Lunch With a Book Club

This past Saturday I was the guest of a local book club. We met at Longhorn's resturant, one of my favorite places for good food. I was impressed with the knowledge that these ladies had of my characters in No Place For a Lady! They knew them very well and even brought a map marked with the route that Crystal took on her long journey from Georgia to Colorado! It's a wonderful feeling for an author to know that what you've written has touched someone's heart. Each one of the ladies said they are looking forward to reading The Jewel of His Heart. I certainly hope they won't be disappointed. The fellowship was sweet and their questions were lively! I'm honored that of all the zillions of books they read, they chose mine.

Lunch ended with a surprise for me with a gift of a memory box from the Willow Tree collection and a Writing Angel Muse. She's hanging from my desk lamp now and is adorable. They didn't know that I have a small collection of Willow Tree angels and a manger scene, so I was thrilled and surprised that they would go to this trouble for me.

The Angel has a quote from James Michener-"I love the swirl & swing of words as they tangle with human emotions." Oh, that's just so perfect for me!

These ladies encouraging words and voracious reading habits make me want to strive to write the best stories that I can and not disappoint them with the integrity of my writing. So thank you ladies, Jennifer, Darlene, Lisa, Anne, Mary and Milli, for the memorable Saturday afternoon and until our paths cross again...Happy Trails.

Novel Journey Interview

One of Writer's Digest 101 Most Valuable Websites for Writers posted an interview of me today. Click here to read the interview. You can see what my office looks like. www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.

Currently I'm in the middle of working on edits for book three. A title will be decided in the next few weeks, so check back for updates.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful week. Atlanta has been stormy but I'll not complain since we need the rain. Besides I like a good thunderstorm as long as I'm inside, don't you? Great background noise for reading...

Bustles and Spurs

Just popping in today to let you know that I have a blog posted at Bustles and Spurs where I'm a resident blogger once a month. My article today is on the humble cast iron skillet. We have such talented historical writers on this site and I usually learn something of history myself. So hop on over and check it out today. Then, if you don't own your own cast iron skillet, this may just force you to spend time this weekend buying one for your kitchen. www.bustlesandspurs.com

Now back to writing...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

I bought a new American Flag today to replace the faded and tattered one that hung on the front porch. I recall a particular 4th of July in 1995 when we buried my sister Gail. Later we went to watch the fireworks on the beach in her honor in Gulfport, MS. So this holiday is a special two-fold one for me. While hanging the flag, I'm so mindful of the sacrifices so many have made in order for us to cherish the freedoms we have in this great land called America. My brother, Orville, lied about his age and fought in the Korean War when he was only 17. Just a baby, I think, especially when I relate that age to my own son when he was 17. I know now why my mother cried every single day until his safe return. Post-traumatic stress shadowed him the rest of his life.

In the first days of the war in Iraq, our son-in-law, then Captain Bobby Lee Christine, (now Major Christine), an Army National Guard JAG officer, left our daughter and three children behind when his guard unit was called up. His unit was attached to the First Marine Expeditionary Force. That's Bobby in the picture while in Iraq. We were petrified but knew that Bobby was honored to serve our country, and he believed in their mission. His own father served in Viet Nam and received several Purple Hearts, returning to the States after three tours of duty, minus an arm and a leg. After Bobby's return, he spoke at the Right From the Heart Gala and Auction for our pastor, Bryant Wright's radio ministry, which raised money to send his sermon CD's to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. As he spoke that night, there wasn't a dry eye in the ballroom while he talked about his time in Iraq, the hardships and his strong faith in God. We are so proud of Bobby and he has more medals and honors than I can list here and knowing him, he'd be uncomfortable that I'm saying anything now. He never talks about his accomplishments. That's the way most soldiers are. He is still a JAG with the Army National Guard, and besides being an attorney, he's a Judge in Augusta, GA and very active in his community and church.

Since that time, I have so much more respect for our troops and the shattered lives that has touched so many, all in order to keep our freedom on this soil. So I honor them this 4th of July.
Harsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is one of the main hubs for our troops returning to the States, and it's one of the most moving scenes you'll ever see when they arrive. I feel fortunate to have been able to witness this first hand. Atlanta has become famous for how people stop and honor troops and welcome them back home. Perhaps you've seen Atlanta's airport featured on the nightly news welcoming troops. We even do that when it's just one lone soldier. I'm telling you, it will bring tears to your eyes, and make you proud of our men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.

