Ane Mulligan

Can a writer's conference be a divine appointment?

2008-07-08T13:42:00.002-04:00

Most definitely! While I'd written and published scripts, when I began writing novels I didn't have a support system. I was all alone—just me and my computer, alone at my desk, alone in my room. No one to talk to about writing. No one to share with. Did I mention I was alone?

Then in 2004, I received an email about a writer's conference. We (hubby and I) decided I should go. I arrived early and my room wasn't ready, so I plopped down on a sofa in the lobby next to another attendee, Gina Holmes. She'd come for the conference, too, and over the course of the conference, we ran into each other a lot.

I won't tell you what she thought of me (you'll have to ask her about that), but by the end of the conference, she'd decided I wasn't certifiable and we'd become friends. We were at about the same level of writing, what Randy Ingermanson calls Freshman.

I invited her to join the crit group I belonged to. Another writer, Jessica Dotta, joined around the same time. The three of us hit it off right from the start. The following year, Jessica joined us for a conference. It was about that time we formed our own private online crit group.

But Gina and Jess weren't the only people I met at that conference who've had a major impact on my writing life. Deb Raney has been a mentor and an encourager to me from the first day we met in her class. She also recommended we join ACFW. This was the third divine appointment. I joined as soon as I got home, and the next conference I attended was ACFW's in Nashville, 2005.

That was the best move for me in my writing. I've learned so much, but even more, I've gained lifelong friends. Only God could have brought Gina and Jessica and me together in a divine appointment. They're young enough to be my daughters, proof that God has a sense of humor.

This year, I was privileged to be on the faculty at another conference. And guess what? Yep ... another divine appointment. I spent time with a wonderful agent I'd gotten to know through ACFW, and signed with her.

So if you've prayed about going to a conference, let me recommend the ACFW conference in Minneapolis. Registration is open now, just click on the picture of Angela Hunt, then get excited and prepare for a divine appointment.

July CBA Releases

2008-07-01T14:10:00.002-04:00

We've got 11 new Christian novels this month - a great selection for those lazy days of summer!

1. Beach Dreams, The Beach House Series Book 3 by Trish Perry from Harvest House. Tiffany gets away from it all at a California beach house; but a viper-like roommate, a handsome (unavailable) visitor, and uncovered secrets make her life no day at the beach. (Be watching Novel Reviews for my review of Beach Dreams)

2. Calico Canyon, Lassoed in Texas Book #2 by Mary Connealy from Barbour Trade Fiction. A prissy school marm is forced into marriage to the father of her most unruly students.

3. Fudge-Laced Felonies First book in the Summer Meadows series by Cynthia Hickey from Barbour Heartsong/Mysteries. Summer Meadows sets out to find the owner of a stash of diamonds and gain Ethan Banning's love.

4. Maine Brides by Susan Page Davis from Barbour. Can faith bridge the road to love and bring three men who have been cast off by society to new lives alongside women who love them?

5. Masked by Moonlight by Allie Pleiter from Steeple Hill Historicals. Nothing could tempt Matthew Waterhouse to reveal his secret identity, until the English gentleman met Georgia Waterhouse, whose pseudonymous newspaper accounts had made his daring "Black Bandit" exploits famous.

6. Mission: Motherhood, Homecoming Heroes continuity series Book One by Marta Perry from Love Inspired. When Caitlyn Villard becomes the guardian of her twin five-year-old nieces, she's forced to return to Prairie Springs, Texas and the military community she'd run from, finding the man and the life of her dreams where she least expects.

7. Seaside Cinderella by Anna Schmidt from Love Inspired Historical (Steeple Hill). Lucie McNeil's quiet life on Nantucket is a blessing for the tragedy-haunted Irish immigrant, but everything changes when her employers' handsome son steps ashore bringing her haunting past with him.

8. Table for One by Georgiana Daniels from The Wild Rose Press. In a town where the ratio of single Christian women to men is 7:1, blundering stockbroker Lucy Brocklehurst searches for love through a series of misadventures.

9. The Molech Prophecy by Thomas Phillips from Whitaker House. When Tommy finally surrendered his life to Christ, leaving the world of crime behind him, he never expected the pastor of his church to force him back into his old ways.

