Welcome Cindy Woodsmall and The Sound of Sleigh Bells

I'm happy to have my good friend Cindy Woodsmall back to my blog with her new book, The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Cindy is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish has been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Plain Mennonite and Old Order Amish families.

Cindy is the mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law. She and her husband reside in Georgia. Visit her Web site at www.CindyWoodsmall.com

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people's wares.

But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiance. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth's soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work‚ including Lizzy's dry goods store. But she doesn't know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it's not that simple. Will Lizzy's elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love succeed? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she's always dreamed of and a second chance at real love‚ or just more heartbreak?

The Sound of Sleigh Bells is a heartwarming Christmas novella where lack and abundance inside an Amish community has power for good when it' tucked inside love. Romantic Times gave The Sound of Sleigh Bells 4 stars, saying ~ This is a wonderfully written, transformative story of two Amish families at Christmastime. It will bring sleigh-riding memories to life as readers vicariously join in this jolly and exciting holiday tradition.

To read the first chapter of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, go here.

To purchase through Amazon.

To purchase through CBD.com.

White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

Welcome to my friend, Susan Meissner, and one of my favorite authors. Susan's writing inspires me and her last release, Shape of Mercy, stayed with me for weeks.

Susan's new release, White Picket Fences is out and I'm looking forward to this amazing story.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will enjoy White Picket Fences.

The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

The story:

When her black sheep brother disappears, Amanda Janvier eagerly takes in her sixteen year-old niece. Tally is practically an orphan: motherless, and living with a father who raises Tally wherever he lands– in a Buick, a pizza joint, a horse farm–and regularly takes off on wild schemes. Amanda envisions that she and her family can offer the girl stability and a shot at a “normal” life, even though their own storybook lives are about to crumble.

What led you to write White Picket Fences?

Several years ago I was a court-appointed advocate for children involved in protective services. There were times when I saw that despite the outward appearance of a less-than-perfect home, a child could be loved there.

Just because a parent is unconventional or unsuccessful career-wise or makes choices that buck societal norms, it doesn’t mean that he or she is by default a "bad" parent. Likewise, parents who we would traditionally call "good" -meaning they provide, they protect, they don’t hit, they don’t ridicule - can nevertheless make decisions regarding their children that have hugely negative effects and yet their outward appearance would never lead anyone to suspect it.

Even if you live behind a white picket fence, you still have to deal with the fallout of a living in a broken world. You can't hide from it. The perfect, idyllic life is an illusion. Life is a weave of both delight and disappointment and it’s precisely these things that give it definition and depth. To ignore what is ugly is to cheapen what is beautiful.

You dovetailed a current day family drama with the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto. Why the connection?

I think it's fair to say that the depth of the atrocities inflicted during the Holocaust wasn't fully appreciated until after the war. There was ugliness happening, if you will, and much of the West failed to see it -- for whatever reason. Within the horror, though, people made brave choices, selfless choices. And there were survivors who had to choose what they would take with them from the ashes of their suffering. I wanted to explore how a person makes that decision. Even the decision to pretend it never happened is a decision regarding those ashes.

What do you think interests you about the intersection of personal relationships and perceptions – a theme you wove into both The Shape of Mercy and White Picket Fences?

I see every great work of fiction being about human relationships. Gone With the Wind is so much more than just an epic story with the Civil War as a backdrop. It's a story of human relationships. Scarlett and Ashley, Scarlett and Rhett, Scarlett and Melanie, Scarlett and her father. It's within our closest relationships that our brightest virtues and worst flaws are exposed. That's why there is such tremendous story value within intimate human relationships. We are at our best and our worst when we are responding and reacting to the people who shape who we are. Human history is the story of relationships and what they teach us about what we value. And what we don't.

White Picket Fences is a different kind of novel than your acclaimed book, The Shape of Mercy, but there are some similarities too. Can you explain those?

As with The Shape of Mercy, there is a historical thread in White Picket Fences, though it is not as dominant. The invasion of Poland by the Nazis is woven into the story, and provides the backdrop for Chase's and Tally's discoveries about hope, dreams, and redemption. This thread is enhanced by visits to a nursing home where Chase and Tally meet a man blind from birth who survived the occupation of Poland. It is also a story that draws its pathos from family dynamics and the near-universal desire we have to make straight what is crooked. There are two young protagonists in "White Picket Fences," like there was in "The Shape of Mercy," as well as a third character, who, along with the two men in the nursing home, provide a similar multi-generational story thread.

What do you hope readers come away with after reading White Picket Fences?

The pivotal moment in the story for me is when Josef says to Chase: "[This] is what all survivors must decide. We have to decide how much we will choose to remember, how much courage we are willing to expend to do so."

It takes courage to acknowledge and remember what drove you to your knees or nearly killed you. If you choose to forget – and that's assuming you actually can – then it seems to me you suffered for nothing. You are different but you don’t spend any time contemplating – or celebrating – how. I'd be happy if there was a takeaway for someone out there who needs to consider that.

RH: Great thoughts, Susan!

Susan's bio:

Susan Meissner is the multi-published author of The Shape of Mercy, named one of the Best Books in 2008 by Publishers Weekly the ECPA’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is also a speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. A devotee of purposeful pre-writing, Susan encourages workshop audiences to maximize writing time by mapping the writing journey and beginning from a place of intimate knowledge. She is the leader/moderator of a local writer's group, a pastor's wife and the mother of four young adults. A native San Diegan, Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at The Church at Rancho Bernardo.

You can purchase White Picket Fences here:

And read an excerpt here:

4 Writers and Me on what makes us feel MOST like ourselves

In Oprah's eponymous magazine, there's a fun article: "4 Authors on What Makes Them Feel Most Like Themselves.

Among the featured authors was Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies, and Imperfect Birds. Here's Anne's answers.

I look most like myself…in worn jeans and a tight-ish white T-shirt.

I act most like myself…at church, overeating after worship.

I feel most like myself… lying in bed on Sunday mornings with the dogs and the cat, reading The New York Times.

I feel least like myself…when I have to socialize with people I do not know.

***

I thought it'd be fun to play along, in all of my writerly anonymity.

I look most like myself…in worn jeans and a T-shirt or top, wearing flip flops or my Ohio State crocks.

I act most like myself…at church, at home with friends. Well, pretty much anytime. I am what I am!

I feel most like myself… when I'm with hubby, writing or watching DVDs. When I'm worshipping.

I feel least like myself…when I'm around certain individuals in the publishing industry. I feel so awkward and geeky.

What about you? What makes you feel most like yourself. If you're so inclined, copy and paste the question into the comments and give your own answers!



Next: When Mary Karr acts most like herself

Siri Mitchell Winners and the weekend

Congratulations to Carol Jarvis, Angie Brennan and Crystal Offhaus, winners of Siri's latest books! I actually had two copies of Constant Heart so I picked an extra winner.

Send me your snail mail ladies! :) Click on the Contact page and send it through there.

So, what's planned for the weekend?

I'm going into "deep dark mode" meaning submerging myself in writing. See you all next week!

Is there a med out there for blogfobia?

Because I think I have it. A disease. Blogfobia. See, I can't even spell phobia! How'd it all start, Rachel, you ask.

Well, um, see, a loooong time ago, 2002, I started blogging in Diaryland. Just fun little tidbits about my days, news of my writing, my first book contract, life at the office. Which, btw, was nothing like the TV show.

I switched to Xanga, then Blogger. I hopped onto MySpace, then Facebook and a myriad of other social sites. Blogging became key to a new writer's existence. Everyone started blogging.

All my deep, personal thoughts, funny bits about Santa Mouse Christmas songs suddenly became fodder for comparison to all the other genius writers now blogging. People started, gasp, giving stuff away. Books, iPods, prizes. Bloggers were funny. Wise. Full of publishing industry information.

Suddenly I'm Aubrey Montegue in Chariots of Fire, running the Steeple Race, landing in mud puddles, tripping over hurdles, coming in last.

Am I to be funny? Every day?! Am I to be deep and wise? Every day?! Should I give stuff away? Did I mention I'm a fledgling author?

Am I to go on about publishing industry news? Add posts of self promotion? Interview other authors. Write book reviews.

Ahhhh, I don't know what to blog any more! Is there such a thing as a blogging trainer? I need to get in shape!

I don't feel so good.... "Mooooommm!"

Don't worry. There's not enough people who read my blog to pick up my germs and spread the disease. Maybe there's a blogphobia hospital where I can recoup with all the other authors suffering from "what do I blog?"

I use all my best brain to write books! Now, I must write an award winning blog. Sorry, I'm just not that competitive.

Don't worry. I'm strong. I'm healthy. I'll recover.

Spending time with author Siri Mitchell

I've always been a Siri Mitchell fan. Of her writing. Of her person.
This summer I read her newest release "Love's Pursuit" on a plan ride to Washington D.C. I was captivated. Loved, loved, loved the book. I saw Siri in D.C. as well as her editor, Dave Long. I had to gush to both of them about the story and Siri's work.

