Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Sisterchicks Go Brit
Multnomah Publishers (May 20, 2008)
by
Robin Jones Gunn


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin grew up in Orange County, California, and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawaii.

Robin’s first novel was published in 1988, and she has continued to write between two to five books a year. Her 63 published books include 47 novels, all of which are still in print. Sales of her popular Christy Miller Series, Glenbrooke Series, and Sisterchicks Series, including Sisterchicks in Gondolas, and the new Katie Weldon Series, including Peculiar Treasures, all of which are approaching four million copies sold, with translations in nine languages.

Robin’s passion for storytelling and travel are evident in all her books, especially the Sisterchicks novels, and she has received thousands of letters from readers around the world who have come to know Christ through her writing. She sees this as her dream come true. Her novels are traveling to foreign lands and her characters are doing what she always longed to do—telling people about God’s love.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon, and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry, and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award, and she is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.



ABOUT THE BOOK
SISTERCHICK® n: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.

Two midlife mamas hop over to jolly ole England and encounter so much more than the usual tourist stops. Liz does have a bit of a childhood crush on Big Ben, and she has hoped to “meet” him ever since her fifteenth birthday. Kellie dreams of starting an interior design business and figures Liz needs to be a part of that equation—a calculation that hasn’t added up for Liz yet.

Nothing on the excursion goes the way these two friends had envisioned. They start with a village pancake race and end up being held for questioning on The Underground. Kellie and Liz take a wild tour through the land of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and then find themselves swept up, up, and away in a hot air balloon over the Cotswalds. London beckons with the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, shopping at Portabella Road in Knotting Hill, and of course, reservations at the Ritz for a posh high tea.

A few detours along the way and the possibility of being lost in a London fog of wonderment aren’t enough to stop these two Sisterchicks! Each step of their regal journey is lined with evidence of God’s gracious compassion, and both come to realize that God knows their every wish. He is the One who planted every dream in their hearts.

And, oh, what a surprise awaits them when they return home!


To read the first chapter, go HERE

“Robin has done it again! You and your Sisterchicks will love taking this new adventure together!”
- Karen Kingsbury, New York Times best-selling author of Between Sundays and Ever After

“My only complaint about Robin’s latest is that now I want to hop a plane to England! But combine a cup of Earl Grey tea and this charming story and you’re halfway there. Another delightful tale about women helping women to live their lives to the fullest.”
- Melody Carlson, author of These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking and A Mile in My Flip-Flops

“Sisterchicks in Gondolas is a true delight. The characters shine, and evocative language will make any reader want to visit Venice. Biblical truths are portrayed simply, yet will touch hearts and lives with their realistic application.”
- Romantic Times magazine

Margie's comments: I'm looking forward to reading this newest installment in the Sisterchicks series. As I said yesterday, Roger and I are celebrating our 30th anniversary with a trip to England and Scotland in October. We plan to visit some of the same places Liz and Kellie visited, so it will be fun to have an added perspective. So stay tuned for a review (when I get caught up on my reading/review pile!), and quite possibly a rehash later, after we're back from exploring our family roots.

Searching for Spice by Megan DiMaria

Yesterday Roger and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary. Hard to believe that much time has passed since we committed our lives to one another and to God. God has truly blessed our marriage, and while neither one of us is perfect, we do love each other more than we did thirty years ago. God is good! We aren’t having a huge celebration now, but in October we’re going to England and Scotland to celebrate and to visit our daughter who lives and works in London.

When I first read our featured book for today, I identified strongly with the main character, in that she wanted to have a steamy affair . . . with her husband! Shortly after I did the requested assessment on this manuscript for Megan, she received a two-book contract from Tyndale for Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands, due to be released this fall.

Megan joins us today to answer a few questions I asked her about her books and her writing in general.