10. The Prince Charming List Book Three of the "Prichett" Series by Kathryn Springer from Steeple Hill Cafe. Heather Lowell comes to Prichett to manage the Cut and Curl for the summer and discovers that life in a small town holds some BIG surprises!

11. The Power of Love/The Courage to Dream Love Inspired Classic
(Two novels in one) by Margaret Daley from Love Inspired Steeple Hill. The Power of Love: Can Police Chief Gabriel Stone help Rebecca Michaels with her troubled son and special needs baby enough to guide her back to the Lord and find hope for the future? The Courage to Dream: Returning to her Southern roots is a bitter journey for Rachel Peters, but old flame Michael Hunter is determined to reunite her with the faith and love she left behind.

Happy reading ~

You might be a writer if ...

2008-06-23T16:56:00.005-04:00

Someone recently asked me how I knew I was a writer. I gave her the usual answers about a story taking over your mind ... forget that ... taking over your life until it's told. I also had to admit all my really good friends are imaginary. At least the ones who still talk to me.

But then I queried some other writers and these are their answers:

You might be a writer if ...

... if chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups in your diet.

... you include an SASE with all correspondence-even letters to your mother.

... you can't resist pointing out grammatical errors on news stations' scrolling bar.

... your husband says he'll kill you if you whisper, "That was in the end of the first act" during a movie one more time.

... in a house fire, you'd save your computer, your copy of Sally Stuart's Writer's Market Guide, then your grandmother's jewelry.

... during church sermons, you find yourself thinking, "This could be tighter."

... you can't balance a checkbook, but your submission log is cross referenced and goes back to 2003.

... you decide by the end of the first page of a novel that the author didn't have an editor.

... when your husband suggests a world cruise you ask, "Is there Internet access?"

... your answering machine says, "Hi, I'm not here right now. Please leave a query and the synopsis of your proposed message, and I'll let you know whether to call back."

... when you nail a sentence, you're pretty sure you know how Moses felt parting the Red Sea.

Conference Countdown!

2008-06-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

Only 96 days left. Yes, I'm counting the days until the ACFW conference.
Why?

I'm glad you asked.

Besides the obvious squeals and hugs from reconnecting with friends I only see once a year, I'm looking forward to learning new things and picking the brains of the industry's best. I love mingling with names I've read on book covers for years and meeting debut authors who encourage me.

ACFW puts on the best conference around. Just look at the line-up of continuing classes and workshops. There's something for everyone from the writer who has just started out to the multi-published author. This year we have more editors and agents taking appointments than anyone else. If you're a fiction writer, this is THE conference to attend!

In preparation for the conference, a number of us have gathered on the ACFW forum, talking about tag lines or hooks. Randy Ingermanson (the Snowflake Plot guru) says a tag line shouldn't be more than 20 words. That's harder to do than writing the 90,000 word manuscript. But they're important because they convey the high concept. So we've been thinking like movie moguls producing a trailer. And there are some really good ones coming out of it.

If you're wondering how best to prepare, let me share something my critique partners and I did for our first ACFW conference. We all had a manuscript we wanted to pitch. So we worked on our proposals, our tag lines and the short synopsis. We polished them until they gleamed.

Once we had the words on paper, we worked on memorizing. We wanted to be prepared in case we got on the elevator and found ourselves alone ... with Mr. Agent from our dream agency or Ms. Editor from our favorite publishing house. I mean, you don't want to stutter or stammer or worse, just stand there with your jaw hanging open and drool slip-sliding off your lower lip.

So we would call each other up at odd hours of the day or night. As soon as the phone picked up, we'd hear, "Tell me about your book." The first few times, okay the first twenty times, we stammered and forgot our own names. But eventually, we could deliver a pitch as smoothly as any veteran author.

Nope, there's no drool on this lip. I'm ready!

June Releases

2008-06-04T11:31:00.003-04:00

Sorry I'm a few days late on June's releases. We've got 13 new Christian novels this month - a wide variety of choices and I can see my to-be-read pile is going to grow bigger still!

1. Allison's Journey, Book 4 in the Brides of Webster County series by Wanda E. Brunstetter from Barbour Publishing. Allison Troyer feels as faceless as her tattered doll, but a trip to visit her aunt in Missouri could change Allison's life forever.

