Pull up a chair, let me pour you a hot cup of tea and let's get to know each other. I am the author of a fantasy/fiction love story called The Victor but I also write stories for other people as gifts.

They are wish fulfillment's and the person for whom they are written is the star of their story.

If you would like your own story, please email me at: thevictorbook@sbcglobal.net.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Indian Summer

My wish was that I could grow up and have a relationship with the boy in this story, Sam, and become a singer.  We had been friends for about three years before we went to our second camp experience at Hume Lake, and it was at this camp that I lost my purity bracelet (in this story, it was a ring).  I had been looking for the bracelet all night and crying.  I told some of my other girlfriends about it, but they didn't seem sympathetic to me at all.  I went upstairs in the game building at Hume (if you've been to Meadow Ranch, Hume Lake, you know this as the ARK) and just cried.  Sam came in to say good night to everyone and noticed me.  He took me to the benches at camp and helped me to stop crying and get into a state of mind acceptable enough for the cabin, and then walked me around the long way back to my cabin.  Then, as I was just about to go up the stairs, Simon pulled me into a hug and I knew everything was going to be okay.  Through the end of the week, he made sure that I was ok and he tried to take care of me.  That week has been cemented in my mind, and sometime I wish I could relive it again.  The night that I was crying really showed me what a good friend he was, and what a great guy he is.  Camp inspired me to write two songs about this event and others, and my wish is that (when it is more appropriate for us) that we could have a pure relationship together.  Marlayne helped me to hope, and in a way, she fulfilled that wish.

                “Cathy – is that you?” said the distinctly male voice behind her. Cathy turned around from the registration desk then craned her neck back in order to make full eye contact with the owner of the voice.  A pair of dark brown eyes crinkled at her in a smile beneath gleaming dark brown eyebrows.
                The face looked vaguely familiar but the voice was much deeper which was to be expected since a good seven years had passed since she had last seen him…
                “Simon?”
                His grin at being recognized so quickly could have lit up the room. “You remember me!”
                Cathy blushed. “Of course I remember you!” She didn’t want to tell him how her heart had beat faster for him whenever she thought of him seven years ago. “What are you doing here?”
                “Same as you, apparently!” he smiled, waving his paperwork. “I’m one of Meadow Ranch’s camp counselors. I had such wonderful memories here that I wanted to relive them and share them with other kids. What age group are you doing?”
                “Thirteen-fourteen-fifteen,” Cathy replied, double-checking her paperwork. Despite the fact it had been years since they had seen each other, her heart was still skipping beats at the nearness of him. Sam had grown at least 12 inches and filled out nicely but he still had the same gentle look in his eyes.
                “Next!” called out the counselor registration clerk, holding out her hand for Cathy’s paperwork.
                “See you at the campfire tonight!” she grinned over her shoulder.
                “Absolutely,” Sam replied, dimples appearing on either side of his smile.
               
