Captain's Log, Stardate 07.09.2007 Got up EARLY for the Zondervan authors’ breakfast at 8:30 AM Eastern time, which was 5:30 AM California time. Yes, Camy was not a happy camper. However, she felt better after getting some food in her. I sat at a table with Karen Campbell (Zondervan PR), Lee Hough (Alive Communications), Lynn Waalkes (Aspiring Retail, recently renamed to CBA Retailers and Resources), Jana Reiss (Publisher’s Weekly), Brandilyn Collins and Don Brown. Karen Kingsbury gave an inspiring keynote address that made me feel like dreck for writing fluffy beach reads instead of life-changing women’s fiction. (j/k … sort of). I got a chance to thank Lynn for that great article on upcoming voices in Christian Fiction that came out in Aspiring Retail a few weeks (months?) ago, and I also got a chance to express thanks to Jana for the great review in Publisher’s Weekly. Karen encouraged the table to discuss what inspires each of us, and I naturally allowed my irreverent, shallow ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.09.2007 Today I have an interview with Virginia (Ginny) Smith talking about her cozy mystery, Murder by Mushroom , which doesn’t release until August 1st! Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn't win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms… and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own murder investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victims in mind…. And now, here’s me and Ginny! How did you come up with the storyline for Murder by Mushroom ? Several years ago, when I was still trying to figure out what sort of books to focus on, I dreamed up the ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.07.2007 I had lunch with David Park and his wife, Sunita. David’s Korean and his wife is Indian, which is unusual and totally cool! They took me to the Silver Skillet , an authentic Southern diner, which had great corned beef hash (haven’t had that since my dad made it for me at home) and I had grits for the first time. Then we went to Octane , a FABULOUS coffee shop. I should have taken a picture of the latte I had—really cool latte art and coffee that was out of this world. Better than Captain Caffeine, I hate to say it. The barista was amazing. Captain Caffeine has educated me in the fine art of coffee, so I was able to fully appreciate the latte at Octane. David and I had a great talk about Asian American churches and his own plans for writing. He’s intending to go to Seminary, I think this fall. We discussed Asian American culture and how it influences Asian American churches. It was great to have discussions with him like that. It’s been emotionall...

Captain's Log, Supplemental I know several of you writers also follow my Story Sensei blog , where I post writing tips 3 times a week. I'm on haitus from the blog while I'm at ICRS, but I have a question--what kinds of things did you want me to post about on the Story Sensei blog?

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.06.2007 My flight left San Jose at 6:50 AM, which meant I had to get to the airport at 5:30 AM, which meant we had to leave the house at 5:00 AM, which means I got up at FOUR THIRTY A.M. Camy was not a pretty sight. That also might explain why I went to the wrong gate at first, but luckily I was only off by a number and got to the correct gate before they called my boarding group. I sat next to this tall college kid and felt old. I don’t fly well, so I put on my earphones and watched a movie on my video iPod for most of the flight. Near the end of the four+ hour trip, the kid and I chatted a little, and I found out he’s Christian, and he’s a volleyball player! He was coach for a high school boys’ team going to Atlanta for a tournament. We chatted about volleyball injuries for a while. I gave him my bookmark and he said his mom might like my book. I didn’t check beforehand if Omni Hotel had free shuttles to and from the airport, so I wandered to the hotel...

Captain's Log, Supplemental I’m headed to Hotlanta for the International Christian Retail Show. I’ll be gone until Wednesday, but I’m going to try to blog from ICRS. Forgive me if posts are a bit late this next week!

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.06.2007 There's a new book for teen girls that is coming out in September this year, and I'm pretty excited about it. Here's a note from the author: Tricia Goyer here. My next book to release is My Life, Unscripted . It hits store shelves in September. I'm really excited about this book because I truly believe it can transform lives. The main message of the book is that girls can Script their lives instead of just dealing with the teen drama as it comes along. (Something I DID NOT do, which you'll read within the pages of my book!) Here's the blurb from the back cover: Using the metaphor of screenwriting, My Life, Unscripted explores relationships in every teenage girl's life-with herself, her friends and enemies, her parents, guys, and with God. Real-life scripts, screenwriting terms, and timely topics, make this an interesting read for teen girls as they delve into their own inner struggles and outward relationships. They...