2. Final Justice, Book Six in the Reunion Revelations Continuity series by Marta Perry from Love Inspired Suspense. To protect an innocent child, teacher Jennifer Pappas must risk everything--her job, her love, and even her life.

3. Florida Weddings by Lynn Coleman, Kristy Dykes, Kathleen E. Kovach from Barbour Publishing, Inc. The past casts a shadow upon the lives of three Florida women.

4. Jewel Of The Adriatic by K.M. Daughters (Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare) from The Wild Rose Press. A village where millions believe the Mother of God appears becomes a haven where two souls find faith and love.

5. Killer Cargo by Dana Mentink from Love Inspired Suspense. Maria de Silva and Cy Sheridan face danger and death when they stumble upon a lethal package.

6. New Beginnings, Book 4 in the Rachel Yoder Always Trouble Somewhere series by Wanda E. Brunstetter from Barbour Publishing. Spring has sprung and ten year old Rachel Yoder is filled with the hope of good things to come, but things go sour when she learns that her best friend is moving.

7. Out of Control, Book 3 in the Rachel Yoder Always Trouble Somewhere series by Wanda E. Brunstetter from Barbour Publishing. Despite Rachel Yoder's need to take control of her troubling situations, she needs to learn that there are some things she just can't control.

8. Picture This by Nancy J. Farrier from Barbour Heartsong Presents. When Jason and Maddy are sent on a photography assignment in the Arizona desert, Jason's Christian ideals collide iwth Maddy's questionable past to threaten any future they might have together.

9. Prodigal in the City by Louis N Jones from Conquest Publishers. He abandoned his Christian faith. Now, his life and his God-given destiny hang in the balance.

10. Suspicious Minds Squeaky Clean Mysteries #2 by Christy Barritt from Kregel. A dead Elvis impersonator and a rival turned wooer are just a couple of crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire's problems in this thrilling sequel to Hazardous Duty.

11. The Hunted by Mike Dellosso from Realms (Strang Book Group). A town's deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith.

12. Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas from Moody Publishers. A grieving mom discovers the child she lost was switched at birth, but can she risk loving an angry stranger?

13. Washington's Lady, by Nancy Moser from Bethany House. It is said that without George Washington there would be no United States, but without Martha, there would be no George...

Happy reading ~

Photos from Ridgecrest & some fodder for lexophiles (lovers of words)

2008-06-01T14:59:00.013-04:00

Eva Marie Everson (far right) talked Gina and me into helping her pull a surprise on Yvonne Lehman, who is the conference director. We didn't know it would involve learning the Cha-cha Slide in abotu two minutes. I did not perform gracegully. It turned funky, but we sure had a blast.

Her I am with my new agent, Janet Benrey of Benrey Literary, and her husband Ron. I'm delighted to have signed with Janet!

Deborah Raney and Brandilyn Collins have this friendly competition going on who can scare whom the most. I was enlisted when Brandilyn found out I would be at Ridgecrest when Deb was. And so, Mr. Hissie (a rubber snake seen by Deb's hand) hitched a ride with me.

I hid him on Deb's chair in the room where we held appointments. Only Deb's sppointment had arrived, and Deb pulled her chair out keeping eye contact with the woman instead of looking down as I had planned.

Deb sat on poor Mr, Hissie. I had my camera poised, ready to capture the moment she began to scream. I think she's on to you, Brandilyn. She chatted for a moment or two before she realized her chair wasn't smooth. Ah well, we'll try again in September.

By Wednesday night, we were all giddy. The elbow belongs to our good friend Cindy Sproles, who took second place in the contest for unpublished novels.

Cindy, in her excitment on Thursday (or perhaps it was the result of giddiness), tried to catch a wayward Gaitherite barehanded. It didn't work. But she's on the mend.

Here's Gina with DiAnn Mills and Yvonne Lehman.

Ann Tatlock connected with a cousin she hadn't met before. What fun for both!

I'm a lexophile - a lover of words and their sometimes dual meanings.

1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

2. A will is a dead giveaway

3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

4. A backward poet writes inverse.

5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulted in linoleum Blown apart.

13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

14. Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.

15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

16. A calendar's days are numbered.

17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.

18. A boiled egg is hard to beat.

19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.

21. A short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.

22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.

25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Proud member of the Big Honkin' Chicken Club!