If you haven't read a Siri Mitchell book, please do. I asked Siri to answer some interview questions, which she graciously agreed to do.

Siri has written seven novels, two of which (Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door) were named Christy Award Finalists.

A graduate from the University of Washington with a business degree, she has worked in many levels of government and lived on three continents. She currently resides with her family in the Washington DC metro area.

Listen in to a bit of our conversation!

RH: Siri, I loved Chateau of Echoes and Moon Over Tokyo, very different books but both set in foreign cities. Can you talk about writing with international settings?

SM: I’d love to – they’re my favorites! I think the key in writing international settings is remembering whose eyes you’re supposed to be viewing them from. Cultures are foreign to us because, given the same set of information, they would probably draw different conclusions and find different solutions than we would. It’s always been easier for me to write an international setting from the view of an outsider. That way, I can use my own observations about the place and the culture. Besides highlighting international differences, I also like to touch on the similarities. It’s important to realize that people across the globe (and across time) deal with the same issues and same questions that we do.

RH: So true. When I traveled for my job, I was so struck by the commonalities of people across the world. We all want to be happy, to be loved and to raise our kids in a warm, safe environment.

You’ve gone from contemporary and chick lit books to writing historicals. Can you tell us about this migration in your work?

SM: I actually came into the publishing industry wanting to write historicals, but at the time, no one was buying them. (That changed, of course, about two weeks after I signed my first contract!) I enjoyed writing contemporaries, and hope that I’ll have the chance to get back to them, but for now, I have a backlog of historicals that I feel the need to put on paper.

RH: My first book was a WW2 historical, but the research is too tedious for me. I think I have a more contemporary voice. Your historical voice is so perfect. I really felt enveloped into Puritan Massachusetts when reading Love's Pursuit.

What’s next for you?

SM: What’s next is another historical, She Walks in Beauty. It officially release in April 2010.

The book is set in 1890s New York City in the upper levels of society during the late-Victorian era. When Clara Carter is told she’s to debut a year early, her social education shifts to high gear.

There’s more than dance skills and manners to learn. There are corsets to be fitted and bosoms to be enhanced, for a girl so tall and gangly as Clara could never hope to attract a man by simply being herself.

But the more enmeshed she becomes in New York City’s social scene the more she begins to wonder if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she’s pitted against her best friend for the hand of the most eligible bachelor in town. When she does manage to find a kindred soul, a man who seems to love her simply for who she is, her heart begins to assert its case. But there’s more at stake this social season than just Clara’s marriage and the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.

The more research I did into corsets and late-Victorian culture, the more their problems seemed to mirror ours. Women still go to dangerous lengths to ‘fix’ the way they look. Media still creates a celebrity-focused culture. Advertising still perpetuates unreasonable standards of beauty for women that lead to anorexia-inducing behaviors, and we still grapple with our attitudes toward and treatment of the poor. Most books about debutantes focus on the glamour of the lifestyle or the cattiness of the girls themselves.

This books looks at the huge spiritual, physical, and emotional costs these girls were made to pay. But really, in true Victorian fashion, this book has a happy, heartwarming ending and I think there are scenes that will make readers laugh and others that will touch their hearts and make them cry (happy tears only, please!).

RH: All right, I'm hooked. I love the title. And I love the Victorian Era. You create heroines that are so profoundly impacted by their culture and traditions. It's fascinating. Cannot wait to read it!

Tell us a bit about your writing day. I know you have a daughter, so how does parenting work with writing for you?

SM: It really only works when I compartmentalize. I’m a bad juggler (even with scarves), so I do my best work when I’m concentrating on only one thing at a time.

After school starts, I work out. After I work out, I write from 2-4 hours 4 days a week (I figure that in any given week, I’ll have an appointment I have to go to or a series of errands I’ll have to run).

After I write, I take care of housework until my family comes home. Once they’re home, I’m theirs…and they get the weekends too. That’s my life. Pretty boring! In summer, I don’t keep a regular writing schedule. I operate on the assumption that I’ll be doing all the research reading for my next book, but frankly, I have a hard time making that happen.

RH: I can't juggle scarves either. :) Maintaining "life" is key to authors because we can become consumed by the deadline, by the craft. Sounds like you've found a good balance.

Historicals require a lot of research. Do you enjoy that aspect? How do you go about researching?

SM: I love research! What a great excuse to explore history. And buy books. I love books! I usually start my research in a very broad way. I like to read generally about my time period to get a feel for what was going on in my characters’ world politically, culturally, and spiritually.

