Age Before Beauty by Virginia Smith

One of the favorite aspects of my job is to get books to read. Someone once said that since they'd learned to write fiction that it ruined reading for them--they always wanted to edit or fix the books they now read. Not true with me. Unless I'm reading a book for review or judging, I really can let myself be lost in the story, just for fun.

My friend, Ginny Smith, writes such books that allow me to kick back and just read for the fun of it. Her books are fun and about real life. Her latest book in her Sister-to-Sister series just came out, Age before Beauty (by Virginia Smith, Revell.)

About the book:
Age before Beauty (Book 2 in the Sister-to-Sister Series)

Desperate to stay home with her baby, Allie Harrod launches a new career. Sure, she dropped out of Girl Scouts because she was lousy at cookie sales, but makeup is different, right? She'll do anything to make enough money to cover her share of the household bills, but how can she focus on her business when her list of problems is growing? None of her pre-baby clothes fit, her checking account is dwindling, and her mother-in-law has decided to move in! To top it off, her husband's attractive coworker suddenly needs his help every weekend. Middle sister Joan insists that God has the answers to all her problems, but Allie isn't so sure. Can she really trust him?

Age before Beauty
By Virginia Smith
www.VirginiaSmith.org
Publisher: Revell
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-800732332
Cover Price: $13.99


Ginny answered these questions about Age before Beauty to give you an idea of the way she goes about writing her novels, and this one in particular. If you are working on your own fiction, there are some things to learn about that process that she shares:

What was the inspiration behind Age before Beauty?

Allie is a typical older sister, used to controlling everyone and everything. Okay, I admit it – I’m the oldest of three sisters, so a lot of Allie’s struggles came straight from my own life. Also, my middle sister gave birth to a baby right before I started writing Age before Beauty,so of course some of her thoughts and feelings had to show up in the story as well. I had a lot of fun blending characteristics and experiences from both of us.


Do you often put yourself into your stories?

There’s a piece of me in every character I’ve ever written. If I’m going to write a believable character, one that resonates with a reader, I have to be able to get inside her head, and in order to do that I have to find some common ground with her. But often it’s just a minor element of commonality, and pretty soon the character’s personality begins to grow and take on unique qualities. Allie, for instance, is the ultimate problem solver, and that comes directly from me. But some of her conflicts—like with her mother-in-law, for instance—are all her own.


When a ‘rash’ appears on Joanie’s face, Allie panics. Have you ever
overreacted to a situation involving your child?

Yes, that’s one of the things I pulled from my own life. My ‘baby’ is twenty-six years old, so I had to dig into some pretty old memories. But I still remember how embarrassing it was to sit in the doctor’s office after an emergency phone call and have him tell me my infant was not dying of a terrible disease, but just had a case of gas.


Eric and Allie were raised in vastly different environments, and that
affects their marriage. Do you think that happens in real life?

Definitely. Children build expectations about their own romantic relationships based on what they saw growing up. So when our parents’ marriage fails, as Allie’s did, that’s bound to affect how we approach marriage. In Allie’s case, she sees similarities between Eric and her father, and she leaps to the conclusion that that Eric will one day leave her, as her father did. I had the same fears in the early years of my marriage. It took me several years of counseling and prayer, but I know
I serve a God who overcomes obstacles. Today my husband and I have a strong, thriving marriage.




Allie jumps head-first into a home sales business, selling makeup and
cleaning products. Any basis in reality from that situation?

Not personally. That element of the story came from the accumulated experiences of several young moms I know. One is my sister, of course, who yearned to stay home with her new baby. And one is a friend of my daughter’s who did quit her job and launched a makeup sales business in order to stay home with her infant. I’ll be honest about something–when I first got the idea for this story, I intended to poke a bit of fun at the ‘pyramid scheme’ type businesses. But a funny thing happened. This young mom loves her business, and she’s become wildly successful at it. She credits her business for changing her life in many ways. I interviewed several others who told me the same thing. My perception of that type of sales job totally changed. So the story became less about poking fun at that industry, and more about the extremes an obsessive personality will go to in order to accomplish her goals. I think the story is much better this way.


Is there an overall message in Age before Beauty?

Well, I didn’t set out to write a book with a message. I wanted to write an entertaining story with realistic characters that people can identify with. But I’m a Christian, and I write from a Christian worldview, so the hope I have in the Lord comes through in all my books. In Age before Beauty, I hope readers walk away with a renewed sense of assurance that God is in control, and that no problem is too tough for Him to handle.


Age before Beauty is the second book in the Sister-to-Sister Series,
following Stuck in the Middle, which was about the middle
Sanderson sister. But there are three sisters. Will there be another
book?

Absolutely! In fact, I just finished writing the first draft of Last but Not Least, which will hit bookstores in February of 2010. The central character is Tori, the youngest Sanderson sister, whose life is completely different than the other two. She’s a professional girl, a real ‘chick’ with a fetish for designer clothes. There are some really funny escapades in that book, and of course more of the heartwarming family relationships that I loved in the first two. Last but Not Least will wrap up the Sister-to-Sister Series, and I’ve thrown in a couple of surprises that I think readers will enjoy.




Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel Just As I Am. Since then she has contracted ten novels and published numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom, Stuck in the Middle, and her newest releases, A Taste of Murder and Age before Beauty.

In March of 2008 she was named "Writer of the Year" at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God's truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, "Biblical Truths in Star Trek." Visit Ginny online at www.virginiasmith.org.

Entering a fiction writing contest? Be Strong and Courageous

This time of year many people are entering contests for their writing to be judged. The contestants enter for a myriad of reasons, but mostly they want to see how they're measuring up in the publishing world. Sometimes that is like hitting a moving target! But if you follow a few guidelines, you can get the most of the experience and walk about not too battered.

Having judged a few contests (as well as having judged manuscripts for agents and editors) I thought I would post a checklist to go over before sending out a fiction entry. You want to make the strongest showing that you can, but also realize that no matter what the final tally, you can take away comments from judges who can help you along on that journey to publication. I know plenty of writers who entered a writing contest, scored low, but kept writing and processing, and were published not long after the prizes were distributed. It happens. And plenty of high scored pieces have yet to make it to publication. No matter. You just turn in the best piece of writing that you can produce and see what flies.

1. What's the audience? Whatever the contest caters to (Christian, romance, mainstream, sci fi....) be aware that the judge is a part of that audience and will judge within the parameters of that market.

2. Does my entry fit the genre that I'm entering? If you are not sure, see if you can write a short synopsis or "back of the book" copy and decide if it'd fit on the shelf with that genre.

3. What is my theme? It should be a natural part of the piece. Find it, highlight it. The judge will find it, whether you know what it is or not. Theme will out. Theme should ask a question (and your piece answers it.) Even short pieces should have theme.

4. How's my pacing? Read it out loud. Listen to the cadence and the beats. You often catch things you wouldn't by reading it aloud.Make every word count.

5. Are my characters convincing? Even if your setting is totally out there in Siberia or on the Titania-Starship, you must suspend any disbelief and draw people into your world. Characters convince us it's real.

6. Show or Tell? Don't tell the judge--show him.

7. If you have a Christian entry, it should contain a spiritual thread that isn't tacked on. (Don't just stick some verse in.) It's probably best to find a theme or Christian worldview that weaves into the very fiber of your characters or setting.Worldview is a part of this and every fiction book is written from someone's worldview.

8. Go back and read aloud now, this time looking for missing words, punctuation, misspellings, grammar, context clues--all that stuff that will make your copy as clean as possible. A couple flicks of a red pen will not doom your entry, but a clean copy is a happy copy.

9. Make sure you have details about character occupations/dress/living, setting, or genre correct. This becomes particularly important in historical settings. Know the language of your characters and their vocabulary. If you need to, for your own sake, make a vocabulary list for your story.

10. Let your entry go and work on something else or keep working on this piece to get ready for the market. Don't sit waiting for it. Read a writing craft book. Read books in the genre you entered. Make notes of the publishers of those books/authors in this genre. Keep a 3-ring notebook for this piece for development and put your judges' comments in with this.

AND AFTER YOU GET YOUR CONTEST PIECE BACK...

It's not the end of the world, and you don't need to trash the judges, if they didn't "get" your writing. Keep your reactions and hurt among your writing friends, not spit into the judges' faces. You may never know who the judges were of the first round. The world is a small place with big ears. The judge you "trash" may very well have your manuscript in front of her when you DO send it out to that agent or editor (as a first reader or assistant or just because the editor wanted an opinion.) How YOU react to criticism is noted.

Listen, I've heard some pretty harsh comments in the past from contestants (from Christians, too) who entered contests. Because they got low scores or tough comments(thus eliminating them from the final round,) suddenly they feel the need to vent about the process or the judges. Contestants went so far as to question the motives of those judges, their character, their experience or their affiliations. Don't do this. If you disagree with the judge, fine--disagree(among your friends, not on a forum.) When you send that manuscript to an editor, just remember that the publishing world is very, very small and the contest is only a small part on the road to becoming a published author.

A note about judges: Most judges get paid NOTHING to judge, and just want to give back and help those who enter the contests. They put in tons of thought, time, and expertise, only to be told they know nothing about what they're doing. Leaves a bad taste in the mouths of those who took time and concern to make comments to those hoping to land a publishing contract.

It's true that not every comment is written in stone. Publishing is a fluid business. What flies one day, crashes into the Hudson the next. Judges have precise instructions and try their best to follow the guidelines laid out by the contest. If you truly have a beef about what a judge said, probably this would best be directed to those who set up the guidelines/contest, so it can be addressed from within context. It could be that it was a guideline that the judge was following needs adjustment, or it could be you don't understand the criteria. This is all a part of understanding what each publishing house wants. Isn't that the goal?

Read your criticisms with an open heart, not a wounded one. The contest may or may not get your writing in front of an editor with whom you really want to work. Write thank you notes to everyone (judges, organizers) and appreciate that this is just one more step. Your name, once revealed, should not bring pain to the judges.