2008-05-16T17:36:00.002-04:00

Do you see the new icon? The one that looks like this:

It's over there, on the right, just below the Penwrights icon. It's for the website Brandilyn Collins set up for all of us who are Big Honkin' Chickens and don't read her books because they're too scary!

She even has a BHCC code now for her books. If I no longer care about manicures, I can make it through a 1 BHCC book, but my nails with take 6 months to grow out. I mean, I do have my priorities.

I made it all the way through 1 of Brandilyn's books. I'll be scarred forever by it, though. If you like suspense that makes your hair stand on end and you forget to breathe, then be sure to pick up her latest book, Amber Morn. It's rated 2 BHCC's.

Shiver ...

Healing Promises by Amy Wallace ~ Reviewed

2008-05-13T16:08:00.003-04:00

Healing Promises
By Amy Wallace
Published by Multnomah
ISBN 978-1-60142-010-7

Back Cover
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he's seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren't retreating into doctor mode...he needs his wife more than ever.

Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission—beating cancer when she can, easing her patients' suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God's healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case to risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

Review
With the release of Healing Promises, Amy Wallace has joined the ranks of authors like John Grisham and Jeffrey Archer. The second in the Defenders of Hope series, Healing Promises delivers spellbinding action and characters so vivid they'll live on in your memory long after you shelve the book.

I was amazed by the depth of emotion Wallace gave her characters. Clint battles not only cancer but the ego-depleting realization he can't do what he needs to. The rage he feels over his inabilities and the impatience for God's healing are gut-wrenchingly authentic. The once confident Sara no longer believes what she knows as truth. Fear stalks her as surely as the kidnapper stalks his next victim. The deep spiritual truths they both learn are insightful and life-changing.

And you get to journey with them as they navigate these roads of faith and hope. Normally, I'm not a reader of suspense or FBI thrillers, yet I found myself mesmerized, turning page after page, so engrossed in the story I forgot all about everything else. The impact of Healing Promises was profound, and this reviewer gives it five stars—a must read.

Another Proud Announcement!

2008-05-09T16:31:00.005-04:00

Another of my critique partners debuts!!!

Where the Truth Lies
By Elizabeth Ludwig & Janelle Mowry
Published by Heartsong Presents
ISBN 978-1-59789-530-9

Back Cover:
A case of suicide leads an amateur sleuth on a trail of deceit and corruption...

Casey Alexander refuses to believe that her aunt committed suicide. Convinced a murderer is hiding out in her aunt's sleepy hometown, she'll do anything to uncover the truth. But as her personal investigation produces mounting evidence, the danger to Casey grows. Now she'll be forced to trust certain residents of Pine Mills for help, including local nursery owner Luke Kerrigan...the man with whom shells falling in love...and who may be stalking her.

Prompted by strange clues and a mysterious stranger, Casey does a little more digging. The secrets she unearths will turn lives upside down and threaten the peace ion Pine Mills' small community—especially when she discovers that the truth can sometimes be hidden in a lie.

Review:

Where the Truth Lies has more twists that a bag of rotini. You won't guess the end of this quirky mystery, and when you get the answer to one clue, it merely opens the door to more secrets. The surprises keep coming right up to the end.

Well written, Ludwig and Mowery have blended their personal styles seamlessly in this fast-paced mystery. I'm looking forward to more from this talented team. I give Where the Truth Lies a high recommendation.

I'm SO proud to post this review ...

2008-05-06T21:17:00.002-04:00

S. Dionne Moore is one of my critique partners, and this is her debut book.

Murder on the Ol' Bunions
By S. Dionne Moore
Published by Heartsong Presents
ISBN 978-1-59789-639-9

Back Cover:
LaTisha Barnhart's bunions tell her something's afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employer, Marion Peters. When LaTisha becomes a suspect, the ante is upped, and she is determined to clear her name and find the real culprit.

She's burping Mark Hamm's bad cooking to investigate his beef with Marion ... getting her hair styled at a high falutin' beauty parlor to see what has Regina Rogane in a snarl ... playing self-appointed matchmaker between the local police chief and a prime suspect ... and thinking Payton O'Mahney's music store lease might be the reason he's singing out of tune when discussion of Marion's murder arises. LaTisha's thinking she just might use the reward money to get her bunions surgically removed. But she's got to catch the crook first.

