TESSA STOCKTON, Novelist
  • Home
  • Books
  • Bio
  • Blogette
     Speculative Fiction
           Biblical Worldview

         Pressing through...        

Dedication

6/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have this relationship with the sky. When I wake up first thing, I grab a cup of coffee, step outside, glance up into its face and ask, “Well, what would you like to do today?” And whether the answer is filled with clarity, clouds, storms, or stillness, I make it a point to add, “This day belongs to you, Lord.” It has become a habit, this daily dedication. No matter what, come what may; in good times, bad times (you know I’ve had my share 🎶), there is no other name under heaven than Yeshua.
 
I’m a seer yet can’t seem to see what’s directly ahead of me right now (the irony). Other than a few significant dreams—about ships and clocks, specific people and cultures—I have no idea what God is doing. Yet, for some reason, I can glimpse up at the expansive sky and find reassurance, a reminder that HE’S got this day, and every day is in his hands. Instead of analyzing or fretting, I can rest in his presence, trust in faith, albeit blind faith sometimes.
 
As I was out visiting my horse, pondering the meaningful metaphors of the sky, I looked upward when my favorite Mr. Heron made a sudden appearance, changed direction and flew right over my head. I watched the stoic air-traveler meld into the horizon. I then drew a big breath—because I think I’d stopped breathing for a second there—and exhaled with pleasure. Then last night when I greeted the full moon, I acknowledged and appreciated its reflection of the cross.

Picture
Yeah, the sky inspires me. It is ever-present yet full of surprises. Just like my God who created the lovely, larger-than-me-and-my-issues, hope-filled sky. This day belongs to him.

0 Comments

Silent

10/25/2021

0 Comments

 
​​Everyone has a voice, but do we need to use it? Sometimes. But sometimes we use it way too much. When heated opinions take center stage. One roars like a lion until the other roars in response. Pretty soon, everybody is roaring. If everybody is roaring, we can’t hear each other. We cancel each other out, leaving nothing except loud chaos and whirling anger, with the risk of manifesting into damaging animosity.
Picture
​Sometimes… sometimes a period of silence is good medicine. Next time someone roars at you with something to prove, consider taking a step back. To meditate, pray, refresh, and explore better and more effective options before we run each other into the ground. Or maybe welcome a respite and allow the Lion of Judah to handle the issues of the day instead of taking matters into our own hands. Try letting go (note to self).
 
​“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”—Exodus 14:14
 
Just something to chew on other than the sinews of those we’d consider our opponents; because the climate has been sounding extra shrill. Have a silent day.
Picture
0 Comments

First-Draft Fray

4/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
At last, I finished the first draft of one of my current works-in-progress. And this novel was a struggle. One of the biggest hurdles in my creative writing process, both in length and ethics. Took over a year to complete—a COVID-year, mind you, but still!
 
Normally, when I end a first draft, I want to celebrate. I’ve known colleagues to even crack open a bottle of bubbly at this early stage (with another after publication). The foodie that I am, I prefer grabbing one of my favorite meals: tacos, Thai, or t-t-t-t-t—spaghetti. Except, after I typed the last key yesterday, I was so spent that I nearly slid from my chair to the floor in an exhale, curled up, and sucked my thumb. Today, I feel like this Shaun the Sheep-ish depiction.

​Standing alone in an amber space (sort of like a caution light between go and stop), nursing on a Binky, wide-eyed. Determining if the inner turmoil and opposition to completing this book was because of divine inspiration and the start of something new… or it’s crap. There’s a fine line there, ha!
 
Since I have other active stories, it’s time to rotate and finish another while this one ferments. Have to let the manuscript sit for a while until I can come back to it with fresh eyes.

This is just another friendly FYI post by your Shaun the Sheep-ish stand-in. Still standing, at least…

0 Comments

Nature Hug

11/23/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Whenever out in the woods, or sleeping in the hammock under the stars, I feel closer to God (sense God close); I feel less alone in the world. When the commotion of society, along with its grumpy people, tax me too much, the need to head out into nature for a refresher becomes almost insurmountable. I get the desperate urge that I have to live… I have to breathe again, to renew again. The wilderness offers an active, unpredictable, and rejuvenating energy, a salve for the weary-hearted. It’s not the worship of creation but recognition of our Great Creator; his creation to take delight in and appreciate. I can worship God by glancing at a leaf, Baruch HaShem. (I just need, sometimes, to feast my eyes on PILES of them now littering the forest floor).
 
