Mid year check up, sorta

Okay, it's not exactly mid-year, but several things have been on my mind this week so I thought I'd post them now.

Last year, 2006, was a year of change. Our chuch changed it's name, Tony and I handed over the youth ministry, several of our friends moved far away, my mom sold her house and moved, my sister had a second little girl, our dog Jack died...

Those name just a few.

This year, as I look back on January through May, I sum it up with single words. Hard. Discouragement. Disappointment.

Several things happened early in the year that just felt like a spiral to me of disappointment - which lead to discouragement.

I felt a little lost. I repented of bad attitudes, of allowing myself to be discouraged. I was never depressed, just unsure of the future.

If we are not careful, a little discouragement or disappointment can knock us out of the game for a long time. Maybe even permanently. I do not want to be the walking wounded, or a needless casualty of war.

In the mean time, God is moving in our nation. Lou Engle called young people, as well as adults, to a 40 day fast to repent of the cultural down fall started by the Summer of Love 40 years ago in San Francisco.

On July 7, over a hundred thousand will gather in Nashville's Titan's stadium for twelve hours of prayer, concluding the fast, calling for God to bring revival to America, declaring we want to be married to Him again.

When I read The Call Nashville's mission statement and mandate from God, yes mandate, I wept. Every time I saw an update over email, my eyes watered.

I am so excited about what God is doing. Lou shared some incredible testimonies on a CD teaching, one involving Dr. Suess's "Horton Hears a Who."

Lou is also very active with his teams in praying against abortion. They are the ones God gave strategy to about the red duct tape over their mouths with the word LIFE. God also gave Lou an amazing metaphor of Horton Hears A Who and ending abortion in America.

He's the real deal, guys. Not some man coming up with a vision for himself, but encountering God through a sustained life of prayer and fasting.

Anyway, while we didn't feel called to go to Nashville, we decided to join the fast.

Day three and it's not going smoothly for me, but I have grace. And this morning I had a dream. God showed me my eyes were covered by dyed flat black hair, and my bangs covering my face.

Standing in our bathroom (literally, in the dream,) I said to my mother (Holy Spirit in this case,) "I can't see myself."

And that's how I've felt for several months. I don't have clear vision.

So, I told Tony and we prayed. I'm continuing to pray. "Clear vision, God, clear vision."

How's your year been? If it's been like mine, pray, do some fasting. Not easy, I know, but we have to start building some spiritual muscle church!

Mathew 11:12 says the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. That force is fasting and prayer.

Daniel moved the heavens with fasting and prayer. Moved the heavens! How much more a generation of wholehearted lovers of Jesus fasting and praying.

There you have my mid-year check up.

Welcome Tamara Alexander

Hi Everyone,

I'm pleased to host author and friend, Tamara Alexander, author of three fab historicals, Rekindled, Revealed, and Remembered. Check out her interview under my Author Interviews.

Remembered is her new release from Bethany House. I've known Tammy for many years and am thrilled to see her amazing success.

Remembered is Book 3 in the Fountain Creek Chronicles. Though loss is often marked in a single moment, letting go of someone you love can take a lifetime...

The threat of war—and a final request—send Véronique Girard from France to a distant and uninviting country. In the Colorado Territory, she searches for the man who has held her heart since childhood—her father.

Pierre Girard left Paris for the Americas to seek his fortune in fur trading, vowing to send for his wife and daughter. But twenty-five years have passed and his vow remains unfulfilled. Sifting through shards of broken promises, Véronique embarks on a dangerous search for a man she scarcely remembers. His grief finally healed, Jack Brennan is moving on with life.

After years of guiding families west, he is now working as a freighter to the mining towns surrounding Willow Springs. What he doesn't count on is an unexpected traveling companion on his trips up into the mountains, and how one woman's search will cause havoc with his plans... and his life.

TAMERA ALEXANDER is the bestselling author of Rekindled, Revealed, and Remembered, the three-part Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Rekindled, a CBA bestseller, has won critical acclaim and was chosen as one of Library Journal's Top 5 Picks for Christian Fiction 2006.

Rekindled and Revealed triple-finaled in the 2007 RITA Awards sponsored by Romance Writers of America-Rekindled and Revealed for Best Inspirational Novel, and Rekindled for Best First Novel. Tamera frequently speaks to women's groups, sings on the praise team, enjoys mentoring other writers, and also served as the conference coordinator for the 2004 American Christian Romance Writers National Conference in Denver, Colorado.

She and her husband, Joe Alexander, make their home in Colorado with their two college-age children, and a seven-pound Silky named Jack.

Tamera is currently working on her fourth novel, part of another three-book historical series with Bethany House which is set in the Colorado Territory.

Visit Tamera's website at www.tameraalexander.com And her blog at www.tameraalexander.blogspot.com

Funday

Nice day. Church followed by a ride down to Vero Beach to see Debbie Macomber speak and get a copy of her new book.

Rode down with fellow RWA Star member, Lee.

We had a great time and Debbie was lovely, gracious and funny, as always.

The book store was packed with Debbie's fans.

***
Take this weekend to thank the Lord for our military and our freedoms.

The price of freedom is eternal diligiance!

Hope Deferred

I was listening to Francis Frangipane teach on spiritual strongholds, and I've been pondering his comments about Proverbs 13:12. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."

He said that the devil uses unfulfilled desires to bring us into bondage, and that often he could tell where someone had a spiritual stronghold by what they were experiencing hopelessness over. Hmmm. Makes sense.

The devil offers us a shortcut or substitute for our unfulfilled desire, and we don't catch the fine print that we’re giving him control of some area of our life.

So what is the answer? No short cuts or substitutes, just wait patiently for God to fulfill our desire? But if God isn't in a hurry, its still easy to end up with deferred hope. And how do I know He wants to fulfill all of my desires?

I do know Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." So it looks like He wants to fulfill my desires, but I suspect fulfilling the first part of that verse will also change my desires.

In fact, maybe I'm not supposed to focus on my desires much at all. Maybe I just work at delighting in Him, and the rest takes care of itself. Well, that gives me something to do while I’m waiting.

Never Planned On This

The goal today was to clean my office. I submitted "Sweet Caroline" yesterday and was really looking forward to doing some deep house cleaning.

I thought, first, deal with the office. And the books! So many books.

I was sorting through them and next thing I know, I'm logging them into Amazon for resale.

I am now an Amazon reseller. What a brilliant plan. Except, now, I still have all the books. I stacked them in the guest room. Ha.

But the office is squared away and it feels good.

The Restorer and Sharon Hincks

Hi Everyone,

My friend Sharon Hincks has a new release. It sounds fabulous.

The Restorer Blurb

Susan, a modern-day soccer mom, is pulled through a portal into another world, where a nation grappling for its soul waits for a promised Restorer to save their people. Can she fill that role? While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways

Q & A with Sharon.

Q: What was the inspiration for The Restorer?

A: I've always been fascinated by the story of Deborah in the book of Judges, and wondered what a modern woman would look like in that role. The fantasy genre provides a powerful way to look at a familiar story in a new way. I loved the challenge of creating a completely relatable character, and then inviting the reader to follow her into an imaginative journey.


Q:What kind of reader did you have in mind as you wrote the book?

