Skip to main content

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

The 12 Authors of Christmas – Missy Tippens

Captain's Log, Supplemental

Continuing the 12 Authors of Christmas, here’s contemporary romance author Missy Tippens!

View the tour, including Rachel Hauck and Tricia Goyer’s authors, here.

About Missy:

Born and raised in Kentucky, Missy met her very own hero when she headed off to grad school in Atlanta, Georgia. She promptly fell in love and hasn’t left Georgia since. She and her pastor husband have been married 20-plus years now, and have been blessed with three wonderful children along with an assortment of pets.

In L.B.C. (Life Before Children), Missy worked as a clinical microbiologist. Once she had her first baby, she retired to become a stay-at-home mom. She’s grateful to God that she was able to do that for 16 years and had the opportunity to pursue her writing during that time. Nowadays, in addition to her writing, she teaches as an adjunct instructor at a local technical college.

Missy is an award-winning writer and was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Contest. After ten years of pursuing her dream, she made her first sale of a full-length novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. She still pinches herself to see if it really happened! Her debut novel, Her Unlikely Family, will be released in February 2008.

Missy would love to hear from readers through her website, www.missytippens.com, or by email: missytippens@aol.com.

Tell us about your first Christmas memory.

I think I mostly remember from photos. But there is one Christmas when I was about 7 that I remember. I got a huge doll house, about as tall as me (made of cardboard, I'm pretty sure). I also got a beautiful new pink plaid skirt and pink sweater. I've seen photos of that Christmas morning. I'm beaming in my pink outfit, standing beside my doll house. :)

Growing up, did your family have Christmas traditions? Tell us how you incorporated them into your family life. Or, how you created new ones.

We did have traditions! And having them has left me with such good memories. I've been determined to do the same for my children. While I was growing up, we always took an evening to go out and drive around looking at the lights. We also had the strange tradition of going out to eat dinner at Pizza Hut (one of the few restaurants open at dinner time!) on Christmas eve. Then we would go to a candlelight service at church. Afterwards, we would go home and open one small gift. One I particularly remember was a coin purse my dad had made for me out of leather.

When do you put up your tree? Describe the decorating at your house.
.
We always buy a live tree, a Frazier Fur. And we try to do it as soon after Thanksgiving as we can. However, some years it's well into December before we get the chance. This year, we got it up fairly early, on the 1st. My husband's job is to get the tree in the stand and carried into the house. He's also very patient while I have him turn it in all directions (over and over again) to find just the right side. Once the tree is up, I do the lights with some help from the kids. Then my kids do most of the ornaments while I put lights and greenery on the mantle and outside. It was sweet that one of the items on my daughter's Christmas list this year was that the family decorate the tree together.

What is your favorite Christmas song or album? (Feel free here to talk about choirs or other musical things you participate in during Christmas.)

Oh my goodness, I must own two dozen Christmas CD's! I adore Christmas music, from Manheimer Steamroller to classical. I couldn't possibly pick one, however I really love Jewel's album. I also sing in the choir, and we usually do a cantata each year. Also, I'm in our handbell choir, and we play at Christmas as well. The choir also does a Service of Lessons and Carols to start off Advent, and we sing for two of the three Christmas eve candlight services. As you can tell, it's a pretty busy time of year!

Relive your childhood Christmas mornings for us.

We would wake up at the crack of dawn and rush out to find all the wonderful gifts under the tree from Santa. After opening gifts, we would have breakfast, usually my favorite sausage gravy and biscuits prepared by my dad, with eggs made by mom. After that, we would play all day long! :)

Tell us about your Christmas setting--do you have a white Christmas?

I'm near Atlanta, so we're lucky to see snow once a year, and that's usually in January or February. Christmas tends to be mild, sometimes even warm. I know one year we went to play tennis in short sleeves! For the most part, it’s usually crisp and cold, an average temp in the 40’s or 50’s.

It's Christmas Eve… Describe your day and evening.

The day can be crazy as I’m usually out buying last minute gifts so that my three children’s piles look more even! That evening, we have three services at church, followed by communion in the chapel. I usually attend the two earlier services where the choir sings and bring my children along for one of the two. (My husband is a pastor and there the whole evening.) The service is so beautiful, and I get a great view from the choir loft. At the end of the service, as we sing Silent Night, someone lights a candle at the end of each pew, and then the light is passed from person to person until it’s bright enough to light the sanctuary. The faces just glow with the joy of Jesus’ birth! I love my view. :)

Confession time. Shop on line or at the mall?

I’m such an Internet shopper! I don’t usually hit the mall unless absolutely necessary. It’s impossible to find a parking place! I do go to Walmart and Target, though, which is bad enough crowd-wise. But the mall is to the point of ridiculous. Just give me Amazon and Bestbuy.com. :)

Christmas grows more and more commercial every year. Setting the hustle and bustle aside, what does Christmas really mean to you?

