presenting their book synopsis on the Igniting Souls Conference main stage in front of a global audience.

·         And more!

About the Author Academy Awards

The Author Academy Awards is an award bestowed for literary merit and publishing excellence in the writing and publishing industry. It is presented annually by Author Academy Elite, a premium service provider for authors, at the Author Academy Awards Ceremony. For more information on the awards, visit AuthorAcademyAwards.com

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I'm alive and ready for 2020

Hi Skyborn Warriors!

I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me on my blog. * hangs head in shame*

My biggest regret is neglecting you, the ones who have supported my work. *tears welling up*

And I could give excuses as to what kept me from contact *hemming and hawing*

While 2019 was a year of discovery, 2020 will mark a new decade and a new path for A Doorway Back to Forever.

Highlights of 2019:

·         Saturday Stories—what a huge step for this introvert who hates the sound of her voice! To record, produce, and post a new video each week, and to do it faithfully was a great feat. Yes, I had several weeks with repeats, but I don’t consider that a bad thing. I gave myself breaks when I was on vacation and when I needed a pick-me-up repeat for myself. We all need a measure of kindness even from our hardest critic (ourselves). But overall, I learned to be relaxed, quicker with the recording, more creative in the producing, and more engaging with the audience. That’s a huge success for me.

·        

Author Academy Elite—editor for AAE, managing editor for The Guild, coaching calls, and ISC19. I’ve really enjoyed my work with Author Academy Elite. It’s wonderful to help new authors with their proposal and chapter submissions and to find editors for full manuscripts. I’ve come to appreciate the many walks we face in life, and I admire those who have the courage to share their stories to make a difference in the world. I love the coaching calls since I came from a teaching background. It feels good to teach again, especially the new fiction writers. I was once there, and I’ll never forget the help I received. Having my son accompany me to the conference was a real joy! He's got the entrepreneur bug in him too, and together we will fly!

·         A Doorway Back to Forever: HONOR. Book four in the series was released in October, and it was a big hit at the Igniting Souls Conference in Columbus Ohio. I admit this one was my heart and soul in print as it dealt with the death of my savior-character in the story. But don’t worry! (Spoiler alert) You will see more of Prince Calemir!

·         Website—Beyond the Doorway is up and running and people can sign up for the mailing list and receive a free PDF, but the course material is still under construction. This is my biggest regret for 2019. I wanted it running but I had to work on some emotional issues first. I’m happy to say, I have!

·        

Emotional Healing—this is my biggest 2019 success. I realized the reason I couldn’t move forward with a self-help course was that I needed to heal my personal wounds first before I could help others heal. I needed to confront some sorrow and trauma of the past. I had a very personal, private, spiritual revelation about my dad (who passed away 10 years ago) concerning his past, his emotional well-being, and our relationship. It has led me to understand him in ways I never had been able to before. There is complete love between the two of us now, and I finally feel free to finish my book series and move on with my course. It’s amazing how God works in our lives! More on that in future posts.

For 2020, my list has some last-year holdovers and new goals to make the year a success:

·         Audiobooks!

·         More Saturday Stories

·         A new video series called The Secret Power of Story

·         Book Five: A Doorway Back to Forever: REMEMBER

·         Book Six: A Doorway Back to Forever: RESTORE

·         The course: The Doorway Experience

I also have a resolve to be less of a hermit and more engaged with you. I will most likely blog twice a month and post daily on my Facebook page: Nanette O’Neal, Author.

So as I gear up for more, I hope you are ready. It only gets better from here.

Discover your true worth, and live your life to reflect it.

Nanette

Exciting News For A Doorway Back to Forever

Hi, Skborn Warriors,
2019 will be a banner year for A Doorway Back to Forever. Here are four new projects to look for:

1. New and revised version of  A Doorway Back to Forever: BELIEVE to be released February 14th, 2019.

The cover art for volume one in the series was done before I found Crissie Murphy, who did the artwork for TRUST and DEFEND. She has been working diligently on making a new cover and interior images for BELIEVE. I'm also taking this opportunity to write a gentle revision of the book by fixing a few things here and there that didn't quite settle well with me. The story will be the same, but the writing will be more captivating if my magic-sense kicks in as it should.

2. New Website, Beyond the Doorway, to be launched on March 1st, 2019, with a new online course called Stepping Through the Doorway.

This is huge, warriors! I've been working on this for months. The new website will have videos for you to explore, online programs to check out, music, stories, and more! If you've ever wanted to step through the Doorway Back to Forever and explore the magical kingdom, your opportunity will begin on March 1st. Stay tuned for announcements about the details and ways to win prizes as you wait!

3. Book four of the series, A Doorway Back to Forever: HONOR, will be released June 30th, 2019.

I'm so excited about this book as it explores the role of Prince Calemir in the lives of the Eeberheem kids as they journey beyond the Morning into Midnight to face their nemesis, Sylvare, once again. This explosive tale will take you to the highest of highs and lowest of lows on your journey to finding your world of Forever.  Snippets to come, so let me know what you think!

4. Just in time for Christmas, audiobooks for the series will be released by December 1st. This is new territory for me, long overdue, but exciting to explore. I will give you updates on this as they come. Pretty exciting, huh? Let me know what you think. Which one are you most looking forward to seeing?