Debby Mayne's Blog

What are your characters wearing?

2008-05-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve always enjoyed fashion, even when I didn’t like what was in style. From the mid-calf bohemian-style skirt to the micro-mini, women have defined their fashion sensibilities since they started wearing clothes. As a writer, I try to incorporate fashion into my books to add an extra dimension to my characters. Here are some high fashion concepts I’ve noticed for this season:

Fabrics, colors, and prints: Go for color and interesting prints with as much natural fiber in your fabric as you can manage (consider dry cleaning, laundering, and need for ironing). Bright primary and secondary colors as well as earthy tribal prints will give your wardrobe a boost. Florals, ombre and muted metallics are hot this season. Yellows, blues, and all shades of purple rule.

Silhouettes: More volume in skirts and dresses will give you the oomph you might be looking for, but if you have the figure for it, you can still rock the pencil skirt.

Handbags: Clutch, frame, and metallics are all buzzwords for this season’s bags. Look for saturated color that makes a standalone statement. Purple, yellow, silvertone, goldtone, bronze, and lots of beads! Oh, and don’t forget about metal mesh!

Footwear: Flip-flops aside, what better way to show off a great pedicure than with some strappy wedge sandals? From the gladiator and tribal ankle strap to the cork wedge, stepping out has never been so cool. Platforms, cone heels, and cutout wedges make the statement that you know exactly where you’re going. And what shoe-loving woman doesn’t have at least one pair of peep-toes in her footwear lineup? For a full-on color statement, let your shoes show off your favorite pattern, print, ombre, or bright color!

Jewelry: Whether custom-made or mass-produced, every woman needs at least one signature bracelet and lots of necklaces for extra fashion dimension--layered or worn solo. What better way to draw attention to your pretty wrists than with bangles, cuffs, and charms! Although it’s fine to have a standard watch that goes with everything, jump out of your comfort zone and sport a timepiece with lots of zing. Whether longing for drops of glistening gemstones or manmade knockoffs, why wait for someone to give you that perfect necklace? Don’t hesitate to decorate your neck in the perfect face-framing piece of jewelry that will turn an otherwise ordinary outfit into the talk of the party.

How do you dress your characters? Are they in or out of step with current fashion trends?

What flavor of ice cream are you?

2008-05-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Janet Spaeth made a comment that maybe we'd have ice cream flavors named after us one of these days, and I started thinking about that. Hmm. So I asked my pals to name an ice cream after themselves, and here are the flavors they came up with:

Janet Spaeth, Barbour Books and Heartsong Presents author: Anyone who orders a Janet will get coffee ice cream streaked with hot fudge! Yum!

Sandie Bricker, Summerside Press and Avalon Books author: She’s always been called Red because of her hair, and red velvet cake is one of her faves. So the Sandie would be lots of pieces of red velvet cake mixed into smooth vanilla ice cream. Sounds out of this world and very pretty!

Tina Russo, Woman’s World fiction author and blogger: Vanilla. The Tina Vanilla. Why mess with a good thing? You can dress it up, you can dress it down. It can go anywhere with panache. Vanilla is a classic, like pearls and denim. They aren’t showy; they don’t worry about trends. They don’t have to. They never go out of style.

Rhonda Gibson, Barbour Books and Heartsong Presents author: She loves chocolate but not alone. Nope! Rocky road is her choice, and if it’s a DQ treat, she wants the Chocolate Extreme to be renamed the Rhonda!

Carrie Henderson, Home Shopping Network PI Writer: Smooth vanilla (for the color of her skin), chunks of pineapple (rays of sunshine), and chopped nuts (which she says is self-explanatory ) all in one scoop will be the Carrie.

Margaret Daley, Steeple Hill author: She loves cookie dough, so the Margaret flavored ice cream would have to be chocolate chip cookie dough. Unfortunately, she'd have to ban it from her house because she could eat the whole gallon in a few sessions. It's strictly a special-occasion treat for this gal!

Gail Gaymer Martin, Steeple Hill and Barbour author: Mix some large hunks of peanut butter and peanuts, swirl them with chocolate in some vanilla ice cream, and add some dark chocolate syrup running through the mix for the Gail. Similar to moose tracks only better! Delicious!

Me: I’ve always liked layering, so natural double vanilla with toffee crunch for flavor and swirls of caramel for tone-on-tone color would be my choice for the Debby. Lots of texture and flavor. Plop a strawberry on top for that perfect splash of color.

