Skip to main content

What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Post a Comment

Sunday Prayer

Captain’s Log, Stardate 10.22.2006

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, bless your day today.

Father, I pray for favor for Case with his sentencing judge. Please let everything turn out well for him and his family. Continue to uphold them in your righteous right hand.

I pray for success for Robin in the elections.

Thank you for Cheryl and Robin’s contracts!

I pray for complete healing for Colleen’s mom.

Please be with Jaen and her family and provide for them.

Help Gail and Bob in everything that needs to be done, and comfort them.

Be with Heather as she prepares for her trip. Show her clearly what you want her to do. Help her to have the strength to step out in faith if that’s your will.

Give Pammer wisdom and hope. I pray you will be over her. I pray she wins the elections.

Knit Cheryl’s bones and muscles and tendons together completely and quickly. Please ease her pain and give wisdom to her therapists and doctors.

Give wisdom and guidance to Dineen. Help her to write for you.

Give Ronie wisdom and peace. I pray for success for Brian’s exam.

I pray for Ron and his writing. Also give him wisdom in his new responsibilities.

Give Sharon H. your help and hope in all her writing. Keep your hand over her and let everything come together for good.

I pray for peace and wisdom for Kelli S.

Please lead Sarah S.’s projects to the right houses. I pray for success for her new marketing idea.

I pray for healing for Gina C.’s son.

Protect ChristianFictionQueen from spiritual warfare, and give her strength and hope in all things.

I pray for complete healing of Malia’s back and knee. Give wisdom to her, her doctors, the insurance, her nurses and therapists.

Help all the SAYSFers hear back soon about their manuscript submissions. I also pray for physical healing and health for them all.

I pray for healing for Missy’s dad, and for help as she teaches. Please bless her and equip her with everything she needs.

Thank you that Tina’s new boss is so good. I pray their relationship strengthens and deepens so that they can work together smoothly and efficiently. Thank you that she finished her manuscript. I pray for the right houses for it.

Open Dream’s heart to even more blessings from you.

I pray for strength, joy, and energy for Mary D.’s team. Give her everything she needs. I also pray you will provide a ride for her to and from San Francisco for the Mount Hermon conference.

Help Lynette to write your words. Anoint her writing for you.

Give Lily the strength and courage to stay sober this week. Give her more and more of your love and grace. Protect her from spiritual warfare and help her to stand strong.

I pray for the right publisher for Judy’s work. Continue to bless the work of her hands.

Help Brittanie rekindle her relationship with you and find the fire she once had.

Heal Diana D.’s ankle completely. Continue to open her heart to your love so that she can spread it to everyone around her.

Please help Randy I. and his family find the right house. I pray for success for his proposals.

Continue to help Sigrun with her physical aches and pains, and help her to know your love and be able to share it with others around her.

Help PajamaMama to find the friends and help she needs. Comfort her and give her your mighty strength.

Please heal Mir from her allergies and tinnitic. Continue to rain blessings on her writing.

I pray for your wisdom and guidance for Gina H. Soothe her heart with your love and confidence. I pray for the right publisher and editor for her work.

I pray for wisdom and blessings on Ane and her writing career. I also pray for success for her in the elections.

Be with Rachelle in her projects and continue to provide for her and use her for your will.

I pray you will continue to help Paula M. to walk forward with you. Protect her and her family from spiritual warfare. Give her your strength and guidance.

I lift up Megan D. and pray for your blessings over her writing and work.

Continue to fold Donna in your love, your graciousness, your lavish abundance.

I pray for refreshment over Mair. Give her wisdom, peace, and trust in you. I pray for your creativity in her fingers as she writes.

I pray for strength and healing for Angie P. and Pattie. Thank you for their love for you and willingness to obey. I pray for complete healing for Pattie. I hope one day I get to meet her.

I pray for complete healing for Synner’s dad. I lift up her writing to you and pray for your blessings on it.

I lift up Angie B. and all the family concerns in her life. Continue to walk joyfully with her in her writing journey.

Please help Narelle’s move to go smoothly. Ease her son’s anxiety about it.

I pray beatccr gets into grad school and that everything goes smoothly for her.

I lift up Patricia W.’s friend Crystal and her two children. Please continue to watch over them.

Thank you for Georgiana D.’s unflagging joy. Bless her writing. Help her to find the right crit partners.

Please heal Jeanne D.’s daughter Grace from her RA if that’s your will. Give wisdom and strength to the family.

I pray for complete healing for Katie H.’s brother’s shoulder.

I pray for a smooth, easy pregnancy for Gina W. Bless her writing and give her guidance about which direction you want her to go with it.

Help Angie A. continue to write for your will.

Help Winter in everything she needs, and give her both strength and peace.

I pray for complete healing for Sarahsermon’s mom.

Be with Audra S. in her friendships, her family, and her writing. Help Bob to open his eyes to your truth.

I pray for a smooth pregnancy for LaShaunda and guidance for her writing.

Help MamaRose’s daughter heal completely.

Be with Connie S. and help her to be able to reach out to others.

Help Kristin’s family during this transition time. Lay your hand over them all.

Be with Vicki G. in everything. I pray for a good surgery for Mr. G. and complete healing.

Be with Heather and Emma Grace and give them both strength and peace.

I pray for your will for Cathy in her writing. Help her to know what you desire for her and to follow it joyfully.

I pray for patience and love for my friends married to non-believers.

Deliver your persecuted church.

Thank you for helping me finish revisions on time. Please help me finish plotting out my book and complete the manuscript by November 30th. Please also heal me from this cold quickly.

We rest in your loving arms. Amen.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Bless you for praying, Camy. Please pray that the Lord would open doors for finances via my writing. In a real bind lately with medical bills. Thanks.
Sun Oct 22, 11:45:00 AM 2006
Unknown said…
Amen to all of the above, but Lord, please heal Camy and continue to bless her with Your love and wisdom.
Sun Oct 22, 01:02:00 PM 2006
Dineen A. Miller said…
Thank you, Camy! I have to finish this week and I am struggling. So needed that.

Pryaing your knee is healthy and strong!
Sun Oct 22, 07:06:00 PM 2006
Ronie Kendig said…
Thanks for the prayers, Camy. It's so sweet of you to keep praying for all of us.
Mon Oct 23, 05:58:00 AM 2006
Anonymous said…
I'm seeing answers to this prayer request. Thanks so much for your faithfulness to pray! I have another request: My hubby is trying to quit smoking. Today is his first day (he had two this morning). I need warriors joining me in prayer that this addiction will be broken in his life. :)

Anything I can pray about for you, Camy? Just email me and let me know. :)
Mon Oct 23, 10:50:00 AM 2006
Anonymous said…
God bless you Camy, for praying for us week after week!
Mon Oct 30, 07:13:00 AM 2006
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

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...
10 comments
Read more

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...
18 comments
Read more

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...
21 comments
Read more

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...
39 comments
Read more

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...
64 comments
Read more

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

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...
2 comments
Read more

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
4 comments
Read more

Free Christian Romantic Suspense Novels by Camy Tang / Camille Elliot

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Romantic Suspense: Necessary Proof (Sonoma series #4.1, novella) Click here to buy the FREE ebook on all retailers Alex Villa became a Christian in prison, and because of his efforts to help stop a gang producing meth in Sonoma, he has been set up for the death of a cop. Can computer expert Jane Lawton find the evidence that will prove his innocence before the gang eliminates them both? Fantasy short stories: Pixies in a Garden in Kyoto There were pixies in the garden. Since she was in Kyoto, she was certain they were not called pixies, but she didn't know what they would be called in Japanese, and they certainly looked like what she imagined pixies would look like. The King’s Daughter The trees in the King's garden were full of colored pixie lights. The...
Post a Comment
Read more

I sold to Steeple Hill!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Remember that romantic suspense proposal I blogged about earlier? Well, it just sold to Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line! I am so jazzed! I am beyond jazzed! The story’s working title is Sinister Spa The story's title is Deadly Intent and here’s a blurb (but it’s probably not what will appear on the back of the book): Massage therapist Naomi Grant could use a massage herself. With her father at home recovering from a stroke, Naomi is put in charge of the family’s elite day spa in Sonoma county. The new responsibilities sit awkwardly on her shoulders, and things only get worse when handsome Dr. Devon Knightley breezes into the spa, demanding to see one of the female clients. And the woman is found dead in Naomi’s massage room. Suddenly, Naomi is a suspect and her family’s spa is shut down. How could God let this awful thing happen? Devon only needed to see his ex-wife about a family necklace she still hadn’t returned, but when she dies and...
32 comments
Read more

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...
9 comments
Read more