Helllooooo!

This is my first time here, and I am sooo excited to meet you all. This is a very cool blog, you know--filled with authors I admire, who write books that I love.   I'm so glad they let me join in, because I won't  have a Love Inspired book out until November!  In fact, I'm working on that book right now.

So, I'll just introduce myself.   I wrote fifteen books for a secular line before moving to Steeple Hill's Love Inspired Suspense. I've now sold nine books to that line--including FATAL BURN, which will be out in the stores during the next week.

I live with my husband on an acreage in the country, with three very  active dogs--our two Border collies, plus our grandpuppy Abby, who is here a lot because our son travels as part of his job.  Abby thinks she's still a puppy, but at ten months of age she's around 70 pounds of pure muscle, and she can sure wear the other two dogs out.  We're just glad she's here--she had a rough go of it as a young puppy, but with a lot of prayer and a wonderful vet, she's now our miracle dog!

 We also have a couple of horses out back--our son's thirty-three year old quarter horse Smokey, and my ten-year-old gelding--and lots of super-friendly, fluffy barn cats.  They've all been neutered, though we keep finding new strays that join the mix, too.  Must be all of the good cat food. :) 

Our three kids are all in college.   Emily is an English major and wants to be a professor and a writer.  Brian is working on his MBA, and Andy is close to finishing a degree in engineering and business management.

So that's it for us....and now, I look forward to meeting you all!

Blessings,
Roxanne Rustand
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com
The "All creatures great and small place"

Saying Hello and Sighing with Relief!!

Hi Everyone! My name is Lisa Mondello and I am thrilled to FINALLY be able to make my first post on the CRAFTIE LADIES OF ROMANCE blog. I can't tell you how happy I am to be part of this wonderful group of Love Inspired authors!

The first thing I want to say is PHEW! My first Love Inspired Romance manuscript is written, revised and currently on its way to my editor in New York City! It's called FRESH START FAMILY and will be published by Love Inspired October 2010! Here's a little blurb about the story...

Taking care of a 7 year old is a full time job for any mother. But for Jenna Atkins, she has the added worry of dealing with her child's potential fatal illness. The same illness that killed her husband. With no one to help her deal with her small business and the fear of possibly losing her son, she moves to her hometown in Nebraska where she knows she'll get the support she needs from her community and her father. The price she pays for support is long commutes to the big city for treatment for her son.

After being imprisoned in Afghanistan, the last thing Tom Garrison wants from anyone is a medal. He just wants to hide and forget the high price he paid for playing the hero. He's nobody's hero. But when Jenna Atkins shows up on his doorstep one rainy evening begging for him to drive her and her sick son to the hospital because her car broke down, how can he refuse her? He offers what little he has to give, a plane ride to Valentine, hoping they'll make record time to save her son.

Neither one of them were looking for anything more than a friend. But with God's help, they may just get a second chance to be a family.

As the months go on I will update you on the progress of FRESH START FAMILY and post the cover when it is available!

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

People of the Book

So the other day I, Carolyne Aarsen, went to look for a book I wanted to lend out. I couldn't find it on my office bookshelves, so I went to our other set of bookshelves. A set of bookshelves that completely fill a wall about 20 feet by 8 feet. The fellow making them didn't think we'd ever fill them up. Then a couple of days I ago, as I said, I went hunting for a specific book.

Now before I go further you need to know - I'm a book person. I can't deny it. I love books. I love having books. I love buying books. I love lending books out. I love reading them more than once. I like to support fellow authors and I like to fill up bookshelves. But when I couldn't find this one book amongst the myriad of books in my house, a book I knew I had,I realized it was time to do a purge. I had books stashed double on shelves. Books piled up in corners of my office. Books filling pieces of furniture that were not really meant for books. So full of fervent zeal, I started.

Well, it was harder than I thought it would be. I held books in my hands and found myself going back to the first time I read it. I thought of the magic it brought me and the place it took me. This one couldn't go. And this one helped me figure out what I was going to do with a character. This one taught me how to treat emotions without getting maudlin (don't know if I've learned that but the writer of the book had a handle on it). This one was a favourite of my children. This one my mother gave me for Christmas. This one came from my father. These are from an author who I love. And on and on. Each book dredged up a memory or taught me something. But I persevered. When the book purge was over, I had a pile sitting in the middle of my office.

Now I have to decide what to do with them. So if any of you bookaholics out there are interested, for your reading pleasure - I have a book on The Pitman Method of Shorthand, a nursing textbook from 1989, The Art of Cross Examination from 1955, mangled copies of The Broken Snare, Jude the Obscure, Crime and Punishment, some Louis L'Amour westerns, assorted paperbacks that I can't even identify anymore and a brand new copy of Edgar Sawtelle. If I don't hear from you in the next two years, I'll have to move that pile of books from my office into the living room. Sounds drastic, I know, but it has to be done.

Booksignings

Booksignings are a part of every author's life. Some view this as unfortunate, as the more introverted writer prefers to stay behind the safety of her computer screen than be in the spotlight. But it's a neccesary evil in marketing and promotion.

I used to be very shy growing up, and if you had told me even 5-6 years ago that I'd be holding booksignings and making speaking events at local writer's groups and churches, I'd have laughed in your face. No way! Not me, the girl whose voice shakes and neck turns all red and splotchy when put in the center of attention!

But God has, especially in the last 2-3 years, brought me out of my comfort zone and shown me that sometimes in order to put the spotlight on Christ, we have to be willing to step out there into the light ourselves first. I have four speaking events this year so far, all between last week and May, and while that used to bring fear and trembling, now I'm just excited and ready to see what God will do. Though I have to admit, I will probably still wear a turtleneck of sorts because the splotchy-ness has not completely gone away! lol It keeps me humble!

I have a booksigning this upcoming Monday night, February 1st, at 6:30 at Barnes & Noble here in Shreveport. If you're local, come on by! Both of my novels, RETURN TO LOVE and my brand new release, A VALENTINE'S WISH will be for sale that evening. I'd love to see you. There will be free chocolate and, for those who buy a book and sign up for my newsletter, the chance to win a really fun Valentine's giveaway basket!

So what are some tips/tricks you like to incorporate in your booksignings as authors? Or, readers, what are some things you like to see when you attend a booksigning by your favorite author? I'm open to any and all suggestions! =)

Igniting Faith

Hi, Terri Reed here. I thought I'd share that yesterday I started a 40 day negativity fast.

What's that, you ask?

Well, its breaking the pattern of negativity by capturing our thoughts ( 2 Cor. 10:5) and replacing them with positive thoughts (Romans 12:2).

