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Fiction Author

Long Time No Talk with Sheila Deeth

LongTimeGreetings humans, half-breeds, and everything in between. Today I’m sharing a very special update from one of my dearest author friends, a trend I hope to develop more. It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed/hosted this special author or reviewed something of hers, but that’s just me being disorganized and frazzled as usual. Sheila is lively Christian author who I always enjoy having here at The ToiBox of Words.

So here’s an update on what she’s been doing.

Toi: So Sheila, how’s the family? Anything new happening?

Sheila: We’ve been enjoying an early spring while I’ve heard you’re struggling with an extended winter. Ironically, having moved thousands of miles away from our parents when we left England to come to the US, we now have two sons living in the same town as us. We invited them to lunch recently. I confessed we’d have to eat at our house rather than meeting downtown, since it’s the day we always phone “home” to talk with our parents. Middle son promptly replied that he enjoys eating lunch at our house – he made my day!

Toi: I cherish moments like that. If my parents lived closer, they’d surely be part of our monthly family dinners.

How’s your blog going? Anything interesting or standout posts go up recently?

Sheila: I think I try too hard and run too many blogs, but what’s new is a series of “Love in the Bible” posts that I’ve been creating for February on http://refracted-muse.blogspot.com/. I’m still posting book reviews, author interviews, and guest posts from authors on my main blog at http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/ and I’m working my way through Acts with questions for our Coffee Break Bible Study group on http://sheiladeethstudies.blogspot.com/

Toi: Keeping busy; I like it, though I can relate to taking on too much.

And did I hear that you have a new book coming out?

Sheila: The second in my, as yet unnamed, series of novels should come out soon from Second Wind Publishing. The title is Infinite Sum, and it tells the story of Sylvia from Divide by Zero – after letting past mistakes and sorrows wear her down with their infinite burden, she learns it’s the steps we take today that define us after all.

f8edd-bethlehem2527sbabycvrToi: I like the sound of this follow-up to Divided by Zero. I wish you all best with your release.

Any other ideas or goals you plan to manifest this year or in the near future?

Sheila: My future plans include turning those questions from Acts into more children’s stories for my Five-Minute Bible Story Series. They’re published with Cape Arago Press, and my publisher has even suggested he might bring out the Old Testament stories in print form soon – with illustrations! I’m working on the third novel in that series for Second Wind too. It’s called Subtraction, to be followed by Imaginary Numbers.

****

Well, wasn’t that a nice little update. Now don’t you want to take some time to visit her blogs and check out some of her books? You’ll be glad you did. Plus, you can head over to the Sheila Deeth blog right now to see an update from me.

If you like this update of my dear friend Sheila and are wondering about some of my other past guests, don’t worry; their updates are in the works. So, humans, half-breeds, and everything in between, that’s all I have for today.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Guest Posts Other

Interview with a Shepherd Boy by Sheila Deeth

Today is a very special treat. This is just one of many stops on the Bethlehem Tour so, let’s get right into things. The talented author, Sheila Deeth, is going to interview a shepherd boy and give a peek into his world.

Sheila: Thank you for the warm welcome Toi. I have a guest with me who’s been working on the hills near Bethlehem. I wondered if your readers would like to meet him.

Could you tell us your name, young man?

Boy: Eli, miss.

Sheila: And how old are you Eli?

Eli: Nearly twelve.

Sheila: And what do you do?

Eli: I’m a shepherd, miss. Like my dad. Like my dad’s dad.

Sheila: Your granddad, right? I remember you talking about him.

Eli: Yeah. Granddad’s a shepherd too, but he don’t get around too well these days. Sheep can chase him faster ‘an he chases them.

Sheila: Do you live with your granddad?

Eli: Not rightly, no. Mom and the kids live in a room over his house in Bethlehem. But me and the men, we stay out on the hills, looking after sheep.

Sheila: There are an awful lot of sheep out there. Are they all yours?

Eli: No. They’re everyone’s sheep. We all work together, looking after ‘em.

Sheila: Even when it’s cold?

Eli: Well, we’ve got tents and camp fires so we’re warm enough, unless it’s really bad. When it snows, we come down to town and put the sheep in the stables.

Sheila: Where are the stables?

