Are there coincidences in the kingdom of heaven?

I think not.

I had a very cool God thing happen this week. It involves my daughter’s best friend, I’ll call her M.

We’ve known M. for over eight years. She was on the same cheerleading team (competitive cheers—not for wimps) as my daughter. Throughout M.’s high school years she frequently spent weeks at a time living with us. She’s even had the pleasure of going on two family vacations with us. When she would stay with us, we would drag her to church, drive her to youth group, include her in our prayers every night.

Praise God! She’s surrendered her life to our Savior and is enthusiastically getting in the Word.

I haven't spoken to her much in the past few years, but this afternoon she called to tell me a story. She said she has a little Bible that she's been using for Bible study and wished she had a bigger one like all the other girls have. (Isn't that sooo 22-year-old thinking?). Anyway she was visiting her Mom to look for something she had stored at her house and came across a big, beautiful Bible. She asked if she could take it home, and her mom said yes. Later that night she was reading through the little Bible and had a question. Then she remembered the larger Bible she brought home.

She said she was stunned when she went and opened the bigger Bible. Inside was an inscription: "May, 2002. God bless you, M. Love, the DiMarias." It made her cry. It makes me cry, too. She said the inscription was in my handwriting. I have NO recollection of purchasing or giving her that Bible.

M. says she can trace the insignificant chain of events that led her to go home to search for something in her parent's house, and she believes it was all a God thing to lead her to that Bible. How cool is that! Praise God!

He knew she would be looking for a neat Bible in 2007, and He had me purchase it for her five years ago.

Little Belle Update

Thank you for the encouraging words and prayers for our little girl. Doesn’t she look like the Princess and the Pea? She loves her pillows and blankets. If someone leaves a throw blanket on the couch, she claims the spot immediately. She’s resting comfortably—most of the time. At night when the family’s home, she’d rather be sitting with us or wandering underfoot while dinner’s being cooked.

The doctor hopes if we force her to stay off the knee with the torn ACL, it will heal without surgery. Belle’s not terribly happy with the situation, but then she’s an active dog who enjoys roaming the house and yard at will.

Don’t think we’re being cruel keeping her confined. She loves her cage and has slept in it since puppyhood. She even puts herself in her cage when she’s overwhelmed or wants some alone time.

Here’s a video of healthy Belle doing one of her tricks. I shot this two years ago when I first got my camera—hence the stupid conversation going throughout the video. (It’s only about 15 seconds long).

I'm an advocate--who knew?

So I took a quick personality test online. Seems I’m an ENFP: The “Advocate.” Look at my chart, I'm not an introvert. Big surprise--not!

ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental.



Take the test, it only takes a few minutes. Find out what you are.

Read This!

One of the books I purchased last month at the ACFW conference in Dallas is Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee.

As her book’s website says, “Peer into the spiritual realm.” Wow. What a book. Tosca Lee’s debut novel is a doozie.

Pictured is me giving a book report at Words For The Journey last Tuesday. The one picture has my eyes shut, but I decided to include it since I’ve got that Vanna White thing going on. The other is an image of me showing the author's autograph. Tosca is a delight. She signed it Bizarro Megan because I told her that her syle felt similar to mine. Except she writes about demons, and I have fairies in my books.


Also from the website:
One night changes everything.

Recently divorced and mired in a meaningless existence, Clay drifts from his drab apartment to his equally lusterless job as an editor for a small Boston press—until the night Lucian finds him and everything changes with the simple words: “I’m going to tell you my story . . . and you’re going to write it down and publish it.”

What begins as a mystery soon spiral into chaotic obsession as Clay struggles to piece together Lucian’s dark tale of love, ambition, and grace . . . only to discover that the demon’s story has become his own.

And then only one thing matters: learning how the story ends.

Thanks, Tosca. I really enjoyed reading your book.

Oh, goodness . . .

She’s done it again.

My darling little Belle, our 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, has done it again—ingested a “foreign object.” She had to spend the night at the vet and wasn’t discharged until late this afternoon. Good news—she’s on the mend, bad news, it wasn’t cheap. The cost was nearly $600. Let me put that in perspective, that’s about ½ week’s worth accommodations at a luxury resort on the Yucatan Peninsula or airfare and the fee for a writer’s conference.

