Guest blogger Kristin Billerbeck

Captain’s Log, Stardate 05.22.2006

Kristin Billerbeck is one of the funniest writers I know. Her books are always entertaining. If you haven’t read any of her chick-lits, buy them or ask for them at your library. And she’s guest blogging with me today!

Today she’s guest blogging about her latest book, A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND.

THREE FRIENDS. ONE SPA. AND AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF OVERSHARING!

From the outside, Morgan Malliard has it all: diamonds at her disposal, a willowy figure, a doting daddy and all the elegance that money can buy. But money can’t buy happiness—or an identity to call her own—and Morgan is realizing her perfect life has no purpose other than spectacular grooming (which isn’t really a purpose at all . . . unless you’re a chimpanzee). Then a falling-out with her father drop-kicks Morgan into the real world, and she is suddenly forced to get an actual job, wear affordable shoes and cope with public transportation—not to mention deal with that mysterious hottie who may or may not be stalking her!

It’s time for a spa getaway with her best gals, Lilly and Poppy—because there’s just something about lying under a pile of sweet-smelling papaya plaster that can help a girl figure things out. Like the fact that life isn’t aobut living up to a perfect ideal, and that with God’s grace, the beauty of it may just be in the flaws after all . . .

If you want to enter to win the book, leave a comment (at the end of this blog post, click on “comments”), giving your name and saying you want to enter. Please leave an email address or website where I can contact you (use this format with the brackets: you [at] yahoo.com). International readers are welcome to enter!

And now, here’s Kristin Billerbeck!

I had one of my Austen-fest weekends. I was not feeling well, and watched Masterpiece Theatre's version of "Pride and Prejudice" from the 80's. Then, I launched into the BBC version with Colin Firth -- and tonight I'm settling in for "Sense and Sensibility".

Jane Austen was an absolute artist in creating characters. If Mr. Collins doesn't jump off the page at you, and have you laughing with Austen at his pompous self, you just haven't lived. Both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are proud (Mr. Darcy telling Bingley not to marry Jane, shame on him! And Elizabeth turning down Darcy's proposal of marriage out of duty and honor to Jane!)

Do you see how she does that? Austen takes them both at unlikeable moments and gives them integrity. They are doing wrong for the right reasons. In the end, they both learn how their pigheadedness was not only wrong, but Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth take steps to gain the other's approval and grow in character.

As writers, it's so important to see how authentic characters make mistakes. Christians lie, we harm someone's character, we make assumptions and judgments. That's all truth. A writer will show the authentic self, not the sugary-sweet person we all wish we were -- but when our character's do wrong, let us understand why! Provide us with an unyielding motive.

On a side note: It dawned on me that Jane Austen's books and English manners of the era, are a great allegory for the church. There is so much subtexting that goes on in a church. "Oh I am fine, how are you? Is that outfit new?" Translation: "My boyfriend left me, my job stinks, and I'm too old to have a kid, and is that an appropriate outfit for church?"

I've just added a page for writers on my webpage at: www.KristinBillerbeck.com I don't promise any great pearls of wisdom, just a glimpse at what I've learned from doing wrong myself.

www.kristinbillerbeck.com
www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com
If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

Camy here: Thanks, Kristin! I’m all for authentic characters. I’ve made them so authentic, they’re practically unloveable. LOL.

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

Camille's Writing Progress

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One-Skein Pyrenees Scarf knitting pattern

I got into using antique patterns when I was making the scarf my hero wears in my Regency romance, The Spinster’s Christmas . I wanted to do another pattern which I think was in use in the Regency period, the Pyrenees Knit Scarf on pages 36-38 of The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, volume 1, by Jane Gaugain, published in 1840. She is thought to be the first person to use knitting abbreviations, at least in a published book, although they are not the same abbreviations used today (our modern abbreviations were standardized by Weldon’s Practical Needlework in 1906). Since the book is out of copyright, you can download a free PDF copy of the book at Archive.org. I found this to be a fascinating look at knitting around the time of Jane Austen’s later years. Although the book was published in 1840, many of the patterns were in use and passed down by word of mouth many years before that, so it’s possible these are

Keriah's Narrow Crescent Scarf

In my series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, my character Keriah is more emotional than her friend Phoebe, and so when writing about her in Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 6: Martyr , naturally I described her scarf as having more lively colors than the greens and blues that Phoebe favors. I didn’t really have a particular yarn colorway in mind when I wrote the scene, but when looking through my stash to knit her scarf, I found the Carnival colorway in Knit Picks Chroma Twist Fingering, and it was absolutely perfect for her. Chroma Twist Fingering is discontinued, but you could knit this in Chroma Fingering or any other color-transitional yarn. In the Regency era, a tri-color 3-ply yarn like Chroma Twist Fingering would probably not have been sold in shops, but it also may not have been completely unheard of. It is made by simply dying the wool rather than the finished yarn, and then the dyed wool would be split into 3 parts and each part spun into a single ply, before all three plies

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

Grace Livingston Hill romances free on Google Books

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

Ashlyn's Yoga Bag knitting pattern w/ @KnitPicks Dishie

Jaycee Weaver is one of the twelve authors who participated with me in the Christian Contemporary Romance anthology, Save the Date . Jaycee’s novella in the anthology is titled Braver With You . In celebration, I wrote a knitting pattern for the yoga mat bag used by Jaycee’s heroine, Ashlyn. Update 2022: The Save the Date anthology is now out of print, but Jaycee’s novella is available individually on Kindle! (In case you missed it, here are the links for my interview with Jaycee part 1 and part 2 , and an excerpt of one of Jaycee’s other books, Whatever Comes Our Way .) This yoga mat bag for Jaycee Weaver’s heroine, Ashlyn, is both pretty and practical. I made the base of the bag a little large, so that it will fit a variety of lengths of mat, and my husband (who does yoga every week) says that a larger base helps protect his mat a little better when he has to walk or bike with it to his yoga class. My husband’s mat was extra-thick so it was a slightly snugger fit than my o

Interview with Sandi Glahn

Captain’s Log, Stardate 08.28.2006 I met Sandra Glahn at ICRS in July and was immediately fascinated by her Coffee Cup Bible Study series. I mean, coffee and Bible study! What’s not to like? Sandi has four awesome Bible study books: JAVA WITH THE JUDGES , SOLOMON LATTE , MOCHA ON THE MOUNT , and ESPRESSO WITH ESTHER . And now, here's my interview with Sandi! What is the theme of the Coffee Cup Bible Studies? How did you come up with it? Who did you write these studies for? I call them Bible Studies for Women on the Go because I wrote them "for smart girls with full schedules." I taught Women's Bible Study at my church on and off for about ten years, and I designed my own, based on what I needed/wanted in a Bible study. It needed... ...to go deep--not Bible study lite--but without getting too complex or cerebral. ...to be physically small enough to throw in a purse or diaper bag. ...to contain the complete Bible text bein

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Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter