Critical Condition Interview

Today we're welcoming Tara Peterson, the heroine of Critical Condition, written by Sandra Orchard, an October 2012 release by Love Inspired Suspense. 

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure. 

  

1.    Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense. 

I am a nurse at Miller’s Bay Memorial Hospital, and while answering a call bell, I found the patient seizing and her husband collapsed on the floor. Someone pushed me from behind and ran out of the room. I summoned help, and as medical personnel struggled to save my patient, I struggled to save her husband. We all failed, but the man’s last words haunted me. “You have to stop the killer.” I went to the police and they sent Zach Davis to work undercover in the hospital.

2.    Tell us a bit about him.  What was your first impression?  When did you know it was love? 

The first time I met him, he didn’t look so good, like he might faint. Some people get that way when visiting the hospital. My heart went out to him, but then after I gave him a glass of juice to help bring back his color, he really looked at me. Looked at me as if he knew me. As if… he could see right to my soul. And he was wonderful with my three-year-old, Suzie. She took to him instantly. She calls him Dak. A tiny part of me probably loved him from the moment he took an interest in Suzie, something her father had never done.

But the day Zach folded me in his arms after we’d chased a prowler from the house, I knew. I wasn’t used to having someone in the middle of a crisis focus on my wellbeing. And I was tired of fighting. Fighting to stay out of a murderer’s sights. Fighting to protect my daughter, and my job. Fighting my attraction to Zach.

    

3.    What strengths/skills do you have?  What is your greatest weakness? 

In the words of my sister, I’m smart, creative and have more energy than anyone she knows. I can whip up a delicious five-course meal without breaking a sweat. But I can’t balance a checkbook to save my life.

         

4.    What scares you? 

My daughter getting sick or hurt. Maybe because I’m a nurse, I always fear the worse. If she gets a fever, I fear it’s meningitis. If she gets a cough, I fear she has strep. If a guy starts wanting to hang out with us, I fear Suzie’s going to get too attached and have her heart broken when he walks away.

      

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

I’d try to see myself the way God sees me, the way Zach sees me, as loved and cherished and worthy.

6.    Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? 

I have doubts about God. I take my daughter to Sunday School, and I want to believe there is something better after we die, but being a nurse I see a lot of prayers go unanswered. I didn’t blame God. Most of the time, I blamed myself for the bad things in my life.

    

7.    Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?

Zach helps me see that just because God doesn’t give me, or my patients, the answers we want, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t care or isn’t listening. His answer may simply be no, or not now. I also learned to stop blaming myself for things that weren’t my fault.

8.    You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story.  Tell us why this scripture is significant.

Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” This verse is special to me, because it reminds me that I’m a work in progress, and that’s okay. I’m not perfect, nowhere near. But I’m on the path God wants me to be on, and with each step I take, the love and hope he pours into my life shines ever brighter.  

    

9.    If you could be a dessert what would you be and why?

Cake—the special chocolate cake that Gran used to invite me to make with her as a child. She fostered my love of cooking and the smell of that cake always reminds me of her. She was the sweetest person I’ve ever known, accepted me just as I am.

Critical Condition Featured Book by Sandra Orchard

EVERYONE’S AT RISK There’s a murderer in the hospital, and nurse Tara Peterson is determined to prove it. With mysterious deaths in the cancer ward, anyone could be next. But no one wants to believe her…except for undercover agent Zach Davis. The murderer wants Tara’s suspicions silenced, permanently. To protect Tara, Zach lets her in on his secret, and unwittingly into his heart. Tara and her three-year-old daughter are like the family he lost years before. Zach will risk everything to keep them safe, no matter the cost.

Ask Elnora--About These Dreams???Lenora Worth

Maybe I'm the only one. But I thought I'd ask and see if anyone else has this happen. Elnora dreams about her characters. And my darling daydreamers, I don't just mean I dream about them. Oh, no. I dream they are literally walking off the pages and following me around. In my dreams, there is this kind of moving sidewalk-merry-go-round type thing and I'm walking on it. I can see my characters alone the way. And every now and then, one of them will hop onto the moving sidewalk with me and start talking. They don't actually talk to me. They talk to each other and I follow them around, listening. It's fun at times and scary at times. Sometimes it's current characters and sometimes it's character from books I've written long ago. These dreams are vivid and full of life. Maybe the moving sidewalk is really the pages of my story, progressing and the characters are moving through those pages. It sure makes for a busy night, let me tell you! Sometimes the characters just walk off the page and disappear. I guess those are the ones who've given me a hard time!

So... is it just me? I'm used to voices in my head during the day, but am I destined to hear them in my sleep, too? I keep thinking of that song by Heart. "These dreams....go on when I close my eyes ... every second of the night I live another life." Do you live another life in your dreams? Do your characters frolic and move through your dreams? Let's discuss our dreams. Do you think writers have vivid dreams because we see words in our heads? And because those voices never seem to go away? What is it about dreams that helps us to be better writers?

Hay Rides and Craft Fairs

Rhonda Gibson here and I agree October can be scary.
 

But, I choose to enjoy the crisp air, the changing colors of leaves and family fun time.

You know what I'm talking about, craft fairs and hay rides!

When I was a pre-teen/teen our church had a hay ride every October. I loved the smell of the hay and since the ride time fell around dusky dark, what great fun to see the scarecrows, hay bales, and pumpkins we passed along the way. My fellow passengers speaking in soft tones heightened the feeling of adventure. The cool crisp air on my cheeks and the warm blanket covering my little brother and I made it cozy.

And, we can't forget the craft fairs! I love them. My daughter and granddaughters go with me every year. Browsing the new crafts is my favorite part and hearing the stories of what people planned to do with their homemade goods puts a smile on my face. Discovering new projects to try during the winter months, well, there's just nothing better. My daughter is always on the hunt for Christmas gifts to buy or ideas to make herself. I often find myself returning without her to purchase something she or one of the grandgirls liked. It's fun to see their expressions later when the gifts are opened.

See? Nothing scary about craft fairs and hay rides.

What is your favorite part of a craft fair? Is it the homemade items? The food? The excitement on faces when they find the perfect gift for a loved one?

And, let's not forget the hayrides. Did you go on hay rides when you were a kid? Do you still? 

How Do You Know If Bad Advice Is...Bad?

I've been thinking a lot about advice lately. Good advice, bad advice, sage advice. In books, the author often creates a mentor character. Someone who offers the protagonist words of wisdom which the heroine (or hero) initially ignores until pages of pages of characters growth. Then there’s a ‘come to realize’ moment where ‘ta da’, our heroine realizes she should have listened. When picturing a mentor, think of Obi Wan Kenobi or that old guy from the Rocky movies.

In real life, it’s not that easy. We’re all bringing our own experiences to the table. Our own prejudices and beliefs. A few weeks ago a friend asked for my advice on two different options. I offered her my own experience and created a new, third option. That has to be the best advice right? A recommendation based on our own experiences? Except in any scientific experiment, if you change too many of the variables, the outcome is no longer a valid test.

When someone tells you what they’d do in your shoes, or how they’d react, or how they had already succeeded in the same situation—the advice isn't fundamentally sound because there are too many competing variables.

And let’s face it, people ask for advice with all sorts of ulterior motives—often without even realizing they have an ulterior motive. Have you ever had a friend tell you of an important decision, and then later realized you were supposed to have talked them out of it? (I’m coloring my hair purple!)

I recently had someone tell me exactly what they were able to accomplish in my situation. Except it wasn't exactly the same situation. It was a different person in a different time and in a different place. I smiled and congratulated that person on their accomplishments. And, let's face it, we all define success differently. What may constitute success for one person, may be a failure for another. (I accomplished my goal, and neglected my family. Success or failure? Depends on the person, right?)

The best authors (the ones I try to emulate) use these sorts of experiences to give their characters depth and realism. Adding the extra dimensions of past experience to muddy the waters.  In Winnie Grigg’s book, A Baby Between Them, the heroine’s sisters give the heroine advice. And while it’s not necessarily bad advice, the sisters are basing their recommendations on their own experiences. Can you think of a book where a book where good/bad advice played a key role in the story? 

Got treasure?

Any treasure left in the world? PLENTY! I've got treasures on the brain because I just finished a three book series about treasure hunters. It seems American movie goers love this topic. Treasure movies come to mind in droves like: Romancing the Stone National Treasure Treasure of the Sierra Madre Goonies The Librarian: Quest for the Spear Paint Your Wagon Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade But I prefer the stories about the average Joe who finds treasure right under his/her nose like the true story excerpted below. One man's dusty old vase, is another man's wildest dream come true. A brother and sister, cleaning out their uncle's London bungalow after his death, came across a yellow and blue vase which they stashed precariously on a bookshelf during the packing. When they finally took it to a London auction house they were dumbfounded to learn it was a priceless Chinese vase made for the Qianlong Emperor. They were further floored when the thing fetched a cool 69 million dollars at Bainbridges auction house. So what kind of treasure stories/movies do you enjoy?

Maggie and Jared

Pamela Tracy here and I'm very excited about my Love Inspired Romance released this month called Once Upon a Christmas.

You met Jared in last year's book, Once Upon a Cowboy.  That book featured younger brother Joel who was the prodigal son.  In Joel's book, Jared is the older brother.  Of course once Joel was redeemed, Jared had to have his book too.  Both books take place in Iowa, in an imaginary town just east of Knoxville. 

                                                 Jared's farm is described in both books,

but Maggie's profession/passion is one I hadn't dealt with before. She owns a vintage clothes shop. I had soooo much fun letting my imagination run wild as to how she'd dress through-out the book. So, without furthur ado, here's Maggie and Jared, on their wedding day, in vintage clothing.

 

The Doctor's Defender Interview

Today we're welcoming Kyle Martin, the hero of The Doctor’s Defender by Terri Reed, an October 2012 release from Love Inspired Suspense. 

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.   

1.  Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense. I’m an ex-Navy SEAL turned bodyguard.  I live in Boston and work wherever the assignment takes me. 

2.  So, during the book you met Doctor Brenda Storm.  Tell us a bit about her.  What was your first impression?  When did you know it was love?  Wow, my first impression of the doctor was she was one uptight lady in her white lab coat and black slacks  but then I noticed she had wore red heels and I knew there was more to her than met the eye.  I think I fell in love somewhere between “Hello.” and “No way are you my bodyguard!” LOL.  It took some convincing to assure her I could keep her safe.

3.  What strengths/skills do you have? My charming personality?  Oh, wait, I don’t think Brenda thinks I’m charming.  So maybe it’s that I’m calm under pressure.

What is your greatest weakness? Some people say I’m too irreverent.  I suppose that’s true and I would hazard a guess it’s a coping mechanism.  But who knows. I’m not into self-analyzing too much.  I’ll leave that to Brenda.          

4.  What scares you? Loosing someone I’m protecting.  I lost a buddy during a conflict and I never want to go through that again.   

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?  Hmmm, good question. I’ll have to think about it.  Hmm, maybe not.  That would require self-analyzing.   

6.  Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?  I believe in God but I don’t fully trust Him.     

7.  Where are you in your faith at the end of the story? Trusting Him and realizing how much He has in store for me, so much more than I ever dreamed.

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story.  Tell us why this scripture is significant.

‘I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him I will trust.”  Psalms 91:2

For me this verse speaks about how we can always count of God and its safe to trust him.

    

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why?

Good old fashioned Apple Pie.  Sweet and tart, gooey and crusty all at once. 

FEATURED BOOK: THE DOCTOR'S DEFENDER BY TERRI REED

As a trauma surgeon, Dr. Brenda Storm saves lives every day. But someone wants her dead. It starts with the anonymous delivery of poisoned cupcakes. Now the hospital has hired a bodyguard to protect her 24/7. At first, Brenda doesn't think too-handsome Kyle Martin is right for the job. Then she discovers his harrowing background—and that Kyle will do anything to keep her safe. With every attempt on her life, she's more drawn to the strong and silent man who risks his life for hers. But their growing feelings could put them both in harm's way.

Ask Elnora--About Book Deliveries??? Lenora Worth

Hello, my lovelies. It's been a crazy week in Elnoraville. I decided I'd take a few days off to celebrate meeting some major deadlines. I had plans to lounge about, stroll through the garden and catch up my reading. But Monday, Big Daddy and I went to lunch and went shopping. After that I needed a nap! Tuesday, I went to visit a dear friend and rejoiced with her when her seriously injured husband got the go-ahead to be moved to Houston for rehabiliation from a spine injury. Wednesday I signed copies of a self-published devotional book that I wrote with a nice lady here in town. (With proceeds to go to Volunteers of America). And Thursday, I enjoyed a trip about an hour east of here with my writing friends Winnie Griggs and Liz Talley. We talked shop while Big Daddy served as our chauffeur. We met up with writers Beth Cornelison, Alyssia Kirkhart and Keri Reynolds at the Lincolon Parish Library. We did a panel discussion and held a booksigning. (Thanks to Erin Cole for setting this up.) It was fun to discuss plotting books and it was great to take pictures with readers. We had dinner and drove home and this is what was at our front door.

Yes, my November "The Life of Riley" books arrived (too late for me to put one in the basket we gave away at the libary function!) But this is exactly how they looked when we opened the box. Okay, so I'm thinking the delivery person was either an angry orangutan or maybe a really angry reader. I've never seen books delivered in quite this manner. It is close to Halloween, but this trick was no treat. I checked each and every one of my babies and they were all in pretty good shape considering they were in big box with no padding to hold them in place. So what do you think the story is behind the books? Did they run out of boxest to fit them? Or did they just toss them in the box and say "Good Luck." Let's discuss--bad deliveries!!!! Have you ever received something in the mail that was battered or damaged?? Have you ever had mail go missing? Elnora is curious. What is it with bad deliveries????

Books and Movies that made our Hearts go BUMP

Ah, the lovely month of October when suddenly Charlie Brown is looking for the Great Pumpkin and the rest of us are wondering how much candy to buy for trick or treaters.

October is the scary month (okay, I was born in October, that makes me scary).

A lively conversation has taken over the Craftie loop since Monday. We’re discussing books and movies that scared us. Go ahead, take a walk down memory lane with us, and then jump in and tell us the books and movies that made you go, “EEK!”

The Exorcist. I saw the movie when I was a teenager and read the book, then burned the book! I still sleep with a nightlight because of that movie!!!!

Lenora :)

I remember seeing at school (junior high--I'm dating myself) Fall of the House of Usher. Edgar

Allen Poe was not a well man.

Leann Harris

Okay guys, don't laugh, but when I was a kid I watched The Birds and kind of scoffed at it (for being black and white, unbelievable)....and yet, to this day whenever I see large gatherings of birds, I get chills and think of that movie. lol

Jessica Nelson

I personally don't do scary. Suspense absolutely. Gritty, yeah, I can do that. But scary, no way. I'm a wimp with a capital W. I still want to run out of the room when the wicked witch's face appears in the crystal ball in The Wizard of Oz. And I don't like the flying monkeys, although I'm not as upset by them as an adult as I was as a child. I won't do scary and have not watched Silence of the Lambs. I saw a movie called Magic years ago. Anthony Hopkins was in that too. Scared me so bad I couldn't sleep for days. And I'll never look at dolls the same way again.

Lisa Mondello

For me the book was Amyitville Horror. I could only read the first few chapters. It still gives me the chills. For movies, Silence of the Lambs.

Terri Reed

I agree with Terri. For me, one of the scariest movies was Silence of the Lambs. I sat on the coffee table and screamed! :) Book: Deja Dead by Cathy Reichs. I read it until 4 am and then couldn't go to sleep after I finished it. :)

Missy Tippens

The Blob ...the movie. I was only four, and did my sister ever get in trouble for letting me watch it!

It's hilarious to watch now. :)

Sandra Orchard

One of the scariest stories I ever read was a short by Stephen King called The Monkey. I get chills even today thinking about it.

Winnie Griggs

I confess I don't watch scary movies, ever. I don't read suspense or mystery, either. I don't even like roller coasters. :)

Allie Pleiter

I don't read or watch scary stuff because...well, because it scares me! I even got scared the first time I watched the "Wizard of Oz". (I was 7.) Those flying monkeys....shiver.

Even commercials of scary movies bother me. I mute the TV and turn my head. When I was a kid, I watched the original Psycho movie on TV and slept at the foot of my brother's bed for several nights after that. I'd wait until he was asleep and then sneak in there so he wouldn't run me out!

Linda Goodnight

If we're talking movies, then I'll have to go with 'Halloween.' Scared the stuffing out of me--but scared the guy I was dating at the time even more. He crawled under the seat in front of us during the movie.

As far as books, I'm not a big scary book reader but the book 'Helter Skelter' scared me to pieces, mainly because it actually happened. True crime books are much more terrifying than fiction.

Blessings,

Patty Smith Hall

I can’t recall ever reading a scary book. I think my experience with seeing the movie, “The Birds,” when I was a kid made me stay away from scary movies and scary books.

Merrillee Whren

I'm pretty wimpy as far as scary movies/books etc. go. I get nightmares when my husband and I watch Criminal Minds on TV. LOL My favorite scary movie is Signs, with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. It's just frightening enough to make you jump and cover your eyes, but it also has a beautiful redemption story and message about how God can make something meaningful about what looks like senseless tragedy.

Teri Wilson

The Exorcist because I found it believable. We saw the movie premier in Los Angeles when we were college students. Free ticket from somewhere. As a practice, I avoid scary books and movies.

Jean C. Gordon

Interview with A Vampire by Anne Rice

Very Scary stuff... at least I thought so. I HATE Vampire books and movies. LOL

Rhonda Gibson

Mine is also a Stephen King. The story about the car that comes to life. Was it Christine? That car was pure evil.

Debby Giusti

Sorry but I can't remember books that scared me. I think I just stopped reading them if they got too scary. Movies, on the other hand, left indelible images. A WWII movie I saw when quite young had me looking to the skies for bombers for months. Every airplane flying overhead shot up my heartrate. And the Wizard of Oz got me worried about tornadoes. More looking to the skies! Since we didn't live in a tornado-prone area (or in a war zone), I never saw anything headed my way, but it did keep me up at night.

Christine Johnson

Mine was In Cold Blood I read it in my teens because I'd heard someone talking about it. I had to sleep with my mom for three nights (kicking my dad out of their bed and into my little twin) because it gave me bad dreams. The movie Jaws scared me, too, and about the same time. Even now, I can't sleep with my feet hanging off the edge of the bed. I don't do realistic scary anymore. Come to think of it, I don’t do unrealistic scary. I’ve left the theater and waited in the lobby (I always carry a book in my purse) for friends.

Pamela Tracy

Transitions

Hey everyone, Karen Kirst here to talk about life changes.  I mean BIG changes…like picking up your family and moving out of state or cross-country or even to another country.  Right now, our belongings are packed away in boxes.  The walls are bare and the swing set is gone and we’ve eaten enough sandwiches to last a lifetime.  After seven years, we’re waving goodbye to military life and reentering the civilian world.  On the one hand, I’m sad that I’m leaving. (Having an armed Marine at the gate of our housing complex makes a girl feel very safe!  We like to tell people we live in a gated community at the beach. lol) On the other hand, I’m excited to be going home to Tennessee.  To be close to family and friends again and be able to see those gorgeous Smoky Mountains.

Change can be scary.  Intimidating.  Painful.  But it can also be good.  There are a lot of unknowns in our future, but I’m trusting God to work it all out.  What about you?  Have you experienced any big moves?  What did you do to make the best of the situation?  Were there any surprises?  I’d love to hear about it!

 Like my Smoky Mountain Matches series, my October novella is set in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Here’s a description of both mine and Linda Ford’s novellas-

The Gift of Family

Merry Christmas, Cowboy by Linda Ford
A wild snowstorm strands Colt Johnson in Eden Valley, where the storekeeper's daughter exudes welcome warmth. She's even offered to give the two orphans in his charge a Christmas to remember. An outcast, Colt doesn't dare hope for more-even though Becca's love would be a Christmas wish come true.
Smoky Mountain Christmas by Karen Kirst
Cole Prescott's Gatlinburg visit will be just long enough to free his wife from their mistake of a marriage. Then he meets the daughter he hadn't known he had. Little Abby needs a father, especially at Christmastime. And all Cole wants is a chance to make a life with Rachel and Abby at last....

