Men and Their Work

I have Wednesdays off from the Day Job. I generally spend the day at the computer, though I feel guilty for having a very messy house right now. No regrets, though! I'm on Chapter Seven of Kansas Courtship. This is Book 3 in the LIH continuity series called "After the Storm." It's set in 1860 Kansas in a town that's been devastated by a tornado.

Everything snapped together today. My characters (Zeb and Nora) are fighting nicely, and the research turned into gold. Between a trip to the Colvin Mill Historical site and some good internet articles, I've got clear visual images of the workings of the mill. It's also added to my understanding of Zeb's character. Men and their work . . . you can't separate the two. A career's an expression of a man's values, strengths and ethics. The more I think about the mill, the better I understand Zeb. He works hard. I like him a lot.

New Cover...

Here it is, the cover of The Maverick Preacher, hot off Amazon.com I love the background, the concept. I love the hero's eyes and the pose is good. He's got the right expression, too.

He doesn't look exactly how I pictured Reverend Joshua Blue, but he's close!

That Left Brain / Right Brain Thing

I watched part of Oprah yesterday. Her guest was a lady neurologist who'd suffered a debilitating stroke and recovered. The woman had lost the left side of her brain (logic, language) but the right side was intact (immediacy, emotion). She talked about her recovery, how the different sides worked and what each controlled. Fascinating stuff, especially for a left-brained writer who thinks a lot about creativity and how to enhance it.

Here's why I think I'm left-brained: I love to edit and struggle with first drafts. I'll tinker with lanugage and logic forever. But logic and language won't get me over the hump of needing a fresh idea, a new image. Something surprising and immediate and emotional. That comes from the right brain. This whole paragraph comes from the logical left side of the brain. The right side is snoozing, I think.

So how do I find a new idea? I get up and move. There's something about movement that coordinates the two sides of the brain. I can't tell you how many times I've walked down the stairs and bam! The idea hits.

I'm kind tired of walking down the stairs only to head back up, so I'm doing something different. I'll never make it to "Dancing with the Stars," but when I'm stuck, I stand up and rock out to whatever's in the CD player. Right now, is "Like It's a Bad Thing" by Gary Allan. It beats banging my head on the monitor!

Puppy Talk

Did you know Jack Russell Terriers like apples? Who'd have thought? We're learning all sorts of things about the dog we adopted in April. Technically Hartley's a Jack-a-bee, a Beagle/JRT mix, but his "inner dog" is all JRT. I've never seen an animal jump and run so much.

Frankly, he drives me nuts. We picked up the book in an effort to understand how to train him. It's been a huge help. Bottomline is that this dog can't be trusted to know what's good for him. JRT's have been known to jump out of cars in pursuit of squirrels. I believe it. This dog is crazy! We also know he likes apples . . . but not the peel : ) He's cute, though. Crazy but cute : )

TV Night

Last night I watched a Dirty Harry movie with my husband, the third one with Tyne Daly. It's called The Enforcer. She's a lady cop newly promoted to Inspector. When she gets partnered with Harry, it's a test for them both as they go about rescuing the mayor from a bunch of radicals.

This is the only Dirty Harry movie I really enjoy. I just wish it had a better ending, like Harry and Inspector Kate Moore living happily ever after : )

Books That Stick

I finished Echo in the Darkness. In spite of having read the end, I got choked up with that final scene between Hadassah and Marcus. If ever a book described the ups and downs of a true spiritual journey, it's Echo in the Darkness. I've reread the end at least a dozen times. The story has sticking power. I feel like I lived it.

It got me thinking . . . What other books have stuck with me in this way? Here's a list.

1. The Outsider by Penelope Williamson
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
3. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
4. Autumn Blue by Karen Harter
5. The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers

I can think of a slew of books I love, but these are stories that changed me. The Mark of Lion series is definitely on this list. I've read the first two. Looks like my Borders gift card will go to the third.

Why these books? What makes them shine? As a writer, I want to give that some thought.

New Running Shoes

These are my brand new Nikes. I love them! Yesterday I did a 3-mile walk-run and I felt like a rabbit bounding across a meadow. I hadn't realized how badly worn my old shoes were. For fun I did some math. I've been walking a minimum of 2 miles a day, 5-6 times a week, since January 1st. Let's count an average of 11 miles a week. That's approx. 462 miles.

