Stephen King and Jerry Jenkins--BFFs

Thanks to Bonnie E. for pointing this out. Writer's Digest has an incredible interview with two of the best known authors of our time: Stephen King and Jerry Jenkins. I loved the slant of the interview: it's focus on faith and how it translates into our written words. Even if you're not a writer, you'll enjoy this piece.

In case you missed it, the Christy Awards have been announced. Huge congrats to Cathy Gohlke, a fellow Moody author! Not only did she win a Christy last year for William Henry is a Fine Name, her debut novel, but she rightfully won again for the sequel, I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires. Two of my favorite books, and well deserving of such honor.

Somebody Pinch Me

ACFW sent out a list of all the authors who will have books in the conference book store come September. This gives all of the conferees a chance to salivate over the list and budget for extra books for the next month or so.

I clicked the email, and perused the first few lines, looking for familiar names.

Christina Berry
Diana Brandmeyer
Margaret Brownley
Candace Calvert
Brandilyn Collins ...

WAIT A MINUTE!! What was that first name? I truly had forgotten that I would be joining the ranks of the published authors at that conference. I am such a goober! It's too awesome to be real.

I'm in the last minute readying for the OCW conference. Some staff, including myself, will be on site Sunday, though it doesn't officially kick off until Monday. I haven't gotten as much done today as I had hope to, but I feel what I can only describe as "percolating." I'm restless, distracted, calm ... which will soon kick into a highly-focused, frantic productivity.

How many times can I use "conference" in one post?? Maybe we could schedule a conference call to discuss it. :-) Sorry, folks, one-track mind.

Love is on Pause

I still have Part Two of "Love is in the Air" pending, but a rush edit job came my way and pushed blogging aside. An editor requested a past client's full manuscript. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one I had edited, so I'm doing a full book edit in four days. Whew! Pray that "B" will make a sale on this one!

Kids are being extremely supportive. I asked them if they were up for Mom being glued to the computer before I accepted. "Angel" said yes, but what does she know? She's not even three yet. Today she said she wanted to sit in my lap, so I pulled her up. She pointed at my laptop: "I want all of it!"

And finishing up the last minute details for OCW. :-} (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!) *nervous laugh* I'm not overwhelmed ... I'm not overwhelmed ...

Don't want to miss telling you about two interesting, and related, news items. First, there's an interesting book coming down the pipeline. Here's the scoop from Publishers Lunch.

YA author (and son of Anna Quindlen) Chris Krovatin's book about the family dynamics that unfold when pro-life extremists hold hostage a prominent pro-choice columnist in her home, along with her husband and grown sons, and one of the sons kills the gunman and goes to trial, bringing out the political and legal tensions around the question of when is it defensible to take a life, to Diane Salvatore at Broadway, for publication in Fall 2011, by Amanda Urban at ICM (World).

While I'm sure it's conclusion won't match up with my personal beliefs concerning the value of life, I DO think the premise can serve as a great conversation starter.

Which brings me to a news story that caught my eye. Researchers have discovered that unborn babies have memories. What? No! That doesn't happen at the moment of birth? I totally thought my preemie babies didn't remember anything until they were about seven weeks old.

Okay, forgive my sarcasm? It does provide a lot of factual ammunition for the pro-life camp. I guess I never thought that people would claim babies' brains aren't already working in amazing ways: singling out their mother's voice, moving toward light, even smelling through the womb. And the saddest brain function, when considering abortion? The ability to feel pain.

So ... if you're still with me, you're either in agreement or you can't wait to leave a scathing comment. Here's an idea: jump over to Lyn Cote's blog and read a little piece I wrote about strong women and my favorite recipe. Leave a comment there instead and you'll go into a drawing for a free copy of the book when it releases!

One last thought. Amy Dickinson, an advice columnist, had this to say a few days ago:

Possibly the only good thing to come from leaving a marriage is the clarity and knowledge that when it is really over no one needs to be--or play--the victim.

Not sure why that spoke to me. Maybe because I've seen people fight to be the victim as a marriage ends. I humbly offer that even if you are the victim, acting as such merely serves to further victimize you.

Love is in the Air, Part One

It's summer--the season of weddings. This morning I attended my first as a divorcee. As I told a dear friend, it was achingly beautiful. Having watched the bride go through a rough marriage and bad divorce, having watched the groom as cancer stole his first wife, this day of celebration meant a lot to all of us in attendance.



The attendants made their way down the aisle, then Mark left the altar and met his bride at the top of the aisle to walk her down. But that moment--oh, that moment--when they first caught sight of each other and began to weep. Of course, I joined right in.



May God bless you, Mark and Sonia, and may all the years of pain in the past be redeemed with grace-filled abundance!

Ever realized you don't even noticed your loved one's outer appearance anymore? Here's a sweet, yet deep, post by Donna Kohlstrom.

In case you missed the link on my facebook page, here's a little video about piano playing, love, and those never-ending sparks.

Iceberg Ahead?!?

My poor, poor blog. It's been so neglected with the recent storms in my life. Thanks for still coming by and checking for new posts. Hope spring eternal, right?

This past week was the anniversary of beginning foster care. Hard to believe an entire year has gone by with more than our family living in our house. Yet "our family" looks much different than it did when we began. I look back and see God's hand in the timing. Fostering, while not hugely profitable, is one of the many financial ballast compartments keeping this Titanic afloat. But ... if I hear violin music of Nearer, My God, to Thee, I might get scared.

Speaking of, I was talking to a friend recently who commented that she and her husband had no idea how I was "making it." I assured her that, miraculously, I was doing fine between child support, writing, editing, fostering, and subbing when school is in session.

Then I came home and thought, "WAIT! AM I making it??? HOW can I possibly be making it???" So my type A personality ran the next 90 days through my money program and--what? I look like I'm doing okay. Funny how someone else's doubts can create your own.

Here's a little snippet from 1 Kings 17(NIV) that captures how I feel about God's provision. But don't worry--I'm not as morose at the widow!

The Widow at Zarephath

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."

13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "

15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.