Captain's Log, Stardate 02.28.2006 Continuing my interview with Margaret: CT: What's your writing schedule like? How do you ensure time for family and church? MD: I usually write when I get home from school then on the weekends. You have to make time for your family and church as anything you want to do. I'm a very organized person and my son is grown and on his own now. It was harder when he was at home. CT: What is your most memorable moment as a writer? Selling my first book! Nothing beats that. CT: When did you first discover that you were a writer? MD: When I finished my first book, I started to think of myself as a writer. Of course, I will never show anyone that first book. CT: Writing a novel is... MD: like bleeding all over the white paper. CT: LOL! I like that analogy. Must be your romantic suspense side coming out, or else Shirlee has rubbed off on you. ;) What's your greatest writing weakness and how do you overcome it? MD: Descripti...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.27.2006 Margaret Daley has been an enthusiastic encourager to me since I started writing and posting on the Steeple Hill discussion boards. She's got a bazillion books under her belt and just keeps coming up with ideas and churning out novels despite working full-time as a teacher. Interview with Margaret Daley: CT: Who do you write for--moms, singles? What do you want to say to that demographic? MD: I write for both but I do deal with the dynamics of a family in a lot of my stories. CT: Where would you like to see your writing going, in terms of genre and scope, in the next several years? MD: I want to continue to write both Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense books but I also would like to tackle a longer story with many layers. CT: Do your kids influence your writing at all? How? How about hubby? How about your students? MD: Yes, my family influences my writing. What I do influences my writing. I think it would be hard to ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.26.2006 Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or email me. If you don’t see yourself and you want to, email me or leave a comment. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't email me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays. Lord, thank you for your glory in the whole earth. Lord, I lift up friends and acquaintances who have lost their spouses this month. Cover them with your powerful hand, comfort them as only you can, in all your love, and let them feel your presence. Father, give Christina courage and strength as she finishes her last weeks in Japan. Thank you for how you've used her for your glory. Continue to be leading her so that she can serve you as a strong woman of God. Thank you for being with Heather this w...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.25.2006 Book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway (A FAMILY FOREVER) is here . My Thursday book giveaway (HOT FLASHES AND COLD CREAM) is here . You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for A FAMILY FOREVER and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. Bible in 90 Days: Day 47. Still in Isaiah. What struck me today was that God repeatedly mentions that he rescues and blesses His people Israel for the sake of His name. They are His, and He keeps His promises. It's His nature. So even if they completely turn away from Him, He doesn't turn away from them forever. I liked it because it reminded me of God's might, but also that He chooses to love me. Writing: Got some done today, actually. Hope to get more done tonight. Tomorrow is my writing-rest day, so I'll get my critiques and Genesis stuff done tomorrow. Diet: I wanted to check in because I've ha...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.24.2006 Continuing my interview with Diann... CT: What's your writing schedule like? How do you ensure time for family and church? DH: I try to write from eight o’clock in the morning to one or two o’clock every day. But more than that, I try to write a chapter. If I don’t get that chapter done by one or two, I keep at it. But usually I make that goal, because I always reward myself with going to visit the grandkids, and I don’t let myself go if I don’t make my goal. CT: What is your most memorable moment as a writer? DH: My first sale was an article in Victoria Magazine’s Reader-to-Reader newsletter. I will never forget the moment I opened an envelope from them, thinking it was a subscription renewal, but instead it was a contract and a check for $100!!! I screamed my brains out (I suppose that’s what’s wrong with me today). CT: When did you first discover that you were a writer? DH: When I was in grade school and kept a diary. I ha...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.23.2006 Diann Hunt is WAY COOL and I'm so excited for a chance to get to know her better with this interview! You might have seen her blogging with her pals Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, and Denise Hunter at Girls Write Out . Interview with Diann Hunt: CT: Your book is considered "Lady-lit" for older women. Is that who you primarily write for, or can younger women enjoy your story? What do you want to say to your demographic readership? DH: While it is true that my books have middle-aged characters, I try to make them deal with problems that all women can relate to. For instance, though Maggie ( Hot Flashes & Cold Cream ) dealt with age issues, she also dealt with low self-esteem and obsessed about her appearance. What woman doesn’t do that? She went through a time of wondering what to do with herself once the kids left home, but I think various stages of life bring on that question. When the kids start school, Moms star...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.22.2006 Just a short blog today (and posted massively late). I'm busy with Genesis stuff and some critiquing I need to get done for my Story Sensei critique service . Book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway (WEB OF LIES) is here . My Monday book giveaway (A FAMILY FOREVER) is here . You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts. On Thursday (tomorrow), I'll draw the winner for WEB OF LIES and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. Bible in 90 Days: Day 44. Haven't read today yet. I'll get to it later. I'm about to head into Song of Songs. I have read this book several times and never gotten it. The imagery just flies right over my non-Hebrew-culture-educated head. I should probably get a commentary or something on it so that I can understand it, at least. Writing: Went through my Maass workshop notes yesterday and did some "stretching" of my protagonist. I hope to get so...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.21.2006 Continuing my interview with Brenda... CT: What's your writing schedule like? How do you ensure time for family and church? BC: I don't have a schedule. I write whenever I feel like it. And I feel like it just about every day. CT: What is your most memorable moment as a writer? BC: The first time I read through the manuscript that would become my first novel, Finding Hope, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. It was just like reading a real book! CT: When did you first discover that you were a writer? BC: December 2000. I tried writing a romance-novel scene just to see how difficult it was. And once I began, I couldn't quit. CT: Writing a novel is ... BC: Camy? You seem to have wandered off, sweetie, without finishing your sentence. Unless you intended for me to finish it? Um... Writing a novel is fun? CT: What's your greatest writing weakness and how do you overcome it? BC: I stink at writing detailed des...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.20.2006 I'm so lucky this month cuz I get to interview all these neat people, who just happen to be my friends since I'm a neat person myself. LOL (can you see my ego inflating?) I met Brenda Coulter online at the Steeple Hill discussion boards, and I read her blog regularly. She's hilarious and blunt and fun to read. It was great to spend time with her at the 2005 RWA conference in Reno. Her newest book is A FAMILY FOREVER which hits the bookstores March 1st. Interview with Brenda Coulter: CT: Who do you write for--moms, singles? What do you want to say to that demographic? BC: I write to entertain the woman I see in the mirror when I brush my teeth. She's just an average Christian lady, but I know that if I can please her, lots of other women will be happy, too. I write "Christian" because that's my worldview, but I'm not consciously trying to "say" anything to anybody. I just want to write sto...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.19.2006 Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or email me. If you don’t see yourself and you want to, email me or leave a comment. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't email me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays. Father, thank you for another Sunday with you. Please be with Runningfawn and her family. Comfort her and provide for her. Help her to trust you. Give Christina strength and guidance as she finishes her last few weeks in Japan. Thank you for all you're doing in her and through her. Help Heather fight the spiritual warfare going on in her life. Help her to resist and stand firm in you. Father, please protect Pammer from Satan's lies. Help her to see and know your truth. Please help her to finish...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.18.2006 Book giveaway: My Monday giveaway of Randy Ingermanson's FICTION 101 CD is here . My Thursday book giveaway (WEB OF LIES) is here . You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for FICTION 101 and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. The moose: Pictures of the murdered moose (see yesterday's post ) are here . BTW David, I should not be deducted points. How would I know Snickers would have such violence in her? She looks so cute and innocent! Bible in 90 Days: Day 41. I'll be reading just before bed tonight. I had a full day, so it'll be nice to unwind with the Word. Writing: All day today was the Donald Maass Breakout Novel workshop in San Jose. It was long, but great! I got tons of good exercises to do to help me stretch my characters, complicate the plot, and increase tension in every book I write. I had to leave early and skip the r...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.17.2006 Book giveaway: My Monday giveaway of Randy Ingermanson's FICTION 101 CD is here . My Thursday book giveaway (WEB OF LIES) is here . You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for FICTION 101 and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. My dog's toys: What is it with my dog and her unceasing ability to demolish her toys? We got these cute little stuffed animals from Rachel for Christmas, and I thought they'd be good toys for our dog-- Snickers likes her toys soft and small enough for her to comfortably carry around in her mouth. Yesterday, I gave her one of the stuffed animals, an orange and purple moose with a lime-green ski hat and matching scarf securely sewn onto the doll (Dogs are color-blind, so I figured she wasn't going to care, right?). What does Snickers do? She eats off moose's black plastic eyes and pulls out about a half-cup...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.16.2006 I'm thrilled and excited to have Brandilyn Collins write a guest blog post for today. She's uber-cool, peeps. Her suspense novel WEB OF LIES was just released. It's the fourth book in her Hidden Faces series, and it also ties up her previous two books EYES OF ELISHA and DREAD CHAMPION . Here's Brandilyn! Web of Lies is my "spider book" that carries the message of God's Truth vs. Satan's lies. Strange venue for such teaching, I know. But such is the wonderful genre of Christian suspense. I have told the story both on my blog and on the Charis Connection blog of how the plot and theme for Web of Lies was given to me. ( www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com --three posts, starting on Thursday, May 26, '05.) No need to repeat the whole story here. Suffice it to say that God made clear to me the theme He wanted for this creepy novel. And once people started reading the book, I immediately began hearin...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.15.2006 Book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway (A HERO FOR DRY CREEK) is here . Randy Ingermanson's guest blog and the Fiction 101 CD giveaway is here . You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for HERO FOR DRY CREEK and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. I also have a secret guest blogger on Thursday and a great book giveaway! More thoughts on food: Okay, I just have to share this recipe with you guys. I got this from Sam Choy's cookbook, but I altered it to be low-fat. Sam Choy makes this coconut milk and spinach sauce that he serves with macadamia-nut crusted fish. Yummy, right? And a billion calories. We got sole filets from Costco, about 1.5 pounds of it. It's a bit much for just me and my husband, but it was cheap. Plus fish is good for you, right? I marinated the fish in an olive oil, salt, ginger, green onion and cilantro marinade fo...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.13.2006 Today I'm excited to have Randy Ingermanson write a guest blogger post for me! Without further ado, here's Randy: Why Do You Write? Whenever I teach a writing conferences, I ask novelists a simple question: Why do you write fiction? Fact is, writers write fiction for all kinds of reasons. We want to teach. We want to uplift. We want to comfort. We want to persuade. We want to get a little free therapy by stripping our souls buck naked in public. We want to entertain. All good and excellent reasons. I probably write for all these reasons. Or maybe I'm just a weirdo who can't shut up. Yeah, that's probably it. When I ask writers this question, I get back all of the above as answers, and usually a few more. Then I ask another question: Why do you READ fiction? The answers this time are a lot fewer in number. "I read to escape." or "I read to have fun." or "I read to be entert...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 02.12.2006 Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or email me. If you don’t see yourself and you want to, email me or leave a comment. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't email me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays. Father God, you are holy and mighty and we are silent and still before you now. Lord please comfort Runningfawn right now in her grief. I pray you will comfort her and provide for her and her family. Father, I lift up Christina to you and thank you for all you're doing in her and through her while she's serving you in Japan. Please keep her, Joy, and the Uchimura's in good health. Help her to draw closer to you and feel your presence in her devotionals. Reveal to her more of who you are. Give h...