Expand Your Thinking and Imagination by Diana L. Flegal

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent.” – Dave Barry

For me, that is what a writer does. They show me what is inside the tent and under the surface of the water. Whether it is the characters of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt in Anne Perry's Victorian adventure fiction or Max Lucado speaking to me of living in my sweet spot in his book Cure for the Common Life.

Gifted authors expand our thinking and our imaginations.

Here are some one and two sentence teases as examples in titles I recently read and old favorites that grabbed me or made me LOL:

Christy award winning author Ann Tatlock's most recent release, Sweet Mercy:

"I missed her too, and yet, that life seemed far away and like the torn edges of an early morning dream."

Doug Varrieur's book, Fat to Skinny Fast and Easy opens with his relatable personal story:

"After the tape measure and the calculations were complete, this was the day Mr. Joubert announced to Mom that I was a special needs person. My only question was, "What was I going to get for a prize?" I didn't have to wait long for my reward; it arrived in the form of a pair of HUSKY jeans. Special jeans for special people..."

CS Lakin's prose in her title The Crystal Scepter is another:

"The troll with the hat laughed so hard that Perth felt waves of sour wind blow against his face. ..The other trolls joined in, and soon, in their merriment, they were guffawing and rolling in the dirt like rumphogs."

In Seizing Your Divine Moment: Dare to Live a Life of Adventure by Erwin McManus:

"If everything else remains uncertain, be clear on this point: there is a calling on your life."

Brennan Manning in Ruthless Trust:

"That is the way it is with trust. Over the years, it ripens into confidence."

M. Esther Lovejoy inspires me in her title, The Sweet Side of Suffering:

"It is our needs that draw us to the all-sufficient One and allow us to experience first hand the sweetness of His personal and loving care."

Cake by Joyce Magnin is a new favorite I recommend often:

 "The chickens, especially Dottie, went wild. Even the chickens that normally stayed in the coop most of the time came out for spaghetti and meatballs. They pecked and slurped up the spaghetti strands so fast that Eggberry kicked a meatball, and it rolled toward Slowpoke who just took her time and casually pecked at it."


Thank you for allowing me to share a few of my favorite authors with you here. I pray this summer you find many exciting books to read that will expand your imagination and your thinking.

Have a great day,
Diana