A:I wrote this story for my friends - ordinary women who are sometimes called on to fill extraordinary roles that they don't feel prepared for. We may not be literally yanked into an alternate universe, but the idea of being pulled into an unexpected challenge is very real to most of the people I know. I wrote this book for my friends who receive a diagnosis of cancer, or the news that their child has a learning disability, or their parent is battling Alzheimers, or their spouse has lost their job. They suddenly find themselves in a foreign world, facing new rules, and being asked to fill a role they don't feel ready for. My prayer is that as well as being entertaining, this novel can inspire courage and determination for those facing daily battles.


Q:How much of The Restorer is drawn from your own life?

A: Susan's spiritual journey - her desire to follow God and her confusion when the road is much harder than she expected - is very parallel to my own. I've never carried a sword into battle, but I've faced the challenge of surrendering more deeply to God's purposes when they didn't make sense to me.

All about Sharon:

Sharon is a wife and mom who has had many adventures, though none have involved an alternate universe (thus far). She has an M.A. in communication and has spent her life working in the arts (music, theatre, dance, and writing).

Her other novels include The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2006), Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2007), The Restorer (NavPress, 2007) and The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, 2007)

What others are saying about the Restorer:

Sharon Hinck gives us a beautifully-realized world that demands the best that an everyday, run-of-the-mill Mom doesn’t even know she has. Hinck’s prose engages us in every moment of the struggle as the strength of the One drives the battle of the faithful against unimaginable odds, Excellent characters and an intriguing plot provide readers with great entertainment along with spiritual inspiration and enlightenment. I simply loved this book, hated for it to end, and am grateful that there’s another in the Sword of Lyric series coming soon.

~ Kathryn Mackel, author of Outriders and Trackers

"Sharon Hinck has done a remarkable job in writing a fantasy for people who don't normally read fantasies. A soccer mom finds herself in an alternate universe where she has to save her adopted people from vastly more powerful enemies. Loved the swordplay. Loved the spiritual insights. Most of all, loved the main character, Susan Mitchell, a compelling mix of Everymom and Wonder Woman."

~ Randy Ingermanson, award-winning author of Retribution

What’s next?

The Restorer's Son releases in September (NavPress), followed a few months later by The Restorer's Journey.

My current books are available at all major bookstores as well as through my website at www.sharonhinck.com

For a free monthly e-zine and updates on my projects and schedule, sign up to be a Book Buddy at my website!

Glenn Beck and religion

I'm a fan of Glenn Beck. I try to listen to him for an hour or so in the morning while doing junk around the house.

He's bold and confronts so many of the idiocies in our social mind set. But he's sort of all wet on one thing.

Religion.

He constantly says he doesn't care what someone believes, and if they are a "good" person, he'd vote for them.

Glenn, Glenn, Glenn, dear Glenn. You're being too broad here, dude. A person's faith is the CORE of who they are. It's where so many other ideologies and philosophies come from. You have to know what they believe about God and life in order to vote for them.

The left hates Christianity, so they complain and bicker, accuse and point fingers. It scares them. We know that, we get it.

And like wise, many on the right do the same. Complain, bicker, accuse and point. Sadly. They should be like Jesus and shut up. He was so very wise when he responded, or did not respond.

Yet, Glenn, if a person claims to be a Christian, it's not enough to believe in "God." Shoot, radical Islam terrorist believe in "God."

You have to believe in Jesus. Christ-ians. Followers of Christ. Otherwise, you just believe in God, a supreme being.

Which, at the base, is cool. Yet, the only way to know God the Father is through His Son, Jesus.

Not my words, by the way, His.

So, Glenn, come on. You have to care about what a person believes. It's who they are.

I'm Alive

Just a fast post to say I'm alive, but boy, it's been a busy week.

I'm finishing up Sweet Caroline. How do you like my tentative cover?












Spent the day with other writers at a Super Saturday, then had a book signing with Roxanne St. Claire and Deidre Knight. A long but good day.

Thursday went to my first boss-after-college's retirement party. Alex Nelson hired me and is the reason I'm in Melbourne/Palm Bay, FL. I was hestiant about going since Alex works at another company, a competitor to my old company, and I figured most of his current co-workers would be there. But, when I walked in I received a warm welcome from old Harris-ites. We told old stories for a good while.

It was really fun to see old friends.

Gilmore Girls. What did you think of the final show? I did not like it. They tried to end like it began, but Rory is not 16 any more. She's 22. I hated that she and Logan broke up completely. Not even a hint of a future. I liked that Luke and Loralie connected (kissed.) So, they are going to be together forever in TVville.

Hated that Rory was thrilled be on the Obama campaign. Loved the finaly scene. The two of them sitting in Luke's, early in the morning, talking, drinking coffee, framed in the big picture window trimmed in white lights.

What did you think?

Veil of Fire, by Marlo Schalesky

VEIL OF FIRE
By Marlo Schalesky

A Raging Firestorm . . .
A Light in the Hills . . .
And a Mystery Rises from the Ash.

In 1894, the worst firestorm in Minnesota history descends on the town of Hinckley. Heat, flame, and darkness sweep through the town, devouring lives, destroying hope. In the aftermath, the town rises from the ashes, its people determined to rebuild their lives.
But in the shadows, someone is watching. Someone is waiting. Someone who knows the secrets that can free them all. A rumor begins of a hermit in the hills - a person severely burned, disfigured beyond recognition. Doubts rise. Fear whispers. Is the hermit a monster or a memory? An enemy or a love once-lost?
Based on historical events, Veil of Fire beckons to a time when hope rose from the smoke of sacrifice, when trust hid behind a veil of fear, when dreams were robed in a mantle of fire . . .

Reading Veil of Fire is like feasting on a banquet of rich words and vivid images.
─Tricia Goyer, award-winning author of five novels, including A Valley of Betrayal

Moving. Heartbreaking. Compelling. This beautiful, sensitive story of pain, loss, and, ultimately, healing touched the deepest parts of my heart.
─Laura Jensen Walker, author of Miss Invisible and Reconstructing Natalie

Veil of Fire may be purchased at Amazon.com or at your local bookstore. Visit Marlo at her web site: www.marloschalesky.com


Speaking with Marlo:

Q: Where did you birth the idea for this book? When? How did it come about?

A: People often ask where I get my ideas for my books. My answer? You never know! For Veil of Fire, the idea was birthed at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the mission town of San Juan Bautista. There I was, sitting with my family, nibbling chips and salsa, when a wedding party came by.

The bridesmaids were dressed in beautiful turn-of-the-century style gowns. As they passed, my mother-in-law began to tell me of the dresses that her great grandmother, who lived in Hinckley, used to sew for the rich ladies in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

From there, came the story of the great Hinckley fire and the rebuilding that this woman, my husband’s great-great-grandmother, was a part of. And finally, I heard the tale of the mystery figure in the hills, a person burned beyond recognition. A person never identified, living as a hermit until one day he just disappeared.

At that moment, the first inklings of the story that would become Veil of Fire were born in my heart.

Q: Can you explain the research process, since this is such a historical novel?

A: The research for Veil of Fire was particularly fascinating not only because of its link to my personal family history, but also because of the incredible first-person accounts of the fire that were written by people who were actually there.

