Twix the what and the huh???

Hello, all. Dana Mentink, here. We had a rolicking good time on St. Patty’s Day with the Mentink clan and assorted holiday foods including corned beef, cabbage, etc. It was a hoot, as it always is. My sister shared an old saying she learned somewhere along the way. “There’s always a slip, twix the cup and the lip.” We had a great time alalyzing that one! I think we concluded that it meant that life is unexpected and many things can set us back a pace. It got us to thinking about other sayings and their meanings. My mother always used to tell us to “wring it out like a turnip” before we set off on a car trip. I’ll leave you to decipher the meaning of that one. My favorite from my father is, “Never keep such an open mind that people can fill it full of garbage.” I think my children will probably remember the little nugget I have repeated to them since their wee years. “Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.”

So over to you, dear cyber friends. What are some sayings common to your family? And, of course, feel free to add those special truisms that you’ve handed down to your peeps!

Here’s a link to Dana’s latest, a 99 cent prequel to the upcoming Love Inspired Suspense continuity series, True Blue K-9 Unit!

Shield of Protection

A TRUE ESCAPE!

A TRUE ESCAPE ... Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a little odd. Well, I am. And there are real benefits to my different way of seeing things. I don't have to be satisfied with unhappy endings in books or sad movies as they're presented. I simply let my mind form a new scenario and enjoy things they way they should have been, according to Valerie. When I was in school I thought everybody could do this and was shocked to learn they couldn't. I think authors are masters of it.

We stare out windows and see things that others don't even dream about. We can close our eyes and be transported to another time or place. We may even get anxious and out of breath when we're putting together a frightening scene or rescuing the helpless as only we can. This is one reason why I love writing for Love Inspired in all their lines. There is hope. Faith in action. And the kind of satisfying closure that I crave.

Curiosity drew me to explore Cherokee history before the "Trail of Tears," partly because one of the routes went right through the area where I now live. There are lots of reasons why that epic journey is often featured but I wanted to know what led up to it. When I found the true tale of the little boy who was caught in the clash between his Cherokee culture and Washington politics I was not only astounded, I was livid. How dare anybody do that to an innocent child? I had to help him. Save him! Give him a chance to live the happy, fulfilled life he deserved.

At the time my story takes place, the city of Washington had livestock roaming free and grazing on the mall. There were even water troughs provided for them there. Barges plied the Potomac and communication was by courier, letter or newspaper. There was one paper in the Cherokee language, The Cherokee Phoenix, and its editor was deeply involved in politics, too. So you see, I'm not dealing with the stereotypical Native American, at least not then. But put any man or woman in dire straits and send them fleeing into the wilderness and you will soon see beneath the veneer of civilization that we display so proudly.

As you may know I usually write for Love Inspired Suspense and  love a good mystery. Couple that with the kind of background that takes your breath away and opens a whole new world that our ancestors trod and you have my take on historical fiction. I want to visit often and try to understand how we can be so alike and yet so different.

And I want to take you with me.

Blessings,
Val

Craftie Ladies Love Inspired Suspense May 2016 Releases

Below are the new releases from our talented Love Inspired Suspense writers here at the Craftie Ladies of Romance. To buy any of these wonderful books, just click the book cover. And to learn more about the authors, click on their names.

  

Truth and Consequences 
by Lenora Worth

THE PROTECTOR'S MISSION
When Honoring a promise to a fallen comrade, former army medic David Evans heads to Arizona to check up on the soldier's sister. But as his train pulls into Desert Valley, David witnesses a drug run gone wrong and narrowly avoids the bullets flying his way. And when the police show up, he discovers the investigating officer is the woman he's supposed to look after. With a fiercely protective K-9 partner and a new badge, Whitney Godwin insists she can take care of herself and her infant daughter. But the criminals want both David and Whitney permanently silenced, so David will stop at nothing to protect the family he yearns to join.

