Five Kids and a Blog

King Ranch Chicken (or Beef)

2011-09-30T01:15:00.000-05:00

I love Pampered Chef products . . . but I don't love all of them. Some, you can get the equivalent in quality but at a lesser price at Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, or Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Earlier this year I went to BBB to buy a wedding gift for Adam Larson and Kayla Teachey. Now I'd already perused their registry so I knew they had stainless steel mixing bowls on their list. Since I love my PC mixing bowls, I figured why not get these registered ones for the happy couple.

Once I found the bowls in the store, I opene the box and examined what I was buying. Compared to my PC bowls, they were a thinner steel and didn't have the rubber bottom or a thumb hole to hold the bowl while mixing. Hmmm.

I couldn't buy them.

Sure they were only $20 compared to $85 the PC ones sell for. But if you host a show, you can get the bowls for 1/2 price. I actually got mine for 60% off.

One of the recipes my bowls come in handy to use with is King Ranch Chicken. I actually bake this in my Magic Pot, aka Deep Covered Baker, but any ol' 9x13 pan works great.

Preheat oven to 325*.

1/4 cup butter
1 chopped green pepper
1 onion
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or about 1 lb of cooked ground bee

In a large skillet, cook pepper and onion in the butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add meat, stirring until well blended.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of Ro-Tel
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix soups, Ro-Tel, and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a mixing bowl.

12 corn tortillas

Tear tortillas into bite-sized pieces. I usually have one of my kids cut the tortillas into strips and then cut the strips into pieces. In a 9x13 baking pan, alternately layer tortillas, soup mixture, and meat mixture; repeating for 3 layers. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY:: What's your favorite kitchen tool whether a Pampered Chef one or not?

Bean Salad

2011-09-23T00:12:00.002-05:00

Goulash.

I'm not even sure if that's the actual way to spell it, but the mere thought of the goulash makes my throat clench and my tummy turn over. Blech.

When my sisters and I were younger, Mom served goulash at least twice a month. She says "I don't know why you despised it so much. It's basically Hamburger Helper."

That's like having your hubby buy you an El Camino and him saying it's basically a corvette.

I don't think so.

Over the years as my taste buds have changed, I've learned to like foods I hated as a kid. (Not goulash, though.) One recipe from Mom that fits this category is hers for Bean Salad.

Hmm. I ought to start taking pictures of these recipes after I've fixed them. Tomorrow is another day!

1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
1 can butter beans
1 can light kidney beans

Drain beans and rinse.

2/3 cup red and/or green pepper
1 cup celery
1 medium onion
1/2 cup carrot
1 1/2 cup frozen shoe peg corn

While you are dicing veggies, microwave corn for 3 to 4 minutes. Combine beans and veggies in large bowl.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp Mrs. Dash tableblend
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over beans mixture. Cover and chill before serving. Keeps well for several days!

~*~
QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What recipe or food did you hate when you were a kid but now love (or at least tolerate)?

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2011-09-16T00:21:00.003-05:00

Everything is better with butter . . . except watermelon. My mind can't wrap around the thought of the two together. Or watermelon and bacon.

I did see chocolate candy with bacon pieces at Whole Foods. No, I didn't buy it because I didn't want to waste the money. Do you really think chocolate and bacon are going to taste good together? Can you see now why I didn't want to waste my money.

Alas, I occasionally wish I had splurged.

I want to be more of risk-taker with trying different and unusual combination foods.

Which brings me to Alta Barker's recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

My mother taught me that when you're at someone's house you eat whatever food is served even if you don't like it. Well, we were at someone else's house where this was served. Salty pretzels with Jello and strawberries? I don't know.

Try it, try it and see.

Preheat oven to 400*.

2 cups crushed pretzels
2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Mix pretzels, sugar, and butter. Spread in a 9x13 pan (pat down) and bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool. Feel free to turn your oven off at this point if you aren't baking something else.

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping
1 cup powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar. Spread on crust.

1 (6 oz) box strawberry Jello
1 (10-16 oz) package frozen strawberries
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix Jello according to directions. Place in refrigerator to congel. Before it sets (when it's the consistency of slime, isn't that appetizing?), fold in the thawed strawberries and drained pineapple. Pour this mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Chill.

If you have a larger container of whipped topping, you could add a dollop to the top of each serving. Or not. :-)

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What foods would you never have thought would taste yummy together but you found out they did?

Jan's Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-09-09T00:12:00.002-05:00

My oldest son often says the worst year of his life was 2nd grade. We'd moved from Oklahoma to Virginia, and he didn't have any friends in the neighborhood, in school, or at church.

I always respond with "Well, then you should be happy you've gotten the worst year of your life outta the way."

Somehow that never seems to make his memory of that year any more tolerable.

My theory is he had such a fabulous 1st grade that 2nd grade couldn't NOT disappoint no matter where we lived or how many friends he had or didn't have. See, in 1st grade, Matt had Jan Marvin for his teacher. Jan also attended the same church as us.

Needless to say, Matt was Jan's favorite student. He knew it. She knew it. That's just how it was. Of course, in Jan's defense, I will say that Matt is such a loveable boy that in his 12 years of public education, he's only had three teachers who I know didn't like him--Mrs. White, Mrs. Salvo, and Mrs. Williamson who taught him in 8th grade choir. Yes, the boy was failing choir at one point, which is as lousy as failing art, which my oldest daughter was doing at one point.

This is why I tell my kids "having a good attitude and doing your homework is 75% of your grade."

Anyhoo . . .

Jan doted on Matt. Matt idolized her.

Which is fitting because my favorite peanut butter cookie is Jan's recipe. It's circled with a heart in my cookbook.

Let's begin with pre-heating the oven to 375*.

1/2 cup butter, margarine or butter-flavored Crisco
1/2 cup low-salt, creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy.

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Add dry ingredients to batter and mix until well combined.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Criss-cross with the tines of a fork. Then bake for about 10 minutes. Cook on wire rack, and continue process until all cookies are baked.

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: Where you ever the teacher's pet? If so, tell me all about it. Or maybe you had a teacher who utterly despised you. Time to dish.

Awful Truth about God

2011-09-05T08:53:00.001-05:00

Excerpt from WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge, Thomas Nelson, 2003.

"War is not just one among many themds in the Bible. It is the backdrop for the whole Story, the context for everything else. God is at war. He is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. And what is he fighting for? Our freedom and restoration. The glory of God is man fully alive. In the meantime, Paul says, arm yourselves, and the first piece of equipment he urges us to don is the belt of truth (Eph. 6:10-18). We arm ourselves by getting a good, solid grip on our situation, by getting some clarity on the battle over our lives. . . .

Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God's interntions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder to not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old being molested by her daddy--that is "God's Will"? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart--God wanted that to happen too?" . . .

Most people get stuck at some point because God appears to have abandoned them. He's not coming through. Speaking about her life with a mixture of disappointment and cynicism, a young woman recently said to me, 'God is rather silent right now.' Yes, it's been awful. . . . But her attitude strikes me as deeply naive, on the level of someone caught in a cross fire who asks, rather shocked and with a sense of betrayal, 'God, why won't you make them stop firing at me?' I'm sorry, but that's not where we are right now. . . . That day is coming, later, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and we'll all beat swords into plowshares. For now, it's a bloody battle. . . .

Before he promised us life, Jesus warned that a thief would try to steal, kill, and destroy it. How come we don't think that the thief then actually steals, kills, and destroys? You won't understand your life, you won't see clearly what has happened to you or how to live forward from here, unless you see it as a battle. A war against your heart. And you're going to need your whole heart for what's coming next . . . in the life you're living."

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ~ Psalm 27:13

Buy a copy of WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge at Amazon, CBD, Lifeway, and Barnes and Noble.

My favorite Pumpkin Bread

2011-09-02T00:12:00.003-05:00

November isn't November unless I've made pumpkin br . . . stop the presses! Actually, my kids love pumpkin bread so much that I bake it year round. Only problem is in the last few years, I can't find canned pumpkin year round so I stock up. My kids will cry if I remind them the last time I backed pumpkin bread because I think I used the last can back in March.

Fortunately, Fall and Thanksgiving are fast approaching. Thus, the store shelves will be stocked . . . soon.

Let's get cooking.

Ingredients for two loaves because if I'm going to go to the effort to make a loaf, I might as well bake two.

2/3 cup shortening (I use butter, or canola oil if I'm out of butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening with sugars. Add vanilla and mix just until blended.

4 eggs
2/3 cup water

Add eggs one at a time (discarding shells), beating thoroughly after each addition. Gently mix in water.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoonn baking power
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
(if I'm in the mood, I'll add some cloves, ginger, and/or allspice)

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add gradually to the shortening mixture and beat until smooth.

2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped nuts (only if I don't want my family to eat the bread)

Add pumpkin to batter and mix gently. Add half the nuts to the batter, if so desired. Blech.

Lightly grease and flour two loaf pans. Pour batter equally between (by between I mean inside) the pans. If you're adding nuts, here's where you would sprinkle remaining nuts on the tops. Blech.

Bake at 350* for 45-50 min., or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

~*~

QUESTION OF THE DAY :: What's that one comfort food for you?

Loving Others Isn't Easy

2011-04-18T05:02:00.004-05:00

I went to a ladies' fellowship at church recently where the speaker shared about love. Apparently Christians are supposed to "just do it." You know, LOVE OTHERS. Well, while I agreed with the gist of the talk, too many times I wanted to stand up and say, "Loving others is far harder than just doing it." Seriously.

If that weren't case, then why the heck is hypocrisy the #1 thing Christians are known for instead of love? (Yes, sometimes even I get annoyed at my points of arguments and occasional use of an almost-curse word.)

When I was in 8th grade, my Sunday School teacher came back from a conference where she learned about different spiritual gifts. She proceeded to tell us ours based on what she saw in our lives. I looked at her quite unimpressed and said, "Hey , if God wants me to know what my spiritual gift is, He'll tell me not you." She smiled to appease me I'm sure.

Needless to say, I didn't care for the spiritual gift I'd been designated as to having. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, so I decided love (the gift of compassion) was the best one to have. After all, didn't Paul of Tarsas write, "What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or crashing cymbal." (The Voice, Thomas Nelson)

In my childish determination to obtain the spiritual gift of compassion (love), I took spiritual gift analysis tests after tests. Got the same what-I-thought-was boring gift every time. Being one not easily dismayed, I decided to rig the test to get the desired results so I could say, "Look at that score, baby! I'm a lover not a fighter." Only problem is I couldn't even rig the gift into prominance. Why? Because, dang it, LOVING OTHERS IS FAR HARDER THAN RIGGING A TEST. Neither can you "just do it."

Listen, you can't force someone to love you anymore than you can force yourself to love others.

It's not that I was/am incapable of loving. I love my husband and our five kids. Love the dog (not the cat). Love my parents, sisters, sister-in-law. Love my friends. Love Laurie Alice Eakes even though she can sometimes be so utterly mean to me when she critiques my writing and tells me the red ink is for my own good. I even love the baristas at Starbucks who without complaint kindly divide my venti frappachino into two tall fraps while only charging me the venti price.

Just between the two of us, one person I've struggled in the last 16 years to love is my mother-in-law (MIL). Who among us can't agree? Not that you don't love my MIL but that you don't love yours. I can hear you thinking, "Gina, this is a public forum, anyone can read this so don't be so open and honest." Why not? I'm not the only person on this earth who has/had a loving-another-person problem.

Maybe it's not your MIL whom you struggle to love. Maybe it's your sexist boss, liberal wacko fem-nazi neighbor, bath-avoiding co-worker, unsaved husband, whiney child(ren), Cousin Eddie, stupid parent(s), snide ex-whatever, or even that barista at Starbucks who puts some type of crack in your coffee that makes you continually go back for more. We ALL have someone in our lives who drive us insane. Grrrr.

Loving people we like is easy. Loving people we don't like, who annoy us, who hurt or abuse us is near impossible.

For years my hubby would say, "Gina, you don't have to like Mom. You just have to love her." Whatever. Platititudes are platitudes 'cause the platitude don't change any attitude. Sadly, this "you don't have to like 'em but you do have to love 'em" platitude is what I'd heard in church for 30+ years. I think it's got to be one of the stupidest statements ever. As long as you despise/dislike/can't stand the person, you'll never be able to truly love him.

In his book BLUE LIKE JAZZ, Donald Miller expressed it this way:

"The problem with Christian community was that we had ethics, we had rules and laws and principles to judge each other against. There was love in the Christian community, but it was a conditional love. Sure, we called it unconditional, but it wasn't....If [people] were bad and rich, they were called evil. If they were bad and poor, they were charity. Christianity was always right; we were always looking down on everybody else."

Not pleasant to hear is it, eh? Even I, at this moment, want to defend the Christian community. Oh sure some people are like that but not everyone. Don't throw out the whole bushel because of one or two rotten fruit.

Donald Miller went on to write: "The problem with Christian community is that we think of love as a commodity....The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did."

As I read that, I realized I was withholding love for my MIL in hopes that she'd become who I wanted her to be--in other words, to become worthy of my love. My love for her was conditional. If she made me happy, I loved her. If she didn't, I withheld. God's love isn't conditional. God has never withheld His love from me to teach me a lesson or to make me become who He wanted me to be. I've always considering my flaws--while annoying in others--to be adorable in myself, but at that moment of truth of realizing how conditional my love was, I knew exactly how Job felt when he said, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes."

My MIL didn't need to change. I did. Only through repentance did I finally feel free to love. And not just my MIL. Anyone. Everyone. In fact, once I changed, I realized what an amazing woman my MIL is, despite our differences. I am blessed to have her in my life.

Relationships, as Miller wrote, are pretty simple: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them.

Key words there are UNLESS THEY SENSE. You can say you like them, but if they don't sense acceptance from you, sweetheart, your words are clanging brass.

Once you learn you're free to love, you'll realize it's NOT your freakin' responsibility to judge, discipline, or change another person. That's God's job. Do you hear me, THAT'S GOD'S JOB. But how much easier--no, safer--is it to not associate with the liberal fem-nazi, the girl with the nose ring and tattoos covering her entire left arm, the gay co-worker who enjoys sharing his weekend exploits, the Christian blogger who often says freakin'/heck/dang, or the mother-in-law who finds fault in everything you do and has no shame in daily reminding you (mine never did that).

Haven't you been warned at church to stay away from the world? From the sinful people in the world? From the sinful people in the public school system? Protect your children. Evil company corrupts good character. Follow the commandments, tithe your 10%, don't miss Sunday church services, don't drink wine or watch anything on NBC, read your Bible every day, do those things that show you're a good Christian.

Somewhere in following all those religious rules and regulations, we lost what really matters to God. Our hearts. Loving people regardless of their _______ and regardless of how they hurt us.

"Two thousand years ago God started a revolt against the religion He started. So don't ever put it past God to cause a groundswell movement against churches and Christian institutions that bear His name. If He was willing to turn Judaism upside down, don't think for a moment our institutions are safe from a divine revolt. I'm convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired of the church playing games and playing down the call of God. My travels only confirm that the murmurings of a revolution are everywhere. I am convinced that there is an uprising in the works and that no one less than God is behind it." ~Erwin McManus

Just as the church is often guilty today, a vast majority of religious leaders in Jesus' time put all their stock in following the rules, rituals, traditions, Commandments, programs, and expectations AND they often forgot to put love first. I know people in the church who've made judging others an artform. (I've been guilty as well.) Try wearing an Adidas athletic suit to church on Sunday morning and see how many "how tacky/inappropriate of her" looks you get. Of course the test has greater significance if you're married to one of the pastors.

Jesus said, "This is what our Scriptures come to teach: in everything, in every circumstance, do to others as you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7: 12)

You want to be listened to...listen to others.

You want to be accepted unconditionally...accept others unconditionally.

You want to be loved...love others.

And by "others" I don't just mean the people who are easy to like. Stop judging others and holding them up to your standards of righteousness. So what if someone wears shorts to church on Sunday morning. So what if someone enjoys a glass of wine on occasion. So what if someone lets loose a profanity or almost profanity. So what if someone doesn't discipline his children. So what if someone decorates her house differently than you, doesn't read the types of books you do, enjoys watching cheesy daytime talk-shows, thinks the King James Version of the Bible is the only God-ordained one, or even insists AVATAR is new-age, environmentalist propaganda. So what...

In his book THE END OF RELIGION, Bruxy Cavey wrote, "Jesus called His followers to live by a higher standard, the way of love instead of the way of the law. And to drive home His point, He had to break the rules over and over again." Amen!

Sometimes, though, we can't love others because we don't love ourselves. After all, we've been taught that love of self is wrong, prideful, arrogant. Loving self means we're not humble. You can't be a good Christian if you're not humble. So while we know it's wrong to belittle, criticize, devalue other people, we're completely fine with doing it to ourselves. I always mess up. I'm not smart. I'm not worthy to be loved by anyone, not even God. Ever said, "This may sound stupid to you, but I think...."? Why give people permission ahead of time to think your opinion/words/wonderings are stupid. Stop belittling yourself.

If this is you, start speaking truth over yourself. I personally like "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Or sing the words to David Cowder's song, Everything Glorious. "The day is brighter here with You, the night is lighter than its hue, would lead me to believe, which leads me to believe You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, And I am Yours. What does that make me?" Thank God for the love He freely gives to you and learn to receive God's love so you can give love to yourself.

Listen, when you can't receive love, you will never be able to give love to those you like or to those you don't like. And until you are able to love freely, you will never really live.

"The Lord loves you when you feel you are unlovable. He loves you when others choose not to. He loves you with an everlasting love (Jer 31: 3). And it's His nature to call the unloved to Himself and make them loved (Rom. 9:25)." ~Frank Viola, FROM ETERNITY TO HERE: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God

"After all falls apart, He repairs He repairs. Oh the Glory of it all is: He came here for the rescue of us all that we may live for the glory of it all. Oh He is here for redemption from the fall that we may live for the glory of it all." ~David Crowder Band, For the Glory of it All

God gave us the love we needed so we could give the love we need to give. We are meant to break free of the sin that ensnares us, to live like there is no tomorrow, to live a life to be followed. But even more so, we are created and called to...

Love Extravagantly.

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (NLT)

Have you ever struggled with loving someone? Without naming names, what did you do to change the relationship or has nothing changed?
Is there a line between loving people and approving of their sin?
What steps do you feel you need to take to be free of your coffee addiction?
Why have you never listened to a David Crowder CD?

To hear MercyMe's song "Goodbye Ordinary," click here or to hear David Crowder Band's song, "Everything Glorious," click here or here.

Blessing God Amid Life

2011-04-15T04:59:00.001-05:00

I like to sing. Give me 40 minutes of singin' and only 20 minutes of preachin' any Sunday. Or maybe 50/10.

A friend once shared a story about how a man in her church was quite offended by the song, "Blessed Be Your Name," written by Matt Redman. Wasn't a worship song. Wasn't uplifting. Had no place in the church. Ouch! There's a bitter porcupine. Wenda said, "Reminds me of me. How I'd rather not let God into the hurting places in my life. I'd just like to lock Him out and only acknowledge him in the good stuff. Seems like it would be the other way around, but for me it's not."

Boy, did she relate to me.

When I found out I was pregnant with baby #5, I wasn't the least bit excited. In fact, I'd say I was majorly ticked off. ANGRY. Hubby wasn't too thrilled either, but he adjusted to it quicker than I did. He's mature like that. While we never found out the sex of our other 4 critters, I told hubby I needed to on this one because I needed something--anything--to help get me excited...or at least help me not be angry anymore. Pink baby girl clothes scream happy. I'd have eaten pink baby girl clothes if doing so would have made me happy.

Well, one Sunday morning for some reason, hubby needed me to fill in for the guy who normally worked the Power Point/Media Shout for the music during first service morning worship. I figured doing it would give me something to focus on instead of worshiping a God I was ticked off at.

The first two songs were no problem. Then "Blessed Be Your Name" came on.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Easy to read. Easy to hear. But the next weren't so...

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

By this point my throat tightened, eyes teared up, my lungs constricted...

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

By here, I couldn't breath and had to force myself to push the button to change slides...

See, I was okay with blessing God when "when the sun's shining down on me, when the world's 'all as it should be," but I certainly didn't want to bless, praise, honor, glorify Him when I was "on the road marked with suffering." Not that being pregnant was suffering, but being pregnant when I didn't want to be certainly felt like suffering to me. So I could freely say there was "pain in the offering," pain in blessing His name that I felt it was easier to stay angry at God.

Call me crazy, but I'm a pain avoider. I didn't like to hurt for myself so why would I want to hurt for God?

Somehow I kept my emotions bottled until we got home. Which was foolish. I should have felt free to weep at church. Only we hadn't told anyone I was pregnant, and I think I was at least three months along. Shoot, maybe more because I think I'd already been to the doctor and I hadn't gone in until I was 4 months along, which garnered me lots of lectures from the nurses. Actually, I don't think we told many people I was pregnant at any time during the pregnancy because tons of them were shocked when critter 5 and I showed up to church the Sunday after delivering her.

Anyhoo, now when I look at our precious #5, I can't imagine not having her. When I was typing this, she walked in my office and smiled at me. Needless to say, I had to pick her up and put her in my lap. She sipped my Vanilla Coke and said, "Mmm. That's good coffee."

Before I take the confused child to Starbucks, lemme finish my story...

Last spring, I did the Beth Moore ESTHER Bible study. During week four's video session, Beth talked about fear. She said, "We can protect ourself right out of our callings." Boy, do I know how to do that with my writing. But God didn't want me to focus on my shallow writing fears. He decided to smack me upside the heart with my deepest fear. Eventually. Here's what I wrote in my notes:

"Courage is when you look _______ in the face. Don't deny it. Deny it's victory over you. You may be one brave decision away from a new path--from your calling, destiny. The #1 command in the Bible: DO NOT BE AFRAID. We all cherish fear so closely that we can shed it even when told to. Psalm 138:8. Can you imagine living without fearing _______? Do you believe a good week is only a happy accident? Proverbs 31. Most of what we fear will never happen to us. Although this is true, Satan will keep threatening us with it over and over again. WHAT IF is an acronym for I FEAR."

In the listener guide, Beth wrote this: "And if _________, then God will take care of me."

She challenged us to find what that ______ was in our lives. What did we fear on a daily basis? What even was our deepest, most crippling fear?

Ladies all over the room were in tears. Not me. I was, well, kinda peturbed.

How the heck was I gonna confront my deepest fear if I didn't know what it was. Oh, I have fears which you can read if you click on this link. Driving across a bridge. Heights. Swimming in a lake, river, or ocean where human-eating fish live. And so on. But those are only fears I have for to garner sympathy. I don't really fear those things. Well, maybe I do the fish.

So I told my friend Tanya as we were leaving the classroom (paraphrasing here), "I feel abnormal because I don't have any crippling fears. Surely I have a fear. A real fear. In fact, this week I'm gonna pray that God shows me a real fear. Ooh, I'm excited!" I won't describe the "look" she gave me. Just between us, I think she's confident I'm abnormal.

Three days later...NOTHING. Still no fear.

I even complained to my husband. I'm sure he thought I was abnormal for wanting a fear. I was considering pondering the very idea that perhaps maybe I was abnormal. (See note above about Tanya.)

Not but a day after I'd decided to live with my disappointment in not having a fear to conquer in Jesus' name, God opened my eyes. He played a song on my heart. Then again, it could have been on the radio.

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

I had a fear. A real fear. Getting pregnant. My fear began after baby #3. He wasn't planned. After I had him, I began to dread when Aunt Flo was late in visiting. I know: TMI. Do you know how much pregnancy and babies cost? Several years, a miscarriage, and a traumatic deliver of baby #4 later, I was emotionally crippled with the fear of getting pregnant again. So can you understand why I was so angry at God when I realized I was pregnant with #5? All my fears were answered with her.

Oh my satellites dishes! That was not the fear I'd wanted to face. I figured God would show me I had a fear of creepy crawly things or not making it to the potty quick enough when I was in the middle of Wal-Mart. I wanted a cool fear.

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

I had to pray my way though the song, though my fears, though my lack of trust in God knowing what was best for me. I had to reach a point where I could say "If I got pregnant again, God WILL take care of me and I WILL be okay."

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Funny thing is this past fall when I was at a doc appointment and the nurse said, "Is there any possibility you could be pregnant?" (a routine question), I shrugged and said, "Probably not, but if I were, it's no biggie."

So I'm back to where I was when I walked out of the Esther video session four: happily relishing my fake fear of driving on bridges and swimming where the human-eating fish live.

Boy, does it feel nice.

Love the song? Listen to it HERE

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

To read more about Matt Redman's inspiration behind the song, click here.

What do you fear? What lesson has God ever taken you through to teach you not to fear?

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2011-04-13T04:56:00.002-05:00

Recenty as I was painting one of the bathrooms in my house, I learned that over seven million tons of plastic is spanning our oceans. A vortex--gyre--of marine litter. No joke. Apparently "the existance of plastic in the oceans is causing infertility." Considering my feet have dabbled in ocean waters (hmm, does the gulf of Mexico count?) twice since I got married almost seventeen years ago and since I have five children, it's obvious the plastic-infected waters have not sterilized my womb. Of course, I could merely be an anomaly.

Could be or could not be an anomaly, that is the question of which I'd need at least half a day to ponder.

Anyhoo, this Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans "the size of Texas." Texas!?! I've been to Texas. It's huge-er than huge and that's not just the hair on the women. (On a side note, I read the other day that you might be a redneck if your stock portfolio consists of two sheep and a goat.) Get this: Imagine Texas-size trash heap floating aimlessly amid all those adorable human-eating sea critters....

Oh. My. Satellite Dishes. Poor SpongeBob and Patrick.

Well, I couldn't ignore this dreadful news so I googled for some pictures to show y'all. Only I couldn't find any. Oh, I found YouTube videos, even one from a news segment from a national network morning show, but no actual pictures of the vortex so I'm limited to showing you this diagram. Dreadful isn't it?

My mind is swimming . . . I mean, spinning. But what's even more dreadful is the fact no one has pictures of this ginormous garbage. In this crazy day and electronic age when everyone but me has a mobile phone, surely someone with the time could mosey on out to that plastic-filled gyre and take a pic. I want a pic. While in labor with child #5, I suffered through six hours of the Anna Nicole burial trial. I freakin' deserve a pic!

Sadly, it's impossible to take a picture of this watery trash. Why? Experts say, "Since plastics break down to ever smaller polymers, concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average."

Huh? You lost me at polymer. Is that a cousin to polyester? Machine washable or dry clean only?

So, in other less scientificky words, the reason for no pictures is because "[the garbage patch] is [a] huge pile of trash collectively, but trash so small individually that the patch doesn’t show up."

Oh.

If I understand correctly it's like air: unseeable, untouchable, untasteable, made up of bajillions of oxygen atoms that are so utterly small that we can see them even though we can breathe them. Obviously since I need oxygen to survive and since I'm still breathing, then, ergo, air does exist. Ergo, the Garbage Patch of the Great Pacific and other oceans exists.

Can you hear me sighing?

Call me Doubting Gina if you wish, but for me to believe this votex of swirling semisynthetic organic amorphous solid exists, I want proof. I want a picture! I want evidence! I want thousands of people who believe the Garbage Patch exist to suffer torture, imprisonment, and even death in the name of their faith in the existence of this littery waterworld!!!!!

Oh dear. I just typed five exclamation points. Perhaps I'm being a tad dramatic.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

~Genesis 1:1-4

For many people, the problem with faith is the fact that faith doesn't prove God exists. You know, faith doesn't prove that "in the beginning," God created anything. The age-old faith issue. Does He or doesn't He. In my less-thn-forty-years-lifetime, I've learned that anyone who doesn't believe in God says those who do are narrow-minded. Well, to me, narrow-minded signals an unwillingness to consider other possibilities than what we believe.

I believe God exists and that He created the heavens, the earth, and all things in and around them in six literal 24-hour days. I'd go to my death for that belief. However, I'm also willing to honestly listen to someone explain to me why He doesn't and He didn't.

If you don't believe God exists or that He created what the Bible said He created...well, are you honestly willing to listen to someone explain why s/he believes God does and did create everything? Or are you going to be narrow-minded and insist you're right and no other truth can possibly exist?

Does God exist? Click here for some answers or here or take a trip to an Ohio museum.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” ~Hebrews 11:6

Serious question of the Day: Ever learned anything cool/interesting/weird about creation or the existance of God? If so, what was it?

Non-serious question of the Day: What summer movie are you most looking forward to?

Hercules, Superman, Mr. Romance

2011-04-11T04:51:00.000-05:00

“Where have all good men gone, and where are all the gods?

Where’s the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?”

Nothing like a good man to make a woman go wild.

A good man?!? Who spiked my chocolate milk? No woman goes wild for a “good” man. Nope. Only bad boys make us pant, roar, and rip our bodices.

One minor problem: The quintessential Bad Boy smokes, dips, and chews and sleeps with any gal or two. Yuck. Call me a prude, but smoking, dipping, and chewing makes a man’s mouth and lungs look like my mother-in-law’s meatloaf. Blech.

“It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet.”

At one time or another we wanted to be Lois on the balcony or Mary Jane braless in a skimpy shirt in the rain. Okay, maybe not the braless part because we're good Christian girls. But, ahhh, the thrill of the rescue and the magic carpet ride.

Only one minor problem: You can’t count on Superhero--any more than Bad Boy--to be home with your kids have the flu or the toilet is clogged because he’s always off saving the freakin’ world. Face it. Lex Luther and Doc Ock just aren’t gonna pause in their quest for total world domination while your SuperSweetheart empties the litterbox. So you’re stuck with the poopy deed. How romantic.

(No offense intended toward anyone offended by my use of freakin' or poopy. I would say using the words is a habit I'm trying to break, but my dear friend Dina is our resident Inky nun and I feel led to adorn some habits for her benefit.)

Okay, I know many a romance reader and writer insist Bad Boys will always be the ultimate romantic heroes because they’re always redeemable by the “right woman,” but, for me, having the right heroine isn’t enough to compensate for an unrespectable hero. Let Bad Boy keep his meatloaf lungs and mouth to himself and Debbie and all the guys she did in Dallas. The truth is the Bad Boy who lived his life sampling the world’s buffet of women (and doesn’t have a STD or two) isn’t a hero.

He’s a cliché.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a guy has to be a virgin to be a romance novel--or real life--hero, either. But a true Bad Boy is more than an Iron Chef of Sex. *sigh* I miss not watching the Food Network, but that's another blog post.

We all have our idea of the perfect guy, the perfect hero, the perfect Mr. Romance. Only a hero is more than an archetype. He is more than a “caricature” of masculinity. A hero is more than a sexy body with a sexy grin and a sexy voice. (Although those are quite nice, Gina whispers.)

“He’s gotta be larger than life.”

A hero--no matter his archetype or appearance--is dangerous to somebody. His very existence threatens, intimidates, and costs somebody something.

He can’t be ignored.

He won’t be ignored.

Maximus, William Wallace, Neo, Aragorn, Jack Dawson, Jake Sully, Robert Parr, Buddy.

Yes, I mean Buddy from Elf. He was dangerous to the men and women who didn’t believe in Santa, who didn’t believe that inside each person was someone special. His joy pushed people outside their status quo and made a positive difference. Only a dangerous man can do that.

A hero--no matter his archetype or appearance--isn’t dangerous to the heroine. Oh, he definitely destroys her peace of mind, yet he isn’t a physical threat. His very existence confuses, frustrates, and adds something to her life. The poor dear can’t ignore him no matter how determined she is to try, and then we the readers are screaming at him for driving her crazy and screaming at her to give him a heavier dose of his own medicine. Make him suffer, lass, make him suffer! You go, Princess Fiona!

So you turn the page hoping for the first kiss and the second one and the third because you know the kisses will come. Why?

A hero--no matter his archetype and appearance--is devoted to the heroine. But since all men are not all alike, how he shows his devotion depends on who he is. A white knight will save his damsel’s life. The hunk-next-door will baby-sit. A hero’s devotion can be as simple as taking her out to dinner after a long day’s work or more complicated like helping her realize she’s a good mother even if her house is never clean and her son has an affinity for peeing in the flower garden.

“Somewhere after midnight,

in my wildest fantasy…

there’s someone reaching back for me”

“We read romance novels not for the handsome heroes, not for the steamy loves scenes, but for the involvement of the man in the relationship.” ~Vicki Lewis Thompson, author of NERD IN SHINING ARMOR

A man actively involved in the relationship will make his woman go wild. In a heroine’s wildest fantasy, her hero is reaching for her. And through the wind, the chill, the rain, the storm, and the flood, he will be there for her. That’s what defines a romance.

So to you authors out there I say, if you want your Hero—your Bad Boy, your Good Man, your Nerd-- to be a real man, make him dangerous. And give him a battle to fight. He’ll love you for it. Your heroine will love you for it.

Most of all, your readers will love you--and him--for it.

Taking the Yellow Car to Faith

2011-04-08T05:16:00.001-05:00

Family vacations. Gotta love them.

During a family trip to South Dakota, my kids and husband found amusement in playing Yellow Car.

Huh? you're thinking. I don't blame you.

According to LOST's bible (Wikipedia), "Yellow Car is the name of a game commonly played between passengers when travelling in a car. When a yellow car is spotted by any passenger, they call out 'yellow car' and lightly hit the other passenger. It is played often in the United Kingdom. There are other variations of this game such as 'Mini Punch' and 'Slugbug'"

Oh, the important things you'll learn from me.

Even if I weren't a writer, I'd love Wikipedia. 99.9% of the time Wiki has the answers to my questions. Trust me, I have lots of questions. While on our family vacation, I made a list of random things I needed to google when I got the chance. I'll spare you my page full of all the random things/people I investigated. But I can't help it. My curiosity causes my Google and Wikipedia addictions.

The reality is I google because I want to learn.

If I really wanted to impress you with my reading library, I'd show you my copy of ANNA KARENINA, which I only keep prominantly displayed in my office because I want people to think I've read it. Just between us, I have no intention of reading it. Call me reverse snobby if you will. I think I'm quite clever.

In the last ten-ish years, I've notice a snobbery between literary readers and pop fiction readers, between non-fiction readers and fiction readers, between those who think Wikipedia should count as a credible source and those who don't. Oh, this tangled world we live in, where many folks won't eat the unfamiliar cereal. If Mikey likes it, then why not expand your cereal..umm, reading horizons.

I recently finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's OUTLIERS. Great read! Easy read.

Now my motto is "Love a book? Then tell someone." So I went to church and told several folks. One person looked oddly at me and said, "How do you have time to read?"

Huh?!

With anything, if it's important to you, you will find the time.

Two summers ago, as I was helping Judy Duarte put together the worship service for the RWA Faith, Hope & Love chapter's general meeting, I asked several published authors for a quote about a non-fiction book that has influenced her faith, family, or fiction. The number of those who said they didn't read non-fiction kinda surprised me. On the other hand, many others graciously and openly shared. Here's a few:

"Debbie Macomber's book, KNIT TOGETHER--DISCOVER GOD'S PATTERN FOR YOUR LIFE is one of my favorites. It's the story of how she overcame a variety of obstacles to become a writer. I found her positive approach to life incredibly inspiring."~Shelley Shepard Gray, author of the Sisters of the Heart series for Avon Inspire, 2009 IRCC finalist

"I love Joyce Meyers' book, BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND because it not only gets my mind in a goodplace to hear from God before pouring my imagination into a story, but her book sparks lots ofideas about what kinds of things I can use for my characters' spiritual struggle/conflict fortheir faith journeys within the stories."~Cheryl Wyatt, author A SOLDIER'S REUNION, Love Inspired

"I attended a lady's retreat this spring and the speaker spoke right into my heart. She taught from a book she co-authored, called HOLY HABITS, by Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt. One of the habits is keeping an alphabetical address book - if you will - with all the names and attributes of God as I read through the Bible. I haven't gotten very far, but it's been fabulous to take my eyes off my own problems and see how big God is and how He meets me everywhere I go." ~Sunni Jeffers, author EYES ON THE PRIZE

"I'd have to recommend Beth Moore's book, GET OUT OF THE PIT. It's about how to get out of the "pit", AKA overcoming anger and desperation from past hurts. The book was inspired by Psalm 40, and encourages us to turn to God. The study guide was awesome. Very thought-provoking." ~Renee Ryan, author HANNAH'S BEAU, Love Inspired Historical

Serious Question of the Day: What's the last non-fiction book you read? Did ya like it? Learn anything?

Non-Serious Question of the Day: When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

Too Stupid to (really) Live

2011-04-06T05:38:00.001-05:00

In 1900, L. Frank Baum wrote a little book, called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which a young girl from Kansas travels to Oz by way of a tornado. Reminds me of the time when someone at church asked, "If the news reports your county is under a tornado watch, what do you do?" I raised my hand and said, "Ooo, if you're from Oklahoma, you go outside and admire the rotation." (That's what my family does. Please don't tell hubby's grandmother.) Wasn't quite the response the teacher was looking for. My inability to only answer "God" or "Jesus" is why hubby says I should avoid attending adult Sunday School classes.

On the journey to find the way home, Dorothy meets three others who are also desperate to find that "one thing" they thought they needed so very badly. Like Dorothy, the scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion knew what they wanted, only they weren't doing anything to achieve it. Why? Because each of them were in some type of bondage--stuck on a pole, rusted, posturizing to cover his own fear--caused either by someone else's doing, circumstances (rain), or his own choice. Sound like anyone you know?

Recently a friend wrote to me: "I think I'm just feeling out of sorts, out of control. Things are not peaceful in my heart or my soul right now. I think God wants to work something in me, and I need to allow Him to, but it has been difficult. When the Bible calls it refiner's FIRE, it isn't whistling dixie."

"Did you speak?" asked the girl, in wonder.

"Certainly," answered the Scarecrow. "How do you do?"

"I'm pretty well, thank you," replied Dorothy politely. "How do you do?"

"I'm not feeling well," said the Scarecrow, with a smile, "for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows."

"Can't you get down?" asked Dorothy.

"No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you."

Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole, for, being stuffed with straw, it was quite light.

After Dorothy attended to the scarecrow's external bondage, she invited him on her journey to the person who had the answer to his deeper need. She did the same with the tin man and cowardly lion. That, though, is not the lesson for the day. See, each had the choice to accept Dorothy's offer of...well, a better life, or to reject it. Don't know about you, but far too many times in my life I've been stuck in bondage because of my own choosing.

I've been too stupid to really live.

The refiner's fire is hot and unpleasant. Forget going home to Kansas if it means enduring poppy fields, wicked witches, winged monkeys, fighting trees, hammer-heads, or giant spiders. Put me back on that pole. Yes, it scratched, but I was used to it. I knew what to expect. Hide my oil can. Doesn't help my complexion anyway. Let me posture in denial of my fears. Being a scardy cat keeps me out of the ER. Because even though I survived this calamity, I know--I KNOW--something bad will happen again.

Get me off this yellow brick road, Lord.

I. Am. Tired. Of. Running. This. Race.

In Strong Women, Soft Hearts, Paula Rinehart puts it this way: "People often complain of such things during the season of life--like someone drilled a hole through their souls. While everything looks the same on the outside, they feel hollow and restless, bored in ways that make no sense."

"But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the Scarecrow.

I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."

"Perhaps you have heart disease," said the Tin Woodman.

"It may be," said the Lion.

"If you have," continued the Tin Woodman, "you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannot have heart disease."

"Perhaps," said the Lion thoughtfully, "if I had no heart I should not be a coward."

"Have you brains?" asked the Scarecrow.

"I suppose so. I've never looked to see," replied the Lion.

"I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the Scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw."

"And I am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the Woodman.

"And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas," added Dorothy.

"Do you think Oz could give me courage?" asked the Cowardly Lion.

"Just as easily as he could give me brains," said the Scarecrow.

"Or give me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"Or send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll go with you," said the Lion, "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage."

"You will be very welcome," answered Dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily."

"They really are," said the Lion, "but that doesn't make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy."

Last week I realized I have candida. Not pleasant to know. Not a pleasant disease to heal from. Gaining the knowledge of the root cause of all my physical ailments, however, was like Dorothy plucking the strawman off the pole. Lemme tell ya, I've been plucked, girlfriend. My eyebrows haven't looked this good in ten years.

I'm burning that pole.

While some of us need to reclaim our bodies, others need to reclaim their minds, and many more need to reclaim their hearts so that they may really live.

In their book Sacred Romance, Brent Curtis and John Eldredge share: "In the end, it doesn't matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished--a life without heart is not worth living. For out of this wellspring of our soul flow all true caring and all meaningful work, all real worship and all sacrifice."

God does not desire any of us to live in any form of bondage.

Jesus said, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give [you] a rich and satisfying life."

"Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good....Listen, that you may live." Isaiah 55:2, 3 (NAS)

I love how Rinehart writes, "What God asks of us is both simpler and more profound than adherence to a system of beliefs or following a set of rules. He asks us to walk in an honest pilgrimage where we let Him show us what real strength, and real love, are all about."

That's one yellow brick road I want to travel. Why?

Dorothy stood up and found she was in her stocking-feet. For the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert.

Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.

"My darling child!" she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. "Where in the world did you come from?"

Well, Aunt Em, I was on this journey that was freakin' hard, but along the way I met some friends who, like me, decided we were tired of being too stupid to live and knew we wanted to really live, so we followed a golden path to Someone who showed us how to reclaim our minds, hearts, bodies, and find our way home. And I learned I need to eat more spinach.

I don't know what holds you in bondage, but I want you to know that you are not alone. If you'd like someone to lift you up in prayer, please e-mail us: inkwellinspirations(at)gmail(dot)com.

A trained professional can be reached here or here or here.

Serious Question of the Day: Is there any one area of your life where you feel God is stirring in your heart to move you out of the stands and onto the playing field?

Non-Serious Question of the Day: Which character in The Wizard of Oz do you most relate to on Wednesdays, the sagging middle of the week? Notice I said "Wednesdays." Who you feel like on Mondays is irrelevant. :-)

ACFW April releases

2011-04-04T06:38:00.000-05:00

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW FictionFinder website.

A Family for Faith by Missy Tippens -- A Romance from Love Inspired. Even though Faith Hagin thinks she’s content being just friends with Gabe Reynolds, spending time with him and his daughter Chelsea starts to feel like a fresh start at having a family. And their love may be the answer to everyone’s prayers.

A Place to Belong by Linda Goodnight -- Romance from Love Inspired. Faith and warm memories have helped widow Kitty Wainwright endure the loss of her husband. That's all she's ever needed…until she hires contractor Jace Carter to repair her motel.

Abigail's New Hope by Mary Ellis -- A Romance from Harvest House. As an Amish midwife, Abigail Graber loves bringing babies into the world. But when a difficult delivery takes a devastating turn, she's is faced with some hard choices.

At the Captain's Command by Louise M. Gouge -- A Historical from Love Inspired. A heroic British naval captain, son of an influential earl, dares to fall in love with a provincial American girl. Then he discovers her family's devastating secret.

Canyon Walls by Julie Jarnagin -- A Romance from Barbour Heartsong Presents. Sunset Camp changed Cassie’s life, and she is determined to keep it alive.

Chosen Ones by Eileen Rife -- General Fiction from Oak Tara. While Maggie and Gavin Munsfield adjust to a new baby, missionary friends, Dan and Yvonne Pratt, experience the heartbreak of infertility and miscarriage. Will they find it in their hearts to accept an outcome so different than what they expected and hoped for?

Dare to be Different; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Delivered With Love by Sherry Kyle -- General Fiction from Abingdon. An old love letter found in the glove compartment of a young woman's inherited 1972 Volkswagen propels her to leave her life in Los Angeles and go to the small town of Capitola, California. There her dream of finding the writer of the letter leads her on an unexpected journey that changes her life forever.

Diagnosis Death by Richard Mabry M.D. -- A Thriller/Suspense from Abingdon. When Dr. Elena Gardner's comatose husband dies in the ICU while on life support, the whispers begin. More deaths turn the whispers into a shout: "Mercy killing." What is the dark secret that keeps Elena's lips sealed when she should be defending herself?

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott -- A Romance from Thomas Nelson. A young woman and man haunted by the past seek love and freedom as they assist fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough -- A Romance from Barbour. Will reporter Jacqueline Davis uncover his secrets before Noah Jeffers can capture her heart?

From Darkness Won; Blood of Kings Book 3 by Jill Williamson -- A Fantasy from Marcher Lord Press. Achan and Vrell seek out their place in the coming war to push back Darkness for good.

Griselda Takes Flight by Joyce Magnin -- General Fiction from Abingdon. Now that her sister, Agnes Sparrow, is comfortably dieting at the Greenbrier Nursing home, Griselda has time to fly—literally.

Kaydie by Penny Zeller -- A Romance from Whitaker House. Kaydie Worthington builds a protective wall around herself that won't be easy to tear down. There's something about Kaydie that draws Jonah Dickenson to her and makes him question his decision to remain a bachelor.

Love Finds You on Prince Edward Island by Susan Page Davis -- A Romance from Summerside Press. Molly Orlund is honored to serve as a maid where the Prince of Wales will be a guest. Peter Stark, an understeward in the royal party, is attracted to Molly, but an uncovered secret could change everything.

Oregon Weddings by Kathleen Kovach -- A Romance from Barbour. An alpaca, a lost family treasure, and an ornithophobic actress all take center stage in these three stories of love and faith that are as eclectic as the state of Oregon itself.

Patchwork Dreams by Laura V. Hilton -- Romance from Whitaker House.Becky Troyer has committed the ultimate sin, and finds herself on the edge of her Amish community; Jacob Miller believes he was sent to the Old Order Community in Missouri to help out a distant cousin--instead, he discovers he was part of an arranged swap.

People of the Book; Book 4 in the Extreme Devotion Series by Kathi Machias -- General Fiction from New Hope. Farah lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her family, and wants nothing more than to develop a deeper devotion to her Muslim faith. All goes well until the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself.

Risky Business; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Swept Away; From the Scenarios Series by Nicole O'Dell -- Young Adult from Barbour. Each book in the series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s your turn to choose. Will your choices lead to a happy ending?

Tea for Two, Book 2 of the Tea With Millicent Series by Trish Perry -- Romance from Harvest House. Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them. Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Ann Kirkpatrick -- General Fiction from Waterbrook/Multnomah. Based on a true story of a mother and daughter who walk across the country in 1896 and the consequences of the journey to both of their lives.

The Dawn of a Dream by Ann Shorey -- General Fiction from Revell. She’s embarking on a new life—but can the past truly be left behind?

The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh -- General Fiction from Revell. Inspired by a true story, The story weaves a tale full of action and suspense, and yet it is also an amazing love story that could only happen if miracles do come true.

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble -- Olivia Stewart’s sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation’s wealthiest men, who has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor’s fiancé.

The Sheriff's Sweetheart by Laurie Kingery -- A Romance from Love Inspired. A down-on-his-luck gambler on the run from a dangerous enemy meets the richest girl in a small Texas town and turns his life around to become worthy of her.

The Unforgivable; Wounds of South America, Book 1 by Tessa Stockton -- A Thriller/Suspense from Risen Books. Accused of the worst war crimes in the history of Argentina, Carlos Cornella is despised by a wounded nation…

Tomorrow's Garden by Amanda Cabot -- Romance from Revell. Can Harriet Kirk and Lawrence Wood ever truly put the past behind them in order to find happiness?

Trail of Lies by Margaret Daley -- A Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired. As the mother of a beautiful daughter and the wife of a wealthy entrepreneur, Melora Hudson seemed happy. No one knew about the secrets hidden behind closed doors—secrets Melora was forced to keep.

Yukon Wedding; Book 1, Alaskan Bride Series by Allie Pleiter -- A Romance from Love Inspired. Widow Lana Bristow won’t abandon the only home her son has ever known, even if it means wedding Mack Tanner, the man she blames for her husband’s death.

Note: This list is compiled from those books registered by ACFW member authors on www.fictionfinder.com.

January ACFW author new releases

2011-01-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

2011 is here and with it some great new reads from ACFW authors. Check them out!

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW website.

1. Alaska Weddings by Susan Page Davis -- A Romance from Barbour. In this three-novel collection, love has come looking for the Holland family of Alaska. But new challenges to their faith lie around every bend.

2. Banda Mission: Kidnapped in Ghana by Ruben Schwieger -- A Thriller from Warner Press. Coup leaders unexpectedly kidnap a missionary who, like the Apostle Paul, is able to share his faith with his jailors and others in unusual and dangerous situations.

3. Caroline's Choice; Haynes Famiiy Series, Book 3 by Martha Rogers -- A Historical from Realms (Strang Book Group). When God sends forgiveness to the hearts of His children, they learn the true meaning of love.

4. Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer -- A Historical from Bethany House. Edythe Amsel is ready for her first teaching assignment, but is Walnut Hill ready for her?

5. Digitalis; Discarded Heroes, Book 2 by Ronie Kendig -- A Thriller/Suspense from Barbour. Deep in heart of the Holy Land for a snatch-n-grab to save her father, Colton Neeley and Piper Blum must make the treacherous trek out of hostile territory before they’re caught.

6. Found in Translation by Roger Bruner & Kristi Rae Bruner -- A Young Adult from Barbour. God can do the humanly impossible through a thoughtless teen once she learns to be faithful, obedient, and forgiving.

7. Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White -- A Historical from White Fire Publishing. How can she love the king of kings without forsaking her Lord of lords?

8. Lily of the Field by Rose Zediker -- A Romance from Barbour Heartsong Presents. Marriage isn't on Caroline’s or Rodney’s minds...but their minds are not God's and He is busy taking care of the lilies of the field-and His children.

9. Missing by Lynette Eason -- A Suspense from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Her daughter is the most important person in Lacey Gibson's world. So when the girl disappears, Lacey will do anything to find her. Even track down a man she hasn't seen in sixteen years.

10. Night Prey by Sharon Dunn -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Romantic Suspense. Injured birds of prey, late night trespassers, and threatening note lead Jenna and her childhood friend Keith into more danger than could have imagined in the ranch country of Montana.

11. Rocky Mountain Hero by Audra Harders -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Can a single mother desperate to make ends meet find love with a rancher too busy to fall in love?

12. Sharp Shooters in Petticoasts by Mary Connealy -- A Romance from Barbour. You didn't think Sophie McClellen's daughter would grow up to be a quiet little thing, did you?

13. Shipshewana Amish Mystery, Book 1 by Vannetta Chapman -- A Mystery from Zondervan. Callie and Deborah find that life sometimes sends you down unimaginable paths. The two women form an alliance which strengthens when the first dead body turns up and blossoms into friendship when Callie becomes the primary murder suspect.

14. Softly and Tenderly; Songbird Series by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck -- A Romance from Thomas Nelson. Emily and David each come to terms with a past that follows them, testing their faith and resolve.

15. Tennessee Brides by Diane Ashley & Aaron McCarver -- A Romance from Barbour. Romance, adventures, and dangers--including the war with Britain, discrimination against the Cherokee, and organization of the Underground Railroad--lurk at the fringes of three Tennessee women's lives.

16. The Baby Promise by Carolyn Aarsen -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A soldier determined to fulfill a promise and a woman determined to forget.

17. The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy -- General Fiction from Kregel. Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.

18. Touched by Mercy by Tina Pinson -- A Historical from Desert Breeze. The west seems to hold all the answers to Samantha Northam's dreams, but is it far enough away to protect her from her nightmares?

19. Unexpected Love; Seasons of Redemption, Book 3 by Andrea Boeshaar -- A Historical from Realms (Strang Book Group). Nurse Lorenna Fields is drawn to a blind patient searching for his past. But as his memories return, will there be a place for her in his future?

So You Want to Write a Novel

2010-11-30T14:38:00.000-05:00

ACFW November Book Releases

2010-11-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

As we head into the holiday season, you may want to check your gift list (or your wish list) for these new fantastic reads coming out this month from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) authors.
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW website.
1. A Daughter for Christmas; Helping Hands Homeschooling Series by Margaret Daley -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. Can Dr. Max Connors make his dream of a family come true when he must tell the widowed mother of the daughter he never knew he had who he really is?

2. A Suitor for Jenny; Rocky Creek #2 by Margaret Brownley -- A Historical from Thomas Nelson. Jenny Higgins is determined to find husband for her two younger sisters and nothing, not even a handsome marshal, will stand in her way.

3. Behind the Scenes; Tabor Heights, Ohio Series by Michelle Levigne -- A Romance from Desert Breeze. Surrounded by crises, best friends transition to life partners, to their own surprise and the amusement of those who love them most.

4. Betrayal in the Badlands by Dana Mentink -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Steeple Hill. Isabel Ling and Logan Price must battle an enemy more deadly than the mighty Badlands.

5. In All Things, Sequel to “No Other” by Shawna K. Williams -- A Historical from Desert Breeze. Jakob and Meri never imagined that the tragedies of their past would one day be transformed into something wondrous and beautiful.

6. Lassoed in Texas by Mary Connealy -- A Romance from Barbour. A three-in-one of romantic comedy with cowboys.

7. Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller -- Women's Fiction from Abingdon. Two women from different worlds find hope together in this heart gripping story of faith, forgiveness and reconciliation.

8. Mail Order Cowboy; Simpson Creek Brides by Laurie Kingery -- A Historical from Steeple Hill. A small-town Texas spinster finds love with an unlikely mail order groom.

9. Masquerade Marriage by Anne Greene -- A Historical from White Rose. When Lady Megan MacMurry chooses a husband from a secret list, she opens her broken heart to a Highland warrior's fight for life.

10. Soaring Home by Christine Johnson -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. A small-town girl plans to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.

11. Tales of the Dim Knight by Adam Graham and Andrea Graham -- A Sci-fi/Fantasy/Futuristic from Splashdown Books. Mild-mannered janitor and superhero fanboy Dave Johnson gets all his wishes at once when an alien symbiot gives him supernatural powers.

12. The Blacksmith's Bravery; #3, Ladies' Shooting Club by Susan Page Davis -- A Historical from Barbour. A former saloon girl proves she can drive a six-horse hitch--and drive her boss crazy.

13. The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson -- A Historical from Summerside Press. A Cleveland detective pursues the Mafia family responsible for murdering the woman he loved until he meets an Amish woman with a secret that changes his life.

Re-inventing Gina

2010-10-26T11:52:00.000-05:00

Over the next couple months, I'll be working on my blog to develop more of a functional "website" that will help me promote my book (which hasn't sold yet but that's neither here nor there because I need to be pro-active). The plan is to show to future publisher(s) that I'm willing to work hard to help promote my books. My friend ACFW Publicity Director Angie Breidenbach said I need to first make a list of the changes I want to make...in no particular order.

1. Develop a brand (it's not a logo or a phrase--it's my personality; my bran fits with my writing, my life, my viewpoint)
2. Incorporate evergreen products (which connects with #4)
3. Figure out my area(s) of expertise and Establish a speaking platform
4. Connect with a mission because I want to have a missional focus to my writing career
5. Focus blog content to enhance brand (see #1)
6. Add more social networking (Twitter, maybe ShoutLife)
7. Learn how to embed FB and Twitter on my blog home page
8. Read and fill out test on Strength Finder 2.0
9. Create a press kit
10. Have professional photos taken (blech)
11. Download a free pdf. converter so I can attach pdfs on my "website"
12. Do online classes (see #3)
13. Buy a copy of The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, read, and incorporate principles
14. Business cards to promote my blog as well as Inkwell Inspirations

I'm sure I'll think of more things to add that I need to do. Little bites at a time.

Now I'm off to work!

100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know

2010-10-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

~Genesis 1:1 (HCSB)

Do You Know These Verses?

With the speed of online searches and ease of handheld devices, the custom of memorizing Scripture may not seem necessary, but best-selling author Robert J. Morgan makes an airtight case for this rewarding practice in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart.
"It's vital for mental and emotional health and for spiritual well-being," he writes. "It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day."
Enjoy FREE printable memory cards for each of these 100 recommended verses, and learn more about the book here.

Manuscript Rejection 101

2010-09-30T00:12:00.014-05:00

A Week of Writing Tips

> My question is - do you think it's worth pursuing the epublishing route

> with this first novel or should I just file it and move on?

Before you do either, I think you should consider some things first.
1) Has this novel been through a crit group (comprised of writers, not family members)? Been revised then through another round of crits? Have you worked though books like Alicia Rasley's THE STORY WITHIN or Margie Lawson's lecture series?

2) Has this novel been entered in a first chapter and a first three chapters contest? Some mss in contests are like putting a square peg in a round hole, but most mss can get valuable feedback from a contest. Did you begin too so or too late? Are your leads GMCs clear or clear enough? Do you show more than tell? Is your narration and dialogue balanced? Do you show character emotions through body language, facial expression, inner body response, physical actions, sensory details, tone of voice, dialogue, silence, and internalization? Or do you rely too much on internalization to show mood? Are your leads likeable and compelling? Does your syno clearly show the external plot and romantic plot progression?

Yes, bad judges do exist. But on a whole, judging feedback (like crits) can give you fresh insight into what works and doesn't work in your story.
Stephie Smith has a great list of upcoming contests.
http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html

3) To let one rejection influnce your ms's future gives too much power to that rejection. Editors' likes vary. Same with agents. Persistence is key into finding the right match. And one R does not a bad novel make.

Perhaps your story just needs more layers. Don't file away any manuscript based on one or few rejections...unless the ms doesn't mean much to you. See #1 craft help suggestions.
4) Take a break from ms #1 and read or re-read a good book or two on the craft of writing. Some of my favorites are FICTION FIRST AID by Raymond Obstfeld, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass, YOU CAN WRITE A ROMANCE by Rita Clay Estrada, and SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Browne and King.

Alicia Rasley's Writers' Corner is an excellent online source for writing tips. Her archived articles of the month are some of the best and easiest to understand. And on Charlotte Dillon's website, she has several craft of writing links. Or head over to the Seekers blog (http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/).

Sharpen your mind and either start a new ms whils saving ms #1 for later or go back to ms #1 and revise.
5) The e-pub route is a possibility, but is it a possibility because you think e-pubs are for books that aren't good enough for print publishers?

Some e-pubs and e-pubbed stories...well, their badness can speak for them. But good e-pubs and good e-pubbed stories exist. The growing popularity of digital publishing is INSANE and AWESOME.

However, I think before you consider the e-pub route, you ought to consider #1-#4 first, and if you are still pleased with your story, then go for it!
What was most helpful revision advice you've received?

Happy writing!

-LY Adverbs: Toxic or Trendy

2010-09-29T00:11:00.008-05:00

A Week of Writing Tips

> Can someone give me a quick definition as to why -ly words are often

> flagged? Is it because they 'tell' instead of 'show'?

Uggh, quick and me don't mesh, sorry. One of my favorite books is WORD PAINTING: A GUIDE TO WRITING MORE DESCIPTIVELY by Rebecca McClanahan.

Why write "walked seductively" or "said softly" when you can write "slinked/vamped" and "whispered/murmured"? McClanahan also says, "Adverbs like *closely* sneak up on us, and before we know it, we're writing phrases like 'ravishingly stunning' or 'hurrying quickly.'"

Why allow your car to break down in Redundancyville?

High octane words, please, and fill the tank.

Besides -ly words, we're often guilty of adding modifiers/amplifiers, like *very, extremely*, and *quite*. Suzy was very beautiful. Joe was quite handsome. What do *very* and *quite* to the visual image the reader receives? Concrete details paint the picture. Suzy had a Julia Roberts smile. Yes, a little cliched there, but you know the smile.

I'm not saying never use adverbs.

Sometimes they fit.

Into the earthy bed, Joe gently laid the puppy. Slowly, diligently, lovingly, he covered the body with a blanket of dirt. His children wept. He wept. The sun would come up tomorrow, but, right now, this was the worst day of his life.

Just remember that when you limit your use of adverbs, when you do use one, it's impact is greater. Let it create a mood, paint a picture.

Care to share a paragraph from your manuscript where you fittingly used an adverb or few?
Enjoy writing!

Writer's Block is not a real Disease or Excuse

2010-09-28T00:12:00.002-05:00

A Week of Writing Tips

> You see, I sit and write something and it seems great. I've got a real
> feel for what I'm writing, but then I come back to it and it seems kinda flat.

Oooh, flat. Bummer. First of all, tell yourself you aren't the first person to have writer's block. Second, don't fight your picky critic. Be patient and listen.

I've had writer's block because of my inner critic. I've had writer's block becaused I am tired and need a break. Nothing comes out of the pot when the pot is empty. A help I've found is reading a new writing book, especially one that has examples of good writing or reading a fiction outside my genre. Another help is critting other writer's work.

When was the last time you read a novel written by a man? Or a classic? A thriller, a mystery, a horror story? Romance writers who only read romances limit their mind from growing, from creating new scenarios.

According to *Fiction First-Aid* by Raymond Obstfeld,vyou have a several options to getting out of the rut. (I wish I were the brainiac he is, but, alas, I'm not.)

1. Change the name of an important character.

It could give you an added perspective to his/her personality. A boy named Orlando doesn't invite the same curiosity as a boy named Sue (nothing against hot guys named Orlando). Han Solo tells you more about the man than Han Sarasota would.
I did this with my medieval for both the hero and heroine, and, boy oh boy, did it change my perspective of and insight into them.

2. Add a new character trait or detail.

If your character's action isn't believable, then perhaps she's not the person you've so far defined her as. I watched Freaky Friday last night with my kids. Switched minds aside, the mom's new clothes and funky hairstyle changed how other people reacted to her. Oh, and think about the movie Legally Blonde. What would she be like without her mini-dog and her obsession with pink? And later in LB2:RWB, her dog played a major role into the solution of the conflict.

3. Change the setting.

Is the argument with the hero in a bar, a bedroom, a kitchen? What about changing it to someplace different? The library? In a lingere store? Or what about big picture? Perhaps your setting in Houston, TX is lackluster because you live in Houston, TX. What about moving the story to Myrtle Beach, SC? Granted you'd have to do some research into Myrtle Beach, but who knows what you might discover that could add the needed insipration. Did you know there are 150+ golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area (some just miniture golf, but still)?

And for every golf course, there's a gentlemen's club. And the Pacific NW has the highest rate of suicides because of the dreary weather. How does your setting affect your character's moods? Do you need a hurricane to hit?

Granted, any and all of those options would require a bit of revision, maybe a ton of revision. But wouldn't it be worth the extra work if it transforms your stalled story into a best-seller? Give yourself permission, as long as you don't have a publisher deadline, to take more than three months to write a story.

Oh, as far as why I don't think you should ignore your picky critic?

Well, it's telling you something is wrong. Perhaps you have a hole in your plot or inconsistent characters or not high enough stakes or pointless setting or weak dialogue or contrived conflict. With one of my manuscripts, I got stuck on chpt 9. With my crit partner's help, I figured out the solution meant going back to chpt one. I now have a whole new thread that affects chpts 1-9, but that irritating revision only makes my story stronger, my character's motivations more believable, and my plot more detailed yet easier to understand.

When you had "writer's block" last, how did you cure yourself?

Happy writing!

Deep POV and Introspection: A writer's friends or frenemies?

2010-09-27T00:12:00.002-05:00

A Week of Writing Tips

I once had a crit partner who wrote pages and pages of introspection. Her heroine was constantly thinking....about EVERYTHING. Shoot, she'd think about what she was thinking about.

At the time I was in a writing group with HQN author Shirley Jump. Being the quasi-bold person I am, I petitioned Shirley for help with a topic I myself couldn't really explain.

Here's her answer:

A good book is like an onion :-) And a good character is like an onion. None of us have that many thoughts running through our head and heck, if we did, we'd be in Bellevue. If you dump too much on your reader too much, you are exposing too much, risk boring your reader and leaving nothing for the reader to discover.

Yes, deep third person does delve into the character's POV. However, regardless of the POV you use, a GOOD book moves forward, with rising stakes and an active character. You can't have that if you have too many thoughts dragging, as you said, the pacing down.

You know how readers make their decision on what book to buy? Besides the cover, they look at the white space inside. Too little of that and they think, OMG, it's another Charles Dickens (and we all remember the horror stories of ninth grade English and reading Great Expectations). And they put it back. Editors think the same thing. Too little white space, they groan and move on to the fast-paced one.

When you dump too much of your character on the page, you are flooding the reader and overloading her senses. She's going to back away. When you peel a layer back scene by scene, chapter by chapter, you are INTRIGUING the reader and asking her to read more. You can do this with Deep POV (Suz Brockmann does it marvelously).

Another trick I learned from the late Cheryl Anne Porter was to act out the scene. She had us all get up in a room one time during a gunfight and had a character doing this long thinking thing. The characters are shooting and then one guy starts thinking "Oh, back on the farm, he had once loved Rose, but she hadn't returned his affections..." and goes on and on.

What's happening to all those gunfighters? They are FROZEN. No action is happening and the whole book is frozen because poor old Clevis is reminiscing about Rose, who's toting a .22 beside him. Same thing happens with the pizza guy example. This guy is standing there, looking at the woman who is mooning over him and running through all these thoughts (time it by standing there to see what I mean) and thinking "this lady's nuts!"

It freezes everything and makes everyone look crazy.

So that's my advice...I do the acting out thing ALL the time to see how long I'm tying up the action with thoughts. Nine times out of ten, the thoughts get cut back and the action propels my story forward instead.

That's, of course, the old axiom of showing. Not telling :-) It's not about voice or style (heck, I do deep 3rd person myself), it's about creating a GOOD BOOK that readers will love.

~*~

Does your writing then to be introspection heavy or light? Why? Do you have any tips to help a writer learn to balance narration and introspection?

Happy Writing!

Gemma Halliday new release!!!

2010-09-20T12:12:00.001-05:00

My friend Dorchester mystery author Gemma Halliday has published a new book, VIVA LAS VEGAS, exclusively on Amazon Kindle!

VIVA LAS VEGAS was a book she originally wrote before she wrote her first High Heels novel. It won several wards, including an RWA Golden Heart award, but ultimately Gemma's editor decided she wanted to go in a different direction and bought her High Heels series instead of this book.

So, even though it has been near and dear to Gemma's heart for years, it has never been published.

Until now!

VIVA LAS VEGAS is not a mystery, like most of her previous books, but more of a humorous women's fiction story - sort of a cross between Sex and the City and Eat, Pray, Love.

Here's a short blurb:

VIVA LAS VEGAS

The Queen of Hearts: Mary Halligan can't get over her ex-fiancee, can't get a date to her little sister's wedding, and can't help being faced with happily ever after everyday at the wedding chapel where she works for an Elvis impersonating reverend.

The Full House: Ella Campbell is a former showgirl turned minivan driving mom who can't quite figure out how it happened that she and her perfect husband are sleeping in separate rooms.

The Ace of Clubs: Kit (just Kit) is a magician's assistant who wishes she could make her attraction for her married boss disappear.

The Straight Flush: David Shepard is a flamboyant showboy with only one thing hotter than his dancing career - his lover’s jealous temper.

Four friends.
Four different points of view.
One story of love, loss and lust in the most decadent place on earth.

The only question is, what are the odds of finding true love in the city of sin?

Click here to order!

(Kindle books are viewable not only on a Kindle device, but also on your iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Mac, or PC.)

Marianne Evans, Hearts Surrender excerpt

2010-09-15T00:12:00.001-05:00

Excerpt – Hearts Surrender by Marianne Evans

(used by permission)

“I’ve been the wallflower who bloomed. But I’ve never believed in myself enough to give up the fancy trappings. I've clung to vanity-centered ideals for too long, I suppose. I’ve worked hard to fit in, and finally I succeeded. Problem is, that kind of success is a double-edged sword. That pathway, once you start to follow it, is hard to leave.”

In an unexpected, graceful motion, Ken caught her swing by the chains. He held her in place, suspended backward, with nothing but a cushion of air between them. All at once Kiara went dizzy, tempted once more by that full, supple mouth, and the satiny-looking fall of his thick brown hair. He was close enough to touch. In this moment, she wanted nothing more than to do just that.

“Some time – at some point – I’d like to hear more about that, Kiara. I’d like know how you became the woman you are.”

“I’d bore you to tears. It’s nothing extraordinary.”

“All present evidence to the contrary.” He set her gliding once again and Kiara’s stomach performed a sparkling fall-away. She delighted in his words but forced herself to brush them aside before they could take root and sway her into believing he saw richness to her spirit. After all, it was part of Ken’s persona to be gracious and encouraging.

He continued, “You're moving forward in directions that are not only admirable, but eye-opening – not just for you, most likely, but to everyone who's part of your life. Don't hold to what other people see, or expect of you, Kiara. Be who you are. And while you're at it, create the best version of yourself you can imagine. After all, the only question, with the only relevance that matters, is this: Who are you now?"

When she sailed back his way, he caught the chains of her swing once again and whispered in her ear, "I believe in you."

With that, he released her on a push, sending Kiara on another dizzying spin of sensation. He walked away, retracing his steps up the path to the cabins and mess hall. She swung to a stop then sat in silence for long moments after he left, absorbing, shivering in a way that had nothing at all to do with the cool of the encroaching night.

~*~

Purchase Link for Hearts Surrender

http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Hearts-Surrender

Available in Print and Electronic Formats - $4.99 Digital / $11.99 Trade-Size Paperback

Are you a whale or a mermaid?

2010-09-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Recently in a coastal city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said...

"This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded with a letter to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)

They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.

They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.

They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia , the Bering Sea, and the coral reefs of Polynesia .

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.

They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.

They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

On the other hand...

Mermaids don't exist.

If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?

They don't have a sex life, because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them ... where is IT?

Therefore, they don't have kids either.

Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight, because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror, I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

ACFW Authors September New Releases

2010-08-31T21:20:00.001-05:00

ACFW Authors have reached a record number of new releases for 2010.

That's 34 new releases for September! Including six Christmas-themed novella collections. Lots of good reading, and it's never too late to start that Christmas shopping! There is something for everyone on this list.

1. Across the Cotton Fields; Mississippi Brides, book 1 by Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver-- Romance from Barbour. Alexandra Lewis must find a husband before a family scandal follows her to Mississippi, but where does God fit into her plans?

2. A Door County Christmas; The Heart's Harbor by Cynthia Ruchti, Ride With Me Into Christmas by Rachael Phillips, My Heart Still Beats by Eileen Key, and Christmas Crazy by Becky Melby, A collection of four Christmas-themed romance novellas from Barbour. A Door County innkeeper guarantees four single women that her Christmas cactus gifts˜and love˜will bloom by Christmas. As December nears, will barren plants and romances blossom into holiday joy?

4. A Memory Between Us; Wings of Glory, Book 2 by Sarah Sundin -- An historical from Revell. During World War II, B-17 pilot Maj. Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge - until he meets Lt. Ruth Doherty, a striking nurse with a shameful secret.

5. A Prairie Christmas Collection by Deborah Raney, Tracie Peterson, Tracey V. Bateman, and six others -- A collection of nine Christmas-themed romance novellas from Barbour. An instant holiday treasure, this fiction collection is penned by nine multi-published authors. Each novella promises a sweet Christian romance on the historical American Great Plains.

6. A Riverwalk Christmas by Elizabeth Goddard, Martha Rogers, Lynette Sowell and Kathleen Y'Barbo-- A collection of Christmas-themed romance novellas from Barbour. Four young women find love in the most unexpected places at Christmas.

7. A Very Private Grave; #1 The Monastery Murders by Donna Fletcher Crow -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Kregel. A new policeman must protect a young social worker from big-city gangs making their evil way down south. Felicity thinks she knows everything, until a brutal murder teaches her she doesn't know anything.

8. A Woodland Christmas by Janelle Mowery, Tamela Hancock Murray, Darlene Franklin and Ramona Cecil-- A collection of Christmas-themed romance novellas from Barbour. Experience a nostalgic Christmas in the Piney Woods of East Texas where a traveling wood-carver dispenses wisdom that brings four couples to realize the gift of love.

9. Alpha Redemption by P.A. Baines -- A Science Fiction/Fantasy/Futuristic from Splashdown Books. In man's pursuit of knowledge, artificial intelligence was created. In the pursuit of love, artificial intelligence found God.

10. Baby Makes A Match; Love Inspired/Chatam House Series by Arlene James -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. A rodeo cowboy rescues a stranded pregnant girl and with the help of three matchmaking aunties….well what else do you need?

11. Christmas Mail Order Brides by Vickie McDonough, Susan Page Davis, Therese Stenzel and Carrie Turansky-- A collection of Christmas-themed romance novellas from Barbour. Ride the transcontinental railroad as marriage arrives by mail-order-and just in time for Christmas.

12. Finding Becky; Book 3 Winds Across the Prairie by Martha Rogers -- An Historical from Realms/Strang. Rebecca comes home with a new attitude, but Rob wants to find the Becky he's loved since their youth.

13. Formula for Danger by Camy Tang -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Love Inspired Suspense. Dermatologist researcher Rachel Grant is pursued by an enemy trying to take her latest research and her life.

14. Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer -- A Romance from Bethany House. When a recovering romantic goes to work for a handsome ranch owner, her heart isn't the only thing in danger.

15. High-Stakes Inheritance by Susan Sleeman -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. Claiming an inheritance turns deadly when Mia Blackburn returns to her hometown.

16. In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer -- An Historical from Bethany House. Three best friends, three cherished dreams, three searching hearts...

17. Judgement Day by Wanda Dyson -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Random House/Waterbrook. One reporter's love of sensationalism leads to a horrifying story and someone willing to kill her to keep her quiet.

18. Lily and the Lawman; Idaho Brides, Book Two by Erica Vetsch -- An Historical from Barbour. A wary woman has no choice but to join forces with a local lawman to rescue her kidnapped niece.

19. Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe by Anita Higman and Irene Brand-- A Romance from Summerside Press. Two heartwarming stories of Christmas past and present.

20. Vanishing Act by Wanda Brunstetter -- A Romance from Barbour. Will the anonymous gifts left for Lydia bring her hope for a new life, and when tragedy befalls her yet again, will the mysterious gift giver be there to support her?

21. Making Waves; CHAIM series, Book Four by Lorna Seilstad -- An Historical from Revell. After Mr. Boring presses for an engagement, a witting debutante meets an intriguing sailing instructor who is everything her hum drum suitor is not.

22. McKenzie; Montana Skies Series by Penny Zeller -- An Historical from Whitaker House. She wanted to change him and mold him into the man she was supposed to marry. Instead, she was the one whose heart was changed.

23. Medical Error; Prescription For Trouble (book two) by Richard L. Mabry, M.D. -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from Abingdon. Identity theft isn't normally fatal, but this time it was.

24. More Than Words; Daughters of Amana #2 by Judith Miller -- An Historical from Bethany House. Will Gretchen Kohler's one impulsive decision cause tragic consequences for the entire Amana Community and cost her everything, even the love of her life?

25. Second Chance Brides; Texas Boardinghouse Brides #2 by Vickie McDonough -- An Historical from Barbour. When the man they came to town to marry weds someone else, two mail order brides must find a way to survive in Texas--or find another man to marry.

26. Secret of the Shroud by Pamela Billings Ewen -- A Suspense/Mystery/Thriller from B&H Publishers. A powerful Bishop reaches for revenge when he's suddenly confronted with the secret of the Shroud and a choice that can destroy him.

27. Tender Vow by Sharlene MacLaren -- A Romance from Whitaker House. When John Evans is killed in a skiing accident, his brother, Jake, reaches out to his widowed sister-in-law, but Rachel will have nothing to do with his charity, particularly since they have a "history" she'd rather forget--but God has other plans.

28. The Columns of Cottonwood; The Alabama River Heritage Series by Sandra Robbins -- A Romance from Barbour. When a handsome stranger purchases a woman's plantation for back taxes, she vows to recover her land, but they discover God has a greater solution--a compromise to benefit both.

29. The Doctor's Blessing; #2 in The Brides of Amish Country by Patricia Davids -- A Romance from Steeple Hill. A nurse-midwife to the Amish and the new doctor clash over her home deliveries.

30. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson -- A Romance from Zondervan. The Sleeping Beauty fairy tale comes to life when Rose, the apprentice to the town healer, falls in love with Lord Hamlin, the betrothed son of a duke.

31. The Newcomer by Laurie Alice Eakes -- An Historical from Barbour. Marigold sacrifices things precious to her, for the sake of her young charges and isn't willing to let their uncle take over when danger follows in his wake.

32. The Perfect Blend; The Tea Shop Series by Trish Perry -- A Romance from Harvest House. A jilted bride encounters chaotic jobs, overbearing society matrons, and charming suitors in her quest for love, independence, and the occasional glimpse of God's will.

33. The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin -- An Science Fiction/Fantasy/Futuristic from AMG/Living Ink. A young blacksmith goes in search of his missing wife, journeying to the four ends of the world and solving riddles with a faithful wolf at his side.

34. Where Hearts Are Free; Darkness to Light Series, Book #3 by Golden Keyes Parsons -- An Historical from Thomas Nelson. In the freedom and promise of the New World, Bridget Barrington and Philippe Clavell fall in love, but nothing about their love seems possible, apart from God's intervention.

A Hitchhiker's Guide to Dirtballness

2010-08-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

How much of who I am today is a result of what happened to me in junior high and high school? Eeewww. That’s just too freaky to imagine. Heck, I just don’t want to imagine it. But I should. I need to.

An Ode to the Senior Class of MacArthur High School

by Gina Welborn, sophomore

Like dirt in the wind
wanting...
waiting...
knowing...
knowing that one day they will be sucked in the great vacuum cleaner of life.

Like dirt in the wind
reaching...
yearning...
striving...
striving to leave the oneness of themselves and unify with others to become one large dirtball.

I knew even as a sophomore that my destiny didn’t lie in fertile poetic valleys. But I sure had fun writing pages of stinkweeds because I wasn’t writing to please my teachers, friends, or family. I jotted down what grew from my loony and not-so-loony mind. My poem may be corny, but if you dig a bit, you can find a truth because at the core of my soul abides Truth.

Are you a dirtball?

Ouch.

Well, you might be.

Chances are (remember that movie, now that was corny)...chances are you need to do some soul dusting. And if you want your story—your writing—to reach breakout proportions, you will break out a rag, a facemask, and a can of lemon-scented Pledge.

How many times do you “leave the oneness” of yourself to become just like your friends or the celebrities on TV? How many times do you “leave the oneness” of yourself to become just like the other writers out there? How many times have you heard “if you want to right for Harlequin, familiarize yourself with Harlequin novels,” “to write romances, you must voraciously read romances,” or “know what the publishers want”?

Yeah.

Please ignore my curled lip.

If you haven’t heard saying like those, then I’ve heard them enough times for the both of us. I’m soooooo anti-cloning.

“A true breakout is not an imitation but a break-through to a more profound individual expression. It demands that an author reach deep inside to find what is truthful, original, important and inspiring in his own world view.” ~Donald Maass, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL

I only have a bachelor’s degree in radio/television (thin, cheap books with lots of pictures) so I needed some help understanding Mr. Maass’s impressive verbiage.

Knowconflict.com defines worldview as “the way s/he sees the world and his/her place in it. In includes the person's beliefs about how things are done and by whom, what is good and bad, why things happen as they do, and who holds the reins of power. It also includes the group or groups to which a person belongs or with which s/he identifies.”

The way you “view” the world and what’s in it affects how you write.

Your worldview may contradict the mainstream, follow the mainstream, agree with the majority, agree with the minority, may be liberal, conservative, narrow-minded, open-minded, no minded.

Everyone has a worldview.

Everyone has a voice.

Are you struggling to define your “voice”? Has ascertaining your “voice” never even crossed your mind? When someone asks about your “voice,” do you answer, “Well, I’m a soprano, but I can sing alto if needed”?

Maass says, “what drives you to write, to some extent, are your own unresolved inner conflicts.”

Great, I guess we all could stand some shrink-wrappage.

Who wants to break out the Glad first?

Give yourself freedom to say things in your own unique way. How do you do that? How do you develop your “voice”?

One way is to read poetry.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said, “Prose consists of words in their best order. Poetry consists of the best words in the best order.” Reading poetry will cause you to become more aware of the dynamos of the correct word choice.

Another way is to put you in your story.

Maass says, “It is from the unknowable shadows of your subconscious that your stories will find their drive and from which they will draw their meaning. No one can loan you that or teach you that.”

Don’t strive to leave the oneness of yourself only to unify with others in one blob of sameness. Don’t become a clone. The world already has a Nora Roberts, a Julie Garwood, a PC Cast, a Suzanne Brockman, a Jennifer Cruisie. The CBA world already has a Colleen Coble, a Leeanna Ellis, a Tamera Alexander, a Linda Windsor.

It’s just wanting...waiting...hoping for a you.

Write, drink Dr. Pepper, and be you.

Umm, actually, I like Cherry or Vanilla Coke better. And the Diet Coke with lime isn't too bad, for a diet drink. Of course, if I wanted a drink, I'd head over to Starbucks and...

Why I think Jerry McGuire is a Stupid Movie!

2010-08-20T11:36:00.001-05:00

So I'm juding contest entries again. Yes, after vowing a month or so back that I wouldn't judge another contest for a year or three.

Interesting thing, though.

I read the first entry, made an occasional comment about being confused or why is heroine doing this, but that's about it. On the other three entires, I made a few grammatical tweaks. One chicka had an obsession with using sem-colons. Incorrectly.

But compared to past entries judged, I hardly made any comments on the entries. As I read, my focus was "do I want to keep reading this?" I didn't care about grammar or other mechanical issues. What mattered to me was if the story and characters were engaging.

I realized that if the story and characters WERE engaging, then I didn't care so much about other craft aspects. I was able to turn off my mental editor.

A few weeks ago I went up to Fredricksburg to have lunch with two of my critique partners. What a time of refreshing! So on the way home, I was telling the CP who traveled with me who I shall call Dawn (that her real name is Dawn is irrelvant) all about the best romance I've read all year.

Here's the clincher. It really didn't have much of a plot. Cute meet. Hilarious! Absurd which made it so compelling. The two leads disliked each other yet had a physical attraction/awareness/interest despite their dislike of one another. But there really wasn't much of a plot...until about 1/3 (maybe half) the way into the story. Even at that, the plot wasn't complicated.

I didn't care. Why?

Because I was so captivated by the lead characters and their, well, boredom with the routine of their lives that I understood why they were drawn to each other despite their reciprocated dislike. Being around each other added zest to their routines, brought peace to their troubles, and gave them hope for a better future. They completed each other.

Unlike the stupid Jerry McGuire movie. See, Jerry's problem was that he didn't like being alone so he clung to people becuase he couldn't stand being alone. Well, he never learned contentment in being alone. He realized his problem and realized the only time he felt "complete" was when he was with the heroine whose name I don't remember. But was he complete or was he co-dependant?

If he truly loved her and wasn't using her to fill that void, then he would have shown he could live without her. Or at least learn to be content in his solitude. But he didn't. He reached rock-bottom and the only way he could climb out was to cling to her. Thus the "romantic" you-complete me speech...which was really a "I'm alone and the thought of being alone for the rest of my life scares me so since I know you love me then I'm gonna come here and say what I think you'll find romantic so you'll marry me becuase when you do I won't have to face my fear of being alone."

Bridget Jones's Diary handled this same issue with a healthier ending. She could have lived with out him and been okay, but she wanted to be with Darcy because she didn't need him to survive. They were equals in the relationship. Jerry McGuire was still the relationship leech he was at the beginning of the movie, only by the end he knew it. Did he ever really mature, ever become a self-sufficient funtioning adult who didn't need another person in his life for him to survive? I didn't see that when I watched the movie. Maybe I fell asleep during that moment.

(Let me pause for a moment and say I loved Cuba Gooding, Jr, in the movie!)

M. Scott Peck's book, THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED, has an insightful chapter on Love, on falling in love, and on co-dependency. I kinda wish more romance authors and rom-comedy screenwriters would read it.

So anyhoo...in this best romance I've read in 2010, both leads truly realized they completed the other. They gave to the other, instead of taking from the other.

Romance thread...A++
Plot...C

But I didn't care. I loved the story! Which made me think about those contest entries. The first one wasn't engaging but wasn't bad either. Lots of potential. The second one was average-written, certainly not ready for an editor, but I couldn't stop reading because the author made me care about the characters. The fourth was...lemme say "unique." She had a good story there. Deep underneath her myriad of sermons. The third entry was better written then the others, but I felt like the author was trying too hard to adhere to writing "rules." Her writing seemed stifled.

I think entering contests and trying to do what all your contest judges (and your CPs) tell you will cause this. Not that I'm anti-contesting. It's a useful tool to help an author on her journey to publication.

However....

That rule-stifled entry reminded me of another book I read this year. Not overly complicated plot but satisfying read (minus the ending which had to be one of the least romantic proposal scenes I've ever read compared to the romance thread in the middle of the book). As I was reading the novel, I'd occasionally think: "This author seems like she's trying too hard to adhere to the writing rules. This scene doesn't seem natural to the characters. This ending hook feels forced becuase the author wanted the next scene's opening hook to be thus."

Yes, if I had to describe that book in one word, it'd be "forced."

So that got me thinking. How does one learn to know when to adhere to writing rules and when to step outside them? And beyond that, even if one does learn it, how does one manage contest judges and critique partners who haven't learned it's okay to break the rules?

One of my other CPs who I'll call Maggie (even though her real name is Maggie) recently went to a Margie Lawson master class. Wow! Just listening to Maggie tell about what she'd learned in her pre-attending-class homework was envy-inducing. I suspect she's learned the answers to my previous paragraph questions.

She's been empowered.

I wanna be empowed too.

Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home from Fed-Ex...

2010-08-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

In the wee hours of this morning, I helped Angelina Jolie birth her next child. A girl, in case you were wondering. Cute thing.

See, I didn't plan on being Angie's midwife. It all started with Brad Pitt and George Clooney were in my house. Never saw George. But Brad needed to mail a package and the nearest Fed-Ex was on Broad Street. Only he didn't understand my directions (men apparently can't balance beauty and brains) so since I had a package to mail myself (baby clothes to my younger sister) I figured I'd drive him. In my extremely small car. Cheap version of a mini Cooper. Must have been a Ford Fiesta.

So after we mailed our packages, he said he needed to go see Angie. When we arrived, sure enough she was in labor. One of their kids was running around without underwear. Probably Shiloh. Although she looked a lot like my daughter Niley, only with blonde hair. And a full moon.

Now I was holding Angie's hands and telling her to breathe and whatnot during the contractions because that's what a midwife does. Then Brad said "Shouldn't I be holding her hands? After all, I'm the dad and you're only her best friend."

When did Angelina Jolie and I become BFFs? I'd just met the chicka. But that's neither here nor there considering the woman was in labor and doing it without an epidural. We chatted about how neither of us liked to take drugs during labor. She was so calm and relaxed. I'm sure I was lying because I happily took drugs during all five of my labor/deliveries. Guess you say whatever you have to to a woman in labor. Most logical.

Well, I had to walk away from Brad and Angie to check on their kids (no one else was watching them), only to find the one didn't have underwear on underneath her dress (very Britney Spears of her). Must be a celebrity thing, although my kids each have gone through the no-underwear and all-I-wear-is-underwear phases so I empathized with the parents.

Being the good mom I am, I quickly found the critter some panties, then Angie yelled at me to "get back over here." Baby slid out. Brad grabbed it and wrapped it up before I could. Which I was kinda glad because blood and muck-covered babies aren't my thing. I made my labor docs clean my critters up before I'd hold them. Yes, a girl has to have standards. Even one who doesn't get her nails manicured.

Plus, let's face it: Muck-covered babies aren't cute. Of course, they don't smell like teen-age boys fresh from two-a-day football practice, so I'll give them props for that.

I said, "Congrats on the baby. Umm, what is it?"

Brad peaked under the bundling. I did too. Hey, I helped this child in the world. No time for modesty. 'Twas a girl. Yay, me! Although I didn't really do anything but put underwear on the panti-less child...and take Brad to Fed-Ex so he could mail his package.

Oh, then I did manage to make it back over to Angie to see her purge the afterbirth. Blech. Whoever said childbirth was beautiful was either blind or on drugs. Watching the movie Alien and Aliens is far more pleasant. The only good thing about labor and delivery is the baby and having someone(s) wait on your every need...and whim.

All in all, I can say that if hubby ever offers me Sonic cheddar peppers at 9pm at night, I shall refuse.

Eeks! There's a Hulk in my Dream!

2010-08-16T23:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, I will confess I recently dreamed about Mark Ruffalo playing Hulk/Bruce Banner.

Not sure why I had that dream.

Not really sure why I dream about anything I dream about. What I had for dinner may have had some influence. Although, really, it shouldn't. I'm a vegaterian. Only not legalistically. I had to be in limited to what I can or can't eat. I'm more of a in-the-spirit-of-the-law vegaterian...who buys milk from Whole Foods becuase it's hormone-free. And, surprisingly, cheaper than Wal-Mart.

Alas, I had this dream. About Mark Ruffalo being Hulk. Odd, but true.

The weird thing is it'd been a good week or two since I read the Entertainment Weekly Comic-Con article about the new Avengers movie so it's not as if I had superheroes on my brain. Yet what I read must have lingered in my subconscience to create an interesting dream. I hadn't been too sold on the replacement of Edward Norton.

Then I had a dream.

Now I'm convince this was a smart casting move.

Isn't it amazing how at first something doesn't make sense to us, but over time, it makes more and more sense.

Author Melanie Dickerson mentioned this sorta yesterday in the Seekerville comments section when she was talking about how her editor made all these suggestions for changes to her book two medieval fairy tale romance. At first Melanie wasn't too gung-ho about the changes. It's amazing how time and several hours of work changed her perspective.

I think that's part of marturing as a writer.

When I first joined online writing groups, one thing I constantly heard was so-and-so say X but I'm not doing it because "it'll mess with my voice." Of course, the flip side was the writer who did everything her CPs or contest judges advised, which totally messed with her voice. The policy of all or nothing.

Learning what advice to take and what to ignore is part of maturing as a writer.

So here I am. Dreaming about superheroes. Listening to my writing mentors. And trying to figure out where my 12-year-old daughter should go to college because she "wants to be a superhero" when she grows up. Which I have to say is a rather grand idea. Maybe I'll be a superhero when I grow up. And I want my power to be the abililty to put thoughts in other people's minds to make them do what I want them to do.

Yes, I have spent much time pondering what superpower I'd like to have.

So what about you? Are you looking forward to the Avengers movie? Or at least Green Lantern?

And if yoiu could have a super-power, what would it be? And why?

Napoleon Dynamite and Jesus

2010-08-15T22:02:00.002-05:00

In one of my Christian writing lists not too long ago (which, in Gina-time, could mean anything from a month to three years) a couple members got to discussing the movie NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE. Pretty much the general response was that they thought the movie was stupid. I like the movie, so I responded with this:

I have to say that my youth pastor-husband has often used clips from ND in his sermons. Why? Because no matter how much us "adults" don't get Napolean, students do. Even the popular ones because down deep inside most students perceive themselves as not fitting in like ND did.

When I sat down with hubby and our kids to watch the film the first time, I couldn't stop wondering why teenagers liked this movie.

But then Napolean met Pedro.

Instead of focusing on how much of a pathetic person Napolean was, I began to see him as a person who just wanted to be accepted. So many people (adults and students) spend their lives seeking acceptance, seeking that answer to the loneliness in their souls.

Napolean found his "answer" in his relationship with Pedro. But he didn't realize he could stop playing games to appear cool. In their first few conversations, Napolean lied about his girlfriend and his "skills." Eventually, though, he learned to be honest because he finally realized he didn't have to lie for Pedro to like him. Pedro liked Napoleon for who he was...and maybe even for who he saw Napoleon could be. Did he see Napoleon's flaws? Hmm. Maybe. Maybe not, but if he did, they didn't matter.

Wouldn't you love to have a friend who was either totally oblivious to your flaws or noticed them and just didn't care?

But this blog post isn't about Pedro. It's about Napoleon.

I think many of us are like Napolean in our relationship with Christ. We finally have someone we can be real with, honest with, intimate with (intimacy doesn't mean sex), yet we still play games. We play spirituality. We play church. We substitute church activity for being with Jesus, being in Jesus, being a vessel for Jesus to live through us. We say the right words and do the right things to make us look spiritual, when really we have no idea what it means to "crucified with Christ" so that it's no longer us who lives but Christ who lives in us.

In the end, Napolean sacrificed his need to appear cool in an attempt to help his friend win an election. He had no idea that his dance would win the audience's approval. In fact, I suspect he feared it wouldn't, but he took the risk anyway because a skit had to be done. Look at his face expression and body language when the dance was over.

That scene is one that the average teenager doesn't skim over because they all want a friend who is willing to sacrifice him/herself for them. And if you can show a student that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice....

To "get" the movie, my advice is to remember what it was like to be a teenager. Remember those things that you've chosen to forget because they hurt too bad. Remember when you were last to be chosen for t-ball or started your period right in the middle of art or when the class cutie barely touched your hand while square-dancing. FYI, none of those happened to me, but we all have memories of childhood and our youth years when we felt unacceptable.

~*~

Do you notice spiritual themes or subtexts or analogies in movies?

I, personally, think movies and tv shows are a non-threatening way to share a biblical truth...if one can find one in the movie or tv show. Trust me, I don't see much in 24 or SURVIVOR, but LOST and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA often have wonderful scenes that can be used to start a spiritual conversation.

Or you could watch a movie like CONSTANTINE.

What about you? Have you found a biblical truth or analogy in a tv show or movie? If so, what was it?

A review of Montana Rose by Mary Connealy

2010-08-11T10:26:00.008-05:00

A day in the life of a random conversation between Mary and Gina after Gina decided she ought to tackle reading Mary's 80 million novels before the next one is released. Primarily because Gina has also decided she doesn't read enough CBA fiction and really ought to. Yes, Gina freely admits she's a picky reader.

Book 1 done, 79,999,999 to go
Gina is not necessarily reading books in order written. She tries to be adventurous.

Gina: Hey, Mary, I read your book and it made me cry. Lots. And then another round. Which probably had nothing to do with the book. Okay, it didn't. Well, a little. But that little lead to me crying and I needed to. And now I feel better. Mostly. Some. More than half at least. Or close to half.

Mary looking all confused...and a little worried, though not overly empathetic, which could be a bad thing, but not necessarily: Cried huh?

Gina: Uh huh. That's how a Christian man is supposed to struggle with sexual thoughts both before and after he married the heroine. Realistic yet honorable.

Mary: My editor at Barbour actually debated with me whether we oughta give Red more of a conflict, internal angst. Character arc, struggles with his faith. You know, the usual. :) But Cassie just needed so much gentleness and kindness, I couldn't bare to make Red difficult. So I gave him a temper to battle with, but he mostly controlled it really well.

Gina sighing: I love Red. He loves a woman who isn't afraid to tell him he's being a lazy good-fe-nutin' pole cat who can pick up his own dagblang underwear and put it in the hamper. Too bad I'm happily married...and he's a fictional character. It'll never work out. Drat.

Mary sighing too: I've always said, Red Dawson is the perfect man. All men should immediately change to be exactly like him.

Gina: Exactly! I'll start a petition...and a blood drive.

Mary: Exactly.

Gina: Ex-act-ly.

Both sighing again

Mary: I'm in talks with my husband to arrange this for him. To be more like Red. We may have to call in a Federal Mediation Team.

Gina: Then send them out here to Virginia. Maybe I'll write a review of MONTANA ROSE since it made me cry...in a good way.

Mary: Lemme know. I'll link my blog to it.

Both staring awkwadly at each other during the extended moment of awkward silence with several people wandering past clearly looking--and obviously feeling--as awkward as Mary and Gina, then after a quick hug both walking away because neither knows what next to say except for something related to flower pots and tire rotation, but since neither know much about pot, umm, potting or vehicle maintenance the conversation would only be awkward and stilted, thus the walking away

Hi, me, Gina, here! The above minus the bold was an actual conversation, which prompted me to write this review.

I picked up Mary's book on Monday night thinking it'll be a sweet, fun read. Mary's my kinda gal. She writes what I hope my stories are "popcorn fiction for the soul." Wonder if I could use that for my brand? Hmm. I like popocorn and fiction and soul stuff (not to keen on the music, though). Could that be a brand? Hmm. I like fun, action-packed stories with an occasional dead body, not that I want to see the dead body. No, more like just talk about it. Now I digress.

So the story begins in the heroine, Cassie's point-of-view. The hero, Red, is digging a hole to bury her husband and two secondary characters are talking to him. Cassie overhears them gossipping about her dead husband (village idiot) and gossipping about her (snotty china doll) and wondering how quick she'd get hitched again now that her loser husband is dead. While Red didn't participate in the gossipping, he didn't tell then to stop.

Rather realistic because how many times have we said we're not gonna gossip and we don't but neither do we tell those gossipping around us to stop? Uggh. See me raising my hand. I'm guilty.

Now it's suggested that Red marry Cassie. Well, that got him to thinking about being married to her and what he'd say when she demanded silk dresses and whatnot.

He'd imagined it many times--many, many times. And long before Griff died, which was so improper Red felt shame. He'd tried to control his willful thoughts. but a man couldn't stop himself from thinking a thought until he'd started, now could he? So he'd started a thousand times and then he stopped himself...mostly. He'd be kind and patient but he woudln't bend. He'd say, "Cass honey, you--"

Red jerked his thought away from the old, sinful daydream about another man's wife.

Here's this guy struggling with his physical desires for a married women now digging the grave of her husband. He's not joyful her worthless husband is dead. Because that would mean he's glad Cassie's now single and he could marry her. Nope. He may have the hots for her (okay, he does), but he knows "there was only one way for him to serve God in this matter. He had to keep clear of Cassie Griffin." Why? She wasn't a Christian.

Actually he admitted he had no idea if she was or wasn't, but evidence seemed to point to her not being one, so he assumed she wasn't. And he assumed right. I wonder if he ever read BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell.

Well, next thing you know, as soon as the last bit of dirt is tossed over Cassie's dead husband's body, a slew of men have arrived to marry her. Even brought the parson. That's because men don't waste time waiting smelling flowers while the clothes dry. In that time, they fix a broken fence, put new tires on the car (hmm, two references to tires, is Gina fixated on something), and watch three football games on three different channels. Or at least the men not married to Belle Tanner do that.

Only Cassie doesn't want to marry any of them. So after one guy threatens to take her to his ranch and breed a couple chitlins off her to convince her to agree, Red steps forward and proposes. Cassie agrees. And they're married.

I suppose this is a fitting spot to give 3 Things Gina Didn't Like About the Book. Mary has now paused partially in writing book 80,000,002 to listen.

1) On and off for the first 6 or 7 chapters, I kinda thought "Cassie is as dense as a doorknob." I didn't dislike her. I just...well, here's the deal. Cassie was as dense as a doorknob. I doubt Mary would disagree. She was married at 15, but from the ages of 12 to 18, her husband raised her. He framed her mind, twisted her thoughts, and manipulated her behavoir. She wasn't stupid. She merely didn't know any better. She was ignorant in the truest sense of the word.

As a writer, I kept thinking "Why didn't Mary explain all Cassie's backstory in the first chapter?" I wouldn't then have struggled with not wanting to knock sense into chit. And certainly would have a few less mental what a dimwit thoughts. Well, I then realized a couple of things.

Mary knew the reader needed to get to know Cassie for who she was at that moment in the story. Struggle with her because, eventually, that would lay the ground for understanding Red's struggle with her. Beyond that, I think this is a perfect example of where the reader needs to just trust the author, which is something I've decided readers know how to do. Fellow writers, critique partners, and contest judges, not so much. A writer thinks "Why?" A reader doesn't think.

Well, not exactly. I'm gonna assume you know what I mean beyond what I said.

2) Didn't know until a good 50-60 pages into the book that Cassie was only 18 and another handful of pages after that Red was maybe around 23. (Granted I could have missed a reference when reading.) I'm not sure exactly where Mary could have worked that information in earlier, so this is probably a pointless complaint. I'd imagined Red being a tad older, only because he had a maturity of someone older. However once Mary layered in his backstory family life and his faith, his maturity at a young age made sense.

3) Why did I need to read scenes in two secondary characters points-of-view(POV)? The easy answer: Because Belle is the heroine in book 2 and Wade is the hero in book 3. This was a way to connect the reader to them and want to read their stories. Buy the sequels.

Only I doubt Mary did that for such simple or financially-driven a reason. I'll be candid and say I read all of Belle's scenes. Wade, only the first two and the last. Partly because I didn't know until I finished MONTANA ROSE that he was book 3 hero. Had I known that, maybe, I would have invested into reading all his scenes. But I didn't, and I figure it's an author's resposibility to include a good handful of pages for me to skim over (aka, skip) to satisfy my need to skim/skip pages. Mary does like to appease my whims. It's one of her most endearing faults.

However, as a writer, I see the merit in the authorial decision Mary made to include these two secondary character POVs. Belle was the complete opposite of Cassie. She was confident in who she was and what she wanted and had no problem telling anyone what she thought, and she didn't need a man to survive. In a way, she epitomized the modern post-feminist-revolution woman.

Cassie had no confidence in who she was or what she wanted and couldn't tell anyone what she thought, and she couldn't survive without a man. She was completely submissive. In a way, she epitomized what (I think) the modern post-feminist-revolution society thinks that's what Christianity says is a woman should be. Sadly, I can admit I've heard a pastor or two preach this.

I like how the book shows readers that they don't have to become a doormat to be godly woman. Nor does treating the men around you like they're worthless pieces of pole-cat stench make you powerful. It makes you a...well, you know.

One of my favorite lines in the book came in Belle's POV.

She decided she'd give the man a chance to be a man.

How did she go about doing that?

1) She decided it'd been a sin how she'd treated her husband. She'd been bossy, unkind, and hostile. When he said his back hurt, instead of feeling sorry for him, she treated him like a liar, and a lazy one at that. Of course, she knew he was a liar becuase he's back only hurt when he had chores, but...

2) As a mother, she needed to encourage her children to give their step-father the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't for them, or her, to judge him. Consequently...

3) They all needed to treat him with kindness and love. Because his behavior was between him and God. Their behavior was between them and God. They weren't responsible for changing him. They were responsible for changing themselves, their attitudes and actions.

And with Wade.... Well, besides the fact he's th hero in book 3, his scene provided suspense. What is this villain gonna do to ruin their lives? Only he's not merely a villain. He's a man broken by his father. He's a man needing to learn true love. He's a man who doesn't know how to be a man. By the reader understanding his inner pain, the reader could admire the decision by Red and Cassie to pray for him and, later, reach out to him. Okay, that probably means I should have added SPOILER ALERT to this review.

But Red and Cassie had no idea of Wade's inner demons like the reader did. Yet they still prayed for him. Yet they still reached out to him. That makes me realize that I'm not always going to know the burdens those around me are carrying. Maybe that villain who can't quite ring my groceries up every time I go to Kroger isn't really a villain at all. Maybe that schoolteacher who insists my child is ADHD becuase she's a first-grader who can't keep her tooshie in her seat every moment during classtime isn't really a villain at all.

God doesn't expect me to know everyone's burdens for me to treat them with kindness.

All three Montana Marriage books have been repackaged into one lot. Or you can buy them individually at your local bookstore or online at...
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Lifeway
Borders
ChristianBook.com
Mardel

Or visit http://www.maryconnealy.com/

Cooking and the Modern Writer

2010-01-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

My kids think I can’t cook.

Well, maybe not that I can’t cook, but more like that I can’t cook good. I’m really not sure why they think that. I’m a great cook. Someday they need to start tipping the chef/waitress/hostess of the Welborn Café. And they need to stop groaning when I say we’re having dinner at the Welborn Café.

Uggh, children. Gotta love ’em since ya gave birth to them.

Every night for dinner and for lunch on Sunday, I used to always put a tablecloth on the table, give all seven of us matching Longaberger blue luncheon plates, a set Oneida Kenwood silverware in the correct spot, and fill our Mikasa goblets (okay, the kids normally get Tupperware cups) with a chilled--and often--iced beverage.

I was soooooo channeling Martha Stewart. (And I don't even believe in channeling.) Lately, though, I use whatever plates I grab first, which could be the chipped Noritake stoneware. Thanks to a few forks and spoons tossed in the trash, I no longer use my Oneida Kenwood and now use what has to be the thinnest, lightest weight silverware Oneida makes. One really shouldn't complain when, at least, each place setting matches. Mismatched silverware...well, that's a post for another day.

The only thing I never have on the table is candlesticks because...well, boys and fire are combustible. And even if I did manage to convince hubby to leave the burning wicks alone, there's no telling which child--male or female--will start messing with the candles. Fire is a request to shut the wise part of the brain down.

Now, does it matter that macaroni and cheese makes a wonderful side dish with practically anything? Why can’t they see how I take care not to have all orange foods or all white foods? Will they ever notice that I strive to ensure the meal food colors, shapes, and textures vary (except on the days when we have cereal for dinner)?

Last Saturday, we had a dinner party with friends. Rotisserrie chicken, yellow rice with red and green pepper bits, pan-fried mini yam cubes seasoned with allspice, salad with Oklahoma pecans, green beans, and Ukrops parker house rolls. Not only yummy, but visually appealing.

In my almost 16 years of being a mom, I’ve discovered that you don’t have to follow a recipe exactly. If you don’t have baking powder, you can substitute baking soda mixed with cream of tartar. Or is that the other way around?

I made a coffeecake once using a yellow cake mix (mixed according to box instructions), butter, and crushed Oreo cookies. My creation tasted darn good. Of course, no one wanted to eat it until my hubby guinea-pigged through the first piece, but once he did and raved about it, the pan was emptied in seconds.

Teenagers need to be less suspicious of unknown foods.

Okay, I’ll admit I’m not a great cook. I’m no Martha Stewart. But I do watch Iron Chef of American. Yes, it’s to see Bobby Oh-Please-Flay-Me, but as I’m watching, I’m absorbing great cooking skills because I recognize that I’m a visual learner.

When we were first married, my hubby decided to make some chocolate chip cookies all on his own. I heard him banging around in the kitchen for days upon days.

Finally, he yelled, “Honey, if your cookies are kinda runny, what do would you do?”

“Add more flour.”

Minutes later he said, “More flour isn’t working.”

“How much extra did you add?”

“Two cups.”

With my Julia Child-shocked-expression, I headed to the kitchen. I picked up a container. “You added this to the dough?”

“Yes,” he said, glaring at me as if I were not Julia Child.

Controlling my laughter, I said, “This is powdered sugar, not flour. Couldn’t you smell the difference, see the difference, taste the difference?”

Let’s just say he wasn’t too pleased with my comment. Uggh, husbands. Gotta love 'em since ya vowed before 250 people that ya would till death did ya part.

I’m good at some things, but not all things.

In my crit group, each of us are good at some things, but not all things. As one of my CP so eloquently said once, “We each bring something different to the table.” Another way of saying that is “We each have a part, a job, a skill, a strength that benefits someone else.”

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body.

What your foot said, “I’m tired of only being a foot. I want to be a hand so I can touch things or an eye so I can see Bobby Flay cook”?

Or liver: “I’m sick of processing toxins. Lemme be the tongue so I can taste the food before it turns nasty.”

Or ear: “Two’s a crowd. I’m leaving so I can be the only ear.”

Or toosh: “I’m tired of people’s crap. I want to be a mouth so I can enjoy Bobby Flay’s barbeque.”

I believe God placed each part of our bodies in the prime spot for them to do the exact things for which they were created to do. Even the parts of the body that seem weakest aren’t purposeless. Imagine not having a thumb. Or no hair in your nose. That hair has a purpose. Not a purpose I really want to think about at the moment, but a purpose nonetheless.

Fortunately, in a human body, each part does its job. A heart can only pump blood and not chew Twizzlers. If it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, you need a new heart. Or you’re dead.

In a family, a crit group, or even a writing organization, sometimes the wrong part is doing the wrong job, which causes stress and discouragement because the part isn’t doing what it was created to do. Square peg in a round hole. And sometimes a part is letting another part do its job.

Is it time you stepped back and let someone else have the spotlight?

Maybe is it time you stepped up and took a more active role?

Pagan Christianity

2009-12-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

My father-in-law gave me a couple books to read. Last night I started Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola.

Fascinating.

I'd share a snippet, but I need to run to the grocery store becuase my children think they need food to survive.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2009-12-11T12:15:00.003-05:00

In honor of our green theme this week at Inktropolis (inwell inspiration's blog), I found a blog post someone wrote that summed my thoughts exactly. Read it here.

Merry Week-Before Christmas!!!

A Timely Christmas Message

2009-12-01T23:49:00.006-05:00

Christmas is a time for children, and rightly so. We celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace who came as a babe in a manger. Some celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a great teacher and philosopher. But to other millions of us, Jesus is much more. He is divine, living assurance that God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son so that by believing in Him and learning to love each other we could one day be together in paradise.

It's been said that all the kings who ever reigned, that all the parliaments that ever sat have not done as much to advance the cause of peace on Earth and good will to men as the man from Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth.

Christmas is also a time to remember the treasures of our own history. We remember one Christmas in particular, 1776, our first year as a nation. The Revolutionary War had been going badly. But George Washington's faith, courage, and leadership would turn the tide of history our way. On Christmas night he led a band of ragged soldiers across the Delaware River through driving snow to a victory that saved the cause of independence. It's said that their route of march was stained by bloody footprints, but their spirit never faltered and their will could not be crushed.

The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history. He personified a people who knew it was not enough to depend on their own courage and goodness; they must also seek help from God, their Father and Preserver.

In a few hours, families and friends across America will join together in caroling parties and Christmas Eve services. Together, we'll renew that spirit of faith, peace, and giving which has always marked the character of our people. In our moments of quiet reflection I know we will remember our fellow citizens who may be lonely and in need tonight.

"Is the Christmas spirit still alive?" some ask. Well, you bet it is. Being Americans, we open our hearts to neighbors less fortunate. We try to protect them from hunger and cold. And we reach out in so many ways -- from toys-for-tots drives across the country, to good will by the Salvation Army, to American Red Cross efforts which provide food, shelter, and Christmas cheer from Atlanta to Seattle.

Churches are so generous it's impossible to keep track. One example: Reverend Bill Singles' Presbyterian Meeting House in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, is simultaneously sponsoring hot meals on wheels programs, making and delivering hundreds of sandwiches and box loads of clothes, while visiting local hospitals and sending postcards to shut-ins and religious dissidents abroad.

Let us remember the families who maintain a watch for their missing in action. And, yes, let us remember all those who are persecuted inside the Soviet bloc -- not because they commit a crime, but because they love God in their hearts and want the freedom to celebrate Hanukkah or worship the Christ Child.

And because faith for us is not an empty word, we invoke the power of prayer to spread the spirit of peace. We ask protection for our soldiers who are guarding peace tonight -- from frigid outposts in Alaska and the Korean demilitarized zone to the shores of Lebanon. One Lebanese mother told us that her little girl had only attended school 2 of the last 8 years. Now, she said, because of our presence there her daughter can live a normal life.

With patience and firmness we can help bring peace to that strife-torn region and make our own lives more secure. The Christmas spirit of peace, hope, and love is the spirit Americans carry with them all year round, everywhere we go. As long as we do, we need never be afraid, because trusting in God is the one sure answer to all the problems we face.

Till next we meet, thanks for listening, God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

~Ronald Reagan, December 23, 2005

Keeping up with the Cleopatras

2009-11-20T13:03:00.003-05:00

Prior to writing my Inkwell Inspirations blog post today, my knowledge of Cleopatra was pretty limited. Besides the fact that Shakespeare wrote a play about her and that she liked to sit on a barge, really, what else did I need to know?

That's a rhetorical question.

Tons have been written and said about the Egyptian Queen. Philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, "Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed."

As I did my research, I learned a sad truth: Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator broke the Ten Commandments more times than any of us have probably contemplated. See how many you can find in these facts:

~She became the Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Dynasty after succeeded Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes). As the last Queen and last Pharoah of Egypt, she reigned for 21 years, from 51 BC to 30 BC, during which time she had her sister killed. Following Cleopatra's death, Egypt became a Roman province.

~She died in 30 BC, when she was only 39 years old. She committed suicide and used an asp (an Egyptian cobra snake) for the purpose.

~As mistress of Julius Caesar, she gave birth to one son. While Mark Antony was married to another woman, he married Cleopatra. They had three children. During her marriages to her brothers, she had no children.

~Contrary to the popular belief, she was perhaps not very beautiful. Coins dating back to her time depict a woman with a hooked nose and masculine features. Yet she was a very intelligent woman, with oodles of charisma and amazing powers of persuasion.

~Cleopatra was not an Egyptian. Rather, she was a Macedonian Greek who descended from Ptolemy I, a Greek general of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy I became the king of Egypt following the death of Alexander.

~In the entire 300-year old Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra was the only Pharaoh who could speak Egyptian. In fact, she was the master of nine languages.

While I like the idea of sitting on a barge, drinking lattes while my servants take turns fanning me and bringing me grapes and other luscious fruits, the grim reality is I don't have much in common with Cleopatra other than she died when she was 39 and I am currently 39. Her suicide, apparently, resulted from her grief in learning of Marc Antony's death.

Hello.

I love my husband, yet were he to die, I'm not about to hug a snake.

So that makes me think that Cleopatra must had a self-absorbed life. That can only explain to me why she'd walk out on her four children by committing suicide, although maybe she had no idea how to be a mother. Maybe she spent so much time seducing men and climbing the ruling ladder that she never realized her children needed a mother. Maybe she had no idea how to be a mother because she never really had a mother to mother her.

Earlier this week I was talking to my 10th grade son about dating. See, we have a family policy of "no dating until you're out of high school." Even my 1st grader heards the rule. Now I'm sure some readers are thinking, "Gina, you are wacky. What's wrong with letting your children date? After all, they need to learn how to date because dating is good for their social developement."

Hmm. I don't think I spelled development correctly. Yep. The second spelling is right.

As my son once wrote in his English journal, "Dating in high school is a waste of time, emotions, and money."

Anyhoo, in the conversation with my son earlier this week, I told him about my friend Kari and how she'd ignore us while she had a boyfriend, only to hang out with us when the relationship ended. For weeks all we'd hear is complains about her ex. Until she discovered a new love. They'd hook up and we'd be dumped again. My friend Katrina once said, "I feel like she uses us to keep her company until she finds a new boyfriend."

One of the difficulties in being a parent is helping our children understand we have rules for their protection, not just to make their lives miserable.

From what I've read about Cleopatra, she lived in a culture where she had no rules, no boundaries, no moral code. No right and wrong. Her life was a case study of "do whatever makes you happy."

Why is it that folks who always do what makes them happy don't seem to stay happy?

Gotta get that next fix.
Gotta climb that mountain.
Gotta lose five more pounds.

Ever wonder what we're teaching our daughters when we moan, "Uggh, I need to lose some weight, I'm so fat"?

Just a month ago, a lady from church was sharing about the Weight Watchers program she recently started. 99/100 people would look at the woman and say, "She's a size 8. She doesn't need to be doing Weight Watchers."

While I wisely kept my mouth shut, I couldn't help wondering what she was teaching her daughters about physical acceptance. If my 5'5" mom who weighs 135 is on a diet because she's "fat," then I'd better go on a diet too.

Funny thing (or maybe sad) is that of the women I talk to/hang with, the ones who focus most on weight AREN'T the overweight ones. Why is that? If you can't be happy at the weight you weigh now or with the face/body you have now, what makes you think weighing 10 lbs less or having a bit of plastic surgery is going to make you happy? There will ALWAYS be another 5 lbs you can lose. There will ALWAYS be another woman skinnier, prettier, sexier than you. And if you're concerned about that woman, odds are your daughter is going to learn from you that she needs to be concerned about that woman too.

Despite all the grand love affairs Cleopatra had, the renown she gained, the mark in history she made, in the end, some other woman raised her three youngest children.

That to me, makes Cleopatra a failure.

Non-Serious Question of the Day: What children's tv show/cartoon should be permanently banished from all airwaves/internet/world existance?

Serious Question of the Day: What did you hear one of your children say (or see written) that made you realize you'd give yourself a Good Housekeeping star for teaching him/her?

Timely Quote

2009-11-20T12:53:00.001-05:00

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."
--by Ayn Rand

House Health Care Reform Bill Pelosi-edition

2009-10-29T14:40:00.001-05:00

The U.S. House of Representatives has just posted a copy of the 1,990 page health care bill.

Here is the link -- http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Download and read it. We don't have much time to provide feedback to Washington on this.

2009-10-27T22:22:00.015-05:00

My Shirt, My Life, My Spider(bite)

　
Maybe the red stiletto boots hooked me. Maybe the twinkling stars and commanding strips did. Or maybe, just maybe, the gold wrist cuffs were what won my heart.

Forget Indiana Jones. The first person to popularize rope wearing was the ultimate heroine: Wonder Woman. And her rope didn’t whip the baddies; it seduced them into speaking the truth.

Gotta love Wonder Woman!

Yes, I have to admit I have a Wonder Woman tee-shirt. One Person Who Won’t Be Named thought I was loony to wear it to the opening night of the RWA STAR conference. Oh, but that feline lover was so wrong. I’m not a bit loony. I proudly wore the red shirt with Wonder Woman emblazoned across my chest. In fact, I even wore it to church upon more than one occasion.

Although I love Wonder Woman, she’s really not my favorite superhero. Neither are Superman, Supergirl, Aquaman, or the Wonder Twins. (Yes, I am anxiously awaiting the Wonder Twins arrival in Smallville.) Probably my fav is Spiderman. Why? Because he wasn’t born Spiderman. His powers weren’t innate.

One day he was happily walking along in geekdom when a spider bit him. In that nanosecond, his life changed.

Every person who has ever lived has had at least one spider-biting moment.

Huh? you may be thinking.

Well, that’s okay.

Think away.

Every person who has ever lived has a story. They were born, they lived, and they died. Some stories are exciting.

William Wallace. Ghandi. Genghis Khan. Joan of Arc.

Anne Boleyn.

Martin Luther. Thomas Jefferson.

Rosa Parks.

Jesse Owens. Mozart. Liberace.

But some stories aren’t as exciting and no one will find them in any book.

Of course, most of us will never James Frey our lives for recognition, but that doesn’t mean our stories aren’t as valuable or significant.

What is your spider-biting moment? What is that moment in time when your life hit a huge turning point?

For me, it was June 8, 1992.

I’d just graduated with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Radio/Television and was working at a news radio station. My fiancé was a DJ at a local top-forty radio station. Life was good. Yet, I was miserable. My life had had a small turning point during my senior year of high school. My church youth pastor did something stupid (nothing immoral or anything, just stupid), which ticked me off so I slowly got less and less involved in church.

So by 1992, I had pretty much walked away from practicing my faith, from believing in the significance of being a part of a body of belivers. The guy I was marrying claimed to be a Christian so I justified that as him being a good guy to marry, yet I couldn’t understand why I was so miserable...until I realized that a relationship with a guy wasn’t going to fill the ache in my heart. No man, woman, or child could offer me lasting significance. I need God on a daily basis. I needed to be following His will, His word.

I'd never stopped believing in God. I'd merely sat down in the middle of the race.

After my realization, I ended the engagement and returned to the One True God who could heal my hurts and give me value. The joy that I had been missing consumed me. My life hasn’t been the same since because no matter what struggles, frustrations, or hell that arises, I have a peace and hope in my soul that defies human understanding.

That’s what I call a life-defining moment.

I remember when I was thirteen

I saw a picture on my T.V. screen

The Reverend Billy Graham and the people singing Just As I Am

And it felt like You were talking to me

And the whole world seemed to fade away

Until I heard my mother say "Son, are you okay? Do you wanna pray?"

And that became the hour I first believed

Next thing you know I'm high and flyin'

Next thing you know My heart is in your hands

Next thing you know There's no denyin'

Next thing you know I'm a brand new man

Well, I wish I could say I always stayed right there

And I did until my freshman year

But the world was pulling me a long way from thirteen

And you were calling but I didn't hear

Still I knew there was something more

So, one day my knees hit the dorm room floor

I said, "If you're there, and if you really care,

Come and talk to me like I was thirteen."

Got a picture in my head today of how heaven might look someday

I see the people there, so I pull up a chair

And their stories, they blow me away

'Cause I can see it on every face The evidence of grace

And as I listen it occurs to me

Everybody's got their own thirteen

So, what's your story about His glory?

You gotta find your place in the history of grace

Yeah, what's your story about His glory?

Come on and find your place

~Matthew West, What's Your Story

Every person who has lived as had a life-defining moment, although not all of those moments are personal encounters with God.

When a couple marries, their lives take a new course. Even if they divorce, their lives are forever changed. Having children is a turning point. Losing a parent or loved one and realizing that life is about more than chasing wealth and 15 minutes of fame is a defining moment.

As writers, as women, we all need to examine our lives for spider-bites. What happened that changed you from a self-absorbed person to a giving person? What changed you from loving the man you vowed to love-until-death-do-you-part into wondering what a relationship with that other guy would be like? What changed you from working in a 6-digit job to becoming a stay-at-home mommy? What made you leave Podunkville, USA for a life in the big city? What changed you from being a joyful person to a cynic or a cynic into a joyful person?

Remember those experiences and use them when you write.

Now think about your characters. Do they have life-defining moments? Or are they the same people at the end of the novel as they were at the beginning?

In his book Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass writes, "[A] novel, uniquely among art forms, presents powerful points of view, strong conflicts and a helping of human life that affirms a higher truth. Characters in breakout fiction may seem realistic, even average, but they are bigger than their circumstances. They do not just suffer, but strive. The do not practice patience, but act. They do not merely strive, but endure."

Later in the chapter, he uses the word "rebirth."

I love that word choice. If you’ve ever read The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, you saw a comedic and earnest rebirth of a character. If you haven’t read it, then read it.

Take a really really good look at your manuscript. Is there a rebirth? If there isn’t, then maybe you need to take your manuscript on a tour of a laboratory that specializes in genetically enhanced spiders.

Make your characters stop being victims of life and start being students of their experiences.

And while they’re at it, why don’t we join them?

Swine Flu Paranoia is Everywhere!

2009-10-27T22:12:00.001-05:00

Free Speech: the newest endangered species

2009-10-20T13:54:00.004-05:00

I'm deeply concerned about the attack the White House is engaging in against Glenn Beck. The fascinating part is they aren't countering his message, only attacking the messanger. That alone should send a red flag. If what Glenn is reporting ISN'T TRUE, then the content of his reporting is what they need to be talking about. And denying. Only they aren't.

Why not?

Could it be because what Glenn is reporting is TRUE?

In related news, the Federal Trade Commission is doing a side-ways attack on the First Amendment by putting limits on bloggers. Of course we can say "well, it makes sense for bloggers to have to disclose that the product(s) they're promoting are ones they're getting paid to promote."

When we open the door to any restriction on free speech, then that makes the next restriction easier to accomplish.

What's next?

How about forcing bloggers to admit "I'm friends with this writer so I'm giving her new release a good review because 1) she gave me a free book to read, 2) writers support other writers, and/or 3) I'm hoping one day she'll return the favor by giving my book a good review."

I've long past the point of naively trusting the government. What I want to know is why the skeptics of the Bush Administration are so readily willing to leave their skepticism at the door when evaluating the Obama Administration. What makes Obama supporters think they can trust him? How many campaign promises has he broken? How high do your taxes have to increase before you realize more than just those who make over $250,000 (or is it $200,000 or is it $150,000) are gonna have to pay their fair share?

What about the White House's attempts to ressurect the Fairness Doctrine? One of the reasons convervative talk radio is so dominant over liberal talk radio is because the listeners for the latter just aren't there. A business will advertise where the listeners are. Just one reason why Rush Limbaugh can charge such outrageous fees for advertising on his program. He doesn't have to seek advertisers. They're on a waiting list. I doubt the salesteam for Rachel Maddow's show ever turn advertisers away.

Click on this link to read why Conservative talk radio and liberal doesn't.

Anyhoo, back to the Fairness Doctrine. The Heritage Foundation wrote a great article on why the Fairness Doctrine isn't fair.http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/EM368.cfm

We are living in "such a time as this" that we need to educate ourselves in the truth of what the White House and Congress is trying to change about our country. Sadly, like how the foundation of the church has been destroyed by Evolution (http://www.answersingenesis.org/) so to is "I didn't want to do it, but ____ was just too big to fail" is wittling away at our country's foundation--the Constition.

What's even worse is that this attack isn't new.

It's been happening for the last 100 years by members of both political parties. Only difference is this administration interjected steroids into the attack.

Despite everything that's happening, I stand on one truth: In God I Trust.

Whether you agree or disagree with anything I've blogged, I urge you to EDUCATE yourself and INVESTIGATE the truth.

Writing, Chocolate, and Hobbies

2009-10-16T10:25:00.014-05:00

Today's recycling day, so in honor of Henrico Waste Management emptying my bins of recyclables, here's a recycled blog post. The toddler mentioned is now 6 1/2.

~*~*~

HANDS DIRTY, HANDS DIRTY

My two-year-old loves to get into everything. And she does get into everything. A carton of eggs. The litter box. The trashcan. My china hutch. Her brother’s backpack. The new box of, umm, let's call "girl stuff" that I accidentally left sitting on the kitchen table.

Today it was the bag of melting chocolates I had purchased to make Scooby Doo suckers.

Like normal, Rhyinn came running to me, holding her hands up and saying "hands dirty." If she doesn’t want to get her hands dirty, then why does she smear her pudding all over the kitchen table or take off her diaper and mess in her poop? I just don’t understand her toddler thinking process.

Uggh. Children.

Must be the paternal DNA taking over.

(Please ignore any pictures my mother sends of me making mud pies. The faded photo has been digitally altered.)

Rhyinn’s action makes me wonder something. Give me a second to get to it.

I've often heard unpubbie writers say they would write even if they knew they would never get published. They would write for the fun of it. Quite admirable, don’t you think?

When I hear that, I think, "So writing is their hobby." A hobby. Isn’t that a reasonable assessment?

Scrapbooking for me is something I do for the fun of it. Creating something out of funky triangular-cut paper, adorable stickers, and silly photos of my kids with snakes wrapped around their shoulders provides me a momentary amusement. A sedative. A time for me to relish the memory of that particular minute when all the stresses of life were an eternity away. I enjoy scrapbooking enough to do it even if I knew I'd never reap monetary benefits.

And so you don’t think I’m an amazingly organized person, I have at least two years’ worth of pictures I haven’t scrapbooked. I won’t even mention I don’t have a single picture of my younger sister’s New Year’s Day wedding.

Scrapbooking is my hobby. I really wish cleaning house were too.

Writing is NOT a hobby for me. Yes, it is a sedative at times, but I don't write for my own personal amusement or to distract myself from life's chaos. It’s not an escape. I don't write to live out my fantasies in a book because I'm too afraid to take a real-life risk.

I write because I have a story to tell. I can’t NOT tell it.

And because I want to tell that story well, I work at writing. I refuse to settle for "good enough to make me feel like I’m a real writer."

The other day one of my writer friends was struggling with her level of writing and another writer’s condemnation of her quality standard. She wrote this in response:
"To me, no matter how talented you are, you still have to work hard. Does Tiger Woods, the God of golf, just screw around ALL year long, show up at some golf tournaments and win? Do the Olympian swimmers sleep all year long and then win their gold medals? No. I grant that these people are talented. But without their sweat and blood, they wouldn't have been able to achieve the pinnacle of their careers."

Writing for your own personal pleasure is fine. It’s honorable. In fact, I think writing is a wonderful way to deal with personal frustrations, struggles, temptations, and failures. Journaling is the cheapest form of counseling. I should journal—umm, blog—more.

Not everyone who wants to be a writer will succeed as a writer. (I’ll leave the discussion of success for another time.) Of all those who consider themselves writers, only a portion will achieve published success. I don’t say that to be a downer but as a realist.

For some writers, writing will merely be a hobby—something to play with for a time. They will never let their hands stay dirty because they have other things to do. And there is nothing wrong with that decision. I have lots of things I like to dabble in for pleasure—things that are fun to do—but I will never get serious about them because I don’t have a passion for them. Sewing. Crafting. Floral design. Keeping my house clean.

Another group of writers will see their writing as something more than a hobby, but because they aren’t willing to dedicate themselves to learning the craft of writing, they will live frustrated with constant rejections.

If I knew I would never be published in fiction or non-fiction, then I wouldn’t strive to be the best writer I could be. I would re-examine my heart to see if my passion for writing is misplaced passion. Is there something I’m better at, something that I have a greater chance of succeeding in? Fortunately, though, my future is unknown. So I will strive. I will educate my mind. I will relish the editing stage as much as the drafting stage. I will push myself to learn.

What about you?

No matter which path to publication you take (print or e-pub), don’t be afraid to sink your hands into the muddy soil of creativity and learn to be the best writer you can. Don’t just assume you know how to write because you’ve been reading since you were two. Master the art of punctuation. Become a virtuoso in the sonata of concrete word choices, literary imagery, and paragraphing. Deepen your knowledge of what makes compelling writing.

By golly, get your hands dirty. It’s a whole lotta fun.

Just ask my daughter. And my son. And my other daughter. And my other son.

Okay, and me, too.

September 12 March on Washington

2009-10-06T11:03:00.012-05:00

How big was the crowd in Washington?

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/more-912-crowd-data-yeah-it-was-big/

Tens of Thousands or a Million Plus?

http://moderateinthemiddle.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/update-contract-from-america-attn-obots-i-own-the-world-has-the-pic-we-need-to-get-a-real-countupdate-how-big-was-the-crowd-media-credibility-plunges-to-new-low-aerial-views-added-d-c-police-close-r/

So I can't help thinking "What does it matter how many people were there?"

Good question, Gina.

See, here's the thing: If it doesn't matter, then why did the media downplay the numbers? Were there 75,000 people or a 100,000,000+? The answer is simple.

Because the government needs to know that Patriotic anti-big-government taxpayers have had ENOUGH of the cancer consuming Washington.

Or as one journalist wrote:

"This is the first great conservative anti-statist manifestation in American history. Theconservative movement, which developed in the post-WWII, Cold War environment has now fully matured into the most significant political movement of the 21st century. I believe that this day could be referred to in the not too distant future as the day that changed America. This was the day the great silent conservative majority finally found its voice.

Many of the attendees were quite meek and timid and were unsure of exactly what to expect, this being the first time in their lives they'd been involved in a protest movement. Their fears evaporated early in the day and I saw people reveling in the camaraderie , the joy and sheer civility that was exhibited at the entire event. Chants of "Freedom, freedom, freedom", "No more czars! No more czars!" carried through the air without the slightest hint of rancor or incivility which is the norm at the leftist rallies I have photographed over the years."

Mike Pence (R-Indiana) was one of the speakers who addressed thecrowd: "After years of fighting runaway government on this hill, you people look like the cavalry to me. I believe we are on the verge of a great American awakening."

San Diego radio host Mason Weaver said from the podium: "I came here because I thought you might want to hear a black man speak withouta teleprompter...This government is trying to make a nation of dependent people. Americans have always been independent people...This is not a Republican thing, it's not a Democrat thing. It's not a black thing or a white thing. It's an American thing...We the people are telling them 'No more! We've had enough!"

Lloyd Marcus performs - Proud Black Conservative

~ PICTURES ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS~

Washington Mall after Obama Inauguration, JANUARY 20, 2009:

Washington Mall after 9/12 protest, SEPTEMBER 12, 2009

Stupid Soul Mate Cliche

2009-09-22T10:34:00.005-05:00

If we define a cliche as somethings that been done so many times that it's past familiar, then isn't giving Christmas gifts and birthday gifts a cliche? Okay, I doubt that's going to get me off the hook for going Christmas shopping this year.

On a side note, last year Planned Parenthood of Indiana offered Free Abortion Certificates as the newest thing in gift-giving. According to Ms. magazine, an official of the Hoosier Planned Parenthood group explained: "People are making really tough decisions about putting gas in their car and food on their table, so we know that many women especially put healthcare at their bottom of their list to do."

Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. Where's that sarcasm font when I need it?

Back to topic....

I like cliches as long as they fit and have a twist to them. Just between the two of us, I have this secret idea to write a character who only speaks in cliches. Remember that Star Trek Next Generations episode when Captain Picard met that alien who only spoke in metaphors and allegories? Loved it! Loved Picard! Classic episode.

I am a trekkie at heart.

Anyhoo, one of my all time despised cliches is the concept of soul mates. Let me say that again and with emphasis.

One of my all time despised cliches is the concept of soul mates.

Ladies, what if your soul mate died in a car crash when he was 16? Does that doom you to a life all alone...or with some guy who won't be anything more to you than a second-string quarterback?

What if your soul mate was stupid and married the town's #1 exotic dancer before he met you? Does his poor choice doom you to a life alone...or with some guy who won't be anything more to you than a second-string quarterback?

Out of ten randomly chosen romance novels (sub-genre doesn't matter, although in paranormals the odds skyrocket), at least three will mentions the leads being "soul mates." How convenient for the pair that they're both attractive 'cause if not....well, imagine Roseanne Barr telling Brad Pitt, "Hey, dump Angie, I'm your soul mate!"

At some point, ladies, if you advocate the reality of soul mates and you still aren't married, you might want to stop assuming your guy is gonna be one one of those hunky hearthrobs with Bill Gates-like brains and fortune. Duh.

Realistically we all can't have great soul mates because look at how many hunky hearthrob Bill Gates-smart guys are out there. The gene pool isn't that fertile. Oh my satellites, I had a thought. What happens if you marry the guy who you were 100% certain was your soul mate but then learned he had an affinity for leaving the toothpaste cap off so you KNOW your true soul mate wouldn't be so stupid? Do you divorce the guy and go looking for your true soul mate? Not only that, but since feelings change as quick as Madonna reinvents herself, how can you really be sure your soul mate is your true soul mate? And what if you thought husband #1 was your soul mate, only to learn he wasn't, so you divorce and marry husband #2, and you guessed it, after a few years you learned he wasn't either, so you divorce and marry husband #3, and...well, do you see the picture?

My brain is stressing.

How can you guarantee the person you've fallen in love with is your soul mate? I know. Sex.

See, in the average romance novel, or sex-focused tv show, that the characters don't realize they're soul mates until they've had hot wild never-like-it-before sex. What if your soul mate just didn't have "game"? Time to start watching The Bachelorette.

I am full of "what if" questions today.

What if your soul mate dies, leaving you a widow? You're kinda obligated to tell the next guy who proposes, "Sure, I'll marry you, but just know that you only have a percentage of my heart and not a bit of my soul because it is forever linked with my dead husband." He deserves to know that you're a Corpse Soul Bride. It's the most loving thing you can tell him. After all, now he can know that he might want to keep looking because he obviously hasn't found his soul mate in you.

See, this is why I think the concept of soul mates is so totally stupid and cliched and takes away personal choice.

Is there only one "right" person for us? If you believe that, then I can't see how you (or your characters, if you're a writer) don't struggle with second-guessing your (their) decision to be with the person you're (they're) with. What if he's not "the one"? What if so-and-so was but he had bad breath so you refused to go out with him again?

What if your soul mate was a total jerk? Clearly the world has it's share of jerks, and I can't imagine each one of them is slotted to be a eunach. Some will marry. Some will marry for love...and yet will still be jerks.

Good thing love is a choice.

Golden Pen Contest

2009-09-21T10:19:00.002-05:00

I've been ignoring my blog because I have Golden Pen historical coordinator duties to attend to.

Tomorrow, though, I'll be posting over at Inkwell Inspirations. Our theme this week is Too Stupid to Live, aka TSTL.

Ever had a contest judge tell you that your heroine was TSTL? Hmm. I haven't, but I certainly know I've wanted to say that about many a contest entry heroines I judged.

Obsessive Counseling for the Christian Writer, Version 2.0

2009-09-17T12:30:00.001-05:00

The other day I was changing channels, when I noticed How the Grinch Stole Christmas was playing.

Only Ron Howard could take a great story and turn it into a drecky movie. *sigh* I guess I should be happy my kids missed the sexual innuendos and overall stupidity when we watched it last Christmas.

A funny thing was when my oldest son said, "Mom, voice of the Grinch sounds like the guy who was in The Mask."

"Well, that's because it's the same guy. Jim Carrey."

"Does he act the same in all his movies?"

Oh my. That's pretty impressive insight for a teenage boy. I shrugged and answered, "Yes, he pretty much does. Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell are a couple other actors who realize becoming a cliche doesn't hurt their paycheck.

I sure don't want to become a writing cliche. Hmm. You know, I can actually see how easy writing the same characters and plots over and over again can cause readers to see writers as cliche. I certainly know I'll scream if I read another romance trilogy that has a redheaded heroine, blond heroine, and brunette heroine. Is it not possible to have three books with sisters/friends/strangers having brown hair?

Makes me kinda wonder if writers, especially multi-published authors, become obsessed with easy distinctions verses relying on deeper, more distinct characterization.

Reminds me of when my now almost 12-year-old daugher was eight. She'd decided she was obsessed with Barbies. No joke. Just out of the blue, she said, "Mommy, I think I'm obsessed with Barbies."

How could she have known what an obsession was? I know adults can't distinguish that. Shoot, I've been out shopping, searched a sale rack looking for undershirts for my oldest son, only to realize I'd already bought him ten new ones (six of which were Puma to match his new shoes) in the last month, while three months earlier, I'd bought him a 6-pack of Hanes. Instead of denying my obsession with undershirts, I merely denied my obsession with shopping.

I wisely told her that she wasn't obessed with Barbies.

She looked at me suspiciously. "How do you know?"

"Sweethearts, because you don't spend every breathing moment talking about them or playing with them, and you certainly don't spend a fortune on them."

She smiled and said, "I guess I'm not obsessed."

I'll admit have obsessive moments.

*When I find things on sale, I just yearn to find another great sale.
*When I make a new memory book page and it turns out real cute, then I must make a new one to top it.
*When I finally feel like cleaning, then I don't want to stop until my entire house (including attic) is clean.

Yes, I have OMs (obsessive moments). Sometimes with writing, I have OMs. If a scene is working, then I don't want to stop writing. Seasonally, on any one of my writer's lists, a thread starts about about balancing writing and life.

One lady, whose name I've chosen to not remember, basically said she's sacrificed having a life because she wants to become published.

Interesting. I wonder why she said "to become published" instead of "to write a great story" or "to become a respected writer." Does she seek validation in becoming published? Who knows? That's her own path to walk. And we all walk paths. What's important is that we don't get to the end of one and wonder, "How'd I get here?" Be sure of the steps you take, just as you are sure to where those steps lead.

I sure don't want to be on my deathbed wishing I'd spent more time with my family and less time trying to become a published author.

Free Harlequin Book Downloads

2009-09-16T14:16:00.001-05:00

To celebrate 60 years, Harlequin is inviting you to download 16 full ebooks, absolutely free. Total value $60 US. Choose from tender romances, heartwarming stories, suspenseful adventures, tales of passion and more.
http://www.harlequincelebrates.com/index.php

Christian Fear Counseling 101

2009-09-15T13:51:00.010-05:00

FLASHDANCING ON WATER

"Tell us your phobias, and we will tell you what you are afraid of." ~Robert Benchley

Mr. Benchley (whoever he is) was on to something. Since I don’t see any volunteers to list their phobias, I guess I’ll start.

Bridges over water scare me.

It doesn’t matter if I’m driving the car or not, I still can’t abide traveling across water. And the bridge doesn’t have to be high above the water like Annapolis Bridge, which crosses the Chesapeake Bay. (I hate that bridge.) I can’t abide the underwater tunnel leading to the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area either. Every time we drive through it, I have mental images of leaking cracks. I swear one day I’ll see a crack. I will.

And another horrid bridge is the one leading from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The swampy water is practically level with the road. That’s just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I swear I will never travel that road again. An alligator can just crawl up…. OMG, I don’t even what to think about it.

Bridges not over water scare me, too.

Why?
I don’t like bridges, okay?! You drive off and you’re dead. I’m just not into traumatic deaths.

Swimming in the ocean, the gulf, or a sea.

I’ll just leave it at sharks, eels, jellyfish, and octopus, and let your imagination talk hold.

Swimming in a lake or a river.

I have two words for you: Human-eating bass.

Doesn’t matter that you’ve never heard of human-eating bass. Sure as the sun rises in the morning, the day I go swimming in a lake, some mutant bass will decide my toes are an all-you-can-eat buffet. I’m so not into that. If I’m going to swim, I want to see what’s at the bottom of the pool.

Parachuting, para-sailing, or anything anywhere near related to that.

Splat! Did you ever see the episode of SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN when Steve’s girlfriend, Jamie Summers, did the pavement tango? I did. Real life isn’t television. One splat and the show’s cancelled. No one can bring you back to life as the Bionic Woman. Not that that wouldn’t be nice.

Hmm, more fears…. Gee, I think those are all my fears. So, Mr. Benchley, what am I afraid of?

Death? Wrong! I’m not afraid of death. I know where my eternal destiny lies. I just don’t like pain. My fear of bridges and water stem from my desire to…you know, this article really isn’t working for me.

"Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it." ~Camus

Oh, shut up, Mr. Camus.

Human-eating bass isn’t a philosophy to justify my fear of lake water. Let’s be realistic. Who want to swim in a fish’s toilet?

Don’t laugh at me, Mr. Camus.Okay, I’m a coward. My fears are merely outlets of my cowardice, of my unwillingness to take risks. Fine. Does my admission make you happy?

My fear of bridges comes from my fear of not being in control. When someone else is driving me over the bridge, I’m quite nervous, but when I’m driving over the bridge, I’m far less nervous. Parachuting and para-sailing force me to put my life in the hands of someone or something else, too. I could never parachute because I’d spend all my time second-guessing that my parachute was packed correctly. Deep down inside I don’t trust my own judgments. I fear being wrong.

I fear being wrong because if I’m wrong, then I’ll be embarrassed, and I fear embarrassment. If I’m ever embarrassed, I won’t admit it. It’s too embarrassing.

Since my husband bought us a pair of Sea Doos, he’s been begging me to get over my fear of lake water. Excuse me, it’s not the water I fear, it’s the things in the water that could eat me. (For those of you who don’t know, a Sea Doo is a brand name for a personal watercraft. Other familiar names are Jet Ski and Waverunner.) I hated riding behind him. I’d never make it on a tandem bike either.

Nevertheless, when hubby let me drive my own Sea Doo, I loved it. I became a crazy Sea Dooing momma. I even drove the thing at top speed. I’m a maniac, maniac on the water, and I’m driving like I’ve never driven before.

I was zooming and zagging and zipping across the lake.

The wakes were my playground. I had form. I had game. I had skills, and, trust me, guys like girls with skills as much as girls like guys with skills.

My eleven-year-old daughter loved the moves I was making. I was Michelle Kwan on a Sea Doo.

Zip.
Zap.
Zoom.

Splat!

Yep. Dorky me somehow managed to throw my daughter AND myself off the Doo. And this Scooby Doo when Scooby Down. My hair got wet. My face got wet. But I didn’t lose my sunglasses. Didn’t I tell ya I’ve got skills?

Interesting thing is no human-eating bass ate me. My lifejacket worked. My daughter was laughing not crying.

We got back on the Sea Doo and met up with the rest of our group. As I gassed up the Doo to top speed, I realized that my flying off the Sea Doo was kinda like death. Too many people fear death, but when it happens, it’s so quick you don’t have time to think. There’s nothing to fear on the other side.

"There’s nothing I’m afraid of like scared people." ~Robert Frost

I have fears, but I’m not a scared person. Yet to many times I miss out on wonderful opportunities and experiences because I fear what could happen. I unwisely let my fear of failure and embarrassment hold me back.

Ride a rollercoaster. Talk to a total stranger. Wear something new and different, something so "not you." Take a Foreign Language class. Be the first person to talk instead of the last.

Whatever your fear, step outside it.

Better to try and fail then to never try and regret it the rest of your life.

Just make sure you are wearing a lifejacket if you’re going anywhere near water. And don’t run with scissors.

It is time to Stand Up!

2009-09-12T12:26:00.004-05:00

"It's not the flag. It's the principles behind the flag." Glenn Beck, 9/12/09

I have to say the more I learn about our government, the more I'm becoming liberterian. I don't want the government to solve my problems because their answers aren't for my benefit. Both parties are taking us--taking our country--to a place where the people no longer rule...the government does. Continuing along in our normal day-to-day activities and denying what's happening only hurts us. Only hurts you. What I want to know is "Why?"

What are we afraid of?

Why do we want to deny what is happening--what has happened--in Washington DC?

What of the things I like about Sarah Palin is that she went after her own political party and before she went after the other one.

Where are the people who will clear out the rat's nest in the Democrat AND Republican party?

Understanding Me

2009-09-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

You know your true friends when they buy you gifts or send you quotes that are just perfect for you.

I must credit my gal-pal, Laurie Alice Eakes, for sending me this:

"I like a thin book because it will steady a table, a leather volume because it will strop a razor, and a heavy book because it can be thrown at a cat." ~Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Nice.

:-)

SCREEN IT! ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS FOR PARENTS

2009-09-09T22:42:00.001-05:00

SCREEN IT! ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS FOR PARENTS

Shared via AddThis

Oh the things my sister tells me...

2009-09-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

So last night I was talking with my oldest sister about...well, we talked about lots of things.

*Stinky girl gymnasts
*Christmas on a budget
*Why our mother is never home when we call
*Obama's "My ego needs me to remind you I'm the President" speech to school children
*Public schools get $35 for every child attending so it'll cost them if we keep our kids home on the day Obama's speech is shown
*Why forwarding jokes at work isn't a wise idea

Anyhoo, she reminded me of a forward she sent me a week or few ago. One on random thoughts. Here's some of my favorites...

o More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

o Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

o Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

o I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

o There is a great need for sarcasm font. (YES!!!!)

o I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

o Was learning cursive really necessary?

o Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

o I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

o Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

o Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

o While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

o MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

o Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

o I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

o Bad decisions make good stories

o If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

o Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....

o You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

o Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

o There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

o I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

o "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

o I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

o While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don’t win, they are executed.

o Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

o Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

o It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

o Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Protector's Honor

2009-09-06T19:16:00.003-05:00

This week new Steeple Hill RS author, Kit Wilkinson will be a guest on both Novel Journey and on Romance Writers on the Journey, where she'll have drawings on both blogs for copies of Protector's Honor.

Tuesday, September 8
Novel Journey

Thursday, September 10
Romance Writers on the Journey

From the back cover:
AGENT TO THE RESCUE!
It’s instinct. When NCIS agent Rory Farrell hears a woman scream, he reacts. But even after he saves her from abduction, Rory can’t get the beautiful and fragile Tabitha Beaumont out of his mind. Especially when he finds a connection between Tabitha and his latest murder investigation. She needs protection—Rory’s protection—while Rory needs answers Tabitha doesn’t even realize she holds. Yet how can he find the truth without betraying Tabitha’s trust? Soon, Rory must decide what matters most—keeping his objective distance, or keeping Tabitha, in his arms and under his protection, forever.

Order the book here or here or here.

A word on Logic

2009-09-01T00:34:00.002-05:00

My mother, who figured out I don't read any e-mail with the word FWD in the subject line, sent me this, and I thought I'd share.

~*~*~*~*~*~

These may be the 5 most logical sentences you'll ever read. This is one paragraph that should be in every book in every school room in every city in every state in our great Union. Every elected official should be required to read and swear an oath to make their decisions with these words in mind.

"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." ~Pastor Adrian Rogers, back in 1931

Inkwell Inspirations

2009-08-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

A Great Read!!!

2009-08-20T09:21:00.002-05:00

My gal-pal, Kristen Painter, just found out her first release, ALL FIRED UP, is available for pre-order at Books on Board. (http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=478087). To quote her: "It's both wickedly cool and nausea-inducing." Now I'm going with the idea that she's referring to the fact one can already pre-order her book...and not that she's describing her book.

It's all a numbers game!

2009-08-18T07:13:00.002-05:00

10 States
9 Days
5 Kids
3200 Miles
1 Farm
2 Zoos
2 Museums
10-ish Rest stops

I like family vacations. Really I do.

Since we moved to the capital of the Confedercy, we've taken family vacations to Virginia Beach VA, Outer Banks NC, Myrtle Beach SC, Orlando/DisneyWorld, and Pigeon Forge TN. This year's trip...well, we took the scenic route to South Dakota.

Why SD?

My grandma was celebrating her 90th b-day. Plus the only one of my five chitlins she's ever seen in person was my oldest when he was two. He's now 15 1/2.

Virginia is beautiful as aways.

West Virginia is quite mountainy with lots of trees and winding roads and with next to no rest stops along I35/I64. Not a good thing when one has a toddler who has to tinkle and who won't use the side of the road.

Ohio is...well, I didn't expect it to be cornfields. But after miles and miles of driving up and down and up and down with a twist and a turn--or three--I welcomed the change of scenery.

Until we hit Indiana. More cornfields.

Illinois provided an occasional soy bean field amid more cornfields. Oh, and the state had lots of windmills. We spent the first night of our trip at the home of hubby's cousin.

13 Welborns + 3 cats + one house = lots of noisy fun

I freely admit my favorite cat is the one someone else owns. Well, the cousins had a critter named Nikki. He like to lounge in a baby doll stroller or in a basket and be strolled or toted around. I'm telling ya, that's the life.

Iowa is more cornfields. Shocking, I know. Flatlands and rolling hills.

Minnesota is more cornfields with an occasional pig farm. More flat than not.

South Dakota is pretty much the same as the last two states. Hubby gleed when we saw the first wheat field. Finally, something besides corn and soybean.

I really ought to add some pics. Alas, I have Golden Pen historical coordinator duties to attend to today.

Deadly Children, Deadly Intent

2009-08-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

Buy Camy Tang's newest book DEADLY INTENT--a Steeple Hill LIS release--because I said so!

Hmm.

Not exactly the most persuasive blog post, eh?

So let's go back a week-ish ago and pretend we're in my kitchen at home making Rice Krispy bars. Mmmm. Okay, my oldest son (for the sake of simplifying, let's call him OS) was sitting at the home computer doing some googling, facebooking, e-mailing, and whatnot. (Teenagers are so multi-taskable.) Well, he came across some rather deep thougths that I suppose I could share.

DEEP THOUGHT #1: The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind
yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

So so so so true.

DEEP THOUGHT #2: There is only one pretty child in the world... and every mother has it. - Chinese Proverb.

Actually, not so true. My kids are utterly cute and adorable. They tell me so every day, usually after the words "I not a baby baby. I cute and adorable." And they are. After all, this last week, I've had many an opportunity to compare my kids to other folks' kids, and despite my kids' few flaws (all of which they inherited from their grandparents), they have turned/are turning out exceptional.

Comparisons. Comparisons. Comparisons.

They're a fact of life, a reality, that can't be avoided because comparison is natural. Lemme give you a differnt example so you don't feel bad for not having a kid or two as cute and adorable as mine.

After I read Camy Tang's newest release, DEADLY INTENT (ISBN-13:978-0-373-44347-5 from Steeple Hill LIS), I began reading Jane Austen's EMMA. My galpal Melanie Dickerson is an Austen-aholic. Her latest goal to re-read each novel compelled me to read the book that I'd bought last winter and have yet to read. I'm a slow reader-ish. Okay, I meant to read it immediately upon purchase. Sadly...oh that's another blog post.

EMMA is considered Jane Austen's masterpiece. Yeah. I thought P&P was. Some English professor with a bunch of credentials and facts says otherwise. Anyhoo, as I was reading the first couple of chapters while I subconsciously pondered how to review Camy's newest release, DEADLY INTENT, something struck me.

Comparisons are inate.

Despite how much we don't want to admit it.

I've seen both movie versions of EMMA. Naturally while I read the book, my brain was shifting back and forth between each actor in effort to decide who on screen fit better the character Jane Austen created. Not only that, but I also got to comparing how P&P was written compared to EMMA.

One is easier to read.

Although, I ought to add that Jane Austen tended to favor long winding sentences with lots of semi-colons and em-dashes. Oh. My. Satellites. The woman was the 1800s Queen of the Em Dash--quite a feet considering Charlotte Bronte's obsession with them.

The last couple days of reading has reminded me that I need to slow down when I read. Especially when reading a Jane Austen novel.

How does this relate to Camy Tang's newest release DEADLY INTENT?

Thanks for asking.

DEEP THOUGHT #4: Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

Yesterday I posted the first book review I've ever written. Just so happened to be a review of Camy's book two in her Sushi series, published by Zondervan. If one buys Camy's newest release DEADLY INTENT and expects it to be like her Sushi novels, then one will be surprised. I almost wrote "disappointed" but that's not a good word choice at all because DEADLY INTENT is a quite-satisfying inspirational romantic suspense. I can't see how any inspy romance reader would be disappointed after reading this book. Kudos, Camy, for keeping me in suspense as to who did it!!!

A dead body or two.

Blood.

Stolen jewelry.

Both the hero and heroine prime suspects.

And with spiritual truth natually tucked in to enhance the characters' growth while encouraging the reader whose on her own spiritual journey.

Listen, far too many times (and I include myself in this) we close our minds to books, authors, genres, publishers, etc, because we've either had a negative experience in the past with that author/genre/publisher or we haven't been willing to try something new.

I suppose now's a good time to confess Camy Tang's newest release DEADLY INTENT is only the third Steeple Hill: Love Inspired Suspense that I've ever read. EVER. And I mean EVER. And I read those three all this year. Why never read SH: LIS before now? I really don't know.

Well, maybe I do.

Maybe I didn't think I'd like them. Maybe I didn't want to try something outside my norm.

DEEP THOUGHT #5: If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

I certainly enjoyed reading Camy's DEADLY INTENT. And I'm anxiously awaiting to read about the eventual troubles the heroine's sisters find themselves in. Cause trouble always happens to unmarried handsome, rich, and clever girls. Every romantic suspense authors knows that. Even Jane Austen did.

Of course, she tended to leave out blood, dead bodies, and missing jewelry.

Since I'm in such a giving mood, here's one last deep thought.

DEEP THOUGHT #6: Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

2009-08-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

Since I'm blogging tomorrow on Camy Tang's newest release, DEADLY INTENT, I figured I'd post my first book review during a Camy blog tour.

This is from March 2008.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Only Uni by Camy Tang

"There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher."

~Flannery O'Connor

When Camy asked me to join her blog tour, I though "kewl" 'cause I'd never been on a tour before...unless the one of our nation's Capitol building counts. And then there was that one of the Pentagon, and the one of Appomattox Courthouse, and the one of Berkley Plantation, and the one of...okay, I've done a few other tours.

Don't hassle me.

I've got five kids and short-term memory loss or maybe it's long-term.

Anyhoo, I happily agreed to play Blog Tour. Then I got scared. Me give a book review? I've never done an official book review before, nor do/did I have any idea on really how to do one, but I figured to make me sound more book-reviewer-like, I ought to intersperse quotes here and there and maybe even use a big word.

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book - I'll waste no time reading it."

~Moses Hadas

ONLY UNI by Camy Tang is the second inspirational romance in her Sushi Series published by Zondervan. Her first book, SUSHI FOR ONE?, introduces many of the characters we see in ONLY UNI, but you don't have to read the first book to enjoy the second. Although if you are buying two, why not buy one also?

SUSHI FOR ONE? is a great read. Loved it!

ONLY UNI not only meets the quality of book one, it exceeds it. Loved it too! Actually, I'd have to say I loved it more because I could relate more to Trish than to Lex. Nothing against Lex 'cause she's a fabu heroine too."

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it."~Groucho Marx

This is where I say something official book-reviewer sounding...in Camy's own words, of course.

Synopsis: Trish Sakai is ready for a change from her wild, flirtatious behavior, so she creates three rules to follow from First and Second Corinthians. But with a persistent ex-boyfriend and a gorgeous coworker in pursuit, suddenly Trish’s simple rules don’t seem so simple after all.

Trish is a fabulous heroine. In the first chapter, Camy immediately establishes who Trish is and the struggles she deals with, so that when Trish comes up with her Corinthian Rules, I completely empathized with her desperation to change her life. But good intentions don't always make wise choices. As Trish balances her "rules" in relation to real life, she learns a valuable lesson, one many unmarried and dating woman should learn.

Almost ten years ago, I read REDEEMING LOVE by Francine Rivers, a book many consider to be THE premier inspirational romance. Me, I think it's predictable and cliched, but that's a whole 'nutter book review.

Trish Sakai isn't a prostitute like Angel. A girl doesn't have to sell her body for cash to be one. Far too many women sell their bodies in exchange for what they thik is love, acceptance, trust, and a new pair of shoes. But through the obstacle course of good intentions, loony family members, embarrassing moments, and equally painful ones, Trish discovers the true redeeming love found in her Savior and in the man who her Savior gracefully gives to her. Nothing predictable or cliched.

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."~Mark Twain

As a reader, I loved the characters, plot twists, and emotional involvement in ONLY UNI. Hey, she gets the guy. Gotta love that!

As a writer, I savored the characters, plot twists and emotional involvement in ONLY UNI. This novel is one of the most well written and crafted inspirational romances on the market. The Asian-American elements made me feel like I was on a short-term international mission trip and I got to spend a week living with one Christian girl and her family of non-Believers. IMHO, every Caucasian-American-Christian woman should experience that a world exists outside her must-stay-safe-in-my-church-and-outta-the-world mentality.

If you'd like to get to know Camy and her other work, check her out at her loft.

http://www.camytang.com/

Stop mailing me!

2009-08-06T08:49:00.003-05:00

My conspiracy meter is about to explode. Seriously.

Yesterday arrived a box of Enfamil baby formula. For a baby. A newborn baby. A baby that one pretty much ought to be pregnant to give birth to.

Since I'm not pregnant and child #5 is a year and a half too old for baby formula, I'm confident someone decided to push me closer to the edge of the Cliffs of Insanity by signing me up for baby formula.

Hmm. Kinda makes me wonder what's in the new Health Care bill. I've heard that fertility treatments and maternity care will have to be approved by a committee. No way! Then again, perhaps I ought to read the bill. The lady who read it and came across that information sounded pretty non-Manson-ish. Gee, I hope I'm not saying anything that sounds fishy.

Here's a link to read the entire bill that a representative or two has decried as being too difficult to understand without a lawyer helping translate:

http://www.capwiz.com/afanet/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:

Or here's a simplified overview:

http://www.liberty.edu/media/9980/attachments/healthcare_overview_obama_072909.pdf

Guess I know what I'm gonna be reading next week. After all, I doubt Senators Webb and Warner are gonna read the actual bill. Reading, it seems, is beneath them.

What makes me even more sick is the fact the NY Giants is paying their quarterback a $97 million dollar salary. Where's the congressional outrage?! Why not set limitations on what athletes get paid since we're setting limits on CEOs?

Okay, I'm not in favor of the government getting involved in running businesses.

But a quarterback getting paid almost a hundred million dollars to PLAY A GAME?

*sigh*

I'm feeling the need to join an angry mob.

Busyness

2009-08-05T10:50:00.002-05:00

Ever pondered the word "busyness"?

No offense to anyone, but to me the word is kinda visually unappealing. Sadly I must say that my business of the day is busyness.

As I got all the FHL IRCC and TBL prizes and certificates to mail, I realized I'm missing a certificate. So now I have to reopen all the boxes to see if I accidentally stuck the missing certificate in the wrong box/envelope. *sigh*

I also have to get a fiction proposal off to my agent.

Find baby girl clothes to give to my younger (currently pregnant) sister.

Clean house. Again.

Take more cold medicine.

Give dog a bath.

Various misc.

So pardon me for intionally ignoring my blog. Soon I'll have something witty to say.

Cake and Frosting too

2009-07-28T17:56:00.011-05:00

Oh.

My.

Stars.

The sweetness of the most amazing pastry still lingers on my cupcake-drugged tastebuds. Had my tastebuds eyes, the latter would be rolling in pleasure. *sigh*

<--That's what it looked like before I ate it. Yum-O. The classic vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting. As Oldest Son said, "The best $2.75 cupcake I've ever eaten."

Okay, I feel the need to rewind a bit to earlier today. Child #2 and Child #3 are away this week at Centri-kid camp in Maryland. Yay them! Well, Hubby decided to take the suburban full of middle school students and one college chicka up to Washington D.C. for the day (this day, Tuesday). First stop on their trip was the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport.

Trust me when I say, no matter how many times one visits the Air and Space Museum, it doesn't get any more exciting. Eh. Not such a grand place to spend a few hours.

And if you are actually interested in the airplanes and airplane-ish stuff, don't ask me to join you unless you want to listen to a slew of stupid questions and creative imagination. "Gee, Hubby, how many badguys do you think this plane (actually the pilot) shot down? Give me a random guess. Wonder if the pilot ever wet his pant when flying or in combat? Can you imagine sitting in that plane for hours and hours? Talk about having a numb bum."

I freely admit I do not make good Air and Space Museum company.

So anyway, Hubby and Co. are at the ASM to tour the joint before watching Transformers 2 in the IMAX theatre. Now I ought to say that I'd endure a tour of the ASM if it meant me getting to see a movie in the IMAX. Hubby, Oldest Son, and I saw The Dark Knight there.

After watching the movie, Hubby's taking his crew to the center of DC to see the monuments and memorials. They even have tickets to go to the top of the Washington Monument. I've been up their two or three times. My faux-phobia of hights and small spaces and smelly men wearing wife-beaters keeps me from lingering long at the windows.

Hmm. What does this have to do with cupcakes? you ask.

Not overly sure.

Anyhoo, Oldest Son, Child #4, Child #5, and myself decided to forego cleaning the house in lieu of more enjoyable activities. First, we went to Topeka's Steakhouse where we shared a buffalo chicken wrap, onion rings, fries, and Topeka's mini-hamburgers. Oldest Son got to here me share how my knowledge of mixed drinks allowed my team to win a game. Considering I don't drink, Oldest Son decided I know too many unimportant things.

Quite true.

After our tasteful late lunch/early dinner, we went to CVS so Oldest Son could get a physical so he could play football and then went to Wal-Mart to buy school supplies. None of my three remaining children seemed excited about shopping. While we usually make buying school supplies a family fun trip, I was more than willing to cast aside tradition to ease my frayed nerves. Buying glue sticks, binders, and red marking pens shouldn't be a stressful moment.

And it wasn't this time. However I see now that what I should have done was tabulated all that needed to be bought so I wouldn't have had to keep scanning each list to see what I missed and then wouldn't have also wasted time going back and forth between aisles.

To reward ourselves for getting the chore done early, I and my three kids drove to a new cupcake shop in town. It's actually a "gourmet cupcake bakery."

You can Facebook them like Oldest Son did and become a follower:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50409660469&ref=ts&__a=1

Or you can Twitter them: http://twitter.com/frostingsva

Now I'm not a Twitterer or a Facebooker, so I and my eight-track-technological mind did the age-old thing of checking out their website.

http://www.frostingsva.com/

I share this because I've developed a new life philosophy.

Forget the flowers. You must stop and take time to eat the cupcake and frosting too.

ACFW BOTY Finalists

2009-07-24T10:11:00.002-05:00

2009 American Christian Fiction Writers
Book of the Year Contest Finalists

Debut Author
A Passion Most Pure (Julie Lessman)
Courting Miss Adelaide (Janet Dean)
Every Good and Perfect Gift (Sharon K. Souza)
Hero, Second Class (Mitchell Bonds)
In the Shadow of the Sun King (Golden Keyes Parsons)

Lits
Faking Grace (Tamara Leigh)
Picket Fence Promises (Kathryn Springer)
Single Sashimi (Camy Tang)
Sweet Caroline (Rachel Hauck)
Truffles by the Sea (Julie Carobini)

Long Contemporary
Lookin Back Texas (Leanna Ellis)
One Holy Night (J.M. Hochstetler)
Stuck in the Middle (Virginia Smith)
Summer of Joy (Ann H. Gabhart)
Symphony of Secrets (Sharon Hinck)

Long Contemporary Romance
Along Came a Cowboy (Christine Lynxwiler)
Controlling Interest (Elizabeth White)
The Convenient Groom (Denise Hunter)
Finding Stefanie (Susan May Warren)
Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black & White (Claudia Mair Burney)

Long Historical (6 finalists due to a tie)
The Apothecary’s Daughter (Julie Klassen)
Calico Canyon (Mary Connealy)
Deep In the Heart of Trouble (Deeanne Gist)
From A Distance (Tamera Alexander)
I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (Cathy Gohlke)
My Heart Remembers ( Kim Vogel Sawyer)

Mystery
The Case of the Bouncing Grandma (A.K. Arenz)
Death on a Deadline (Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin, and Jan Reynolds)
Drop Dead Diva (Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin, and Jan Reynolds)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Nancy Mehl)
Of Mice . . . and Murder (Mary Connealy)

Novellas
The Cookie Jar (Janet Lee Barton in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Dressed in Scarlet (Darlene Franklin in Snowbound Colorado Christmas anthology)
Santa’s Prayer (Diane Ashley in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Snowbound for Christmas (Gail Sattler in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Stuck On You (Rhonda Gibson in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)

Short Contemporary
Buffalo Gal (Mary Connealy)
Clueless Cowboy (Mary Connealy)
Family Treasures (Kathryn Springer)
Her Unlikely Family (Missy Tippens)
White as Snow (Janice Thompson)

Short Contemporary Suspense
Bayou Paradox (Robin Caroll)
Broken Lullaby (Pamela Tracy)
Countdown to Death (Debby Giusti)
Forsaken Canyon (Margaret Daley)
Killer Cargo (Dana Mentink)

Short Historical
Family of the Heart (Dorothy Clark)
Masked by Moonlight (Allie Pleiter)
Reckless Rogue (Mary Davis)
Return to Love (Susan Page Davis)
Sandhill Dreams (Cara Putman)

Speculative
The Book of Names (D. Barkley Briggs)
DragonLight (Donita K. Paul)
The Restorer’s Journey (Sharon Hinck)
Shade (John B. Olson)
Summa Elvetica: A Casuistry of the Elvish Controversy (Theodore Beale)

Suspense
Anathema (Colleen Coble)
The Black Cloister (Melanie Dobson)
Fossil Hunter (John B. Olson)
Lonestar Sanctuary (Colleen Coble)
Perfect (Harry Kraus)

Women’s Fiction (7 finalists due to a tie)
A Month of Summer (Lisa Wingate)
Every Good and Perfect Gift (Sharon K. Souza)
My Sister Dilly (Maureen Lang)
The Perfect Life (Robin Lee Hatcher)
The Shape of Mercy (Susan Meissner)
Stepping into Sunlight (Sharon Hinck)
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon (Debbie Fuller Thomas)

Young Adult

The Big Picture (Jenny B. Jones)
The Fruit of My Lipstick (Shelley Adina)
It’s all About Us (Shelley Adina)
The Owling (Robert Elmer)
Trion Rising (Robert Elmer)

I'm not paranoid...really

2009-07-23T10:40:00.002-05:00

About two or three months ago, I received a box of Similac formula in the mail. My guess was a computer glitch, which caused the company to send me formula two years after I had my last baby.

Being the non-paranoid person I am, I gave the formula away and put the incident out of my mind.

For a few days.

Next coupons for formula began arriving.

And not just Similac.

Now I'm getting some for Gerber. Just this morning I got an e-mail from Gerber: You and Your Baby--Month 2. What?!?!?! I'm certainly not pregnant.

Positive.

100% positive.

Not that I would freak out like I did with #5. Were I pregnant, I'd take it with stride. Gum. And not the nasty citus flavor.

Still, I'm getting rather tired of the Similac coupons and now the Gerber ones. Just between you and me, I'm wondering if some kind soul decided to notify the baby companies on my behalf. Not that I'm paranoid.

1360 Days

2009-07-22T23:19:00.002-05:00

President Obama's accomplishments to date...in case you've been asleep since January.

1. Offended the Queen of England

2. Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia

3. Praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega

4. Kissed Hugo Chavez on the cheek

5. Endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia

6. Announced we would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions

7. Gave away billions to AIG, also without pre-conditions

8. Expanded the bailouts

9. Insulted everyone who has ever loved a Special Olympian

10. DOUBLED OUR NATIONAL DEBT

11. Announced a termination of the space defense system the day after the North Koreans launched an ICBM.

12. Despite the urgings of his own CIA director and the prior 42 CIA directors, released informa tion on intelligence gathering. Announced major restrictions on interrogation techniques used on enemy combatant prisoners.

13. Accepted without public comment the fact that five of his cabinet members cheated on their taxes and two other appointees withdrew after they couldn't take the heat.

14. Appointed a Homeland Security Chief who quickly identified as "dangers to the nation", groups including veterans of the military, and opponents to abortion on demand, and who ordered that the word terrorism” no longer be used but instead referred to such acts as “man made disasters.

15. Circled the globe so he could openly apologize for America’s greatness.

16. Told Mexicans the violence in their country was mostly caused by illegal guns from the U.S.

17. Politicized the census by moving it into the White House from its Department of Commerce origins and announced ACORN [the organization under massive scrutiny amid allegations of election fraud] would manage the process.

18. Appointed as Attorney General the man who orchestrated the forced removal and expulsion from America to Cuba of a nine-year old whose mother died trying to bring him to a life of freedom in the United States.

19. Salutes as heroes three Navy SEALS who took down three terrorists who threatened one American life and the next day announces members of the Bush administration will likely stand trial for torturing a terrorist who had played a part in killing 3000 Americans by pouring water over his face.

20. Air Force One flew over New York City for a photo op without notifying local authorities causing widespread panic.

21. Took over the American Automobile industry and handed over 50% off to the unions [because he said he owed them].

22. Continued his drive for absolute gun control activities, thumbing his nose at the 2nd Amendment.

23. Offered travel and living subsidies in the U.S. to Hamas activists displaced from the Gaza Strip.

24. Got more airtime [TV] than Oprah Winfrey and was seldom in Washington tending to the business of State.

25. Announced the closure of enemy combatants detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba but failed to address the issue of 'what' to do with the 200+ prisoners currently held there. Rumors persist that they'll be housed on U.S. soil.

Other than that, we're doing just fine.

Only 1360 more FRIGHTENING days to go....

2009-07-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

"THIS ISN'T YOUR MOTHER'S INSPIRATIONAL FICTION ..." Romantic Times Book Reviews

Here's your chance to find out WHY in a final giveaway of your choice of books in The Daughters of Boston series.

Join me for an honest dialogue about pushing the boundaries in Christian Romance AND for my FINAL GIVEAWAY in The Daughters of Boston Series at Dawn Kinzer's wonderful blog, From Dawn to Dusk.

http://dawnkinzer.blogspot.com/2009/07/dialogue-with-julie-lessman-author-of.html

Over 50 signed copies of A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed or A Passion Denied have been won in my blog tour to celebrate the release of the final book in the series, A Passion Denied. ONLY one chance remains at From Dawn to Dusk starting TODAY through July 25. Hope to see you there!

Hugs,
Julie Lessman

“Passion with a Purpose”

A Passion Most Pure / A Passion Redeemed / A Passion Denied

www.julielessman.com and http://seekerville.blogspot.com/

RWA Eve

2009-07-14T20:51:00.002-05:00

I'm packing my bag.

I've made four different kinds of cookie dough for the kids and hubby for while I'm gone. Hopefully, they'll eat more than just cookie dough.

I've got all my stuff together for the FHL worship service.

To DC or bust.

Preferably not bust.

I've got too many people to see, parties to attend, and desserts to be eaten. And if along the way, I win a prize like the Daphne for best unpublished inspy romantic suspense, then YAY, ME!!! If I don't win, that's okay too because I like all the gals I'm in competition with. :-)

Until Friday....

Be good.

I know I will. As always.

Being a Connector

2009-07-12T17:13:00.002-05:00

My oldest son's Honors English teacher for this next school year gave him a list of books to read. Must choose two.

JANE EYRE
COUNT OF MONTE CRISCO
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
TIPPING POINT

Well, the funny thing is not but a week before getting the assignment, Son insisted I take him to Barnes and Noble to use his b-day giftcard. He bought THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON and TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell.

Now he'd intended on reading COUNT OF MC, but when he picked it up, the thing was too thick for him to want to read. He chose C&P instead. I suggested JANE EYRE because I rather enjoyed reading it last winter. Plus I watched all four--yes, four--movies. Hmm. Seems like I posted my reviews of each on an older post.

He wasn't about to read some "stupid girl book." Please note, he meant stupid PAUSE girlbook. Not stupidgirl PAUSE book.

At least I think that's what he meant.

He's a good boy so I'm sure he did.

Anyhoo, I'm happy to say he's enjoying C&P. Hasn't read TIPPING POINT yet. But that's becuase I took the book from him. See, he hadn't intended to by that Gladwell book. No, he went to the store to buy OUTLIERS.

But he saw TIPPING POINT sitting "all alone there on that stack of books and it was just calling to me, Mom."

Or something like that. In my mom-translation-of-15-yr-old-speak, that's what he said.

As I read the book (yes, please infer this as a blinding recommendation), I noted how folks who were Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen influenced trends and whatnot. I'm convinced two of my friends--Tina Russo and Kristen Painter--are Connectors. They know a bajillion and more people...and can remember their names. Connectors seek you out.

I know they did me.

Well, I'm not a connector, but I love the concept of being one. Or at least using the connections I have to bless other people.

This past spring, Leigh Duncan entered the TBL contest. While her entry didn't final (came utterly close), after I sent her back her first round scoresheets, she told me about how another of her manuscripts recently sold to Harlequin American Romance. Her story, ROMANCING THE STORM, is a slated for a 2010 release date.

Yay, Leigh!!!

So when I hear of news like this, I have one thought: I must tell either Tina or Ruth Logan Herne. They're two of the Seekerville blog ladies, and they love to give newly sold authors a chance to tell their success stories.

Ruthy was delighted to hear from me. As she always is. And I'm thrilled to say that Leigh is now on the Seekerville docket of guest bloggers.

Yay, Ruthy!!!
Yay, Me!!!

39

2009-07-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Me!!!

An Agent Speaks, Part 3

2009-06-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

What is your advice on unpublished and unagented authors trying to get published in e-publishing?

Realize that your work must sparkle because although some e-publishers will release works that might be a bit out of the box, they are swamped with submissions and must be choosy. If money is a concern for you, note that I am not aware of any e-publishers paying advances at this time.

To follow up, what about sending to publishers that will accept unsolicited submissions?

As with any publisher, be familiar with and respectful of their guidelines. Study their books to get a feel for what they release. Be patient as you await a response.

Would you tell us about the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense Market and some important things we should do to make our stories marketable for that market?

Again, choose the line you want to target and read within that line. For Love Inspired, I recommend RETURN TO LOVE by Betsy St. Amant. http://www.amazon.com/Return-Steeple-Inspired-Large-Print/dp/0373814186/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244670197&sr=8-1

For the suspense line, I recommend A SILENT TERROR by Lynette Eason. http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Trilogy-Steeple-Inspired-Suspense/dp/0373443315/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244670304&sr=1-3

From reading, you will learn their parameters and what they expect from their writers. Any time you’re writing in a genre, you have to learn the basic formula and be creative within that formula. I think some of the most talented writers on the planet write in genre, because you have to work hard to present readers with a fresh story.

What do you suggest to your unpublished clients that they should do to become better writers?

Keep practicing your craft. Find other writers who will be honest and help you hone your story. Help them with their stories, too. Keep reading.

How can pubs improve their writing so they can advance to the next level in their careers?

Know that each book has to be as good or better than your last book, so be relentless in quality. Be appreciative of your fans.

Gina, I have enjoyed this time with you and your blog readers. I hope my answers have inspired and encouraged you all!

Blessings,
Tamela

An Agent Speaks, Part 2

2009-06-17T09:59:00.002-05:00

Howdy! I hope y'all had a great Do-Nothing Tuesday!

Now here's Tamela...

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AGENT/CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
Thanks, Gina, for having me here. Because the agent is your gateway to publishers, keep the lines of communication open and choose an agent you feel you can enjoy working with, and who captures your vision for your work and your career. Now on to specific questions:

How often do you like to communicate with your client? How often is too often for your client to contact you?

I don’t have a hard and fast rule about communication. I do my best to be accessible. My hope is that my authors feel they can easily have their questions and concerns addressed without unreasonable delay.

Do you write limited contracts?

Yes, on a case-by-case basis.

Are you involved in career building? If so, how deeply?

In my view, career-building is a major part the agent’s work. Even mid-career writers need guidance to build on previous success. I talk with each author about career goals and work accordingly.

How much feedback do you give an author on her work?

I work with each author on a case-by-case basis. Some authors want and need lots of feedback, while others don’t. Because I am a published author myself, my writers appreciate the fact that I can offer detailed and specific feedback.

Will you give me a detailed list of who you sent my manuscript to? And who rejected it?

Yes, I keep authors in the loop. I feel they have a right to know what’s happening.

What should I expect from you at a conference? Should I make an appointment to see you or just say hi in the hall? Will we get together and discuss my career or is the conference for you to find new people and we should chat via e-mail?

I love meeting with writers at conferences and reconnecting in person with writers I’m already working with. This year my plans are to be at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference in August (http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/) and at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference (http://www.acfw.com/conference/ ) in September. I am happy to take appointments to talk about your career or simply to meet you, whether you’re ready for an agent or not. Likewise, I’m happy to chat via email if that works better for you. In essence, I have no hard and fast rules about how I like to meet writers.

How does a new author know if his/her agent is doing a good job?

If your agent is representing your work with enthusiasm and placing it in front of appropriate editors, I’d say that agent is doing his or her best to gain a sale for you.

When is it time to sever the relationship with an agent and how should it be done?

That’s not an easy question to answer because agent/client relationships vary. However, if you feel your agent has exhausted all the markets and/or is not enthusiastic about your work, it might be time for a change. Before deciding, please talk with your agent and give him or her a chance to explain why your work doesn’t seem to be garnering the interest of editors. Chances are by the point you are feeling dissatisfied, your agent is also distressed. Your conversation may result in an amicable parting and mutual feeling of relief. Avoid surprising your agent with a certified letter or unexpected phone call announcing termination without giving any hint of dissatisfaction first. The most successful partings are handled with courtesy and respect on both sides.

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Tomorrow: Miscellaneous Questions

An Agent Speaks, Part 1

2009-06-15T09:37:00.007-05:00

Tamela Hancock Murray's Official Bio

Tamela, a Virginia native, is an accomplished writer who has written many inspirational romance novels and novellas and several non-fiction books on Bible trivia for children and adults. She is honored to write for the inspirational market and enjoys encouraging new and established authors. She earned her degree in Journalism (with honors) from Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tamela is based at Hartline Literary Agency's office in Manassas, Virginia.

Tamela Hancock Murray's Un-Official Bio

Tamela is married to John, her real life knight in shining armor (I've met him so I can agree with her description) and is the mother of two lovely daughters. She has the accent of a native Virginian, which makes sense because she grew up in Victoria, Virginia. She graduated from Lynchburg College with honors in Journalism then later when on to serve as a Congressional intern and as an intern with the U.S. Department of State, where her duties included writing daily news briefs for the Secretary of State. She's won the prestigious RWA's Inspirational Readers Choice Award.

When writing her newest release, LOVE FINDS YOU IN MAIDEN, NORTH CAROLINA, she took her family to Maiden to see the scenery for themselves.

The Roaring Twenties come to a very small town… At a time when most American girls are dreaming of bobbed hair and flapper dresses, Hestia Myatt dreams only of becoming a doctor. On a visit to Maiden, North Carolina, to care for an ailing aunt, Hestia becomes reacquainted with a handsome former classmate, Booth Barrington. Things are going well for Hestia until her glamorous cousin, Selene, mysteriously arrives from New York. Selene turns the heads of every bachelor in town, and she seems to have set her sights on Booth. Will Hestia become resentful of her cousin, who can talk of nothing but speakeasies and wild soirées? Or can Hestia’s maidenly influence convince Selene to change her world-weary ways?

The Love Finds You series gives readers a taste of local life across the U.S. They weave fictional romance stories with compelling local history of American towns with intriguing names.

Please welcome my fantabulous agent--and, as each of her clients would also say, friend--Tamela Hancock Murray!

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First of all, I want to say how thrilled I was to speak with the ACFW chapter in Richmond, Virginia, last Saturday. They are a warm and welcoming group of writers. I enjoyed my time with them. Thank you, Gina, for inviting me!

Gina told me she wanted to post a few helpful tips on her blog as a result of my talk. We covered quite a few topics, so Gina has graciously agreed that I can be her guest for more than one day. Today I’ll talk about submissions, based on the group’s questions:
　　
Once you have decided you have received a submission and decided that you like the story and the writing itself, what other attributes are you looking for in that writer when deciding whether to represent him/her?

I enjoy working with enthusiastic authors willing to write for the current market. Along with guidance I am happy to offer, writers can learn by reading and studying books already released by the houses they hope will publish their stories. I appreciate writers who display a great attitude and spirit, along with realistic expectations.
　
If the writer's background establishes her credibility to write as an expert on her topic or the characters in her story (nurse, doctor etc.), does that have any influence on your decision to represent the writer if you like her story and the writing is passable/likely to improve?

The writing itself really has to be engaging, particularly in this market. Credentials are always a plus.
　
When you receive queries what is the most important thing to you outside the story?

A professional presentation. Give me as much relevant information as you can to help me make a good decision for both of us.

What would a newbie need to do to get noticed?

I look for a great story that makes sense for the editors I work with. Contest wins are a plus though not critical. Whether or not you are published, a recommendation from one of my current authors will get you a serious look.
　
Has the economy fall affecting the number of manuscripts publishers are accepting from first time authors?

In my experience, publishers are being cautious. However, opportunities are still plentiful.

What subject material in fiction is most sought after by publishers; particularly in the Christian fiction genre?
　
At the moment, I am seeing the most interest in historical works. The 1800s is a popular time period. Interest in Amish novels is strong.
　
If you receive a story that you KNOW isn't selling in the market but is written great will you still take it on?

No. For me to send work to editors that I know they won’t acquire wastes everyone’s time. However, I will usually ask the author if he or she has any other work I can review.

Can you name any pet peeves on submissions (other than not following the guidelines)

I know a pet peeve that aggravates just about every agent: A query emailed to innumerable agents at once. I can see 100 addresses in the address field, and I can get a clue from "undisclosed recipients" so a blind cc doesn’t work.

Along that line, make the query personalized. If you do submit to multiple agents, write to each individually. Please address the query specifically to the agent and spell the agent’s name correctly. You’d think I wouldn’t need to state something so obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many queries I received addressed to "Agent" or with my name hyphenated. Taking care with such details shows me you will be careful about your work at all times.

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Thanks, Tamela, for giving us some insight into querying agents.

Hey, you fantabulous blog readers, come back tomorrow. She'll talk about the agent/client relationship.

45 Life Lessons

2009-06-13T12:30:00.001-05:00

Special thanks to my sister, Dawn, who shared this with me!

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Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I've ever written."
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind..
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Hear from an Agent

2009-06-13T12:16:00.002-05:00

On Monday, I'll begin a 3-part interview with my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray of Hartline Literary.

Querying an Agent
The Agent/Client Relationship
Miscellaneous Questions

Tamela originally shared her answers with my local ACFW-Richmond chapter. The information was unbelieveably helpful and encouraging so I felt compared to share with y'all.

The Key to Learning the Craft of Writiing

2009-06-10T10:37:00.003-05:00

Someone over on the Seekerville blog once shared a quote that has stuck out in my mind.

“There is no such thing as a great writer; there are only great re-writers. As you’ve heard before, 90% of writing is rewriting. The process of rewriting draws heavily on editing. And editing can be taught.” ~Noah Lukeman, The First Five Pages

As my agent spoke to my local ACFW chapter this past weekend, she repeatedly touched on what I realize now more than ever: The key to learning how to write well and to getting published is having a spirit of instruction. And how great is our God to have laid that out clearly in scripture. In my morning reading in Proverbs 10 were these words:

"The wise in heart will receive commands.."
"Wise people store up knowledge..."
"He who keeps instruction is in the way of life..."

I know those verses apply to everything in life, but as I read them, I had writing on the brain. LOL. You know you're a writer when you see everything through writer-colored glasses. %)

Anyhoo, those verses stood out to me becuase as I was looking over some contest scoresheets yesterday, I was discounting a comment here and there that a judge had made without even taking time to consider the change she suggested. Grr. Not only that, but I have scoresheets from a contest I didn't final in and I haven't looked at them because I didn't want to *hear* what the judges had to say.

How can I improve as a writer if I don't have ears to hear and a heart open to learning?

A mentor with a cyber wet noodle can only do so much. :-)

So I'm wondering is there anything someone specifically said to you or you read in a craft of writing book that turned a light bulb on and enabled you to step up to the next level of writing?

Brain-dead moments

2009-06-09T18:18:00.002-05:00

Today I received another Thank You note from one of my TBL entrants. Like all the others I've received, I happily forwarded them on to the appropriate judges.

Since I have no problem sharing my virtues, I'll give equal time to my flaws.

:-)

I'm not the most...well, sometimes I'm a slackard. When a fun something needs to be done, I'm all over it. When a note so fun something needs to be done, I'm spouting "Tomorrow is another day!"

*sigh*

This horrid trait tends to show itself most in my inability to write prompt thank you notes. Oh, I won't blame my mama becuase she taught me rightly. I am, however, considering the possibility of blaming George W. Bush. After all, he seems to get the blame for everything else.

So...back to that TY note that arrived today. I forwarded it onto the judge and then realized I really ought to write the TY notes for the ladies who judged my finaling Duel on the Delta, Dixie first chapter, and Daphne entries.

I suppose I ought to pat my own back and say I was prompt with thanking my Genesis judges. Yay, me!!!

Now with the Dixie contest, the finalists didn't get back their scoresheets, so I sent a nice note thanking the judges for sacrificing their time. A rather generic note. I tend to prefer to say something specific to the judges about something specific they said.

With the Duel on the Delta contest, I had the scoresheets so I could personalize the note . Of course I apologized for the tardiness of my note. Still, better late than never.

Finally I got to my Daphne judges. By this point in the day, my brain was bluring contests. Really, there ought to be a rule that says each contest must choose a name with a different letter of the alphabet. Of course, I'm the wacky contest entrant who decided to enter five contest this past winter/spring, using 3 different manuscripts.

Because of my slackardness in making a Contests 2009 Excel spreadsheet, I couldn't remember what entry I entered in what contest. Consequently I entered the same manuscript in two contests where the same editor is the final round judge.

While I love finaling in contests, I was happy not to have finaled in the fifth contest I'd entered: Fool for Love. Since the same editor final round judge for the FFL is the same one for the Dixie AND since I'd entered the same manuscript as I'd entered in the Dixie, finaling really wouldn't have been beneficial besides saying I was a finalist. Whereas for the three gals whose entries did final, finaling was beneficial. So it all worked out well in the end. And I have some helpful feedback from my judges.

Anyhoo, while the Daphne didn't send first round scoresheets, my brain wasn't thinking and I sent the Daphne inspy coordinator a thank you know that I'd written for a Genesis judge. Duh.

I really need a nap.

ADVICE OF THE DAY: After your contest scoresheets are returned, send your Thank You notes to your judges PROMPTLY.

Shall I now confess I have TY notes from Golden Pen entrants that I never forwarded to their judges? Whoops. Guess you know what I'll be doing next week.

I'm recruiting!!!

2009-06-08T11:20:00.004-05:00

Get the most for your money!
Receive critiques by published authors and Golden Heart finalists!

The Golden Network Proudly Announces Its Eleventh Annual Contest:
The Golden Pen 2009

FINAL ROUND JUDGES:

Series Contemporary Romance: Susan Litman, Editor, Harlequin
Single Title: Jennifer Enderlin, Executive Editor, St. Martin's Press
Historical: Allison Brandau, Assistant Editor, Berkley
Paranormal: Kerry Donovan, Associate Editor, NAL
Romantic Suspense: Megan McKeever, Associate Editor, Pocket Books
Inspirational: Melissa Endlich, Senior Editor, Steeple Hill
Young Adult: Regina Griffin, Executive Editor, Egmont USA
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements:Valerie Gray, Executive Editor, Mira

ELIGIBILITY: Note: For eligibility, the term 'published' includes all non-vanity, non-subsidy publishers and works of 20,000 words and more.

Any yet-to-be published RWA member in good standing, who is not contracted by August 15, 2009. Any published RWA member in good standing, who has not sold or contracted a book in five years. Golden Pen judges who meet the above eligibility criteria may enter in any category they are not judging.

June 1st: Contest opens to receive entries. Due to the special nature of our first round judging panel (minimum each one published author, one GH finalist, one PRO), we reserve the right to limit entries to the first 150 submitted and paid. Additional entries will be accepted contingent on judge availability. We recommend submitting your entry form and payment early to secure your spot. Manuscripts may follow later, but must be received by the entry deadline.

August 15th: Entries must be emailed to the appropriate Category Coordinator. Payment and entry form also must be received by Contest Coordinator no later than August 15, 2009.

For more about this fabulous contest, check out the contest website:
http://www.thegoldennetwork.com/goldenpen.html

something to ponder

2009-06-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

"God Almighty does not throw dice."
— Albert Einstein, physicist

Talk to an Agent Day

2009-06-05T22:14:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning my fabulous agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, will be speaking to my local ACFW chapter.

I sent her a list of questions. Lots of questions.

What can I say?

I'm a question kinda gal. :-) Unless you're six and keep asking me Why?

Anyhoo, I'm gonna do my darndest to take great notes so I'll have some great agent insights to share with you.

Happy Friday! Although it's late and you really ought to be in bed and not reading blogs.

Memorial Day isn't Fourth of July

2009-05-25T12:19:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.(source Wikipedia)

The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment is an opportunity for all Americans, alone or with family and friends, to honor those who died for our freedom.

For the Discouraged Writer

2009-05-04T10:21:00.003-05:00

At church yesterday, our pastor's sermon was titled--okay, this is too good so I'm gonna make you wait for it...

wait for it...

wait for it...

Storytellers Wanted: This job is not for the faint of heart!

He had me hooked by the title alone. When we get discouraged, it's often because our EFFORTS don't meet up with our EXPECTATIONS. When that happens, we'll either give up or want to give up.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE, (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish explorer who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Scott’s Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, from which he was sent home early on health grounds. Determined to make amends for this perceived personal failure, he returned to Antarctica in 1907 as leader of the Nimrod Expedition. In January 1909 he and three companions made a southern march which established a record Farthest South latitude at 88°23'S, 97 geographical miles (114 statute miles, 190 km) from the South Pole, by far the closest convergence in exploration history up to that time. For this achievement, Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII on his return home. (Wikipedia)

In 1913, he planned another expedition, and he ran this ad in the London Times:
"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

Legend has it 5000 men applied for what Shackleton defined as a great adventure. The book of Acts is a Believer's call to adventure, call to be worldwide storytellers of Jesus. The book of Acts also tells readers about real people who went on an adventure. What can we learn from them?

1. Be spiritually self-disciplined!

In Acts 13:1-3, worship, fasting, and prayer preceeded the "going." Yet how many times do we get to "going," only to stop and pray, worship, or even fast when the going gets tough? Seek God first, then consider your needs.

Bertha Smith was a missionary to China for 40 years. Prior to going, she had a overwhelming yearing to get married and have children. Then one day she took her eyes off her own "need" and focused on God. She got to the point where she told God, "I want to enter into an agreement with You..."

What did she agree? That she would have a love in her heart for the people of China as if they were her own flesh and blood. They would be the children she longed so desperately for.
Now I could spend a day talking about agreements. Maybe another time.

As writers, we need to be spiritual self-disciplined. Are we spending more time regurgitating what somene has taught us about Jesus or learning directly about Jesus ourselves? When was the last time we had a fresh revelation from God? When was the last time God brought you to the point of a spiritual/emotional/mental change?

2. Be ready for war--spiritual attacks will come!

Scripture says you will know them by their fruit. We tend to view that into recognizing a Believer. If you're a Christian, then the fruits of the spirit will be evident in your life. But that biblical truth goes beyond the common assumption.

If you're oozing discouragment, anger, resentment, jealousy, dispair, etc, then, hear me now, those aren't from God. And it time to quit blaming the hormones. Those negative, critical thoughts in your head aren't yours and certainly aren't from the Holy Spirit. It's time to take a stand against them. Choose to quit living in the "Oh, woe is me" muck.

3. Be able to handle rejection!

The hard and fast truth is not everyone will be receptive to your story. That someone rejects the story you've told doesn't make you a failure. Paul and Barnabas faced this big time on their missionary journeys. When they were rejected, they "with joy" went on to someone else. How could they have joy in the midst of the rejection?

Because they were obedient to God. When we're obedient to what God has asked us to do, He is pleased. He desires our obedience not our sacrifices.

Because everytime they told their story, they RE-LIVED their experience.

Because they knew somewhere out there was someone else just waiting to hear their story.

As born-again Believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to tell our story how God changed us. How He gave us joy amid the despair. How He turned our sorrow into gladness. Too many times we fall into the stinkin' thinkin' that being a Christian is an easy life. It's not. God never planned it to or He would have zapped us up to Heaven the moment of salvation.

The path to publication or to being published again isn't an easy, constantly exciting life. We must adjust our expectations that...

...if I could just get so-and-so to be my critique partner, then I'll suddenly figure out all the weaknesses in my writing

...if I could get an agent, then my book will sell.

....if I could final/win this contest, then my book will sell (or get another contract for a book or garner a ton of new fans)

The if-thens could go on and on.

This first e-mail I checked this morning was from my agent. Let's just say what I read kinda ticked me off. (Not at my agent.) I sent a nice reply, but I wasn't feeling all gumdrops and roses.

Well, the next e-mail was from one of my CPs congratulating me on finaling in the Daphne. I responded with, "Oh. That. Thanks." But before I hit the send button, I realized I was letting that what I thought was stupid comment from an editor steal me of my joy of finaling.
I watched The Princess Diaries on saturday with my oldest daughter. In it, Joe the bodyguard told Mia, "No no has the power to make you feel inferior without your permission."

For writers on the path to publication or on the path to be published again, I think that quote is quite fitting. Just remove "inferior" and substituted any other emotion you are feeling.

What ever our goal, we need to re-adjust our expectations while continuing to give our best efforts.

What a week!

2009-05-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

I haven't intentionally been avoiding blogging. Really. Well, actually I have because I've been busy working on other stuff.

See, I got this idea last Friday to write a novel to target to Heartsong. So I've been doing lots and lots and lots of research. I love researching. Once I got to the point of getting a feel for the time period (1900 New England, USA), I worked on fleshing out the basic back-cover blurbs of each book in the series.

I've also been trying to finish up some contest entries. Five TBL historicals to go. One last Fool for Love to go. And then there are my published books for a contest, but those scoresheets aren't due back until July 1st. Of course, I have 8 of the 17 books read and judged. Yay, me!

Oh, on Friday of last week, I learned my Victorian inspirational romance finaled in the Duel on the Delta contest. I put my revised copy in the mail today. 6 day before it was due back. Maybe later this summer I'll do a blog post on the good and stupid things my first round judge said. Still, I'm not so pig-headed that I ignored the stupid things. I found something useful to make my entry stronger. So even a stupid comment has a point. You just have to find it.

Then this morning I got a phone call that my Civil War story finaled in the inspy category of the Daphne du Maurier. Too cool!

Which brings me back to my original comment. My agent loves my series proposal for Heartsong and is working her hiney off to sell it to them. Maybe later this summer I'll blog about all the places I can see God nudging me. Even if Heartsong doesn't buy it, I fully intend to write the books and submit them to other CBA publishers. Of course, I'll have to add a sub-plot or two.
Still, I hope Heartsong will love the series idea too.

Finally, I bought two new craft of writing books.

The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success
by Stanley D Williams; Paperback

Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors"
by Brandilyn Collins; Paperback

And the best news of all, after 2 weeks in Armenia and Israel, my hubby came home. Yes!!!!

Judy Duarte--Kensington author

2009-04-29T10:14:00.002-05:00

Two months ago when I was doing research for a speech I had to give to my local ACFW chapters, I met an amazing writer.

Judy Duarte.

Her newest release comes out next month.

After I do a review of her RITA-inspirational category finaling book, MULBERRY PARK, I'll share an interview of Judy. But in the meantime, if you'd like to get to know this fascinating writer, check out the Seekerville blog today.

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/

Monday Not-so-Nonsense

2009-04-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

More and more RWA contests are asking for a synopsis. Fortunately, most ofthose don't judge the synopsis. So what's the point of sending in asynopsis when it's optional and unjudged?

I'm blogging today over at Seekerville on the answer to that question.

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/