I can finally cross an item off my list of things to do! I've put both a FeedBlitz and FeedBurner link on my sidebar. I had this written down to do--so I did it--but I can't remember why I would need both of them. I already get site reports for how many of you great visitors I have, where you come from (all across the country!), etc... Don't worry, I don't know who you are, just where you come from.
Can one of you computer people please remind me why I want both feeds on my blog? Or do I only need one?
For those of you who fear missing one of my infrequent blogs, now you can receive an email alerting you. :-) I know, I know, it's what you all have been waiting for.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Only Camy Tang ... On Only Uni
I'm glad to have my my very, very close friend Camy Tang here today. We're so close that we can actually knit a pattern with each of holding only one of the needles. Okay, maybe we're not really that close, but I really, really like her.
Here's what I had to say about her first book, Sushi for One? Because I had such a huge to-be-read pile and it took me while to get to Sushi for One?, I didn't have to wait very long for her second novel. The quality of her first book bumped the next in the series right to the top of the stack of books.
Camy is the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website for a huge website contest going on right now. She's giving away five boxes of books and 25 copies of her latest release, Only Uni.
And just so you have an idea why I ask the questions I do, here's the back cover copy:
Flirty biologist Trish Sakai has alienated her best friends and her family because of her wild behavior with her artist ex-boyfriend,Kazuo. Then she finds her father kissing another woman, and her mom suffers a heart attack. Convinced God is punishing her for her sexual promiscuity, Trish comes up with three rules from First and Second Corinthians: 1) Stop looking at guys, 2) Only date Christians, and 3)Persevere in hardship by relying on God. If she follows them, God will restore her life to the way it was before her mistakes. If she can somehow regain her chastity, she won't feel as dirty and unworthy as she does now. They're only three rules. How hard can it be?
Handsome Spenser finds himself attracted to his coworker Trish, but his dinner invitation gets slammed down with a lame excuse about Corinthians and rules. That cools his ardor pretty quick. But then Spenser discover that his old enemy Kazuo needs Trish as the "muse" for his unfinished masterpiece painting due in a few months for a gallery show. Kazuo pursues Trish with everything he's got, but Spenser decides to throw a wrench in Kazuo's plans by pretending to pursue Trish himself.
Trish is going nuts trying to stand firm against two hunky guys. Her three simple rules aren't so simple anymore . . .
Now that you're appetite has been properly whetted, on to the interview!
1) How many cousins do you have and are you as close-knit to them as the cousins are in your series? Speaking of knitting, what's your current project? (I'm on my second, a scarf that actually has a knit 2, purl 2 pattern!)
I actually have a comparatively small family. I have a total of 9 cousins. However, my own parents have very large families, although they're not as close to their cousins as the cousins are in the Sushi series. I also have friends who are very close to their cousins, and I used them as the template for the Sushi cousins.
Knitting--I'm working on a lace wrap in this cooooooool teal/purple/cream colorway. I'm also working on a pink scarf as a gift, and a pink pair of socks for myself (for next year, since the days are getting warmer here in California).
2) Did your grandma pressure you to find a man? How did you and Captain Caffeine meet?
No, my family was actually really great about not nagging me to get married. However, I have enough friends whose parents/grandparents/aunties/uncles were extremely naggy, and I could imagine what it felt like for them. I met Captain Caffeine at church. A mutual friend introduced us and we immediately clicked because of mutual love of volleyball and music.
The Captain was also one of the few Christian guys I had ever met who didn't think I was too frivolous in my tastes. Up until I met him, I'd mostly known Christian guys who were very intellectual and thought my liking for romance novels was silly and immature. Since then, I've met more people who are definitely NOT intellectual or snobby that way.
3) How do you work the spiritual theme into your novel without being preachy?
I don't consciously weave the spiritual theme into the plot--it grows out of the character's flaws and issues. The story develops around the character's needs and desires, and the spiritual theme is revealed through the character's Christian worldview and the conscious choices that are a result of that Christian worldview.
4) I'm in the middle of Only Uni right now. I'm really enjoying seeing a protagonist struggle with her carnal desires. Can teenage girls read this book? What would be the number one thought you would like a sexually-active, single woman to take away from the story?
I purposely write my novels so that the junior high girls in my church youth group can read them. I wrote Only Uni especially so that single Christian women can realize it's not weird for them to have desires,and that it's part of a Christian's struggle to remain pure. I think that not enough churches or books address a woman's desires--there's usually more focus on a guy's desires.
5) You grew up in Hawaii, right? Where is your favorite spot in the islands?
My home, of course! My favorite memories are of sitting in the back patio while Dad makes huli-huli chicken on the rotisserie charcoal grill.
Here's what I had to say about her first book, Sushi for One? Because I had such a huge to-be-read pile and it took me while to get to Sushi for One?, I didn't have to wait very long for her second novel. The quality of her first book bumped the next in the series right to the top of the stack of books.
Camy is the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website for a huge website contest going on right now. She's giving away five boxes of books and 25 copies of her latest release, Only Uni.And just so you have an idea why I ask the questions I do, here's the back cover copy:
Flirty biologist Trish Sakai has alienated her best friends and her family because of her wild behavior with her artist ex-boyfriend,Kazuo. Then she finds her father kissing another woman, and her mom suffers a heart attack. Convinced God is punishing her for her sexual promiscuity, Trish comes up with three rules from First and Second Corinthians: 1) Stop looking at guys, 2) Only date Christians, and 3)Persevere in hardship by relying on God. If she follows them, God will restore her life to the way it was before her mistakes. If she can somehow regain her chastity, she won't feel as dirty and unworthy as she does now. They're only three rules. How hard can it be?Handsome Spenser finds himself attracted to his coworker Trish, but his dinner invitation gets slammed down with a lame excuse about Corinthians and rules. That cools his ardor pretty quick. But then Spenser discover that his old enemy Kazuo needs Trish as the "muse" for his unfinished masterpiece painting due in a few months for a gallery show. Kazuo pursues Trish with everything he's got, but Spenser decides to throw a wrench in Kazuo's plans by pretending to pursue Trish himself.
Trish is going nuts trying to stand firm against two hunky guys. Her three simple rules aren't so simple anymore . . .
Now that you're appetite has been properly whetted, on to the interview!
1) How many cousins do you have and are you as close-knit to them as the cousins are in your series? Speaking of knitting, what's your current project? (I'm on my second, a scarf that actually has a knit 2, purl 2 pattern!)
I actually have a comparatively small family. I have a total of 9 cousins. However, my own parents have very large families, although they're not as close to their cousins as the cousins are in the Sushi series. I also have friends who are very close to their cousins, and I used them as the template for the Sushi cousins.
Knitting--I'm working on a lace wrap in this cooooooool teal/purple/cream colorway. I'm also working on a pink scarf as a gift, and a pink pair of socks for myself (for next year, since the days are getting warmer here in California).
2) Did your grandma pressure you to find a man? How did you and Captain Caffeine meet?
No, my family was actually really great about not nagging me to get married. However, I have enough friends whose parents/grandparents/aunties/uncles were extremely naggy, and I could imagine what it felt like for them. I met Captain Caffeine at church. A mutual friend introduced us and we immediately clicked because of mutual love of volleyball and music.
The Captain was also one of the few Christian guys I had ever met who didn't think I was too frivolous in my tastes. Up until I met him, I'd mostly known Christian guys who were very intellectual and thought my liking for romance novels was silly and immature. Since then, I've met more people who are definitely NOT intellectual or snobby that way.
3) How do you work the spiritual theme into your novel without being preachy?
I don't consciously weave the spiritual theme into the plot--it grows out of the character's flaws and issues. The story develops around the character's needs and desires, and the spiritual theme is revealed through the character's Christian worldview and the conscious choices that are a result of that Christian worldview.
4) I'm in the middle of Only Uni right now. I'm really enjoying seeing a protagonist struggle with her carnal desires. Can teenage girls read this book? What would be the number one thought you would like a sexually-active, single woman to take away from the story?
I purposely write my novels so that the junior high girls in my church youth group can read them. I wrote Only Uni especially so that single Christian women can realize it's not weird for them to have desires,and that it's part of a Christian's struggle to remain pure. I think that not enough churches or books address a woman's desires--there's usually more focus on a guy's desires.