After I get a good grasp of the period in general, then I start to narrow my research. I try and read biographies of women in the same class as my protagonist to see how the more widespread events of the day impacted women in particular. I’ll research specifics on architecture, food, and clothing.

Sometimes, if needed, I’ll delve into health and medicine. I’ve researched childbearing and marriage ceremonies. Period music, folk songs, and dance steps.

When it comes to actually writing my books, I try to forget everything I’ve learned. I try to interpret the world through my characters’ eyes rather than my own. I think I’m growing in this area. When I do it right, I treat the historical details matter-of-factly and my readers are able to buy into the illusion I’ve created, even when the characters do things that would seem odd or wrong to our modern day sensibilities. Write historicals with confidence and without apology. That’s my motto!

RH: Great advice about research. Even for me, researching contemporary issues and settings is key to a great story. Like you, I have to forget it all when I start to write and let it surface in a natural way.

Are you a plotter, Siri? Or Panster, as we say? How do you come up with your stories? Then, how do you approach writing?

SM: I’m a pantser, but my pants don’t seem to be wearing out quite as quickly these days. (RH: LOL)

I always try to craft a better book and I know that plotting is my weakness. For the past three books, I’ve been testing out different methods of quasi-plotting in order to find something that works for both my right and my left brain.

My stories always start with a character who comes to me and begins to tell me their story. In the early stages of writing, I’ll often hear my characters speaking and I’ll hurry to jot down what their saying. It used to be that my first draft manuscripts were lots of dialogue…with lots of gaps in between. I’ll usually know the beginning of my stories and their end and a few key scenes in the middle before I start to write.

With the book I just finished (She Walks in Beauty), I used scene cards to organize my thoughts. With the book I’m just beginning, I spent a lot of time thinking about theme and premise (influenced by Dr. Stanley D. Williams book, The Moral Premise).

I found it gave purpose to my scenes and helped me understand the actual structure of a novel. James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure and Jeff Gerke’s How To Find Your Story have also been very helpful. I guess I’d say I’m a pantser who wishes she could be a plotter. How’s that?

RH: While we can always improve our craft approach, there's some part of us that just "is." I'm a bit of a both-and writer myself. I plot and plan, then start writing and see what bubbles up!

What do you want readers to take away after reading one of your stories? What do you want them to feel?

SM: I want them to feel God’s great love. I want them to know that they don’t have to be anyone else, they don’t have to look like anyone else, they don’t have to act like anyone else. God created them for a purpose. And they deny that eternal purpose if they don’t value the person God created them to be.

RH: Your words so echo my own heart about my stories. I want readers to know God's amazing love for them and His destiny for them is uniquely designed for them!

Of all the places that you have traveled, which one is your favorite? Is there a place you haven’t been that you would love to visit?

SM: I have to say Paris. I’ll probably always say Paris! We were able to live there for 4 years and I completely fell in love with the city. But I would also love to visit all seven continents. I only have two left: South America and Antarctica. An Argentina/Antarctica itinerary would be a dream vacation for me.

RH: I've been to South America but Antarctica... wow, that would be some trip! Send me a post card!

Do you have any hobbies that you do in your spare time? Is there something you would love to learn but haven’t had the chance yet?

SM: I like to golf. My long-term goal is to get my handicap low enough so that I can play St. Andrews.

My husband has already played The Old Course twice. The next time we go to Scotland, I’m playing too! I also actually enjoy working out (lifting weights). And, I kind of hate to admit this, but I think I’m learning to enjoy gardening. As far as aspirations, I would love to be able to knit a lopi sweater like this one, but so far, I’ve only been able to conquer several really long scarves. (I have a lopi from 1984 that I still wear…mostly because I’ve never found another to buy.)

RH: What’s a typical family day like in the Mitchell household?

Unfortunately, it would probably begin at about 6:45. For some reason, some of us in my family are incapable of sleeping in. (That would not be me, by the way.) It would probably involve a sport (golf, tennis, biking, or swimming) or a visit to a museum. There’s so much to do and see in our area that the possibilities are endless!

RH: One of the great advantages of living metropolitan. Stuff to do. What kinds of books will we find on your bookshelf? What is the last book that left a big impression on you?

SM: All kinds of books line my bookshelves. And the desk. And the floor. And my nightstand. Non-fiction probably outnumbers fiction, but for pleasure reading, I’ll choose a novel every time. I have a long-time interest in fashion and French history (extra points for French fashion history), so I’ll add books in those categories regardless of what my research needs are at any given time.