These stories are compiled into a book written entirely by survivors who recount their personal experience of living through the firestorm that swept through their town. I read about a man whose hat lifted from his head and exploded above him as he ran through wind and fire.

Those eyewitness accounts, as well as information gathered about the fire from other sources, created the realistic feel of the fire and its aftermath in Veil of Fire. Today, a number of books about the fire, as well as artifacts, photos, and other articles can be seen at the Hinckley Fire Museum in Hinckley.

Q: What takeaway points do you hope your readers pull from this book?

A: Life happens. Failure, discouragement, pain, loss. Somewhere, somehow, life burns us all. And we realize that this life we live is not the one we once dreamed. The realities of life scar us. Doubts rise. Fear whispers that hope is gone. And what was once a simple faith can fail in the face of that fear.

So, for those burned by life, for those who carry scars that cannot be seen, for those who have retreated for fear of more pain, this story is for you, this journey from the hidden places of pain to a new hope in the unhidden truth of Christ’s love.

Q: Can you share with your readers something God has been teaching you lately?

A: Through some recent tragedies and through writing Veil of Fire, God is showing me that I cannot measure his love by my successes and failures, or even by my happiness. Who I am on the inside, how I am being shaped into the likeness of Christ, the character of my life – the color and beauty of it – are what are important to God. And to create that color and beauty, sorrow is necessary. Hurtful things happen.

Q: What book are you currently reading?

A: Why, the New Testament, of course . . . in Greek! Now, before you start thinking that loving Greek makes me too scholarly to write a decent novel, you should know that even though I just completed my Masters at Fuller (that’s a Masters in Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary – so cool!), it wasn’t my desire for an “A” that made me fall in love with New Testament Greek.

Q: What book project can we expect from you after Veil of Fire?

A: After Veil of Fire, I’m writing 3 contemporary novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah. All of them are “Love Stories with a Twist!,” a new type of story that I think will knock readers’ socks off.

The first, Beyond the Night, releases in May 2008.

BIO

Marlo Schalesky is the award winning author of five books, including her latest novel VEIL OF FIRE, which explores the great Minnesota firestorm of 1894 and the mysterious figure who appeared in the hills afterward.

She has also had over 500 articles published in various magazines, had her work included in compilations such as Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, and is a regular columnist for Power for Living.

Marlo recently earned her Masters degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on three contemporary novels for Multnomah-Waterbrook Publishers, a division of Random House. She lives in Salinas, California with her husband and four daughters.

Home, Home at last

The New Hampshire Weddings book signings went really, really well.

Big kudos to Wade Martin, Melody Keller and Choice Books for arranged the signings. And to Dave Murray and the Wal-Marts in North Conway and Gorham, NH.

I had a great time.

***

On another note... the trip home. Grr, double grrr, and grrr again.

From the time I left Wal-Mart yesterday and drove to Portland to catch my flight, it took me 24 hours to get home.

24 hours!

You don't want to know... and to be honest, I can't bear to relive it. Let's just say, our country has lost it's mind in the real of security. The innocent are guilty. The guilty are innocent. No, I did not go to jail or anything. Please.

Delta is not the "friendly sky" airline any more.

Atlanta is the worst airport in the history of airports.

New Hampshire Weddings Book signing

Where's Rachel?

Wal-Mart
New Conway, New Hampshire
May 11, 2007
5 - 7 p.m.

Wal-Mart
Gorham, New Hampshire
May 12, 2007
1o - 1:30 p.m.

Come out and say Hi if you're in the area.

Author Tracey Bateman and Defiant Heart

Hi Everyone,

My good friend and worship soulmate, Tracey Bateman has a book coming out the same day as Diva NashVegas! Her Avon Inspire, Defiant Heart.

I got my copy already, and it looks wonderful. Tracey is a warm, thoughtful, creative writer who knows how to make the characters come alive on the page. I know Defiant Heart will touch us all.


An Interview with Tracey Bateman

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

A: The first time I can remember wanting to be a writer was after I read Gone with the Wind. I was about ten years old and it was the first book that resonated with me that much. I wanted to write the sequel. Got a good start with my blind brother's typewriter, but abandoned the effort when I realized Mother would never allow Rhett to cuss and it just didn't feel right the other way. See? I was born to edit myself.

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

A: I write from a great love of books and a lifetime of reading stories that triggered my imagination. I write inspirational fiction because I'm a Christian and those are the stories that come out of me when I sit down to write. My books always begin with a character who needs the hope I've found in a relationship with Christ. So that's what comes out when I write. Anything can trigger an idea: a TV show, the History channel, a billboard, something my pastor says. Ultimately, I imagine ideas come from God. Sometimes I wish he'd write the books for me too!

Q: Tell us about your heroine, Fannie Caldwell.

A: Women in the western frontier had to be gritty and they had to be tough. They couldn't afford to be shrinking violets. For a woman like Fannie Caldwell, there was no one to take care of her, so she had to make her own way. What else was there to do but take a chance? Danger isn't necessarily a bad place to be if the alternative is staying in bondage to a brutal taskmaster. If you don't fight, there's no way to win. I always like to write about characters who have a lot to overcome because I think God is able to show Himself the most for us when we're the most needy. I like to show how God can bring us through adversity—not necessarily make it easy, but walk with us until we come out the other side—maybe bruised, maybe battered, but definitely the victors in the battle.


Tracey's bio:

Tracey Bateman lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. Their rural home provides a wonderful atmosphere for a writer's imagination to grow and produce characters, plots, and settings. In 1994, with three children to raise, she and her husband agreed that she should go to college and earn a degree.

In a Freshman English class, her love for writing was rekindled and she wrote a short story that she later turned into a book. Her college career was cut short with the news of their fourth baby's impending arrival, but the seeds of hope for a writing career were already taking root. Over the next several years she wrote, hooked up with critique partners, studied the craft of writing and eventually all the hard work paid off.

She currently has over 25 books published in a variety of genres. Tracey believes completely that God has big plans for his Kids and that all things are possible to anyone who will put their hope and trust in the God.

Eight Random Things

Eight Random Things, Only Eight
('cause there could be nine)

My friend Susan Meissner tagged me this afternoon to play Eight Random Things. And now [evil laugh, wringing hands] I give you Eight Random Things and those I've tagged to go after me!

First, the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

EIGHT RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I'm an introextravert. Yeah, weird. I can be alone, enjoy being alone, always find peace in being alone. But, I love being out with people. Love social events. I can talk to pretty much anyone. I used to go to McDonalds in the morning to drink a Diet Coke and read - a book or my Bible, but I can't now. I've made friends and they talk to me while I'm reading.

2. I taught myself to play the keyboard.

3. I don't like spicey food.

4. While teaching a class to old newspaper typesetters (men) in Madrid, Spain, I returned to class after a break with a huge wad of paper towels stuck in the top of my pants. I'd used them to cover the toilet seat and it seems a collection of them slid off into my pants with out my knowledge.

5. I beat fear and anxiety by cling to and quoting God's Word, and believing what He says about me instead of how I felt.

6. I love junk food.

7. I've been to five continents.

8. I met my husband at church. God told me we were going to get married, but my husband felt God said we were to be friends. For three years, Husband was right. I've been right for eighteen and counting! LOL. (Actually, God did a great work in both of us. He is good!)

