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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
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CWO – Girly girls

Captain’s Log, Stardate 09.12.2006

Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is A FAMILY FOREVER by Brenda Coulter.
My Monday book giveaway is JADE by Marilynn Griffith.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for A FAMILY FOREVER and post the title for another book I'm giving away.



Check out Christian Women Online (click on the button above) to see what other women are blogging about this quote.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'"

~ C.S. Lewis ~


I am NOT a girly-girl. I prefer jeans and pants over skirts (a remnant of having my skirt lifted in middle school—traumatic, I tell you). I rarely wear makeup. I prefer sports bras over the lacy ones, or the underwire ones, or even the “boost your bust a cup size” wonder ones.

I was also never a jock in school (think pudgy and slow).

I was a brainiac, with all the geeky baggage that went with it. But even the true brainiacs were a little strange, so I never fit in there, either.

Friendships were transient in school, even when I started working. I got along with whoever I happened to be with. Yes, I actually had an accommodating personality back then.

Then something in me snapped. Well, besides my sanity.

I don’t know how it happened, but I started actually finding my personality. And it wasn’t accommodating and pleasant as a good Japanese girl should be.

I stopped stressing so much over my lack of a sense of tact. I stopped being embarrassed by the fact that I’d actually like to be a fiction writer. I stopped being restrained if something struck me as funny, or sad, or unfair.

I stopped trying not to care about how I looked, because darn it, if I want to be skinnier for my own peace of mind, I’m not going to be ashamed of it! Why did I have to be a good Christian girl and be fully content with my body shape? I want to look like Jessica Alba and Jennifer Garner, and I won’t be ashamed to admit it!

I thought I’d chase away all the friends I had around me at the time. But God has a sense of humor, that way.

He actually sent MORE people into my life. As if He was telling me, Finally! It took you long enough to figure out who you are. Now I can pair you up with people who’ll like the new you.

I found people both locally and online who have become strong friends. They are my sisters in Christ and my prayer warriors. The funny thing is, they like me for who I am.

And do you know what the dumb thing is? Here I went through my entire life feeling alone, feeling like I was the only one. And as soon as I stopped trying to fit in, I met people who are just like me—who always felt alone, who felt like they were the only one.

It really did start within me—God had to mold me into who He wanted me to be. Then He sent the friends to bond with me. And now I realize I’ve never been alone.

P.S.--> Fellow CWO blogger Amydeanne has a FABULOUS graphic of the quote on her blog!

TMI:

Writing: Rachelle Gardner (my editor) said the nicest things about me on her blog! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I’m working on my Marketing Info sheet for Z. My only problem is that I’m still trying to figure out a stronger connection between the hero and the villain.

Diet: I’m not quite back on track. I only did 30 minutes of exercise this morning. I ate lots of veggies for lunch, but I’m eating leftovers—Chinese food and the fries and pastrami from this weekend. I’m doing okay on portion control and stopping when I’m full, though. I think I’m only at 1500 calories today.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
God does love when His children realize that they don't have to be someone else. I too noticed that He waited for me to realize that He designed me the way I am to send others my way. I love that His image of who I am is not who I was or who I am now, or even my future, but me as a whole. Knowing that I can be comfortable where I am and reach out to other women who are strying to get comfortable with who God madde made them to be.

Thank you for sharing this. We never realize how much we have in common with others until we show who we really are.
Tue Sep 12, 03:28:00 AM 2006
Amydeanne said…
I can so relate to what you're saying! I struggled so long to be a "yes girl" and always felt alone. It's only now after I decided to be me, that I'm realizing how many wonderful people there are around me!
Tue Sep 12, 07:20:00 AM 2006
Kaye Dacus said…
Oh, Camy, how I identify with what you've written! I was in my mid-20s before I started allowing myself to just be myself--and it took moving to a city where I knew NO ONE and had to rely solely on God for support, companionship, and counsel. For too long, I had allowed myself to be led by others when it came to choosing what to do for fun and relaxation--which I didn't usually find all that fun or all that relaxing. By spending so much time with God those first few months in Nashville, I finally allowed myself to say "no" to the things that just weren't me. And He blessed me wtih more friends that I ever had when I tried to be agreeable and "fit in."
Tue Sep 12, 09:29:00 AM 2006
Anonymous said…
Camy, I still struggle with finding myself and especially with being myself in front of new people. Thanks for sharing!

Oh, and watch out with that marketing info! I hear the people at Zondervan are harsh! Very mean. :)

Sarah
Tue Sep 12, 10:05:00 AM 2006
CJ said…
I think when we are happy with who we are, that resonates with other people and they are drawn to us...regardless of the "flaws" we have. Great post!!
Tue Sep 12, 10:28:00 AM 2006
Darlene Schacht said…
Camy, you are such a gem. I like the "new" you too.
Tue Sep 12, 11:02:00 AM 2006
Miriam Pauline said…
I relate. I spent a lot of years being what others said I was supposed to be before I started being who God created me to be. So much more fun to be myself--and to have friends who love the real me.
Tue Sep 12, 12:02:00 PM 2006
Ruth said…
Read Rachelle's blog - that is so kewl! :) And awesome post based on the quote - so much wisdom in what you're saying here!
Tue Sep 12, 12:07:00 PM 2006
Heather Smith said…
Great post! I'm so glad that I have friends that like me for ME, not because I fit into some cookie cutter mold they want me to be!
Tue Sep 12, 12:38:00 PM 2006
Girl Raised in the South said…
Ive read before that we have to like ourselves before anyone else will. Sounds like thats what you discovered too. Once we settle into our skin and get comfortable its alot easier to be with us. My three dearest friends could not be more different, but we're all just ourselves around each other. We laugh at the quirks we have. That keeps it interesting. I couldnt stand to have all my friends be like me. They'd wear me out!
Tue Sep 12, 02:22:00 PM 2006
Anonymous said…
Great post, Camy! It's wonderful when you get to move into the real me friendships. :)
Tue Sep 12, 04:39:00 PM 2006
Chaos-Jamie said…
Man, you had to post this today, didn't you? Just when it feels like I'm losing friends right and left because I'm being myself.

Well, we can't all keep perfect house and I'm just not a quiet person. Even if I feel like I should go back and try to be. Who needs that kind of pressure anyway?
Tue Sep 12, 08:49:00 PM 2006
Anonymous said…
This was a great post! I could relate to a lot of stuff about finding your personality after high school. I'm sure you're one of the coolest chicks around.

I tried my hand at the quote, too.
Tue Sep 12, 08:50:00 PM 2006
Katrina @ Callapidder Days said…
Loved this post! From one jeans-loving geek to another - I've found the same thing to be true. Learning to just be myself - the woman God made me - led me to finding some of the best friends ever.
Wed Sep 13, 07:22:00 AM 2006
Gina Conroy said…
Definitely can relate to this post in many ways. I'm the loud mouth, sometimes tactless NY Italian living in the conservative, midwest Bible belt.

I came here to college and stuck out like a sore thumb,(talk about culture shock) but that's when I learned that people liked me for me and I stopped being a wall flower.

So go braless if you like :) Well, okay, maybe not! But we love you just the way you are!
Wed Sep 13, 09:44:00 AM 2006
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