Category Archives: Books
Potter Knows Best – A Dream Becomes a Book
To follow is a reposting of a blog I wrote for my writing website, Purple PenWorks. I wanted to share with my Finally One followers what I’ve been up to lately:
Hello friends,
I can hardly believe I get to write this post: Potter Knows Best: Who Am I? has officially been released into the world!
This little book began as a story tucked into my heart over 10 years ago—a picture of the Potter shaping clay into something beautiful and useful. I wanted to share with children (and the adults who love them) that same truth:
We are each wonderfully and purposefully made by God.
In the story, we meet Daisy, her cat Socks, and the curious Little Bowl who longs to understand her place in the Potter’s shop.
Through whimsical adventures, we discover that every piece of pottery has a purpose, just like every child does. (And when the Potter’s away, the pots will play–and speak!)
One of the things that makes this book extra special to me is that it’s personal.
The artwork is inspired by my own family—Daisy is based on me as a child, the Potter is modeled after my father, and Socks the cat is drawn straight from my real-life pet. Even my mom plays Grandma (the Potter’s wife) and my sister plays Daisy’s older sister, Heather. (I also try to work my sister’s name in to just about every script I write.)
Here’s a peek into a few of the photos used for inspiration:
These familiar faces made the illustrations come alive in a way that felt both intimate and joyful. In fact, over a decade ago, I had this storybook illustrated, but the characters never looked quite right to me. So I shelved the project…for such a time as this.
A time when messages about self-worth, purpose, and value for children are so important.
This is more than just a book release for me. It’s the beginning of a series I hope will encourage families, spark imagination, and open conversations about faith.
I have some free downloadable giveaways on my website: (scroll to the bottom of the site)
Books 3 and 4 are coming in October 2025, “The Breakable Crackables,” which is where I get the chance to add my husband to the Potter Knows Best family. And let’s just say Socks has a much bigger (and mischievous) role.
If you’d like to get your own copy, Potter Knows Best: Who Am I? is now available through the series link on Amazon: (The storybook is available on both Kindle and Paperback. The coloring and activity book in paperback only.)
Coming soon will also be the narrated audio book version with one of my favorite actresses. More news on that to come.
It’s perfect for storytime, bedtime, or gifting to the little ones in your life.
I’d love for you to join me on this journey! This is just the beginning—more books are planned, and even dreams of audio dramas and animation down the road.
Thank you for celebrating this milestone with me. I pray that this story brings joy, wonder, and a reminder that the Potter knows best.
With gratitude,
Cheryl
PSALM 139:14
P.S. Here’s a peek into an illustration from early on, when first establishing the settings and styles, that didn’t make the book. But it’s one that I love seeing the likeness of my 3rd grade self hanging out with my mom and dad.
Stop Waiting on Hollywood To Tell Your Story
If you are anything like me as a writer, you don’t like waiting to see your work come to life. It’s often a long wait between movies getting filmed. I have one movie I co-wrote that is in production right now, but it’s been years since that’s happened. I’m thankful that during those years between I get the opportunity to work in novelizations. And that’s the process where my scripts get turned into novels.
I’m so thankful I was able to get to know the talented novelist, Rene Gutteridge, after she novelized my script for The Ultimate Gift. We went on to work on Never the Bride, Greetings from the Flipside, Love’s a Stage and O Little Town of Bethany. I also novelized Song of Springhill on my own, a story I’ve been working on since the late 90s. I so appreciate having an outlet to share stories, instead of…
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Love’s a Stage: a novel about making marriage last
Today marks the release of one of two novels coming out this fall as part of my partnership with Rene Gutteridge and now Redbud press. Both are based on my screenplays. This first one is called Love’s a Stage. After I got married, I started to notice a lot of marriages around us crumbling. I wanted to explore themes of what it means to keep vows and how to make marriage last. My quirky, yet good-hearted lead character may go through great lengths (sometimes comically) to save a marriage while also learning along the way what it takes to make a marriage work and to find lasting true love.
Hope you enjoy the read and to one day bring you the feature film version:
Love’s a Stage (Hometown Romance) (KINDLE)
SYNOPSIS for Love’s a Stage:
Grad student and future marriage counselor Aly Brewster had a perfect childhood with perfect parents. Now she’s heading into her own perfect life: Finish her Master’s. Build a successful practice. Husband at twenty-six. But when her parents blindside her with the news they’re getting divorced, her perfect world shatters.
Actor Nick Armstrong has been in love with Aly since they met during freshman year. He’s happy to accept his assigned place in her Friend Zone because it lets him be close to her. But it’s been over five years—time to move on. Then the usually-unflappable Aly comes to him begging for help to save her parents’ marriage. Nick has the perfect plan: fake an engagement to each other to inspire her parents to fight to save their marriage. And who knows? It might trigger Aly’s feelings for him. But when Aly takes the ruse to the next level—planning a wedding in her parents’ backyard and hiring additional actors to play his family—enough is enough!
As the lines between acting and reality grow decidedly blurred, these two improvised fiancés must decide: are they going to finish the play…or exit stage right. Alone.
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Later this fall, our other novella will be out. We participated in a book of novellas called The Boy Next Door, where all the authors wrote different love stories about falling for the boy next door. The one Rene Gutteridge and I wrote is called O Little Town of Bethany.
We’ll let ya know when it’s out.
Both projects have scripts available for production.