                The next few hours was a flurry of activity. She unrolled her sleeping bag and put her clothing put away in the platform tent then made the rounds to introduce herself to the girls in her group. Next it was dinner in the A-framed mess hall, camp songs, and clean up followed by the first campfire of the season. It was almost the last week of August but the air was turning cold and the leaves starting to turn the colors of fall. Cathy, Elizabeth, Emily and Sophie (all veterans of Meadow Ranch) helped the male counselors to start the fire then handed out wire hangers for toasting marshmallows as the campers gathered round. As usual the girls sat together in their cliques and the boys horsed around, throwing pine cones at each other and shoving pine needles down each other’s shirts until their counselor told them to knock it off. As each of the counselors got up, introduced themselves and gave their personal testimony about finding Jesus, the kids quieted down and began to listen.  At the end of the evening, Cathy stood up with some of the other counselors and sang a song that she had written herself, teaching the kids the chorus as she went so they could join in. On the last verse they all stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders and sang, swaying back in forth. Cathy’s heart filled with joy as she watched them and remembered how important coming to this camp had been for her when she had been their age.
                As the campers drifted off arm in arm to their cabins, Cathy felt a little tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Simon smiling down on her.
                “That was beautiful, did you write that?” he asked.
                Cathy nodded; too tongue-tied to do anything else.
                “Would you like to go for a walk and catch up before heading to bed?” he asked.
                “Let me make sure all my girls are safely in for the night first,” Cathy replied.
                “Sounds good…meet you at the zip line in about an hour? Bring your sweatshirt; it’s going to be cold.”
                “Okay.” Cathy replied. It was all she could do not to run all the way back to her camp area. Instead she walked away purposefully but she could feel Sam’s eyes on her back because of the thrill which kept coursing down her spine. After doing a head count and making sure everyone was in bed, Cathy ran to the zip line where she found Simon waiting for her. He had a walking stick with him that he had carved, a flashlight and some leftover s’mores from the campfire.
                “So what have you been up to since I last saw you?” he began, handing her a s’more.
                “Writing and performing my music a lot,” Cathy replied. She then went on in detail about all the opportunities God had brought her way to share her music with others and the lives it had touched. “I have been studying music and taking classes to get my teaching credentials so hopefully I can teach music once I’ve earned my degree. What about you?”
                “I’m in college studying mathematics and engineering,” he replied. “I’ll be interning next year at an engineering firm but took this summer off to come back to camp as a counselor. I have so many wonderful memories here and I wanted to be involved in helping kids find the Lord or grow deeper in their relationship with God before going into the workforce full time.”
                The continued to walk and talk for the next hour and before she knew it, Sam had walked her back to her cabin. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes very intently.
                “I really enjoyed talking with you, Cath,” he said. “Would you mind going for a walk with me again tomorrow night after chapel?”
                Cathy nodded; she was hoping he would ask her again. There was just something about Sam that made her feel “at home” and completely accepted. “I’d love to,” she replied with a grin. The next thing she knew, he was bending over her hand and kissing the top.
                “Until tomorrow, milady!” he murmured with a grin. He turned and walked off with a happy swagger in his step. Cathy turned around to find several heads peaking out the windows of cabins and doorways.
                “Back to bed! We’re getting up early!” she ordered her girls who were all grinning at her. She made her way to her cabin, brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas and lay on her cot staring at the ceiling too excited to go to bed despite the fact that she had to get up at the crack of dawn the following day. Sam had unexpectedly come back into her life again and now all she could think of was him.

                For the rest of the summer Cathy was kept busy with various activities throughout the day: arts and crafts, hiking, swimming, zip lines, games but every evening she and Sam would walk together under the dark pine trees and talk about their hopes, dreams and future plans. The campers had finally stopped giving them grief over their nightly trysts and had finally come to accept their friendship as part of the daily routine.  Summer was swiftly drawing to a close and Cathy was dreading when camp would finally come to an end.  She and Sam had grown very close over the last few weeks and the thought of never seeing him again was weighing heavily upon her heart. She just didn’t know what to do about it.
                The last evening before camp was over they went for their usual walk hand in hand. Sam was very quiet as was she; she assumed he was as consumed with his private regrets at the summer ending as she was. They walked together in companionable silence then sat down just outside the mess hall.
                “You’re really quiet tonight,” Sam ventured, taking both of her hands in his. “Is anything bothering you?”
                Cathy nodded. “I’m really going to miss you,” she mumbled, wiping a tear out of her eye before it could drip down her nose.
                Sam let go of her hands and instead put his arm around her shoulders. “I feel the same way, Cath-“ he said softly, letting her rest her head upon his shoulder. “But I don’t want to miss you.”
          “What do you mean?” Cathy replied, her heart suddenly plunging. Had she been mistaken about his feelings for her all this time?        
          Sam pulled his arm away for a moment, dug around into his pants pocket and brought out a folded handkerchief. “I have something that belongs to you,” he said, placing it into her hands.
          Cathy looked down as he shone the flashlight down on the linen square as she unfolded it. There glistening fitfully in the moonlight was the chastity ring she had lost years ago at this very camp.
          “Where did you get this?” she gasped, her throat already beginning to choke up.
“I found it after you left camp seven years ago,” Sam replied, putting his arm back around her. “I held onto it all this time in the hopes of seeing you again.”
Cathy looked up at him; her eyes beginning to swim with tears. “Really?” she whispered. Sam nodded, took the purity ring and slipped it over the middle finger of her left hand.
“Will you promise to wait for me while I finish college?” he asked, looking deeply into her eyes.
“Are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?” Cathy whispered, her heart pounding.
Sam got down on one knee and held her hands in his. “Cathy …would you do me the honor of accepting this promise ring?” he whispered.
“Yes,” Cathy whispered, the tears now spilling down her cheeks with joy. “I would be glad to wait for you, Sam.”

