Congratulations to......

At the recent RWA conference in New York (where Tammy's hanging out and having more fun than I am stuck here at home), the winners of the 2011 Inspirational Reader's Choice Award were announced. Celebrate with them!

2011 Inspirational Reader's Choice Award Winners

Long Contemporary

1) Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale)

2) Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena Miller (Summerside)

3) The Six-Liter Club by Harry Kraus (Howard)

Short Contemporary

1) White Roses by Shannon Taylor Vannatter (Barbour Heartsong Presents)

2) Rodeo Redemption by Teri Wilson (White Rose)

3) Tender Mercies by Mary Manners (White Rose)

Long Historical

1) The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House)

2) A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin (Revell)

3) Abbie Ann by Sharlene MacLaren (Whitaker House)

Short Historical

1) A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher (Zondervan)

2) Walker's Wedding by Lori Copeland (Harvest)

3) The Substitute Bride by Janet Dean (Steeple Hill)

Women's Fiction

1) Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

2) Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart (FaithWords)

3) The House on Sugar Plum Lane by Judy Duarte (Kensington)

Romantic Suspense

1) Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason (Revell)

2) Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze (Waterbrook)

3) Nightshade by Ronie Kendig (Barbour)

Novella

1) Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Anita Higman (Summerside)

2) A Bodine Family Christmas by Marta Perry (Steeple Hill)

3) The Snowflake by Jamie Carie (Broadman and Holman)

Of course it's fun to see Robin on the list, as well as some other author acquaintances of mine, but--honestly--the one that tickles me the most is the second-place winner in the Women's Fiction category. Several years ago I judged the ACFW contest for unpublished authors, called the Genesis, and read the first fifteen or so pages of Chasing Lilacs. It captured my attention, and I remember committing to pray for the story and its author even though I didn't know Carla Stewart at all. But look here...published, and winning awards. And I've since become friends with Carla and discovered she's a delightful lady, full of God's grace, which makes seeing her success even more sweet.

Congratulations to ALL of the winners. (And Tammy, enjoy yourself! We'll be looking for a report of all your fun next week. *smile*)

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Of Mice and Me (Guest blogger Carol Cox)

I have a bone to pick with Walt Disney.

If you grew up, as I did, on a steady diet of Disney films, you know the man had a real obsession with mice. First there was Mickey. Then came a whole succession of charming, buck-toothed rodents. Gus in Cinderella. Bernard in The Rescuers. Remy in Ratatouille.

All adorable, all endearing. Giving impressionable children the idea that mice are enchanting little creatures. Walt, what were you thinking?

The first time a mouse invaded our home, I suddenly found myself on the top of our sons’ bunk beds. It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, purely an automatic response. I’m no athlete, but I must have made the leap in a single bound, because I don’t remember touching the lower bunk or the ladder on my way up.

My reaction to the little varmints has mellowed over the years. I’d like to think that’s due to increasing maturity, but I suspect it has more to do with the fact that we haven’t seen any mice around our place in quite a while.

Until this summer.

Forget the Hamptons, forget the Outer Banks. Our place is THE place to be this season, at least as far as the mouse population is concerned.

I can handle knowing they’re prowling around the shrubbery near the woodshed. They have their space, we have ours, and they keep our cat well fed. But this time, the little blighters took visiting rights to a whole new level—one of them set up housekeeping in our minivan.

The first sign of invasion was when we opened a small tip-out bin where we keep a supply of paper napkins. But instead of a neat stack of napkins, we found a fluffy mound of chewed-up paper bits. Ugh.

Then a couple of weeks ago, my husband, daughter, and I went out to eat. We were pulling out of the restaurant parking lot when I opened the glove box.

Ack! More shredded paper. Except this time the unwelcome squatter had stepped it up a notch, going from chewing paper napkins to shredding our insurance card. And the registration.

I opened the tip-out bin to see if it showed any new signs of mice . . . and there sat the cheeky beggar. Staring up at me.

And smirking.