American Idol!

2008-04-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is watch “American Idol.” My husband and I prefer to watch it live, but if we have other commitments, we record it on the DVR. I have my favorite singer, and my husband has his—and it’s not always the same. However, one thing we do agree on is our faith. We know why we’re here on earth and where we’ll be after this earthly life, which is comforting and keeps us grounded. It’s okay, though, to enjoy the pleasures He has granted us on this earth, so we’ll continue watching “American Idol,” as long as we don’t put too much importance on the outcome of a TV show. This season, I like David Cook. Who is your favorite?

Writers do other stuff!

2008-04-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, writers have lives aside from…writing. I asked my friends what they like to do in their spare time (besides write), and here are their answers:

1. Margaret Daley: I like to read a good book, go to lunch with a friend, go to a movie, see my grandchildren, exercise (you didn't say we had to enjoy it, which I don't, but it's important for health reasons), volunteering (now that I'm retired--sort of), talking to friends on the phone.

2. Carla Capshaw: Spend time with my family, travel, read, watch movies and make crafts.

3. Kim Vogel Sawyer: I love to quilt, and whenever I can commit to it, I adore acting in community theatre. I wish I could do more of it.

4. Tamela Hancock Murray: I crochet poorly and read rapidly.

5. Lena Nelson Dooley: I love to read. James and I like to travel, but we don't do as much as we would like to. We like to spend time with our family.

6. Sandie Bricker: I'm ridiculous about scrapbooking. I love it. I've become the most annoying friend because I'm always in people's faces with my camera. And as I take the pictures, I've already got it in my mind how it's going to be placed on the scrapbook page.

7. Rhonda Gibson: I love to read and make greeting cards.

8. Paige Winship Dooly: walk on the beach, hike in the woods, read, paint, 4 wheel with dh.

9. Janet Spaeth: Reading, of course. Do puzzles. Knit. OH! And shop. I do love to shop.

10. Shelley Galloway: I like to bake and I love to shop. : 0

Cute pets!

2008-03-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Many writers are inspired by our pets. Here are the top 10 cute things our pets do:

1. Kim Vogel Sawyer: I've had my cat, Isabella, for over 15 years now. Or maybe I should say...she's had me! When I don't pay attention to her, she jumps in my lap and sits facing me. If I still ignore her, she takes her paw and taps my cheek.

2. Sandie Bricker: My dog Caleb (who died last year) was an Old English Sheepdog, so he was a born herder. If I'd stay up too late, he'd start nudging me and circling me, trying to herd me toward the bedroom.

3. Carla Capshaw: I have two cats. My little girl hates when I have to wake up and leave in the morning. Whenever she hears the alarm clock, she jumps on my chest to keep me in bed. I've brainwashed little boy into thinking he's a tiger. He patrols our yard and chases off the neighbor's dogs when they jump the fence.

4. Kim Vogel Sawyer: I recently lost my dear little Dachshund, Meinie, and what I miss most is her happy front-feet-only dance of joy when she saw me. I could have been gone for two minutes or two weeks, the welcome was always the same.

5. Rhonda Gibson: Sheba's (my dog) bark is way cute.

6. Paige Winship Dooly: Our new puppy, an Australian blue heeler, stands on her hind legs like a meerkat and jumps like a Jack Russell. She's full of energy.

7. Janet Spaeth: Roll over. Trust me, it's cute. (She's a huge gray Maine Coon cat.)

8. Shelley Galloway: Suzy the wiener dog 'penguins' when she wants attention. She also burrows under anything.

9. My cat Misty, a fluffy gray and white Maine Coon cat, chirps when she wants to play.

10. My gigantic male cat Felix greets everyone at the door and begs to be picked up. He’s never met a stranger.

Top 10 vacations!

2008-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since my family has been able to take a vacation, so I decided it was time to start thinking about one. I asked some of my favorite authors where they liked to go, and I added a couple of my own.