Big impression? Probably Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. (Set in China during the foot-binding period.) As I was reading it, I kept looking at my feet thinking, ‘Really? People used to do that to their feet? Because they thought it was beautiful?!’ For anyone wondering, they used to break their feet (on purpose), bend them over into themselves, and let them basically rot into a gelatinous mass. (You have to read the book.)

RH: It's incredible what woman have endured through the centuries in the name of beauty.

I know you love to cook. What’s your favorite meal to prepare? Your favorite dessert? Do you cook every day?

SM: I’ve just discovered orange bread. And grilled coconut shrimp. But now that fall is coming on, I’ll be able to get out all my recipes with dried fruit (pork with apricots; chicken with prune sauce…). And Rachel Ray has a great recipe for penne pasta with pumpkin, sausage, and portabella mushrooms.

I’m not big on making desserts, though I love to eat them. But one of our French friends gave us a recipe for chocolate mousse. You’ll know I really like you if I take the time to chop up the chocolate, separate the eggs, and whip the egg whites up into a stiff meringue.

Usually, I cook every other day. 'Cook once, eat twice' is one of the sayings I live by. I never really liked leftovers until I became the chief cook and bottle washer. Now, I think they’re vastly underrated!

RH: Cooking is so not an interest of mine. I mean, I try. And if someone gives me an easy way to cook with variety, I'll do it, but I'm not a kitchen person. Too many other things to do.

What would you like readers to know from your heart about your books and writing?

SM: My goal has always been to make my readers think. I’m always trying to say something or work out how I feel about an issue. (My curse is to not be able to do it in less than 85,000 words!) I’d be flattered if reaaders couldn’t put my books down or felt like they connected with my characters, but I’d be honored if something I wrote gave them pause and caused them to stop, for even a moment, to consider something for the first time or from a new perspective.

RH: In my opinion you've accomplished your goal. You write storylines and characters that make me think. I've said this before but the storyline of Thomas and Small-Hope in Love's Pursuit is such an amazing Christ as Bridegroom image. Thank you for taking the time to create characters and stories to touch our hearts!

Thanks for stopping by, Siri!

Now, to blog readers, I'm giving away two autographed books by Siri Mitchell: Love's Pursuit and Constant Heart. For a chance to win, click on my Facebook badge to the right and post a comment! I'll draw names in a few weeks!

A weekend with family

I drove to Knoxville for the weekend with Lola to see my Mom, baby brother and baby sister. Middle brother and big brother couldn't make it. We had a blast. So fun to hang out, and run with the kids at the park.

The closeness in Grandma's living room got a bit... hmm... close! But it was worth it. My brother has 2 kids and my sister, 4. Ages ranged from 1 to 16!

I'm posting a picture because it paints a thousand words. Ah, to be 3 and rolling down hills.

More later. Need to get writing!

Sitting in Dunkin Donuts on a Wednesday morning

My car's in the shop, thus I've been thrust into the Dunkin Donuts next door to wait and work.

So far, resisting donuts has been easy. I do love a good donut, but hate the fat-and-I'm-still-hungry feeling that follows. All. Day.

Tomorrow I take off for Tennessee to see my mom, youngest brother and youngest sister and their broods. I had a screw in my left side tires -- front and back -- and am so grateful for the discovery before I took off up I-75. Can you imagine?

Remember the flat tire trip of September 6, 2009?

Hubby is teaching so he can't go along, but Lola will be riding shot gun. Traveling with my dog. When did I get this age?

Thinking a lot lately about God's goodness. Just feeling and sensing His faithfulness. It's amazing to raise my hand in church on Sunday when the preacher asked, "Who's living out their destiny?"

Me.

But you know, not every thing has turned out like I'd imagined, growing up, a girl with dreams. I never pictured myself barren, childless. I never imagined I'd only get to see family once a year. Never pictured my dad in a coffin three months before his 69th birthday.

I am at peace with it all. Mostly because I some how knew by the grace of God if I didn't surrender it all to Him, ask for His plan and purpose to be manifest in my life, I'd never be content.

When I moved to central Florida 23 years ago, I did not have an agenda. I prayed, "Lord, whatever You want."

I had dreams, of course. I wanted to be successful. Have a good job, be a career woman. I wanted to marry a Godly man, have a family, and yes, even then, write books.

Having dreams and goals is not a sin. Far from it. Too often we don't have enough goals or plans. But putting our worth in them can lead us astray.

I had to walk through the painful surrender and pray, "Lord, if you want, I'll be single for You." I gave up who and what I thought Rachel Hayes should be and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, in whatever weak and subpar manner I could.