How did you get started writing, and where has that journey taken you that you may not have expected starting out?
I started writing in grade school after my 6th grade teacher convinced me I was good at it. In high school I was on the staff of the school newspaper and did an internship at the local newspaper. I studied Communications and Mass Media in college, and after graduation I was a radio and television reporter. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. I guess you can see a pattern here. Working with words and ideas has always been a pleasure for me. From the time I was a teen, I always dreamed of writing fiction. It was a dream that I postponed while my children were little and didn’t pursue until 1995. I wrote my first book from 1995 until 2000—and it was awful! After that I joined ACFW (then ACRW), got into a critique group, studied books on craft, and hung out with other writers. I began writing Searching for Spice in 2004 to enter it into a contest. I finished it in 2006, the year I met Jan Stob, the acquisitions editor for Tyndale House Publishers. She requested my proposal, and in the spring of 2007 I got my first contract. Both of the contracted books release this year. Out of Her Hands will be available in October. I think the unexpected place my journey has taken me is to being a published author. After studying and submitting for 12 years, and also being a part of local writers groups, I began to think that my part in the industry was as an encourager for other writers. I always believed (and still do) that I was not called to be a bestselling author, I was called to be an obedient child of God. The success I’ve attained is all about Him.

How do you balance family life with writing?
My kids are all young adults now, so they don’t need my attention as much as younger children would. Most of Searching for Spice was written in the evenings and on weekends while I held a full-time job. In 2006, I started to work less hours, and now I only work at my day job two days a week. I give priority to my family and will always take a break to spend time with them. I jump at any opportunity to spend time with my husband, even if it’s as simple as walking to the mailbox.

How does your walk with the Lord affect your writing? And how do you balance time with the Lord with your writing schedule?
I truly give all the credit for any success I enjoy to God. The close relationship I have with Him is what sustains me through my writing journey. Many years ago an older woman prayed that I would be blessed with words, and that’s a prayer I continue to pray for myself. I freely acknowledge that my words are from the Author of life. I start praying even before I open my eyes every morning. I keep my favorite devotional book near my comfy chair so it’s handy. In the winter, that’s my rocking chair in the living room, and in the summer I perch it on the computer desk by the back door so I can grab it on my way out the patio.

Since my blog is geared to writers who want to improve their self-editing, could you briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision?
I come up with an idea and write a first chapter to see how it works. Then I marinate the plot in my brain for a while before I start to write more. I’m an intuitive writer, which means I don’t write a point-by-point plotline before writing the book. I know who my characters will be and where I want the plot to go, but the details are worked out in progress. I always know what the deepest, darkest moment will be and how the story will end. After I finish writing a chapter, I put it on a separate word document, give it a quick edit, and send it on to my critique partners. After they send me the chapter back, I consider making any changes and move on. I don’t edit any more than that. However, after my manuscript is turned into the publisher, I will receive it again to go over the suggested edits. I trust the editor I’ve worked with from Tyndale, Lorie Popp, so I usually will tweak the story according to her guidelines.

What kinds of things do you have to revise once the editor at a publishing house gets done with your manuscript?
Most of the changes are to clarify a scene or a character’s motivation. In Searching for Spice, Lorie suggested that I switch around the placement of a couple of scenes. It made the story stronger, but it was if my story was a puzzle and all the pieces were thrown in the air, and I had to put it back together again. The ripple effect of changing the sequence of a few scenes is very involved. The timeline was disrupted and so many of the details needed to be changed. Out of Her Hands required a much more intense edit because the last third of my book dealt with issues covered in two books being released by other Tyndale authors just months before OOHH comes out. I had to rewrite my deepest, darkest moment. In the end, I think it’s still as good a story as the original one because I maintained the same emotional pressures that were involved in the first draft.

Would you tell us a little about your future projects?
Right now I have four novels summarized. That means I’ve outlined the basic plot, the characters, the obvious need and the hidden need, and how the story will end. I’ve begun to write the first of those novels, the wip is titled Many Happy Returns. It’s about a woman who is jazzed to enter the next phase of her life, that of the empty nest. She has dreams of renewing her marriage, traveling, and beginning new hobbies. But as usual, life doesn’t go according to plan. The story starts in a Mexican toilet stall where she’s trapped due to a rusted latch. (Margie here: Ha! This really happened to Megan not too long ago. You should hear her tell the whole story in person. Can't wait to see it in print. VBG) She and her husband are on their first vacation as a couple in 26 years. Unfortunately an approaching hurricane forces them to cut their vacation short. They return home to find that her mother’s moved into their house, and their college daughter has dropped out and come home from school.