Here's who I have tagged: Christine Lynxwiler, Susan May Warren, Marilyn Griffith, Cindy Woodsmall, Amy Wallace, Rebekah Gunter, Carolyn Aarsen, and Georgiana D.

Has it been three days?

I can't believe it's been three days since I've blogged. Time goes by so fast.

Well, it's official, I'm weird. I have a favorite pair of jeans that I refuse to let go of even though they are falling apart.

This morning I ironed patches onto them. Yes, I did.

***
Have you heard about God.tv? From their web site:

Rory and Wendy Alec broke new ground for the Gospel establishing the first daily Christian television network in Europe. 11 years on, GOD TV broadcasts a new breed of original Christian programming around the world, and now to the USA.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein GOD TV now broadcasts into Iraq with 30-40% of Iraqi homes able to watch GOD TV. Our programs can also be viewed in Iran, Syria, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Rachel here: War is one way God moves boundaries. I've heard from many reliable sources Christianity is booming in Iraq since Saddam left power.

I was moved by Saddam's death. I felt for him, though a man who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He was violent and cruel. But God will prevail. If any of us get in the way of Him reaching out to the human race He died to save, and loves without measure, we will be removed.

I personally know of a man who was sent by the Lord to Saddam many times to preach the Gospel. In fact, the United States government knows about this man of God. I believe Saddam was being beckoned by the Lord of Host to let His Word go forth. He was given many chances to surrender, just like Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4.

God is merciful. He is great and good, but His will is premier to our man's.

Diva NashVegas Contest

Check out Novel Journey this morning. I'm a guest blogger and give a behind the scenes glimpse of writing Diva NashVegas.

Since Diva's official release is next week, May 8th, I decided to run a little contest to encourage readers to hop over to Amazon and buy Diva NashVegas. It used to be Amazon sales ranking didn't matter much to publishers, but recently that's changed.

If you buy Diva NashVegas from Amazon, or any local book store, leave me a comment and you'll be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks OR Barnes & Noble. One winner will be drawn for each gift card.

Diva NashVegas is about a country superstar who rose to mega fame in the shadow of her parent's death - Gospel music pioneers. A media mystery, but often tabloid headline fodder, Aubrey James keeps her private life, private. But when she's betrayed by a former band member, she decides to tell her story. Enter sexy, entertaining and quirky sports anchor Scott Vaughn. A sports anchor? Why not. Read the book to find out the rest of the story.

Also, check out HM Magazine's May/June GMA issue. The editor gave Lost In NashVegas a very nice write up. Find HM at your local CBA book store or online.

Grace, grace to you today!

Underconstruction

Hey all,

My web mistress is making changes. Hang tight. New blog coming soon!

10 days until Diva NashVegas!!

Rachel

Elvis, Pal and Me

Laying on the couch Sunday afternoon, flipping channels, half awake, watching PBS because our "basic are you sure you really want cable?" channels have snorible programming on weekends.

PBS is showing a recent Elvis stadium concert in Memphis where old concert film of Elvis is projected on jumbotrons while the original, now-much-older musicians and singers play live on stage.

Interesting. More interesting the sixteen year old fans... A story idea brewed.

Anyway, in one segment, Elvis sang How Great Thou Art. My dog Pal and I have a little tradition. I sing How Great Thou Art in the tub, as loud and high as I can, and Pal joins in.

"A-hooooo."

I started singing with Elvis. "Then sings my souuul, my Savior God to Thee." Sure enough, Pal sticks his face close to mine, lifts his nose and joins right in.

"Argh, argh, a-hoooo."

Today, history was made. My dog and I sang a trio with the legendary, albeit dead, Elvis Presley.

Thank you very much.

Randsomed Dreams & Amy Wallace

Gracie Lang is being watched by a man who will stop at nothing to hide the truth from her. Having lost the only man she ever loved and thechildren who were her world, Gracie embarks on a quest to find out what reallyhappened.

Then she meets Steven Kessler, a Crimes Against Children FBI agent, assigned to uncover an international plot to kidnap the British Ambassador's daughter.

Steven awakens more than memories; he revives the possibility of a life Gracie desires. A life where healing and peace crowd out the nightmares.

But his case and her past are dangerously connected. Suddenly, Gracie must decide if she's able - let alone willing - to pay the required ransom to redeem dreams and restore hope.

Meet Amy...

Who is Amy Wallace? What a sweeping question. Listing some of the hats I wear- wife, homeschool mom, writer, youth Bible study teacher, and chocoholic- might give a little insight into who I am. But then again, that's only a small snapshot.

Going deeper, I'm married to an awesome, incredibly good-looking, and God-honoring man. Together we homeschool three amazing daughters. Some of my favorite moments are the ones I spend laughing, reading, and being goofy with my family. In my spare time, I love writing stories, teaching teenagers, scrapbooking, playing basketball, and taking walks with my family.

The beach is my all-time favorite place to be.

Chocolate is my favorite food. I collect teddy bears, tons of books, and dust on my furniture. But getting to the heart of who I am can be summed up in a few short words.

I'm a daughter of the King learning to live and love with laughter. My greatest passion in life is to know God and show others how He heals hearts and how to they can glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

That's why I write, teach, kiss my kiddos, watch sunsets, and keep trying again when I fail. My prayer is that you too will find your passion and live fully the story God has placed you in.

Rachel here:

I first met Amy at an ACFW Conference, Houston, I think? Anyway, some time ago. A couple of us worked on a chick lit anthology together that was well rejected. Amy is a woman zealous for God and her family. She's great fun to hang out with and I know this book will touch the hearts of many!

You Might Be A Redneck...

If you lift weights at the gym in tank top, jeans and work boots, you might be a redneck.

***

So, after Spinning, I went out into the weights/machine area to work on my arms. And I saw a girl who used to come to aerobics and spin class, working out right in front of me, and she ignored me.

Ha! I wanted to say hi, but she would never look at me directly. Next, I got on one of the Universal machines. And there I am working away, and then realize, "What am I doing? What muscle group does this work?"

So, I ask the guy next to me, "Psst, what am I working here?"

"Lats."

"Oh, girls don't need lats."

***

Gilmore Girls was good. Rory and Logan should definitely get married!

Another Tag

My long time friend Will tagged me to do a "tag." I actually like these things because it's a fun way to dig into my life and talk about stuff I've forgotten or taken for granted.

Of course my sister tagged me with a 100 this or that's deal once and... fergetaboutit.

1. Four Places you have Lived:

Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Florida

2. Four TV shows I like to watch:

King of Queens, Gilmore Girls, and Numbers if I'm home on a Friday night, which I'm not. I only have 3 shows.

3. Four Places I have been on vacation:

Mountains of Tennessee, Indiana to see family, Georgia to see family, St. John Island in the Caribbean, Key Largo

4. Four of my favorite foods:

French fries, sandwiches with chips, grilled chicken, green beans.

5. Four places I'd rather be right now:

Besides literally sitting at the feet of Jesus? On a Pacific Island beach with a beach chair and umbrella, a cooler of Diet Cokes and water, a stack of good books. Tony next to me, and not another soul in site. Just the sound of distant voices so I know we're not desserted.

Mountain cabin with a fire in the fireplace.