I slammed the bin shut, and Dave pulled into the nearest parking spot, where my daughter and I exited the vehicle while he searched for the interloper. Alas, the mouse eluded him and ran back up under the control panel. It took a lot of willpower, but I forced myself back inside, propping my feet on the dash all during the drive home—not a comfortable position to maintain for 50 miles.

Back home again, we tried all manner of traps and bait, but to no avail. Then Dave had a brainstorm. He went through iTunes looking for the heaviest heavy metal music he could find, then downloaded it onto his iPod. Next he carried his Bose speakers out to the van, where he set up the iPod, cranked the speakers up full blast, and Operation: Soundblast went into effect.

Apparently, it worked. We haven’t seen hide nor hair of our furry intruder since. Still, it’s going to be quite a while before I enjoy watching Ratatouille again.

Or Flushed Away.

Or Enchanted.

I’m not even sure I’m going to eat chocolate mousse anytime soon.

Have you ever read Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice? That Beatrix knew her rodents. Walt could have learned a thing or two from her.

Thanks for letting me spend the month of June with you. Judy will be back in her usual spot next week, and I know we’re all eager to hear about her adventures!

Carol

Visit Carol's website.

The New Becomes Old (I-nigma and other cool things)

As much as I love history, I love my techie stuff too. I love my iPhone, my iPod, my iPad, my MacBook. I love my gas cooktop, my oven, my microwave, and my electric curling iron too. What? Those last things aren't techie anymore? Well, they were at one time. They were cutting edge, baby!

It's amazing how quickly we grow accustomed to things. What was once "new and amazing" becomes ordinary and even expected. But in the historical era in which most of the stories we Writes of Passage authors write, the latter aforementioned items weren't even a glint in someone's eye.

Speaking of new and amazing, have you seen these barcodes lately?

They're called mobile barcodes and––as described at the I-nigma website––"Mobile barcodes, storing addresses and URLs, are a new and innovative way to access the mobile internet where users can use the camera on their mobile phone to scan barcodes that may appear in magazines, newspapers, billboards, LCD/plasma screens, packaging, business card and even t-shirts. A user having a mobile camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the 2D barcode causing the phone browser to launch and direct to the programmed URL. Codes can be used to provide fast-track access to mobile websites, special discount offers, send an SMS, and receive a ring-tone, save contact details on mobile address book."

You can download the free I-nigma app from iTunes, then you simply line your phone's camera up with a mobile barcode, your phone reads it, and voila! You're taken to a website that contains more information on that product. If it's a book, for example, then you might be given a free sample chapter or see an interview with the author. I'm noticing more books that have them on the back cover and when I've "clicked them," I gain additional info on the book itself. Love that! So get the free I-nigma software here and then start watching for those cool mobile barcodes.

Also, with the flip of a switch, Writes of Passage has made our mobile access even more accessible. If you have a mobile device, this is what you'll see now when you look up Writes of Passage on your phone. Cool, huh? 

Today is busy! I'm finishing up some final tweaks to A Lasting Impression (more tweaks, I know...), then am packing and getting ready to head to New York City tomorrow for the 31st Annual Romance Writers of America conference. My daughter is going with me and I'm so excited. Not only for the conference but for the mother/daughter time.

I'm honored that Within My Heart is a finalist for a RITA Award this year. The award ceremony is Friday night, but whether I win or not, I'm honored and grateful to be listed with the following finalists:

A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight

The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight

In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang

Shades of Morning by Marlo Schleskey

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

I've never seen a Broadway Musical before, and Wednesday night Kelsey and I are seeing WICKED! I've listened to the original soundtrack countless times and can't wait to see the musical in person. And on Broadway, no less! With my daughter. Memorable girl time!

Off to get the day underway.

Blessings and happy mobile barcode hunting! Oh! and did you know that Cherrios turns 70 this year? More here.

Tammy

P.S. Patti Jo and Veronica, this pic is for you. Halfway through a walk the other night, Jack decided he'd had enough and plopped down by the lake. He was done! (But promptly got his little butt up a few minutes later and finished the walk home. No free rides on walks.)

The Old Becomes New

A few weeks ago, I shared over on Write Thinking (my personal blog) that I've been proofing/copy editing a number of older books (five in total) that have been out of print for some years. I'm currently proofing the last one. They will soon be available as eBooks from new publishers.

It has been interesting to read these books again after so many years. Since I read through a manuscript numerous times as I revise and edit and proof, I am never tempted to read the book again once it is released in its final form. For one thing, I'm pretty tired of the story by that time. (How many books do you read five or more times in a row before going to another book?) And secondly, if I read my book after it was released, I know I would find something I wanted to tweak, and then I would be frustrated.

Anyway, reading these books that I wrote from 1998 to 2003 was almost like reading books by another author. While the stories were familiar, I was able to see them through different eyes. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I liked them.

My first three books for the Christian market—The Forgiving Hour, Whispers From Yesterday, and Shepherd's Voice—were first published by WaterBrook. Zondervan is releasing them in September 2011. And Greenbrier is going to release two more of my former Tyndale novels—Firstborn and Beyond the Shadows—in July.

I'm a big fan of second chances. God has given me so many of them. So I love that these books, including a Christy Award winner and a RITA Award winner plus two that are among the most personal novels I've ever written, are going to get new life, a second chance to be read and enjoyed.

Gotta love the way God makes old things new.

~robin

PS Last week I finished the line edits of Heart of Gold and it is now in my editor's capable hands for the second time. Now I'm dragging my creative thoughts from 1864 to 1899, the time setting for my next novel that should release around August 2012. Off to work.

Lost in (Cyber)Space

When it comes to getting lost, I’m a champ. No blindfold is necessary if I’m going to hit a piñata or pin the tail on the donkey. Just turn me around once, and you’re guaranteed a good laugh as I stagger off in the wrong direction.

If it’s sunrise or sunset and I’m outside, I can point out east, west, north and south. Don’t ask me in a forest. Though moss is supposed to grow on the north side of the trees, it seems to span more than the allotted quarter of the trunk. Experts advise people who are bewildered in the wilderness to hug a tree and stay put. Some day, I’ll be found eating a chocolate bar on the south side of said tree.

And so it should come as no surprise that I get lost in cyberspace.

The distraction factor is too problematic. Research is vital even though my books are fiction. I wanted to know about stylish dresses in Europe in 1894 and discovered Worth is consider the first designer. He proudly sewed labels in his clothing—but he started into the clothing industry making bonnets and shawls. Cyberspace sends me warp speed ahead to 2011 and shows this weekend's sales on shawls. But it doesn't end there. The Internet links to prayer shawls. Then on to famous prayers.

Is there a famous prayer for people who get lost on the Internet?

Truly, being lost there is terrifying. They only have cyber-chocolate there.

That realization is enough to make me consider the merits of old-fashioned typewriters or quills. But I refuse to research them.

God bless you for your courage to meet me in cyberspace. Did anyone leave breadcrumbs to lead us all out of here?

Cathy

Life's Ups and Ups

My grandkids are a constant reminder to me that there are reasons to be in this world and to continue the good fight.

In May we nearly lost Rainy - yes again. She's had another surgery and another birthday (her 9th) and we celebrate and praise God for her.














Fox is doing well and going strong. He's an amazing kid. I love to talk to him on the phone and hear him tell me about his day. He's so smart.



Max is a darling who just celebrated his 5th birthday. He love zebras so of course we had to send him some for his big day.


As I said, they always remind me that no matter how bleak things might be - God is still in control. This last month there have been some huge ups and downs - problems that I can't begin to tell you about. It seemed with each of the good things a dozen bad things followed. I felt a little overwhelmed at times, but God remained faithful, and just when I needed it most - He gave me a glimpse of heaven in the eyes of my grandkids.

I'm truly blessed and no matter whether life dishes out the good, the bad or the ugly, I know God will be there and that I don't need to be overwhelmed.
Tracie

PS - for those who were praying about Jim's diabetes check up - it went fantastically well and his counts were all good.

Coming Full Circle

In 2002, as my health was crumbling to the point that full-time teaching was no longer a possibility and I didn't know what I was going to do, my dad--feeling as though I needed a major lift--took it upon himself to make my publishing dream come true. He sent a story I'd written, titled A Seeking Heart, to Steve Laube, who owned a self-publishing company called American Christian Writers Press. And Steve agreed to print it.