So what do running shoes have to do with books, God and romance? Everything. I plot while I walk. Movement somehow clears my mind and let's new ideas shine. It's by the grace of God I've had the discipline to walk even when I don't feel like it. And the romance? I'm married to a wonderful man who encourages me in all ways. Back in February, northern Virginia had a cold snap. It was in the teens outside, maybe lower. I did NOT want to walk, not two miles, not two steps. I also knew I'd be glad if I did it. My husband, bless his heart, put on his coat and gloves and went with me. That's love : )

Shopping for Clothes

I'm one of those rare women who doesn't like to shop. I'd rather spend an hour at the dentist. Seriously...I dislike it that much. Some of it's body type and finding the right styles. I know what fits and looks decent on me, and it's not 99% of what the stores have. They cater to teenagers and career women. I'm neither. I'd be perfectly happy wearing last year's sweaters to the day job, except I've lost 30 lbs and they're wonderfully, delightfully too big.

So today I went shopping for some winter things. Okay, I admit it. I had fun. For one thing, I'm down another size. Hooray! I also figured something out. I've got my own style. Whether it's "in" or "out," I like what I like and I'm going to wear it. That style is simple, tailored and modest. Instead of thinking, "I look awful in that," today I thought, "That looks awful on me." Subtle difference but significant.

Bless my husband . . . We hadn't planned on going to the mall. The trip started after church with me saying I needed new running shoes. He likes buying running shoes, so we headed for Modell's. The next thing he knew, he'd been lasso-ed into a sale at JC Penneys. Right now, he's taking a nap. He earned it!

Progress...

The copy edits for the Mother's Day novella are done. My editor asked for two changes, both very wise and very short. I'm always amazed how a few tweaks can make such a big difference.

Now it's back to KANSAS COURTSHIP. That's the LIH continuity about a Kansas town that's been struck by a tornado. Setting is 1860, which is about 15 years before my comfort zone, not to mention 500 miles away from Colorado and Wyoming. Or is it further? I'd check if I needed to know for sure. Mapquest might be a modern tool, but it comes in handy when I need to check distances.

Copy Edits

The line edit for "Home Again" arrived today. That's the Mother's Day novella for IN A MOTHER'S ARMS, the anthology I'm sharing with Jillian Hart. This is always a tricky part of the process for me. I'll be reading a ms I haven't seen in months. Will I still like it? I sure hope so. It's too late to rethink it now!

The book comes out in April 2009. Because of an article in RWR (RWA's magazine), I got a sneak peak at the cover. I'll post it as soon as I get the official copy. Same with the cover for THE MAVERICK PREACHER.

What We Do For Love

My husband forgot his pager the other day. Yes, I know, pagers are soooo 1990s, but he carries it in addition to his cell for a reason. He's had it for years. Everyone knows the number.

Anyhow, the day he forgot it, he asked me if I'd keep an ear out for calls. I had plans for lunch with a good friend, but I said, "Sure. No problem." I carefully zipped the pager inside my purse. I put it in that special place where we keep that extra $5 bill or whatever. It's also where I keep my cell phone, which I had to use.

I guess I didn't zip the pocket all the way, because the pager fell out of my purse at the restaurant and I didn't know it. It's a nifty little place, about 30 minutes away from our house. That's 30 minutes without Washington DC traffic, which is rare on the beltway, especially with Hot Lane construction in progress. This afternoon, after a long day at work, I headed back to the restaurant to fetch it.

The point is this: The pager's a pain, but I love my husband and was glad to help. It's a bigger pain for him, but he carries it because he loves his family and works hard to support us. He wasn't mad that I'd lost it. I wasn't angry that he'd asked me to carry it. But the whole situation was just so frustrating . . . one more thing to do, worries about missed calls, etc.. The kindest, most loving thing we did for each other was shrug it off with a mutual groan and go about our days.

My Dog and Faith

Hartley--also known as Hartlebee--and I walk two miles just about every day. He's a Jack Russell/Beagle mix, which means he's into hunting squirrels and heavy duty sniffing. He's also a rescue dog and surprisingly fragile.

Today we took our usual route but at a different time. Panic of all panics . . . an ice cream truck went by. Remember the song "Love is Blue"? That was chiming like crazy. Poor Hartley tried to hide under a bush. I coaxed him out and carried him for a while, but he could still hear the ice cream truck. The song switched to "It's a Small World." That's when I wanted to hide. It's still stuck in my head.

Hartley's also afraid of little girls. He'll turn the corner whenever we see girls playing hopscotch or even just sitting on steps. He likes little boys.

I wonder why he reacts this way. We've speculated about past trauma, but we'll never know. What strikes me here is how often we as human beings are afraid of things we don't understand. I have to wonder . . . Am I running from ice cream trucks? Are there blessings God has that I fear because I don't understand? I'm sure there are. I hope I trust God more than Hartley trusted me today. I also know that when I don't, the Lord will scoop me up and carry me just like I carried poor Hartley.

What I'm Reading...

I'm in the middle of two books right now. The first is a Kay Arthur Bible study on grace. I'm not loving it like I loved the Beth Moore studies, but I'm definitely being taught by a strong and wise woman. The title is "Lord, I Need Grace To Make It Today." My take-away so far has been this: Grace is the God-given ability to make unselfish choices.

It's our human nature to take care of No. 1 (ourselves). Grace is what allows us to put others first, to put God first. Left on my own, I'll pick donuts over an apple and then be angry at myself. There's such freedom in making good choices, whether those choices concern food and exercise, or putting others before ourselves as in saying, "Here, honey. You take the remote."

On the fiction front I'm reading the second book in Francine Rivers' THE MARK OF THE LION series. It leaves me speeches. I'm loving every word. Speaking of needing grace (grin), I cheated. I read the last few pages. I just had to see what happened with Marcus and Hadassah. Major sighs here . . . I love this book.

About the New Book...

Earlier I mentioned a new book...I signed the contract a few days ago, so everything's official. I'll be doing the third story in an LIH continuity called "After the Storm." The books are all set in a fictional Kansas town in 1860, and the stories take place during and after a tornado. My partners for this venture are Valerie Hansen and Renee Halverson.

I've always been a Lone Ranger when it comes to writing. I've never belonged to a critique group, mostly because it just hasn't worked out time-wise. I've never brainstormed with anyone, except now and then with online friends. Working with other authors is all new to me and have I say--I love it! With linked stories, Val, Renee and I have to do a lot of coordinating. It's been a total blast to share ideas and trade insights into our characters.

The proposal's just about done, so the last four weeks of intense writing have paid off.

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Anita Mae Draper for an internet game. Anita's a fan of LIH and a fellow writer working toward publication. For rules and more writers to visit, check her blog at: http://anitamaedraper.blogspot.com/

The tag is write six random things about myself.

1. My favorite snack is a red apple with super chunk Smucker’s natural peanut butter.

2. I walk two miles a day, rain or shine.

3. I have a Jack Russell/Beagle mix puppy. He’s a year old and terror, but we love him.

4. My favorite treat is a Starbuck’s Venti Skim Cappuccino. I don’t like the sweet drinks at all, but the Cappuccino is heavenly.

5. I’ve been to 16 of the 50 United States. My husband’s been to about 30 and my oldest son has made it to 48. My youngest son’s been to Alaska. Next stop: Hawaii : )

6. My favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 50:10. To paraphrase: Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the Name of the Lord.

I'd tag six more people, but I seem to be the caboose on this train. The bloggers I know have already participated. Have a great Sunday! I'm off to church : )

Why I've Been MIA

Time gets away from me, especially when I'm starting a new project. What I'm doing now was completely unexpected. I've been asked to do a continuity for Love Inspired Historicals. Since the pub date is March 2010, my schedule went topsy turvy.

This is a great problem to have, but it means I've been cracking the whip at the computer. Not only have I been working up a proposal, I've had galleys to proof for The Maverick Preacher and some additional material (study questions, reader letter) for Home Again, the Mother's Day novella. Then there's the day job. And writing snail mail to my youngest son who's away at Basic Training. And IMing with my oldest son who's at grad school. Oh, my husband had a birthday and we actually went to the movies.

Did I mention that haircut I finally got? And that trip to mall because I've lost 30lbs (hooray!) and none of my winter clothes fit? And the dog . . . bless his Jack Russell heart. We walk two miles every day. He's a terror if he doesn't get his exercise, and I need it too.

I'm blessed beyond words to have so much going on right now, but I'll be glad when my schedule slows down a bit. I really miss being online!