Review:
Murder on the Ol' Bunions opens sassy and never quits. I fell in love with LaTisha's indomitable spirit and impudence. We talk about characters leaping off the pages of a book, and LaTisha does. Well ... maybe not leap. LaTisha limps. Bunions, you know.

Moore didn’t give us a generic lovely, young sleuth. LaTisha Barnhart is an overweight grandmother and bossy. While the supporting cast have equally distinct personalities, Moore maintains a good balance of characters throughout. By the time I turned the last page, I truly didn't want this to end. I laughed all the way through it, and never guess whodunit.

This is Moore's debut book, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next one: Poly Dent Loses Grip. Novel Reviews gives Murder on the Ol' Bunions a high recommendation. A perfect read for a spring afternoon.

Review ~ When Zeffie Got a Clue

2008-05-04T18:59:00.001-04:00

When Zeffie Got a Clue
By Peggy Darty
Published by WaterBrook
ISBN 978-1-4000-7333-7

Back Cover
It's an ordinary day in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide-eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs the money it pay for her grandmother's medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth—or so she thinks.

But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box's lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite caution from her family and handsome boyfriend, Dan Brockman, Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother's farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Strickland plantation and ask around about it?

Soon Christy finds there is more to the small box than someone wants her to know. A jewelry theft. A mansion murder. Dangerous family secrets buried in history. Can Christy convince others to let go of the past before it's too late?

Review
Once again Peggy Darty teases her reader to those delightful offshore breezes on the Florida coast. The town of Summer Breeze is almost another character in this third of the Murder and Mayhem on the Florida Coast series. It's filled with mystery, romance and more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

When Zeffie Got a Clue is heartwarming and fun, a page turner to be sure. Darty has done it again, and I can't wait to see where she takes us next. If you're a lover of cozy mysteries, you need to get When Zeffie Got a Clue. I give it a high recommendation.

May's CBA Releases

2008-05-01T12:01:00.002-04:00

We've got 20 new Christian novels this month - the perfect accompaniment to backyard lawn chairs and glasses of iced tea.

1. Anathema by Colleen Coble from Thomas Nelson. An Amish woman who fled after a murder is drawn back to her peaceful community--and a spiraling danger.

2. Bayou Judgment, Bayou Series book 3 by Robin Caroll from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Crisis hot line counselor finds herself in the midst of murder and mayhem, and tough-guy preacher must fight to keep her safe.

3. Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky from Multnomah Books. A woman going blind, a man who loves her but can’t tell her so, a crash, a hospital room, and an ending that must be experienced to be believed.

4. Blood Brothers by Rick Acker from Kregel Publications. Sibling rivalry, black market deals, and a dangerous new wonder drug interrupt Ben Corbin's plans for early retirement in this riveting sequel to Dead Man's Rule.

5. Controlling Interest by Elizabeth White from Zondervan. Matt Hogan and Natalie Tubberville compete to find a missing mail-order bride, with Matt's detective agency in the balance--or is love the ultimate prize?

6. Deadly Exposure by Cara Putman from Love Inspired Suspense. With a stalker closing in, will television journalist Dani Richards trust her former love and police investigator Caleb Jamison to help her and God to rescue her?

7. Divorcing the Devil by Dwan Abrams from Urban Christian. Drama, heartbreak, violence, and redemption. Will anyone be spared when trying to divorce the devil?

8. Flame From Within by Shirley Kiger Connolly from Vintage Romance Publishing. Amethyst Rose, inflamed by the devastating war flees her beloved Vicksburg and becomes entangled with two passionate and enamored Yankee warriors and a deceitful Frenchman determined to steal her heart...perhaps her soul.

9. Fossil Hunter by John B. Olson from Tyndale House. A Christian paleontologist makes a dangerous discovery -- a fossil that doesn't seem to fit current evolutionary theory.

10. It's All About Us All About Us book one by Shelley Adina from FaithWords. Can a Christian teenager stay true to her faith and still get the most popular guy in school?

11. Journey to Judah "Born for India" series Book One by Eileen Rife from Capstone Fiction. In an exotic culture of 7.5 million people and over 3 million gods, one woman resolves to follow her heart.

12. Leave it to Chance by Sherri Sand from David C. Cook. After three long years of single motherhood, Sierra Montgomery can finally stand on her own two feet—until a gift horse threatens her finances, her family, and her budding relationship with a handsome landscaper.

13. Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner from Waterbrook Press. Sometimes the key to your future lies in someone else's past. Ruby Among Us is a stirring story about faith and mother-daughter love.

14. Sandhill Dreams, Book 2 Nebraska Brides by Cara C. Putman from Heartsong Presents. With her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined?

15. The Black Cloister by Melanie Dobson from Kregel Publications. When Elise Friedman travels to Germany to research her family's mysterious past, she uncovers a chilling secret and a man who threatens to destroy her.

16. The Duchess and the Dragon by Jamie Carie from B&H Publishing. A passionate duke meets a lovely Quaker girl and finds it was worth losing everything to have her.

17. The Taste of Good Fruit by MaRita Teague from Walk Worthy Press and Harrison House Publishing House. A tragic loss, a devastating secret, and a seductive mistake are insurmountable challenges that take close friends, Sydney, Chanel, and Sherese, on a journey towards self-discovery, strengthened friendship, and renewed faith.

18. Trion Rising, Book one in the Shadowside trilogy by Robert Elmer from Zondervan. What would it be like if Jesus had come to another planet?

19. Wagered Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher from Zondervan. Bethany Silverton can’t resist the challenge of charming a rough cowboy, but when she makes an innocent wager, unexpected results could turn a little flirtation into a lifetime of love.

20. With Endless Sight, Crossroads of Grace #3 by Allison Pittman from Multnomah Waterbrook. When disaster strikes her family, fourteen-year-old Belinda finds herself alone until God delivers her to the unlikely sanctuary of a brothel in the Wyoming mountains.

Happy reading ~

2008 Christy Award Nominations Announced

2008-04-29T09:14:00.003-04:00

Ann Arbor, Mich.—The Christy Advisory Board is pleased to announce nominees in nine categories for the 2008 Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction. The Christy Awards dinner will be held Saturday evening, July 12, 2008, at The Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida. Visit the Christy Awards online at www.christyawards.com for more information about the dinner and to make reservations.

The Christy Awards 2008 Nominees

CONTEMPORARY (STAND ALONE)
¨ Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson)
¨ In High Places by Tom Morrisey (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)

CONTEMPORARY (SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS)
¨ Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon (Viking Penguin)
¨ A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley (Thomas Nelson)
¨ What Lies Within by Karen Ball (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL
¨ Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

LITS (four nominees due to a tie)
¨ Doesn’t She Look Natural by Angela Elwell Hunt (Tyndale House Publishers)
¨ Hallie’s Heart by Shelly Beach (Kregel Publications)
¨ Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck (Avon Inspire, a division of HarperCollins Publishers)

ROMANCE
¨ Lightning and Lace by DiAnn Mills (Barbour Publishing)
¨ Remember to Forget by Deborah Raney (Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster)
¨ Remembered by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

SUSPENSE
¨ The Cure by Athol Dickson (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay (Moody Publishers)
¨ The Pawn by Steven James (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Visionary
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)

FIRST NOVEL
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

YOUNG ADULT
¨ Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ In Between by Jenny B.Jones (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman (NavPress Publishing Group)

Dressing the Dog

2008-04-25T13:23:00.001-04:00

Who started this fashion trend? I can remember dressing the cat when I was a little girl. I still have the scars to show for it. But a dog dressed not for play but for real?

I was watching House Hunters on HGTV the other night and this woman had her dog dressed in a different outfit every day. She needed a closet big enough for both their clothes!

It's a DOG - it came with a fur coat. What does it need a sundress for?

My husband must have smelled too many roses or something, because he decided to dress Shadrach. How he managed to make him sit still for it I don't know. But Shad weighed 160 at his last weigh-in.

I heard them coming down the hall, Hubby encouraging the poor dog to go show Mum. Now Shadrach is afraid of his own shadow. The other night he was outside doing his nightly business when a frog croaked in the bushes.

Instead of investigating like any other normal dog, Shad made a beeline for the house, nearly knocking me over in his terrorized dash.

When I brought home an exercise ball a friend gave me, I though it would make a great game for him. I had to give it away. Silly dog was terrified and wouldn't come in the same room with it.

So when Shadrach slunk to my desk, I couldn't help but laugh at the poor thing.

