Archives

Another Meme...and Writing

This is so cool! Camy Tang gave me this award. She’s so sweet!

It is presented "to awesome BLOG owners who keep their readers excited about their posts. Their blog posts are interesting (NOT spammy) and worth reading and keep their subscribers looking forward to each and every post."

Camy said that she awarded my blog because: "she is always so transparent on her blog posts."

THANKS, CAMY! I try to be transparent. it's all part of that whole "more of God, less of me" thing I'm doing here. :-D

I'm awarding (and I'm trying to be diverse this time LOL):

Lisa Harris - I love reading her posts about missionary life in South Africa. Although, right now, she and her family are packign up and moving to Brazil for a year's worth of language school. Praying for you, girl!

Um, that's it for now...I can't think at this early hour and I have to get to work. :-D Maybe I'll come back and add more later. hehe
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Writing...I am very excited! Last night, I wrote the final chapters on Dead Reckoning, my newest spy thriller. I'm not 100% satisfied with my epilogue, so I'm going to go back and probably rewrite that. And there's one aspect of the final climax that I want to tighten, but overall, I'm very pleased. Shiloh (my heroine) comes across strong. Reece (the hero) is just as I expected him to be. And of course, they save the day (though not everyone comes out of this alive...LOL). I think it came out surprisingly well. My toughest critic will be my agent, Steve Laube. I'd rewritten my ending on my other thriller, Midnight Zone, and then rewrote it for an editor, and Steve busted me on it. He knew it wasn't the right ending.

I've discovered, however, that there is a new word in my writing dictionary. It's conclusophobia: the fear of writing climatic endings. It's not so much about having a climatic ending, but more the fear that the ending won't be...well, climatic. :-D How's that for insanity. Conclusophobia hits me every time I start to write the final three chapters on a new book. And this has happened dozens of times, so you'd think I'd have faced this fear and beaten it by now. Nope! LOL

10-20-30 Meme

Camy Tang & Patricia Carroll (PacJac) tagged me! I am supposed to tell where I was 10-20-30 years ago.

  • 10—1997...Hmm, I was well into the first draft of my futuristic, Liberty's Son. My mom had died the previous year. I had two children. Live in Fort Worth and we were small home group leaders for our church.
  • 20—I was in my senior year at Killeen High School. This is the point in my life where I was starting to find myself...Had an amazing English Teacher who impacted my life in a HUGE way. (Love you, Mrs. Montgomery!)
  • 30—I was seven years old. Beginning to realize that what was happening to me was *wrong* (I was abused). Lived in Massachusetts...or were we still in Germany at that point? I can't remember. I honestly don't remember much of my young childhood because of the abuse.

I tag Sara, Lisa Harris, Shannon McNear, and the Lena Dooley. It was started by Mary DeMuth, so blame her. :)

WINNERS - And Photos from ACFW Conference

C Gwynn, You have won Camy Tang's Sushi for One? Please email me privately with your mailing information.

Cherie J - You've won Robin Caroll's Bayou Justice!! Please contact me privately with your mailing information.


Now, to share just a tad more about my conference liberation. LOL It's such a tongue-in-cheek term for something so powerful and freeing. I haven't been the same since, and I'm guarding my heart so I don't end up back there.




I was sitting with my close bud Dineen Miller, and she was praying over me. I had this visual image in my mind of a rod--like the steel rods they use to line the ground before pouring concrete. When I saw it, I just felt like God was saying, Take hold of the rod.

Well, I couldn't. To me, taking that rod in my hand was the equivalent of saying, I'll trust you. I'll hope in you. And I was at a point where I'd been hurt so many times extending my faith and trust, that I was too wounded to lift my arm.



I told Neen about this, and the more I talked about the rod, the more solidified it became. Until finally, tears streaming down my face, I reached out and latched on to it.


As soon as I did, it seemed as if God breathed and said, "Now, it's a sword. Raise it up." And I did (felt stupid in front of Neen, but I did LOL). As soon as I held it, felt God speaking to me, saying "Sword of Truth. Now, stand and fight."

Within ten minutes of that, the oppression was broken off me. Not before I had this mental image of angels fighting over me. And the thought that God might send angels to rescue me, to fight over me, made me bawl.




It's not easy to post that. It makes me vulnerable. But since that night, I've had a deep, stirring passion (I've had a passion before, but nothing like what I feel now) for the hurting, broken and wounded. So, I want to make myself available to God to use me in the way that was spoken over me that night. To break the chains of bondage off women, the very same way they were broken off me.
(Photos:#1 - me and Robin Caroll, #2, Me & Dineen Miller, #3 - Me & John Olson, #4 - Me & Sara Mills)






Bayou Justice by Robin Caroll

Deep in the “boot” of Louisiana, Cajun country, an alligator environmentalist, CoCo LeBlanc, finds a body in the bayou. A body that just happens to be the grandfather of her ex-boyfriend, Luc Trahan. When she and her family are prime suspects in the murder, CoCo pushes aside her personal problems with Luc to find the real killer. Among voodoo, multiple suspects, and a long-standing family vendetta, CoCo and Luc must work together to prove their innocence. . .before the real murderer reveals himself, and becomes a threat to them.

I am honored to host one of my closest friends and beautiful/fabulous critique partner, Robin Caroll (aka: Robin Miller)! Robin currently serves as the President of the American Christian Fiction Writers and did a fabulous job on preparing and assembling all the incredible aspects of the conference hosted in Dallas. THANK YOU, GIRL!! And Congrats on seeing your hard work in print...FINALLY!!!! ;-)

My review:
Bayou Justice (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense) is peppered with Robin’s Cajun flare and spice. The plot is well-structured and her main characters are strong and believable as they work together to solve the murder plaguing the town of Lagniappe. Robin’s amazing ability to weave in culture and history carry this story in a compelling manner that is indicative of her unique, saucy style. She had my mouth watering for etouffee and sweat dribbling down my back from the smothering heat. Bayou Justice is a must read!


Here is a photo of me with Robin Caroll in 2005 as finalists in the Noble Theme (now, Genesis) Contest.

ENTER NOW to win a copy of Robin's book!!! Leave a comment about a favorite memory of either meeting Robin or visiting Louisiana. Best story wins!! :-D