Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Foods of Politicians

Think you know everything about those who have been presidents or are now seeking office? Well, maybe not everything. Huckabee revealed a favorite college food he used to make in the dorm. (Reminded me of Uncle Fred.)



And when you are done with that, try this quiz, that is really a lot of fun,and maybe it will relieve the tension that this election is causing.

What's the strangest thing that you eat? I had a college roommate whose honey lured her to marriage by bringing her radish and butter sandwiches. I'll have to think a bit what I eat that's strange. Maybe it was this stuff called "Numeat" when I was a kid, which was a vegetarian sandwich spread that came in a can and was white-looking. (I have never found it as an adult.) I also really like Lay's Potato Chips with Red Gold catsup.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

What's Your Work Style?


In my former life I was an educator. My favorite part of my job was to analyze my students--how they learned best, what they were learning, how to reach every one of them. If I had a student struggling, you can bet I was dissecting them to see what the hold up in the learning process was. My style and approach was sometimes different than my colleagues, but I got the job done. I took learning styles/theories classes and read countless studies and books on the subject. I even presented the subject to my fellow educators on the topic.

Now that I'm working as a writer and editor/reader/book doc, I can't help but apply these same principles and knowledge in working with authors and editors. And I'm always on the lookout for new tests and analysis. Try this work test and see what suits you in your work style. It may help in writing or knowing what direction to go.

My results were INTJ. Here is what it said about me:

INTJ, INTP, ENTJ and ENTP:

“NT” or Intuitive Thinking Type—The Analyzers
You are an analytical type—a rational knowledge-seeker. You perceive information primarily with your intuition but heavily depend upon logic for making your decisions.

Jobs to consider: event planner, trainer, media planner, sales manager, marketing manager, advertiser, technical writer, editor, new business developer, strategic planner, scientist, inventor, engineer, lawyer, judge, military officer, computer programmer, professor, medical doctor or assistant, dentist or dental hygienist, organizer, economist, environmental planner, psychologist, financial planner.



Obviously, it is a general overview (covering several types of the Myers-Briggs,) but it gives you a direction to take. Let me know what your results were!

Friday, October 17, 2008

I Love Your Blog Awards!



This blog and my When I Was Just a Kid blog just received an I Love Your Blog Award from J.M. Hochstetler at >The American Patriot Series blog! I love >Joan for many reasons,(for one she started as a Hoosier, and she also writes great books and publishes others' books, too) which makes this an honor for me.

You must go and read Joan's When I Was Just a Kid interview, too, in case you missed it. She has One Holy Night, a novel, out right now, so you need to check it out and look for blogs giving free copies.

The rules for this award are as follows:

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

This is going to be tough to narrow down to just seven blogs, as I do love quite a few. I may not check daily, but I do go around looking for more interviews and people to feature. You can find links to all sorts of blogs over in my links section--and yes, I do go visit when I can.

Here are my choices in no particular order:

1. Nancy J. Ring at Anchors, Signposts and Wanderings. Nancy is deep and poignant and speaks to my soul's yearnings and travelings. She helps me to find the path home.

2. LeAnne Martin at Christian in the Arts and Beauty and the Beholder. She writes about beauty. We need much more of this in our lives. I feel at peace on her blogs.Here is a quote from her blog to prove my point: "How kind you were to open the gates of heaven and give me that little glimpse of Paradise." From an 18th-Century letter

3. Bonnie Bruno at MacroMoments. Her photography leaves me breathless. She has deep insights into God's teachings. And she's just plain nice and encourages others (me, too.)

4. Dr. Richard Mabry at Random Jottings writes about a variety of issues in writing. He's been a successful M.D. and now has launched a writing career, writing articles and fiction manuscripts. (He even did an interview with me on his blog, and now it's been accepted at Christian Communicator magazine.) I can relate to him and his journey. Good blog. Lots of interviews, writing news and indepth insights.

5. Two of my very favorite genres in fiction to read are historicals and historical romances. Over at Favorite PASTimes talks about these kinds of books and about the research. I love that.Contributors are Kathy Rouser
JM Hochstetler
Jill Eileen Smith
Cindy Thomson
Becky Laney
Michelle Sutton, Book Reviews
Rosslyn Elliott

6. Cara Putman is a brilliant woman with endless (almost!) energy and a vibrant new career in writing. She's a wife, mother, attorney, professor and now author. She talks about things that interest her--which in turn interests me (though my children are nearly grown so I'm not in her stage, but I do remember it!! LOL.)

7. Camy Tang is a fresh new author with a three-book series out called, The Sushi Series. You will just love Camy. One of my favorite parts of Camy's blog is when she cooks or knits--and shows the photos. Along with her husband, Captain Caffeine, and that Wonder Dog, Snickers, what is not to love? Just plain fun. And if you need help with your writing, be sure to check out The Story Sensei. You still have time to win her Single Sashimi on this blog by entering a comment below, deadline October 31.