It means celebrating the gift of Jesus with family and friends. It’s always been such a special time for me with family. We usually spend part of the holiday with my family or my husband’s family, alternating years.

It's Christmas day… what's for dinner? Do you make cookies or other traditional foods?

I’ve continued my dad’s tradition of making biscuits and gravy after the gifts are opened. Then later in the day I usually make a beef roast with all the fixin’s. I don’t do cookies! They’re too much trouble. I will buy the pre-decorated refrigerator cookie dough shaped like little Christmas trees, though.

Tell us about your favorite Christmas memory.

I have so many! But one favorite was when my grandmother gave me her diamond ring. I had always loved the ring, and she had promised it to me in her will. But she wanted me to have it early, so gave it to me the Christmas right before I turned 18. It was about 35 years old at the time she gave it to me, so just think how old it is now! LOL And I still wear it every day.

What are your plans for this season?

We’re having a typical Christmas this year. It’s our year to get together with my family, so we’ll see them the day after Christmas.

Any final thoughts on Christmas?

Thanks so much for these great questions, Camy. They reminded me to appreciate every holiday memory and tradition, to appreciate the fact that I have all my family with me for the holidays this year. My son will graduate from high school in June, and I’m assuming we’ll see him for the holidays next year. But for some reason, everything we do this school year feels like a last before the huge change of having my oldest leave the nest. It’s been an emotional ride, but I’m trying to enjoy every minute.

Camy here: Thanks for sharing, Missy!

Hey, folks, Missy was one of the writers at that brainstorming retreat I went to in early November. We had a blast!

Missy and I have been friends since before we were contracted! Missy’s DEBUT NOVEL comes out in February, so keep your eyes peeled here for a giveaway!

Comments

Janet Dean said…
Missy, your home looks beautiful! I'm impressed you have a real tree. It's gorgeous!!

How sweet of your grandmother to give you her diamond ring while she could still see you enjoy it!
Ausjenny said…
Miss I agree with janet i love your tree and home.
im thinking next year we may get lights.
I tend to go shopping on Christmas eve as the shops are often shut for 2 days. Christmas and Boxing day and we get in some supplies cos its holiday time. But i agree the shops are crazy exspecially the supermarket. we normally only have a few things to buy like cold meet (slices) which you have to get the day before. the later you go the better sometimes depending on what day christmas eve is.
Your tradition of the bicuits and gravy reminded me of our tradition we always have Bacon for Christmas mostly for Breakfast.
thanks so much for sharing I love reading these each day.
Jennifer Taylor said…
Great interview. I keep learning more and more about you, Missy! Your story about your grandmother giving you the ring was beautiful. It reminded me of my own dear sweet grandmother. She loved Christmas and I tend to think of her more during the holidays. One year she bought a chirping bird and hid it in the Christmas tree. It nearly drove my grandfather crazy trying to find that bird.
Cheryl Wyatt said…
MIssy, it's really great to catch this glimpse into your life and holiday!

Thanks for sharing!

Camy, this was a fabulous idea!

Hugs,
Cheryl
Missy Tippens said…
I hope this comes through! I just got an error after typing all my responses. Blogger is acting up again!

In the disappearing message, I was saying how funny it was when I tried to take my Christmas photo. I was using a self-timer, and had to kneel in front of the fireplace each time--about 25 takes to get a decent shot. I was laughing by the time I finally got a one, and could barely get up from my knees! LOL

Jenny, bacon sounds yummy for Christmas morning, too. And Jenn, I'm still cracking up about the chirping bird. That would have driven me up the wall, too!

Thanks for stopping by, ladies!

Missy
Anonymous said…
Merry Christmas to you all.

Reading your post just got me thinking..look out!

Missy sold. We take it so for granted, but really it is so beautiful how God plants that seed in us for writing and then nurtures it along (with much hard work and prayer) and finally when you least expect it, SOLD.

I smile every time I see a book with the name of someone I know, like Missy who followed their dream, their calling and now they are in print.

Have a lovely holiday with your family and I pray for continued success in the new year. :)
Missy Tippens said…
Wow! Tina's been thinking! :)

I hope you have a great holiday, too, Tina. And I can't wait til I see your name on a cover, too!

Missy
Julie Lessman said…
Missy, loved your memories, especially the Pizza Hut run on Christmas Eve!

And I agree with Cheryl, Camy, this 12 Days of Christmas idea is awesome! It really helps you to get to know your friends even better!

Hugs,
Julie
Missy Tippens said…
Hi, Julie. Yes, we wanted to eat out, and everything was closed. We finally discovered Pizza Hut would be open just late enough for us to grab dinner. :)

Missy

Popular Posts

Camy's Big News about a new (old) series!