And if you do well, thank your judges! They are proud of you, too.

Times they be a'changin'

Kelly McGillis, an actress in movies, Top Gun and Witness, went from this back then, to....






...this now. If you're not frozen in time in a movie or maybe a staute, then somehow time marches on.












With all that in mind I want you to think about responding to my poll over to the right. I've been making so many changes in my life the past couple months that I haven't written many posts on this blog or my When I Was Just a Kid blog.

When I started this blog awhile back, I took an entire year before putting up my first post on this blog. I didn't know quite what to do with it. And I was trying to rediscover my own "voice" in writing fiction, so I practiced here. I talked about anything that interested me.(Trying to rediscover my passions.) I got the idea here first to do nostalgic interviews and that's when the other blog was born.

Now that I have a direction of what I am writing in fiction, I am still getting requests and questions about writing fiction from the years of evaluating it. You see, in my day job over the years I have been a first reader for agents and editors, have book doctored and coached some authors through the agent-connections, seen a few of these authors be published, been a judge and book reviewer for published books, judged in writing contests for the unpublished, and written a few articles or been interviewed about fiction writing. I have gathered some insight over the course of these roles.

I may never see my own fiction published. Who knows what they want? But if I can help someone else get to that position, well, that brings me joy, too.

Take the poll to the right and leave comments on what you would like to know and see. Maybe I can even get a few people in the publishing industry to answer some questions. The URL of this blog is christianbookscout.blogspot.com so I would like to get the focus of this particular blog back to that.

In the meantime this week I will be finishing up a free evaluation that I gave away on Seekerville on my guest blog.(Dare Your Reader) I am also wondering if there is a market for this type of evaluation. I still evaluate both published books and manuscripts (for publishing companies and an agent.) If you would be interested in something like that, leave a comment about that, too.

Go ahead and vote in the poll on the right (and you can vote for more than one item.)And look for a new look on the Chat 'n' Chew soon. It's all about me and my interests...and all about you, too.

Random Friday

We have drifting roads, closed schools and things piling up to do inside, but I worked a little on my Facebook page last night and this post comes from that. I still am learning about it. I also recently started Twitter (see to the right) and like everyone else, I'm learning, and wondering, is it worth my time? There is so much I want to do.

I have 5 books I'm reading for review for Church Libraries magazine, and I'm working on creating my own fiction--at last. It is a daunting proposition. Contemporary? Suspense? Comedy? Historical? Romance? Ok, now you know what I like to read. But I've helped several people go on to be published, so this is one of those lofty goals I dreamed about as a teen for myself. Time is a'tickin'. I actually wrote in the school newspaper that I wanted to write The Great American Novel. LOL. Now that is being idealistic and dreamy. But a gal's gotta try.

So on Facebook I was tagged a few times to write Random Things about myself. Here it is from that page:

I have on my blog 100 Things About Crystal
but I'll just do 25 here:

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you, or you may have tagged me.

If you have Facebook, do this:
(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people [in the right hand corner of the app] then click publish.)

My 25
1. I am of Swedish, Norwegian, English, Irish, Scotch and Cherokee descent.I hope to use this in my own fiction, though I'm not sure I want to write my own historical fiction, but it's of my favorites to read.

2. I am a second generation American on my mother's side, who was Swedish and Norwegian and from Minnesota. My dad was from Tennessee and from a family who had lived in this country for generations, some on the same land that is still in our family with a graveyard of family dating back to the 1700s. They met in Indiana. I love stories of my family.

3. I won third place in an art contest in 6th grade where my teacher argued with his artist sister(the other judge) that my drawing was "too real" to be art. He didn't want to give me a prize at all; she wanted to give me first place. My prize was a compromise and he told me about it. It was a drawing of a man walking to his cabin with an ax over his shoulder, next to a lake with pine trees. I can still see it in my mind's eye. The picture is long gone. I still would like a cabin by a lake.

3. I competed in trapshooting tournaments around the country. I own my own Perazzi competition grade shotgun. It has a single barrel and double barrels that I can interchange to shoot either single clay targets or double clay targets thrown in the air from a traphouse.

4. I have owned 4 different competition grade shotguns: Ljutic, Kreighoff and 2 Perazzis.

5. I love the Italian Perazzi gunmakers who come to America every summer for the Grand American. I just look at them, look at their guns and smell the great food they are cooking in their building. I have talked to them a couple times about my gun that their family business made.

6. I once talked to a master German gunmaker on the phone about my shotgun, which was misfiring. He fixed it. He was very nice and actually listened to me.

7. I was trained by one of the top champions in trapshooting in the world, Kay Ohye. He believed in me as a shooter. Competition trapshooting takes a lot of time and money. I've competed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and with the top competitors in the world, including my husband's family members. Two of my trapshooting buddies have died. One died this week. Ken is now "breaking 'em all!"

8. I learned to play the guitar when I was 12. My teacher, who later went to Nashville to try and be a songwriter, made me write my own songs and sing while playing my guitar.