The veterinary technician piled up the supplies, medication, and special dog food on the check-out counter and asked if I wanted her to explain what needs to be done. “After all,” she said, “You should know the drill by now.” Then she laughed. Yeah, it’s an absolute riot to have a dog with an appetite for foreign objects, pound bags of foil-wrapped candy, ¾ pound of (EXPENSIVE) Brie cheese, toothpaste, bars of soap, and prescription medication intended for humans.

Belle’s forearm was shaved to accommodate her meds and IV treatment. To top it off, she was so excited when she got home that she sprinted around the house like an idiot. Not a great thing for a canine senior citizen to do. She must have slid on the tile floor because for the past three hours she’s been walking on three legs. When my husband came home from work I asked him if we should bring her to the vet tomorrow. He just gave me the look.

One interesting thing resulted from this fiasco. I mentioned to the receptionist that Belle and her inappropriate-ingestion problems have been immortalized in my upcoming book. (Yes, marketing is almost always on my mind). Now Belle’s a celebrity at our veterinary clinic, and by association, so am I. I passed out a half a dozen bookmarks and promised to do a book signing the next time Belle was in for treatment after she guzzles down the next foreign object.

**Friday, October 10th, Belle Update:
The poor thing is still gimpy, so back to the vet we go. Sigh

11:00 a.m.: I've returned from the vet, alone. Belle stayed for X-rays. It looks like she might have torn her ACL. Oh, dear. This may be the end for our little canine family member. The vet will call later today.

1:45 Belle update: I just got a call back from the vet. Yes, she’s torn her ACL, which is unusual for her breed. Just a fluke, I guess. I’ll bring her home later this afternoon. We’ve got to restrict her activities for a few months. I can’t tell you what a challenge that will be. She’s a busy little thing. She’ll have to be crated or sitting with someone to keep her still. No jumping, playing, stairs, etc. We have to put throw rugs on the tile which is ½ of our first floor so she can walk without slipping. We even have to put her on a leash to go outside to do her biz because she might want to take off after a bunny or a bird. We have to baby her like this because if she injures her good leg then she’ll be a dog who can’t walk, and that would be disastrous. The doctor wants to see her in a week. If she’s still as lame as she is now, then that will be bad too.

Take Good Care of Yourself . . .

I do!

Sometimes my friends tease me about how kindly I treat myself, although they will also admit that I treat my friends and loved ones just as kindly.

I think it’s all about the little things. Like my vintage cotton tablecloths. I’m never without one in my car. You know, if you stop at an outdoor café or coffee shop to enjoy a bite to eat, you don’t want your break ruined by a dirty table. It’s simply delightful to enjoy your repast on a lovely tablecloth. It just feels good. You’re more relaxed and it's more comfortable to rest your arm on a cotton tablecloth rather than a public (ugh!) table.

Pictured is the concrete picnic table outside the office building where I work. There’s something so civilized and luxurious about dining outside with a lovely tablecloth. My friends and co-workers enjoy sitting with me and not having to eat their meals off of a dingy, dirty table. (Of course, depending on how many will join me, I have a larger cloth as well. That one has pretty yellow flowers).

To get back to my lunch—pictured is my lunchbox, Pyrex lunch bowl, a book (of course!), my linen napkin (on the book), and my water bottle. Yes, I’m one of the most well-hydrated women on the planet. In the background is a street, but beyond that is an unobstructed view of God’s Rocky Mountains.

Such little effort goes into making my lunch break a peaceful, restful moment to enjoy my world. Why wouldn’t I do this?

If you want to see a better view of the Rockies, click on the image and it will enlarge.

I know I mentioned in the previous post that summer’s over and the patio furniture is stowed away for the season, but, hey—this is Colorado, and we enjoy unseasonably warm days throughout the autumn and winter. It’s just vastly inconvenient (for my husband) to trot out our patio furniture for those days. But I can still enjoy the golden days of autumn.

How about you? What little luxury do you allow yourself?

