Scaredy Cats

I’m a scaredy-cat.

Seriously. I can remember as a little girl watching Dark Shadows at my girlfriend’s house. After that, I slept with the covers tight around my neck for months. No vampire was going to get me!

Peer pressure can be a major reason we torture ourselves with scary images when we are young. As a young teen, my friend and I went to see The Shining. Of course our parents did not know this. Shh, don’t tell my kids! REDRUM! REDRUM! I was terrified by Jack Nicholson. I scrunched way down in the movie-theater seat, propping my feet on the seat in front of me so it looked like I was watching the movie. But I wasn’t! My knees blocked the screen.

A few years later, Poltergeist grabbed my attention and became one of my favorite movies. I learned something about myself. I don’t like horror movies with crazy folks running around with axes or lots of gore and blood. I don’t like when characters go into dark rooms or basements when its obvious they shouldn’t. But the supernatural world fascinates me and doesn’t scare me. Maybe it’s because I know there is a supernatural world, and I know God rules it. And I am in His hand. Over and over, scripture tells us, “Do not be afraid.” “Fear not.”

Another movie I had to see was The Sixth Sense. Of course I had to drag my hubby along with me. He hates scary movies. But I loved The Sixth Sense. Seriously. It didn’t scare me. It made me cry. It was a moving story.

My husband and I often have this discussion about why some people (meaning me) like to be scared. ‘Like’ is the wrong word. But fear is a powerful emotion. It’s the flipside of joy. It makes me think about a time when I was in high school and our church had a haunted house for teens. Yeah, I know. Times have changed, haven’t they? Anyway, only the interest of a cute boy with green eyes motivated me to enter that house where someone chased me with a chainsaw. When we climbed through a hole in a wall and were finally safely out of the house, I laughed and laughed and laughed. Gleefully. Joyfully. Because on the opposite side of fear is relief that you have survived.

When Signs came out, once again I had to get myself to the movie theater. But my husband refused to accompany me. So I braved the dark theater alone, armed only with my bucket of popcorn. There’s a scene where Mel Gibson finds an alien trapped in a pantry. You don’t see the alien but you know by the moving shadows that its there. It’s a very tense scene and such relief is released in the audience immediately following it. It’s the relief that Mel (and all of us) survived.

There’s another reason that I like scary movies occasionally, the same as I like suspenseful books. It’s because we live in a world that has both good and evil. There is a battle raging around us. Sometimes in our little suburbs and picket-fenced existence, we don’t see that war going on much. But it is. Sometimes its more subtle in the suburbs. Sometimes it’s not subtle at all. Sometimes we just have to open our eyes and ears and pay attention. Read the newspaper or headlines online. Bad things are happening. And stories about good overcoming evil gives us hope and courage and strength to fight the battles we’re meant to fight. I don’t believe in sticking my head in the sand. I believe we are called, as believers, to put on our armor and go to battle.

That’s one of the reasons I wrote the Plain Fear series. It isn’t gratuitous in horror or gore, but it is suspenseful. It shows the battle of good versus evil in the physical and spiritual worlds. In case you didn’t know, 9 days until book #3, Plain Fear: Forgiven, releases!

So…do you like scary movies? Books?

A Tea Party for a Prince

I was late writing a blog today, and for good reason–though I didn’t know it at the time! There’s been so much sadness and controversy in the news lately that it was a delight to hear that Prince William and Duchess Kate have a baby boy, a prince, a future King of England. It has made me a bit nostalgic, remembering back to a royal wedding to beat all royal weddings–Diana and Charles–and the joy at the birth of William. Yet that castle of cards came tumbling down. It’s sad that Diana isn’t here to experience this joy in her family. But it’s always a joy to welcome a baby!

I do love England, and I’ve so enjoyed visiting across the pond a few times. One of our favorite things to do here and while in England is to have tea. So in celebration of the royal birth, we’re having a tea party! Please pull up a chair and join us!

Of course, you need tea. Earl Grey is a lovely choice, but I also like the Royal Blend, which we found at Fortnum and Mason I prefer to use raw sugar and a little milk in my tea. How about you?

