Results of "Openings" and What Do We Know?

I forgot to include Abigail by Jill Eileen Smith on the first lines vote yesterday:

"'Rumor has it David is in the area not far from here. If you but say the word, Father, we could leave Simon for good and join him. I hear he has women and children in his company now. Mother and Talya and Abigail would not be out of place.'"







Poll is over and Abigail and By Darkness Hid tied. I'm used to reading more than one book at a time. Right now I have a stack of books about the Amish on my desk and that is occupying my brain, too. Some days I think I'll just purge every book, every manuscript from my presence and give it all up. But then as I'm sorting through, I pick up a book I haven't read yet, read those first five pages and alas, I'm absorbed for awhile and forget what I intended to do.

Here is By Darkness Hid again:
By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson (Blood of Kings Book 1):
"Achan stumbled through the darkness toward the barn. The morning cold sent shivers through his threadbare orange tunic."

It depends on what genre you enjoy reading if you would pick either of these books, I realize. Any deciding votes between the two today? :)

I drew a name from the entries in the posts of this week's series. It was Susan R.so do contact me, Susan, to give me your address. I know you have my email.

My oldest son is an artist and web designer. Some while back I asked him to design my web site and I was all ready to launch my manuscript, my web site, my new blog. Then, he questioned my passion for the direction I was going (he has been around me a long time...) and he said my story wasn't "me." My wheels fell off and I just sat in the middle of the road like a deer in the headlights (or maybe I'm a run-over groundhog...) His gift with his clients is finding the essence of the owner of the site. I was too scattered. Ok. He did make a comment that my blog is boring and too busy. Ouch. But I still haven't figured out what to do with it. Aren't people like this? Messes of arteries and veins and clumps of tissue and hair? We have to step away to see the whole picture.

I am scattered in my interests and even with what I read. (Obviously by looking at the books on the poll, you can see that.) I encourage everyone I can. So I went back to my manuscripts and tried sorting them out. I have a direction now, but I still would like to encourage writers--all levels, all genres. This particular blog will always be a "book"/author place.

As I regroup this week I'll be listening to what you all (the readers here) are interested in. My goal is to visit in some way each one of you. This blog isn't about me. It's about you.

See you in a few days! I'm finishing up some manuscript evaluations and will be back to tackle more stuff. Feel free to either email me your thoughts or post them here.