Good-Bye Summer

Boo hoo. Summer’s gone. This weekend we put the fountain in the basement and shrouded the patio furniture.

No more sitting in the shade sipping iced tea. No more lunch alfresco. No more hours in the chaise with my laptop and wip. No more morning coffee enjoying the sound of birdsong.

So I’m back indoors. Closed windows, recycled air, the soundtrack of football (Broncos) and hockey (Avalanche). Sigh.

All’s not lost. At least I can look forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, my anniversary, my birthday, Easter, Mother’s Day and then, before you know it, it will be Memorial Day and the beginning of summer. Sigh (of contentment).

Let the Planning Begin!

My dream of being a published author is coming true!

On March 26th I found out that Tyndale House Publishing was offering me a two-book contract for women’s fiction. My first book, Searching for Spice, will be released in April 2008, and the second book will hit the shelves in October 2008.

Well, since I’ve been waiting practically f-o-r-e-v-e-r for this dream to become reality, we’ve decided to go all out and CELEBRATE in a big way. Today I went to downtown Denver to check out the venue for my book launch party, The Daniels & Fisher Tower! I can’t wait.

Can you see the clock on the top of the tower? The party will be held on the floor above that, and there's an outside observation deck that surrounds the building. The views are to die for.

I’m planning for it to be a gathering of book lovers. In addition to family and friends, I’m inviting local authors, editors, agents, bookstore PR folks, and radio, television and newspaper media. I’m thrilled that my editor from Tyndale, Jan Stob, will try to come as well as my smashing literary agent, Beth Jusino. Goodness, I even introduced myself to the Poet Laureate of Denver and invited him. Since this is my first book launch party, I’m open to suggestions on making it a smashing success. Please leave any ideas in the comment section.




The D&F Tower is a well-known, historic building that sits on the 16th Street Mall in Denver. It is a replication of the famous Campanile in St. Mark’s square in Venice, and was built in 1911, becoming the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The tower originally anchored both sides of a department store that has since been demolished.

And, PS: Yes, the sky really is bluer when you're a mile high.

Getting it right

I usually try to do the right thing. Really.

I never litter, I wait my turn in lines, and I pay my taxes. It just kills me when I try to follow instructions and still get it wrong.

Like lately—at Starbucks.

Okay, I know some folks have political or environmental objections to Starbucks, but face it, they’re on every other corner and (more importantly) they’re in Barnes & Noble.

Anyway, the other day I went to the Starbucks in town and ordered a frothy latte, and what did they say? “Uh, next time just tell us you want an extra wet cappuccino.” To which I replied, thanks, no problem.

I may be an old dog, but I can learn new tricks.

So the other night I went to Barnes & Noble for my Words For The Journey meeting, and before the meeting started, I scurried over to Starbucks for my tall, extra wet cappuccino. You’ll never guess what the barista said to me: “What you really want ma’am, is a frothy latte.”

For the love of all the bahia beans in Brazil—what’s a girl to do?

Back from Dallas and the ACFW Conference

Hi, friends. What a wonderful time I had this past weekend at the annual ACFW conference. To tell the truth, it’s quite a different experience when you don’t have to go around begging agents and editors to take a peek at your work.

Some of my best conference moments were when I got to connect with my editor from Tyndale House, Jan Stob, and with my agent Beth Jusino from Alive Communications. What a treat. Below is a photo of me and Jan at the awards banquet.


Several months ago Rachel Hauck (conference worship leader) asked me to give Friday morning’s devotional. What an honor to stand before so many people who exemplify the excellence of the industry—and what an intimidating experience. I was told, however, that no one could see my knees knocking, so that’s good.

Part of the pleasure of my conference was spending time with Marion Bullock and Angie Poole my critique partners. We were able to celebrate with Angie because she got 2nd place in the Genesis contest for her genre.

The best part, of course, was in connecting with our Savior. I had some unmistakable God moments, and was humbled to allow Him to use me for His glory among the sweet saints at the conference.

Numbers in movies

This is fun--some creative person clipped together 100 movies using dialogue to count down from 100. Check it out: http://www.flixxy.com/100-greatest-movies.htm?a=6

Thanks to novelist Angie Hunt for a few minutes of amusement.

Cool Survey

Bethany House Publishers is soliciting our opinions on a book cover. Take this fun survey and enter for a chance to win a free book.

Tell me, what was your favorite cover Why?

The Restitution

Welcome to new friends surfing the Internet to keep up with The Restitution blog tour.

Wow. I could hardly put down The Restitution, MaryLu Tyndall’s third book in her Pirate trilogy. Thanks to MaryLu, I lost sleep and also lost time to work on my own writing. I became obsessed in the few days it took me to read this book.

The Restitution is a wonderful, swashbuckling, exciting read. I could feel the sand between my toes as I joined the adventure with Lady Isabel Ashton as she searched for her kidnapped son, the product of a violent encounter with pirate Kent Carlton—the one man who can help her recover little Frederick. The characterization is so well done in this novel that I feel I would recognize any number of the villains or heroes that roamed the Caribbean if I should run across them.

Truly, even if you don’t usually read historical novels, treat yourself to a few hours of pleasure aboard the Restitution amid a cast of characters that you’ll alternately cheer and jeer for. What a fun book to read. Thanks, MaryLu.


Mary Lu Tyndall spent her early years on the shores of South Florida. She graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Computer Science, and worked for a software company in Silicon Valley for fifteen years. She has been writing for more than twenty years, and currently lives in California with her husband, six children and three cats.

Fiction mirrors life or vice versa?

We’ve all heard that pieces of real life make their way into fiction novels. That’s good, right? It adds to the realism. In Searching for Spice, I’ve included my frustrating drive into work—the construction, the new traffic lights, the commuters who give their fellow travelers, ahem, impolite gestures.

Well, a fellow scribe in Poland drew from his life experiences, too. Only the experience he drew upon was a murder he apparently committed in 2000. So, this guy was sharp enough to get his book published, but he didn’t figure out someone might connect the dots. Oh, come on!

If you interested in the (grisly) details check it out: Polish Author Convicted of Murder.

So, do any of you authors out there want to make any confessions about what we might find in your books? Let us know about it.

Thanks to Pub Rants for publicizing the link to this story.

Playing along

My friend Jan has one of the most playful personalities ever. She’s a delight to spend time with. Today she tagged me to play along with her. And if I don’t, she’ll boycott my blog.

The game is to finish this sentence, “You know you’re a bona fide writer when you . . .”

Here are my responses:

• Try to put into words a beautiful or frightening or interesting scene that you see.


• Suffer intense guilt when you don’t write every day.


• Nod your head as if you’re actually listening, but instead you’re plotting.


• Meet regularly with other writers.


• Cry when you have to hurt your characters.

There, Jan. Will you still be my friend?

Oh, by the way, stop by and visit Jan’s blog Bold & Free. It’s a wonderful sample of what life is like when you allow yourself to step into the life our Heavenly Father has created for us and walk in faith, boldly and with purpose.

Awww, I have lovely friends

My sweet friends Tonya and Jan both nominated me for the “Nice Matters Award.” They’re both my “in person” friends as opposed to my online friends. Actually they’re my Starbucks buddies.

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

Hmm, send it to seven other wonderful bloggers. My nominees are:

Jenny: I met Jenny at the 2005 ACFW Conference. We bonded over socks at Wal-Mart. The rest is history.

Darcie: Darcie’s a new friend from the CCWC. I was immediately attracted to her sweet, loving spirit.

Marion: My pal Marion is one of my true blue crit partners. The kind you can’t live without.

Kay: Kay is a writer after God’s heart. She’s so transparent in her faith.

Michelle: Michelle is a sweet follower of Jesus. She also throws an awesome chocolate party.

Rachel: I met Rachel at an ACFW conference too. She has an amazing way of ushering you into the presence of Jesus when she leads worship.

Marilynn: Marilynn makes you feel welcome whenever you’re with her. And her books delight the senses.

Check out my nominees' blogs. They're all delightful women of God.

Play along!

I apologize for not letting all you playful folks know where to go to Simpsonize yourselves. Here's the address: http://simpsonizeme.com/.

