Captain's Log, Stardate 03.25.2009 I stole this from Danica , who did this for her Thursday Thirteen. I don’t participate, but I thought it was a fun meme. 1. Dog, currently ( Snickers ) 2. ACL (knee) surgeries I’ve had ... on the same knee . Yeah. Lex’s trials in Sushi for One —that was all me, baby. 3. Fingerless gloves I’ve knitted for myself. My hands get cold while I’m typing at the computer. 4. Contracted books: Sushi for One, Only Uni, Single Sashimi, and Deadly Intent 5. Manuscripts I’d completed before I got a publishing contract 6. Unfinished knitting projects lying around my room. And before you say anything, I know knitters who have even more. 7. Boxes of yarn that I have. Yes, I need therapy. 8. Days since I had French fries, and I’m dying! 9. Months until Christmas, which means I need to start knitting my relatives’ presents NOW if I want to finish in time. 10. About the number of Steeple Hill Love Inspired books that I buy each month from Fictionwise.com. They’re ch...

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.24.2009 I tend to have a “theme song” for the main protagonist in each of my stories. It just helps me when I’m writing to keep to the character’s theme. I also like listening to entire albums as “soundtracks” for each book as I write. For instance, for Only Uni , I listened to two albums— Brave and This Mystery by Nichole Nordeman. Trish’s “theme song” was “Fool For You” from This Mystery . Right now, I’m working on my next book for Zondervan, which is a contemporary romance that will release in May 2010. I’ve tentatively titled it The Year of the Dog , but I don’t know if it’ll keep that title or not. I’ve been searching for a good theme song for the hero and heroine in that book, Charles and Tessa. And I happened upon an album I’ve had a while but haven’t listened to that much, Rush of Fools . I’m excited because many of the songs on the album touch on emotional themes explored by the main characters. Not all the songs, but several of them—enough tha...

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 ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 A Cousin’s Promise by Wanda Brunstetter Willkumm to the lush and lavish Amish country where Wanda Brunstetter's new romantic series, Indiana Cousins, begins with A Cousin's Promise . Loraine Miller finds herself torn between the love of two good men - Wayne Lambright who, crippled after a tragic accident, feels himself unworthy of her love; and Jake Beechy who, after having abandoned her to explore the English world, returns to renew their courtship. To which man will she pledge her love and loyalty - for better or worse, until death they do part? Buy from Christianbook.com Excerpt of chapter one: A Cousin's Promise Barbour Books (March 1, 2009) Chapter 1 “ Ach , there’s a bee in the van! Somebody, get it out of here before I get stung!” Loraine Miller looked over her shoulder. Her cousin Katie’s face was as pale as goat’s milk, and her eyes were wide with fear. Ever since they’d been children and Katie had be...

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.20.2009 I made this out of a combination of a French recipe for buttered cabbage and a couple different Italian recipes (none of which used cabbage). I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but it turned out better than I expected. The cabbage, cooked for a long time over low heat, really reduces down in size, and with the butter, it forms a creamy sauce that sticks to the pasta very well. The sausage adds extra protein, but you can omit that if you don’t want it. I ate this with some chopped boiled kale—the pasta sauce flavored the kale really well, especially with the bacon flavor and the sausage. I’m not sure how kid-friendly this is—maybe if you added a bunch of tomato sauce to the cabbage, it’ll seem like hearty marinara? Buttered cabbage sausage pasta 3-4 slices raw bacon, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 head cabbage, shredded or chopped 2 apple chicken sausage links 4 tablespoons salted butter 1 teas...

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.19.2009 I got this from my good friend and author Ronie Kendig on Facebook but thought I’d post it here instead of there. RULES: 1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies. Or movies that you have seen 2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie. 3. Post them here for everyone to guess. 4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie. 1. I swallowed a bug. Serenity Lita 2. Knowing my brother-in-law, he probably deserves whatever you're about to do to him. But this is my house. I have certain rules about snakes and dismemberment. The Mummy Returns Sierra 3. ...Ah, alas, earwax. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Emily 4. I have got to get me one of these! Independence Day LynnRush 5. Wait, why do I get the girl gun? Mr. and Mrs. Smith Sherrinda 6. Then it is a good dream. The Two Towers Hannah 7. Anne? You want to marry Anne? Whatever for? Persuasion Rachel 8. You of all people should know Terry, in your ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.19.2009 Michal by Jill Eileen Smith Can their epic search for true love survive a father's fury? The daughter of King Saul, Michal lives a life of privilege--but one that is haunted by her father's unpredictable moods and competition from her beautiful older sister. As a girl, Michal quickly falls for the handsome young harpist David. But soon after their romance begins, David must flee for his life, leaving Michal at her father's mercy in the prison that is King Saul's palace. Will Michal ever be reunited with David? Or is she doomed to remain separated from him forever? Against the backdrop of opulent palace life, raging war, and daring desert escapes, Jill Eileen Smith takes you on an emotional journey as Michal deals with love, loss, and personal transformation as the first wife of King David. Jill Eileen Smith has more than twenty years of writing experience, and her writing has gathered acclaim in several contests. Her...