Touring Normandy.

At the library working on my book. Oops, I think I'll go do that!


Thanks, Will. How fun!

Where to from here?

Did you see? Prince William and his girlfriend of several years, Kate, have split.

I'm not surprised, but I gotta ask, "Where does a girl go after dating the Prince of England?"

Can you see the next guy coming along?

"Hi, I'm Cole."

Tossing her long, luxurious hair. "I'm Kate."

Yadda, yadda, small talk.

Cole gets brave, figuring she hasn't walked off yet or punch him in the nose. "I don't see a ring on your finger." He gives her his best, I'm-a-stud smile.

"I'm not married."

Cole's hope surges. "What? Then you've a boyfriend. You're too beautiful to be single."

"I had a boyfriend. We broke up about a year ago."

(Side bar: Cole's been serving England in Iraq for the past year and NOT paid attention to the tabloids. He doesnt' recognize Kate. Okay, on with the story.)

"Broke up? I say he's a bloody fool. Who is he? A colleague? Shall I punch him for you?"

Laughing, Kate says, "Punch him? Do you want to risk your life? All of England will come down on you."

"All of England?"

"Yes, they're kind of touchy about their crown princes."

Realization dawns for Cole. "You dated William."

Kate confirms with a nod.

Cole backs away, his chest heavy with not-a-snowballs-chance feeling. How could a bloke possibly measure up to the Prince of England (or Wales, whichever, you know what I mean here.)

"Maybe we could meet at the pubs later," Kate suggests.

"Later? Right, I'm busy. I'll be in the hospital. Having something... removed." And so Cole runs away.

The End

Seriously, how does a man follow a true prince? Sure William is a regular guy in most respects, but it's what he brings to the table. Can any other man make a girl literally his Princess? His Queen?

Nope.

Kate seems like a practical girl. I'm sure she'll find someone... some day.

***

In other news....

Went back to the gym for Spinning on Thursday. First time in MONTHS. I survived. Hated the techno music. The usual instructor wasn't there.

Worked out on a few of the new machines. Did some squats. Now I'm in pain. Thank you very much.

Came to a realization. Zechariah 4:10 "Who despises the day of small things?"

Small beginnings do not mean small endings!

God is so good! All the time.

A Flowing Heart

Once again, I'm listening to Mike Bickle's CD series, "The Power of a Focused Life."

He inspires me to go deeper in God, deeper in the Word each time I listen to it. This is my third time to listen to it and I glean little nuggets each time that make me go, "Wow, that's so true."

And, I feel inspired to wait on God, to dialog with Him using His Word.

Mike demystifies the whole quiet time, displined life thing. He reminds us we can ALL understand the Bible. We can all be scholars.

He kicks at a few sacred cows, too. Like only allowing ourselves to believe what our denomination or leaders tell us.

Sure, we need leaders, we must submit to authority.

But Jesus challenged the religious leader of his day in John 5 saying, "You search the scriptures because in them you think you have life, but you don't. I'm the life, but you won't come to Me. The scriptures point to Me."

How true that we doing our daily devos, read a scripture, pray a pat prayer or two, all out of sincere hearts, but our hearts are cold. NOT flowing with the life of God.

Even if they are, is there more? Yes.

I don't want a cold heart. I don't want to do religious duty. I want a flowing heart. Jesus says in John 7 that if we come to Him, as the scriptures say, out of us will flow rivers of living water. R-I-V-E-R-S!

Here's what Mike teaches. It's so simple.

Get your Bible. Start in the New Testament. Get a pen and a notebook - a journal. Read a scripture. Write it down. Write it in your own words. Repeat it back to God in prayer. Ask Him to give you revelation about something that stands out to you. Or, help you to obey what is said in scripture. Thank Him for it, pray a second or two and go on to the next verse.

I've been doing this. It works.

I don't mean to present this as some sort of quick-fix to your dry prayer life. But, it will change your dry prayer life.

Anyway, there's way more that Mike shares. What I like about him is he's been doing in his own life for thirty years and he's leading an alive, growing, on fire international prayer movement. He walk in authority in this area.

Off to work on Sweet Caroline.

Diva NashVegas is in the house

My author copy of Diva NashVegas arrived today!

Woo hooo!

I've been waiting for it. Thank you Ami and Thomas Nelson.

If you don't love Aubrey James, I'll eat my hat. Well, first I'll buy a hat, then eat it. ;)

May 8 is coming

May 8th is a great day. My Grandmother turns 93. Happy birthday, Gran!

My childhood friend, Jana, turns 46. I haven't seen or talk to her in years, but I always remember her birthday.

DIVA NASHVEGAS is officially released.

I was thinking we should all go on Amazon on May 8th and buy a copy of Diva NashVegas and see if we can't impact the sales rank! What do you think? Are there enough of us?

Pajama Pants, Take Two

After the pajama pants incident, Tony notices them all the time when we are out.

"Look, he's wearing pajama pants."

"So," I say, "they aren't flood waters."

Yesterday, I must confess, I wore my pajama pants to the store. Unlike my darling, dear hubby in his pj pants, I looked quite chic and cool.

Sometimes you wanna go where everyone knows your name

Some of the longest running and most popular television shows in the last thirty years have revolved around... Friends!

M*A*S*H. Even though this show is about an Army medical hospital during the Korean War, it was about friends. Men and woman bonded together by hardship and war as well as laughter. The show ran 11 years. And we loved the characters.

Cheers. Another 11 year show. Friends gathering at a Boston bar. The same people every day. Same time. Same place. Bonded by life's conflict. Romance. Friendship.

Friends. The show's title says it all. After a ten year run, Friends is still quoted in many conversations I hear. Even the other day Tony was talking to some teens and he said, "Didn't Joey say..." And we all knew what he meant. No one said, "Who's Joey?" LOL. Now, there are a lot of things about Friends I disagree with. They were a tad too casual about sex. Okay, a lot too casual. What we liked about the show is their comraderie. Their devotion. The sense of family. Or how Chandler and Joey could just walk into Monica and Rachel's apartment. Unrealistic that the door wouldn't be locked, but because it wasn't showed us there was free travel between the apartments across the hall.

I had something like this in sorority life. While at Ohio State, I was a member of Phi Mu. There was a deep sense of belonging and acceptance. We shared lives and stuff. Walked into each other's rooms and plopped down for a long conversation. Laughed. A lot. It's an amazing experience, but one that doesn't endure through life.

We grow up. Move on. Get married. Have families. Careers. I have to say for me, I had a strong sense of belonging with my natural family too. Home was always, always a great place to be.

Well, recently I've had some friends Stand By Me and I want to give a shout out to them. This is not by any means an exhaustive list. Just a few who have left a footprint on my heart in the last three months.

Chris Lynxwiler. Have to start with this dear friend. In December we started "writing together." Or was it January. We'd IM, set daily word count goals and cheer each other one and off we'd go. If one got frustrated or stuck, we'd IM the other. There were a few times I don't know what I wouldn't have done if she wasn't on the other end of an Instant Message. We had our writing ups and downs over the past three months, but it's been so fun to "hang out" with her.

Susan Warren. Always a phone call away. Always ready to listen and encourage. Susie became critical when the story just wasn't working and she took time from her own schedule to help me in a tremendous way. More than once. Prayed for me. Suze! Thank you.