Seaside Secrets
by Dana Mentink 

Navy chaplain Angela Gallagher wants to put the past behind her, but she's still haunted by the wartime death of her assistant. So when his brother claims he's in danger and pleads for her to use her family's private detective company's resources to help him stay alive, she can't turn him down. But someone will stop at nothing—even murder—to keep her from revealing their secrets. She'll have to depend on a military colleague to keep her head above water. Dr. Dan Blackwell was in the field with her when her assistant died, and he's determined to keep her safe. Can they sift through the web of lies to find the truth without losing their lives?

ACTING LIKE A BIG NAME AUTHOR

As you read my title, you may think I'm going to act a bit too big for my britches, but, well, maybe not.
I just spent a month in Florida. It was a dream vacation for my husband and me, and we did what we set out to do. 

On some of our evening walks, we enjoyed things like this.

 
I loved it, and the Lord really spoke to me through my time there. But that's a story for another time.
This time, I acted like a big name writer. 
You see, the day before I left, my editor asked for some revisions for Faith in the Warrior, my LIH out next year. What was to be done was simple enough, but it would also mean going through the whole manuscript. So I did what any big name writer would do. I packed up my laptop and promised myself I would do a little each day.
Big name writers aren't big name writers for no reason at all. They're not like Castle on TV, who is rarely seen writing. Big name writers put the keesters in the chair and work every day.

This isn't me. It's hubs checking sports, but this is where I wrote.

But, hey, I was in Florida. I did take some time off, but while my husband explored the neighbourhood where we were staying, I edited about 10 pages a day. As a result, I got through my manuscript and even had time to start editing another manuscript.
There's a lesson in this, Do you want something? Do you have a big project? You need discipline because it will probably take some time. Chip away at it. Make up a plan. Get rest and enjoy yourself. Celebrate your successes.
 

What better way to celebrate than a dip into the pool after work?

Then you can act like a big name whatever you are. Because success comes only after hard work and planning and just doing it.
The very best wishes for your success today!

Barbara Phinney tries to write each day, and as a result is pleased to say that her latest LIH is out in August. Look for Protected by the Warrior soon!

Stories, Stories Everywhere

by Jean C. Gordon

Readers often ask, "Where do you get your story ideas? "My short answer is "Life." Maybe I should refine that to "Ordinary Life."

For instance the idea for my first published book, a sweet romance, came from the experience of another family that was adopting a Korean baby from the same agency we used to adopt our son. The Korean agency had a strict rule of allowing only married couples to adopt its children. Sadly, after a child was placed with a local family, the mother died before the adoption was finalized. Initially, the agency wanted to take the child back. I don't know what actually happened, but the resolution in my story is a happy one--naturally.

An article I read at work in The Wall Street Journal  planted the seed of my second book. It was about a financial planner who scammed older people. In my book, the hero's grandmother was scammed. My heroine works for the practice that scammed her. Of course, she knows nothing about it. But the hero doesn't know that.

Small-Town Sweethearts, my first Love Inspired Romance grew from a comment a family member made about how she liked their new church because it was more formal, and she could worship privately there. In contrast, I really like our church because of the fellowship the congregation shares. I started thinking about the value of Christian fellowship and how different people perceive it, and the story unfolded.

An incident my daughter experienced as a midwife inspired my latest Love Inspired, Small-Town Midwife. I thought, what if Autumn, my midwife heroine, no longer has the confidence to catch babies. Then, I brought in Dr. Jon Hanlon who exudes nothing but confidence in his technical app roach to delivering babies. How could a romance not develop?

Think about your life. How many story ideas do you see?

Gone to Guam

Not me—Jean C. Gordon—but our daughter, son-n-law, and the kids. She accepted a position as a midwife at a federal clinic there in August, leaving us with an empty nest for the first time. We bought our small farm in Upstate New York together about 15 years ago when her younger brother was a high school freshman. It’s been a big change, and to help us adjust, my son-in-law and granddaughter have provided us with lots of photos of their move, settling in, and adventures to let us be with them vicariously.

Here are some of them that have me in awe of God’s creative power—and saving for a trip to Guam myself next year.

 

  

Since they’ve left, I’ve been surprised by the number of people I've talked with who have been to Guam or have a family member who has, usually while serving with the military. Have you been there or, like us now, or have a Guam family connection?