Thus began a journey beyond the scope of my wildest imaginings.

You see, all of my growing-up years I had held tight to aspirations of being a writer someday. But a series of rejections from publishing companies in the early 1990s convinced me I had no future in writing, so I'd poured my heart into teaching. Loved it, too--felt secure and successful in the classroom. But God, the planter of dreams, had a different course for me. I truly believe He allowed my health to deteriorate so I would be forced to step out of my comfort zone and take a second look at writing. And He prompted Daddy to reactivate my long-held dream at the perfect time.

A Seeking Heart found an audience, and the feedback from readers gave me the courage to once again submit to traditional publishers. In January of 2005, one of my stories found its way to Bethany House, where Carol Johnson enjoyed it enough to ask Janette Oke to take a peek at it, leading to an endorsement from the "Queen of Christian Fiction" for my first traditionally published novel, Waiting for Summer's Return. (I still hyperventilate when I think about it!) I contracted with Bethany House in March of 2005 and have been celebrating a full-time writing ministry ever since.

But y'know what? God still had a few surprises up His sleeve. :o)

Between 2002 and 2005, I had arranged with a print-on-demand company to print two follow-up books to A Seeking Heart, creating a three-book series.

Between 2006 and 2010, my agent sent out queries to traditional publishers about the Mountain Lake Series, but none were interested. As much as I wanted these stories--these very special, first, straight-from-my-heart stories--to be given new life, it seemed as though it was a dream that would be forced to fizzle. Until now.

Recently two things happened: 1) My agent joined the Steve Laube Agency (the same Steve Laube who had a role in placing my very first book into the hands of readers); and 2) a company called Hendrickson purchased rights to reprint the three books in the Mountain Lake Series. My editor for the project is (are you ready for this?) Carol Johnson.

I realize there are some people who would call this coincidence. I don't. To me, it's a very clear picture that God is right in the center of my writing ministry. Which is, of course, where I want Him to be. He truly has brought me full circle, drawing me fully into His plans for my writing. Is there any better place to be than the center of God's will? I don't think so.

Years ago, I adopted the verse "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4, NKJV)." I wanted to delight myself so thoroughly in Him that seeking and following HIS will would become the deepest desire of my heart. Then, whatever He gave me would be exactly what I wanted. When I adopted that verse, I didn't know where He would take me, but now I can look back and see how my heart's desires have been met abundantly and exceedingly beyond my expectation.

The rewritten and updated Mountain Lake Trilogy will release in 2012--ten years after the release of my very first self-published novel. I intend to host a celebration of praise for all God has accomplished within that decade. He simply amazes me!

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Of Life and Leather (Guest blogger Carol Cox)

I think I’ve mentioned before that in addition to pastoring two churches, my husband also operates a leather business. When Judy spent time with our family during her trip to Arizona last fall, she saw some of Dave’s leather work asked me to do a post about it when I filled in for her this month.

Go ahead, twist my arm. : )

Those of you who grew up watching Saturday morning heroes like Roy Rogers and the Cisco Kid can understand the appeal of connecting with the Old West. When Dave got a chance to try his hand at tooling leather at a summer church camp, it sparked a desire in his young mind to do it as more than just a hobby.

I knew about his interest in leather when we got married, but I didn’t realize what an all-consuming passion it was. It didn’t take long to learn that we’d never be able to walk past a leather shop. No, we had to go inside while Dave greeted the owner and talked leather, more often than not coming away with new ideas and techniques he wanted to try.

While other kids played with Legos, ours were fascinated with the scraps of leather that fell from their dad’s workbench. And there were lots of leather scraps floating around our house. I mean, LOTS. There were days when I felt a bit like the wife in “The Elves and the Shoemaker” . . . except no helpful elves slipped in during the night to do my housework for me.

Twelve years ago, he met Gordon Davis one of the premier holster makers in the country, whose work Dave had admired for years. As it turned out, Gordon had just relocated to Arizona, and opened a new shop only 30 minutes from our home.

The acquaintance they struck up turned into a deep friendship based on mutual respect of each other’s skills. When Gordon retired 5 years ago, Dave bought his business (Davis Leather Company) from him and now operates the shop on his own in what we laughingly refer to as his “spare time.”

His focus is on producing top-of-the-line gun leather in three areas: concealed carry equipment, law enforcement duty gear, and Western gun rigs.

Remember last week’s post about the Cowboy Fast Draw Association? A contestant’s skill is important, but having a top-quality rig can make all the difference, and many of the top shooters in CFDA use rigs they’ve purchased from Dave.

A number of his orders come from people who want to replicate the look of a gunslinger they’ve seen in the movies. No problem. Dave will watch that movie over and over again he gets the look right, pausing it every so often when that gun rig comes into view to check the placement of bullet loops or count the exact number of stitches on a gunbelt.

There’s a certain amount of give and take in all this. I don’t know about you, but there are only so many times I can watch The Magnificent Seven before I feel like my head’s about to explode. But I figure it’s a fair trade-off. He isn’t really big on sitting through repeat showings of Emma or Jane Eyre.

But it’s more than just a business. Working in the shop has opened up a surprising number of opportunities for ministry. People who would never darken the door of a church come into the leather shop and end up talking about their problems. And Dave prays for every one of his customers as he works on their orders.

And who would have thought his leather work would mesh so well with my writing? His knowledge of the Old West makes him a perfect brainstorming partner. We spend a lot of time talking about scenes and settings, and I know he’ll never let me slip up when writing about guns and leather gear.

What a perfect combination! You’d almost think God had a hand in all of it, wouldn’t you? 

Carol

Visit Carol's website

A Smoky Mountain Getaway

Ever wonder why they're called the Smoky Mountains? The Smokies are named for the blue-gray mist that oftentimes hovers around the peaks and valleys. The Cherokee called the mountains shaconage or "place of the blue smoke."

And the Smokies are where my family and I have spent the past few days. We're packing up this morning, as we speak, and are headed back to Nashville. The idea for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park had its seed back in 1890, but people were in disagreement about whether it should be a national park or national forest. The history of how this park came to be established is interesting and worth reading.

While here, we hiked, played cards, laughed a ton, watched movies, ate some great food, played more cards, hiked again, etc... And just had a fabulous time. Here are some pics of us at Cades Cove at the historical Methodist Church within the park.

As touted by local historians, Cades Cove was once known as "Kates Cove" after an Indian chief's wife. The Cove drew the Cherokee Nation back again and again by its abundant wildlife and good hunting. Later, in the early 1800s, Cades Cove's wildlife drew European descent frontiersman to make it their home. For more history on Cades Cove history, click here. 

Here are some vistas of Cades Cove…

And here are some vistas of the Triple Mini Dessert we had at Tony Romas, which um...weren't so mini after all.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Delectable Red Velvet Cake with warm Cream Cheese Frosting

Warm Apple Tore with Vanilla Ice Cream 

Next, we enjoyed the touristy––but also very interesting––tour of the Titanic. If you've ever been through the museum, you'll understand this, but all of my family "survived." Explanation...at the beginning of the tour, each member of your party is given a card telling about a passenger on the Titantic, then at the end of the tour you find out whether your individual actually lived, or died.  All of ours lived (and my person, Mary Hewlett, was an empty nester and the oldest passenger to survive in Second Class, rather apropos). But the family behind us...all of their people had died. : (

Lastly, here are some quick vistas from around our cabin… Gorgeous!

And here are some views from a hike to Abrams Falls, an easy 5-mile trek up to a waterfall. Lovely. I love path pictures so couldn't resist a "before and behind" shutter shot while on the trail.

Now back to reality. And to sweet Jack! Oh I've missed that little guy... Copy edits for A Lasting Impression should be on my doorstep sometime soon. One of the last times I'll see this book before it goes to press. Hallelujah! Meanwhile, I've started my next.


So, where did you travel (or are you traveling) this summer? Do share...


Tammy