Of course you definitely need treats, like these pineapple upside down cupcakes. Yum!

Or these scrumptious chocolate chip scones!

If you don’t have time or the ingredients to make scones or cupcakes (and really you should run out to the store immediately to rectify that situation!), but you still want to enjoy some tea, then make some delicious strawberry butter and glob it onto some toast. You will not be sorry.

And it will be just like you are in merry ol’ England celebrating with the other royal subjects! Cheers, to all our British friends and congrats to the royal family!

Right at Home in a Bookshop

So many places to go…so little time! If you’ve visited my blog or Facebook page, then you probably know that I love to travel. But I also love to take a bit of home with me along in my suitcase. And a bit of home to me consists of BOOKS! Of course I love books and my home is full of them. Way too many books to fit on my bookshelves. So when I travel, I carefully choose two or three…or five books to take with me. Yes, I also have the requisite e-reader, but I still love books. Actual books with pages and covers. Besides, if I’m flying anywhere, I have to have a book for the beginning and end of the flight when the airline makes you turn off all electrical devices.

Anywhere I travel, I have to also buy books. I know, I have a serious problem. Is there a rehab place for bookaholics? I usually buy books about a location or if I visit a art museum then I might need (yes, need) a book about all the wonderful art.

There is something about traveling and finding a bookshop, that makes me feel suddenly right at home. This summer when we visited Paris, I was anxious to visit the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookshop.

This bookshop has quite a history in Paris. It sits on the Left Bank. The original shop was opened by Sylvia Beach in the 1920s and was frequented by luminary writers such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. It closed during the Nazi occupation in 1940. However, a second shop was opened in the 1950s and renamed Shakespeare & Co. in tribute to Sylvia Beach.

The day we visited it was raining and crowded but oh it was so much fun to be there with so many books, which are really old friends. Most of the books are in English, and the shelves are crammed full of so many titles. Tables with new releases made me sigh with longing. Tables with classics made me smile with pleasure. Upstairs, someone played the piano. This typewriter sat in front of a window.

When you buy a book at Shakespeare & Co., they will stamp the inside cover of your book with a lovely stamp. It makes a nice souvenir. Of course, we bought several.

What is your favorite bookshop to visit, far or near? Do you travel with books or with an e-reader?

Blessings

There is a pervasive and dangerous image in our culture that blessings come in the form of: health, fame, awards, wealth, huge houses, fancy cars, nice clothes, etc… A first class life, rather than a ‘coach’ existence. But is that really a blessed life? What if blessings arrive in the midst of a storm, laughter through tears, or simply a downfall of tears? What if blessings arrive in the midst of pain, sickness, danger, loss, sorrow, suffering?

Laura Story has a beautiful and amazing song called Blessings. If you haven’t seen the video or heard the son, click on the link.

In my own life, the days of comfort have not produced gratitude as much as the dark, lonely moments. The times when I have felt ‘blessed’ according to our culture’s standards have not made me feel closer to God. But the days of loss and pain, when my husband lost his job, when my father passed away, those nights of loneliness when I was single, weeks and months of fear for my unborn child, those painful times produced a deep need in me, which drew me close to the only One who could help–God. It was in the midst of the storms of life when I felt His peace, not the peace this world provides through plenty.

Earlier this month, once again I found myself in the midst of a personal trial. We were on vacation in France, and my husband became very ill. If you’re my Facebook friend, then you probably followed along and prayed for us, and we so appreciated every prayer! He was admitted to a hospital in a small town in France, where few spoke English, and I spoke little French. The rest of my family returned home, but my husband and I were in France, feeling alone and uncertain. Yet, that is where we experienced so many blessings: the comfort and peace that only comes from God, the kindness of strangers, the love and prayers from so many family and friends. It was actually a sweet time, that week spent in Vernon, France, and I am grateful to our God who walked beside us and carried us through that fear; I am grateful to the strangers who offered help; I am grateful to friends and family who reached out from thousands of miles away to pray and to help. Oh the blessings we experienced!

