Book Signing in Cheyenne

Yesterday I went to Cheyenne, WY to do a book signing with three other authors. We signed at Cornerstone Christian Supply. Trisha Taylor, manager of CCS, was an amazing and welcoming hostess. She really has a heart for her ministry. 

From left to right are Jami Kirkbride (Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load & The Mommy Diaries), Tina Forkner (Ruby Among Us), Karen Mackey (Life Savors for Women), and me. 

My honey took the trip there with me, and we stayed at the historic Plains Hotel (1911). It was neat. 

The hotel lobby has a player piano. Nice touch!

That's me (duh) sitting on a cowboy boot. 

In case you're wondering, this is a sample of the views between Cheyenne and Denver. 

P~A~R~T~Y Friday!

Today was a day of celebration with some good friends. I met my writer girlfriends to celebrate Jan's birthday over lunch at Carrabba's. 

Jan's birthday party rule was that guests must wear hats. The only hat I have is one of those straw hats only suitable for gardening. And what a coincidence, we both ended up wearing tiaras. Sweet! Believe it or not, I got a few odd looks. As if people never see a grown woman wearing a tiara. Come on!

And then tonight we went to our friend Ron's 50th birthday bash.

These are my neighborhood peeps. My honey, me, birthday boy Ron, the lovely Leah, sweet Marie, and techno-man Andy. In the front is Ryan (look out L. A. in 2010!) and the rhythmic and charming Sheri. It's always great to get together with these dear souls. We've cared for each other as if we were family since 1994 when we all bought homes on the same street. I try not to talk about my neighbors too much, it makes other people jealous.

DragonLight by Donita K. Paul

It's finally available! DragonLight, the fifth book in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles is fresh off the presses.

About DragonLight:

The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war inflicted on its citizens by outside forces–as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside. 

Truth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern.

As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon–despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with the stakes disease–has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy… can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see?

Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series. 

 I met Donita in 2001 at my very first writers conference (CCWC), and she's been a wonderful friend and inspiration. Her writing is fresh and arresting. She's created an entire world of fascinating characters who experience amazing adventures. I'm a big fan of Donita, and her books are on my list of books I give as gifts to friends young and old. 

Colorado Rockies VS Cleveland Indians: 10-2!

Last night was the perfect night to enjoy a ball game. 

As usual, there was a bit of traffic on the way up I-25.

Fortunately the back-seat passengers were in a delightful mood.

Then we parked and took the loooong walk from the lot to the stadium.

We arrived early to enjoy dinner at the ball park. Maybe the Rockies Dog wasn't a good idea. Actually, this is 2/3 of a Rockies Dog. I enjoyed that treat for hours, if you catch what I'm saying.

I called this guy, "Conflicted Fan." Was he rooting for the Rockies? The Indians? His T-shirt was half and half. 

When the Rockies hit a home run, the fountains behind the outfield shoot up in celebration!

It was a sweet night!

Words For The Journey

Some days are blessed. Today was one of those days. I was able to enjoy lunch with my writing friends at a lovely park. 
This morning was the weekly meeting for my WFTJ writer's group. After today's meeting, we all took sack lunches and went out to eat together at a local park. 

See the lovely cotton tablecloths? Those are vintage, from the 1940s and 1950s. I love that style and the substantial feel of the the fabric. BTW, they're all mine. I always carry a tablecloth in my car. You never know when you're going to need one. Some of the girls thought I was kidding when I said that. Not so. See this post and this one for further explanation. I usually have one tablecloth in the car, but today I grabbed some extra for my friends. 

I pack a lunch when I go to my day job a few days a week, and another thing I always have is a linen napkin. See it? I stuffed it in the top of my green purse on the bench. I think we should take good care of ourselves and our friends. Having the simple pleasures of nice tablecloths when you eat on a public table is a luxury. Ahhh. 

Oh, I didn't get the hat memo. Apparently Robbie, Kay and Chris did. 

The Bookworms

Last Friday I was invited to visit with The Bookworms, a metro-Denver bookclub. They had just finished reading Searching for Spice, and we had a great discussion. What a lively, intelligent, fun group of ladies. They also gave me some great ideas for my wip.     :)

Being summer, the entire group couldn't make it. As you can see, I'm a better writer than I am a photographer. 

Searching for Spice Book Trailer

And the winner is . . .

I had my drawing from Andrea's Summer Blog Tour. 

The winner of Searching for Spice is Feisty Irish Wench!

A Friend in Kneed

I’m blessed to have Darcie Gudger as a friend. We met at the 2007 Colorado Christian Writers Conference and have seen each other regularly at our Words For The Journey and ACFW meetings.