I joined two Christian suspense multi-author anthologies that will release next year in May and October! The May anthology is Danger in the Shadows , and the October anthology is Don’t Blink . I have taken down Year of the Dog from my blog and will instead finish editing/rewriting it for the May anthology, Danger in the Shadows . I decided to do this because I was only working on Year of the Dog sporadically, and I wanted to set a deadline for myself to finish it sooner. To complicate matters, I’ve been unhappy with my decision to leave Sushi and Suspicions as a stand-alone rather than putting it in a series. And I’ve also been unhappy with putting The Lone Rice Ball as a 5th book in the Sushi series when it’s more romantic suspense than the other books in the series. Now that I’ll be writing Year of the Dog for the anthology, and because I haven’t yet released Sushi and Suspicions and The Lone Rice Ball as individual ebooks, I decided to switch things around. I’m rem

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

CWO - Stumbling

Captain’s Log, Stardate 08.08.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is THE SIMPLE LIFE by Wanda Brunstetter . My Monday book giveaway is MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE by Allie Pleiter . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for THE SIMPLE LIFE and post the title for another book I'm giving away. "Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand." ~ Emily Kimbrough ~ Check out Christian Women Online (click on the button above) to see what other women are blogging about this quote! I have to say that God came through for me in this area. I’m not an extrovert, but He knew I needed sisters in Christ both online and locally in order to continue on this writing career. I didn’t seek these women out, they found me (with the Holy Spirit prodding them). Some of them are listed in my Blogroll to the right. They have held my hand, prayed for me, p

Jeremiah 33:8

Jeremiah 33:8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. Dear Lord, Thank you that no matter where we go or what we do, you will wash us clean when we turn to you. Thank you for your grace and for loving us even when we are hard to love. Please help us to live for you and for your glory. Amen エレミヤ33:8 わたしに対して犯したすべての罪から彼らを清め、犯した罪と反逆のすべてを赦す。 親愛なる主よ、 私たちがどこへ行こうとも、何をしようとも、私たちがあなたに立ち返るとき、あなたは私たちをきよめてくださることを感謝します。あなたの恵みに感謝し、私たちが愛しがたい者であっても愛してくださることに感謝します。どうか私たちがあなたのために、あなたの栄光のために生きることができますように。 アーメン

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

Agave vs. Stevia

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.19.2010 Update 9/10/10: I did a little more research and added it to the end of the blog post. I had a discussion with Captain Caffeine okay, okay, I admit it was primarily me ranting at Captain Caffeine about an article I’d read recently about how aspartame (Nutrasweet) is bad for you because it breaks down into formaldehyde and methanol in your body. Yes, you read that right. And no, formaldehyde does NOT keep you young, it is primarily to keep DEAD cells from breaking down in DEAD animals (Captain Caffeine insists formaldehyde will preserve his cells or at the very least help him in a zombie attack). The article then went on to rant about how honey and agave were terrible sweeteners, and yet the article writer highly recommended Stevia. Now, I had heard that Stevia, while it comes from a plant, undergoes processing, while agave nectar is relatively unprocessed. But I did not know for sure, so I went online to find out. Granted, who knows

CWO - Reading quickly

Captain’s Log, Supplemental "Those who read fast reap no more advantage than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of the flower, instead of waiting to penetrate into it, and extract its sweets." ~ Madame Jeanne Guyon ~ Update: I rewrote my post when I discovered Madame was talking specifically about Bible reading and not just reading in general. My point is essentially still the same. I admit I’m torn about this quote. I do enjoy meditating on the Bible. Certain passages deserve the time and mental energy to dwell, savor, contemplate, investigate, journal about. Those are some of my closest times with God. But I also started the Bible in 90 Days challenge last year, and it was the most incredible experience I’ve had in a long time. I had never read the entire Bible through before I did the Bible in 90 Days. I always lost interest in the normal books—the Pentateuch, usually around Leviticus somewhere. For the Bible in 90 Days, the point is to just read. Keep reading.

Irish Tea Cozy

Captain’s Log, Stardate 02.16.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Along Came Jones by Linda Windsor Two books for moms by Jenn Doucette I knitted a tea cozy! Here’s a picture of the original , and here’s the original pattern . I pretty much followed it, except I used a ribbon instead of a knitted tie at the top. I made it a little too big because I used the wrong size needles, so I also made two squares in garter stitch and sewed them to the inside of the cozy for a bit more insulation and better shaping. I’m so impressed with myself. This was the first time I did any complicated designs like the bobble/bubble/popcorn stitch and the diamond panel. Now when I host our local Christian writers’ group, our ginger peach tea won’t get cold so fast.

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

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