Whooeee!

We have two winners!

Melanie and Jane will each receive one of Linda Wichman's book. They should have their book in just a few days.

Congratulations, ladies.

Blessings!

Conferences, and All That Stuff

Linda Schab shared this information with me, and I'm glad to post it here for your perusal.


The FaithWriters U.S. conference is only two weeks away! This will be the 3rd conference held in the U.S. (there is also a "Down Under" conference) and it promises to be better than ever (and not just because I'm one of the workshop teachers this year).
I joined FaithWriters six years ago and I credit this site for re-jumpstarting my writing career. I attribute much of where I am today (and most of the income I earn) solely to http://www.faithwriters.com/. Well, of course God is the one who orders my steps, but He used FaithWriters to bring me to this point.
I attended the first two FaithWriters conferences (2007 and 2009) and both times came away so abundantly blessed. The teaching, the fellowship, and the overall atmosphere of Christian love was almost overwhelming - in a good way! To meet the people I've gotten to know online through the Writing Challenge and on the message boards was surreal. Some of my very best friends in the world are FaithWriters members.

Here are 5 reasons to attend:
1. Encouragement. If you’re a writer, then you’ve faced discouragement. Maybe more than any other profession, writers face rejection, disappointment, and discouragement. At the FaithWriters conference, you’ll be more encouraged than you’ve ever been before. Whether a writing-related pat on the back or a heart-felt word prompting you to achieve your God-given purpose, a little encouragement goes a long, long way.

2. Motivation. Need a slight push down the writing path? Maybe you’ve experience writer’s block or aren’t feeling inspired to put the energy into taking your writing to the next level. Well, I dare say that one hour at the FaithWriters conference will provide just the motivation you’ve been lacking. Before you know it, you’ll be back on track and raring to write again.

3. Knowledge. This conference is so jam-packed with fabulous teaching that it will be impossible to leave the way you came. In fact, bring a fat notebook because you’re going to need it to contain all the wisdom gleaned from the dynamic speakers. You’ll learn about genres, writing humor, how to get an agent, overcoming obstacles, how to submit your work for publication, self-publishing, designing your blog, the nuts and bolts of writing, and much more that will help take your writing to new levels!

4. Connection. Ever feel like no one “gets” you? Well, you’ll never feel more understood than when you’re in a room full of other writers. Here, you’ll be free to express yourself, “talk shop,” and be the creative person God made you to be without getting strange looks and odd eyebrow raises. You’ll be in the midst of like-minded people who will totally “get you!” I guarantee you’ll go home with several more friends than you had before.

5. Spiritual Refreshing. The only thing better than a writer’s conference is a Christian writer’s conference. There’s nothing like being “on the same page” with others who share the same faith and beliefs. Others who will pray for you and with you and are striving towards the same ultimate goal: to write words that glorify the Father and further His Kingdom.

Here are the details:
THEME: Nurturing the Whole Writer
DATE: August 13 and 14, 2010
WHERE: Radisson Hotel; Conference Center, Livonia, MI
CONFERENCE COST: $92 = general rate
HOTEL COST: $93 plus tax (a block of rooms is reserved at this special price for attendees)

For complete details, visit the official FaithWriters Conference page: http://www.faithwriters.com/conference.php

Lynda Schab has been published in greeting cards and magazines such as Christian Home & School magazine, LIVE and Mature Living. She is also a core writer for the newly launched, Full Spirit magazine. Lynda does freelance work for entrepreneur and owner of http://www.faithwriters.com/, writing newsletters, maintaining the site blog, marketing, conducting interviews, and moderating several message boards. Her fiction has won or finaled in several contests, most recently the ACFW Genesis contest. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.


Visit her online at http://www.lyndaschab.com/ and http://www.on-the-write-track.blogspot.com/


Hope you find this information useful. Smile.

Blessings!

Meet author

Lisa Lickel

Giveaway!

One copy of Gold Standard, paperback

and

E-book version of Meander Scar

Please comment, leave your email address, and share encouragement with Lisa! Thank you so much for visiting, dear reader! I love YOU!

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

Thank you for having me here today, Carole. I’ve enjoyed reading back on your other interviews.