Finally, would you discuss Searching for Spice? The research, the idea, and the scope of the project?
Searching for Spice was written as a response to a running joke with some girlfriends about desiring more romance in our lives. We all enjoy solid, satisfying marriages, but, well, a girl can dream. J The research was basically observing human nature and how men and women perceive love in different ways. There were a few places where I needed advice, and I relied on the expertise of friends, one is a nurse and the other a lawyer. I think I was unprepared for the emotional depth that I took that story to. I knew that I had to go in that direction, but I didn’t expect to live the emotions that I put my characters through. I lived, laughed, and cried with them.


Thank you so much, Megan! We appreciate your time and the opportunity to spotlight your work.
Thanks for hosting me, Margie. If anyone wants to take a peek into my crazy world, feel free to visit my website or my blog.




Daily Bible reading: Tuesday, July 15—Psalms 13–15; Acts 11
Wednesday, July 16—Psalms 16–17; Acts 12
Thursday, July 17—Psalms 18–19; Acts 13:1–25
Friday, July 18—Psalms 20–22; Acts 13:26–52
Saturday, July 19—Psalms 23–25; Acts 14
Sunday, July 20—Psalms 26–28; Acts 15:1–21
Monday, July 21—Psalms 29–30; Acts 15:22–41

2008 Christy Awards Press Release by Wynn-Wynn Media

The Christy Awards ceremony was Saturday evening in Orlando, Florida. Here is a list of the 2008 winners:

Contemporary stand alone: CHASING FIREFLIES by Charles Martin
Contemporary series: HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS by Jan Karon
Historical: A PROPER PURSUIT by Lynn Austin
Lits: HALLIE'S HEART by Shelly Beach
Romance: REMEMBERED by Tammy Alexander
Suspense: THE CURE by Athol Diickson
Visionary: SCARLET by Stephen Lawhead
YA: HOLLYWOOD NOBODY by Lisa Samson
1st novel: THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello


For more information, go here. Congratulations to all the winners!

Wind River by Tom Morrisey

I'm at the library using their free Internet, since it seems that after seven hours on the phone today, it was decided that someone is going to have to come out to the house tomorrow to find out what's wrong. Sigh. And I leave late morning for Georgia. So . . . I thought I'd better get this posted while I have access to the Internet. Hope you all have a great weekend!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Wind River
(Bethany House July 1, 2008)
by
Tom Morrisey


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society - Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited, or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of four other novels: In High Places (Bethany House Publishers, 2007), Dark Fathom (Zondervan, 2005), Deep Blue, (Zondervan 2004), and Turn Four (Zondervan 2004). In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK


You Can't Outrun the Sins of Your Past
Desperate to forget what happened to him in Iraq, Tyler Perkins flees to the emptiness of Wyoming. He's here to escape and also to fulfill a long-ago promise by accompanying his 86-year-old friend Soren Andeman on a fly-fishing trip—once more for old time's sake. But their trek to an idyllic trout lake soon becomes something more deeply harrowing—a journey that uncovers long-held lies, deadly crimes, and the buried secrets of the past. Ty barely has time to contemplate the question of what constitutes justice when nature unleashes her own revenge. Trapped in a race back to safety, he must face his own guilt-ridden past or risk being consumed.

Powerfully imagined by the acclaimed author of In High Places, Wind River is an engaging wilderness adventure that explores the power of confession, the beauty of forgiveness, and the freedom of truth unveiled.

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE


Margie's comments: This is another book on my long (and ever getting longer) list of books to review. It's also going with me to Georgia. I'm being ever hopeful that I'll have time to read. (smile) So stay tuned. I have a feeling this is a book that the fishermen and outdoorsmen in my family will love to read!

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Edge Of Recall
(Bethany House July 1, 2008)
by
Kristen Heitzmann


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall, and Unforgotten.

Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.

When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague—with whom she'd half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time—alls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.

Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins . . . again.


If You would like to read the first chapter, go HERE


Margie's comments: I've always enjoyed Kristen's books, and I'm sure The Edge of Recall will be no exception . . . when I get the chance to read it. With family visiting all last week, editing deadlines, and judging published books, I'm behind on my reviewing. However . . . stay tuned. I hope to have a review up by the end of next week.

Grace Builders

Today on the Edit Cafe is a great article by Cec Murphey on the grace builders in my life. I know I have them; I strongly suspect you do too. Go here to read Cec's article.


Daily Bible reading: Tuesday, July 8—Deuteronomy 32–34; Acts 7:44–60
Wednesday, July 9—Obadiah; Acts 8:1–25
Thursday, July 10—Ruth; Acts 8:26–40
Friday, July 11—Psalms 1–3; Acts 9:1–21
Saturday, July 12—Psalms 4–6; Acts 9:22–43
Sunday, July 13—Psalms 7–9; Acts 10:1–23
Monday, July 14—Psalms 10–12; Acts 10:24–48

Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Love Starts With Elle
(Thomas Nelson - July 8, 2008)
by
Rachel Hauck

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Hauck is a forty-something, a child of the '60's, '70's, '80's, '90's and '00's, who roller skated through the '70's into the '80's with Farrah Fawcet hair and a three-speed orange Camaro. She graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism.

After graduation, she hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, determined to see the world. She's traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. from California to Maine.

Rachel met Tony, her husband, in '87, at church, of all places. They married in '92. They don't have any children of their own, just lots of kids-in-the-Lord and they love them all. However, they do have two very spoiled dogs, and a very demanding cat.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in '04, Lambert's Pride, a romance novel. My current release is Sweet Caroline from Thomas Nelson. Romantic Times Book Club gave both books their highest rank of 4.5 stars, with Love Starts With Elle being honored as Top Pick!



ABOUT THE BOOK

Elle's living the dream—but is it her dream or his?

Elle loves life in Beaufort, South Carolina—lazy summer days on the sand bar, coastal bonfires, and dinners with friends sharing a lifetime of memories. And she's found her niche as the owner of a successful art gallery too. Life is good.

Then the dynamic pastor of her small town church sweeps her off her feet. She's never known a man like Jeremiah—one who breathes in confidence and exhales all doubt. When he proposes in the setting sunlight, Elle hands him her heart on a silver platter.

But Jeremiah's just accepted a large pastorate in a different state. If she's serious about their relationship, Elle will take "the call," too, leaving behind the people and place she loves so dearly. Elle's friendship with her new tenant, widower Heath McCord, and his young daughter make things even more complicated.

Is love transferable across the miles? And can you take it with you when you go?

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE

Interview with Kathleen E. Kovach

Today, I'm featuring one of my very best friends, Kathy Kovach. I met Kathy several years ago at CCWC. They had just moved back to Colorado and were going through some difficult circumstances. We renewed our friendship as several years passed and we continued to meet up at CCWC and later at the ACFW conferences. When I retired from teaching, Kathy invited me to try out her critique group . . . and the rest is history. Since then we've spent a lot of time together—playing, critiquing, working, and praying (not necessarily in that order!).

How did you get started writing, and where has that journey taken you that you may not have expected starting out?
I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pencil in my hand. And before that I was telling stories in my head. My mother recently told me that I would tell her something, and she would ask, “Kathy, is that a story or is it real?” She said I’d always fess up.

As I was honing my craft, I wrote newsletters for various organizations. When we were stationed in Germany during our Air Force days, I started a newsletter for American women living off-base in our little town. This gave them a touch of home and brought all of us together as a community. This was probably the biggest surprise in my writing walk. I’ve always been a fiction writer, and to write articles was definitely a God-thing. From there I became the newsletter chairperson for the local chapters of two national organizations.