It started with prayer. A bit of fasting. It started because He first loved me.

What about you? Are you struggling to prop up your dreams, you ideals? Who and what you want and it's just not working? Surrender. Start with prayer. Know He first loved you!

Intervention by Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock's new book Intervention was inspired by her personal experiences with her daughter's addictions.

Six years ago she became aware that her daughter (then in her early twenties) had a severe prescription pill addiction that was killing her, and she hired an interventionist to convince her daughter to go to treatment.

After a grueling few hours, her daughter agreed to go. As Terri put her on the plane with the interventionist, she was hit with the crushing feeling that her daughter was in the hands of a stranger, and anything could happen. That's when this book was born.

Over the past few years, Terri's family has been in a tornado of relapses and rehabs, with one emergency after another, and grace upon grace. But through all this, God has taught her to pray as never before, and he's shown her how many other families are experiencing the same thing. He's also shown her that many blessings can come from crises such as this.

Terri has tried to fold all of those experiences into this suspense novel of desperation and hope. She's also added a page to her web site: "Hope for Families of Addicts," (http://www.terriblackstock.com/hope-for-families-of-addicts/ ) which has tips on dealing with a loved one who has addictions.

Though the book is fiction, Terri poured much of herself into Barbara, the mother who's desperate to save her daughter. And Terri's own daughter has given her blessings for Terri to talk about this, in hopes of helping other hurting families and raise awareness about the perils of addiction.

To see/hear Terri share her personal story about Intervention, don't miss her interviews on American Family Radio's "Today's Issues" on September 24, Moody Radio's "Chris Fabry Live on September 25, and "The 700 Club" on September 29.

"It was her last hope -- and the beginning of a new nightmare.Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction, by staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all.Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she committed.

Fearing for Emily’s life, Barbara maintains her daughter’s innocence. But does she really know her anymore? Meanwhile, Kent has questions of his own. His gut tells him that this is a case of an addict killing for drugs, but as he gets to know Barbara, he begins to hope he’s wrong about Emily.The mysteries intensify as everyone’s panic grows: Did Emily’s obsession with drugs lead her to commit murder—or is she another victim of a cold-blooded killer?In this gripping novel of intrigue and suspense, bestselling author Terri Blackstock delivers the page-turning drama that readers around the world have come to expect from her.

Watch the Intervention video trailer at www.youtube.com/terriblackstock

Order Intervention at http://www.terriblackstock.com/books/coming-soon/

College Game Day

It's college football season -- a whole four months of "holidays" for me. I love this time of year. Love college football.

We don't have a TV with Dish or cable hookup, so I miss watching games at random, having the TV on all day, so we have to select our time to go out and watch games. Usually, Ohio State, of course.

Not having television has disadvantages, but the advantages outweigh them. It's just too easy to flip on the telly.

Instead we watch DVDs, read, umm, write books. Well, I do. Tony writes vicariously.

I talked last night to our church women about prayer. Prayer is the aqueduct in which the Spirit flows in and through us. But if we have so many distractions we cannot settle down and focus.

And if it's not TV, it's the internet, or sheesh, iPhones and Blackberries.

I can see the Lord of Heaven waving His hand over the earth. "Silence!"

Then immediately following. "OH-IO!"

Real thank you speech

Caught in a swirl of busyness between teaching a continuing ed class at ACFW and leading worship, I didn't think much about the Book of the Year Award. Probably, a bit of that on purpose so I wouldn't focus on winning or losing.

Saturday night, I wasn't prepared to hear my name and book called. I'd not prepared a speech, nor had I really thought much about what I would say or who I would thank should I win.

I blush now at my lack of preparedness. So, here's what I would've done and said HAD I been wise enough to prepare.

First, walk in stage singing Sweet Caroline and get the audience to sing, "bump, bump, bump." All together now. . . Sweet Caroline, bump, bump, bump... good times never seemed so good.

Then, I would have said:

On the Sunday before the book was due on Thursday, I was up at four a.m. trying to come up with a subplot. I'd been told the book "lacked" something and a subplot would be just the ticket.

But it's impossible to come up with a subplot at 4:00 a.m. I went to church a zombie, convinced my career was over. Thomas Nelson would see the light and cut me loose before they embarrassed themselves with any more of my drivel.

I might have called my editor or agent to talk it out, but I was sure they'd confirm my lack of talent and well, why not just put the bad new off as long as possible? I had four days to salvage my writing reputation.

I sat in the chairs during worship, begging God to down load a story to me, or just snatch me up to Heaven and allow me to borrow from the library there in order to fix poor Caroline's story.