THE END
               

Monday, January 3, 2011

Reviews for Make a Wish

THE best book EVER!!!!
 Do you ever wish your dream could come true? Or that you could have just one more moment with a deceased love one to tell them how much they meant to you? If you do, then this is an absolutely FANTABULOUS book just for you. This author is like no other author, and God truly uses her to share happiness in the lives of others. I'm still, as I sit here sharing my thoughts on this book, in awe of how completely incredible this book is.

In this "Make a Wish" book, Marlayne Giron creates short stories from peoples wishes. These stories play out like they would if it really happened. Marlayne, at the beginning of each "wish"/chapter tells a little bit about the person and their wish, and then jumps into the wish fulfillment story that stars that wish maker. Each wish is unique, some are about dreams and hopes of marrying prince charmings or knights in shining armor, some about getting that one more moment with a loved one, and some of them about getting one more chance to walk again. No matter what they are about, though, each have something in common with the one before it: they are all gifts from God. They are, simply put: beautiful. Of course, while many while make you smile, you must have LOTS of Kleenex available, for you will cry rivers after reading some (or, in my case, ALL) of them.

If there was any way possible, I would give this book 5 TRILLION stars instead of simply 5. Yes, it will remind you a lot of the "Make A Wish Foundation", but it's beautiful just like that. This book of wish fulfillments isn't just for kids, like the MAW Foundation....it's for ALL of God's wonderful children, both young and old. So, whether you have a wish or not, I HIGHLY recommend this book to every one. You will fall in love with the book and it's author. And, if you didn't have a wish before, this book will leave you wishing...and hoping...and dreaming. And, if that happens, you should contact Marlayne! With God's guidance, she'll make it come true for you. I should know-she fulfilled my wish for me, too!- http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com/

Heart touching fairy tales for real life
Do you have a moment in time you wish you could relive? Do you ever wish your dream could come true? Or that you could have just one more moment with a deceased love one to tell them how much they meant to you? Everyone does, no matter what their age. Author Marlayne Giron has found the way to make this happen for several people in a very unique, faith-filled way.

In "Make a Wish", Marlayne Giron creates short stories from people's wishes. At the beginning of each chapter Marlayne tells a little bit about the person and their wish, then jumps into their wish fulfillment story. Each wish is unique, some about hopes of marrying, whether it be a Japanese Christian, a Prince Charming, or a noble Knight. A few are about getting that one more moment with a loved one, a chance to say what you didn't get to say or to let them know how much you miss them and love them. For one, it is about one more chance to walk again, and another, a chance to say what he never can to his parents, play basketball with his father and take his mother and sister for a day of pampering. No matter what they are about, though, they all have one thing in common: all are gifts from God. You will run through many emotions while reading Marlayne's wish fulfillment stories - laughter, happiness, joy, sadness and heartache. But your heart and soul will be touched in a beautiful, uplifting way.-I highly recommend reading "Make A Wish" to everyone.
- Beverly Grider (Beverly's Bookshelf)



The Silver and Gold of Writing
What Marlayne Giron has done with the hardships of life is nothing short of amazing. It has often been said there is a silver lining beneath every dark cloud. Although, that is a gentle word of encouragement, the difficult part is fighting through the darkness to see that glimpse of silver. Making a Wish takes the hopes of the oppressed and hurting on a journey into their dreams to search for the silver lining. Even when circumstance will not allow for a physical change in reality, one can never stop the heart from dreaming...wishing...hoping. When we can do that beneath the wings of Christ, the silver lining becomes nothing less than golden. Marlayne Giron has taken these true-to-life wishes and adorned them with jewels of hope and encouragement. She has taken the idea of a wish, and in the gentleness of her words, turned back time for just a moment...because sometimes; all we need is a moment.