Last week for me was a regular nature fest, several long hikes—one in the early morning in fog so thick you could cut it, which is my favorite condition! (And I so love witnessing fog dissipate when the sun breaks through). At night, with the temperature dropping allowing the cover of frost, I pulled my blankets outside stumbling to the hammock and wrapped up in a cozy cocoon, all toasty, with just a slit for my not-yet-frozen eyeballs to take in the spread of stars. Sensing his presence, I whispered, “Ah, there you are, Lord, I’ve missed you.” Just then, a shooting star wrapped the night sky above with a bow around my heart. I had the best night’s sleep!
 
It’s not that God isn’t omnipresent, but it’s sometimes hard for me to sense him in the daily grind. Once out in the woods teeming with life, though, I admire his creativity in the sights, scents, and sounds of nature. My mind unclutters, and I can pray with clarity. I don’t feel alone anymore. I feel more alive than ever. (I’ve been like this since I was a kid seeking adventure, getting lost in the woods that ever drew me, along with my sisters, or on horseback, more times than I can count). There may be some reading this who might not relate; however, I know there are many others like me who relish nature and consider it a part of God’s healing balm, a hug for the seeker. (I know you’re out there because I read your blogs, memoirs, and autobiographies!)
 
I don’t know why I’ve shared this, but there it is anyway. Enjoy your day.

​“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.”—Eleanora Duse
2 Comments

Falling Leaves Spotlight

11/18/2019

2 Comments

 
PicturePhoto by Markus Spiske/Pixabay
I’m a seasonal woman. I love seasons. Winter maybe a little less, as I’m not a fan of driving on ice and snow. Thank goodness I live in an area where winter is fairly short and temperate. By the title of this post you may have guessed my favorite season: autumn.

Leaves are falling in abundance, although it seems the trees shouldn’t have much left at this stage but they still do. When yesterday darkened, I glanced out the window and witnessed a flash of burnt orange, gold and crimson leaves lift off a tree as the wind carried them away in a flurry. I thought about the symbolism of that, an allegory, a spotlight on shedding dying or dead things in circumstances. In my own life.


I love transitions, too, sometimes even the difficult ones. It’s the feeling of having to move forward through something that I appreciate. The shedding season is here in its full-blown glory. I doubt I’ll hunker down and go dormant this winter; it’s against my nature, even though something about that idea is soothing to the soul. But I will expect a sort of newness after the passing of this winter. A kind of renewal in gearing up for spring. I wonder what that renewal will actually look like; and the other side of it? I guess I won’t know until I get there. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the glinting beauty of scattering leaves while I can, and grab another cup of clove-flavored coffee helping to make the necessary shedding process a little more comfortable.

2 Comments

Cave and Cavern Exploration

6/18/2019

0 Comments

 
About an hour from where I live, carved within the earth’s oldest mountain chain is a caving system consisting of one of the largest caverns in the eastern United States. Within Tuckaleechee Caverns is the most sensitive seismic station detecting earthquakes, as well. There are so many incredible things about this experience. I happen to live in a region boasting of caves to explore! Since I’m fascinated with caves and had family visiting, you guessed it, we went caving.
 
We also road the Lookout Mountain’s Incline Railway with a 72.7% grade, one of the world’s steepest passenger railways, a mile long, and also about an hour from where I live (lucky me). But because I’m afraid of heights and needed both hands to hang onto something/anything solid, I didn’t snap any photos. Fortunately, I got into conversation with several vacationing Brits, which distracted me from the dizzying open air and potential fall from the heights to my death. Give me tight, dark spaces to wiggle through in the bowels of the earth any day. But put me on top of the mountains and I turn to jelly. The Brits have no idea, but they saved my life. :D

​Some members of my family are quite shy, so no photos shared here. My cool son who is my very own minor had little to say in the matter, so there he is, living large in the cavern.
 