Check out some of the other people in my list to the right because I just know too many people and I do go check out their blogs to see what they're up to as time permits.

Back when I first started this blog I had one day a week to point out others' blogs. I may need to blog regularly and reinstate that feature day. What do you think? Because I'm leaving out some of my other favorites and favorite people! I may just have a I Love Your Blog Day each week. Stay tuned.

Thank you to each one for all the good reading you’re providing for us readers!

Book Giveaway!

My friend, Sabrina, over at Hijinks from the Heartland, is giving away BOOKS. Check out her post and leave a comment and you, too, will have BOOKS.

I can't believe her husband let her have bookshelves. My husband won't because he says I just would fill them up with books. Duh. So instead they are stacked sloppily on the floor, in baskets, in sacks and boxes. If I had bookshelves, at least they would be neat and nice.

I did giveaway stacks to a public library, two church libraries and to friends. What can I say? I still have books and probably need to do something more, too. In the meantime, check out Sabrina's shelves!



(Pictured above, Sabrina's shelves.)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

On a Roll With Buttah

As we say around here when we're doing well, I have to say, I'm on a roll with buttah! I won again today. I won the latest release from Krystal Meyers on CD when I left a comment on Joanne Brokaw's Beliefnet column, Gospel Sound Check.



Joanne is a freelance writer & columnist who writes humor, too, so if you like hearing about Christian music, you definitely should check out her column at Belief Net.

As to Krystal Meyers--hey, she's named Krystal--she has to be a Great Person. And I'm looking forward to listening to her new release, Make Some Noise. Check her singing out here. Awesome. (The noise will be when I'm singing along!)

Saturday, October 11, 2008

How Publishing Really Works

This link to a You Tube video was sent to me by an agent to let us all know how publishing really works. Enjoy the fantasy!



Thursday, October 02, 2008

Cooking Up Books and Food with Camy Tang

Here at the Chat 'n' Chew Cafe' I like to talk about food for the mind, soul and belly! Today we have a special guest, my friend, Camy Tang, who not only can whip up great books (some of my favorites!) but cooks with her husband, Captain Caffeine, too. You can read more adventures with Captain Caffeine and Wonder Dog, Snickers, here on her blog.

Here's Camy!




Hi there! Crystal asked me to write about a favorite meal I prepared for my husband, Captain Caffeine.

I should preface this by confessing that I’m not a very meticulous cook. I substitute with aplomb. I add with vigor. I eliminate without qualm.


The best dish I ever made I think was when I made the Chinese scallion pancakes for us. We had lots of leeks from the organic co-op we belong to, and at a loss for how to use it all (I’d already made soup and clam chowder), I decided to use them for scallion pancakes, but with leeks instead of scallions.












They actually turned out better than expected, because the leeks have a sweeter, milder flavor that paired well with the fried pancake.




(I mean, fried pancake—life doesn’t get any better than that, does it?)



To see the complete step-by-step recipe story with comments from Camy, go here!

And the recipe is here at About.com.

It’s REALLY easy (another reason why this dish was so great) and it’s authentic Chinese food without weird ingredients or strange equipment. You can splash some soy sauce over the pancakes when you’re done if you prefer, but we ate them plain.

This is Snickers, Camy's delightful dog, who waits for her to drop the crumbs!




To read Camy's new book look for this at your favorite bookstore or online book ordering place:

Four cousins commiserate their single status—Lex the Jock, Trish the Flirt, Venus the Cactus, and Jennifer the Oddball. The only Christians in their large extended family, they vow to fight the stigma of the infamous family title, Oldest Single Female Cousin. But they have very different ideas about not acting as desperate as they feel about their bleak love lives. Who knew God would have His own plans of true love for each of them?





Book #3: Single Sashimi (August 2008)

Read an excerpt of Single Sashimi (.pdf) here!

Bonus features: Click here for blog posts about "extras" for Single Sashimi!


Drake Yu. Why would Drake call her after ... what, five years? Six?

Venus heard in his voice that resonance that was almost a growl, that titanium-hard determination to get what he wanted. And he usually got what he wanted. The voice said: "I want you to work for me."

Not this time ... If it was a choice between Drake and McDonald’s—she’d choose french fries. She’d never work for him again. It would take an act of God.


Venus Chau is determined to start her own game development company and launch the next Super Mario-sized phenomenon. However, she needs an investor to back her idea. When Drake Yu, an old nemesis, approaches Venus with a contracting opportunity at his sister’s startup, the offer to become Chief Technology Officer tempts Venus to think the unthinkable.

Venus would rather throw away her PS3 than work for Drake again ... except Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake’s wealthy family with a coveted introduction to the most respected investor in the game industry. It’s also a short job—only a few months—so Venus won’t have to stand Drake’s presence for very long.