I begged people to pray for me. One well meaning friend said, "Maybe this won't be your best book." Ahhhhh, don't say that! My conviction is I should always improve, producer better stories with each book. Why? God lives in me!

Exhausted and restless, I called Susie Warren. "Help." My dear friend, on her own deadline, took my first chapter and rewrote it for me. What a life saver. She gave me hope, pointed me in the right direction, and prayed for me. Thank you so much! I rewrote her rewrite and finally, Caroline came alive to me.

Christine Lynxwiler provided constant support during the writing of Sweet Caroline.

But Tuesday when my editor emailed and said they'd extended my deadline, I knew God had heard me and answered my prayer!

I rewrote the book and with Leslie Peterson's wise insight, Sweet Caroline became a book I could be proud of. Thanks to Ami McConnell who believed in me and trust me all along. She was out on maternity leave those rewrite months, but I felt her heart.

Thanks to Kristin Billerbeck who inspired me to write chick lit. To Colleen Coble who cheered me on in my early writing days. Thank you so very much.

Thank you to Karen Solem who agented Sweet Caroline and encouraged me. And to Chip MacGregor who knows how to play the glockenspiel.

To my husband who puts up with deadline craziness. To Jesus, who gave me the desire of my heart and leads me in paths of righteousness!

And to ACFW for opening so many doors!

Sweet Caroline wins!

How's that for a heading. . .

Sweet Caroline won Best Lit in the American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year. Very thrilled to have won! What an honor.

I wasn't prepared to win so I didn't have any cute stories, and I forgot to thank Christine Lynxwiler and Susan May Warren who saved my bacon four days before the book was due. But the Lord was the one who really intervened.

More later on what my speech should've been and thoughts on the ACFW conference. But for now, this is the news.

Women of Faith Book Club and Sweet Caroline

Good news! Sweet Caroline was picked for September's Women of Faith book club! For information and to read an interview with your's truy, click here!

Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones

Please welcome my good buddy and fellow Thomas Nelson author, Jenny B. Jones. I started this book and it's divine! Jenny writes a poignant, funny, and engaging story!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Just Between You And Me
Thomas Nelson (September 1, 2009)
by
Jenny B. Jones


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.

When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.

My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.

Okay, that’s not exactly true.

Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:

-watching E!
-updating my status on Facebook
-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and
-writing my name in the dust on my furniture

I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.




ABOUT THE BOOK

The only thing scarier than living on the edge is stepping off it.
Maggie Montgomery lives a life of adventure. Her job as a cinematographer takes her from one exotic locale to the next. When Maggie's not working, she loves to rappel off cliffs or go skydiving. Nothing frightens her.

Nothing, that is, except Ivy, Texas, where a family emergency pulls her back home to a town full of bad memories, painful secrets, and people Maggie left far behind . . . for a reason.

Forced to stay longer than she intended, Maggie finds her family a complete mess, including the niece her sister has abandoned. Ten-year-old Riley is struggling in school and out of control at home. The only person who can really handle the pint-sized troublemaker is Conner, the local vet and Ivy's most eligible bachelor. But Conner and Maggie keep butting heads--he's suspicious of her and, well, she doesn't rely on anyone but herself.

As Maggie humorously fumbles her way from one mishap to another, she realizes she's going to need to ask for help from the one person who scares her the most.

To save one little girl--and herself--can Maggie let go of her fears and just trust God?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Just Between You And Me, go HERE

Wilderness

Ever feel like your heart is alone? Encapsulated in it's own silence, feed only by the springs of your own soul and spirit?

I've been feeling that way lately. As if my heart is not connected or in-touch with others -- my husband the exception.

I can think of people I know and love -- friends and family -- but there's a yearning going on that requires more than people. It requires Jesus.

The wilderness is where we learn to lean. The wilderness is where we discover our own barrenness. I feel sort of like He's calling me to the wilderness. I'm hungry and thirsty for something I can't define, that people cannot supply.

Song of Solomon 8:5 -- "Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her Beloved?"

Me.

Interview with Thomas Nelson Sr. Editor, Ami McConnell

My Book Therapy is chatting with Thomas Nelson's Sr. Acquisitions editor, Ami McConnell today. Great interview. Check it out.

How do I love Thee

Sunday during the service, I was privileged to be among the congregation and not up stage leading worship.

All I could sense in my heart and mind, "Jesus, I don't love you enough. How can I love you more?" I cut these lines from the stanza of Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

It may just be that we cannot know the width, length, height and depth of His love in this life. Paul writes we "see through a glass dimly." We don't have the fullness of God's love and beauty. Not in this life. But in the next. . . but in the next.