Colleen Coble. Mentor and friend. Another one who's a phone call away, ready and willing to answer my questions. Her footprint is all over my writing life. Colleen was here. ;) I'm honored.

My Mom who prays and encourages. My sister, Beka. Everyone who posts a nice comment on my blog, thank you.

Of course, Tony. Who hears all my joys and sorrows. Over and over and over. He is truly my rock beside Jesus.

But there are many others who always encourage me in some way. Kristin, Tracey, Allison, Jeane, Elizabeth, Kasey. Recent friends such as Katie and Deena. Blessings upon you.

***
I've had opportunity to help new writers lately. I really enjoy it. I'm not as clinical as some, but I can read something and see what it needs at multiple levels. I hope I can be as objective about my own work. Actually, I think I am. That's why I'm so hard on myself. :)

***
It's a gorgeous day here. I'm off to ride my bike.

Some lesser talked about Global Warming truths

From my hubby's blog:

I was having a discussion with someone about God and whether or not the Bible was reliable, and somehow we ended up talking about global warming and Al Gore's film.

I was a little surprised that an intelligent guy was buying the GW facts without doing his own investigation. My college degree is in Physics, so I have a science background. The facts below are grade school science level - btw.

Al Gore’s argument is that CO2, a greenhouse gas, is responsible for global warming, specifically man made CO2. Here are some inconvenient facts:

1. CO2 makes up less that 1% of our atmosphere. It is a minor greenhouse gas. A major one is water vapor.

2. The greatest producer of CO2 is the oceans. Man's contribution is way down the list.

3. We have records dating way back of the fluctuating global temperature. It happens. They have been going up (about 1 degree total) over the last 30 years. Prior to that we had a 40 year period of global cooling (during the height of carbon emitting industrial growth). Anyone remember the global cooling warnings of the 70's?

RH: I do! We did away with aeresol sprays and Freon because it was killing the ozone, making holes. So here we are, thirty years later and we are in a warming? Did our measures thirty years ago effect the atmosphere so much, we closed the ozone holes and are now experiencing a warming?

And, are the measure we take now going to cause some unanticipated effect in twenty-five years?

4. Al Gore showed a graph of CO2 levels from arctic core samples and compared it to a temperature change graph. What he didn't do is overlay the graphs. If he had, you would have seen that the change in CO2 followed years after the "corresponding" temperature change. A little problem with the order of cause and effect.

5. The size of the polar caps fluctuates regularly. This happens on Mars also, and its polar caps are currently shrinking. Can you guess what might be affecting the temperature on two different planets?

6. All the heat on earth comes from the Sun. Al Gore failed to consider the Sun's impact in his calculations.

7. If you overlay graphs of solar activity (like sun spots, flares, and solar wind) with temperature changes, they correspond almost perfectly.

So the real question is if global warming is not being determined through true and thorough scientific processes, why all the noise? My guess is it's political and way beyond American politics. We're talking global agendas that are way scarier than Al Gore's prognostications.

Below is a link to an online video (a bit over an hour) that gives the science and the politics behind Global Warming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttV2C6B8pU

Romantic Times Review of Diva NashVegas

Here's what a Romantic Times reviewer wrote about Diva NashVegas:

Hauck once again takes us into the country music world, this time through the experiences of mega-star Aubrey James. Aubrey's life journey is filled with flaws as well as a great deal of joy, and real-life locales make this highly original story authentic. The extra tidbits -- from Aubrey's liner notes to quotes from the "media" at the beginning of each chapter -- add extra sparkle to the plot.

A little whine

Earlier, I thought of about three things I could blog, but they escaped from the funny farm known as my brain while reading email and other blogs.

In the midst of blog reading, I read my brother's, sister's and sister-in-law's. Also looked at pics from my California cousins and their kids. Now, I'm bluuee.

I WANT A FAMILY REUNION. I miss everyone, especially (no offense adult family people) the kids. Three of my neices and one of my nephews is under 3. They are so funny and cute. I love this age. I might have to borrow Anika, a curly headed three year from church, and take her out to McDonalds or something.

In light of this, the reality of devoting one's life to the Lord becomes a harsh one. Tony and I are not free to move where we want. I suppose we could, and God in His lovingkindness would bless us, but we are called to Here. Where we live now.

I used to be so sure of it too, waiting for God's move in our county. Now, I've lost a little bit of sight, a little bit of faith. (Lord, help my unbelief!)

Since we no longer do youth ministry, it's hard for me to find my purpose in the city. There's the Friday night prayer ministry, Fire Dweller, but I think I'm at a loss here.

Tony is doing well with the downtown ministry to the poor, drug addicts and wounded hearted. He's also moving out and meeting with business people, asking how we can pray for them. It all got started while I was busy writing and it developed a support staff of it's own where little ole me is not required.

Still, I do want to reach out of myself and minister to the community. Find what God has for me here, as well as what He has for me writing wise. (Writing is going v. well, btw!)

So, there I am, transparent. It's a flaw of mine.

Anonymous poster - Yesterday, I read a comment by Anonymous (it's becoming a very popular name these days. I expect to see it in the Baby Name book soon) over on a multi-author blog called Charis Connection.

The poster, admittedly in an off mood, responded to a post about the "other side of writing" after one is published. Being published may seem like the Holy Grail, but no, it's only the beginning. The "concerns" after being published expand to cover multiple fronts.

"Will I get another contract?"
"Can I find an agent?"
"Do I have more than one or two books in me?"
"Will I have sales?"
"How can I handle marketing?"
"If my publisher drops me, will another pick me up?"

Add to that reviews and comments about your work. Disappointment over low sales after having great reviews. Not wanting to disappoint the publisher. It can be stressful and worrisome.

Anonymous found this whole concept appauling and told published authors who found the published life stress at times, to move aside and make way for the talented, unpublished.

After getting past Anonymous' stinging tone, I felt for him/her, understanding how it feels to be on the other side.

I remember wanting published authors to help with ACFW stuff back when I was on the Board and feeling rankled by their no's because of deadline.

At the time, I was working 50 hours a week, writing my first Heartsong, leading worship and other ministries, and coordinating ACFW's 2003 conference.

Hey, who is busier than me, I thought?

But the truth is, writing is more than busy. It's time consuming, emotionally consuming. If the word count isn't made in a day, it has to be made up. There's no end of the day, no end of thinking, planning, rewriting in your head. Author Susan Meissner wrote in an advice email, "There's no natural plateau."

She is so right!

Never mind the added burden of entering a contests and no even finaling. I was sad not to final in a contest I didn't even enter! I'm pathetic, say it.

BTW, congrats to all the RITA and Golden Heart finalists! Big kudos.

All that to say, I've gone back to my core. Jesus is my reward. His plan for me is perfect. I am so very blessed. I am honored to be published and I'll take the ups and downs of it any day over my corp life. Writing satisifies a very deep core part of me like nothing ever has outside of the covenant of marriage.

If I one day find myself without a contract, I'll cry, but move on. I'l probably create two more blogs so I can keep writing. I'll pray for God's next phase of my life. I won't stop dreaming.

But, I won't get my identity there. My life is hidden in Christ. I no longer live, but Christ in me.