I hope this post doesn’t make you think I don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ during good times, because I definitely do! But that relationship goes to a whole new level during difficult times. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14: 26-28 Have you experienced similar blessings? What does the word ‘blessings’ mean to you?

The Sound of English

As many of you know, while we were in France my husband became very ill and ended up in the hospital in the small town of Vernon, France. So for a week, I was pretty much alone in France without anyone who spoke English, other than my husband, who was stuck in a hospital bed. I have to say that those I met were super sweet and kind. Being in a smaller town, most people didn’t speak English, but boy were they friendly! ‘Bonjour, madame!’ is what I heard constantly. Occasionally someone would begin a conversation with me and be met with my wide-eyed ‘uh-oh what do I do?’ stare. Then I’d fumble my way through, “Pardon…” and apologize for not speaking French and ask if they spoke English. Most of the time, I was met with a shrug of their shoulders and sad shake of their head. Many times in dealing with the wonderful hospital staff, we resorted to sign language (and this was not real sign language more mime).

The first day after my family had left, I was very worried about my husband and feeling very alone. The phone our travel agent had given us to use in France rang. It was a woman I had never met before. A mutual friend had hooked us up via email. Pam, a missionary in the south of France, called me, and it was glorious to hear someone speaking English, who could understand me and pray for me. I will never forget that kindness of a phone call and what a blessing Pam was to me.

A few days later, I walked a few blocks to an outdoor market. There, I heard some Americans talking, and I found myself moving toward them, soaking up the English language. The group at first didn’t notice me, but then a few eyes cut in my direction, and I realized I was being rude. I don’t remember what they were saying, just that I could finally understand someone! And it was glorious.

The whole experience gave me a heart for those in this country who were not born here and who have a another language as their first language. I know folks from Russia, Hungary, China, Egypt, Mexico, etc… and I now understand how precious their language is. It’s not that I don’t think they should learn English, I do! And boy I was trying to learn as much French as I could while I was there and wished I had known more. Next time, I go to France, I hope to know even more.

I’ve always admired those who speak more than one language, but now I admire them even more! So, do you speak more than one language? If so, which languages do you speak? Or are you wanting to learn a new language? If so, which one?

What I did on my Summer Vacation

Did you ever have to write an essay in school about your summer vacation? Worse, did you ever have nothing extraordinary to share? Of course, I have fond memories of family vacations, riding in a station wagon to Arkansas, an RV to Washington D.C., and a caravan of two Winnebagos to Colorado (which was my favorite!). I remember one vacation when we drove to the coast during Spring Break. We were driving an RV and hauling a boat. I don’t know why this happened but apparently we ran out of gas and my dad had to siphon gas out of the boat and put it in the RV. He simply used a tube and sucked on it. He turned a little green and the stubble of his beard turned white. LOL! I have such fond memories of finding sand dollars on the beach and traipsing through majestic pines. But you never knew what crazy things might happen.

Which is true of my own family’s vacations. When we went to the Big Island of Hawaii a few years ago.

The last morning as we were packing our suitcases and about to head to the airport, the island experienced an earthquake. Airports were shut down. Power was off on the main island. And we were stuck. How horrible, right? But oh, I remember swimming with the turtles and the taste of fresh pineapple. Bliss.

Then there was our trip to London a couple of years ago. London is one of my favorite places in the world! I’ve been blessed to go three times now (and hope to go again!).

We were in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and my dear daughter was called down because she got too close to a statue. She simply wanted to see what the ‘girl in marble’ was reading on her scroll. Thankfully, we were then shown several interesting bits and pieces. While this lovely man with a delightful British accent explained some amazing history to us, I saw a girl that looked like someone we knew. I whispered to my daughter, “That looks like…” And when the girl heard her name, she turned around. It was our friend! We both happened to be in the same gallery in the same museum so far away from our homes at the same time. What a small world! The funny part was that I then tried to explain to the museum guy that the young teens knew each other and had been orphans together. I’m sure he thought that was odd. What I really meant was that they were in the production of Annie together. LOL!

Through writing, I’ve been blessed to take my kids several places on research trips or to writing conferences. My daughter and I went to New York together, and were able to see a couple of Broadway shows.