5) You grew up in Hawaii, right? Where is your favorite spot in the islands?
My home, of course! My favorite memories are of sitting in the back patio while Dad makes huli-huli chicken on the rotisserie charcoal grill.
Check out my mother's interview with Camy. We asked our questions without talking to each other. Did our shared brain duplicate anyway? And if I had asked the last question, would Camy's answer be different?
Leave a comment for this post and you'll be entered to win a copy of Only Uni!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He is Risen!--Are We Ready?
It's 1 AM Easter morning. I've just finished baking a from scratch chocolate cake for Easter dinner, which I cleverly decorated in an Easter theme. I also cooked up a loaf of French toast to take to the church potluck in the morning. I'm no fool. I know that kids are the first through any potluck line, so I quartered each piece in the hope that an adult or two might get a taste. Luckily, our church decision makers are not insane, and they choose the decent hour of 9 AM to start eating.
As I wrote that, I was taken back two decades to when we did have a true sunrise service. How bone-chilling cold it was. How awesome to feel whole world waiting to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. How amazing those first rays of sunlight were. How deeply my heart was touched. I hope I haven't become so jaded that I would give that up for a few hours more of sleep, but at least I don't have to make that choice this year.
Anyway, as I cleaned up in the kitchen and filled the Easter baskets, I popped the end of Romans and the beginning of 1 Corinthians (The Message version) into my portable CD player. (Kids, that's a weird circular machine we used before MP3 players. It doesn't even store one song! You have to put the actual CD into the reader. Totally weird, right?)
What if Jesus came back and I were listening to the Bible? How cool would that be. I supposed the only things that would be better for me to be doing would be talking about the Gospel with a person I'd just led to the Lord's feet. Or giving a cold cup of water to a thirsty traveler. Or pouring hot coals over my enemy's head--by my kindness, of course!
As I wrote that, I was taken back two decades to when we did have a true sunrise service. How bone-chilling cold it was. How awesome to feel whole world waiting to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. How amazing those first rays of sunlight were. How deeply my heart was touched. I hope I haven't become so jaded that I would give that up for a few hours more of sleep, but at least I don't have to make that choice this year.
Anyway, as I cleaned up in the kitchen and filled the Easter baskets, I popped the end of Romans and the beginning of 1 Corinthians (The Message version) into my portable CD player. (Kids, that's a weird circular machine we used before MP3 players. It doesn't even store one song! You have to put the actual CD into the reader. Totally weird, right?)What if Jesus came back and I were listening to the Bible? How cool would that be. I supposed the only things that would be better for me to be doing would be talking about the Gospel with a person I'd just led to the Lord's feet. Or giving a cold cup of water to a thirsty traveler. Or pouring hot coals over my enemy's head--by my kindness, of course!
Today is Easter. We're celebrating God's coming back from the dead. We yearn for His next victorious return. So let's make sure we're ready. Let's make sure those we come in contact with today know what the day is all about.
He is risen, indeed!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Slow-Cooked Meal for a Fast-Paced Life
Between all the baseball practises, tap, AWANA, doctor visits, PT, etc,... I knew I'd have to find some good slow cooker recipes if we were going to branch out from corn dogs, pizza, and McD's.
We had a yummy one the other night. For those of you who feel like you're always running behind--is there anyone who doesn't?--I highly recommend experiencing the thrill of having all the dinner work done before 10 AM.
I had typed the whole recipe in before I thought to check the copyright. Argh!!! So I've rewritten the recipe being extremely vague, but you could still put it together. I think. If you need specific amounts, I found a similar recipe here.
Spicy Cabbage-Beef Soup
More than 1/2 pound, but less than 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
a small head of cabbage, chopped
an onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can of kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
some salt
some ground cumin
some pepper
some teaspoon dried oregano
~Brown beef. Drain.
~Line the bottom of slow cooker with cabbage, mix the other ingredients together, and pour over the top.
~Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours
The whole family really enjoyed it, including Mom and Dad who came up for dinner. And kind of excluding Joshua who tried to pick every single tomato out.
I use the Pampered Chef Large Micro-Cooker to brown the beef. It's so quick, doesn't get grease on the cooktop, and the grease pours out easily. I cook it for 6-7 minutes on 80% power and chopped it apart midway.