It's speaking the truth of God's love and power over my life, into my life and over and into the lives of others.

Igniting Faith in 40 days is part devotional, part verbal affirmations of God's love and power.

I'm excited to see how God works in my life in the coming days and weeks.

http://www.ignitedhope.com/?do=store&id=11

Paperback Writer

Pamela Tracy here and today’s post is not the one I meant to write. Actually, I'm having a lot of fun writing this post because I got interested in my topic. So, please read, and while you're reading hmmm Paperback Writer by the Beatles.

See, I went looking for the top ten bestsellers of 2009 (I’d accidentally thrown my People magazine away.) It’s not that easy finding the top ten (notice how I emphasized the word the?) I found personal lists; I found lists that didn’t agree. I found the white list, the black list, the children’s list. I found a list that actually had the same book on it twice! Pretty soon I didn’t want to see any more lists. Then, as I was perusing the top 50 list (Yes, I found another list) for 2009, I stumbled upon the history of the paperback.

Cool!

This info comes from the link below, but I’ve paraphrased and summarized to my little heart’s content. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article6847448.ece

Don’t think about the Dime Novel. It may count as the first paperback but that would be like comparing a tricycle to a mountain bike. The story you are about to read has to do with a man named Allen Lane. Picture your town in the 1930’s. No cell phones, no televisions, no computers. People read for entertainment. Anyhoo, in the 1930's Alan Lane was returning to his hometown from visiting Agatha Christie (Isn’t that soooo cool) and apparently he was at a bookstall looking for something to read and he was dismayed by the cost of the books (yes, I’ve had that feeling too about hardbacks and even some paperbacks).

He had an idea. Yup, you guessed it: affordable books.

Here’s a direct quote:

It is quite clear that the time has come to wake up to the fact that people want
books, that they want good books, and that they are willing, even anxious, to
buy them if they are presented to them in a straightforward, intelligent manner
at a cheap price

Sounds a whole lot like today, huh?

Apparently the people in the book world didn’t think too highly of the idea. And, they were pretty sure his venture would fail, and while it was failing, it would tarnish the reputation of the hardback world.

Lane had trouble getting the rights to the books he wanted to publish. Most refused him, and the one guy who did agree to work with him only did so because he assumed Lane would pay for the rights (which he did) and then go out of business – money spent, business gone, bye bye.

Guess who saved the day. Woolworths. Cool, huh? They ordered the paperbacks to sell in their store. People bought the paperbacks. Woolworths ordered a lot (really, really a lot) and Lane made not just one boatload of money, but at least ten boatloads of money.

And the paperback and its reader lived happily ever after.

Making Up Stuff

Merrillee here, thinking how much fun it is to create characters and places--in other words making up stuff. Ever since I was a kid, I've had imaginary people in my head who had conversations with each other. I didn't know that those voices would one day lead me to become a writer. I didn't plan to be a writer when I was young. I wanted to be a teacher, and I became one. But I had always enjoyed reading a good story, and one day I decided I should write one of my own and try to sell it. I wrote for years without making that sale. A little more than a year before I made my first sale, I received a rejection that made me question whether this dream of becoming a published author was something I should continue to pursue.

I decided to quit.

That was in November 2002. In January 2003 after I had put away the Christmas decorations, I started writing again. I started again because Jillian and Sam kept telling me that I had to write their story. Those imaginary people wouldn't let me quit. So I began writing their story just to get rid of them. After I did that, then I'd quit. I had no idea that Jillian and Sam's story would become my first sale to Steeple Hill. The Heart's Homecoming came out in August 2005. I had created a town for Jillian and Sam that I called Pinecrest. My imaginary town is located near Spokane, Washington. I wrote two more books set in that location.

In February, the first book of my new Kellerville series, Hometown Promise, will be available. My latest imaginary town, Kellerville, is located in Ohio near Cincinnati. Juliane and Lukas are the imaginary people who brought me to that little town, so I could tell their story. I hope you will take a journey with me to Kellerville. Check out the cover where you can see the town square with its gazebo and clock tower.


Using your imagination is fun whether you are a writer or not. What kinds of things do you like to imagine?

Winter blahs

I've got the winter blahs. I always get them. Every year. The only time I really like winter is when there is snow and lots of sunshine to make the snow sparkle like diamonds.

Oh, I do like those occasional abnormally warm days that let you escape the house in just a sweatshirt. Today it was up to 50, but it was cloudy and foggy. Some film maker could have shot a werewolf movie in my back yard. Ugh! Blah, blah, blah.

This has been a very gray, very cold year and I'm just fed up. I want sunshine. I need sunshine. Many people suffer from SAD, seasonal affective disorder, but most, like me, just get the winter blahs.

What do you do to ward off cabin fever?

Or are you one of those hardy people who like winter?

Down time

For the past year writing wise I've had no down time, but I have for the past week. I'm waiting on hearing about a proposal before finishing the rest of the book so what do I do with myself? It's not enough time to delve into a new book. It's not that I don't have things to do. I do--lots. But I'm a goal oriented person and right now I don't have a writing goal. That's a big deal to me. I'm walking around the house aimlessly. What do I do?

I could clean my house. Ugh. Not my favorite thing to do, especially the dusting. I'm not sure why dusting is what I hate the most but it is. I could read the 8 books I received Monday. I'm a judge for the RITA contest and I am a slow reader. I could spend time with my granddaughters (I did on Monday and loved it). All of those activities I am doing, even going to lunch with a writer friend to brainstorm today, but I need a writing goal. Writing is what fulfills me. Do you have something like that?

I'm here! It's Lenora :)

Last night, I saw on my calendar that today was my day to blog. Then I got involved in a chapter and finished that up and promptly slinked downstairs and fell into my chair (where I got bleary-eyed and decided to go to bed.) So I'm standing in the kitchen this morning, drinking coffee while I looked out over all my lovely saga palms that are now brown and dying from intensely cold temperatures and suddenly it hit me--Lenora, it's your day to blog! I don't usually move that fast in the morning, let me tell you. Even forgot to take my blood pressure medicine.

Now I'm here, writing away when a dear writer friend calls and we laugh and talk about being in the middle of a conversation and suddenly going blank because a plot point has just popped in out heads. That got me to wondering--what was the strangest place you ever came up with a story idea? It's usually in church for me, during a beautiful hymn. I can't tell you how many three books contracts I've gotten out of the words of a hymn. My "In the Garden" series is based on that beautiful hymn, of course. (Three books--set on an estate in South Louisiana.) This Sunday, I was sitting there listening to a guest speaker, thanking God for allowing me to finish the first draft of the latest work in progress and suddenly, I realized I needed to change the ending of the book. Something the speaker said prompted that. I grabbed paper and pen and jotted down some notes. My friends just smiled. (They know me so well.) Back to "In the Garden". Adding to the idea I got in church while singing that--a few weeks after that Sunday, we left early one morning to travel to Georgia to see relatives. There had been an ice storm in our area and I saw a convoy of tree service trucks heading back to Mississippi. They had come over to help out during our crisis. That gave me the idea for one of the heroes in that series. He would own a tree service company and he'd come to the estate to help cut back some trees after a big storm. And the heroine would have a phobia--she'd be deathly afraid of the dark. Why? Well, that was part of the fun.

So ... this is why we sometimes forget to blog, why we sometimes forget to take our medicine, feed the cat, cook the meals and wash the clothes. This is why we stare off into space at the oddest times and why even in church, we might do what I call the Scarlett O'Hara gasp (remember the scene where her mother is giving evening prayers??)and go blank. It's because a writer's brain is wired just a bit differently from "civilian" brains. We're always sniffing out stories. And that's just part of the fun of our jobs. So ... what was the strangest place you ever came up with an idea for a book??

What are you reading?

Debbie Clopton's computer crashed this morning (poor thing!) as she was trying to post to the blog. So I thought I would just toss a question out to you. I hope you'll share!

What are you reading right now? What's next in your TBR (to-be-read) stack?

Hero Interview from A Soldier's Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt

Interview with the hero from A Soldier’s Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt:

1. Vince Reardon, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I’m tall, dark and brooding. I’m the tallest cutest guy on my pararescue jumper team and all the ladies know it. Grin. I’m an Air Force war vet, still serving our country doing high profile military and civilian rescues.

2. What do you do for fun?
Ride my custom-built motorcycle, skydive and work out like mad for rescues.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Call Dad. We don’t always get along but these days, I’m seeing more reason to toss aside my pride and reconnect.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
That I’ll lose my sister like I lost my brother. My sister and I were always very close but we became estranged after my brother died in a prison riot. He was wrongly convicted and that I’m interested in an attorney might set my family’s teeth on edge. But Val…she’s….well, you’ll see when you read the book. I’m crazy about her.

5. What do you want out of life?
To be a better person and to make a difference in the lives of those I rescue and their families. To serve my country with pride. Those were my old priorities. While they’re still tops, I’m looking into some new stuff and starting to see I can’t do any of the above without a solid relationship with God. I’m seriously seeking.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
Well, these days, God is becoming pretty important to me as well as a gal named Val, but aside from that, keeping those I love safe. Keeping total strangers safe when duty calls for it.

7. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
Val’s been reading Bible story books to me and teaching me all the stuff I never learned growing up in exchange for me giving her cooking lessons. Don’t tell her I said this but she poses a danger to herself and society whenever she gets near any kind of oven knob. She’s banned from anything that resembles a stove until I can teach her how to cook without having to use the smoke detector to determine when her food is done. I find that endearing about her though and we’re having fun learning stuff together.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I didn’t give in sooner. You’ll understand when you read the book. Grin.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
I have a motorcycle that I named. Does that count? Ha. If I had a pet, it would probably be a piranha or a shark. Definitely not spiders though. Hate those.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
Back to when my brother went to trial. I was deployed oversees and couldn’t be here to fight for him because I was fighting for my country. Had I known his wrong conviction and sentencing would lead to his wrongful death, I would have tried harder to get a military leave of absence to come defend him and prove his innocence. To live in regret is not easy, but Val, God and a pierced, tattooed prison pastor named Rowan are helping me come to terms with everything.

FEATURED BOOK: A SOLDIER'S DEVOTION BY CHERYL WYATT

U.S. Air Force pararescue jumper Vince Reardon was headed to a lifesaving mission. Until a too-pretty lawyer crashed her fancy car into his motorcycle—sidelining him for two weeks. Vince can barely accept Valentina Russo's heartfelt apologies. Ever since his brother was wrongly convicted—and killed in prison—Vince has lost respect for lawyers. But wait—is that Val volunteering at his refuge for underprivileged kids? If Vince isn't careful, this lady of the law might just earn his respect and his heart.

Good grief - it's Friday!

Valerie Hansen here:

I'm guilty. Again. I lose track of time when I'm working hard on new books and, PTL, I am.





I do have a book coming out this month and although it's not a straight Love Inspired but a historical, instead, I wanted to at least mention it. And then I went and forgot my chance until very late at night. Here's the cover. I absolutely LOVE it.





Oh, well. I apologize. I have a mind like Swiss cheese and I think all the stuff I'm supposed to remember runs out through those holes!

Blessings,
Val

Please Pray for Haiti

Missy here. I've been watching the news tonight while preparing to write this post, and I just can't think of anything but the poor people of Haiti following Tuesday's earthquake. I can't begin to imagine the confusion, helplessness, fear, grief.

Please be in prayer for the victims and all the rescue workers.


Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Lyn Cote here--short and sweet!

Lyn Cote here--spent last week sorting and discarding STUFF. Most of it was from 4 boxes left from my mom's estate and one from an aunt in El Paso, TX. I got it done, but now need to deal with burning all the paper (we are allowed up here in the woods to burn stuff). And I'm waiting for my dh to finish putting shelves in a closet in my office where I can store all the mementos till I have time to organize them more.

What's holding you all back from sorting??? Cleaning out?? Or have you surpassed me??

Hi, this is Janet Tronstad here. I've been having fun for the past few days on Goodreads, a website for readers. The Love Inspired Historical authors have a discussion group on this site and several of the readers have decided to write a time travel story together. Oh, my, we've had a time with remembering all of our characters at each stop and not getting them confused and moving the plot along at the same time. A couple of hours ago, one of the readers said it was all like a puzzle. I smiled because every book I have written has been a puzzle. There's always a moment in the writing of it where I am confused and lost. It's all like a maze -- at times it's hard to see the picture, but you keep going forward and, at the end, it all makes sense. It took me a while to see how writing a book parallels my life -- I have moments of confusion and moments of clarity. Periodically, I see further ahead and things make sense -- at other times, not so much. Right now, my area of confusion is my writing -- do I keep writing what I have been doing, do I find a different market? I wish I knew -- I have no clear direction. How about you -- in what area of your life are you wishing for more clarity? Do you have decisions that you are uncertain about? What's puzzling you today?

Heroine Interview from Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight

Interview with the heroine from Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight:

1.Cheyenne Rhodes, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I used to be a cop. I’m not anymore. But I’d rather not discuss the ugly details.

2. What do you do for fun?
I used to hang out with friends. Work out. Lately, not much of anything.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Going to sleep at night.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
People finding out the truth about me.

5. What do you want out of life?
Mostly, to be feel safe again and have the media leave me alone.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
Once I would have said my job, my dad, my brother. Now, I’m not sure anymore. Maybe the baby Glock under my pillow.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
I’m not a big reader, but studies of the criminal mind fascinate me. My landlady gave me a devotional. I might read it someday. Right now, I’m reading want ads, looking for a job.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Oh man. Tough question. I guess I’d suck it up and put the past behind me like my family wants me to do. Easy for them to say.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
No, I’ve never owned a pet, but I found a box of puppies by the roadside. Cute little mutts. The local vet, Trace Bowman, took them in. Nice guy. Pretty nice looking too. If I had a place of my own, I wouldn’t mind having a sweet, warm puppy.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I would go back to Colorado Springs a year ago to a bar where my cop friends and I were having a few drinks. I’d leave early—without the drinks. Maybe if I hadn’t had those tequila shooters, my life would be different today.

FEATURED BOOK: FINDING HER WAY HOME BY LINDA GOODNIGHT

Welcome to Redemption, Oklahoma
The idyllic little town Cheyenne Rhodes has chosen for her fresh start is almost too welcoming. After all, she's come here to hide from her past—not to make new friends.But single dad Trace Bowman isn't about to let Cheyenne hide away her heart. He can't ignore the special way she has with his daughter, Zoey—or how she's reminded him of the power of real love. Now he needs to convince Cheyenne that Redemption is more than a place to hide—it's also a way to be found….

Get back to work!

I'm giving you an advance warning of the irony of this blog. Because as you are reading this blog, I am going to tell you to stop reading this blog and get back to work. Stop reading about writing and get back to writing.

If you're still reading this, you haven't taken my advice, but I'm hoping that by continuing to read, you will get a few tools that will make it easier to take my advice. Got it?

The internet is my greatest tool and my greatest enemy. Living where I do, at the corner of No and Where, I use it to connect with people I can't see face to face. I use it to brainstorm with my writing partner. I use it to discover facts that I need right now that I normally wouldn't have access too (see above) - as in, how does a doctor do a triple bypass and what is a bypass anyway?

And here comes the HOWEVER. When God sent Adam out of the Garden he put a curse on the earth. So every blessing has a downside. Every light casts a shadow. And in the case of the internet the shadow can be large, looming and hard to ignore. You'll be writing along, hit a snag and 'hey, have I gotten any e-mail lately?' or 'I wonder if anything new has been posted on that writing forum' or, my own current personal nemesis, 'how's that cricut cartridge doing on e-bay?' - which I shouldn't have even allowed to enter my mind because I promised myself I would get this blog post done before I do anything else.

These are only the distractions I could think of as I was typing this. I'm sure each of you have your own guilty pleasures. I look for distractions because writing is hard work. I like the finished product, but I don't like getting there. Even after publishing thirty some odd books, I still struggle with this. But I've also noticed that the more I force myself to stay on task, the easier it gets. I get more writing done in a day than I used to. And the reason? I've stayed away, as much as possible, from the busy work of writing. Checking e-mail every five minutes. Surfing the 'net. Do I have amazing willpower?

Nope. I have programs. Now I run a Mac so for those of you who do as well, here are some wonderful tools I use. One is a ridiculously simple program called Freedom (http://macfreedom.com/) What it does is turn off the internet for however long you decide. It's wonderful. Another one I really like is called Concentrate (getconcentrating.com) It not only shuts off the internet, it turns off any application that might be a distraction for you. Plus it sends out a message every ten minutes that you can customize. Mine is a growly voice that encourages me to 'keep writing'. Also great.

For you PC users, I can't testify to how these work, but I did find these programs.

http://lifehacker.com/245774/lifehacker-code-dropcloth-windows

Another place I found was this one:

http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel/#MinimOther

If you scroll down and do some looking you can find programs that will shut down programs, put them aside, whatever your heart desires.

Sometimes we need willpower, sometimes we need help. I need help. However, there is a proviso to using these programs. They only work if you turn them on! And sometimes that can be just as hard to do as to get writing. But once they are on, you might be amazed at how much more you can do when you get rid of the biggest distraction for writers. The internet. Which you are using right now to read this blog.

So check out these programs and get back to work!

Look what I woke up to...(Cheryl Wyatt)

Cheryl Wyatt here to say look what I woke up to today! Not the roses, the SNOW! I love snow. I stayed up late last night just to watch it fall because it rarely snows here. Everytime I watch flakes fall, it reminds me of God's mercy, falling...falling...falling around and over us, covering completely and making us pure. As white and gleaming as the driven snow. Snow brightens everything it covers. Mercy is like that too.

We don't deserve it but it's beautiful, and it's ours for the taking.

I'd love to know if it snows where you live and if you like snow or not and why.

The photo, with the contrast of the red roses and the white snow glistening through the window behind it reminded me of one of my favorite Bible verses:

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 NIV

I pray you have a strong sense of God's mercy toward you. May it cover you like the diamond-white snow covers the ground. A snow-covered ground brightens everything around it, the entire landscape. You're like that too when God's mercy resides in you. Praying you have a safe, happy winter brimming with tender moments alone with God and that you live in constant wonder of the magnificent things He's made for us to enjoy. For me, it's glimpsing a rare snowfall like I woke up to today. That I'm even breathing is a gift and I'm thankful.


My January Love Inspired (A Soldier's Devotion-IN STORES NOW) is set in Southern Illinois and while I absolutely LOVE the cover, January doesn't really look vibrant like that. But what I love about the cover is that by the time another month of winter settles in for a visit, people around here will be longing for the vibrancy and new life that spring will bring. They'll be tired of the grays, browns and whites of winter. God's changing seasons remind me that His seasons in our lives change too. Winter is sometimes harsh and cold. Vince, my main character would probably say, "Winter was cool for awhile but enough already. Bring on the color!"

Have a wonderful week!

Cheryl Wyatt

www.seekerville.blogspot.com
www.cherylwyatt.com
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New Years over the years

Funny how New Years Eve changes over the years!

I remember as a little girl, my sister and I would go to my grandparents' house while my parents enjoyed some fellowship time with their friends, and spend the night. On TV, we watched the ball drop in New York's Times Square and had popcorn and Coke. I used to feel SO grown up and important that I was allowed to stay up until midnight.

Until a few years ago, when I realized the time difference between Louisiana and New York meant I was staying up all that time until 11:00. Not midnight.

Am I bitter that my grandparents lied to me for a decade? NO.

Cough.

Anyway, in high school and college, New Years Eve meant parties at friend's houses, watching movies, playing games, eating way too much, etc. Fun times, and great memories.

The last three years have been pretty tame, with my being pregnant and then having a newborn. And this year, ushering in a new decade, was spent lying in bed at 11:45, eyes groggy, watching the clock and hoping the numbers clicked by quickly so we could have a quick New Years kiss and go to sleep! lol

I'm sure there will be more parties in the future. And fireworks where my 17 month old doesn't scream and cry and try to run away into the night out of sheer terror. And joyous midnight greetings instead of sleepy ones.

But for now, there's something special about these years of babies and Mommyhood and exhausted hubbies. I'm cherishing these holidays as much if not more than the super exciting ones. Because for me, there's nothing more exciting than being with my sweet little family on New Years Eve, even if we are all tucked soundly into bed.

I hope you had a great ushering in of the New Year, and made a memory of your own--even if it was as tired as mine.

And my resolution for 2010? To forgive my grandparents for the years of lies. =P

Kidding. I'm over it.

Just a little paranoid about clocks...

2010

Terri Reed here, the holidays are over and the New Year has begun and I'm feeling fat (ate waaaay too much rich food over the past few weeks), so my first order of business in 2010 is workout and eat more veggies!

My next goals are to finish the two projects I'm working on and start a couple more.

I also want to be a better, mother, wife and friend. I want to walk in God's will and always put Him first.

What are your goals for the New Year?

Still available CHASING SHADOWS

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T
When senior citizens start disappearing from a
Boston retirement home, heiress Kristina Worthington is suspicious.
Especially when she fears her beloved grandmother is next. Without
solid evidence, she’s forced to turn to the one police officer who might
listen—her former love, Gabe Burke. Now a seasoned cop, Gabe still
sees her as the rich girl whose family thought he wasn’t good enough.
And though he takes the case, Gabe seems convinced he’s chasing shadows.
Until they start dodging threats, bullets...and their own rekindled feelings.

Coming in 2010

COVERT PURSUIT --May

TREASURE CREEK DAD--August

YULETIDE SANCTUARY--November

Knowing Your Limits

Pamela Tracy here. This New Year's had to be one of the most interesting ones I've had in a long time. See, I'm in Arizona, Phoenix actually, the land of NO SNOW. Last Thursday, we packed up and went camping. So, Thursday night, six of us (my four-year-old fell asleep at 9 or there'd have been seven) stood around a campfire and blue whistles and set off noise makers. What fun! Friday and Saturday were spent riding in what my son called "The middle of nowhere." Since it was a holiday weekend, there were lots of people in the middle of nowhere. Friday, we started for a place called the Coke Ovens. Don found it on a map. Everyone was excited. Apparently, back in the 1800's, coal was produced in the middle of the desert in man-made ovens which are now a historic landmark that only the 'brave' or 'lucky' can get to. Everyone said the route to the Coke Ovens was rough. Rough is one of those words that can change meanings depending on the speaker. But, still, the Off Road magazine my husband had said rough to extreme. Okay, rough is a changable word but extreme is not. My first hint was Friday when we got to a tough spot and had to wait while a Jeep was wenched to safety. We got halfway to the Coke Ovens and decided we'd started too late and we'd come back tomorrow. Next day, Saturday, off we go again. And, strangely enough, we didn't start any earlier. We get to the same tough spot and there's a line. See, you can't just drive down or up this rocky place. It's turn left, turn right, go up at an impossible angle, fall to earth, pray, bump your way up or down. This day, after the line, we went (I got off, Mikey and I climbed down the tough area on foot, and hubby rode my quad down. We stopped at the bottom to regroup and a few quads started up. That's when our first delay happened. One of the quads tipped and landed on the man riding it. Everyone ran to help. Next, we stopped because at the next tough area, one we hadn't made it to the day before, only had enough space for one at a time. We were delayed as seven jeeps, a few side by sides, and a few quads came down. We were in the second group to go up. The first group almost lost a quad. Finally, our turn. I get halfway up, and at the same place where the first group almost lost a quad, I lost my grip. The quad started to fall back on me. I'm not sure what stopped it and made it fall forward again, but somehow it righted. I tried again and this time, I kid you not, my feet were in the air and it's coming back on me. I heard my husband scream, and I let go. The bike, luckily, fell away from me. I should have turned around, but I didn't. I kept going. how does this tale end. There comes a time when you have to know your limits. For me, it was uphill grade, hands refusing to hit the gas, and saying to my husband: I'm done. Another guy took over my bike, I got on the back of my brother-in-law's bike, and for much of the trip I kept my eyes closed and prayed. Again, darkness took over and we came within 30 minutes of the Coke Ovens and for safety purposes, turned back. We're already planning our next trip. My husband's job? Find a different route to the Coke Ovens. So, how was your New Year's.

Heroine Interview from Mending Fences by Jenna Mindel

Interview with the heroine: Laura Toivo of Mending Fences – January 2010 Steeple Hill Love Inspired.

1. Laura Toivo, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and my ancestry is Finnish on both sides. I love junk food and good coffee.

2. What do you do for fun?
Play tennis, or walk. I work a lot, maybe too much.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Visiting my mother.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Letting people down.

5. What do you want out of life?
To be accepted.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
Right now, getting a promotion to Senior Sales Executive –

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
Romantic Suspense.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To be fearless in relationships.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
Not at the moment. But I love dogs.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I’d be a pioneer – going places no one has gone before and meeting the challenge of making a life and building community where there was once only wilderness.

FEATURED BOOK: THE COWBOY'S FAMILY BY BRENDA MINTON

Widower Wyatt Johnson brought his two little girls home to Dawson, Oklahoma, looking for a place to heal. The grief from his wife's death still lingers, but it's time to move on and try to live a simple life. He's in for a surprise when he finds a lovely young nanny on his doorstep, ready to give him the help he won't admit he needs. Now his life is far from simple, which may be a blessing in disguise. In Rachel Waters he finds a nurturing, vivacious woman whom his daughters adore. Together, Wyatt and Rachel can help each other realize that they're deserving of laughter, friendship…and love.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merrillee here, wishing you all a fabulous new year. Often in a new year, we think about how we can do things better. We want a new beginning, and we can have that new beginning in Christ. I'm going to share a few scriptures that talk about a new life. Let's start the new year with the word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Epheisians 4:22-24 (NIV)
²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Do you have a favorite scripture or an inspiring thought to start the new year?

Resolutions anyone?

Pat Davids here.

A year has vanished in what seems like the blink of an eye. Tomorrow it will be 2010. Wow!

Remember how long it took 2000 to roll around? Remember all the end of the world/computer crash hype that fizzled out? My family and I welcomed the new millennium with a chilled bottle of non-alcoholic wine. I kept the empty bottle as a souvinor for about three years then finally recycled it.

That's one thing on my new resolution list for 2010. Recycle more. I have other resolutions. My old stand by--lose weight. I've lost and found about 1000 lbs in my lifetime. Still, I keep at it. Someday those shed pounds may actually stay off but then what would I do for a resolution next year?

My resolutions are like old slippers. A little worn out but comfortable. I'll try to be a better person, try to write more books, try to save more money, try to gripe less at my spouse. As my nine-year-old granddaughter tells me, no one is perfect except God. She's right, but I don't aim to be perfect, only better.

Even if you don't make or keep a resolutions, it's good to review your life and see what needs work.

Do you make resolutions? Do you keep them? Are they worthwhile?

Our Christmas snow

This year we had a blizzard warning issued for Christmas Eve. We ended up with 7-8 inches of snow and a white Christmas. Instead of my son and his family coming over for Christmas Day, my husband and I were out shoving the snow from our driveway so it would be easier to get out (we felt the effects of shoving the next day--moving a little slower). My son, his wife and my four grandchildren did come on Saturday for a belated Christmas. We hadn't had a white Christmas in seven years.

This evening we are having part two of snow. A few more inches have fallen here to add to the other inches that haven't melted because the temperature has been so low.

Although Christmas Eve service was cancelled, they are going to perform part of it on January 3rd. I'm really looking forward to going--unless it snows again. Oh well, in the winter you have to be prepared to rearrange your plans in case of bad weather.

How was your Christmas? Sunny? Snowy? Warm? Cold?

To fray or not to fray

Hello, it's Lenora Worth. Today I went to the office supply store. You all know how that goes. It's like a kid in a candy store. I usually go two or three times a year to replenish my office supplies but my annual after Christmas trip is always the most fun. That's because I get to pick out my day calendar for the next year. You'd think this would be so easy. Just go inside, grab a calendar and a few mailing envelopes and labels and other supplies and get on home. But no, I have to compare calendars for at least fifteen minutes before deciding if I want the typical day-timer that opens onto my desk (and do I want a refill for my ancient leather day-timer) or do I want a nice flat desk calendar with the whole month spread out before me? And do I want the plain black and white, less expensive calendar like the one my husband requested? ("Nothing over ten dollars, Lenora!") Or do I want the one with palm trees and beach scenes all year long? Or maybe I'd like the one with seashells shining brightly in the corner? Do I want the one that will fit perfectly on the little wobbly table by my desk or do I want a larger one I can put on the wall? Do I need space for notes in the margins or can I try to write in the lines underneath each day's date without making a mess? Such decisions are part of the fray of trying to get organized after the holidays. It's that time of limbo after the presents have been opened and you realize you don't have anywhere to put most of the nice gifts you received. It's that time between tattered ribbons and torn paper and a nice blank living room again. (Blank and a bit empty and sad without the tree and the lights and the poinsettia.) It's that one week of the year where we look back with a bit of regret. (Why didn't I ever lose that ten pounds?) Or we look forward with a bit of hope. (Yes, I will lose that ten pounds!) This is the week of the holding pattern while we wait to ring in the new year. But which calendar will help me to stay on track in all the frays of the days ahead? Well, I settled (finally) on the flat desk model (smaller version) with the seashells in the corner (and it was on sale for $9.99!) There is nothing like an empty calendar to tempt a girl into filling it with deadlines and commitments. Because even in the fray of going from festive and fabulous to sensible and scheduled, we all need some sort of guideline to keep us on track. I can't wait to open up my calendar and scribble all over it. It's perfect. A blank canvas is the first tool of an artist, after all. Happy 2010. Mark your calendars with a new beginning. I can't wait!

FEATURED AUTHORS: LINDA GOODNIGHT AND LENORA WORTH

In the Spirit of…Christmas

For his daughter's sake, widowed father Jesse Slater returns to Oklahoma to reclaim the family ranch. But their home is now a Christmas tree farm…run by a woman whose faith will change their lives forever.

A Very Special Delivery

Molly McCreight has met the man of her dreams! But with her painful secret, how can she hope to spend the holidays—let alone the rest of her life— with single father Ethan Hunter and his precious baby girl?

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Just weeks before Christmas, widowed mother Myla Howell and her two children are saved from the streets by a wealthy oil tycoon nicknamed "Scrooge." Has the chill surrounding Nick Rudolph's icy heart begun to thaw in time for the holidays?

One Golden Christmas

Take one small-town Christmas pageant. Add in three motherless children with a secret holiday wish and a handsome widowed father. Mix just so with pageant director Leandra Flanagan. Will yield big surprises by December 25th.

FEATURED BOOK: LONE STAR BLESSINGS BY BONNIE K. WINN

What does a widowed father know about raising a preteen girl? Sheriff Tucker Grey is on top of basic needs, but when it comes to hair, clothes and first crushes, he's at a loss. Until Kate Lambert returns to Rosewood, Texas. His daughter's new Sunday school teacher seems exactly what the girl needs. Except when it comes to a mother. Tucker has loved and lost once and has no room in his heart for anyone. Especially a big-city gal like Kate. But she soon has this lone star lawman counting his blessings…herself included.

Christmas in the Tippens Household

Missy here. I wanted to share a photo of my tree this year. It's not a great shot, because it was taken on my cell phone. But it's all I have, because soon after I took it, the top half of the lights went out! For a few days, I could wiggle the plug and get them to come back on. But then they went out and stayed out. So this is my only photo! :)

If you notice, one of our traditions is to have a stocking for everyone. And I mean EVERYONE--two-legged and four-legged creatures included. The dogs will get a tug rope in their stockings this year. The cat will get some treats. The kids--well, I can't tell, in case they're reading! :)

My husband and I even have stockings. I used to shop for all the stocking stuffers, mine included (which was kind of fun! I usually got myself a book ). But then one year, when I went to stuff my things in, I found my stocking was already full! My husband had caught on. Of course, I image I probably left a few hints, maybe even shamed him a little each year. LOL Still, it was a nice surprise. Now I don't have any reason (or excuse) to buy myself something. I know Santa will come for me, too. :)

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! I pray you'll have time with loved ones as you celebrate Jesus's birthday!

Christmas Day - lost, as usual

Okay, I wrote this early, then lost it, then posted where I thought I belonged and ended up on the LI author's site! It's a good thing God loves me because I have plenty of faults! Boy, do I!

Anyway, I just discovered my error and went back online to try to make it up. The following is the end of my original post which is pretty out-of-date by now!

"Truly, it doesn't matter what day you celebrate our Savior's birth or when you choose to give gifts. What I believe does matter, is that you do it all with love and teach your children that Jesus is Lord. In the chaos that used to mark my Christmases I often lost sight of that.



REMEMBER HIM. That's the only thing that really counts."



In His Love,

Valerie Hansen

Lyn Cote & How I Made God Laugh

Lyn's dh and daughter & Lyn

Lyn Cote here! When my dh and I decided it was time to start our family, I said that the only month I didn't want to have a child was December. I often imagine God hearing this and giving a big belly laugh. (I believe God has a great sense of humor.) Because of course he knew that I was going to have both my son and my daughter in December!

However, I discovered that having December babies had many special touches. On both delivery mornings, the hospital practically cleared out the maternity ward. As I had already demonstrated, most women don't want to have babies at Christmas. So soon it was just me, a few other lucky moms and the nurses. I got a lot of care and watched the nurses decorate the maternity ward for Christmas.

When I took my newborn home, I found that night feedings were very cozy, sitting near the Christmas tree and listening to Christmas carols. And Christmas morning was never so special than with my new little son and then 3 years later my daughter.

I'll never forget on the mornings after my deliveries, I lay in my bed and watched the light snow drift down onto the pine grove around the hospital. Lovely. Perfect. Just how God had planned it!

Here are my two children at our son's Halloween wedding hall.

If you're a mother, did you have a Christmas baby? Or were you a Christmas baby? Our best man was born on Christmas.

Ah, the Christmas Menu!

Linda Goodnight here, thinking about food. Christmas dinner to be exact. We have a very big family—seven incredible kids, most of whom are now married with kids of their own, and everyone comes home to our house for Christmas. Every year I cook the same things: Turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and veggies-usually corn, green beans, yams, and a relish tray (not to mention a mountain of waist-expanding desserts). This year, I’d love to add something new to the main menu but I’m stumped. Anyone care to share a favorite holiday recipe that might grace the Goodnight table? What’s cookin’ at your house for Christmas dinner?

This is Janet Tronstad here, reflecting on Advent. I admit I love the splash of Christmas (the gifts, the parties, the lights -- I can get carried away with it all). But this Christmas, I am trying to stay quieter in hopes I can get a better glimpse of the first Christmas. Going through some Advent studies has helped remind me of the dare-I-say-it 'smallness' of that night. There was a bare humility to Christ's birth -- Joseph didn't stand at the innkeeper's door and demand a room. Mary didn't bring an entourage with her to Bethlehem. There were no papparazi. Not even any ringing church bells. The angel did roust a group of shepherds to go see the newborn, but there could hardly be a more humble welcoming party. I'm sure we've all been to Christmas parties that outshone the fuss of that first Christmas Eve. I haven't started to fast yet in Advent (which is what they used to do for weeks on end), but I am enjoying the simplicity this year. How about you? What's Christmas like for you this year?

Heroine Interview from A Wedding in Wyoming

Interview with the heroine:
A WEDDING IN WYOMING by Deb Kastner, December 2009

1. Jenn, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I guess that would be my job. I work as a social worker in downtown Denver. I see many orphaned and abandoned children. Hopefully I am able to help some of them find loving foster families.

2. What do you do for fun?

Fun? I’m not sure I really do anything that qualifies as fun. I work all kinds of weird hours, and am often on call during nights and weekends. My work is the focus of my life.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I love my extended family. They are such a hoot! But I dread going to the yearly reunion at my grandparents’ ranch in Wyoming. I always get teased because I’m not in a serious relationship with a man. They want children running around the ranch--Granny and Auntie Myra, especially. This year, though, I have a plan. Things are going to be different.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

I am terrified my family will find out about the way I acted out as a teenager, and the resulting tragedy that ensued. I would be so humiliated if they knew how I’d tossed aside my Christian principles, and the trouble it got me in.

5. What do you want out of life?

I want to make a difference in my work. I suppose I’d like to get married and have children someday, though I wish my family would stop pressuring me to make it happen now.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

I love my family. They may drive me crazy, but they’ve always supported me.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

I love to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and good historical romance after a hard day of work.



8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I didn’t live in fear. I want to live confidently, not timidly, but I just can’t seem to shake off my past.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I’m a city girl, and my downtown Denver apartment doesn’t allow pets. I grew up around animals on a ranch, but I don’t really care for them. Especially horses—they terrify me. I was thrown from a horse when I was a small child and never got over it.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I would go back to my teenage years, and I would do everything differently. I would study hard and avoid the bad crowd. And I most especially would not have gotten in the car with Duke that night when I was sixteen. My whole life would be different if I changed just that one incident.

FEATURED BOOK: A WEDDING IN WYOMING BY DEB KASTNER

Jenn Washington has spent years avoiding questions about her love life. This year she's finally found a way to take the focus off herself at the annual family reunion. Sending herself some flowers from "John" should appease her relatives, until her pretend boyfriend arrives at the front door in the flesh! Johnny Barnes has his own reasons for playing along with Jenn's ruse, and his growing attraction for her is only one of them. But secrets from her past and his present could make it harder for this rugged cowboy to make Jenn the bride he's always wanted.

books

My husband and I decided we aren't getting each other anything for Christmas. We have most everything we need. In fact, I was looking around my house the other day and I thought, I need to get rid of some stuff. I looked at my overflowing bookshelves and decided that might be the best place to start de-cluttering. Some of the bookshelves in my office are double-booked - books are stacked two deep. So I started with my office. I pulled all the books off one shelf and then went through them one by one to decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw away. I looked over each one and sometimes I would open one to a favourite passage and start reading. Needless to say the job wasn't quick. And when I was done the first shelf, I had put almost all of the books back and only thrown out two or about 5%. This was not decluttering. But I couldn't throw so many of them away because they had enlightened me, entertained me, made me grow, made me change. The had done the job they were written for - that's how they ended up on my shelf in the first place. The books that didn't make the cut were thrown away or given away long before. I saw each of the books as a friend that taught me something valuable and in the back of my mind was the idea that I might want to revisit this friend again. I do re-read a lot of my books. That's why I keep them. Or I lend them out so I can share the gift. After Christmas I'm going to give the bookshelves another go. I might have to get my husband to help me. I'm sure he can be a bit more ruthless than I can. I just hope I can let go when the time comes.

Christmas Frays-Cheryl Wyatt Style

I play jokes on people all the time. My family expects it. They live in a constant state of heightened awareness (read: fear-LOL) of me because of it. They never know what they're going to get gift-wise or how the gift will be wrapped. I've been known to use entire rolls of duct tape to wrap presents. Sometimes those jokes backfire and I could tell you many frays where I got into a HUGE box only to find a teeny box inside of the seventy other boxes I had to open to get to the real gift. But, indeed I deserve it and I suppose I should be willing to take it as much as I dish it out.

I got this image and description from a friend through e-mail. I usually delete forwards but I'm so glad I looked at this one. At first, I thought the photo was real and I wondered why in the world would someone be snapping a photo of rather than rushing to help the person-in-distress.

Then I realized that the person dangling was fake and that the scenario WAS the Christmas decoration.

I laughed so hard and begged my husband to let us decorate our home like that this year. We have NEVER had outside decorations. Ever. I told him this is the only one I'd EVER ask for.

He said, "No."

Not just "no" but "Absolutely not. It will cause traffic accidents."

LOL! Well, pout.

When I read him the description below that came with the e-mail, he grinned as bright as a Christmas star because he knew he was right.

And I'm still pouting but I do see his point. Still...it would be hilarious and totally like me, being the practical joker that I am. Hubby is a practical joker too..big time. But I guess it's good for humanity that he's also "practical" without the jokey part when necessary.

Here's the description that came with the forwarded photo:
(I'm sorry, I don't know the original author of the photo or the below e-mail or I would TOTALLY give them credit well-deserved.)
---
"Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard"

---

Hope you get a good laugh out of this today. And may your Christmas decorating NOT go like this. LOL!

Merry Christmas!

Cheryl Wyatt

Christmas Secrets

It's been a fun saying in my family over the years "I know Christmas secrets!" - usually said in a sing-song, teasing voice that's meant to imply "haha, I know you are getting a really great gift and I bet you are just dying to know too!!"

Well, Christmas 2007 held the biggest Christmas secret for my family, and I think I'm still tired from keeping it.

My dad has always loved music, and as long as I can remember, there's been an acoustic guitar in the corner of his room. He recently got back into it, and talked about an electric Fender guitar in the music store across town. It was several hundred dollars, and he figured he'd save some Christmas money and treat himself later in the year after finding a side job or something.

Well, my Mom and sister and I collaborated and decided my dad needed that guitar for Christas morning. He deserved it more than anyone we knew, and we wanted to surprise him. My mom handled the details of ordering it from the store and we all chipped in the money. It should have been easy. And it was.

Until....

A worker from the store called the house to talk to Mom about a payment issue, and gave the message to my dad on the phone.

Here's the scenario. My mom and I are at lunch during my lunch break from work, and I'm about 3 1/2 months pregnant and stupid. Seriously. My brain cells were being taken by my daughter on a daily basis and I was just an idiot throughout most of my pregnancy. So we're sitting there at lunch, eating chips and salsa, when my dad calls me, not knowing I'm with Mom, and tells me he got a call from the music store and they asked to talk to mom and he didn't know what to do because he didn't want any surprises to be ruined regarding Christmas.

The fate of the surprise hung on my reaction, which didn't bode well with my recent pregnant track record.

I swallowed the chip stuck in my throat and lied. "Don't worry, I'm sure its not a big deal. I don't know anything about it, but I'll drop hints. I'm sure its nothing."

Dad said "oh okay, great. Well don't tell her what happened today."

Forced cheerfulness. "Okay!"

I hung up. "Mom, we have a problem." and told her everything. We panicked, not knowing how to keep the surprise going. We'd come so far!

Finally, I got back to work and formed a plan. I called my dad and lied again. "I talked to mom, and found out she was ordering you guitar picks and a gift card for your acoustic. No biggie! Just stocking stuffers."

He believed me, and my tired pregnant brain went back to work.

We were so far beyond nervous for the rest of the month that we literally all lost sleep over it, walking on eggshells, explaining to the music store not to call anymore. We wanted the surprise to work out so desperately. My sister's husband at the time bought an amp to go with the guitar, and this Christmas was definitely All About Dad and no one deserved it more!

When the guitar came in, we wrapped it and hid it at my house, and held our breath for weeks.

Finally the big day came and we left the tell-tale long package in my trunk before going inside. We all opened a few gifts but none of us could concentrate. And poor Dad couldn't open anything because all of his gifts went back to the guitar and its accessories. We kept handing him presents then saying "oh wait, not that one yet!" Finally, we couldn't take it anymore and we made him close his eyes while my Hubby brought the gift inside. Dad opened it, and you guys, it was priceless. Worth every stressful moment! He actually teared up, and by the time the surprise was finished, we were all so exhausted and glad we'd carried the whole thing off that we didn't even care about opening the rest of our gifts!!

Coming up with that lie to throw my dad off the track was probably the sneakiest thing I did during my entire pregnancy, and I'm still missing that burst of brain cells it took to come up with it. =)

Here's some pics from that morning!!!

Gifts

Hi, Terri Reed here, I'm a bit harried this week. You see, I'm usually done with my Christmas shopping long before now as I normally buy gifts throughout the year whenever I find something that I think would be perfect for this person or that. But this past year got away from me so I've had to take time away from my writing to shop. But this morning when I sat at my computer t to write (I'm working on two books at the moment) I found myself contemplating gifts and giving and came across some scripture that spoke to me and I hope they will speak to you as well.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 My take away--God has put gifts in each of us. Wake them up! Don't be afraid to use them, because God has filled us with strength, love and wisdom.

1 Peter 4:10 My take away--God has given each one of us gifts, and it is our responsibility to use these gifts to bless the people around us.

Check out my latest Love Inspired novel. Its still available at http://www.eharlequin.com/
This would make a great stocking stuff or just a fun little present under the tree.
NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T
When senior citizens start disappearing from a Boston retirement home at Christmas time, heiress Kristina Worthington is suspicious. Especially when she fears her beloved grandmother is next. Without solid evidence, she’s forced to turn to the one police officer who might listen—her former love, Gabe Burke. Now a seasoned cop, Gabe still sees her as the rich girl whose family thought he wasn’t good enough. And though he takes the case, Gabe seems convinced he’s chasing shadows. Until they start dodging threats, bullets...and their own rekindled feelings.