Now, I expect to see your simpsonized versions on your blog. :)

Thanks to Angie Hunt for this fun game.

I Simpsonized me!

So, here I am--trying to be a good writer and finish the chapter I'm working on. Unfortunately, my attention span is lacking so I did the only thing one would do in my situation. I surfed the web and found a program that will take an image of me and translate it to a character who would live in the land of the Simpson's, in Springfield. Isn't this a riot? I think I look cool enough to pass for a neighbor of Marge and Homer's.

Rock-Solid Writing at the Castle Rock Writers Conference

Yesterday I was on faculty for the 1st Castle Rock Writers Conference. Kudos to Alice Aldridge-Dennis, conference director, for pulling it all together. It’s always wonderful to spend time with other writers.

Also on the faculty were some of my talented friends: Sharen Watson, Kirsten Lasinski and Darlene Franklin. It was a delight to run into Sara Megibow an agent with the Nelson Literary Agency whose blog I enjoy daily. It was also a pleasure to meet Chris Ransick, Denver's Poet Laureate.

If you’re serious about finding success in publishing you need to learn the craft, spend time with other writers and attend conferences for instruction and encouragement. Local conferences are a great way learn and grow as a writer.

I've got a bookmark!

Woo hoo.

My talented friend Tash has created a beautiful bookmark for me. It's 99.9% finished, we just need to insert the Tyndale House logo on the bottom of the front.

A special thanks to Paula Moldenhauer for her wonderful endorsement.

This journey just keeps getting better and better. Thanks for sharing it with me.

PS My website's not up yet. I'll let you know when it goes live.

Be Encouraged

Listen, no one knows better than I how discouragement can creep up on you and squeeze the life out of your dreams. But if the Author of dreams has planted one in your heart, then don't give up because of temporary circumstances. Like they say, "Writers don't fail, they quit."

Today I received two emails in my inbox that each had such a cool quote, I felt that I just had to share them.

This is a quote from Jodi Piccoult, who is one of today's most successful authors:"The writers who succeed are the ones who refuse to buckle under the failures that are heaped upon them; who reject the notion that they aren't as mediocre as industry professionals say they are."

This quote was on a church sign:
"Persevere. Even the snails made it to the ark."

Hang in there, friends.

TEN THINGS YOU’LL NEVER HEAR ME SAY!

Sorry to bore you with another me-me, but Jan tagged me, and it sounded like fun.

1. Please, please let me go to Wal-Mart for you.
2. No, don’t pick up the dog poo from the lawn, I want to do it.
3. I love argumentative people, they stimulate my brain.
4. Can we eat Pennsylvania Dutch food every night? Especially chicken hearts?
5. Read a novel? I’d rather watch the movie.
6. Don’t make me go to the Caribbean and sit on a beach!
7. Tomorrow’s Saturday, let’s set the alarm for 6:00 a.m.
8. Pass the pork.
9. Forget the writing, I’d rather enjoy a two hour lunch and a 90 minute visit to Starbucks. (Sorry, girls. I couldn’t resist)
10. Hang out with writers? Naah. I don’t want to.

The picture is of one of my favorite places to hang out in the summer and my little Jack Russell Terrier, Belle.

Friends

Yeah, I think God’s at work. He brought five strangers together a few months ago and has knit our hearts together. It excites me to think of what may come of our beautiful friendship.

This picture was taken at Jan’s son’s wedding. Heather and Tonya (on the left, were assistant and photographer for the affair), Jan’s in the middle, then Sharen and me.

During the reception, Jan toasted to her son and new daughter-in-law. She wished that they would always dare to dream. How lovely is that?

Beautiful

I am blessed with beautiful, talented, exciting, Godly friends. One of those is Tonya Vander, a photographer/writer who sees God in the tiniest details of our world. The following video is a result of a tea party Tonya photographed. Enjoy.

Castle Rock Writers Conference 2007

Click on a document to enlarge it.

If you're in the area, join us!

