ACFW Conference 2007

This was the most amazing conference ever! During lunch on Friday, I was presented with a contract for my cozy mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies. The contract was offered in front of 500 attendees by Susan Downs of Barbour Publishing. Needless to say, I was flying high all weekend. Another publisher may be interested in my romantic suspense, Mountain of Fear. God is good! Here are pictures of me with my agent, Kelly Mortimer and my Barbour editor, Susan Downs. There is also a picture of me with the infamous author Brandilyn Collins (the red head), another with author Janet Dean and my agent, and a group photo of myself, my agent and other of her clients at the award banquet on Saturday night.

Scattergories!

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks/sounds! Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... They MUST be real places, names, Things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before if you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. Once you're done, forward on to friends and back to the person who sent it to you. Now Go!

Your Name: Cindy
1. Famous singer/band: Michael Crawford
2. 4 letter word: crap
3. Street name: Cincinnati Avenue4. Color: Crimson
5. Gifts/presents: Candid
6. Vehicle: Cadillac
7. Items on a menu: cheese crisp
8. Girl Name: Carol
9. Boy Name: Chase
10 Movie Title: Cellular
11. Drink: Coke
12. Occupation: Cab driver
13. Flower: carnation
14. Celebrity: Candice Bergen
15. Magazine: Cars
16. US City: Cleveland
17. Pro Sports Teams: Cardinals
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: chronic diahrea
19. Something U Throw Away: cardboard
20. Things You Shout: Come on!
21. Cartoon Character: Casper

Valley Vista High School's Inaugural game

Valley Vista is a new High School in our city. Only open for two years. The first year we only had freshmen and Sophmore. This year we added Juniors. Yippee! If you're into football pain. We had our first Varsity game ever. And lost. 50 - 0. Ouch! Complete with fireworks, by the way. My son, who not to brag, is the star of the Junior Varsity game is also on the Varsity. For lack of players with talent, apparently. Despite his having carried the ball for a total of more than 200 yards the night before, and scoring two touch-downs, he didn't play a lick last night. The same guys over and over and over and over. I swear the game lasted for ten hours!

Anyway, after watching the same play (that didn't work the first time by the way) over and over and over, because obviously the coaches didn't think the other team would catch on, someone in the crowd yells to keep the clock running during a time-out. The rest of us spectators clapped.

Anyway, we know it'll be tough without any seniors on our Varsity team, but a couple of points wouldn't have hurt, would it? Or, how about a chance for the "2nd" string to play, which consisted of mostly JV players suited up, to look like more bodies I wonder? What could it have hurt? We were already at zero. Couldn't go backward from there!

Oh, well. My son's name is still in the paper as one of the players. After last night's game, is that a good thing? How about a reporter at the JV game? We might actually run some plays.

Mortimer Literary Agency

I HAVE AN AGENT!!!! Kelly Mortimer called last night and asked whether I was still interested in her representing me. Of course I said yes, as I danced and screamed inside. Praise God!

Something Fun...and a little mean

Ever want to have some harmless fun? I was at Barnes and Noble the other day (my favorite place) and this teenage girl was walking past my car. For the heck of it, I pushed my alarm button. She jumped five feet. I laughed hysterically. Wouldn't it be fun to just do it and watch people's expressions? I honk at my kids every time they walk in front of my car, and laugh every time it scares them. I'm sick, I know. Just don't do it to anyone too frail. You don't want something having a heart attack.

Cairn Terrier Puppies

A week late and five hours on the bathroom floor, we finally have puppies! Aren't they cute? This is Truly's first litter. A boy and a girl.

Candy Coated Secrets

Well, I finished the first draft and am rattling around the house not knowing what to do. Should I start on the third book of the series, or finish another manuscript that's already begun? People say you should take a breather and go in with a clean head, but I'm feeling a little lost. Alot of it depends on the upcoming conference, and whether the agent I'm hoping for decides to represent me.

I'm also waiting on my dog to decide to have her puppies. She's four days late and the vet says not to worry unless it's over a week. Yeah, well it isn't his dog.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Yep, I'm admitting here in blogger land that I am a Harry Potter fan. Read the first one to see what all the hoopla was about and whether or not it was something I would allow my kids to read. Got hooked. Bought book number seven Saturday morning at 10 and finished the almost 800 page book by Sunday afternoon at three. Easily the best book by far.

JK Rowling even states the Bible verse, without the scripture address, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." The Deathly Hallows is all about loyalty, the dangers of racism, and the power of love. From the first chapter the action grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the end.

Not a book for younger than thirteen, unless the child is a very mature reader, but teens and adults will absolutely love this book. The character arc of Harry Potter is immense. The death toll is high, tears are plenty, humor breaks things up just a bit, love, friendship, and sacrifice is on every page, and the reader is left gasping in parts. This is going to be one heck of a movie.

Veil of Fire

Read Veil of Fire by Marlo Schalesky. Wow!

Book Reviews

In addition to book reviews I may list on my site, I am now a reviewer for Author's Choice Reviews. Visit their site for reviews on movies, fiction and non-fiction books. http://IDealinHope.com/bookreviews

Dol

Bought this really cool book the other day titled, A word a Day. Thought I'd share one that fits with a suspense/mystery writer.

dol: a unit for measuring the pain intensity. Example: I touched the hot pipe to see how long I could stand the heat; one dol, two dols, three dols, ouch!

Fun word, huh? I'll have to find a way to use it in my wip.

Kiva.org

Ever heard of Kiva? Ever wanted to help improve the world without going broke?

My husband and I were watching a PBS special of Frontline the other night and an organization named Kiva was featured. This organization teams with other micro-lenders to help obliviate world poverty by lending small amounts of money to third world residents who are wanting to better themselves. The recipients are checked out for their ability to pay the loan back and are then listed on Kiva.org. You are told a bit of their story and the story of others who have lended.

Wanting to do our part, my husband and I searched the list and sent a loan to three men in Kenya. The people want so little, but can improve their lives so much. You give what you can, God willing, you will be payed back, and you have helped pull someone out of poverty.

It's a great feeling.

Update on Summer Meadows

Yes, that's the real name of the heroine in my recent cozy mystery series. Her parents had a sense of humor. But the name suits her.

The first in the series, Buried Beneath the Midnight Blue, is still being considered by an agent. The second, Candy Coated Secrets, is 40,000 words strong. The last, Chocolate Covered Crime, is in the planning stages.

First person pov cozy mysteries are a lot of fun. Never thought I'd get away from the serial killer, damsel in distress, romantic suspense. I'm not completely away, just taking a break and trying something new and fun.

Vacation in Arkansas

We just got back from our vacation in Arkansas. Above is the whole family, minus a spouse or two. We're on top of Petit Jean Mountain on the porch of a cabin that was built in the 1800s and was home to a family with nine children. A one room cabin. Imagine! I'm the one with the white sunglasses.

The photo to the right shows my parents and us four kids. This was the first time in eleven years that we were all home at the same time.

Not only is going to Arkansas a time to visit my family, but it is also a time to refresh my soul and lift my spirit. Amazingly so, but as soon as we cross the border, I feel uplifted. Arkansas is truly my heaven on earth. My husband and I would move if not for our grandchildren. We've been present at the birth of every one of them. I would miss them so if we were to move back to the Ozarks.

When I die, I hope my heavenly mansion is located in a place similar to my childhood home.

April 20

Columbine anniversary, Hitler's birthday, and rumors flying between High Schools. All schools in our area were put on high alert and kept in lock-down mode. Most students didn't come too school out of fear. It's a scary world we live in.

Thank God, it was a quiet and uneventful day in my neck of the woods.

Coral Moon

Leslie Williams, roommate of Violet Dawns' Paige, leaves her house one morning and discovers a dead body in her car. After the shock wears off, anger emerges as more of her friends and acquaintances turn up dead. As Leslie vows to find a murderer, the only suspect is too hard to believe. Evil has come to Kanner Lake and Leslie is determined to send the spiritual forces back where they came from.

I enjoyed Coral Moon more than Violet Dawn. In the second book of her Kanner Lake series, Brandilyn Collins brings us a gutsy heroine determined to do good, regardless of the cost. A real page-turner. In the fashion of Frank Peretti, Brandilyn takes the reader on a spiritual journey, into battle between good and evil.

No More Diamonds

Call me stupid. Call me naive, but I had no idea where America, or the rest of the world for that matter, gets the majority of their diamonds. My husband and I watched, Blood Diamond, last night. After seeing how the innocent of Africa sacrifice for the supply of diamonds out of their country, I asked my husband not to buy me any more. I'll keep my wedding ring, and the other pieces, but no more. The thought of a child working as a slave, or losing a hand, so I can wear some bling bling on my hand, is too much. They say to buy only "conflict" free diamonds. How are we to know? Most of the diamonds from Africa come from Liberia. There are no diamond mines in Liberia. Liberia ships diamonds that are smuggled from conflict torn areas of Africa.

Sorry for getting on my soap box. The movie was excellent. The acting superb. And once the movie was finished, I was angry. The plight of the African people tears at my heart. How the actions over there must hurt the heart of God. So, for my part, no more diamonds.

I sure hope I don't learn gold and silver suffers the same plight.

I WON!!!

Buried Beneath the Midnight Blue won first place in the Great Expectations contest. Kelly Mortimer of Mortimer Literary Agency has requested to see the full manuscript. YOO HOO!!!

Ya'll pray for me!

Casino Royale

I'm a big James Bond fan. There, I've admitted it. But I was extremely disappointed in this latest movie. It's actually, Bond's beginning. There was no plot. Virtually no gadgets, and lacked that certain wit for which 007 was famous for.

After the movie was over, I'm glad I rented the DVD, and didn't actually pay a fortune to see it, I thought about the movie in light of writing. Books must have a plot. A solid beginning, middle and end. This movie lacked this essential elements, but because it was "James Bond" the writers were able to get away with it. UNFAIR!!!

Remember Me

We meet Josef von Woerner in Pieces of Silver, where we learn of his love for Germany, the fatherland. In Remember Me, Josef wakes up injured and not knowing who he is. He is being cared for by a stranger named, Hank and falls in love with a beautiful, very patriotic nurse, Lissa Parker.

As their love grows, Josef enters the first World War, fighting on the side of United States and the allies. The stress and trauma of being captured brings back his memory. His newly accepted faith spurs him to do the right thing, even if coming forward about all the things he had done to try and prevent America from entering into the war, causes him the love of Lissa.

Remember Me is a story of God's redemption, the power of love, and one man's undying desire to follow God's will. I found this book very hard to put down, wondering what would happen to Josef next. The love story is pure and powerful. I am eagerly awaiting Maureen Lang's next book.