The big brown truck that makes dreams come true pulled up in the driveway and left behind a box of pretty blue books. Dream Chasers, the second book in our Minnesota series, is now a touchable dream-come-reality. It's available through Heartsong Presents. (If you live close to Cathy or me, you can save postage.)
I'm still in awe that God allows me to do what I love and get paid for it. Not a lot, but enough for some fun things like Christmas and birthdays. Just this week I was able to give Bill a belated Valentine--a floor! )Take a tip from a romance writer--anything from Menards or Home Depot is the fast track to a man's heart.) He and our boys have finished off a family room in the basement, but, due to our new commitment not to use charge cards, we were going to wait on flooring. But a royalty check that I didn't expect will cover the cost. A Pleasant Surprise...which just happens to be the name of the Illinois romance we're working on now!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Brand-Aid Winner
I know this sounds contrived, but you have to believe me...it was a totally fair, unbiased drawing... All the names went in--and my editor, JoAnne Simmon's, name came out! A Starbuck's card is winging its way to Ohio. Thanks again to those of you who left comments...and those of you who said you would if you could put it into words. Even that meant a lot.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I was interviewed...
by award-winning inspirational author Margaret Daley and will be featured on her blog this coming week. Check it out at http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/
Brand-Aid Contest
Christmas is over, writer’s block is stashed away with the ornaments, and I’m back to accumulating dust in direct correlation to word count.
I've been reading a lot about branding lately. For a writer, that essentially means defining your unique niche, sticking to it, and making sure all of your communications reflect that definition. It all seemed a bit claustrophobic since I’m playing around with chick-lit and women’s fiction and not sticking solely to romance. And then I stumbled upon this simple phrase: Tell the reader what emotions your stories evoke.
So simple/so profound. I can do that!
But I’m not going to...just yet. Instead, I’m going to ask you. Yes, I have a tagline I love...warm romance with dollops of faith and sprinkles of joy...but that doesn’t really describe what the reader feels. So (assuming you’ve read Beauty for Ashes, Garment of Praise, Far above Rubies, Over the Wall, Walk with Me, or a work in progress) if you’re brave enough to offer a couple emotion-filled lines, you’ll be in the running for a $10 gift card of your choosing. I’ll put all posts in a hat (well, most likely a mixing bowl...) and let one of my grandkids pick the winner on Valentine’s Day. Thanks in advance!
I've been reading a lot about branding lately. For a writer, that essentially means defining your unique niche, sticking to it, and making sure all of your communications reflect that definition. It all seemed a bit claustrophobic since I’m playing around with chick-lit and women’s fiction and not sticking solely to romance. And then I stumbled upon this simple phrase: Tell the reader what emotions your stories evoke.
So simple/so profound. I can do that!
But I’m not going to...just yet. Instead, I’m going to ask you. Yes, I have a tagline I love...warm romance with dollops of faith and sprinkles of joy...but that doesn’t really describe what the reader feels. So (assuming you’ve read Beauty for Ashes, Garment of Praise, Far above Rubies, Over the Wall, Walk with Me, or a work in progress) if you’re brave enough to offer a couple emotion-filled lines, you’ll be in the running for a $10 gift card of your choosing. I’ll put all posts in a hat (well, most likely a mixing bowl...) and let one of my grandkids pick the winner on Valentine’s Day. Thanks in advance!
A Strange Christmas
This was the first Christmas since 1974 that we didn’t spend with our oldest
son. Since Scott, Kristen, Reagan, Sawyer, and Sage weren’t able to make it up to Wisconsin this year, we mailed their stockings to Missouri. So sad. And for the first time since 1981, our Aaron was not here on Christmas Eve. NOT so sad! Because God, in his awesomely perfect timing, added another stocking to our mantle...on Christmas Eve!! Aaron and Adrianne gifted us with grandbaby #9 at 6:39 p.m. on December 24. Lillyanne Alice Lola Melby came into this world with tons of dark hair and kissably fat cheeks. What a gift! 
son. Since Scott, Kristen, Reagan, Sawyer, and Sage weren’t able to make it up to Wisconsin this year, we mailed their stockings to Missouri. So sad. And for the first time since 1981, our Aaron was not here on Christmas Eve. NOT so sad! Because God, in his awesomely perfect timing, added another stocking to our mantle...on Christmas Eve!! Aaron and Adrianne gifted us with grandbaby #9 at 6:39 p.m. on December 24. Lillyanne Alice Lola Melby came into this world with tons of dark hair and kissably fat cheeks. What a gift! 
Part of the reason our Missouri kids weren’t able to be here was because Scott flew out of St. Louis on December 27, on his way to three weeks in Egypt. Read about his adventures at http://bluebottledesigns.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Stuck Plot=Clean House
Nothing motivates me to clean and organize like problems with my work in progress. Since Cathy and I haven't figured out a dramatic-enough crisis for Angel (the party planner) and a good enough reason to keep her and Wade (the guy who rescued her when she hit a deer) apart, and what in the world to do with Matt (the guy she saved with the Heimlich)...I've cleaned behind the dryer and the couch and organized the pantry with little labels on the shelves. The shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped, the house is decorated, and packages are on their way to Missouri. The Christmas letter, however, involves writing and also comes under the heading "Procrastination." My hope is that getting all this stuff done ahead of time will free up enough brain space for a plot breakthrough. If not, I'll have some serious catch-up to do. Any stuck plot solutions out there?
In the meantime, I'm counting blessings in the snow. A husband who can blow out all the candles on his cake in one breath is one of them. A grandson who celebrated his "half birthday" on the same day is another. And the gluten-free chocolate cake I made for both of them is yet one more!
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