Eli: Under the houses of course. We’ve nearly all got stables in the caves.

Sheila: So, I heard something rather special happened in a stable recently.

Eli: That’s right miss. That’s what you wanted me to talk about innit? ‘Course, I wasn’t there. But my Mom says it was cool.

Sheila: What happened?

Eli: Well, it was during the census thing. You heard about that?

Sheila: When people had to be registered in their home towns?

Eli: Those Roman overlords lording it over us, yeah. They had everyone travelling, roads all packed, and then the houses too. I mean, where you gonna put grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins three times removed plus their best friend’s sister in a one-room house?

Sheila: One room and a stable, right?

Eli: Yeah. So when this family arrives, a Mom and Dad, except she’s not properly a Mom yet, she has her baby in the stable.

Sheila: Was the baby all right?

Eli: He was perfect, they say, and half the town there looking at him.

Sheila: Why?

Eli: Well… shuffles awkwardly… that was our fault, sorta. ‘Cause these angels…

Sheila: Angels?

Eli: Yeah, angels—heavenly beings and all that. They were shining and singing out all over the sky. Then old Granddad—he’d been complaining all night about there being too much noise—well,  just as he’s finally starting to snore and letting the rest of us sleep, these angels start up.

Sheila: Singing?

Eli: Yeah, but not like any singing you’ve ever heard. Just, wow, like sheep and birds and stars and trees and leaves… and harps and music… I dunno. Like heaven maybe?

Sheila: They just sang?

Eli: They told us about the baby too. Told us Bible stuff, all about the Messiah as well. Folks now, they think Messiah’s gonna be a soldier or king maybe, and he’ll kick the Romans out. But we used to know the Messiah was gonna be a baby—born, not chosen, you see.

Sheila: Like that baby in the stable?

Eli: The angels said he was the Son of David, which kinda means Messiah. They said we should go see him so we did; even Granddad—I held his arm so he could run. Then we get there and this star’s shining over the house, but we go round back to the stable and find the baby there. We must have made too much noise though, just like Granddad kept saying, ‘cause then all the village comes running around to see ‘im. Place was packed out.

Sheila: So, was the baby the Messiah?

Eli: Well, I guess he is; it’s what the angels said. And these king-type people came to see him too, so he must be special.

Sheila: Kings?

Eli: Well, whatever. Foreigners, and not Romans. Rich guys with camels. We saw them just a few weeks back, riding along the road from Jerusalem. Then they just carried on after they’d seen him, out toward Decapolis.

Sheila: Can you tell us what’s the baby like?

Eli: Um, just a kid. He’ll be walking soon, so not a baby any more. But he’s kinda cute. Like a sheep with no wool. Smiles.

Sheila: Well, thinking of sheep, perhaps I should let you get back to your flocks now.

Eli: Thank you. I guess I should go. Actually… He frowns.

Sheila: Is something wrong?

Eli: Well, there’s soldiers out there on the road. Can you see them? Herod’s soldiers marching down from t’Herodium. You don’t suppose the old king’s planning to kill the Messiah kid do you? Man, this looks bad. Runs out the door.

Sheila: I guess our little interview’s over then. You take care, Eli, and thank you for talking with us. ‘Bye. And thank you, too, Toi.

****

image provided by author

Book Title: Bethlehem’s Baby

Series: The Five Minute Bible StoryTM Series, #6

Author: Sheila Deeth

Publisher: Cape Arago Press

Reading Level: Mid-grade

Genre: Christian fiction, children’s fiction, Bible stories

Content Rating: G

Available Formats: ebook

Purchase links: Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Smashwords

Book Blurb

Meet the Emperor Augustus’s advisors, the quiet research student helping wise men study stars, the shepherd whose granddad keeps complaining, an Egyptian fisherboy, a Roman soldier, and more in this set of 40 5-minute read-aloud stories based around the events of the Christ Child’s birth in Bethlehem.

Author Bio

Sheila Deeth is an English American, Catholic Protestant, mathematician writer, with a deep love of the Bible, faith, science, history and writing… and dogs.

Sheila Deeth links: About Me | Facebook Profile |
Facebook Author Page | Twitter: @sheiladeeth

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords