Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.28.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer My coffee-addicted husband/artist… It’s supposed to be a leaf. Looks like it, doesn’t it?

My husband found this video clip that has the scene I'm talking about in the post below.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.27.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer My grandma’s living room on a TV show… I hope all y’all aren’t burned out on all the Asian American stuff, but my husband and I saw something the other night that had us laughing our fannies off. I like the TV show Bones , and we were watching an old episode on our TiVo that we hadn’t had the time to watch earlier. There was one scene where Dr. Brennan goes with a Chinese American anthropologist from the Jeffersonian Institute to an old Chinese woman’s home. They were sitting in her living room. The room was furnished with lots of Chinese knickknacks, although the layout was standard—two couches facing each other with a coffee table in between, a fireplace at one side. I noticed it before my husband did—the couch, a nice white brocade, was still covered with the slick, cle...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer Jane Austen miniseries I love Jane Austen. She’s my favorite classic writer, and I even bought audiobooks of her novels and listen to them again and again. I also love Amazon.com and visit my Gold Box every day (not that I buy that often). One day I had a deal for the entire set of DVDs of miniseries produced by BBC of Jane Austen’s novels. No, I didn’t buy the set—but it made me curious, and so I put the miniseries on my Netflix queue. The miniseries are all rather old. I just finished Mansfield Park . I’m quite divided on it. Costumes: score 4. They were mostly really rather nice, appropriate to the character’s background and income, and not too flamboyant, although there were several places the women’s headgear was just way over the top. Acting: score 4. I l...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.25.2007 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 ONE Sunday. I’m trying something new with my Sunday Prayer. I’m really bad about doing it on Sunday , so I’ll be updating it during the week. Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you that Salty is no longer suffering. Please be with Ruth and comfort her. Please help Kristin finish her book in good time. Give her strength, endurance, creativity, and peace about it all. Thank you that Wendy’s computer was saved. Please be with Jill at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Help her to have a safe trip there (and back), and that you will be with her and i...

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...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.21.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. The Reliance (Legacy of the King’s Pirates book 2) by M.L. Tyndall Scimitar’s Edge by Marvin Olasky Bonus giveaway: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs Let’s pray… So, for a while now I’ve been really bad about doing my Sunday Prayer. I just can’t seem to do it on Sunday , and it was getting pretty long, too. So I’m going to try something different. I’m going to update it during the week as I get prayer requests. Also, I’m only praying for one Sunday if the requester doesn’t update me on the prayer request. My Sunday Prayer list was just getting too long (another reason I just couldn’t seem to do it every Sunday). So, in order to find my Sunday Prayer for this week, click on the “Prayer” label here or on the right sidebar. You can leave a prayer request on the blog post for this past Sunday the 18th.

You’re probably going to laugh at me… So many of you know—and if you don’t know, then go read the blurb about it —that Sushi for One? is about Lex Sakai, who’s a volleyball player. Well, my husband and I played volleyball for years. In fact, I’d still be playing if I hadn’t torn my ACL twice . (Yeah, I learned my lesson, finally.) Captain Caffeine is still playing co-ed volleyball in the Nikkei Volleyball League (Lex’s league in the book!) and needed a new ball. Well, guess what he suggested we do? Now is this marketing or what?! My Marketing Director will be proud. Any ideas you guys can think of that I should do to market this book without being a used car salesman about it?

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.20.2007 The James Cameron documentary Many of you have heard of the documentary on the Discovery Channel, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” produced by James Cameron and based on the book The Jesus Family Tomb . My friend Randy Ingermanson is not only a Biblical scholar but also a brilliant PhD physicist with an extensive mathematical background. He was naturally interested in the documentary and the book. The idea of Jesus’ tomb being found is rather disturbing for the average American Christian (ya think?), so Randy set out to see what they had to say. And being both a Bible scholar and a mathematician, he could determine if the statistics they quoted are correct that the archaeological find was the tomb of Jesus. Randy already has stellar credentials in this field of Biblical statistics because he wrote a book on the Bible Codes statistics, and he’s also done research on other bone boxes, particularly the one thought to be that of James, the brother of Jesus. Acco...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. The Reliance (Legacy of the King’s Pirates book 2) by M.L. Tyndall Scimitar’s Edge by Marvin Olasky Bonus giveaway: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs Coffee Geeks Unite! I discovered my husband isn’t the only coffee lover who’s so uptight—er, exact about his coffee. When in Grand Rapids, I discussed the espresso machine Captain Caffeine bought when I got my contract. (What espresso machine, you ask? Well, my husband let me quit my biotech research position to try writing full-time for six months, and if I got a contract, then I promised him anything. Yup, anything . He loves his lattes and wanted a new espresso maker. I was picturing a $20 Krups machine. (Okay, maybe not $20, maybe like $50.) Nope—he got this all-stainless steel contraption from Italy and a monster of a coffee grinder .) Back to Grand Rapids—after describing said metal kitchen counter deco...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.18.2007 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 ONE Sunday. I’m trying something new with my Sunday Prayer. I’m really bad about doing it on Sunday , so I’ll be updating it during the week. Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you that Squirl’s hard drive wasn’t too bad and Geek Squad could recover all her files, and thank you that they’re actually fixing the laptop, too. Please help Missy’s friend have a positive attitude and outlook, and I pray the spots on his liver are benign. I also pray the surgery will go very well. Be with Jennifer T. and her family. Help the house rebuilding go quickly and smoo...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My trip to Grand Rapids: My trip went so great! I’m hoping I remembered people’s names correctly. I arrived in Grand Rapids around 3 in the afternoon, and Joyce Ondersma (Author Relations) picked me up at the airport. I’d met Joyce last year at ICRS and she’s a wonderful person. She has glorious red hair that I totally envy. We had dinner with Sue Brower (Senior Editor) and Sherry Guzy (Marketing Director). I also met Marla Bliss and Karwyn Bursma (Marketing Director for Fiction Inspiration) and Joe Questel, who’s part of the Sales department. We had these Bang-Bang shrimp appetizers that were a blast! (heheh) They were really spicy but really good. I fought Joe for them. The day at Zondervan was fabulous. First I was shown to a separate “author lounge.” Now isn’t that just way cool? They actually had my name on the door—well, underneath John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian church (I had gone to Menlo Park Pres a few times when I was in college) ...

I have just turned in my Marketing Info Sheet for book 3 in the Sushi Series! Yay! (And yes, the timestamp is correct for once.) I'm going to bed.

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.14.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. The Witness by Dee Henderson Paper Moon by Linda Windsor Bonus giveaway: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs She’s baaaaaack … Got back late last night and slept for 12 hours. Flying always seems to drain my energy, probably because I’m concentrating so hard on not getting sick on the plane (motion sickness loves me). Thanks so much for the prayers! It was fun! And I managed to meet all these VPs and the CEO without babbling like a complete idiot this time (unlike my stupidity at the Christy Awards last year ). I’ll write later with more details about what happened. Right now I have to finish the Marketing Info sheet for book 3 in my series, due tomorrow sometime …

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. The Witness by Dee Henderson Paper Moon by Linda Windsor Bonus giveaway: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs Off to the lion’s den… No, not really. I have the honor of being invited to the Sales Team Meeting at Zondervan—leaving in a few hours, actually—but I’m scared spitless. Why? Dunno. Maybe because it’s a bunch of sales team members and not friendly fuzzy writers. I can face 400 people at the ACFW Conference but not 50 at the Sales Team meeting. I’m such a basketcase. Anyway, I’m off to be videotaped ( now do you understand my terror?) and introduced to people who will hopefully like me enough to want to sell my book to places like Walmart and Costco, as well as indy Christian book stores and B&N and Borders. Oh, and I don’t fly well. Doping up with Dramamine now. Please pray! P.S.--> I probably won’t blog tomorrow since I’ll be returning late Tuesda...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. With This Ring, I'm Confused by Kristin Billerbeck The Witness by Dee Henderson Bible in 90 Days: Day 58. I just finished Amos, and God pointed out to me a short passage describing Israel’s rich and complacent, and how judgment will fall swiftly on them. Which I’m sure didn’t win him any friends with said rich and complacent people. Anyway, the passage struck me because I could see myself becoming complacent (although not rich … sigh …) and I didn’t like to see myself mirrored in this prophecy. I didn’t like to see myself becoming indolent and trivial in my daily cares. I want to be earnest and filled with God’s Spirit. I want to actually please God. (And I certainly don’t want to suffer the same fate as those rich and complacent people, thank you very much.) Anyway, it was interested to see myself mirrored in a book like Amos. Usually it’s someplace like Ephesians or ...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Michele (Blogging Chicks) has started a new blogroll and Feedburner group, Christian Blogosphere . “Since the Christian Bloggers blogroll is no longer taking new members I decided to start a blogroll so that those who wanted to associate with other Christians would be able to do so. This blogroll is open to Christians of all denominations.” Camy here: It seems pretty cool—I’ve signed up (as you may have noticed from the new stuff on my sidebar). Go check it out! “Why the Christian Blogosphere blogroll”

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.07.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. With This Ring, I'm Confused by Kristin Billerbeck Two books in the Black Or White series by John Aubrey Anderson Prozac for dogs? So, as you know, I was in Hawaii for 10 days. According to my husband, my dog Snickers was depressed the entire time I was gone. Do dogs get depressed? While it’s gratifying to think Snickers would pine away without me, I’m wondering if it was just boredom or something like that. Captain Caffeine said she spent a lot of time sleeping when normally she’d be up and about and being a bother. She also didn’t play with her favorite squeak toy (remember the death squeal? ) while I was gone, but when I returned, she started playing with her toy as usual. What do you think? Does she need Prozac? Do any of you have pets who miss you when you’re gone? Update: It's TRUE! Angie just sent me this article: http://pages.prodigy.com/lemus/prozac...

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.06.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. With This Ring, I'm Confused by Kristin Billerbeck Two books in the Black Or White series by John Aubrey Anderson Here are a few pictures from my trip to Hawaii: Me and Grandma (paternal) Me and Grandma (maternal) Me and Malia Spencer. We are toasting our toes under the kotatsu table (it has a heating lamp underneath and a futon (heavy Japanese blanket) under the tabletop to keep the heat in under the table). My dad’s hibiscus flowers. Aren’t they gorgeous? A brownea flower—a very unusual, beautiful flower that is rare in Hawaii, although I think they are more common in Australia. TMI: Bible in 90 Days: Day 55. Yup, still going, although I slacked off for a while. I just started the book of Daniel—one of my favorite Old Testament books. The glory of God revealed gives me shivers of anticipation. The New Jerusalem—I’ll actually see it one day! Way cool! The Bible...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental So, I’m back from visiting my family in Hawaii. I was a very relaxing trip—I didn’t do much of anything, to be honest. Saturday was Girls’ Day, a Japanese festival celebrating being a girl. :) When I was a baby, Mom dressed me up in a special kimono for Girls’ Day. My grandmother also made chi chi dango , which is soft pink mochi dusted with cornstarch. Here’s a recipe . This year, we invited my mom’s side of the family for dinner. Dad made huli-huli chicken—rotisserie cooked over an open fire of mesquite wood. It’s to die for—smoky, crispy, juicy. We tear off the wings and eat them as soon as Dad takes the chicken off the fire. My grandma made shrimp tempura. Very yummy—her batter uses panko crumbs so it’s light and crispy We also had sashimi—raw fish, usually tuna. It’s become kind of traditional to have sashimi at parties, at least in Hawaii. Mom also made her famous Chinese chicken salad—lettuce, shredded boiled chicken, fried wonton strips, and her sala...

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. She’s Out of Control by Kristin Billerbeck Two books in the Black Or White series by John Aubrey Anderson Available for pre-order! Deborah found out I’m on Amazon.com ! This whole being-an-author thing is finally seeming more real to me now. I’m such a dork, I’m thinking about printing out the webpage and framing it. LOL Also today... I'm on Kaye Dacus's blog , talking to writers about voice.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.02.2007 I have fallen in love . . . . . . with a tea shop. Lupicia is a Japanese tea company with a shop in Ala Moana shopping center, and I could spend hours there. They have gourmet teas—red, green, white, black, and oolong, from different countries, from different areas within each country, blended, decaf, you name it. They have tins of all their teas laid out so you can smell them, as well as origin and taste descriptions. I love black tea, and I spent tons of time smelling their selection. I wish I’d had more time! I bought some tea and made a cup using Hawaiian honey and milk. Yummers! My parents took me to Kabuki sushi bar last night. Talk about awesome sushi! Fresh fish, sliced generously. My parents “talked story” with the sushi chef, who had trained for several years in Japan. After dinner, we ate malasadas (Portuguese donuts) from Leonard’s bakery (a satellite shop). Those things are addictive. They’re deep-fried fresh when you order, and they’re h...

Marvin Olasky and his book: Scimitar's Edge Former college roommates Hal Bogikian (newspaper columnist) and Malcolm Edwards (university professor), both atheists, disagree on most major issues. But they remain associates through the efforts of Malcolm's aunt, Phoebe du Pont, a wealthy Christian widow. When du Pont invites the two men and her beautiful assistant, Sally Northaway, on a tourist and archeological trip to Turkey, the four Americans become the target of a terrorist's kidnapping plot in Scimitar's Edge. Readers will deeply know these memorable characters while also learning about Turkey, the savagery of history, and competing philosophies of life. Along the way, there are razor-sharp thriller sequences and a budding romance as well. There’s an interview with the author at the FIRST blog. Excerpt of chapter one: Note: All present-day characters are fictional except for the media and political personalities in chapter sixteen and one character in chapter tw...