Everyone wants to belong and to be loved, and Sini got both, but due to the cruelties of war, she stands to lose both—and more.
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Quote from The Girl in Gray.
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World War II novel set during the Winter War, The Girl in Gray is now available in ebook, paperback, and audio. See link in bio. .
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#booklover #bookquotes #kindleunlimited #audiblebooks #worldwar2history #worldwarii #historicalfiction #inspirational #winterwar #talvisota #finland🇫🇮 #suomi🇫🇮 #finnishwoman #historynerds #lyonwrites #girlingray #lottasvärd #kristanicely
Some thoughts on @drewbarrymore’s excellent Mother’s Day video: .
Being a mom has been my driving purpose and identity for nearly 25 years. These four once-little people have permanently changed me in ways they’ll likely never fully know.
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. . (Hard to believe that this picture was taken seven years ago. The youngest will soon be a high school senior, and my oldest daughter is about to be a mother herself.)
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Way before I was ever published, when I had three little ones, I quit writing for about 2 months, thinking I was too busy, and taking time to write was selfish.
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And then life fell apart. .
I quickly I learned that I couldn’t put off writing until my children were grown.
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Just as regular exercise helped me be healthy physically, regular writing helped my mental and emotional health. .
If I let either fall to the wayside, I wasn’t able to be the mom my kids needed and deserved. .
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My children deserved a mother who was physically healthy so she could care for them well. They deserved a mom who was patient and thoughtful and at peace. One not stuck in a pit of depression. . .
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So I exercised 5-6 days a week and wrote just as often, for THEM.
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I was a better mom BECAUSE I wrote for their entire childhoods. I’m glad my daughters grew up seeing that I put them first but also pursued my talents and dreams, and that they could do the same.
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I didn’t keep writing because I love myself so much or put myself first for my own sake. I loved my children enough to give them the best mom I could, and that meant I needed to write.
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What makes you a better you? What makes you a better human, a better citizen, sibling, parent, child, neighbor, aunt, grandmother, cousin, friend? .
For me, that’s exercise and writing. Whatever it is for you, do that.
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#mothersday2020 #motherhoodjourney #writingcommunityofinstagram #authorssupportingauthors #authorscommunity #authorsofig #whyiwrite #lyonwrites.
I’m beginning a new series: Write-Tip Wednesday! In my stories, I’ll share bite-sized tips for writing, grammar, usage, and mechanics (think punctuation).
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The first one is up now, and they’ll be collected in their own Write Tip Instagram highlight.
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Have a language or writing question you’d like me to answer? Pop it below in the comments or send me a DM!
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#writetipwednesday #writerstips #howtowrite #grammartips #writerscommunity #lyonwrites #editorlife #authorlife
📣 BIG NEWS! 📣
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The audio version of The Girl in Gray is now available! Get it as your free download for joining Audible, or use a credit for it. Also for sale on ACX.
LINK IN BIO!
What it’s about:
A country fighting to stay free.
A woman with an impossible decision.
In November of 1939, Sini Toivola is sure of two things: she loves Marko Linna, and she has a comfortable life in Helsinki. But when the massive Soviet army invades her beloved homeland and Marko spurns her affections, her life is turned upside down. Needing a fresh start, Sini decides to join the female volunteer corps—the Lotta Svärd—and is sent to serve near the front lines. Service at a field hospital proves a good distraction—until Sini discovers a Russian soldier lost behind their camp.
Duty requires her to turn him in, but her heart begs to keep him safe and help him escape. Torn between love for her country and love for her enemy, Sini must choose—but no matter what choice she makes, heart-wrenching consequences await them all.
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#books #audiobooks #audible #bookish #bookworm #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readinglife #amreading #readingaddict #bookaddict #winterwar #amazondeals #kindledeals #whatimreading #amreading #readersofinstagram #readingaddict #bookworm #amreading #bookish #booklover #booklovers #booklove #instaread #reading #bookshelf #lyonwrites #audiophile #audiolife #audiblebooks #audiblebooks #historicalfiction #wwiihistory #russianhistory #sovietunion