A fashion statement he isn't.

Poor Shadrach. He may need therapy.

Are you sick of Political Correctness?

2008-04-23T11:50:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but I've had it up to my eyebrows with political correctness.

Vertically challenged? Ya gotta be kidding. I'm short.

I saw this the other day and laughed so hard, I nearly grew an inch. Okay, an exaggeration. I suppose there's a politically correct way to say that, but I'll let it slide. ;D

The following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.

This year's term was Political Correctness. The winner wrote:

"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Shadrach loves to sit on laps

2008-04-18T18:19:00.004-04:00

He backs up until his backend touches my husband's leg, then he wiggles until he's on his lap.

He'll sit there quite contented until hubby's leg goes to sleep. He's up to 162 now and still growing.

Little Pills

2008-04-15T17:48:00.002-04:00

Someone sent me this poem, and it was too funny to keep to myself.

A row of bottles on my shelf made me analyze myself.

One yellow pill I have to pop goes to my heart so it won't stop.

The little white one that I take goes to my hands so they won't shake.

The blue ones that I use a lot tell me I'm happy when I'm not.

The purple pill goes to my brain to tell me that I have no pain.

The capsules tell me not to wheeze or cough or choke or even sneeze.

The red ones, smallest of them all, go to my blood so I won't fall.

The orange ones, very big and bright, prevent my leg cramps in the night.

Such an array of brilliant pills, helping cure all kinds of ills,

but what I'd really like to know is what tells each one where to go.

Friends

2008-04-11T17:33:00.000-04:00

As Easter approached, I was reminded of how I met a special friend. It began with my hair. I have curly red hair that tends to get a bit wild.

It's gotten me in and out of some strange situations. When I was a teenager, I used to iron it. In the early 1960's, curly hair was not "in." We all strained to look like Cher not Raggedy Ann. It has long been the bane of my existence.

In 1991, my husband's job moved us to upstate New York. Six weeks after moving in, it began to snow. After a couple of months of being nearly housebound, and not knowing anyone, I was starved for a friend. I decided to pray for one.

Nothing happened until late January.

There weren't a lot of strong evangelical churches where we lived, and I'd searched long and hard for a church home, hoping there I might also find a friend. I'd been visiting one particular church for about four weeks.

That Sunday, I was running late, and my hair was behaving like – well, let’s just say I'd have given Jezebel a run for her money that day. I sat alone in the back of the church. As usual, I asked God for a friend.

In the bulletin that morning, I read they were going to have an Easter play, and people were being asked to get involved. Since I'd always loved drama, I'd decided to look into it. Maybe get involved like they asked.

After the church service, a tall blonde approached me. She looked slightly embarrassed, hemmed and hawed a couple of times but finally blurted out, "Would you be willing to play a prostitute in our Easter play?"

It was the hair. Jezebel had nothing on me.

I laughed, figuring anyone who had the nerve to approach a stranger and ask that kind of question was my kind of people. We became the best of buddies.

Funny, how God answers prayer. My hair, once my nemesis, had led me to a friend.

Genesis Contest Finalists Announced

2008-04-08T12:04:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to all the finalists of the 2008 Genesis contest!

Chick lit/mom lit/lady lit:
Annalisa Daughety
Tiffany Kinerson
Sara Richardson
Lynda Schab
Erica Vetsch

Contemporary Fiction:
Christina Berry
Dan Case
Lynne Gentry
Jennifer L. Griffith
Jim Rubart

Contemporary Romance:
Annalisa Daughety
Kathleen Haynes
Cara Slaughter
Sandra van den Bogerd
Linda Yezak

Historical Fiction:
Yvonne Anderson
Lori Benton
Mona Hodgson
Christina Miller
Rachel Moore

Historical Romance:
Patty Smith Hall
Myra Johnson
Allison Studer
Erica Vetsch
Karen Witemeyer

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
Ed J. Horton
Melanie L. Jones
Janice Olson
Donna Alice Patton
Jane Thornton

Romantic Suspense:
Dani Pettrey
Kelly Ann Riley
Julie Scudder
Jane Thornton
Jenness Walker

Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory: (there are six finalists because there was a tie for the 5th finalist spot)
Lynda K. Arndt
Valerie Comer
John W. Otte
Jim Rubart
Chawna Schroeder
Stuart Stockton

Women's Fiction: (there are six finalists because there was a tie for the 5th finalist spot)
Heather Goodman
D'Ann Mateer
Sara Richardson
Linda Rondeau
Cynthia Ruchti
Kristian Tolle

Young Adult:
Kasey L. Heinly
Stefanie Morris
Susan Miura
Janet Rubin
Carla Stewart

April Releases

2008-04-01T15:47:00.004-04:00

Happy Spring! Here in Atlanta the trees are all in bloom and it's gorgeous! And we've got 11 new Christian novels to enhance your springtime reading.

