Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.25.2006 I'm gone to RWA National conference : This might be my last post for the rest of the week, depending on if I can get internet access at my hotel. Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins . My Monday book giveaway is BE MY NEAT-HEART by Judy Baer . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. I won’t be drawing a winner this Thursday, but on Monday, July 31st, I'll draw the winner for BE MY NEAT-HEART and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Blame Mary: My beautiful friend Mary DeMuth is hosting a “Carnival of Beauty” on Wednesday. I’m not really sure what that means, but she asked me to join so I said “Cool!” The theme is “The Beauty of Blogging.” Now blogging I could talk about all day! Blogging is beautiful for people like me who can’t shut up. Maybe it’s ego-centric. I mean, blogging is uncensored, unedited writing/ranting/complaining/crowin...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins . My Monday book giveaway is BE MY NEAT-HEART by Judy Baer . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. I won’t be drawing a winner this Thursday, but on Monday, July 31st, I'll draw the winner for BE MY NEAT-HEART and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 9 (continued from part 8 ): Mary DeMuth had arranged for a bunch of us to have a night of karaoke at a local bar. I don’t know who picked it, but it was a small bar with lots of locals getting drunk. MaryLu Tyndall , Marilyn Hilton , Danica Favorite-McDonald , Jeannette Hanscome , and I walked into the place to see Chip MacGregor on stage belting out “Brown-Eyed Girl” with two women dancing on either side of him. Good old Chip. He sang two more songs during the rest of the night, although I think that “Twist and Shout” killed his vocal chords. What a ha...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.23.2006 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 e-mail me. If I forgot your prayer request, e-mail me. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't e-mail me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays. Lord, thank you for this day. I pray for Jaen and her husband, and ask for healing and strength. Give Brenda, Gail and Bob your strength and courage. I lift up Heather to you and pray you help her to hear your voice clearly so that she can follow you. Heal Pammer from her aches and pains, and protect her family from spiritual warfare. Help her to keep a cheerful outlook and give her your strength and joy. Help Squirl as she revises her manuscript. Give her wisdom on her writing career. Bless Dineen’s new graphic design business and...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for YAHWEH SISTERHOOD and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 8 (continued from part 7 ): Originally, Becky Germany from Barbour had said we could attend the Personality Party—a huge booksigning that Brandilyn Collins has talked about it great detail. MaryLu Tyndall had asked us to be with her for moral support, since she would be signing at the Barbour booth. However, after Danica and I stood in this massive line, we were rejected at the door. Apparently, in the past two years, ICRS has changed their policy and only exhibition booth retailers can attend. So, Danica and I headed to 16th Street Mall for dinner...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.22.2006 Healing the Wound: I like their analogy of a father who would care not only that his daughter is rescued from a car accident, but also that she receives healing—not left to languish in ICU. God desires not just to forgive us from our sins through Christ, but also to heal us right now. I thought the passage from Isaiah very appropriate for that, but I didn’t care for the authors’ paraphrase. I thought the scripture itself was clearer and more powerful. Hemmed In: The authors state that God cursed Eve with lonliness so that she’d turn to God to fill her. Well, isn’t that true of everybody, not just women? Is this not true of men, too? Obviously, I’m not a guy so maybe it’s not true of guys. I think I’ll ask my husband. I know that for me, God deliberately took away all my friends so that I’d turn to Him and lean on Him more. I was leaning on my friends more than God, and so He had to take drastic measures with me. I still do, I think, and every so oft...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.21.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for YAHWEH SISTERHOOD and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 7 (continued from part 6 ): I had such a great time for that one day. Here’re some random encounters. I ran into Tracey Bateman and Rachel Hauck numerous times. The cool thing was that both of them gave such sage, sisterly, godly advice for me in my writing career. It was awesome. I had one of those weird, Oh my gosh moments. I’m still such a goober when editors remember my name, maybe because I’m such a small fish in this big publishing pond. While at the Zondervan booth with friends, NavPress editor Jeff Gerke had joined the crowd and I ma...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for YAHWEH SISTERHOOD and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 6 (continued from part 5 ): My senior editor Sue Brower made time to see me and introduce me to the senior public relations manager, Karen Campbell. We had a great lunch meeting. Sue talked with me about marketing and publicity that I could do—for example, connecting with my reader demographic in the Bay Area. I work with 20-something Asian Christians at the church youth group, and I can hit them up for publicity ideas and also for valuable input to make sure I’m hitting my reader target—that I’m not talking down to them, that my writing is in line wi...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.19.2006 This is a new worship song the high school kids from my church youth group brought back from the JEMS Mount Hermon Youth Camp a few weeks ago. It’s not the easiest song (range-wise) to sing, but it’s powerful worship and convicting lyrics. Update: I don't know if I told you guys this, but this is the song that inspired me while I wrote a few of the worship scenes in Only Uni . I didn't use the lyrics directly, but the made-up lyrics in the scene capture the heart of the song. See if you can figure out which scene it is! Update: "From the Inside Out" is no longer available to listen to at the link below. However, the link enables you to listen to clips from the latest Hillsong album. You can listen to the entire song on streaming audio at Hillsong Media Player . If “From the Inside Out” doesn’t automatically start playing, click on the title from the list. For the guitar chords, check out pwarchive.com . From the Inside Out Joel Ho...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for TANGLED MEMORIES and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 5 (continued from part 4 ): ACFW had a breakfast get-together on Monday morning, so I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and sagged against the wall as the elevator dropped me 33 floors in less than 30 seconds (that’s just kind of scary to contemplate). A friendly guy rode the elevator with me. As I walked out of the hotel, in the entry foyer I saw RiverOak editor Jeff Dunn! He greeted me with a smile and a hug. I was so glad to see him because the last I’d heard, he’d had gall bladder surgery and couldn’t make it to the Mount Hermon Christian Writers C...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.18.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for TANGLED MEMORIES and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 4 (continued from part 3 ): My dear friend and writing mentor Sharon Hinck writes for Bethany House, owned by Baker Publishing, and she invited me to the Baker dinner as her “date.” Yes, in my other life, I am an escort service. Sharon, on the other hand, insists I was snuck in as a Zondervan spy. Due to my infamous sieve-head, I forgot Sharon's hotel and so I didn’t meet her to get a ride to the dinner. Instead, I paid an exhorbitant amount to catch a taxi to the Denver Center for Performing Arts. After wandering around the massive place ...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for TANGLED MEMORIES and post the title for another book I'm giving away. ICRS, part 3 (continued from part 2 ): It was a night for being stupid. Me, that is. Sue Brower invited me and a few others to sit and chat in the bar area after the Christy awards. A woman sat down next to me. Her face looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I glanced at her name tag. “Hi,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Karen Kingsbury.” What does your loud Asian chick do? Why, nothing less than shriek, “OH MY GOSH! I AM SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU!” Karen was very gracious despite the fact I was probably embarrassing her. I had forgotten my came...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.16.2006 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 e-mail me. If I forgot your prayer request, e-mail me. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't e-mail me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays. Lord, let your glory fall on us. I lift up Brenda, Gail, and Bob to you. Give them strength and grace. I lift up Jaen and Kevin to you, Lord. I pray for healing for him and strength and grace on him and the entire family. Protect Heather from more spiritual warfare. Shore her up, give her strength and determination to resist. Don’t let her give in or bow under it. Strengthen her with your armor, Lord. Heal Pammer’s body from any aches, pains, or allergies. Protect her and her family from spiritual warfare, also. Calm her and give h...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.15.2006 For all you writers —check out my Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale ! Ends at 11:59 p.m. tonight! Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by Tricia Goyer. My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for ARMS OF DELIVERANCE and post the title for another book I'm giving away A Special Hatred: There were several things I really liked about this chapter. I think that spiritual warfare is not talked about enough. Often it’s almost embarrassing for someone to bring it up, as if it’s like saying you believe in Santa Claus. But that’s Satan’s ploy—don’t pay attention to spiritual warfare, don’t think too much about it, don’t quite acknowledge it exists and is working against God’s children. Our ignorance gives Satan victory over the saints. This chapter brought it to the forefront....

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.14.2006 For all you writers —check out my Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale ! Ends tomorrow! Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by Tricia Goyer. My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for ARMS OF DELIVERANCE and post the title for another book I'm giving away ICRS, part 2 (continued from part 1 ): Sue Brower had invited me to the Christy awards that night and I was so thrilled to get to go. Everyone looked gorgeous. I’ve never seen Brandilyn Collins or Meredith Efken in anything besides jeans before. I hadn’t seen Sue Brower in two years and I was deathly afraid I wouldn’t recognize her, but Wendy introduced me and saved me from doing anything remotely stupid like, oh, walking past her. Sue immediately slammed me with the big dogs—she introduced me to the VPs of sales and ...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental For all you writers —check out my Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale ! Get a 10% off coupon just for entering! Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by Tricia Goyer. My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry below. You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for ARMS OF DELIVERANCE and post the title for another book I'm giving away ICRS, part 1: International Christian Retail Show. Huge convention for Christian retailers to see the new gift items and things for their store, and also the new books. Had a great time. That about sums it up. Despite the RAIN. The one weekend a freak rain comes into Denver and it’s my trip (yes, it’s all about me ). Cold, cold, cold. Rainy. I took taxis even when my destination was only a couple blocks away. First things first. My wonderful friend Audra Harders picked me up from the airport an...

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.11.2006 Pictures galore! Today I have the talented Tricia Goyer guest blogging with me! Tricia's lates historical novel is  ARMS OF DELIVERANCE . The fourth and final novel in this exhilarating series capturing the tales of men and women swept into World War II. Two friends, Mary and Lee, land similar reporting jobs at the New York Tribune on the eve of the war's outbreak and soon they become competitors. Mary's coverage of a bombing raid over Germany leads to a plane wreck and an adventurous escape attempt from across enemy lines. And when Lee hears of Mary's plight, she bravely heads to war-torn Europe in an effort to help rescue her friend. Will there be enough time for diplomacy or will war get the best of everyone? As something unique and different for my blog (because she likes me! :)) Tricia gave me some pictures that some World War II veterans sent her while she was researching for her novel. Not everyone has broadband, so...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.08.2008 Hey guys, my Saturday post is below, but I’ll be out of town until Tuesday night, so no posts until then. For all you writers —check out my Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale ! Get a 10% off coupon just for entering! Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is RECONSTRUCTING NATALIE by Laura Jensen Walker. The winner of the first copy of THE REDEMPTION by M.L. Tyndall is: Shauna Congratulations! My Friday book giveaway is a second copy of THE REDEMPTION by M.L. Tyndall . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On TUESDAY (not Monday), I'll draw the winner for RECONSTRUCTING NATALIE and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned! Wounded: I agreed with some of the things said in this chapter, because it’s mirrored by the psychology classes I’ve taken. Women who don’t have supportive families develop defense mechanisms and believe things that shape how they live their adult...