How long have I been…well, not exactly all my life. I’ve always written but that doesn’t mean I’ve been a writer. Everyone writes letters, diaries, journals, lessons, paperwork, what-have-you. I started writing professionally after taking the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course in 2002-2003.

Thanks, Lisa. So glad you enjoyed my blog. What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

Genre – my goodness, I haven’t slowed down enough yet to settle in. I think I’m finally learning that my “genre” is just good mainstream stories that often have romance. Not category romance or mystery or drama, or thriller, just sweet slice of life, put your characters in a pickle and help them out again books.

But I have to go back and qualify that the first book I had published was a cozy mystery with Barbour’s tragically defunct Heartsong mystery club.

Sounds like interesting books! How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I tried to set a goal and schedule once and it failed so utterly that I didn’t bother to stick with it. I’m simply on the manic schedule. I write long and hard and fast when I’m on a project, and fall back and catch up on the networking in between. Putting new words on a fresh page is only the tip of the iceberg in the writing process. Research, editing, critiquing, and revision, submission—those things are the framework that hold up the words. I prefer to write my drafts quickly, say in six weeks or so, because there are fewer issues with forgetting character attributes or setting details or developing plot holes.

Tell us about your new book. What is the spiritual message in it? What can readers expect to get from reading it? How and where can readers buy your book?

I’ll tell you about my first two books here, then talk about Meander Scar below.

The Gold Standard was book one of a proposed series of romantic mysteries for the Heartsong Presents: Mysteries book club. The message is about where your treasure is, there is your heart also, so it’s a story about finding what’s important. Oh, and solving a murder and realizing who you can trust, no matter how old or young you are.

Healing Grace is a story of my heart. It’s about using your God-given gifts to do what is asked of you, no matter how hard or scary. So, the theme is more one of trust. Who or what do you trust, even with your life? Grace has a secret. How long can she keep it when a neighbor’s son is seriously hurt in a summer time accident?

Both of those books are available on the online retail sites Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Healing Grace is also available from the publisher and in Kindle and other electronic format.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through? Who’s inspired you the most?

Most of the time…yeah, I’d love to either “make it” or quit. My goal was to earn as much money as my part-time secretarial jobs. I didn’t think that was a lot to ask, but it’s really, really slow going. The general economy tanking didn’t help much, either. I haven’t been read enough to even merit getting those dreadful reviews. I tried to get another job last year, and it was the perfect job for me, but I started crying in the parking lot on the way home after the first day and couldn’t go back. I’m so called to work here at home. Then sometimes I question that, too—is that what I want, or what I want to hear? My poor husband has just given up expecting me to earn an income again, so I hope to surprise him mightily one of these…decades. Update: I just received my first royalty check. It’s cool, but we’re not quite “there” yet.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Grin. Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

Basically, the only publisher you get to choose is the one you pay. So, if you’d rather be paid…then you go through the process of submission and rejection, submission and rejection, submission and never hearing another word, submission and a maybe, submission and…you get the picture.

I learned about a lot of independent publishers – that’s traditional (meaning they pay you royalties) from my new on-line writer friends’ signature lines. You know, how everyone signs off on messages, chats, e-mails with their name, book and publisher? I submitted to them, as well as the larger publishers who were still taking unsolicited queries. I also have had agents, which uses the same process to hire as submitting to publishers only harder.

If you ever sit back, no matter how popular your work becomes, you can call yourself retired.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I can proofread anybody else’s stuff but my own, so, yes, I’m the one with the marker who goes around stores correcting the typos on the sale signs. Misuse of the apostrophe drives me wild.

• I’ve gone quite gray-haired and I’m still trying to decide whether or not to color it.
• I collect miniature pewter dragons—well, any kind of dragon and love Anne McCaffrey.
• I used to love roller-coasters but now I’m not crazy about heights.
• I adore museums of any kind and love history but prefer not to write it.
• I write and perform radio theater-you can find the link to FreeQuincy Radio Theater on my website.
• Travel—been all over the continental US and Canada; I’d love to visit my cousins in Norway and visit all around the UK.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

Meander Scar – juicy love story between an older woman and a younger man. There. I said it—it’s not scary or immoral or creepy; it just is. The couple in the book, Ann and Mark, both lived in a sort of lost place.  Mark decides to go back to the one place he was happy and find out if he can make his dreams come true. Ann’s husband went missing on a business trip, and her wealthy mother-in-law refused to allow him declared dead. Mark, a lawyer, and secretly in love with Ann, offers to help . . . and so on. Of course Ann thinks she’s nuts to have feelings for this wonderful faithful young man. Her son is decidedly against this whole business and demands that she take a step back. When she does, she learns what happened to her husband. Does she tell the truth or not? Who has the most to lose or gain? And that’s just the first hurdle Ann and Mark have to conquer.

The title is taken from a natural phenomenon about what happens when streams or rivers bend. The hard places in your life always leave a mark.

Readers can order the book at any local book store, or it’s available on line from the publisher, or large retailers. It’s also available on Kindle.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

• My website is: http://lisalickel.com/
• I still blog, but will ease off slowly, at Living Our Faith Out Loud: http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/
• I’m also on Facebook, Author’s Den, Shoutlife, She Writes, and Goodreads. Come join me there!

Retail links as follows:

• For Healing Grace:

Publisher http://shop.zumayapublications.com/category.sc?categoryId=11

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Grace-Lisa-J-Lickel/dp/1934841226/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244721331&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Healing+Grace+by+Lisa+Lickel&box=Healing%20Grace%20by%20Lisa%20Lickel&pos=-1

• For The Gold Standard:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Standard-HEARTSONG-PRESENTS-MYSTERIES/dp/1597895253/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237984174&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Gold-Standard/Lisa-Lickel/e/9781597895255/?itm=1




For Meander Scar:

Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Meander-Scar-Lisa-J-Lickel/dp/1934912239/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267452628&sr=1-1

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Meander-Scar-ebook/dp/B0037Z6YM8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Meander-Scar/Lisa-J-Lickel/e/9781934912232/?itm=1&USRI=Lisa+Lickel


And the video trailer the publisher put out for Meander Scar is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvD7mE_HQF0

Thank you so much, Carole!


Thank you, Lisa, for joining me today. I've loved having you.

Friends, please leave a comment for a chance to win one of Lisa's two giveaway books!

Blessings!

Check it Out!!!!

TODAY, on Hartline Agency's blog, my agent featured ME! (Big Smile)

Please check out my post on blogging and leave your comment. I'll be forever grateful.
http://hartlineliteraryagency.blogspot.com/

And if you have a suggestion about blogging, please email or leave a comment on my blog. I'd love to hear it.


WEDNESDAY: Lisa Lickel will visit my blog and will be giving away 2 books. Don't miss a chance to win one of her's.

My Monday's List of Gratitude

A wonderful, faithful husband
Two sons who love us and respect us
A mother who is still my friend
Hubby's mother who knew how to advise when asked
Families who love even when we don't agree
A beautiful home even if it's not a mansion
Friends who are there when I need them
My husband's ministry that has blessed me
The memory of dads
My Lord and Savior who loves with the best love of all.

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

Another of God's beautiful creations.

I have an ounce more faith than  I do doubt,

and that's enough to tip the scales.

Blessings!

My Review of
Chris Well's new mystery novel:
Nursing a Grudge

Book Cover:
What's a grouchy old man to do when two women drag him from his assisted-living apartment to a clandestine chili party? He almost has fun -- until someone drops dead. But Earl Walker is the only one suspicious of the way the partygoer met his demise. Can he solve the puzzle -- and figure out his relationship with his new lady friend -- before the state shuts down the home and all the suspects move away?

My thoughts:
Oh, my. A wonderful addition to the mystery world. Wells delivered with his usual ability, another book that keeps your attention. Who would have thought a mystery with a nursing home protagonist could be so overwhelmingly good?

When young and blundering Jenny Hutton with her inapt attempt at witnessing, forces her unwanted attention on crabby Earl Walker, sparks fly. She’s determined he should “get out”. He’s just as determined to stay in his rooms and watch any TV sitcom available. Keeping to himself so that he can keep his wife’s memory alive, will serve another purpose too: the less he has to do with others, the less trouble he’ll have to deal with. He didn’t blend with the activities and the other residents when he first came, and he doesn’t want to begin now.

When Jenny and Gloria, with the big red hair and new name for Earl (Blue Eyes), plot together for his good, they unknowingly push him into finding the murderer of the most unliked person at the home: George Kent. The problem is it could be any of the residents for they all have secrets that pertain to Kent. Can he locate that person before the home is closed down, and can he prove it?

Romance blossoms between Gloria and Earl, but is that what he wants? She has an overblown personality, but is attractive and friendly and makes his heart flutter (it’s not a heart attack, is it?). His lack of concern at dressing his best (for what he refuses to acknowledge is a date) is frustrating for poor Jenny. His feeble attempts at conversation with Gloria are touching.

Even danger enters the picture when Earl corners a fellow resident to ask questions. Obviously the murderer doesn’t like it, because Earl is almost killed with a knife.

The whole story takes several twists and turns, including blackmail, with Earl pointing a figurative finger at several residents, but at the last, when all evidence points to the one person that he’d rather it didn’t, he “confesses.” In his frustration at his own lack of ability to save that person, he finally turns to God.

One of the first things that caught my attention was Earl Walker’s personality. Well did a superb job letting that shine through, and I loved it. Yes, he was grouchy, but he was also smart, with a dry wit evidenced by his constant gentle harassment of do-gooder, Jenny Hutton.

A cute tidbit that I liked was how Jenny, so taken up at first, with one of the male employees that got fired, toward the end shrugs her shoulders, and eyes a different man. Coming from the point of view of an elderly person, it was a particularly funny piece of information about the fickleness of young love that added to Well’s book.

And the second part that enraptured me, was his ability to bring out the setting so well. Though there wasn’t an abundance of nursing home employees involved in the book, the whole atmosphere shone through perfectly. From the activities room to the exercise room, from the cafeteria to the disturbingly endless hallways, each part played a small, but integral part in bringing the setting to life.

Chris did an excellent job with this novel. The flow of the whole story, the individualistic development of his characters, the plot, all of it was written with a natural and smooth rhythm. I’d love to read more of his mysteries and look forward to it. He’s just shot to one of the top spots in my mystery writer’s list.



Blessings!

I'm So Excited to Have
Linda Wichman
on my blog today!

She's giving away TWO copies of her book.

Please leave a comment and your email addy to be entered into the drawing.

Now, read on to find out a little more about Linda and her writing journey . . .


Carole, thanks for asking me to visit you at Sunnybanks!
How long have you known that you were a writer?
Always.

Or have you just loved writing all your life?
Yep. Once in Sunday school I shared my favorite Bible story. I inherently improvised and added subplots. My version of ‘Jonah and The Whale’ became ‘Joan and The Cranky Fish.’ Due to my whale of a tale, Joan (Jonah) never did reach Neenah (my hometown) Ninevah.

Did you receive a clear “call?”
Oy! Is there a politically correct answer? Not all writers receive a clear “call,” some just write. God didn’t whack me alongside the noggin and order, “Linda, I call you to write!”Although, I wouldn’t have minded that more direct approach. Grin. The clearest calling I’ve ever gotten is to write edgy fiction with a Christian worldview. Now if I can find an editor that’s also received that clear call…Sweet!

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?
My first genre is Romance—boy meets girl—girl drives boy bonkers, etc. I’m a world-class hopeless romantic. To quote Romancing the Stone’s Joan Wilder, “No, hopeful. Hopeful romantic.”

I like to combine romance with fantasy elements, especially legends. Blame it on HJ Wells, JRR Tolkien, Frank Baum, CS Lewis, Lewis Carol, Jane Austin and Mary Stuart, just to name a few.

How do you spend your writing days?
I perch in front of my laptop around 6:30 a.m., reread and edit what I wrote the previous day, then soar to Never-Never-Land and happily write until my stomach growls. I scheme and plot during housework—and exchange dialogue with God. I’m what author, Tim Baxter, calls a planster. Oddly, my book titles often sprout first, triggering ‘the brilliant idea,’ fun research, a reluctant hero and a pigheaded heroine, and then I fly solo—often blindfolded. I write like I cook, sprinkling new ingredients and taste-testing until the recipe’s complete. Can you tell that I’m A.A.D?

Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day?
Nope. I have the Lack of a Left Brain Syndrome. My daily goals are scene and chapter driven which vary from 500-2K words. If I’ve a deadline, I write weekends.

Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?
Most historical romances including the research range 6-9 months for 90,000 plus and 3-6 months for contemporaries.

Tell us about your new book.
Which one? I’m a hopeless multi-project writer. At the moment I’m editing, Promise Her Magic, the first book of a historical-romance series: Sawdust, Magic and Red Spangle Beads.

Blurb: Abigail Endicott will do anything to keep her inheritance and four waifs—even join the circus. Lee O’Sullivan will do anything to keep his circus—even marry fancy-faced Abigail Endicott. And the orphans will do anything to show Abigail and Lee that whether highborn or lowborn, God’s promise of love is magic!

Oh, sounds like a fun read. What is the spiritual message in it?
There are several, but the main memo is that God is no respecter of the rich or the poor. ‘Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity . . .’ Psalm 62:9-12 KJV

What can readers expect to get from reading it?
In reading, Promise Her Magic, I hope they get swept away by the magical ballyhoo of the historical American circus, that they find romance, laughter, suspense, faith, and their inner child.

How and where can readers buy your book?
Alas, Promise Her Magic is still homeless. But I’m prayerful that will change.

Hang in there. Do you ever feel like giving up?
Nope. Even if I never sell another novel I’ll write because it’s how God’s hardwired me.

Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?
Publishing wise, I’m in a discouraging place. From an ACFW Book of Year Winner to a Christy Finalist followed by no more contracts. A seasoned author told me that one must walk by faith, and be a certified whacko in order to ride out the dry spells. Guess I qualify. As a working writer I keep knocking on doors—sometimes with my head.

I think most of us feel that way at times. Who’s inspired you the most?
My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ blessed me with this gift to glorify Him. Secondly, my knight-in-shining armor, kids and grandsons, friends and church. Writers wise, my home critters of Fox Hollow Writers, RWA and ACFW.

Oh, least I forget. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’ novel, Shanna, inspired me to write my first historical romance and thirty years later I’ve not changed that opinion.

I’ve many contemporaries to thank, but here’s a few; Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Kathryn Springer, Maureen Lang, Deb Kinnard, Andrea Boeshaar, Cynthia Hickey, Wendy Lawton and Kelly Mortimer. Oh, Linda Windsor, who’s conquered the ups and downs of this sometimes fickle business and just keeps on a-writing. Bless you, Linda!

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Grin.

Now that’d be a fairytale come true! Wink. Kregel Publication was the first publisher my agent queried with Legend of the Emerald Rose. Lo and behold, they bought it!

Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?
Nope, coz I’m an ant. My favorite metaphor is Sammy Cahn’s song, High Hopes. “What makes that little ole ant think he can move that rubber tree plant, anyone knows an ant can’t move a rubber tree plant. . .” Yes, I can!

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes?
Like: acid-reflux plots with a happily-ever-after ending.
Dislike: ‘Can’t.’

Good choice of likes and dislikes. Hobbies, interests?
Addicted to the Sci-Fi channel and the long running Stargate SG-1 series, also Dr. Who, and movie classics with Cary Grant/Kathryn Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn, John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, etc. Celtic history, astronomy, horses, archeology, and blue water sailing the latter of which, I’ve not done in sometime.

For stress release, I write (Sam/Jack shippy secular) Stargate SG-1 fan fiction on Fanfiction.net at: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/872850/HDorothy

Where would you like to travel if you could?
Planet Earth and then outer space, but I’ll start with the Isle of Arran, Scotland—the setting for my novel, Legend of the Emerald Rose.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us?
Well, five years ago is not recent but publishing, Legend of the Emerald Rose, was a wish comes true. I love the legend of King Arthur and wondered what happened after the fall of Camelot?

Blurb: Legend begins where truth ends. . . .Or is it the other way around? Bound together by Providence, King Arthur’s daughter and Merlin’s son must save The Isle of Might!

How and where can readers buy your books?

You can order Legend of the Emerald Rose at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, FCBS and CBW.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out?

http://lindawichman-therainbowconnection.blogspot.com//

Anything else you’d like to share?

You can find me beneath the sheer blue waterfall, behind the mysterious scarlet-gilded door. The key to the door lies deep inside of you. But if you don’t like picking locks, I hangout on Twitter and Facebook.

One last thought, if you’re on the fence about writing, just remember, that anyone can move a rubber tree plant, even a little ole ant!

 

What a fun interview! Linda is truly a unique writer. Check out her books, and please don't forget to leave a comment. Three reasons: Linda needs the encouragement, I need the encouragement, and (wink, wink) you might win one of her books!

 

Blessings!

Doctor's Orders

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.

My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high,
I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.

My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems. He said just think in colors...

Fill your plate with bright colors... greens, yellows, reds, etc.

I went right home and ate an entire bowl of . . .

And sure enough, I felt better immediately.



I never knew eating right could be so easy.



Smile.
Blessings!

Early Morning Peace

Our Shyanne

Remember his marvelous works

That he has done

His wonders, and the judgments

Of his mouth.  -Psalm 105:5

Blessings!

                                                                                

My Review of
J. Mark Bertrand's
Back on Murder

From the cover:
Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details . . . until an unexpected break gives March one last chance to sve his career. And his humanity.

All he has to do? find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. battling a new partner, and old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

My thoughts:
Wow. Gritty. Realistic.
Roland March is desperate to get back on Murder duty. Weaseling his way into a murder scene, he's ignored and forgotten, but the only one to find the evidence that a girl was held kidnapped in the house. Rabid for his old job, he does all but beg to be placed on this case.

Instead he's assigned to find Hannah Mayhew, the missing daughter of Houston's famous evangelist. His final day with the police's Cars for Criminals detail, he hauls in one criminal, and unknowingly, lets the real criminal go.

In the midst of is work problems, March is dealing with his own personal demons: the vehicular homicide of his daughter, the apparent distance between he and his wife, the friction from his one-time work partner, and the dope-using, partying renter that lives above his garage. His wife’s dissatisfied with him, with how he handles—or won’t handle—their renter, and he can’t come to terms with his daughter’s death.

His theories are varied, but his motive is right. Especially if it means bringing down those who should be standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Even if it means putting a young man in deathly danger, the youth leader who encouraged Hannah to reach out to her needy peers. The young man wo offers his help because of his guilt.

The novel takes us on a twisting journey, one that I imagine many a cop travels. If at times, March comes across as a too-needy person, well, his persistence makes up for it. I would have liked to have seen a touch more faith in the book. I particularly hated it when March judged himself as rat-like and also when he cast an eye at his temporary partner Cavallo. I thought it lessened his likeableness.

That’s real life, I’m sure. I saw little or no evidence that March was a Christian, and though there seemed to be an improvement in he and his wife’s relationship, he didn’t grow spiritually or even give a hint that he might at some time or another.

But the other facets of the novel far outweighed those details. It’s a realistic story that held my attention. A book that could hold its own with any crime secular novel.

The characters were real; to me, March's personality and actions made me love and hate him. I sympathized with his wife and her needs. I liked Cavallo and her dedication. I despised March's work buddies, yet understood their hardness and lack of concern for March.

Because the characters were great, the setting was realistic. You traveled the crime journey that March traveled. You saw the scenes as he did.

I’ll be looking forward to Bertrand’s next novel. Thanks, Mark, for bringing to the inspirational world a book that is exceptional!

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

You've all suffered through it, whether you're  a writer or not. Rejection. The bad word for most humans. The one that hurts unless we have more callouses than than a guitar playing finger.

Tamela Murray Hancock had a great post about writing rejections recently, and I thought it would be appropriate to remind and encourage my writing readers what certain famous writers went through.

I know we've all read and heard, but still. Sometimes it's good to remember, to look at history, to understand that we're not alone.

• Margaret Mitchell garnered 38 rejections with Gone With the Wind.
• Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of the multi-million dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul series received an astounding 140 rejections. A book that went on to become a 65-title series, has sold more than 80 million copies in 37 languages.

(Me: I imagine those all those editors are still kicking themselves!)

• Emily Dickinson, only 7 poems published during her lifetime read this rejection: "(Your poems) are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities." (Me: What?)
• Ernest Hemingway, regarding his novel, The Torrents of Spring: "It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it."
• William Faulkner, "I can't publish this!"
• D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover: “for your own sake do not publish this book.”

• William Golding, Lord of the Flies: "an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.”
• Norman Mailer, The Deer Park: "This will set publishing back 25 years.”
• The Diary of Anne Frank: “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the ‘curiosity’ level.”

• Irving Stone, Lust for Life, rejected 16 times but found a publisher and went on to sell about 25 million copies: “A long, dull novel about an artist.”
• Stephen King, Carrie: “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” (Me: Someone made a booboo!)
• John le Carré, The Spy who Came in from the Cold: “You’re welcome to le Carré – he hasn’t got any future.”
• George Orwell, Animal Farm: “It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.”

• Richard Hooker, M*A*S*H: 21 rejections.
• Dr. Seuss, first book, To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street: 27 rejections. (Me: love this silly children's book!)
• Jack London: 600 rejections before he sold his first story. (Me: Remember the Call of the Wild?)
• John Creasey, English crime novelist: 753 rejection before publishing 564 books. (Me: Whoa!)
• William Saroya:more than a thousand rejections before he had his first literary piece published.  (Me: Double whoa!)

Encouraged yet?
Blessings.

Sunday Morning Peace

My old-fashion Sweet Williams

Anyone can count the seeds in a melon. It takes vision to count the melons in a seed. --unknown

Fight as if you are right; listen as if you are wrong. --Karl Weick

Blessings!                                                    

Easy Does It . . . For You!

It's hot right now, and the one thing no one wants to do is enjoy (?) a steam bath in their kitchen. So-o-o I whipped up (just kidding), got these great breakfast meals from Women's Health.

Give one or more a try:

Portobello and Pesto Egg Scramble

• In a medium sauté pan, cook 1 sliced portobello mushroom cap with 1/4 cup chopped red onion in 1 tsp olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk 4 egg whites with 1 tbsp water and add to pan.
• Scramble mixture over medium heat until eggs are no longer runny; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Just before removing from heat, fold in 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella and 1 tsp prepared pesto.
• Serve with 1 slice whole-wheat toast.

Peanut Butter Waffle-wich

• Top one toasted whole-grain waffle with 2 tsp peanut butter, 2⁄3 cup sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

• Top with another whole-grain waffle.
• Serve with a café au lait made with 4 ounces coffee mixed with 4 oz steamed skim milk.

Spinach and Smoked Gouda Egg Sandwich

• Sauté 1 cup fresh spinach with olive oil cooking spray until wilted (add pepper and garlic powder if desired); set spinach aside.
• In same pan, fry 1 egg plus 1 egg white in cooking spray until no longer runny.
• Top eggs with 2 tbsp shredded smoked Gouda.
• Sandwich eggs, cheese and spinach between 2 sides of a toasted whole-wheat English muffin.
• Serve with 1 orange.

Enjoy!
Special healthy blessings today.

Join Me Today in Learning More About Author Amanda Flower

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

When I was in sixth grade, I wrote a humorous story about a trip with my brother and neighbor to a local amusement park. When I read the story to the class, I had them in stitches with my description of being stuck at the top the Ferris wheel. It was at the moment I knew this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to write stories that make people laugh. I do describe that moment as my calling to be an author. The certainty I felt about it was undeniable.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

I write mysteries for adults and children. My subgenre is cozy mystery. Typically, these are novels in which the violence takes place off page and the protagonist is an amateur sleuth. Many times, cozies are humorous, but they don’t have to be. However, Maid of Murder is definitely a funny cozy.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I try to write at least an hour every day. I must emphasize the word try because I don’t always depending what’s going on in my life. When I do, I write in the evening after a full day of work. In addition to being an author, I am an academic librarian at a small college in Ohio. Most of the time, I just write for the hour and call it quits, but if I am on a roll, I can write well into the night. Caffeine is mandatory to make it through the next day at the library.

I don’t have a certain number of words I have to write every day, but I do set a weekly page goal. Most of the time this means, I’m writing like crazy on Saturday night, trying to reach that goal.

It took me three years to write Maid of Murder. It took so long because I was in college and graduate school while writing the original draft and all that pesky schoolwork got in the way of my writing. When I wrote the first draft of Maid of Murder’s sequel, it took me six months. However, I spent another six months revising it with the help of my wonderful first readers and critique partner before I was ready send it to my editor.

Tell us about your new book. What is the spiritual message in it? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

In Maid of Murder, India Hayes, a college librarian and reluctant bridesmaid, is thrown into the role of amateur sleuth as she hunts down the person who murdered her childhood friend and framed her brother for the crime.

I’m sure different readers will receive different spiritual messages after reading the book, but for me the message is about loyalty. My main character, India Hayes, is loyal to her friends and to her family maybe even to a fault. I’ll let the readers decide whether it’s a fault or not.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through? Who’s inspired you the most?

Like any aspiring writer, I’ve certainly have had times when I was depressed about my writing. From the time I started writing my first novel to the time it was published, it was nine years. Almost an entire decade of my life was dedicated to this book. However, I never seriously considered stopping. Sure sometimes, I would ask myself why I put myself through it when I didn’t have to, but then a piece of dialogue or an image of a character would hit me. I had to write it down, or I would burst. Writing is so much a part of who I am I don’t know who I’d be if I weren’t a writer.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Grin. Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

After my first literary agent and I decided to part ways, I decided to query some mystery publishers that didn’t require an agent. Five Star was the first one I queried. I’d known of them through a critique partner. The first time around they rejected me, but about a year later, they came back and asked me if I still had the manuscript. It was a wonderful surprise!

I learned very quickly that selling your first book doesn’t mean it’s time to relax. In fact, the opposite is true. I’m busier than ever as I write the sequels to Maid of Murder while trying to promote the novel itself. Plus, I recently got a great new idea for a new series I’d like to write and am wondering how I will fit that in. Of course for a writer, this is a good problem to have, and I’m so grateful for all of it!

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

Likes:

• My family including the feline members.
• Travel to just about anywhere.
• Laughter, I just love to laugh!

Dislikes:

• Clowns, mimes, people dressed up at cartoon characters. I just find them a little creepy.
• Spiders… I saw Arachnophobia when I was child and NEVER got over it.
• Cinnamon. I know this is weird, but I really don’t like the taste of it.

My number one hobby would be reading, of course. I also like to do arts and crafts like scrapbooking, making jewelry, and painting. I enjoy doing anything that is creative except music. Trust me, I have no musical talent whatsoever. Oh, and cooking. I can’t cook either!

I’ve been blessed to travel quite a lot and have been to seventeen countries and forty-eight U.S. states. The thing about travel is the more you go, the more you want to go. So there are many places I haven’t been to and want to visit. In fact, I have a list. Some top picks are New Zealand, Alaska, South Africa, India, and Spain.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

Maid of Murder is the first in a cozy mystery series, featuring librarian-sleuth, India Hayes.

When bride-to-be Olivia turns up dead in the Martin College fountain and the evidence points to India’s brother Mark, India must unmask the real culprit while juggling a furious Mother of the Bride, an annoying Maid of Honor, a set of hippie-generation parents, a police detective who is showing a marked liking for her, and a provost itching to fire someone, anyone—maybe even a smart-mouthed librarian.

Maid of Murder can be purchased online at

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.borders.com/

and through my publisher Five Star / Gale Cengage.

You can also order it through your favorite local bookstore.

Gale Cengage is a major book distributor to libraries, so suggest Maid of Murder to your local library to purchase. That way you will get to read it and so will others in your community!

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

Website: http://www.amandaflower.com/

Author Blog: http://amandaflower.wordpress.com/ 

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Flower/199666665449?v=wall&ref=mf

Twitter: http://twitter.com/aflowerwriter

If you’d like to be added to my mailing list to receive postcards about my upcoming books and other announcements, send an email with your snail mail address to amanda@amandaflower.com and I will add you.

 

 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today, Amanda.
 
Blessings

Hope you had a wonderful, memorable and happy US Independence Day!


Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Here are some statistics:

• Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
• Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
• Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?

• Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists
• Eleven were merchants
• nine were farmers and large plantation owners
• men of means, well educated

But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

• Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
• Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
• Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
• At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
• Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
• John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics and baseball games.

Thanks, Max, for sharing this.
Blessings!

Oh, Say,
Can You See?

Soldiers are men . . . most apt for all manner of services and best able to support and endure the infinite toils and continual hazards of war. --Henry Knyvett

Never give in--never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. --Winston Churchill

Freedom isn't free. --anonymous

Victory belongs to the most persevering. --Napoleon Bonaparte

Blessings!