1. A Bride So Fair, A Fair to Remember, book 3 by Carol Cox from Barbour. Take a trip on a spellbinding thrill ride of intrigue and suspense at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

2. Courting Emma, Third and Final book in: The Little Hickman Creek Series by Sharlene MacLaren from Whitaker House. Emma Browning, boardinghouse proprietor, will give her heart to no one, least of all the preacher who takes a room in her house. What will it take to soften her?

3. Hearts in the Highlands by Ruth Axtell Morren from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical. Confirmed widower who's led an Indiana Jones life among the Egyptian ruins returns to England and meets a spinster whose goodness and enduring faith crumble the walls around his heart.

4. Healing Promises Defenders of Hope book 2 by Amy Wallace from Multnomah Publishers. When a life-threatening illness strikes and a serial kidnapper remains elusive, a Crimes Against Children FBI agent and his wife both question whether God can truly be trusted.

5. Searching for Spice by Megan DiMaria from Tyndale House Publishers. Why can’t a woman enjoy a sizzling affair—with her husband?

6. Summer Snow by Nicole Baart from Tyndale. Summer Snow is about the unexpected, about finding grace amid the ruins of a life gone wrong and learning to see beauty in brokenness.

7. Sweet Forever Book one of Indiana Brides series by Ramona K. Cecil from Barbour Publishing Heartsong Presents. The unbelieving daughter of a riverboat gambler and a young minister unsure of his calling find love in an 1845 Indiana river town.

8. The Big Picture A Katie Parker Production, Act III by Jenny B. Jones from Th1nk. Bobbie Ann Parker has come to claim her daughter. Can Katie leave behind all she loves in In Between for the new life her mother promises?

9. The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter from Thomas Nelson. Nationally syndicated advice columnist Dr. Kate is dumped at the alter at her own wedding and marries Nantucket native Lucas Wright to save her reputation.

10. Where the Truth Lies by Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery from Barbour. A case of suicide leads a web designer on a trail of deceit and corruption.

11. Witness by Susan Page Davis from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. A woman who witnesses a murder can't convince the police she's telling the truth.

Happy reading ~

The Next Level by David Gregory ~ Reviewed

2008-03-28T13:29:00.000-04:00

The Next Level
By David Gregory
Published by WaterBrook Press, Feb 19, 2008
ISBN -13: 978-1-4000-7243-9

Description:
Climbing the corporate ladder takes you to a place you never imagined.

Business degree in hand, Logan enters the immense Universal Systems building and is hired as an organizational analyst—a trouble-shooter. His job: evaluate the company's five divisions, each on a separate level and each operating on startlingly unique principles. Which set of principles is successful? Why is most of the company's profit generated by one tiny division? What is real profit, anyway? And who is the enigmatic executive that Logan ends up reporting to?

Logan engages in a life-changing pursuit for The Next Level—a fascinating parable that will help you answer some of life's most perplexing and vital questions. Joining Logan in evaluating each level's approach, you'll be inspired to consider that big picture of your own life from an entirely different perspective—one that holds the key to life's ultimate purpose. No matter where you are now, get ready to embark on your own passionate pursuit of The next Level.

Review:

If ever a back cover copy depicted a book's content, this one does. Another amazing modern-day parable from the author of A Day with a Perfect Stranger and Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, The Next Level will challenge you to be on God’s agenda, not yours. Short and an easy read, it’s a book you’ll never forget.

I was amazed and tickled with Gregory's ability to depict the Christian walk in corporatese. On one of the levels, you'll see all the world's religions allegorized in the business world. The Next Level is a must read for all Christians, but be prepared. You won't get through it without thinking, "Ouch."

To be entered to win a copy of The Next Level, leave a comment.