Joy

My sweet friend Tanya has tagged me to list 15 things that bring me joy. Here they are, not necessarily in any special order:

1. Laughing with my family.
2. Watching my children lovingly banter back and forth with one another.
3. Talking to my husband’s parents and telling them I love them.
4. The first part of each day that is spent with my Lord in prayer.
5. Dappled sunlight on freshly cut grass.
6. The fragrance of lilacs.
7. Writing a great scene for a novel.
8. Spending time with other writers.
9. Working at my day job with beautiful, strong, creative women.
10. Hanging out with my girlfriends.
11. Praying with my girlfriends.
12. Knowing how well loved I am.
13. Helping a friend.
14. Being a part of something bigger than myself.
15. Getting together for a blizzard party with my marvelous neighbors.

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.

The Oak Leaves

Wow. I just finished reading The Oak Leaves by Maureen Lang. (At least now I can get back to my writing.)

Maureen is a gifted storyteller who seamlessly weaves the stories of two women, one from the 19th century and one living in the 21st century, into one novel. Talie Ingram finds the journal of Cosima Escott, her great-great-great grandmother. Talie begins to read the journal, thinking it will be an interesting diversion, but instead finds herself discovering a shocking family secret that could have implication for her life.

The Oak Leaves is a wonderful love story, showing us that the depth of God’s love is stronger than fear. Do yourself a favor, read this book. The Oak Leaves is one of those books that doesn’t let you put it down until it’s finished. And when you’re finished, you’re satisfied.

On Top of the World

What a difference a year makes. Last summer I posted about the writing journey being like an uphill climb. http://megandimaria.blogspot.com/2006/08/uphill-climb.html. This year I’m finally nearing the pinnacle. I’ve got a two-book contract with Tyndale House Publishers for my women’s fiction. A dream come true. Actually, I’m on top of the world. Just like last weekend when my sweetie and I took a trip to the mountains. As I stood on that mountaintop, I could sense the great distance I’d come—from newbie writer to writing student to dreamer to published writer. Amazing. Praise God!

Here’s part of what I said in 2006, “Like most hiking trails, the one I was on started out smoothly and was clearly marked. I was fully confident that it would be a piece of cake. Then the path began to get steeper, and there were rocks, boulders and tree roots in the way. I was getting hot and sweaty. Even the water bottle began to feel like a 20 pound weight. I kept climbing upward and put my weary muscles out of my mind, and if my toe kicked a rock on the way, I remember to lift my foot higher the next time there was an obstacle in the path. I also tried not to get distracted by hikers who gave up and turned back before reaching their goal.

I bet many of those hikers could have had the thrill of reaching their goal if only they persisted. I have the same theory when it comes to being a published author. If only we persist, continue to strive for improvement and keep our eye on the goal, we just might reach that pinnacle we’ve dreamed of.”

Antonia's Choice

I started last weekend with great intentions. I would get thousands of words written on my wip (work in progress).

But I had a few extra minutes on Friday, and I decided to read a couple of pages of Antonia’s Choice by Nancy Rue.

So much for good intentions. I think I wrote about two paragraphs all weekend. On the other hand, I was thoroughly entertained by Nancy’s story:

Toni Wells is a successful churchgoing career woman with full custody of her son. But her commitments escalate as she deals with defiant behavior from five-year-old Ben and takes a niece into her home. Toni cuts her hours temporarily to part-time, terrified of "losing herself completely" to her family. Then she discovers that Ben has been photographed and molested by a child pornographer. Toni must finally make a choice that's not really a choice: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Mark 8:35, NIV).

By the time I was finished, I was so “there” with Antonia, that my jaw ached.

This isn’t a light, fluffy book to pass a few hours with. Antonia’s Choice sucks you into the stress-filled world of Toni Wells where you join her on a journey that is both deep and profound.

Do yourself a favor. Read this book!

Over Her Head by Shelley Bates

I’m pleased to be a part of the blog tour for Over Her Head, the newest book out by Shelley Bates.

MD: Shelley, welcome to my blog, and thank you for the entertaining hours spent reading Over Her Head. You had me captivated from the very beginning. With my current schedule, it usually takes me a week to ten days to read a book. Over Her Head wouldn’t let me rest until the last page was turned—a time frame of about only four days!

