Lady and the Sea cover story

Yesterday when I went to have my hair trimmed (and yes, colored), I handed my hairdresser a copy of Lady and the Sea. She stared at it for a few seconds then asked as she pointed to the dark shading on the front of the ship, "What is this?" Hmm, I had never looked quite that close to the ship under such a bright light. I answered, "It looks like a shadow; what do you think?"

She explained, "The first thing that came to my mind is Psalm 91:1:

He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

The Holy Spirit gave me a vision to what I should put on the cover, but without me knowing, God had put his personal mark on the cover of Lady and the Sea.

I am blessed to have a hairdresser that has spiritual insight to her surroundings (without being spooky, I might add), so I took this as a sign from above. The MS Restoration truly sailed the seven seas under the shadow of the Almighty. Read her story and see for yourself.

When she added, "Another thing I see: a movie!" we laughed as we thought of famous actors who would play the main characters. Hey, a gal can dream can't she? Isn't that how dreams come true?

My simple word for you today: Don't stop dreaming. My dream was to one day have my book published and in the hands of thousands of wonderful readers. Today, Lady and the Sea is my reality. Don't stop dreaming ... choose to lose sight of your shore and jump into a new ocean! Swim and play around in the waves. That's when your dreams will come true.

Oceans of blessings!

He protected us on our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. Joshua 24:7

www.sharonleaf.com

Announcing "Lady and the Sea"

~You cannot discover new oceans until you are willing to lose sight of the shore~

Hello friends everywhere,

I am happy to announce that my debut novel, Lady and the Sea, is now available this October 18th, my husband's birthday. Happy Birthday Rob!

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Lady and the Sea is a novel based on a true story that takes place in the mid-nineties. After two failed marriages, forty-eight-year-old Rosie Atkisson struggles through the painful process of rebuilding her life with husband, Jesse, in Southern California. But the settled rhythm of her newfound comfort is interrupted by a tug in her heart when she encounters a haunting photo of another aging lady, the World War II vessel, MS Restoration. A special mission to transport Russian Jews from Sochi, Russia, to Haifa, Israel, means an adventure of a lifetime; does Rosie dare pass up this dangerous assignment that will take her thousands of miles from her family and comfortable life? In spite of her fear of water and the unknown condition of the ship, Rosie thinks this might be the opportunity she's been waiting for to serve God.

After surviving fourteen months on board the old ship, from a hurricane to a heart attack, from miracles to menopause, and now being held at gunpoint in the Haifa Harbor, Rosie wonders if she will ever return to her own safe harbor.

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Writing Lady and the Sea has been a long, wonderful journey, and now I am honored to share the story of the MS Restoration and the lady who loved her. Their back story, up until the day they meet, will inspire and encourage readers that fifteen-minutes-of-fame may be all we need to change another person's destiny for the better. Perhaps it's time for you to leave your safe harbor and jump into a new ocean.

You may read Chapter One, and purchase Lady and the Sea on the websites:

www.sharonleaf.com then click on "The Book"

www.Amazon.com

www.BarnesandNoble.com

www.WestBowPress.com

Available on e-books.

Thank you for sharing in my excitement and I hope to hear from you soon. Follow me on Facebook, and NO, I do not twitter. *smile*

Oceans of blessings, Sharon

To be or not to be ... her Publicist

I was sittin' on the front porch this afternoon, sipping my sweet tea, when my niece arrived in a tizzy. Relax, Shaa-ren, and sit a spell I told her, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"Aunt Eunice, my book is going to be released in two weeks and I'm up a creek without a paddle. Would you be my publicist? Please?"

"Darlin', haven't you planned for your future?" I asked, but when her face turned chalk white, I knew the answer. "By all means, don't panic. We'll think of something. Now, let me see, I'm going to have to rearrange my schedule. I'm already Betty White's publicist, and Regis Philbin is begging me to promote his book that's coming out in November."

"And have you heard the latest?" Shaa-ren asked. "Steve Job's biography is coming out October 24th!"

"My, you chose an awful time for your book release!" was all I could say.

"Oh, Auntie, what shall I do?"

When I asked if she had done any advertising and she shook her head, I looked her straight in the eyes. "Well then, let's get down to business: do you have any friends?"

She hesitated. "A few."

I grabbed a pen and paper. "Then we'll create a contract and make everyone you know sign on the dotted line, swearing that they'll purchase at least twenty copies ... one for them, one for their mother, their daughter, their friends, their enemies ... anyone who can read. Got that?" Before she could answer, I continued, "Do you have neighbors?" Shaa-ren smiled. "Oh, yes! I talked to one just last week."

As she poured herself a glass of sweet tea, I shook my head and took the glass. "Remember, no more sweet tea. As soon as you hit the TV screen, fifteen extra pounds will appear!" But when she frowned, I handed her the glass. "Oh, never mind. We'll just keep you off TV and put you on the radio. Without botox, you're a goner in this media frenzy; they'll eat you up alive."

After an hour of brainstorming, I took hold of Shaa-ren's hands and proclaimed, "Darlin', you are going to be one big success! You will have your fifteen minutes of fame! Just keep the faith, keep your head held high, and stay away from all TV interviews!"

...to be continued ...

To Style, or NOT to Style

This is not going to work. I should never have asked Aunt Eunice to be my stylist ... why had I been so desperate? I knew it was a mistake the minute she barged into my house today to deliver my book-launch outfit. "Wait 'til ya see this, darlin'!" she bragged as she opened a tattered suit bag. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open as she held it out ever so proudly.

"Auntie, where did you get that?" I gasped.

"I made it of course, from leftovers of Betty White and Lady Ga-Ga's wardrobe."

"Leftovers ... you can say that again," I muttered.

"Here, try it on," Aunt Eunice said. "It took several hours to design this and then put it together."

There it was...a red hot velvet jogging suit, covered with purple, green, and yellow ostrich feathers, sprinkled all over with multi-colored rhinestones.

"How many hours did you say this took?" I asked as I rubbed the worn velvet between my fingers, then sneezed as a feather broke loose of the material and blew across my nose. "Ugh, Auntie, I've been thinking about going with a simple black dress, black leggings, and black boots."

Aunt Eunice looked shocked. "Do you realize that I was originally designing this for Nancy Reagan? Anyone in their right mind would die for this ensemble."

"You are right, Auntie," I answered softly. "So please, please, give it to Nancy. Her heart would break if she saw me wearing something especially designed for her."

Eunice smiled. "You are a real sport, Shaa-ren." She kissed me on the cheek, then out the door she flew ... to where, I don't know. Her schedule is way too hectic for me, but I'm sure she'll be volunteering to help me in some other sweet way before my book release.

Hmm, now that I think about it ... I need a publicist!