Read more about how I started out at www.gracereign.blogspot.com

How do you balance family life with writing?
This is a funny question since you, Margie, are my crit and prayer partner! However, for the sake of the interview… Currently I’m having a hard time balancing the two. My son has moved in with his three kids and two pets—and I’m Granny Daycare. Balance? There’s six of them and one of me! However, the handiest tool I have is my AlphaSmart, a word processor that looks like a computer keyboard, but it doesn’t hook into anything until you want to upload into your computer what you’ve written. It runs on AA batteries and has a memory and a life beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Several times now I’ve taken it to the library (after my son comes home from work) or out to a quiet restaurant and plunked my story in there.

Right now I’m in a season of “not yet,” even though I’ve been instructed to keep my hand in writing. Soon, I’ll be back to “go for it” and be able to write full time again. Please, God, please!

How does your walk with the Lord affect your writing? And how do you balance time with the Lord with your writing schedule?
Ouch. You hit me where it hurts! I know when I get a chance to write, I have to force myself to stop and ask God for direction. I’ve heard of writers who say they never write that first word of the day until they’ve soaked in God’s presence. I often don’t feel I have time for that. But I do believe it’s an important part of my job as one “going forth and spreading the gospel.” I answered the last question first—perhaps a bit ambiguously. I’d like to go on to say that my walk affects my writing a great deal. If it didn’t, I’d probably be writing bodice-rippers for Harlequin. As it is, I know that any good stable romance needs that spiritual thread, just as any strong real-life romance needs the Lord. This is where that “three-cord strand that cannot be easily broken” applies (from Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Since my blog is geared to writers who want to improve their self-editing, could you briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision?
Briefly? It took me 23 years to write my first novel! Let’s see. Now that I know a bit more about the craft, this is how my last few stories came to be.

• I get an idea, maybe from a show I’m watching on television, or something in the news. Just a tiny spark. If it dances in my brain for a while, I know the Lord is ready to write that with me. Unfortunately, He makes me do all the work!
• I’ll have several false starts, maybe play with tense, like first person or third. I always know who my POV character is, though.
• Once it begins rolling, it’s almost as if the words bypass my brain and head straight for the keyboard. I try not to edit as I go, but as I start a new day, I’ll read what I wrote the day before to get me into the story again. I’ll often fix what’s bothering me, but not on a large scale. I’ll also make notes if I want to move on and not get bogged down on research or grammar, etc.
• Once I get the first draft down, I wait a few days and then print the whole thing out. I curl up with red pen in hand and read it as if I’m seeing it for the first time. Now, in this whole process, I’ve had my crit groups look at it, so I’ve already fixed what bothered them.
• After I go through the whole thing with my red pen, I make the changes in the computer and do word searches for “weasel words” like “that,” any word ending in “-ly,” repeated words, and favorite words or phrases that I overuse.
• I fix these and then turn on my grammar check. I don’t have it on when I’m writing because I have ADD and all those squiggly lines are too distracting for me! I do keep the spell checker on though because if I see something I know is not right, it drives me nuts until I look it up. Can we say OCD, too?
• When all that is done, I print it out again and give it to “readers”—people who aren’t writers. I may take this opportunity to send it to people who helped me with research, too, just to be sure I got certain things correct. I did this with Merely Players, but I only sent excerpts that pertained to the research material. The “non-writers” will be members of my family and maybe someone from my church. I ask them if they’re confused by something, or if something just doesn’t read right.
• I take their suggestions, put them in the computer, print the thing out a third time and tackle it with a fine-tooth comb. I’ll look for anything I may have missed in that first read-through. If it’s too long as Merely Players was, I’ll look for places to cut. Sometimes whole scenes that can be eliminated or filtered back into another part in shorter form. Always, in the course of all the read-throughs, I’m playing with phraseology. If I say it this way, it will have more impact than if I say it that way.
• When I finally have the perfect manuscript, do I send it off? No! I print it out one last time because in addition to ADD and OCD, I’m also a perfectionist. If I don’t have a close deadline, I’ll let this copy sit for a week or more, a month would be even better. Then I curl up again, and read it as if I’m a “reader.” The longer I’ve been away from it, the more detached I can become.
• Then, I finally send it in and wait until the editor sends it back. Then I make their changes. The editing process never ends until I see it in print. Well, that’s not quite true. After I read it once the book comes out, I’ll writhe in pain at every goof I make because by this time, I’ve grown a little more as a writer.