We had a marvelous time eating barbecue throughout Memphis when I researched Elvis Takes a Back Seat.

When we visited Marfa, Texas for Once in a Blue Moon, we arrived at the same time as the annual Marfa Lights Festival and my kids got to ride the ‘bull’ on the town square.

In Scotland, we chased Princess Anne through Edinburgh. Not really. But we kept running into her.

I can’t seem to stop remembering now that I have gotten started down this happy trail. So many happy times. So many sweet memories. So many adventures. What stories will I have to tell when we get back from Paris? Au revoir! If you’re my ‘friend’ on Facebook then you know some of the craziness that happened in France, but I’ll share here soon.

By the way, this picture was taken by my fabulous travel agent, Caron Guillo.

Leave a comment about your favorite place to travel, and I’ll draw a winner next Monday (June 17th)! The winner will receive one of my books mentioned in this post!

The Adventure of Motherhood

Mother’s Day is special day, not only does it give me a chance to show my mother I love her, but as a mother myself it gives me the chance to remember about my precious babies being born. The day I had my first child, my life changed forever. What an adventure it has been. Bringing my first baby home from the hospital, my husband and I were worried about how long it would take my mom to arrive. We had a few hours on our own, and we didn’t know what to do. What if the baby cried? What would we do? What would he need? We were so clueless. We had so much to learn.


This is a picture of my amazing mom!

Now all these 15 years later, we are still pretty clueless. Of course, we’ve learned a few things along the way, had a few missteps, made lots of mistakes, but oh the joy and blessings we’ve enjoyed! Our children are no longer in the diaper stage, and let me just say that seems so much simpler now than it did then, because our children are full-fledged teenagers. My mother used to say, “Little kids have little problems. Big kids…” Well, you know where that statement is going, don’t you? It’s true. Life is so much more complicated than it was when I was a teenager (just a few short years ago–or more like a thousand!) Still, I love these days. I love remembering when my children were small, and I love enjoying the wonderful discussions we have now and watching them pursue their dreams.


This is my amazing daughter on stage!


This is my amazing son fencing!

This day, also gives me a chance to think about some wonderful mothers I’ve met along the way. They influenced me as I watched them mothering their own children. My friend, Betty, was an amazing mother to watch. We were in the same critique group. She was a very hands-on mom, and I have loved watching as her family grew and her children have become amazing adults. My cousin, Fleta, is another woman I watched mother her children through the years. I have emulated both of these women in many ways. Fleta’s children have grown up into wonderful adults too.

My husband and I are still in the middle of our parenting years with a lot more of our journey ahead of us. We are still learning and growing as our children mature. We’ll take it day-by-day–or as I used to do when my children were babies–nap-by-nap. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of writing a few books. Looking back down the years, I realized how many of my books have to do with mothers. All sorts of mothers! What a joy it has been to write about these women.


In Christmas in July, Geena is a single mother, barely getting by. I loved writing about her because she was quite spunky. It’s not easy being a single mom, and I highly respect the moms (and dads) who are traveling this journey alone. Please know you are not alone. There are many around you willing and eager to help and encourage and pray for you.


Elvis Takes a Back Seat was another story about a women and friendships and an unwed mother-to-be, who made hard decisions. Life doesn’t always hand us a vase of roses, and this book is about friendships and love and simply caring for others.


Lookin’ Back, Texas was about a mother/daughter relationship with a slightly crazy mother and how her grown daughter dealt with the crazy antics. This story was a lot of fun to write. In spite of the unusual circumstances, the depth in this story still touches my heart in profound ways. And no, my own mother is not this way. Thankfully!


Ruby’s Slippers was about a woman missing her mother and finding her own way in life. She realizes after trying to walk in her mother’s shoes that they don’t fit and she must find her own life.


Once in a Blue Moon was also about the loss of a mother and finding the truth in the past to bring healing. Mothers effect us in profound ways, even when they are no longer there.


Facelift was about the mother-in-law. Thankfully, my own mother-in-law was not this way, but I sure did have fun writing about this one. But again, the humor of the situations only mined the depth of emotions as I dug for answers and solutions.