I want to love Him more. But I'm weak. I'm selfish and concerned about my fleshly comforts. I'm easily distracted and interrupted. I wish I could turn my chest inside out and just. . . "HERE! Take it all!"

In my mind's eye, I'm a fierce warrioress. I'm quick, swift, and agile. I'm ready at any moment to run at the Lord's command. Like, yeah, you don't want to mess with me! :) But in reality, I'm a frumpy house frau with visions of spiritual heights. I'm Achilles in Troy. (Not the naked Brad Pitt version, but you know what I mean.) But it takes spiritual discipline and training to get there. My emotions and affections must be changed.

Love is the change agent. Understanding His love for me. And loving Him more, and more. There is no limit to His willingness for us to love Him more. And there is no force more powerful than a loved woman!

I want to be vigilant, even violent in my soul for Him. Warring against my own flesh and sin to be so single focused on Him. I don't want religion or platitudes. I want Jesus. Religion gets in the way. Platitudes make us feel holy when in fact we are not.

Gone to Green by Judy Christie

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Gone To Green
Abingdon Press (August 2009)
by
Judy Christie


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Judy Pace Christie, after working as a journalist for twenty-five years, left the daily news business to open a consulting firm that works with individuals, businesses, and churches on strategies for meaningful life and work, including goal-setting, living fully, and balancing personal and professional lives. She is the author of Hurry Less, Worry Less; Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime; and co-author of Awesome Altars. Judy and her husband live in northwest Louisiana.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.

While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gone To Green, go HERE

Nevertheless, a man has died

Working out on an elliptical trainer at the gym this morning, I caught a few scenes from Ted Kennedy's funeral.

The camera paused on a man, maybe his son, visibly moved by Kennedy's death. While most eyes were dry, this man's were not and I was touched by his display of sorrow.

I've already shared I didn't have any respect for the Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts, but today I was reminded of his humanity as a husband and father, brother, uncle, a man who was loved.

When I saw the one man's face, I was challenged to wonder how Jesus would perceive people and situations.

Jesus died for all. Those we love, those we despise, those we disagree with, and those who disagree with us. As a Christ follower, my leader Jesus reminds me in Matthew 5 that I will be hated and reviled for believing in Him. It's a hard reality to swallow.

Even more so when I consider Jesus died for the Mother Teresa's of the world as well as the Hitler's. And some where in between is me. And you.

We like to qualify things. Compare. If "this" is evil, then "that" is most certainly evil. We want a fair scale. And the truth is, only One commands the scale. Only One decides what's fair.

I am sorrowful for those who buried a man they knew and loved today. Death is never easy. They will miss the Kennedy most of us never knew.

I still disagree with the political Kennedy's stand on abortion, on socialism and expanding government. But nevertheless, a man has died. I think Jesus weeps in a way we can't understand.

I want to partner with Him, share His heart no matter what I think and believe in the natural. I have a ways to go on my journey. To love Jesus, to love truth. We must love truth.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

The end of the Kennedy era

I've watched with fascination the media's response to the passing of Ted Kennedy. He's treated like a demi-god.

He was a liar. A womanizer. The stories of his antics with women are legendary as well as documented. Above all, he was a murderer. All his years in the Senate, where he lived like pseudo royalty feigning to care about the little man and the oppressed, does not pay the price for murder.

Ed Klein, former foreign editor of Newsweek and editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine, recalling on an episode of The Diane Rehm Show that Ted Kennedy liked to joke about Chappaquiddick. Here's what he said to guest host Katy Kay.

"I don't know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, "have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?" That is just the most amazing thing. It's not that he didn't feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too."

He joked? About killing a woman? "He saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous?" Ed Klein finds this endearing? Please, tell me, what is "the ridiculous" about letting a woman die? It's not like Ted spilled mustard on his shirt during a Senate session. The blog goes on to say how the producers tried to backpedal from Klein's comments.

I don't think Mary Jo and her family find her death amusing. Nor see Ted Kennedy a devout servant, a man to be honored. Neither do I. A leader should make one feel safe. I would have never felt safe under his leadership. Would've never wanted to follow him into battle. Would've never wanted him in the Oval office on a day like September 11th.

I pray Ted Kennedy stood before the Father covered in the blood of Jesus. I pray we stop honoring adulterers and murderers in this nation. No matter who they are, or where they came from.

America wake up. May the fear of the Lord falls on us.