What kinds of things do you have to revise once the editor at a publishing house gets done with your manuscript?
So far, I’ve been blessed. I have two awesome critique groups that have people with various talents. I have had very few edits. In Merely Players there was a scene that the editor didn’t feel was realistic. She asked me to change it and I was able to come up with a much better scene than the original. I also had to cut even more because shortly after I sent Heartsong Presents my manuscript, they changed their guidelines from 55K maximum words to 50K. This meant I had to cut fifteen pages. PAGES! I panicked, then called my good buddy, Mary Davis, who is a Heartsong veteran. After she calmed me down, she taught me a trick. Since I now worked from the galleys (the story printed out in landscape and positioned in two columns to look like the actual book), I was to find the pages with the fewest sentences on them, then work to make them disappear from that page. So, if I found a page with only one sentence, I only had to get rid of enough words to eliminate that one sentence. This was do-able. I received my galleys the day before a camping trip and my husband and I both worked on them in lantern light. We found lines of text that only had one or two words and cut those down to eliminate the line. This often was as simple as saying something in a more concise manner than I had said it before. Eventually we whittled away enough lines of text to eliminate the fifteen pages. I was pleased with the outcome.

Would you tell us a little about your future projects?
I’ve decided to try my hand at a cozy mystery. The Brothers Grimm have intrigued me ever since I saw a movie when I was young, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. Then, after seeing the absolutely horrid movie with Matt Damon, I had a spark (remember my sparks from above?). Therefore, the Sisters Grimm series is about two sisters who believe they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm and they solve mysteries using their unique knowledge of fairy tales. The first is called Big Bad Wolf. The sisters search for a missing girl in a red hoodie and believe a chef named Wolf is responsible. Book Two is Mirror, Mirror where a beautiful frozen corpse is found in a mineshaft. Book Three is Stroke of Midnight where the less talented sister in an acting troupe disappears, leaving behind the glassblower who loves her.

Since these stories aren’t fantasy, there will be a lot of fairy-tale metaphors and symbolism. I can’t wait to be able to lose myself in these stories.

For more on symbolism in my stories, go to http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com

Finally, would you discuss Merely Players? The research, the idea, and the scope of the project?

I had three research challenges in Merely Players. One was the hero’s world as an actor. There wasn’t much in the way of books that helped me other than the technical jargon. I called Kim Van Meter, the film commissioner in Mariposa County, California, and interviewed her. I also talked to fellow ACFW member Tiff (Amber Miller) Stockton who works for actress Jane Seymour. (Tiff will be interviewing me on her blog at www.ambermiller.com on July 9.) They both helped me with my location shoot scenes. My son, Joey, a professional stage actor, provided an insider’s view of the community theater where the heroine, Bethany, spends her off hours.

Bethany is also a dolphin trainer, and I knew NOTHING about that, other than what I’d seen as a spectator at the Gulfarium and other aquariums. I gleaned most of what I needed from the Internet. My son came through again, though. He had worked at Busch Gardens in Florida in some of their entertainment shows, and would sometimes fill in with the animal shows. Joey had once pet a dolphin and could tell me what they feel like. (Read the book if you want to know about that sense of touch!)

And the third type of research had to do with challenged kids for the therapy scenes. Again, the Internet provided a wealth of information, and I also ran these past people who had children with these disabilities. I also called the therapist at the Gulfarium for an interview. She was very sweet and asked me if I’d been following her around because my questions proved that I had done enough research to sound like I knew what I was doing.

In all my research, I copied links, and made note of books I’d read and people I’d talked to. This was important because I may have had to defend a particular scene if it didn’t ring true with the editor.

I talk more about research at www.rachelhauck.com/blog.htm

Thank you so much, Kathy! We appreciate your time and the opportunity to spotlight your work.