9. I learned a lot of Neil Diamond songs because my guitar teacher loved Neil Diamond. His dog, a very large St. Bernard, loved ME and would slobber on my arm. My guitar teacher's wife would bring me a towel.

10. I took guitar back up when I was 45 but haven't played lately. I sometimes play bass in our band.

11. I've played and sang with a band. Our band has been paid money to play.

12. I'm not that good, but my family are all good at music and singing. My sons have their own bands, too.

13. My Tennessee family did not like my name Crystal and I really wasn't called Crystal until I married Chris over 25 years ago. They called me Crissy or Cris. I spelled my name "Chris" when I went to public school because I thought it was cool and my chance to be myself.

14. I love Southern food.

15. I also love Italian food.

16. I love to eat avocados,tomatoes, almonds, Herdez salsa, anything lime-flavored and Lay's Potato Chips. My favorite flavor is lime--anything with lime. I prefer salty and sour over sweet, but I love creme brulee dessert. I like coffee black, and did not drink it until I was 28 years old. I love Real Coca-Cola and will drink a Coke anytime! I might drink a diet Lime Coke, but hate Diet anything. I also love raspberry iced tea. Love to eat at all kinds of restaurants and talk to the chefs. My favorite thing to do is go out to eat with my husband, and our friends, Gary and Sue. I also love going with our boys, who make me laugh.

17. I once considered being a vegetarian like my mother's family, but I loved ham, bacon, sausage and hamburgers too much. But I sometimes will eat vegetarian for periods of time because it seems to make me lose weight!I think my body is suited for a vegetarian diet.

18. My favorite books as an elementary student were these childhood biographical historical fiction books and I have never seen them again as an adult. They were about historical people as children. My second favorite books were Little House on the Prairie books. However, my favorite stories, hands-down, were stories my mother told while I sat eating or drawing at the kitchen table. I've collected some of those stories from other family members, too, and found a whole line of our Irish family clear back to County Cavan in Ireland.

19. I sketched pictures all the time as a child. It was my favorite thing to do. I still sometimes sketch in my margins while taking notes. My HS art teacher wanted me to be an art major. I have a son who is now an art major in drawing. I have paintings from family who were artists, including my son and a former student named Erin.

20. My sixth grade teacher read to us Edgar Allan Poe stories and I was totally won over. I don't remember any other stories my teacher read, although he read to us every day after lunch recess.

21. The first book I bought through Scholastic Book Club in 6th grade (the year I went to public school, I was in a Christian school my first 5 years of school) was My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber. I still have that book. I thought he was hysterically funny. No one else got it--either the book or his humor.

22. I also loved anything written by Mark Twain. I did dozens of reports on him, including a paper in college. I still have a notebook I did on him.

23. I was in college when I first heard of C.S. Lewis. My cousin, Darrol, gave me a set of his outer space trilogy. I didn't know that I loved fantasy and science fiction until then. I have worked as a judge, book doctor and editor in the category of Christian speculative/ sci fi/ fantasy fiction.

24. I worked in the high school library for three years and read almost everything in there. I particularly remember East of Eden by John Steinbeck. James Dean, who was from our hometown, became famous in the movie based on that book. I read the book before I saw the movie.

25. I've published over 800 book reviews in magazines, wrote a book review column and parenting column, as well as many articles. I work as a freelance Christian fiction reader/editor/book doctor on assignment.

Here's a photo of me as a student teacher at Park Elementary. That was a lonnnnnnnnnnnnng time ago once upon a time. School pictures--gotta love 'em.



I'm supposed to tag people, but here's the deal--if you want to do this, go ahead and then mention where you got it. I'll come comment on yours!

Jumpstart Your Dreams

Many people ask me how they can get published, and sometimes I even have worked with fiction authors in various capacities to progress to this goal. I also list books for them to read to move them along to that goal--to be published.

Now my friend, W. Terry Whalin, has a book out that will help you to reach your goal of being published. For many years he's given advice and tips on his blog The Writing Life. Check this video trailer out and get this book to Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams!

Premio-Dardas

My blog has been awarded the "Premio-Dardas" Award today by LeAnne of Beauty and the Beholder. If you have ever seen LeAnne's blogs, you've already seen what comprises very beautifully written and artistically-laid out blogs. I am so honored and not even in the same category.

Here is what is said about the Premio-Dardas:
"This award 'acknowledges the values that every Blogger displays in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values with each message they write.'

Awards like this have been created with the intention of promoting community among Bloggers. It's a way to show appreciation and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

I understand this award comes with a couple of rules, and they are:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted it to you, along with his/her blog link.

CM: Ok, accepted!

2. Pass the award to (15) other blogs that you feel are worthy of this recognition. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen as recipients.

*Please note: when copying the award picture, please download it to your own computer first and upload from there to your own blog site.