             

Why I Love Wounded Heroes

Hi Everyone, Sandra Orchard here.

And...I'm soooo excited, because Critical Condition, the third book in my Undercover Cops series, releases today!

I have been waiting forever to tell Zach's story. He was the sidekick of the hero in my first book, and quickly took over my heart.

What I figured out by the end of that first book, but only hinted at to my readers was that Zach was a widower.

Here's the exchange in the final chapter of Deep Cover where Zach tries to talk some sense into his thick-headed partner:

    “Listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once. A love like Ginny’s comes around once in a lifetime, and you’d better cling to it with everything you’ve got, because one day you’re going to wake up and realize God wanted to give you so much more than you were willing to let Him. And you threw it away.”

   “It’s easy to dispense advice when it’s somebody else’s life on the line,” Rick snapped. “Have you ever even had a serious relationship?”

   Zach sucked in a breath, as if he’d been punched in the gut. As if maybe he knew what he was talking about … from experience.

I love wounded heroes, the kind who resist love, not because they've been burned by it, but because they've experienced love in all its sweetness, endured its loss, and can't imagine being twice blessed.

I love them because they recognize that love is a gift to be cherished. And because they've proven that they're in for the long haul no matter what. 

 In the opening of Critical Condition, Zach finds himself working undercover as an IT consultant in the last place he wants to be. Here:

He followed Barb into the happy hum of staff sharing cake and juice with patients—smiling patients, clothed in bathrobes and brightly colored caps. The kind of caps that masked chemo-razed hair.

  His stomach knotted into a hard, tight ball.

  He’d held his palm to spurting bullet wounds, wrestled drug-crazed addicts, immobilized the fractured bones of abused wives. But not one of those encounters had hit him like this, with this unnerving sense that if he looked one of these patients in the eyes, his grip on his emotions would completely unravel. 

 Thanks to the suspicions of a nurse on the cancer ward, Josh has been tasked with figuring out if a sudden rash of inexplicable deaths are the work of a killer. To protect Tara, Zach lets her in on his secret, and unwittingly into his heart. She and her three-year-old daughter are like the family he lost years before. And Zach will risk everything to keep them safe.

Ahh, I love him. He has flaws as every good hero must, but he cherishes the women he loves. And he doesn't back down from calling other men to task when they don't, as he did with one no-good ex-husband: 

"You vowed to honor and protect her. Cherish her. Do you even know the meaning of the word?"

And in case you were wondering, besides the romance, the story has an "edge of your seat" mystery, too... at least that's how one book club member described it on my FB page. ~grin~ 

I hope you'll agree!!

Your Turn: What's your favorite kind of hero?


P.S. If you'd like to follow a side discussion about alternative treatments, inspired by the suspense plot in Critical Condition, please "like" my Facebook Page or visit my Conversations About Characters blog, where I'm inviting readers to share favorite remedies all month.

My Terror by Leann Harris

Lots of us have shared what a wonderful conference we had in Dallas at the ACFW conference.  It was one of the best I've ever attended.

And added to that, I just got a couple of new contracts and have several books to write in the next 18 months.  I was typing a blog posting for another blog and went to save it.  Word popped me out and said it had quite working.  This happened a couple of times and I was grateful it wasn't my proposal due in a few days.  I called my husband in, hysterical.  Well, he told me I'd done it wrong--like I haven't been doing this for the last 25 years?  He tried it and it didn't work for him.

I wasn't going to let this get under my skin.  Early on, when I was working in WordStar, he went to save my finished, due book and deleted it.  I told him I'd leave in be back in a few hours.  He restored it.  But this time, he said he didn't know what was wrong.  He looked on the internet and found others who ran into the same problem, but NO one had an answer.  A few choice words for the company, but no solutions.

We went out the next day and bought Word 2010 and he installed it on my machine, but the problem didn't go away.  Not only was Word having problems, but Excel and PowerPoint also were misbehaving.  I worked on my little laptop while he tried to figure out what is wrong.  The problem still is not fixed, but I am working in the safe-mode of all three programs.

I knew when I left the conference things might happened, so I wasn't shocked, but I'm still not a happy camper.