Words For The Journey Meeting

Words For The Journey met tonight at Barnes & Noble. Tonight’s topic was Blogs, and the original Blog Babe, Heather Diane Tipton gave a wonderful presentation.

Oh, the happy ladies behind Heather are Jan and Jen--Parrish and Peterson.

We also celebrated with Dianne Daniels and Robbie Iobst—the compilation book their work is in was recently released. It’s called Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load, isn’t that cute?

The thrill continues . . .

Last week I got the first draft cover art for my book. I can’t believe how well the artists at Tyndale translated my characters.

I love the colors, the brown and pink bubbles, the age-appropriate characters. Sigh. And to think it will just get better.

Thank you, Lord!

Write Away Field Trip

Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region, had their first write away field trip last Tuesday. About a dozen of us traveled to the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs for a morning of inspired writing—OK, and a little visiting with one another. (Thanks to Robbie Iobst for the group photo.)

You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. Thank you, Lord.


And then, believe it or not, the day got even better for me. I met the talented Donita Paul and Beth Jusino for lunch. We celebrated the release of DragonFire, the latest book in Donita’s DragonKeeper Chronicles.

UNSPOKEN by Angela Hunt

Oh, boy. Like everyone knows, when you read an Angela Hunt novel, you can expect the unexpected.

Since I usually read novels about human beings, it was a stretch for me to read Unspoken. After all, one of the main characters is a lowland gorilla named Sema. But since I trust Angie, I decided to give it a read.

I can honestly say that this is the first time in decades that I’ve loved a fictional character 100%, but with Sema, what’s not to love? You know, human characters always (and rightfully so) have flaws. But Sema was about as perfect as a gorilla can be. She was fresh, lovable, humorous and entirely real.

Sema and her caretaker Glee Granger enjoyed a loving relationship, so it was stunning when Glee realized that after living her entire life with Glee, Sema would have to go back to the zoo where she was born. When the unthinkable happens, life takes a strange twist for both Sema and Glee.

Trust me, read this book. You’ll be glad you did. Sema is one of those characters who grip your heart and stay with you long after you’ve completed her story. I was at a dinner party last week, and one of dishes had olives in it. Before I could edit myself, I said, “Sema calls olives stinky cat grapes.” I got a few odd looks, but then it gave me the opportunity to tell more friends about Unspoken and Angela Hunt, one of my favorite novelists.

WHAT I DID ON--I MEAN--FOR MY SUMMER VACATION

Yeah, I should be sitting on a tropical beach beneath a palapa sipping a fruity drink, reading a good book—but instead I rid my attic of a family of squirrels and had my house painted.

The top image (pre-paint job) are two of the squirrels giving me an, ahem, impolite gesture. Don't even ask what it takes to exterminate, ahem-- I mean, relocate a family of squirrels. Let's just say it's at least the cost of two round trip air tickets to paradise.

PS: Yes, we do have home milk delivery where I live. It's wonderful.

Tagged

The picture is of the sky above my neighborhood last week, just before a storm. Cool, isn't it?


My friend Kay tagged me, so you’ll have suffer through reading seven random facts about me. Because I just played this game two months ago, I won't torture any of my friends to play along. :)

1. I heat my coffee mug in the microwave before pouring coffee into said cup. Doesn’t everyone do this?

2. My spice turntables are meticulously alphabetized. Ditto comment from item #1.

3. As a young mom, one of my jobs was industrial espionage. What can I say, it was basically a work-at-home position.

4. I’m more in love with my husband than most wives are with theirs. That’s purely my opinion, but if more people were as well loved as I am, there would be world peace today.

5. I love and actually like all of my adult children.

6. One of my official duties at my day job is “Fairy Herder.” And yes, I either email or talk to fairies on a daily basis.

7. I once jumped off a 30’ cliff into a river because someone asked me if I wanted to. Trust me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Writer’s Tool

Okay, I’m going to let you in on a secret that will strengthen your writing skills and your confidence—it’s The Writer’s Tool, the new blog in town. The Writer’s Tool is written by editor and writer Margie Vawter.

This is a resource that will be used time and again. Margie has created an interactive blog. She tells readers, “Please leave your comments and questions—I love questions! And no question is “silly” or “foolish” when you are seeking to learn. So please ask away. My readers are the ones who will determine the subject matter of my posts. I look forward to hearing from each of you. And thank you for joining me on this new adventure.”

Do yourself a favor, bookmark this blog. One day, you’ll be glad you did.