If you haven’t read Merely Players yet, why? LOL You can get a copy of the book here or it’s part of a collection of stories, Florida Weddings.

Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Hidden
Avon Inspire (May 27, 2008)
by
Shelley Shepard Gray



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.



ABOUT THE BOOK


Hidden is a remarkable story about the unlikely love between a modern girl on the run and an Amish boy from the family who shelters her.

When Anna decides it's time to leave her abusive boyfriend, she doesn't know where to turn. Rob is a successful and respected person in her community. He has completely won over her parents with his good looks and prestigious position at a top law firm. Only Anna has seen his dark side. But when Rob hurts Anna yet again, she realizes that she must finally help herself.

Desperate, she runs to the one place she’s always felt completely safe, the Amish Brenneman Bed and Breakfast, where years ago she and her mother once stayed, and where Anna met life-long friend Katie Brenneman. When Anna shows up years later unexpectedly, the family welcomes her in, with few questions asked, and allows her to stay, dressed as the Amish in Plain clothes, and help around the inn.

But Katie’s older brother Henry doesn’t take too kindly to the intrusion. Anna wonders if it’s because he’s already had his heart broken. To Henry’s shame, from the moment he sees Anna, he feels a strong attraction. To cover his infatuation, he tries to ignore her, knowing no good would ever come from keeping an eye on a fancy woman like her. But as he sees that Anna has a good heart and is not the selfish, spoiled woman he imagined her to be, he feels his heart pointing towards her.

Anna comes to realize that she’s found a home and true love in the last place she’d expected. How can she deny the life she left behind? And will her chance for happiness be stolen away by the man who can’t seem to let her go?

If you would like to read the Prologue, go HERE


Daily Bible reading: Tuesday, July 1—Deuteronomy 13–15; Acts 4:1–22
Wednesday, July 2—Deuteronomy 16–18; Acts 4:23–37
Thursday, July 3—Deuteronomy 19-–21; Acts 5:1–21
Friday, July 4—Deuteronomy 22–24; Acts 5:22–42
Saturday, July 5—Deuteronomy 25–27; Acts 6
Sunday, July 6—Deuteronomy 28–29; Acts 7:1–21
Monday, July 7—Deuteronomy 30–31; Acts 7:22–43

Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

I'll be doing today's post in several installments. Since my brother and his family are visiting, I'm finding that I'm severely "cramped" for time right now. (smile) So . . . I didn't think to post the CFBA blog tour for the end of last week until it was very late in the day! Yikes! And there was no time to do it over the weekend either. So . . . sorry, Mary, that this is a little late.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Calico Canyon
Barbour Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2008)
by
Mary Connealy


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARY CONNEALY is an award-winning author and playwright, married to Ivan a farmer, and the mother of four beautiful daughters, Joslyn, Wendy, Shelly and Katy. They live in Decatur, Nebraska. Mary is a GED Instructor by day and an author by night. And there is always a cape involved in her transformation.

Mary has also written Petticoat Ranch, Golden Days, and her latest, Alaska Brides that will debut in August.






ABOUT THE BOOK

Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutchs of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R's—widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair—two people who couldn't dislike each other more—an avalanche isn't the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?

Running from her abusive foster-father, a man intent on revenge, the prim and perfectly proper Grace Calhoun takes on the job of schoolmarm in Mosqueros, Texas.

As if being a wanted woman isn't bad enough, Grace has her hands full with the five rowdy and rambunctious Reeves boys─tough Texan tormenters who seem intent on making her life miserable. When, in an attempt to escape from the clutches of her pursuer, Grace is forced to marry widower Daniel Reeves, father of the miniature monsters, she thinks things couldn't get any worse. Or could they?

Daniel Reeves, happy in his all-male world, is doing the best he can, raising his five boys─rascals, each and every one. Since his wife's death in childbirth, Daniel has been determined never to risk marriage again.

When God throws Grace and Daniel together─two people who couldn't detest each other more─the trouble is only beginning.

Will this hapless pair find the courage to face life together in the isolated Calico Canyon? Or are their differences too broad a chasm to bridge?

If you would like to read the first chapter go HERE