Finally, one of the books in my Plain Fear series, Forbidden, deals with a mother-to-be and what measures she will go to in order to protect her unborn child.


To all the mother’s out there: Happy Mother’s Day!

In celebration of this wonderful day, leave a comment and I’ll give away one of these books (the winner’s choice). I’ll draw a winner May 15th!

Don’t you love it when this happens?

We often call it coincidence or sometimes serendipity, but I like to call it a God moment. Recently, I had been really wanting, no yearning to read the Bible through again. The usual Bible that I read, which has 4 translations in it, seemed too crowded with all my markings and writings in the margin, so I bought a parallel Bible with the NIV and The Message side by side. About a week ago, I began reading, with my aim to read the Bible through in a year. To do so, I like to read a chapter in the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a chapter in the New Testament. Usually I begin in Matthew but this time I felt led to begin in Romans. Also, for the past couple of weeks, I’d felt really weighted with the need to memorize scripture. But where to start? It’s been a few years since I seriously memorized and I felt it was lacking in my spiritual growth. So while I contemplated this and prayed about what to memorize, I began my read through of the Bible. When I reached Romans 8, I knew it was what I was supposed to memorize. I felt it deep in my spirit. Happiness! Yet, when you haven’t memorized lately it can feel a bit daunting. Now back track, just a couple of days, and I had once again come into contact with a book that I keep seeing and hearing about and had finally purchased and begun reading– One Thousand Gifts. I am so impressed with Ann Voskamp’s weighty writing but also her heart, which shines through in the prose. So of course, I visited her website. I liked it. The day I read Romans 8 and new that was what I needed to memorize, I ventured back to Ann’s website–A Holy Experience–and discovered the coolest project she has going–The Romans Project. It’s folks memorizing Romans 1, 8, and 12. Wham-bam, I knew I had to do it. Yes, it’s crazy scary to even admit it here and commit to it because my memory is so bad and I don’t even know if I can memorize one verse much less 3 chapters, but I am so excited and I know God brought me to this place and to Ann’s website at just the right moment. Now, she and the folks there are 2 months ahead of me but that’s okay. She has a printout of the NIV version of the scriptures and helpful hints. Don’t you love it when God answers your prayers and brings you to a place you have no doubt He arranged? I do! So if you’ve been contemplating something similar, come on and join in!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

The Next Big Thing blog hop is a giant game of tag to help readers discover authors who are new to them. For this hop, authors are answering questions about what we’re working on now. This week, I’m “it” thanks to my amazing friend Lynne Gentry. Visit her blog to see what she’s up to and to follow the bunny trail back and also hop forward to find other authors. Follow the hop long enough and you’re bound to find books you’ll love!

Here is my Next Big Thang!

1. What is the working title of your book?
Plain Fear: FORGIVEN is my next book releasing from Sourcebooks in August. It is the 3rd book in my Plain Fear series, which is an Amish/vampire tale. I am busy doing the line edits this week.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea of an Amish/vampire story came to me and I laughed it off and put it aside. But it kept coming back to me, so I began to pray about it. I didn’t want to simply write an edgy story to be edgy or attempt to hit a market of two very popular genres. With trepidation, I ventured into this project. But once I felt like I understood the heart of my book—that this was a good versus evil story and very much about spiritual warfare—my enthusiasm skyrocketed. Praying about it gave me peace that God wanted me to write it. There is a battle being waged in this world, whether we realize it or not, and hopefully my book gives a glimpse into that battle.

3. What genre does your book come under?
This book doesn’t fit easily into a genre. It more easily fits into the vampire genre than the Amish genre, but I tend to think of it more in general fiction or romance.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Oh boy. This is a really tough question as these characters live in my head so clearly. But it’s also a fun question to think about. Plain Fear: Forgiven tells the story of the youngest Fisher brother, Samuel. Liam Hemsworth would make a wonderful Samuel, who is a conflicted and driven young man. Emma Stone would make a great Andi, who is romantically involved with Samuel. But to complete the love triangle, we need an actress to play a strong and devout young woman who encourages and pushes Samuel to make a hard decision. AnnaSophia Robb would make a beautiful and courageous Naomi.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Samuel Fisher committed a sin of biblical proportions—he killed his own brother, Jacob. Samuel’s guilt overwhelms him as he struggles to understand the choices Jacob made which led to his death. Haunted by doubts and questions, Samuel starts down the same dark path of destruction. In the gripping final battle between hunters and vampires, Samuel must choose where his loyalties lie. The decisions he makes not only threaten the lives of those he loves, but determine if he will ultimately be forgiven.