Published or longing to be published, this must be our mainstay. I had to get back to that focus this week, spend some time in His presence.

The words of the old hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus ring true.

Look full in His wonderful face/And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.

15 Years

Tony and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary last Wednesday. They have all been GREAT years. I seriously cannot think of one bad year. They really do get better and better. He's more my best friend than ever. Home is love. Home is safe.


But growing up home was always safe for me. And love. I'm very, very blessed.

The picture is of us at Outback. Then we went to see Music & Lyrics. Except for the oversexed superstar chick, it was a good movie.

Man, Hollywood HAS no imagination. Sex, sex and more sex. Dang.

AHHHH! I just saw a commercial for a new reality show. Donny Osmond is the host. ACK! '70s teen idol turned talk show, reality host.

No way!

Good day with my RWA meeting with writer freinds there.

Ohio State beat Memphis to advance to Final Four! Woo hoo.

Agreeing with lies

I woke up feeling heavy in my spirit. You know how it is when you get in a swirl of negative thoughts and emotions.

For some reason, that was me this morning. I realized lies were lying in wait for me to agree with them. ;)

I got to thinking. Lies are so devastating. Even little white lies. Is there really such a thing?

Tony and I have lost relationships because parents believed the lies of their children. I've lost friends because they've believed the lies and self pity of their own emotions.

Lies cause people to pull away from each other. They cause people to isolate themselves. Lies destroy.

If I believe a lie about myself like, "I can't write." Then I separate myself from my calling, my dream, my desires. Ultimately, I separate myself from God.

If I believe two of my friends are purposefully squeezing me out of a relationship, then I separate myself from them, from myself, the broader fellowship of the church, and ultimately God. Instead, I choose to believe the best of my friends - no matter how casual our friendship.

Yesterday I ran into Publix to buy salad fixings for an evening dinner I was attending. I ran into a woman who used to go to our church. We got to talking and I found out about her dreams and desires. But she hasn't pursued them because she's afraid of failing.

It's the lie of failure. So what if we fail? We will NEVER succeed if we don't confront the fear of failure.

But there are so many other lies we believe. No one likes me. God is mad at me. God hates me. I'm a failure. I can't do this or can't do that. I'm a horrible parent. You guys know. The list goes on and on.

Yet we have to believe the truth. Lies feel so good to our soul, sometimes, don't they? Weird. Self pity can be a fun party - even alone. But we cannot agree with lies.

Why?

Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Father of lies means he creates them, spawns them, generates them. If lies are pummeling you, resist the devil, and he will flee. (James 4:7)

Don't let lies separate you from friends, from yourself, from God. Even being honest about your friends and family. Are they lying to you? Don't defend lies. Nothing good will come of it.

Look at our nation. We've believed lies for so long, we cannot pull ourselves out without a revival of Truth.

Believe God. He is true. "Let God be true and every man a liar."

This is what He says about you. You're His favorite one. You ravish His heart with a single glance of your eyes. He so loved you He sent His only begotten Son to die for you.

Today, take stock and bust the lies.

So, no one came...

... to the life skills class. So, Tony, Matt, Jodi and I watched a little basketball, then played Euchre.

The boys won two out of three. Boo. Jodi, grudge match, right? We had fun. I guess all the seventeen to thirty year olds at Church On The Rock have all the life skills they need. Hum.

I'm back writing, rewriting, editing. I reworked the opening, but now I'm not sure which one I like better. Old or new.

I went to a dinner tonight with women I've been dining with once a month for the most part for the past seven years. Three of us talked about books for about an hour. That was fun.

Carolyne Aarsen's book arrived today. "The Only Best Place." Can't wait to read it.

I'm in a weird place. Not sure what's going on with me. I'm good, very good. Yet, touchy lately.

THE CALL NASHVILLE. Check it out. I'll post more about it later.

March Madness

Okay, I confess. I've been watching basketball. Ohio State darn near gave me a heart attack almost losing to Xavier.

It's a beautiful central Florida day. I let Pal take me for a walk. Went to McDonalds and sipped a Diet Coke while reading Donald Maass's "The Breakout Novel."

Went to Publix.

Worked on Sweet Caroline some. Tony finished his read. He likes it a lot. But it's going to be double wonderful on the rewrite. Which will start Monday.

Oh, BIG news. I went back to the gym Friday! I know. Don't faint. It's true.

Tomorrow night Tony and I, along with the youth pastors, Matt and Jodi, are holding our first "Life Skills" class.

The goal is to help 17 - 30 year olds with life stuff. Finances. Relationships. Education and career planning. Handling conflict. Etc. All that fun stuff.

I'm sorry. I've been boring lately. Of course, I could post about five politically focused blogs, but I won't.

I just say this to all Believers. "AWAKE O SLEEPER!!!" (Eph 5:14)

Trish Perry and Too Good To Be True

Hi Everyone! Meet author Trish Perry.

How did you come up with the concept for the story Too Good To Be True?

Ren, the heroine, was the first part of the story to land in my mind. I knew her attitude, personality, and sense of humor. Next to emerge: her relationship with her controlling mother - controlling moms are fun when they belong to other people. Their relationship brought my opening line to mind, and everything built from there. I knew I wanted Ren to start out facing several disappointments at once, so she became a divorcee and she lost her chance to adopt. I used one additional, minor disappointment to tip the scales and cause her to pass out from the stress. She had to be totally vulnerable, in need of a rescue. Once Tru came along and I worked on the details of his and Ren's characters, most of the story fell into place. The story is quite character/relationship driven and very much about family.

How did you come up with the title?

I wanted to do a word play on Tru's name (his name was initially "True"), so my working title was True Love. But I never really liked that title, because it sounded too la-dee-dah, too much like a straight (and maybe trite) romance. I got stuck, though, so started asking for help from friends and family, and my best friend threw Too Good to Be True out there. I liked it.

Do you prefer to write contemporary fiction?

Yes. I wrote a spiritual warfare book, which required my setting half of the story in the 1860s, during the Civil War. The experience was a good one, and I learned quite a lot, but contemporary fiction just flows better for me.

What are some of the challenges you face as an author?

Number one for me is the big bugaboo most of us face: time management! You know how it is, Rachel. Even if a writer devotes all of her day to writing, there is so much more to the job than simply writing books. I'm not the most self-disciplined gal in the world. I need a manager, armed with an impressive whip; and I need a secretary, upon whom I can crack the whip. But for now, I have to be all of those people, and we're constantly arguing over who gets the computer and the Lindt truffles. Another challenge I face is marketing. I'm a marketing wimp, and I pray that I'll get better at promoting my books. One of the reasons I didn't do well as a stockbroker was because I can be timid when it comes to selling. So, we need to add a promoter to the list of people I need in my entourage. You see, I'm really just a diva waiting to happen. Where's my stylist?

How long did it take to write Too Good To Be True?

I'm guessing here, but I think I took about six months to complete my first draft, and then another couple of months to refine it for submission to houses.

How much research did the book require?

I used an OB/GYN nursing expert and did online research regarding pregnancy symptoms (after all, it's been almost 15 years for me—if we didn't forget, we'd never have more than one). I also researched single-parent adoptions in Virginia, Virginia divorce laws, details about specific sites in the Washington, D. C. area, and various medical ailments, including endometriosis, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Sounds like the book is a load of laughs, doesn't it? But I should stress that sometimes a writer has to do plenty of research just to be able to mention something offhand and be sure it rings true.