I love the way you crafted some of your phrases. They were so good, a few stopped me in my tracks. Your characters became so real to me. I felt like I wanted to reach out and alternately hug and shake Laurie. Thanks, again.

Over Her Head is a story of tragedy. A young girl is found dead, murder is suspected. The heroine’s daughter is considered a suspect, one that even her mother questions.

What kind of mother suspects her own daughter of murder? Laurie Hale has the perfect life—and the perfect family to go with it. She imagines fun, love, and academic success for her daughter, Anna. But when one of Anna's classmates is found murdered and the police start asking questions, fear and suspicion threaten everything Laurie values. Anna isn't the only suspect—a whole group of teenagers seems to be involved, but none of them is talking, and the community is in an uproar. Laurie is asked to leave her prayer group just when she needs it the most, and her marriage bears the strain of the crisis. Laurie's only ally is Janice, the mayor's wife, whose own son could implicate Anna—or exonerate her. Ultimately, Laurie must face her fears: What if Anna really was involved in Randi Peizer's murder? And what kind of person is Laurie if she can doubt her own child's innocence? Only God can provide the answers when Laurie finds herself in OVER HER HEAD.
MD: What was your greatest challenge in writing Over Her Head?
SB: This book really stretched me … in fact, I got to chapter 5 or so and put my head on the desk, moaning, “I can’t do this.” The biggest challenge was the fact that I don’t have kids—and here I was writing about a woman with two, one of whom is a teenager. Fortunately, I have lots of friends with kids who kept me on the right track :) With a secondary hero who’s a cop, I needed to know a lot about homicide investigation (see my guest blog at http://cballan.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/474/ for a description of one harrowing morning). And lastly, my secondary heroine is a grieving mother. I’ve experienced grief, but nothing like losing a child in horrible circumstances. In these situations I just had to put my imagination deep into the character and try to be true to their emotions. Much easier said than done. Prayer helped :)

MD: How long did it take to write?
SB: About four months, I think.

MD: While you were on your journey to publication, what kept you motivated?
SB: Well, I wrote my first book in 1973 but didn’t see publication until thirty years later, with my sixth or seventh complete manuscript. That’s a lotta years … and a lotta motivation! I think it boiled down to knowing since I was 8 that I was going to be a writer. It’s not something you do, it’s something you are. I knew that some day I’d be good enough if I paid my dues and got my training … so that kept me going through a master’s degree in fiction and a bazillion rejection letters. As you know, this business is not for the faint of heart or the thin of skin.

MD: What does your writing day look like?
SB: Three days a week I work for an ad agency, but during the rest of the week, I’m at my computer in my home office by 8 a.m. I do PR stuff, e-mail, and accounting until 11, when I let the chickens out and we spend the next 4-5 hours rambling around the yard. They debug the garden and I write. Everybody’s happy :) Thank goodness for my AlphaSmart. I don’t know how I’d function without it.

MD: What helped you most to grow as a writer?
SB: Really good editorial. My editors have been consummate professionals. They’ve helped me see where I haven’t been true to my characters or my story, and have ruthlessly pruned my work to keep it as powerful as possible. I’ve been very lucky. My revision letters are getting shorter, so I must be getting the hang of it!

MD: What writing conferences do you attend?
SB: The Romance Writers of America conference, usually every other year, depending on where it is and how thin my pocketbook is. The Seton Hill Writers Retreat [http://www.setonhill.edu/o/index.cfm?PID=3&PRID=1148], where I’m usually on the faculty. Then, depending on the cash flow, I go to the ACFW conference or to Mount Hermon, which is just over the hill from me.

MD: What advice would you give to someone at the start of their writing career?
SB: Don’t be in a huge hurry to get that manuscript out. Make sure you polish it to a shine. Make sure your passion shows in its pages. And above all, let your voice ring in the words to captivate just the right editor for it!

MD: Thanks for stopping by, Shelley. What’s up next for you?
SB: Thanks so much for having me, Megan! I am so excited about my next project—a series of six "chick lit" books for teens that I'll be writing under a pseudonym. The Christian answer to Gossip Girl :: rubs hands in glee :: I’m just working on the revisions now, so watch for the first book in May 2008, and the second in August 2008!