Darcie is a woman after God’s heart. She’s funny, smart, loving and interesting. Some of my favorite attributes in a friend. She's on the right in the photo, in front of Sharen during a WFTJ meeting.

Anyway, the poor dear had her meniscus repaired yesterday (knee surgery). Please say a prayer for a quick recovery and hop over to her blog, Joy in the Litter Box, to leave a note of encouragement for her. After all, aren’t we supposed to show our care for friends in kneed?

Watch This Book

A Wall Street Journal article caught my eye this weekend. The title of the story is "Watch This Book." 

The article discusses the several different kind of videos authors produce and poses the question of whether they're worth the $$ authors spend on them. 

It also lists the new outlets for book trailers and author videos. 

Check out the article yourself.

PS: I still plan on making a book trailer for Searching for Spice. I'll share it with you when it's finished. 

New Radio Ad!

Check this out ~ and book giveaway!

Author and certified Christian life coach, Andrea Boeshaar, is hosting a Summer Blog Tour on her blog, The Write Word For Women. 

Check it out! 

I'm her guest today, and I spill the beans on all my deep, dark secrets.  Well, maybe not, but Andrea asks some great questions. 

Oh, I'm also giving away a copy of Searching for Spice. Go to Andrea's blog to find out how to qualify for the drawing. 

Language, sweet language . . .

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm addicted to words and their usage. This morning I was checking the weather forecast and had to chuckle because in all the years I've been reading weather forecasts most of the terminology has said, "mostly sunny." This morning it read, "mainly sunny." 

So, what do you think? Do you think there's a new web editor at the weather channel? Someone who's a rebel and wants to shake things up?

I love it. 

There, now you know it doesn't take much to tickle my fancy.

I'm going to Cheyenne, Wyoming!

Cornerstone Christian Supply at 1507 Stillwater Ave., Cheyenne is hosting a premiere event:

4 Local Female Authors Book Signing!

June 21st at 6:00 p.m.

I'm honored and delighted to be included in this function along with Tina Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us, Jami Kirkbride, contributor to Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load and Mommy Diaries, and Karen Mackey who has a story in Life Savors for Women.

I look forward to spending time with other writers and to meeting book lovers in Cheyenne. If you're in area, please stop by and say hello. 

Prairie Walking, take 2

By the way, in case you're thinking I'm striding through the weeds and grasses, we have a beautiful concrete path that goes on for miles and miles. 

Prairie Sounds

I love to take a walk on the prairie early in the morning.  

See the tall prairie grasses? They're about up to my waist. When the wind blows they sound like a gentle voice saying, "Hushhhh."

Goodbye Dear Friend

My sweet friend Sharen Watson is moving back home to Texas. Today. I'll miss her terribly. 

I met Sharen in 2005 when she moved to Colorado, and we promptly became very good friends. Through a God-cident Sharen started a local chapter of WFTJ (Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild). She appointed me assistant director. The past three years have been a blessing to me and many other writers in the metro-Denver area.

She said goodbye to Words For the Journey Christian Writers Guild Rocky Mountain Region on Tuesday night.

Here's a photo of Jan and Sharen.

There was a hug line.

For more information on WFTJ visit the new blog that Sharen created.

Is it just me. . .

Is it just me, or does that silly, clueless little creature on the left crack you up too?

Writing with Kay!

This morning I got an email from my friend Kay, asking me to meet her at Panera Bread to write together. 

This is the two of us hard at work. To be honest, I think she wrote more than I did. 

Hop over to Novel Journey

I'm happy to share that I'm featured on Novel Journey today. 

If you're a writer or a book lover you should be familiar with that site. It's wonderful. It has amazing interviews with authors, publishers, agents, publicists and all types of literary folk. 

Novel Journey has recently been named one of Writer's Digest 101 most valuable websites for writers in 2008. Wow. That's quite an accomplishment. Those ladies who run the site are very sharp, in-the-know gals. 

Do yourself a favor, and read through the Novel Journey blog. It's got a wealth of information for the writing community. 

Thanks to my friends and book giveaways

I was delighted to receive my friend's newsletter this week. Author Kim Sawyer graciously endorsed Searching for Spice and is giving away a copy. For a chance to win, sign her guestbook between now and June 14th. 

Check out her newsletter,  sign her guestbook and take a peek at her newest gbaby. Also spend some time visiting Kim's site and reading about her wonderful novels. 

And when you're surfing the web also check out Niki Nowell's lovely post about me and Searching for Spice. Niki is also doing a giveaway, so be sure to enter for a chance to win a copy of SFS. Niki manages two blogs, her other one is very cool--Sex, Love and Marriage has a lot of thought-provoking posts.

National Fiction Day

Oh, what fun!

I had the pleasure of meeting lots of book lovers and Colorado author Robert Liparulo. It was a lovely afternoon. 

The appearance was hosted by LifeWay, they were terrific and welcoming. I was at the store in the Yosemite Park Shopping Center (behind La-Z-Boy Furniture) in Centennial. What a beautiful store. If you haven't been there, do yourself a favor and check it out. 

National Fiction Day, May 17th, 2008!

I'm sure you're all aware of this, but tomorrow is National Fiction Day. 

As part of the celebration, I hope you come over to LifeWay Christian Store at 8222 S. Yosemite Street in Centennial. 

I'll be there from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. I look forward to meeting all the book lovers and signing copies of Searching for Spice. Also appearing at LifeWay will be author Robert Liparulo. 

Please stop by and say hello!

My Friends Smell Good

Yeah, I thought that title would catch your attention.

2 Corinthians 2:15

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 

About once a quarter I get together with some of my girlfriends for dinner and prayer. It's difficult to find words to explain how wonderful a time is it with those dear women. The freshness of our Lord surrounds us. If you could peer into the spiritual realm, I'm sure it would be beautiful. In my imagination we all sparkle like super novas in a galaxy, fragrant with the scent of everlasting life. 

We eat.

We laugh.

We pray.

We cry.

We pray. 

We met again last week, and this time we shared communion. How special.

My family jokes about my "prayer dinners" because it's not uncommon for me to be out until 2:00 a.m. on prayer nights. And believe me, that's late for me. 

Thank God for friends, laughter and prayer. 

Searching for Spice goes cruising!

Two of my best friends couldn't make it to my book/career launch party--but I understood their absence. They had long before made plans for a Mediterranean cruise.

And what's the perfect book to bring along on a cruise, do you ask? Why Searching for Spice, of course.

Here's Leah at the Acropolis of Athens in front of the Erechtheum.

And I think Ron's posing in front of the Parthenon.

To give you some insight as to how good of friends they are--they're not sharing a book. They each purchased their own copy. How sweet is that? His and hers copies of Searching for Spice.

Oh, and the tiny teeth marks in the upper left corner of the photos are courtesy of my little dog Belle. She was kind enough to pick up the photos from the footstool where I had left them and bring them to me.

Sorry

Hi Friends,

I'm sorry my blog's been static for a week. Stuff's been going on. 

First, when I tried to post, I was denied access. It seems blogger has robots that roam the site on the lookout for spam blogs. Apparently the robot decided my blog was spam, so I was shut down. All I had to do to reverse that ruling was to request that a human look at my blog to determine it's not spam and unlock it. That and be patient for a few days. 

Then my email started giving me fits. Aaargh! I spent four hours with tech support from three different companies. Everyone said the problem was not their issue. I became so convinced that my computer was messed up that last weekend I went out and bought a new MacBook. The next day I realized that my email STILL was not working. It was a problem with my Internet provider. Aaargh, again! On Sunday I spent another hour with tech support, and it seemed my issues were resolved. 

Then Tuesday rolled around and I discovered my emails were leaving my outbox and evaporating. I spent another 40 minutes on the phone with tech support today. The outcome? The techie is stumped. 

Swell. 

I now have a new gmail account that I'll be using. So if you were expecting an email from me and it never arrived, it's probably because the Internet ate my email. 

Oh, about the MacBook. It's very nice.  :)

Happy May 1st

I was so looking forward to working outside on my patio today.

But it snowed.

This is where I would have been sitting if the temperatures were in the mid-80s like it was yesterday.


I hope you had a great day and that you remembered to bow your head in observance of National Day of Prayer. I did.

Book Reading/Signing at Barnes & Noble

As I said to the audience Tuesday night at Barnes & Noble, I am living the dream every wanna-be novelist has. To enjoy the warm company of friends at a local bookstore and have a successful book signing. I did just that. Thank you, Jesus!

I started the evening by discussing one of my favorite parts of being a writer--marketing.

Then I read excerpts.
I don't look very happy in this photo, but my heart was singing.

I had a nice group of writers and book lovers who were very kind in giving me their attention.

And look, Robbie's even taking notes, bless her heart.

And then I signed my books!

Look at Darcie (in the red shirt) hamming it up for the camera.

Okay, I have to share the following because it just makes me laugh. Remember that old Elmer Fudd (Warner Bros.) cartoon song, "Kill the Wabbit?"

If you substitute the words, "Eat the chocolate," then you'll see our WFTJ fearless leader, Sharen Watson, singing her heart out. LOL. And she does this at every meeting. :)

"Eat the chocolate!"
"Eat the chocolate!!"

And then her voice gets a little deeper, and she sings, "Eat the chocolate!!!"