As our country continues to struggle with foreign issues even now, and strive to keep those freedoms we hold dear that we received in 1776, I'm reminded to pray for our nation, our leaders, and our allies...but most of all I pray for our men and women in uniform everywhere.

So why don't you take time to salute a soldier along your trails...

LIFEWAY SIGNING AT THE MALL OF GA

What a joy to meet and share the signing table with Julie Lessman yesterday at the LifeWay Bookstore at the Mall of Georgia in Buford! I loved her Daughters of Boston series. Simply delicious reading! You don't
want to miss reading this series. We've been online friends a while now, and Julie has graciously endorsed my next book!

Julie has a ton of fans, and met with a large bookclub on Monday night, all calmoring to pick her brain about her book's characters, especially, Charity. The gal we all love to hate!

I was honored that some of my fans drove over an hour just to meet me! One sweet fan, Lori, brought me some fabulous body lotion and splash and of course, I love it! I slathered it all over today after going to the pool! As usual, the staff at LifeWay are so nice to authors and I thank them for allowing me to be participate. Even though I-285 had 3 major lanes totally shut down, and we had an hour and a half drive, it was so worth it!

Just another Happy Trail...

TUESDAY-BOOK SIGNING

I'm pretty exicted about tomorrow. I'll be at the LifeWay Bookstore at the Mall of Georgia in Buford tomorrow, signing with Julie Lessman! It'll be a treat to finally meet my online friend. Her Daughters of Boston series is flying off the shelves and I've read all three novels.

The signing will be from 12-2 pm, so if you're anywhere near the Mall of Georgia, we'd love to have you drop by. At least the heat in Atlanta has dropped a few degrees since last week's unbearable temperatures. I was afraid it would scare Julie off if the weather didn't improve just a little.

Other good news is that Crossings Book Club is featuring my No Place for a Lady for the 7th month in a row! AND...LifeWay has asked me to participate in their October Fiction Day this fall. I hope my Jewel of His Heart will be on the bookshelves by that time. I am thrilled that Julie Lessman and Tamera Alexander have endorsed my second book! I feel greatly honored by those two very talented writers.

Gotta run now and gather up all of Julie's books for her to autograph! I'll try and post pictures later this week. It's been a busy week so far, with my daughter and three grandchildren here for a short visit.

Happy Trails...

LOVE IS...

Last week was a difficult one for me. My oldest brother, Sam, died in Mississippi after a long illness with his heart. He had a beautiful military funeral. While I know that he is in heaven, it's hard to accept that another sibling is gone. If you look close in the photo, you'll see a cross and a charm around my neck. One is a Glacier National Park charm in memory of my brother, Gary and the cross in memory of my sister Gail and brother Orville. During those last weeks before Sam's death, I worked furiously to meet my deadline on book 3, knowing that his passing would be imminent. I completed the novel one week before he died.

At the wake, many of his family and friends attended to give tribute to a life well lived. On either end of the room where my brother's casket lay, were TV screens, depicting his life through a video. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it and lingered a long time as the story of his life unfolded. It gave me a keener insight to a side of my brother's life that I hadn't seen before because I lived out of state. His wife, Olevia (no-it's not misspelled), had passed away 9 years before and he'd mourned her passing. Through his church, he became good friends with a sweet widow who lived down the country road from him. Frankie soon became the sunshine in his life while his heart steadily declined. Though a few years older than Sam, she was a constant cheerful presence in his life, though she had her own health issues.

When Frankie arrived at the wake, we snapped this photo before she made it to the casket to view Sam. Through my tears, I had to chuckle. She's a girly girl like me, and was all decked out in mauve pink from top to bottom. She carried a pink handbag and wore pink little heels. She always dolled up for him when she came to visit. She'd had a recent fall that broke her back so I assisted her to view my brother, and she broke down. She said she wished it could have been her instead. My sister, Doris, reminded her that it would have been just as hard on him if it had been her lying there instead. As she clutched onto the side of the casket, I pointed out to her that he wore a mauve-pinkish shirt and gray suit that matched her outfit and she gave me a tender smile. She really loved him and he loved her. I'm grateful that she made the last years of his sick existence bearable.

Which brings me full circle to ask this. What is love? God 's word gives us the definition in a nutshell from I Corinthians 13:4:

Love is patient
Love is kind
It does not envy
It does not boast
It is not proud
Love believes all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things and LOVE NEVER FAILS. Selah, (I added).

My brother Sam had fought the good fight, he'd finished the race and kept the faith. I know there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day!--and not only to me, but also to those that have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6.

Though right now I feel dead in my heart, Christ is alive and working in me.

Regional Bookstores and Libraries Conference

Friday, I'll be speaking at the Gathering of Regional Bookstores and Libraries for a conference. My topic will be The Value of Christian Fiction. I'm honored to be able to share my opinion about what I consider to be the value of writing Christian Fiction novels.

The conference will be held at Johnson Ferry Baptist church in Marietta, GA. Dottie Poythress is hosting this conference, and among the sponsors represented is my publisher, Revell Publishing, an imprint of Baker Books.

One of my favorite people speaking is Dr. William Lane Craig, one of our nation's leading Apologists. This should be a informative conference for bookstore and library staff for regional churches to make the most out of their ministries. I'm looking forward to speaking and giving away copies of No Place for a Lady.

This past Monday, I met my deadline for book 3 for Heart of the West series. So I'm taking a much needed break from the computer, but I'll try to post more frequently now that's completed. When marketing decides the title for that book, I'll post it. I have a feeling that it won't be my title, though.

Hope your summer is starting off in a great way. I know mine has.

Happy Trails...

LIFEWAY'S NATIONAL FICTION EVENT

What an enjoyable day at the Lifeway store in Buford at the Mall of Georgia. Nora StLaurent was such a gracious hostess who is the book club guru at the store. She has a wonderful personality and so much fun to talk with. And I thought I read a lot, but she has me beat on that score.

I was so impressed with Jeff Struecker and of course, I had to have his biography and his thriller for my son. The store was busy today and I met so many nice readers. The picture of me and the blonde is my dear friend, Connie from Cleveland who drove an hours to come to the signing. Ane Mulligan, The Zone Officer for the Operating Board for the ACFW came as well. We've chatted online, but this was the first time to meet face to face. What a vivacious, lively writer!

Just a geat way to spend a Saturday, and as usual, the staff at Lifeway are super!!

LIFEWAY'S NATIONAL FICTION EVENT

I'll be representing LifeWay's National Fiction Book Event tomorrow, Saturday, May 16th from 11-1 pm at the Mall of GA in Buford. I'm really excited about this! I'll be sharing the signing table with a highly decorated X-Army Ranger, Jeff Struecker, who was prominently featured in the movie Black Hawk Down. He is now a chaplain for the Army and writes thrillers. Check his website for further info. http://www.jeffstruecker.com/.
Check out Atlanta Examiner online for further reading about the event. Here's the link .

I hope if you're in the area,stop by--I'd love to meet you. The store in behind the mall near Target. Their phone #770-831-7707.

Tuesday night I was the guest of a local area book club that had just finished reading No Place for a Lady. The fellowship was great and they picked my brain about the details of writing, and of course, I had fun sharing the writing process.

I'm on deadline for the 3rd book in the Heart of the West series, but I'll be back posting on a more frequent basis in the near future.

Happy Trails...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

I hope you're having wonderful Mother's Day! This will be a brief post to announce the winner of the drawing for a copy of my book. It was drawn fair and balanced, as Fox News would say--from a LSU baseball cap by my husband. He drew Michelle's name, who wrote that her mom was "gifted". I really like that because so many moms never realize how gifted they are because they are constantly multi-tasking and on the go!

I chose this verse for my mom's headstone in 1998--"Her children arise up, and call her blessed"...Proverbs 31:28a. I miss her so...

So I salute all Mothers everywhere for how you influence, guide, protect, minister, inspire, give, mentor, and teach but most of all for your unconditional love! Happy Mother's Day!