Like LeAnne, I find my time limited today more than usual as I'm on a deadline, but I have a list handy (also check my blog list to the right!) I'm passing the award along to these bloggers and even if they don't have time to accept and pass it along, these are blogs to check out:

1. Camy Tang at Camy's Loft

2. Sabrina Fox at Hijinks in the Heartland

3. Cara Putman at Cara's Musings

4. Lee Warren at Little Nuances

5. Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

6. Rachel Hauck at Rachel Hauck

7. Richard Mabry, M.D. at Random Jottings

8. Jamie Carie at The Preacher's Daughter

9. Sharon Lavy at I Dream of Writing for God

10. Jude Urbanski at Hey, Jude!

11. Susan J. Reinhardt at Christian Reader/Writer Connection

12. Christine Lindsay at Christine Lindsay

13. Gina Conroy at Portrait of a Writer...Interrupted

14. D.C. (Dave) Weiss at Amokarts (A.M.O.K. Arts)

15. Rachelle at Seek His Kingdom

Thanks, LeAnne, for passing the "Premio Dardas" to me. Now to go around to let these folks know!

Drawing for a Free Evaluation of Your Fiction Proposal

For a chance to win an evaluation of your proposal by professional freelance reader,ME, visit Seekerville Monday, January 12.

All you have to do to enter the drawing is read my guest post, "Dare Your Reader to Risk Reading Your Book" that's chock full of tips on getting past a publisher's or agent's reader and then leave a comment on that post (the one by me.)

The drawing will take place on Wednesday, January 14. Janet Dean will draw one winner for an evaluation of the first three chapters and synopsis of your manuscript. And if you don't need an evaluation of your fiction proposal, then just come by to say hi or add a comment.

Seekers always has some great advice and posts on writing (last week was fabulous!) so it's one of my favorites listed over at the right. I'm honored that they asked me to guest blog.

4 X 4

I swiped this meme off another blog, my good friend Nancy at Anchors, Signposts & Wanderings. You're supposed to post the 4th photo in your 4th file and then share the story about it.

So this is the fourth file, fourth photo:



This is my mother as a toddler. It's one of the very few photos my mother had of herself as a young person. She was the youngest daughter in a family of 10 kids. Her mother was the second wife of Aaron Pierson. His first wife died of TB and left 5 small children.

My great-grandparents (Ane and Bernt) and their daughter(my grandmother, Anna) went to Aaron's church and helped him out with his five young children after his wife's death, and so, Aaron married my grandmother. Then, they had five children, making 10 kids! My mother was the fourth child born to Anna and Aaron(they had one more, a son,) so Anna asked the older kids what they wanted to name my mother. They picked their sister's name--Lillian Arlene--a child who was the sixth child in the first family who died as an infant. My mother said it was strange to see her own name on a tombstone in the family plots!

My mother didn't have her mother very long. Her mom, not long after having another child (the son mentioned above) had TB and died when my mother was almost 6. Her older sisters, who had gone through this experience, too, you think would've been more compassionate to this small girl who was only 5 when losing her mother, but they often were cruel and harsh to her. On the morning of her 6th birthday she came down the stairs, sat at the table, expecting the same birthday delights that my grandmother always did for all the children--fixed them whatever they wanted for breakfast and making them Queen or King of the day. No. The older girls (teens and young 20s) snapped, "You're a big girl now. Get your own breakfast. You don't have your mother anymore." Harsh reality.

They continued their harsh treatment of my mother even after I came along--I got to witness it and feel the brunt of their disdain, as well. Certainly when my mother also got TB you would have thought they would take care of me--but no, and thank God that my dad's parents took me and loved me as their own child.

But this little girl was obviously happy, and her mother, though managing as a farm wife with nine-soon-to-be-ten children of various ages, delighted in birthdays and her carrier pigeons pets and a husband who was older but funny, despite having a hard life of his own. I think my mother looks happy and cared for, don't you? She has no idea of what is to come, but I do think she adopted her own mother's attitudes, despite being so young when she lost her.

So, do you want to play? If you have a blog, you might try this--find the fourth file and fourth picture and tell about it. Leave your link if you do.

Bittersweet Joys

It's a little hard to see, but the photo in this picture is of my mother. My grandmother and Aunt Linda (who was only 13 at the time) dressed me up in this pretty dress my grandmother made, and put me in front of the tree with my mama's picture to send to my mother, who was in an Indiana TB hospital. I was living with my grandparents in Tennessee. My dad was working as a truck driver, and staying close to my mother and his job.

I don't remember much about this. I do remember how much I was just crazy in love with my Granddaddy Warren. I look at the letters my mother saved from my grandmother and my scribbles all over the bottom of them--because I loved to "write." I wrote all over my Aunt Linda's high school yearbook. She wasn't too happy with me. I'm sure it was hard having this baby who not only invaded her life, slept with her in her bed, kept her up at night with this problem and that, but also sort of ruined her social life. You would think that she would have ill feelings toward me even now. But no, my Aunt Linda is probably my closest and dearest friend/relative. She still lives in Tennessee, has a wonderful family and hosts a Christmas breakfast each year. I am missing her this Christmas and marveling at the thought of how she tolerated me.

I also look at this photo and think of my poor mom--gravely ill, separated from her husband and baby daughter. She had five miscarriages and then got me. Then not even a year later she gave me to her inlaws and made my grandmother promise to give me back when she got well. What a sacrifice my grandmother made! She once told me that the hardest thing in her life was to give me back to my mother, but I'm so glad she did. While I loved my grandparents just as if they were my parents, my mother was a rare gift to the world and I feel so privileged to have been raised by her.

Of course, this causes me to think of Mary. When she found out she was having the son of God, the Savior of the world, it had to be bittersweet to think that someday he would have to return to His Father! What amazing courage she had. It makes me weep to think about the pain, but what an amazing love and sacrifice--and a bittersweet joy.

Bittersweet joys are all around us. Don't miss out on joys just because you are afraid of the coming pains.

Happy Thoughts Day

(I don't have a picture of my parents around their wedding day. This was taken many years later, after I had been born.)

When I was growing up, there were some tough times around Christmas. I tend to block out those thoughts and still fight feeling melancholy around Christmas, even though my situation is much better!

But I always have happy thoughts when I think of December 22. That was the day my parents married in 1951 in Corinth, Mississippi. Both my parents are now dead, but they celebrated 45 years of marriage before my mother died.

This is why I feel happy on December 22nd. My dad was a long haul truck driver and often was still on the road on December 22nd before coming home for Christmas. But here is what he would do--no matter where he was in the Midwest, he would stop somewhere, find a phone and call my mother at 12 noon on December 22.Twelve noon straight up is when they got married and he made special effort, long before cell phones, to connect with my mother on that day, but also at the TIME he married her. My dad may have had many issues, but one thing came through loud and clear with this effort--he was crazy about my mother and had a great desire to let her know their connection.

So every December 22nd, I sit and reflect on the fact that we have an imperfect life, but there are threads of delight and hope tucked into each one. Situations aren't so wonderful for almost all of us at one time or another, but if we can stop and thank God for one blessing, then life can go on, hold together. We can choose happiness. When I start to spiral down in December...December 22nd comes. And I find myself smiling and thinking that there are threads of hope woven into every life, especially my own.

Happy thoughts, blessings and prayers for many threads of hope woven into your fabric of life today. Happy December 22nd. (And yes, I should've posted this at 12 noon!)

In the Shadow of the Sun King by Golden Keyes Parsons

Normally, I don't do reviews of books on this blog. I promote authors and books, but don't do a review. I have published over 800 reviews, so it's not like I don't do them--I do. Usually it has been as part of my job with a magazine. Anyway, I agreed to do this, a real review and it hasn't been easy. I want to just promote the author and let you decide if it's a book you want to read--not tell you what I thought of it! Ok, so here you go. Let them eat cake.


In the Shadow of the Sun King by Golden Keyes Parsons
(Thomas Nelson)


Based on the author's own family history, the seventeenth century Clavell family's struggle to hold together their family in the face of religious persecution on order of the "Sun King" Louis XIV proves nearly fatal.

Huguenots, or French Protestants who followed teachings by John Calvin, are pillaged, their books burned, and homesteads destroyed, while the children are sent to Catholic schools to be re-educated if they did not convert to the country's religion, Catholicism. It was a time of great peril for families like the Clavells, but Madeleine, lady and wife of Francois, travels to Versailles in order to convince King Louis, her former love as teens, to desist in the pressure to conform to the country's religious practices.

Courage and strong convictions are two traits that the Clavells possess that transcend time and cultures to show that some things are worth dying for, worth risking it all for. The more the Clavells try to hang together, the more it appears that the family will be ripped apart at the seams.

Parsons shows a strong command of French history and culture in the King's court, as well as storytelling skills that help us to understand the power of prejudice vs. convictions. She demands attention to the emotions tied to our very souls, our heart’s convictions and core beliefs. In similar times would your faith stand? This is one question that Parsons attempts to answer with her own family history. My favorite parts involved the boys who were whisked away to keep them from being "re-educated" and the scenes where action was involved.


While it is difficult in this day to imagine Protestants pitted against Catholics, it is not difficult to imagine one group demanding obeisance and exhibiting power plays for reasons other than what God would want of us. May her message be one of choosing tolerance among our society today. Reading group guide and map included, as well as a glossary of French terms. Beautiful read, one of little known religious history and many details of the French court.

Here are the questions raised: When those who have power and disagree with you tread into your church, will you have to go underground? Will you sorrow over the books burned? Will you stand strong in your beliefs, even as your children are threatened to be re-educated in another belief, or you are threatened with conformity or death? A few years ago I would not have thought this was something that I would be confronted with in my own country—but these days I am seeing rumblings and so, this may be the book you should read to open your eyes to what persecution could be. Thought provoking and worth a look, and especially if you love French history. I found it to drag in places, and my own emotions weren't always pulled into the story as much as I would have liked, even though I normally love historical fiction like this.

However, if you love anything French, language and history, and the affairs of kings and court, you will like this, I assure you.