We had a yummy one the other night. For those of you who feel like you're always running behind--is there anyone who doesn't?--I highly recommend experiencing the thrill of having all the dinner work done before 10 AM.
I had typed the whole recipe in before I thought to check the copyright. Argh!!! So I've rewritten the recipe being extremely vague, but you could still put it together. I think. If you need specific amounts, I found a similar recipe here.
Spicy Cabbage-Beef Soup
More than 1/2 pound, but less than 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
a small head of cabbage, chopped
an onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can of kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
some salt
some ground cumin
some pepper
some teaspoon dried oregano
~Brown beef. Drain.
~Line the bottom of slow cooker with cabbage, mix the other ingredients together, and pour over the top.
~Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours
The whole family really enjoyed it, including Mom and Dad who came up for dinner. And kind of excluding Joshua who tried to pick every single tomato out.
I use the Pampered Chef Large Micro-Cooker to brown the beef. It's so quick, doesn't get grease on the cooktop, and the grease pours out easily. I cook it for 6-7 minutes on 80% power and chopped it apart midway.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Freeze Frame & Cute Videos
We're in the midst of writing our newsletter--why does it take so long???--but I didn't want to leave you high and dry.
Here's a fun, super-cool video I found on Angela Hunt's blog of a prank in Grand Central Station.
And, if you need a dose of cute, check out Skye Peterson singing "Over the Rainbow." We're mega fans of Christian singer Andrew Peterson, who happens to be the father of the little sweetheart.
Here's a fun, super-cool video I found on Angela Hunt's blog of a prank in Grand Central Station.
And, if you need a dose of cute, check out Skye Peterson singing "Over the Rainbow." We're mega fans of Christian singer Andrew Peterson, who happens to be the father of the little sweetheart.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Walk, Don't Run
Isn't that what advertisements say to do on your way to stores? Oh, it's the opposite? Well, not around here.
It's been four months and seven days since I ran. You know those kids that can't seem to go anywhere without skipping or galloping. That was me. As an adult. One of my biggest concerns with moving in together with my parents was that they'd be living below me and have to put up with the pounding footsteps overhead. And there are times I know I made more noise than both kids combined as I leaped down the hallway. Good sports, my parents. :-)
Joshua starts AA baseball practise tomorrow. First year moving up from T-ball, and we're all very excited that the sandcastle-building-in-the-middle-of-a-game days might be behind us forever. (Or not forever. Remind me to post about that--just to pique your curiosity.) His coach came highly recommended, which is of utmost importance to seven and eight-year olds. But the coach's philosophy, besides practise being four times a week, is that he doesn't have one assistant coach: he has twenty-six assistant coaches. Each parent. And we're supposed to play catch with every kid except our own, coach them on the field, etc ... I'm already embarrassed because I won't be running after the ball! Silly issue, I know, but I hate the thought of someone thinking I'm milking it, or being dramatic. Y'all know I'm never that!
A few weekends ago, Kev and the kids and the dogs and I went over to Lincoln City to see our Donna. Okay, we already had the trip planned because the dogs were awfully dirty and smelled, too. Nothing cleans them up like the ocean water. Super conveniently, Donna had finished a THOROUGH edit on Undiscovered and we arranged for me to pick up the tapes. All ten and a half hours of them.
We hung out on the beach for a while--note the photographic evidence--before a sneaker wave came up. I turned my back to the ocean and hobbled as quickly as I could to get away, but the water gained with each step. As it lapped at my heels, I lifted my bum leg and hopped on the good one. So I'm really not faking it. I have a wet shoe to prove it around here somewhere ....
It's been four months and seven days since I ran. You know those kids that can't seem to go anywhere without skipping or galloping. That was me. As an adult. One of my biggest concerns with moving in together with my parents was that they'd be living below me and have to put up with the pounding footsteps overhead. And there are times I know I made more noise than both kids combined as I leaped down the hallway. Good sports, my parents. :-)
Joshua starts AA baseball practise tomorrow. First year moving up from T-ball, and we're all very excited that the sandcastle-building-in-the-middle-of-a-game days might be behind us forever. (Or not forever. Remind me to post about that--just to pique your curiosity.) His coach came highly recommended, which is of utmost importance to seven and eight-year olds. But the coach's philosophy, besides practise being four times a week, is that he doesn't have one assistant coach: he has twenty-six assistant coaches. Each parent. And we're supposed to play catch with every kid except our own, coach them on the field, etc ... I'm already embarrassed because I won't be running after the ball! Silly issue, I know, but I hate the thought of someone thinking I'm milking it, or being dramatic. Y'all know I'm never that!