Sorry, that wasn’t one sentence, was it? Close enough.

6. Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
It’s published by Sourcebooks.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me about six or seven months to write the rough draft of FORGIVEN but then I spent another few months revising and polishing the manuscript before turning it into my publisher.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’m not sure there is anything out there like the Plain Fear series.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
It reminded me of Phantom of the Opera, which I’m a huge fan of both the book and musical. Christine is naïve and young and she opens her mind to a dark force. There’s a line in the musical that resonates in me: “I gave my mind blindly.” And that is exactly what Hannah, the heroine in the first book, did. For this series, I wanted to show how alluring evil really is. Evil doesn’t look scary at first. It’s appealing. Satan doesn’t appear to us with a forked tongue or horns and pitchfork. He was the most beautiful angel, the worship leader in the heavenly realms. But he fell. He became the father of lies. He distorts the truth and draws us toward evil and sin with promises and appealing whispers. It’s why my story needed someone innocent of this world, like an Amish girl, so I could show how easily we are deceived.

Below you will find 2 authors who will be joining the blog hop next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

You don’t want to miss my BFF, Dorothy Love, who is a fabulous writer and who has some great inspirational fiction to offer.

And, a very dear friend of mine, Jennifer Archer, is an amazing writer. I love her women’s fiction but also you will love her young adult fiction.

From my heart to yours

This has been an odd season. Honestly, I usually enjoy Thanksgiving through Christmas, even the hustle and bustle as too many things make their way onto my to-do list. The fact is, I usually go nuts about Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. But this year, well…so many things have happened, painful things, that at first I thought there is no way I can enjoy Christmas.

It’s been a reminder that Christmas isn’t always a happy time for folks. Often the loss of a loved one or simply the reminder of a loved one who has long since passed brings memories that are painful. Many, many years ago, my beloved grandmother died on Thanksgiving morning. Often that day brings back sad memories. Often there is a loss of a job that makes the holidays difficult. Several years ago my husband was laid off two weeks before Christmas. It was the same day my beloved dog died. And the same day I received a rejection on a manuscript. Then for others, they may be experiencing an estrangement from family and their heart is hurting. I, too, have felt this. I don’t know your personal struggles, but the painful events over the past few weeks have reminded me that folks are hurting this time of year.

Why is Christmas so painful more so than other holidays throughout the year? No other holiday makes the joy feel larger and the sorrow greater. I believe it’s a spiritual battle. Christmas no matter what others may say is about celebrating the birth of a baby boy sent from our heavenly Father to save the world from sin. The day is meant to bring joy and peace. Yet, so often family strife may create the exact opposite. Or peace of mind may elude us because of sorrow. I believe the Evil One, Satan, wants to steal our joy, our peace, our good will.

Whatever your circumstances are this year, don’t let the Evil One steal your joy. Joy isn’t determined by circumstance. “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, it shall rejoice in his salvation.” Psalm 38: 9 No matter what we are experiencing, we can still rejoice at the birth of our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the salvation He has given us.

So this Christmas season, lift your eyes off your circumstances, off your weariness, off your sorrow, off your anger, and look up. Look toward the one who came to set us free from sin. The one who can bind up our wounds. The one who can heal broken relationships and marriages. The one who can restore us. The one who offers us grace. Look to the Son of the Living God. Emmanuel-God with us. The Resurrection and the Life. The Great I Am. The Word. The Alpha and the Omega. The Savior of the World. The Messiah. The Lamb of God. Our High Priest. Our Redeemer. King of kings. Lord of lords. The Prince of Peace.

Blessings to you and merry Christmas!