Purchase at http://www.amazon.com

To All Suffering in Grief This Christmas

Trish Berg shares on her blog the story behind "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and it hits my mood. I wonder if this is the message all suffering this Christmas should read. It's a thought. If you know someone suffering instead of rejoicing, or you are suffering this Christmas, this song is for you.


Here is the Casting Crowns version:



I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head,
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail; the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."



To My Friend, Erin, in memory of her wonderful father, Marc A. McDugle:

Which Jane Austin Character Are You?

My results:

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

Is Change a Good Thing, Martha?

So much has changed for me since the photo above was taken. If I started listing all the changes, there would not be enough room in this blog and I'd blow your mind! But for one thing I now have front teeth. I have five candles on that cake--I now have, um, many more. I am so happy in that photo, and I still carry that joy in me. No matter what has happened in my life, I still have that outlook that you see on my face in this photo.

I see myself just as I am in that photo. No matter what. I'm always surprised that bad things happen to me, but I have this Scarlett O'Hara attitude--"After all, tomorrow's another day!" or "Why cotton will go sky high!" or "Fiddle-dee-dee, pick yourself up and have another turnip!" or "As God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again!" (Well, I had some tiramisu today.)

I have been exploring a new path for me. In the mean time I haven't posted here because I'm trying to decide just what I'm supposed to be doing in my own writing, with this blog. I am having a hard time trying to think of what to write. I am rereading Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.

This time of year has me 1. melancholy, missing my mother 2. missing my extended family 3. reflective 4. Still thankful and joyful about my life and family. I have two good friends who told me to just take December off from reading, from blogging, from building my own writing, and I am as much as I can. I do know that I need to change a few things.

I am all out of When I Was Just a Kid interviews, too, by the way, so I may start moving some of the ones I have on Chat 'n' Chew that I did before I opened the Kid blog. Start looking for that in the coming days. However, if you know someone who'd like to do an interview, please send them my way! Would love that!

Happy birthday Little Crissy! (No one called me by my real name, Crystal, until I married a Chris--and my mother was delighted, I think!) Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Space: The Final Frontier of My Mind

I'm not getting any younger. Still, I've lived pretty fully up until now. As I finish up some responsibilities this month, I'm thinking more and more about "what next?"

I think somehow in the last few years I landed on the wrong planet and I've got to chart a new course. I want to explore the space in my mind.

What lurks on the darkside of my mind--that unexplored space? Who would I have been if I'd gone in that part of my brain instead of this side of my brain?

I'm going to find out. It could get pretty hairy. But that has never stopped me before.

Houston, we have lift off.

Just Watch

My friend, Nancy, has this blog I read every time she posts. Her insight and humor just lift me to places in my soul that I didn't know existed.

This is a You Tube she had on her blog that hits me right where I live. I should just watch it everyday! I would be a better person, I think, if I did. Makes me laugh every time.

So, just watch.

To Make Your Heart Soar

Amen!

What Makes Fiction Christian?

Is It Christian?




Many of you know that I work in the Christian fiction market. I've sorted through many a manuscript and have published reviews on over 800 Christian books (and that's not counting all the books I've read to get those!) I read. A lot. Anyway, right now in the blogosphere there are some people talking about what makes a book Christian? What are the Christian publishers publishing and why? Interesting thoughts. I don't know that there are any easy solutions to what to publish, but I do think it is going to become a hot issue as we head into 2009.

Anyway, I thought you might like weighing in on two blogs asking "What Makes It Christian?" And I'd love to know, do you read Christian fiction? If so, name your top 5 Christian fiction books this year. I'd really like to know.

Editor/author Karen Ball's blog, The Power of Words, The Magic of Story

and on Indiana ACFW member's Cara Putman's blog The Law, Books and Life.


Good stuff being said.This is a hot topic, fer shure.

I do think Kelli Standish (on Karen Ball's comments, scroll down on the most recent post) makes a very, very good point about the difference between a Christian fiction book and a book in the mainstream general. I think she has hit on the differences. Do look through the past posts as this topic has several posts.

I think this topic is heavy on the minds of all people in Christian publishing right now because everyone is talking about it.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Did they take a poll on this? It's been a long time since I've seen that movie, but if dead men don't wear plaid, then this is not the season to die. It appears that plaid is the fad of the season.

Now, when I was a young tender thang, I wore a lot of plaid. Our high school adopted the tartan plaid of the Clan Campbell of Scotland. We were (and it still is) the home of the Mighty Argylls. We wore an Argyle plaid. We also wore plaids of black and gold. Loved that stuff! I was pretty skinny back then, so the plaid was a good thing, Martha. I even had plaid socks.

Meanwhile, years have passed and not always so kindly to me. Look around you--plaids are even on your underwear. I kid you not. I suppose I can take a plaid inside my jacket, or maybe on a handbag. This is one girl who probably won't go for the plaid (although there are these readers glasses in red plaid that has me thinking twice about my NO PLAID AFTER 50 rule.) Most of my tartans and plaids belong on sofas and pillows, thankewverrymuch.

But I found myself in a plaid back in the day and decided to show you that indeed, not only was I paper doll thin--but I could wear plaid.




So, are you going to wear plaid this season, and if so, what color combos are you leaning towards?

Get Ready for Turkey Day

I'm sure you are a thankful person. I think most of us are. We have so many blessings and sometimes we do need to be reminded of those things in the midst of troubling times, but for the most part we are thankful.

Our Thanksgiving holiday has all kinds of traditions surrounding it with all kinds of stories from both history and our own families. My memories of Thanksgiving usually involve my Cicero, Indiana cousins, the Goolsbys, but sometimes we would go to Tennesssee for Thanksgiving. Occasionally, we had Thanksgiving with just my dad, my mom, and my brother and me--like in this photo.

I liked Thanksgiving because 1. we ate like fiends 2.the Macy's parade 3. there were no "scenes" played out like on other holidays because my dad stayed home 4. most of the time the weather was still nice enough to go outside 5. I truly was grateful to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I loved Thanksgiving the most in the early years of my marriage. First, we were really poor so it was nice to have a homecooked meal with my husband's legions of family. One year I was pregnant with our first child and we went to Aunt Gladys and Uncle George's Kokomo home. Their house was small, but we packed over 50 people in there. And Aunt Lola brought home movies of my husband's grandfather and other family members butchering hogs. Now that was something to remember! That next week my Ob-gyn asked me about Thanksgiving and when I told him about the over 50 people, he asked if we rented a hall. (No.) Then, when I told him of the hog-butchering home movies, he just raised his eyebrows. (He had my husband in med classes, so he looked at him differently then, I think.)

Then, after we'd had all of our four boys, and we moved into a large house, we hosted the family Thanksgiving. Those are my favorite memories. My mother-in-law, Imy, would come stay and help me prepare, the boys would decorate and that was the best time. I will always remember that sweet time of my life. It never was the same since and I miss the people, the warmth.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving shows was WKRP in Cincinnati when the station manager decided to give away live turkeys--and dropped them like sacks of sand from a helicopter at a mall. Les Nessman reported and it was pretty awful. That was a funny show.

See if you know about Thanksgiving. This might be fun to do at your Thanksgiving gathering for trivia (or the winner could get the pulley wishbone of your Turkey. And this is why I'm posting this early--so you could use this quiz for your own Thanksgiving.)

What's one of your best memories of Thanksgiving? What are you most thankful for this year?

100 Names of Jesus

Here's something to think about today: (In the New Testament)

Thanks, D.C. Weiss

Threatened with Tootsie Rolls on Election Day

I've never been too fearful, even when I've looked violence and evil in the face when attacked.

As I've gotten older, some fears are surfacing, if just for moments when I feel tired and weak. I'd heard talk that in some cities today that people trying to vote have been intimidated by violence and jeered. Bad news. Would it shake me? Could I walk by and still vote my conscience in the face of those who do not respect freedom? It reminds me of the days of thugs and Carpetbaggers back in the post-Civil War days (not saying that I witnessed that first hand, mind you.)

I live in rural America. Bad things do happen here, but usually not the intimidation experienced at the voting places and the threat of violence toward those who think our country's Constitution is good as it is. I stood in line today for two hours with a police officer, a guy whose yard is full of the opposite party's propaganda and whose wife taught my kids and his kids did school projects with mine,a doctor, a college kid with a sharp wit, a beauty operator who had to leave line to go do someone's hair, and dozens of others whom I've known since I moved here. We chatted about motorcycles, kids, medical issues, the fact that in all of our years voting that we'd never had to wait so long to vote! But today I looked fear in the face at the polls. Teenagers, out of school(from my son's class at the high school) sitting in front of the fire station (educational experience???I think not, but hey) where I vote, jammed a basket of Tootsie Rolls in my face.

"Want some?"

Temptation.

It came at me with both barrels. My stomach growled. Did I even eat breakfast? I couldn't recall. Should I cross my party line to accept Tootsie Rolls? The other side ran to get water bottles at the only gas station in town next door. Now, if he'd have thrown in the handbreaded tenderloins from the gas station (known to be the best,)I might have caved.

....

At that moment a lady, overcome by excitement, unseasonable heat or the 2 hour wait in tiny Matthews (population less than 400,) hit the ground. Fortunately, the ambulance was right there. I hope that she was ok, and prayed she would be fine as they loaded her onto the cervical board. They took the 15 mile trip with sirens blaring. We went back to our chatting and waiting.

I soon passed the Tootsie Roll station in the two-hour wait line.

I haven't seen that many people in Matthews since the Covered Bridge Festival. If we could bottle the people in Matthews and could get you to drink our Kool Aid, there would be no need for this hatefulness I'm hearing about around the country today.

I have never prayed harder or more frequently in the past as I have for this election. All of my boys (except the too-young high school kid) and my husband and I voted today. We feel a need to at least have our say. I hope it is not the last time we have a free election in this country, but no one knows what tomorrow morning will bring.


I do not fear tomorrow because I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able.

But, my flesh is sometimes weak, and I do like Tootsie Rolls.

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.

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!

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.)

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!)

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!

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.

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!