Who was your favorite character??

Of course, I love my heroines the most. I so want them to succeed and to find love and all those good things in life. But the character who was the most fun to do was Ren's mother, Clarissa. What a piece of work she is. Adversaries, or their reasonable facsimiles, are a blast to do, I think. Especially in chick lit. You never have a really evil person in chick lit (at least not in mine). But the characters who present the hardest challenge to my heroines? They're the best!

Are there new projects on the horizon?

Many! But none of them is contracted yet, so it's a bumpy horizon today. Tomorrow could be another story! I'm a few chapters into 'Til Depth Do Us Part, a third book in the current series. I've had numerous readers ask about the futures of two specific characters featured in both The Guy I'm Not Dating and Too Good to Be True. But I think I'm going to set that aside for a while to work on some other ideas for Harvest House's consideration. I'm looking at a possible new book (or series), based upon a fictitious book title mentioned in Too Good to Be True. Is that confusing enough for you, or should I rewrite that sentence in Sanskrit? And I'm working up a possible "anticipation series," with titles related to a specific theme. As Sue Grafton did with her Alphabet Mystery Series (A is for Alibi; B is for Burglar; etc.) and Mindy Starns Clark did with her Million Dollar Series (A Penny for Your Thoughts; Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels; etc.), I'm working on a chick lit series spun from a unifying theme or rhyme.

Who is the person who most influenced your writing?

I'll bet writers change their answer to this question over time. I probably will. But for now I'm still crediting Donna Levin, the author of Get That Novel Started (And Keep It Going 'Til You Finish). Obviously, I thought I might be able to write a novel way back when I bought Levin's book. But hers was one of many writing-craft books I read at that time, and she was the author who convinced me that I could actually get an entire novel written. I don't even remember feeling like I might write others after that first one, but I knew I'd write at least one! That particular novel hasn't even been published, but if I hadn't written it, I probably wouldn't have attempted any others novels, either. Levin made me complete that all-important step.

What message would you like your readers to take from Too Good To Be True?

Even though we can't see God’s hand in some of the events in our lives, He's there. He loves us, He has plans for us, and He wants to prosper us, not harm us, and to give us hope and a future. We all struggle in accepting that notion at times, but that's the way it is, whether we accept it or not. And isn't it fun when we get to look back and see what He was doing when we were doubting?

What is your goal or mission as a writer?

I know the joy I feel while writing, even on the tough days, so I'm sure this is what He wants me doing for now. My goal is to obey Him, because I know He uses our gifts to bless others. The most wonderful feedback I've received has been from readers who feel inspired about their own lives in some way after reading my book. And hearing that you've entertained someone isn't bad, either.

What advice do you have for readers?

For readers? Hmm. I'd say, "speak" your mind. If you read a book you enjoy or which blesses you, let the author know it, to assure her she's on the right track. Let other readers know it, so the books you like will gain popularity and spawn others of the same genre or by the same author. Let the publishers know it, so they'll promote the kind of books you like. With the Internet we readers have the capability to communicate on all of these levels. Years ago a published author friend of mine humbly asked readers to post positive comments (if they were sincere, of course) for his books on Amazon.com and other such sites. Until he made that request, it never occurred to me to bother. Now, as a reader, I often rely on those comments when deciding what I'll buy. Review venues give a bit of power to the reading public.

Of course, if you can't say something nice ...

Reader's Survey!

Hi Everyone,

I created an online survey to see what readers like in the books they read. I'd really appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes to answer the questions.

I think you'll like them!

Thanks so much!

Click here to take our Online Survey

Overcoming Fear & Anxiety - Part 2

My second "attack" of fear/anxiety/panic happened when I was 19ish. I'd gone with my boyfriend to visit his family in Charleston. I woke up in the morning feeling... sick. Panicky. Scared. Like I was going to freak out.

I can't remember the specifics now, but the overwhelming feeling during this battle was fearing I'd freak out and there'd be no one to help me. Hopeless, I guess.

Let me just say, too, while I was a Christian, I was not in a right relationship with my boyfriend. I do believe my sin opened a door to something waiting to get me. I do. I also believe birth control pills were a contributing factor. Very much a contributing factor.

I let myself be transparent here so you can see that part of my issue was sin, the other part physical/hormonal, yet the answer was still the same.

Prayer and the Word. Standing and fighting.

The attacks happened off and on for several months before I finally went to my parents once in the middle of the night asking for prayer. They didn't completely understand what was going on - neither did I - but praise God they did just what I asked, prayed.

This was the early '80s so going to the doctor for panic attacks or anxiety was not the average Joe's answer. Again, I'm so grateful.

They prayed and I felt better, but the fight had just begun. By now, I'd broken off with my boyfriend and repented of my relationship with him. He'd given his life to the Lord in the process, but I'm not sure how well it took in the long run.

Note to others: Dating evangelistically is not recommended. The price can be very high.

Anyway, I gradually got better. Oh, another overwhelming sensation was condemnation. I felt God abandoned me or was mad at me.

I clung to scripture. Quoted it. Believed it.

Romans 8:1.

Philippians 3:12-13.

Philippians 4:8.

Ephesians 3.

I chose to believe God's Word over my feelings. I don't know how or why I knew to do this, I just had no alternative. And, Christ within me gave me hope. (Col 1:27)

By the time I went to Ohio State at 21, the season of fear/panic/anxiety had passed, though there were some tense times.

Sometimes I felt physically sick. Others, just freaked. The moments were not every day, all day, but enough to be annoying.

God had delivered me.

But it was a season I'd forget and have to walk through again...

Going Home

Leaving Poughkeepsi in a few hours. We had a great time, great trip. Very unusual. But God met us in a profound way.

Last night our team lead worship again (the River Church team lead Tuesday night) and we were praying for healing. I left the stage half way through worship and just prayed for people, got prayer for myself.

During the final worship set, Jesus met me. Gave me the coolest of coolest gifts. I physically felt the significance and teared up for a bit. Actually, He gave me two gifts. One I will be able to share and give away... as the Spirit leads. ;)

Don't ask. I won't tell. But be watching and waiting.

It's been really cold. Snow on the ground, but beautiful. We saw snow flurries twice and Wednesday at one a.m. it was 8 degrees. Eight!

Did I tell you all I had a slight case of shingles. Weird. But I'm on meds and it's clearing up. Didn't feel bad, just had a rash on my leg and lower back.

I think I'll start polishing and reworking Sweet Caroline this weekend. Monday at the latest.

Grace and peace.

All this stuff about good intentions

So, I do intend to continue the overcoming fear post, but life's been crazy busy.

First I was powering towards a March 1st deadline, writing twelve hours a day, then my editor emailed so good news. They changed my release schedule so I could take until May to submit the book. I was happpy to take the time to edit through Sweet Caroline.

It's good story and I'm pleased, but any time I can perfect, I'm glad to do it.

Then Saturday we flew with a team up to Poughkeepsie for a Harp & Bowl conference at the River Church. This was our first day, (Sunday) and we had a blast!

So, I'll post more when I have time.

Grace and peace.