A few weekends ago, Kev and the kids and the dogs and I went over to Lincoln City to see our Donna. Okay, we already had the trip planned because the dogs were awfully dirty and smelled, too. Nothing cleans them up like the ocean water. Super conveniently, Donna had finished a THOROUGH edit on Undiscovered and we arranged for me to pick up the tapes. All ten and a half hours of them.
We hung out on the beach for a while--note the photographic evidence--before a sneaker wave came up. I turned my back to the ocean and hobbled as quickly as I could to get away, but the water gained with each step. As it lapped at my heels, I lifted my bum leg and hopped on the good one. So I'm really not faking it. I have a wet shoe to prove it around here somewhere ....
Friday, March 07, 2008
Coupon Clipping Coup
I've always said that I'll know I'm financially secure when I choose to buy my favorite cereal independent of whether it is on sale or not. Yesterday I did a huge shopping trip with tons of coupons. Normally, Life Cereal sells for $3.99 a box at our local Safeway. It was on sale for $3, but I had a Safeway Super Saver coupon of five for $5. Then I used a "Buy two boxes, save 75 cents" coupon. And double-couponed that.
Oh, yeah! Five boxes of my favorite breakfast for only $3.75, which figures out to 75 cents a box. (Before you email me wondering how I majored in math and can't figure up the total correctly, I must inform you that Safeway only allows me to double a coupon up to 50 cents.) :-)
Once, through my crafty coupon use, Safeway actually paid me a penny to buy a certain female product. What great coupon stories do you have to share?
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Break It Down
My last post was titled "Turning a Corner." Apparently, I also stumbled into a dark alley. Don't worry; I made my way toward the light and emerged at last.
Looking back, here's what I see happening since I last blogged: Three rejections, two new full manuscript requests, the strep bug and various colds, a 400-page line edit accompanied by seven hours of explanatory tapes, a women's weekend retreat, two trips to the airport, childcare, physical therapy, one shopping day at the Lincoln City Outlet Malls, my first trip to IKEA, many headaches, filing taxes, moving my son into his remodeled room, one OCW Summer Conference Planning session, about 50 emails/calls wooing editors to attend the conference, three trips to tap class, two kiddos over for friend visits, two trips to the beach--one with dogs and one without, doctor's visit, two AWANA nights, two Genesis entries, and the regular wifely/motherly duties.
Whew! Now that we're all on the same page again, anticipate more frequent postings. Or dread them. Whatever. It's your choice.
Will you pray for me tomorrow? I'm trying to finish up the 400-page line edit. Only 48 pages to go and two, count 'em, two CBA publishing houses are awaiting the full manuscript of Undiscovered. On the Threshold is already out at another house!
Looking back, here's what I see happening since I last blogged: Three rejections, two new full manuscript requests, the strep bug and various colds, a 400-page line edit accompanied by seven hours of explanatory tapes, a women's weekend retreat, two trips to the airport, childcare, physical therapy, one shopping day at the Lincoln City Outlet Malls, my first trip to IKEA, many headaches, filing taxes, moving my son into his remodeled room, one OCW Summer Conference Planning session, about 50 emails/calls wooing editors to attend the conference, three trips to tap class, two kiddos over for friend visits, two trips to the beach--one with dogs and one without, doctor's visit, two AWANA nights, two Genesis entries, and the regular wifely/motherly duties.
Whew! Now that we're all on the same page again, anticipate more frequent postings. Or dread them. Whatever. It's your choice.
Will you pray for me tomorrow? I'm trying to finish up the 400-page line edit. Only 48 pages to go and two, count 'em, two CBA publishing houses are awaiting the full manuscript of Undiscovered. On the Threshold is already out at another house!
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