Here's my list of the top 10 vacations:

Carla Capshaw’s favorite vacations were in Italy and Japan.
Kim Vogel Sawyer had a great time taking a cross-country trip from Kansas to California with her husband and daughters. They saw some beautiful country along the way, including the Grand Canyon, and she cherishes those memories.
Sandie Bricker loves to go to San Diego as a tourist. She stays in a particular hotel where they have English high tea, fireplaces and journals in the rooms, and live jazz every Friday night. She enjoys going to Sea World, taking a whale watching cruise, or walking around Seaport Village.
Tamela Hancock Murray and her family have gone to Myrtle Beach almost every year for 25 years.
Lena Nelson Dooley enjoys taking trips to Minnesota to visit relatives.
Margaret Daley loves to travel, and her favorite places include the Southwest United States, England, Scotland, all over Europe, Tahiti (one of her all-time faves), Belize (loved looking at the Mayan ruins), Hawaii (favorite island is the Big Island with the volcano), Alaska (cool helicopter ride and fun dog sledding), Bermuda, Costa Rico, and Biloxi (to see family, fish, and enjoy the sun & fun).
Paige Winship Dooly loves the beach and the Ozark Mountains in Southern Missouri.
Tara Randel and her family spent many memorable Thanksgivings in the mountains of north Georgia. Just a few days in the cool weather, collecting colorful leaves and visiting quaint towns made for wonderful family memories.
I love San Francisco because of the cultural blend, pastel colors, hills, water, and fabulous food!
Even though I live in Florida, I still enjoy going to any tropical place where my husband can play golf, and I can enjoy the warm weather and sunshine by day and a seafood dinner at a laid-back restaurant on the beach in the evening.

Top 10 coming soon!

2008-02-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Starting next week, I’m going to feature some top 10 lists—strictly for entertainment. People are always asking me questions, like what do writers do when we’re not writing, what inspires us, and what our home life is like. I’ve polled some of my favorite authors and asked them to send some of their top 10 answers to add to my own lists. I’ll post a new list every couple of days, so drop by occasionally and take a peek into the world of a few of my published author buddies.

Books arrived!

2008-02-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

Last night my husband walked into the house carrying a box filled with copies of my brand new book, If the Dress Fits! This means that bookclub members will be receiving their copies very soon!

Even though this is my seventeenth published book, I’m as excited as I was when copies of my very first book showed up on my doorstep. The process of writing the synopsis, submitting, writing the book (the most fun part!), working through issues in copy editing, and looking over galleys is long and requires lots of eagle eyes, but it makes the final result much better. I’m thankful to my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, my editor, JoAnne Simmons, and Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents staff for all their hard work and commitment to excellence!

Conflicting emotions and writing time!

2008-02-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

I’m thankful my daughters have grown into such responsible women. Really I am. But seriously, why do I feel so sad when I watch them doing what we raised them to do? Didn’t the Lord put parents in charge of teaching our children to stand on their own and be able to make good decisions?

My older daughter Alison flew down to visit for a few days. I love having her here, but seeing her reminds me that she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s a grown woman with a husband, a full-time professional job, a house with mortgage, and a couple of animals she and her husband so responsibly take care of. I’m going to force myself to focus on the moments she’s here rather than thinking ahead to when she’ll get back on that plane.

The “baby” of the family, Lauren, isn’t a baby anymore. Not only is she almost finished with college, she’s thinking about moving away if the right job comes along. She’s smart, witty, and very responsible with her job, which means she’ll be a great catch for any employer who is sharp enough to realize how much she has to offer.

I’m not sure if I’ll suffer from empty nest syndrome, but based on how I feel now, I just might. Hmm. Maybe I already am.

Over the past few years, I’ve had to work around everyone else’s schedule for my writing, and it’s worked out quite well. Now that I have time to write whenever the muse strikes, I wonder how I’ll do. Having only a few minutes here and there has made the time seem more precious. I need to change my thinking and value larger chunks of time as much as I do the stolen minutes.

Exciting and congratulations!

2008-01-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, my very good friend Paige Dooly IM’ed me and told me that Barbour had posted the Heartsong Presents awards for 2007. I didn't expect my name to be on the list, so when I saw that my book Double Blessing placed second, I was flabbergasted! What a wonderful surprise!

Here's a link to the blog from the Barbour editors: http://editcafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/congratulations-heartsong-authors.html

Congratulations to all the fabulous authors who write for Barbour’s Heartsong Presents line! I feel blessed to be named with such a wonderful group of people who write books that are uplifting and Christ-centered.

It's 2008 already!

2008-01-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

What? It’s 2008 already? What happened to 2007?

My older daughter Alison and her husband Jason moved to North Carolina last year. They both have great jobs, and now they own a beautiful home in a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood—a great place to raise children. Wally, Lauren, and I spent Christmas with them in their new home, and we’re thankful that the Lord has blessed them so greatly.

This is the year Lauren will graduate from the University of South Florida. Although I’m happy for her and excited to see what she does with her life, I have to admit to confusion and feelings of trepidation about what I’ll do with our “empty nest.” I’ve heard about this syndrome, but I never thought I’d feel this way. Wally and I will have more freedom, time, and money to do the things we’ve always wanted to do, but we’ll miss our daughters more than we ever imagined.

What I need to do is count my blessings. First of all, I’m grateful to have wonderful adult children who’d make any parent proud. Next, I’m thankful that Wally survived a serious health scare back in May, so we can hopefully have many more years together. There are so many other things I appreciate and give credit to the Lord for, I can’t possibly name them all here.

2008 has gotten off to a good start. I pray that my family and friends will continue to be blessed with good health and love for each other so we can shine our light on the world as Christ-followers.

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here it is, December 31, 2007. New Year’s Eve. I’m sitting here posting on my blog, and I’m perfectly happy to be home, safe, with my husband, watching TV, waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. 2007 has been an eventful year—some good, some bad—and I’m blessed to have come out of it a wiser person with a better understanding and appreciation of God’s mercy and grace.

I’m happy to have a wonderful family. Lauren is looking forward to finishing college and starting a new career. Alison and Jason have a loving marriage. My children have turned out to be the kind of adults every parent dreams of. I love the fact that I have readers who drop me an e-mail once in a while to let me know they’re touched by my stories. I’m grateful that my husband had such excellent medical care after a life-altering health scare, and he’s still with us, pacemaker and all.

I’m not usually one to make New Year’s resolutions because it seems pointless when we don’t know what we’ll face…but that’s okay. As long as the Lord is in control, I’ll be just fine.

Please continue praying!

2007-12-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

I've been keeping up with what's going on with my friend Kristy Dykes through her blog: http://christianlovestories.blogspot.com. Please take time out during your busy day to pray for her and her family.

Fun day!

2007-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

I just got back from the annual TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors) Christmas party, where I got to celebrate with some old and new friends who all share a love of stories with happy endings. I rode with Kathy Carmichael and Kimberly Llewellyn, which is always fun because there’s never a lull in conversation.

After a yummy meal and scrumptious dessert, we did our usual ornament exchange, where each person draws a number. The first person has to pick a wrapped ornament from the table, then each person after that has the choice of choosing from what's left on the table or stealing from someone who has already gone. True to form, I "stole" from one of my TARA sisters who ironically went to the table and picked the ornament I'd brought. It's all in good fun, and everyone left with smiles.

It was especially sweet to hear all about Carla Hughes’s sale to Steeple Hill! All of us in TARA have known that Carla’s a wonderful writer. Now everyone will have the opportunity to read her wonderful books! I can hardly wait until I have one of her autographed, published books!

All grown up!

2007-11-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

Alison’s best friend Tina is getting married today! I know this sounds cliché, but where has the time gone? It seems like only days ago, my daughters Alison and Lauren giggled about boys with their friends Tina and Samantha. And now Alison has been married a year and a half and is getting ready to be one of the 2 maids-of-honor in Tina’s wedding. I get teary-eyed thinking about it. Lauren’s friend Samantha is planning to marry her fiancé sometime next year, and I’m sure I’ll start reflecting all over again.

Tina will be a stunning bride, and I’m sure Jimmy knows what a fortunate guy he is to be getting such a sweet wife with a big heart. I hope everything goes well during the wedding, but more than that, I pray that they’ll be blessed with a wonderful life together.

Prayers for a friend!

2007-11-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

One of my friends, Kristy Dykes, just learned that she might have a brain tumor. Please keep her and her family in prayer.

Very busy but fun!

2007-10-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

The past several weeks have been extremely busy, but it’s all good stuff. In September I went to Connecticut, where I went through a wonderful training program so I can help other writers work on their craft. I’ve always enjoyed being a part of other people’s success, and I’m psyched about this wonderful opportunity with Long Ridge. After the training, Cindi Myers, Carole Bellacera, and I headed into NYC where we saw a hilarious Broadway show and then joined G. Miki Hayden for a fabulous dinner.

Then last weekend after the Tampa Area Romance Authors meeting, we had a group book-signing at the Barnes and Noble in Tampa. I love the support this group shows our authors. Thanks, everyone, for buying my book! I hope y’all enjoy it!

This coming Saturday, I’m participating with other authors Kathy Carmichael, Kimberly Llewellyn, and Jeannie LeGendre in a writer-in-residence program at the Countryside branch of the Clearwater Library. We’ll talk to aspiring writers then offer critiques to anyone who wants one. Tara Spicer (w/a Tara Randel), we’ll miss you! I hope you feel better soon.

Montana Mistletoe blog tour!

2007-09-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

What is the premise of the Montana Mistletoe?
DEBBY: This book shows how four friends work toward honoring their pact to find true love by their twenty-eighth birthdays.

Give us a brief blurb about your stories.

LISA: When Madison Graham leaves the quant town of Mistletoe, Colorado for New York City to buy products for her year-round Christmas store, Under the Mistletoe, she’s positive she’s met her man. Albert Kendall is everything she’s ever dreamed of. Successful, good looking, and well off. But is worldly success really what she’s looking for in a man, or have the bright lights of the city blinded her so that she’s forgotten the real meaning of Christmas?

DEBBY: In "Return to Mistletoe," when Deanna’s high school sweetheart Anthony returns to Mistletoe, she’s not prepared for her own reaction. Fighting the urge to fall in love with him again, she works hard at adding sparks to a relationship with someone else. Anthony continues to show up at the most unexpected times—not only to see Deanna but to help the town he’s loved since childhood.

KIM: In my story, "All I want for Christmas. . .is You," Kathy Morgan has gotten caught up in the corporate world of writing advertising jingles at a San Francisco advertising company--a far cry from the simple world of Mistletoe. As Christmas approaches, an unexpected bonus gives her the opportunity to return to Mistletoe for a trip down "Memory Lane" where she can consider the marriage proposal of long-time co-worker Chad. But postman Erik Hoffman becomes a distraction that makes her wonder if she needs to evaluate more than Chad's proposal...perhaps more than romantic love, she needs the love of Jesus in her life.

LENA: Lori Compton is the youngest mayor ever elected in the year around Christmas town, Mistletoe, Montana. She plans a turnaround in the local sagging economy by finding ways to bring more tourists to Mistletoe. The only possible suitor she can find is the single pastor of Living Word Chapel, but deep in her heart, she wants real love, not just a convenient answer to the Mistletoe Pact.

Is there a character who you relate to and who made an impact on your life?

LISA: I always learn from the writing process. In Under the Mistletoe, Madison is searching for that elusive something we all tend to look for at one time or another. Happiness doesn’t always come in a gold-wrapped package or with a better pay check. It comes from the little things around us. Friends, a warm summer day, and knowing God loves us. A good reminder.

Can you share any tidbits of wisdom on getting published?

KIM: P E R S E V E R A N C E! If you feel that "tug" to write, there's a reason, so keep at it even when it's tough. Trust God to take you where He wants you to go in your writing, and enjoy every step of the journey. There's a purpose in all of it.
Any advice in working together as a team/preparing a novella proposal?

DEBBY: Present your ideas and listen to others. Remember that you all have the same goal of excellence for your project.
Any writer’s resources you could recommend?

DEBBY: Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer is one of the best books for craft. I also like Donald Maass’s book, Writing the Breakout Novel. For ongoing craft and marketing education, I like Writer’s Digest Magazine.

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If you want to learn more about the authors of Montana Mistletoe, check out Rhonda Gibson’s blog on September 26th at http://www.rhondagibson.blogspot.com/

Winners! Winners! Winners!

Want a chance to win a FREE copy of the book and a $30 gift certificate to ChristianBooks.com? For more information, visit our official Montana Mistletoe blog at http://montanamistletoe.blogspot.com/ by October 1st!

Lena Nelson Dooley: http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/

Debby Mayne: http://www.debbymayne.com/
Kim Vogel Sawyer: http://www.kimvogelsawyer.com/

Lisa Harris: http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/

Blast from the past!

2007-09-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

As a former military brat, I occasionally have a nostalgic moment that I have to share with friends. I had such a moment this weekend when I stumbled upon a site with pictures of one of the many places I lived. My family moved from Yokota Air Force Base to Johnson Air Base, Japan, in 1964, so these pictures really sent me back in time. If you have a few moments, check it out: http://bobp31.homestead.com/JOHNSON_AB-FHA.html. Oh, and make sure your sound is on for the full effect!

Amazing and super cool!

2007-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

As a product writer for HSN (Home Shopping Network), I often watch the show to see how our merchandise is being shown. Of course, being the clothes/shoes/handbag/makeup lover I am, I always come away wanting to buy whatever is on air. Last night I watched one of my favorite designers, Carolyn Strauss, announce that she’s taking a year off, and I got a little choked up—even though we’ll continue carrying her line.

This morning I woke up thinking I needed more Carolyn Strauss clothes, so I headed to the employee store, where I loaded some of her really cute outfits into my cart. I walked around the store to see if there was anything else I “needed,” and when I came back to the front to pay for my items, Sally, one of the QA evaluators, was there chatting with someone. She gestured for me to come over so she could introduce me to Carolyn Strauss! That had to be the highlight of my weekend! I totally didn’t recognize her in person because she’s even more gorgeous than on TV! Her smile is genuine and infectious, and she’s super easy to talk to.

Carolyn said she’s planning to look for opportunities to speak and do some wonderful things to help other women. I have no doubt she’ll continue to succeed in everything she does.

Celebration and good friends!

2007-08-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Beth and I celebrated her new job with yummy ice cream before we headed next door to browse in a variety store. I came home with a hodgepodge of goodies—all stuff I didn’t know I needed until I saw it. Sometimes life is like that. We think we know what we need, but then the Lord presents us with things that have never crossed our minds. Whatever He presents is always better than what we come up with on our own.

I added some wonderful writing craft articles from friends Lisa Mondello and Gail Gaymer Martin to the WRITER STUFF page on my web site, and I expect even more material over the next several days from other friends who love sharing their knowledge. If you’re a writer and you have time, go take a look and see if there’s anything that’ll help you with your own writing.

ACFW thoughts!

2007-08-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

I haven’t missed the last 3 American Christian Fiction Writers conferences, so I’m really sad that I won’t be attending this year. I always come back with market information, new craft knowledge, and a long list of e-mail addresses from new friends. There’s nothing like spending time with people who have the same passion for both the Lord and writing. After exchanging e-mail with Joyce Livingston, Pamela Kaye Tracy, Janet Spaeth, Gail Sattler, Pamela Griffin, Janet Barton, Margaret Daley, Rhonda Gibson, Beth White, and Gail Gaymer Martin for years, we were old friends by the time we met in person. I also enjoyed spending time with my Barbour editors Becky Germany, Susan Downs, and JoAnne Simmons.

Fortunately, my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray http://www.tamelahancockmurray.com/, will be there for part of it this year, and she’ll be able to fill me in on the latest market news. Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Harris, and Kim Vogel Sawyer, the other 3 authors in the Montana Mistletoe anthology http://montanamistletoe.blogspot.com/, will also be there, so it’ll be nice to hear feedback from them.

Something I’ve learned over the years of writing is that connecting with other writers is not only good for us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, it also provides us with opportunities to improve craft. Whether sitting in a workshop, soaking up new information from a speaker, or having breakfast with editors, agents, and authors who recently had a manuscript requested, there’s always something exciting to learn.

Blog tour has begun!

2007-08-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Montana Mistletoe blog tour has started! When you get a chance, check out Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog at http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free book!

Montana Mistletoe interviews coming soon!

2007-08-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

All four authors in the Montana Mistletoe anthology, Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Harris, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and I are gearing up for a blog tour that'll be here soon! I'm excited to share some of our experiences and information with anyone who's interested, so keep checking back for more!

Kids, agent, and release date!

2007-08-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes me happier than my children’s successes. My older daughter Alison and her husband Jason closed on their very first house in Apex, North Carolina. My younger daughter Lauren is heading into her senior year of college in a couple of weeks. I’m super proud of all of them, and I have no doubt they’re at the very beginning of their own unique, wonderful journeys through adulthood.

My agent Tamela Hancock Murray recently updated her web site, and it’s really great! When you get a chance, go check it out: http://www.tamelahancockmurray.com/.

I had a little thrill seeing the actual cover of Montana Mistletoe when it landed in my mailbox today! This means countdown time until the release date—September 1!