We capped the week off by motorcycling. Between the humidity, dampness of that particular cavern (ceiling drips, waterfalls, pools and streams), and helmet head, my hair fell very flat. Don’t judge me. :P
Jaws of the cave, enter at risk
Creatures present in the stream, including bright orange lizards with black spots
The amazing (and amazingly funny) Brandi, our speleological expert
A bat cave. I happen to think they're cute and harmless. They've gotten a bad rap
Caves are very much alive
Evidence of plant life deep under, green algae
Because caves take my breath away, they have made appearances in several of my novels. In fact, my latest thriller takes place exclusively in the subterranean world. Time for a shameless plug for REMNANT:
“Today I thought I’d cave dive, instead opened the world to the dead. Now I’m where I do not belong and don’t know how to get back.”  
#Giants #Nephilim #Underworld

Picture
GET BOOK
Cheers.
0 Comments

Me and My Smartphone

8/27/2014

2 Comments

 
A love/hate relationship, that’s what I have with my smartphone. I love that I can access a library of books and music wherever I go. I love certain apps from the convenient GPS to a metronome. I even favor the alarm clock feature. And there’s a certain level of security with a smartphone. If you get stuck, virtually anything is one call or swipe away.

I hate that I've come to carry my smartphone from the downstairs to the upstairs, room to room. When I realized that leaving the device behind made me apprehensive I decided to go dark for a few days. Yes that’s right, I turned it off and shoved it aside. You know what happened? I plugged into my writing better, met a deadline faster, etc., without multilevel distractions. I had clarity of mind, focus, and the environment held peace. Later in the day I acted kinder, with more patience. And I slept well without the bombardment of texts that I've known to continue to 1 AM. I remember the day when it was considered inappropriate to makes calls or visits after 9 PM. Does text etiquette exist? I wouldn't know.

Maybe this course of action wasn't such a good idea in its entirety, because I did happen to miss a few impromptu engagements. But, I don’t know, it seemed some detachment was needed.

Hello again, world! I've come back to you, to the crazy, hectic, and always a tap-call-or-buzz away by the power of a button.  It’s me and my smartphone again. Together we love/hate. Although, I've since come to believe that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder…and healthier…and maybe I shouldn't depend on a device so much, or be at communication’s beck and call without a little therapeutic solitude now and again.
2 Comments

5-Minute Vacations

2/23/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Photo: Brian Stansberry/Creative Commons"
The sky had an orange hue this morning. Low lying fog hugged the Smoky    Mountains. In a lull between storm systems, a ray of sun broke through the ominous cloak of wispy clouds. While driving in my car, I zipped down the windows and met a strange mix of cool-warm air. I inhaled deeply.

A spirit of thankfulness came over me. “Thank you, God, for this fresh air!” Then I passed skunk road-kill that putrefied things a bit. Ah, such is life…it’s complicated. But that odor didn’t last long. Unpleasant things always pass. They always do. I waited it out, and sure enough I was embraced by fresh air once more. In that moment I could actually hear myself think—and all I wanted to do was thank God for that 5-minute vacation.

Prayers impart strength. Mini vacations, sanity.
0 Comments
    Picture
    TESSA STOCKTON, AUTHOR, BLOG - Pressing through life, love, a few things that matter, and some that don't. (I'm also a spirit-filled Messianic Jew, so you'll find a lot about that here too.)
    Picture


    ​NEW TITLE OUT​

    Picture
    GET BOOK

    Picture

    SUSPENSION
    A short story
    ​​FREE at Select stores
    ​

    Get SUSPENSION

    Picture

    For Tessa's new
    ​book alerts:

    SUBSCRIBE
    FOLLOW ON AMAZON

    VIEW BLOGGER PROFILE

    Goodreads: Book reviews, recommendations, and discussion

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Acfw Bookclub
    Africa
    Aging
    Allegorical
    Angst Fiction
    An Hour In Heaven
    Animals
    Anna Bolena Opera
    Anna Netrebko
    Annie Lennox
    Answered Prayer
    Argentina
    Author Interview
    Ballet West
    Barber's Adagio For Strings
    Biblical Worldview
    Blogging
    Bluegrass Underground
    Book Giveaway
    Book Tours
    Branding
    Breaking Pointe
    Bruce Judisch
    Choices
    Choreography
    College-age Characters
    Compassion
    Contemporary Romance
    Contests
    Contract
    Conviction
    Creativity
    Culture
    Cumberland Caverns
    Dance
    Dark
    Dark Horse
    Death & Life
    Debate
    Deep Sorrow
    Definitions
    Dirty War
    Disappointment
    Discipleship
    E Books
    E-books
    Empathy
    Enovella
    Equine
    E Readers
    E-readers
    Estratasphere
    Expression
    Fairy Tales
    Faith
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Romance
    Fear
    Fiction
    Films
    First Nations
    Flamenco
    Forgiveness
    For Maria
    Friends
    Georg Mertens
    Giants
    Globus
    Goddess Fish Book Promotions
    Gogol Bordello
    Grace
    Grief
    Guitar
    Gustaw Szelski
    Gypsy Music
    Hanna Senesh
    Hanukkah
    Heart Seeing
    Heart Seeing
    Hesitation
    Hidden Children
    Hiking
    Historical Fiction
    Hoodoo
    Horses
    Hummingbird And The Flower
    Hunger Games
    Hype Vs. Humanity
    Icfw
    Impatience
    Influential Literature
    Influential Music
    Inspirational
    Integrity
    Intercession
    Internet
    Introspection
    Introvert
    Invitation To Dance
    Irrational Love
    Irritations
    Jacque's Whistle Stop Cafe
    Jenolan Caves
    J.R.R. Tolkien
    Katia
    K. Dawn Byrd
    Kindness
    Leo Tolstoy
    Lessons From The Open Road
    Life
    Losses And Gains
    Losses And Gains
    Love
    Lya Luft
    Maasai
    Many Tribes
    Marguerite Duras
    Marketing
    Meekness
    Mermaids
    Mermen
    Midweek Slump
    Mini Vacations
    Miracles
    Missionaries
    Missions
    Motorcycles
    Muse
    Musicals
    National Dance Day
    Native Americans
    Nature
    Nephilim
    New Release
    Night Owl Reviews
    Nostalgia
    Novella
    One Church
    Opera
    Outdoors
    Palace Of Mirrors
    Paranormal
    Peace
    Personality Types
    Perspective
    Pets
    Pirate
    Poetry
    Politics
    Prayer
    Promo
    Publicists
    Publicity
    Publishing
    Pump Up Your Book
    RED
    Regret
    Religion
    Reminiscing
    Remorse
    Rerelease
    Reviews
    Richard Smallwood
    Richard Twiss
    Risk
    Romance
    Romance Genre
    Romantic Mystery
    Sailor Envy
    Sandy Hook Tragedy
    Sanity
    Sea God's Siren
    Secrets
    Shattered Identity
    Smuggled Mutation
    Soul Mate Publishing
    Speculation
    Speculative
    Spirit Filled Living
    Spirit-filled-living
    Spiritual Affirmation
    Spiritual Warfare
    Steven D. Scheibe
    Storms
    Supernatural
    Suspense/Thriller
    Sytycd
    The Brother's Keep Series
    The Civil Wars
    The Met
    The Paganini Duo
    The Phantom
    The Secret Of The Love Letters
    The South
    The Unforgivable
    The Unspeakable
    Total Praise
    Trails
    Tree Lord's Oracle
    Trials
    Unruly Guides
    Vampire
    Versatile
    Violence In Literature
    Violin
    Wade Robson
    Waiting
    Wandering
    Wbir
    Whiter Shade Of Pale
    Wiconi International
    Wild Mustang
    Wind's Aria
    Wings Epress
    Wip
    Wisdom
    Writers
    Writing
    Wwii

    Archives

    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

"For news to be good it has to invade bad spaces."—Matt Chandler
​
CONTACT

COPYRIGHT © 2022 TESSA STOCKTON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Books
  • Bio
  • Blogette