Making a Wish will stir your heart, swipe at your emotion and make you stretch your arms toward the love of an amazing God. Stretch--dream--wish...for wishes can come true. - Cindy Sproles, ChristianDevotions.us Editor


Make a Wish...Poignant and Powerful
Imagine a quadriplegic man walking again, experiencing sensation in his legs and running! It is the fondest wish of a man confined to a wheel chair since the age of fourteen, so his friend, Marlayne writes a story that fulfills his wish. She writes a story where he is the main character and can walk!

Another one of the stories, sees a young J.R.R. Tolkien fan become an "elf" and live amongst the fantasy characters that Tolkien created in his Lord of the Rings books. A woman, mourning the sudden and inexplicable loss of her daughter, experiences one last memory-making afternoon with her; another woman battling cancer and fearful of dying is visited by other dear family members who have come back to her from heaven to encourage and to calm her fears. A family that loves watching the T.V. show "Extreme Home Makeovers" get their wish to get a brand new home. An infertile young couple get to experience the joy of holding their own child... Every story comes to life with vibrant detail and throughout the telling, the author fulfills the wish of every person and gives all glory to God in the process. This is a brilliant concept, (using fiction to bless individuals in such a poignant and profound manner) and the story lines have such limitless potential! Encouraging in every way, this book is a beautiful tribute to each individual the author blesses with a "wish".
I absolutely loved this book! - Lynn Dove



Review: Have you ever wished for just one more day with a deceased loved one?  Have you ever wished for something that was entirely impossible?  If you have, you'll enjoy Make a Wish: Stories Written for Real People Where They are the Star.

Make a Wish is a compilation of short stories.  Each story features one person whom Marlayne Giron, the author knows.  The stories reflect the main characters' deepest desires, whether they are to see a loved one again, be free from a physical limitation, or realize a long-held dream.

Each story is different in its own way, and each one was touching, especially when you put the story in context with the main character's real life.  This book kept making me cry, the stories were so tender and sweet.  There is a Christian element to Make a Wish in that several of the stories feature a loved one up in heaven.  I'm no great fan of short stories, which is what kept this from being a five-star book for me personally, but I did really enjoy this book. - http://idsoratherbereading.blogspot.com/ 


Exceptionally Heartfelt Storytelling by An Amazing Wordsmith!


It is not by accident that I am posting the review for this book on Valentine's Day. One of the most loving gifts I received last year was my own Wish Fulfillment story, entitled `Sword of the Spirit' (you can see my blog post here ([...]).
The story is included in this book.

The stories range from heartwarming to laugh out loud funny. Marlayne has a real gift for writing; each of the stories is a pleasure to read.

`Butterfly Kisses,' about a young lady taken from this earth far too soon, is especially poignant. `No Ordinary Day at the Mall' is Hannah, a Christian home-schooled blogger's story about her future husband - featuring her favorite - lots of flowers! It started out at the mall - but did not end there! That is a fun one! `Wistful Wedding' is amazing - a dream come true!

I especially liked the story in Chapter 35, entitled, "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." This is the real-life story of how Marlayne met her husband, Michael. What a sweet, sweet story! They have been married for 24 wonderful years!

Marlayne has an amazing writing style; I love to read her work! Some people just have that gift, and she is definitely one of them. And she takes the person's original wish to whole new levels of tenderness and care. She is so creative and her writing is so descriptive; her imagination knows no bounds. Marlayne - take me away!

I can't think of any other book that is quite like this book. It is a combination of feel-good stories and tearjerkers that you don't find every day. You can set the book on your nightstand and read it over and over again.

The great news is that some Christian publishing companies are interested in publishing this book, as well as future books from Marlayne's computer. I just know this book would appeal to a mass audience, and I look forward to seeing where God takes Marlayne on her publishing journey, which is all to glorify her Lord!

The digital version of this book was generously provided to me by the author for review purposes.
Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea blog - [...]

 

Wish Fulfillment Stories