Here’s a sneak peek at the cover:
Song of Springhill, a love story & labor of love
Check out the blog I posted on my writing website about my new novel, Song of Springhill: a love story. It’s a story that comes from my family, and includes the mining disaster my grandfather survived and a God who showed up and allowed for some of the most miraculous rescues.
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00026]](https://finallyone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/song-of-springhill-cover-front.jpg)
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I feel like I’ve been living in the 1950s for the past little while, so enjoying looking up details about cars, Christmas decorations, clothes, popular music and dances, and other styles of the time period. That’s one of the many joys of being a writer…being able to dive into another world, setting, time period. (I’ve been listening to this great 1950s music mix!) I was even tempted to buy a poodle skirt and a hula hoop. What an era that must have been to grow up in.
It feels like I’ve been working on this project for a long time because…well, I have. My dad had told me for years (in the 90s) that I should try to find a story to tell centering on the Springhill coal mining disasters, including the big one my grandfather survived. It took me a while to listen to him. (Sorry…
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Spirit of Springhill: Miners, Wives, Widows, Rescuers & Their Children Tell True Stories of Springhill’s Coal Mining Disasters
Check out my blog about the miraculous rescues from the Springhill Mine Disasters:
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000448_00018]](https://finallyone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/spirit_of_springhill_final2_frontcover.jpg)
Inside the Writer’s Mind
Have you ever wondered what authors were thinking when they wrote a particular story? For us, Greetings from the Flipside is far from conventional storytelling. Rene Gutteridge and I share about our new story in the following video:
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What is your destiny?
I went to a women’s conference this weekend in Los Angeles, CA called Ascend. This year’s focus: Fearless Joy.
One of the speakers, Deborah Pegues, said: “You were designed for destiny.” She also shared that in reference to how God sees us, “You are perfect for My purpose.” She encouraged everyone to embrace their uniqueness, not criticize themselves for flaws and imperfections. I loved one illustration she specifically had about writing. She said, “Is there anyone out there who feels destined to write a book?” Quite a few women raised their hands. She encouraged them to sit down in that chair in front of the computer and say, “Lord, I’ll be your typist. What’cha got?” Deborah never intended to be a writer, but kept sensing particular messages she was supposed to put out there, and now she has a book and speaking career.
One big difference with me is that…
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Greetings from the Flipside
SYNOPSIS
Hope Landon has been rewriting other people’s greeting cards since she was six years old — there’s always a funnier caption. She’s all set to chase those creative dreams with her musician fiance in New York City until he leaves Hope at the altar, deciding he must not really love this girl if he can’t write a song for her. That may give her something to write about.
Hope disappears alone on what was supposed to be the couple’s month-long honeymoon. Upon returning she learns of her funeral — everyone in her life concluded Hope must have killed herself after being jilted. Needing a fresh start more than ever, she heads for the Big Apple only to discover it’s not that easy to rent a place when you’ve been declared dead.
Taking shelter at the YMCA, Hope soon lands a job at a Christian inspirational greeting card company as…
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Is How You Think Causing Fear?
Do you have anxiety disorder or struggle with fear? Have you ever paid attention to those words that stream through your mind before, during, or after a panic attack? I’m willing to bet a lot of those are lies. Are you willing to look up, to God, for His truth instead?
When we experience fear, why do we tell ourselves we’re weak, worthless, and abnormal? Can we possibly find some new adjectives? (There are dictionaries full of them!)
Do all of those defeatist words build up your self-image? Do they help you? Of course not! Most importantly, they are lies. If I don’t put up with listening to lies from other people, why on earth would I put up with them from myself? And why should you?
When I was in the heat of battling my anxiety disorder, as fear would overtake me, I’d listen to lies. It became such a habit that I believed every word.
How can we rise above anxiety and fear when we don’t believe we can?
Are you a victim of the lies your mind feeds you? Does your fear grow because of the thoughts you are dwelling on? Our minds need to be retrained so we won’t fall victim to the power of our thoughts. This is an important skill to master. It was key to my recovery.
ASSIGNMENT:
Make a list of all the lies you tell yourself when you are experiencing fear or panic.
Refute the Lies with God’s Word.
Now take the time to look at the lies that stream through your mind, and search the Bible for the truth about the situation. It’s best to rewrite these lies while you are NOT in the middle of an anxiety attack. You can put them on note cards and have them on hand to use in the heat of a battle with fear instead.
I will show you two examples below; I have many more in my book Finally Fearless.
LIE: Everything I tell myself, in my mind, is truth.
TRUTH: Many lies that stream through our minds are from the devil himself, who wants us to be defeated. He is the author of lies.
John 8:44b: “[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
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LIE: Anxiety lives in me, and I can’t get rid of it.
TRUTH: We may feel like anxiety lives in us because it takes over our whole body. But it doesn’t need to stay there. If we’ve asked Him to, we have a Savior who has taken up residence in our hearts.
Galatians 2:20a (kjv): “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (kjv): “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
***
If you or someone you know battles panic, anxiety or fear, I hope my story can help you. To order copies of Finally Fearless, visit the links below that go to Amazon, where the Ebook version of the regular book and the paperbacks of both books are available.
Finally Fearless: Journey from Panic to Peace (Paperback)
Finally Fearless Workbook: Journey from Panic to Peace (Accompanying Workbook)
Finally Fearless: Journey from Panic to Peace (Kindle Version)
Finally Fearless Workbook Ebook:
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/finally-fearless-workbook-journey-from-panic-to-peace/13694632
Now available as a two book set:
Watch the Finally Fearless Video:
Finally One 