But one wild youth group, a two-faced assistant, and Grandma’s determined match-making threaten to make them both fail—or go insane. With the encouragement of her three cousins, Lex, Trish, and Jennifer, Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation ...



To read more about Camy, do check in on all of these great blogs:



9/5 I’m talking about healing at Back In Skinny Jeans

9/8 Tabitha asks me how I get my ideas for my stories and blog

9/12 Gina Welborn makes me admit who's my favorite "child"

9/15 I’m at Ruth (ChristianFictionQueen)’s blog with my top 3 comfort movies, and Ruth reviews Single Sashimi

9/15 I’m at Jennifer’s blog talking about my top five comfort books

9/16 Angie Breidenbach asks me about how the theme of Single Sashimi affects people in real life

9/16 I’m on LaShaunda Hoffman’s blog talking about how to write a query letter

9/17 I’m on Marilynn Griffith’s blog with a fun meme--join in!

9/18 My good friend Danica Favorite and I have a fun interview about how I wrote Single Sashimi

9/19 Gina Burgess asks me about how I come up with my characters and make them memorable

9/22 Alison Strobel Morrow and I chat up about life

9/23 My favorite Aussie Rel interviews me

9/24 My close friend Cheryl Wyatt is no-holds-barred in her interview with me

9/25 I’m at Ronie Kendig’s blog doing a Survey Meme

9/25 Deborah Khuanghlawn posts a review of Single Sashimi from a fellow Asian American perspective

9/26 Rel posts a review of Single Sashimi

9/26 At Laura Domino’s blog, I’m talking about the differences between the three heroes in my series

9/27 I’m guest blogging at The Friendly Book Nook about an important reading moment in my life

9/29 Tyora Moody and I did a really cool podcast

9/30 Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt chat with me about writing and I'm sorry (not really) but my snarkiness comes out. Imagine that.

10/1 Sandra Byrd reviews Single Sashimi

10/1 The first chapter of Single Sashimi is up on the Fiction In Rather Short Takes (FIRST) blog tour

10/2 Crystal Miller and I talk about my favorite subject, food!

10/3 I’m on Christa Allan’s blog talking about time management

10/3 Laura Williams reviews Single Sashimi

10/6 My friend MaryLu Tyndall interviews me and reviews Single Sashimi

10/7 Jamie Drigger talks about Single Sashimi

10/8 I’m on Winter Peck’s blog talking about stuff

10/9 My fellow Love Inspired Suspense author Cara Putman reviews Single Sashimi

10/10 My friend Tasra Dawson asks me to talk about friendship among women

10/10 Laura Domino reviews Single Sashimi

10/11 One of my favorite Steeple Hill authors Margaret Daley does an unusual blog post and interviews my heroine, Venus

10/13 Jennifer AlLee asks me about the kind of reader response I’ve gotten from my books

10/13 Laura Domino is posting on the Faithchick chicks--and today's my day!

10/14 I’m on Peggy Phifer’s blog talking about the Asian family core from my perspective

10/15 My fellow Seekerville author Myra Johnson interviews me

10/16 Christina Berry (my fellow ACL sufferer) interviews me

10/17 I’m at Georgiana Daniels’ blog in an interview, and Georgiana is reviewing Single Sashimi

10/20 I’m guest blogging at Love Inspired author Missy Tippens’ blog about how I make my character voices so distinct.

10/21 Betsy St. Amant (a new Love Inspired author!) reviews Single Sashimi

10/22 My friend Cynthia Hawkins and I do a meme

10/23 New Love Inspired Historical author Janet Dean interviews me

10/23 Trish Perry gives a beach-y interview

10/24 My friend Dineen Miller has me captured on her blog

10/24 My friend Dineen Miller has me captured on her blog

10/27 Hysterically funny historical romance author Mary Connealy reviews Single Sashimi

10/27 I’m guest blogging on Tricia Goyer’s blog

10/28 Tina asks me about my writing day and NaNoWriMo (just around the corner!)

10/29 Join me on Erica Vetsch’s blog for an interview

10/30 Heidi Strawser reviews Single Sashimi

10/31 Michelle Sutton closes off the blog tour with a review of Single Sashimi


Be sure to check in on each stop for something different about Camy each day and for the great book giveaways.

If you wish to enter my drawing for Single Sashimi, leave your email contact in a comment here to be drawn on October 31st.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Just Words

I love puns and word plays. People often talk about how confusing the English language is, but I happen to love it. My sister-in-law,a high level, skilled sign language interpreter, has talked about how important which signs to use to interpret the language is--choice is important in conveying the message.

Language is being butchered and convoluted in order to deceive, but in spite of(or maybe because of) all the stress right now, I thought I'd share some fun uses of language.

Enjoy. If you have one, please share it!


1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

23. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!