What's new and exciting?

Well, so much, I'm having to set up a page three! Wow. A mini blog.

Something like that.


But don't forget, for the real thing, check out
my blog.
Never a dull moment over there. Well, usually.
January 4th, 2006
Well, it's finally official. I just signed my
new contract with Zondervan, in triplicate.
Sales for Books One and Two have been
slightly less than spectacular, so I'm still a
bit surprised they agreed to this, but this
new contract paves the way for Books
Four, Five, and Six in the
Homeland
Heroes Series
. Woo-hoo!!!
I'm so jazzed that Chris and Erin will have three more opportunities to
share their adventures with you. Chris still has much to learn about being
a Christian, and Erin has a new baby to raise! Talk about adventures.

It's been so much fun working with these two. I love the way
Valiant
Hope
plays out, and the way it ends. And now it won't be The End! My
prayer is that God will use all of these stories to touch your hearts with
His love, as only He can. He's certainly touched mine through them.

(BTW, this is how I picture them. Chris is on the left. And, yes, the guy
on the cover of
Warrior's Heart is supposed to be Scott.)  : )
January 1st, 2006
Happy New Year!!!!! Wowzers. Did 2005 zip by or what???

Lots of fun in 2005, but my biggest regret is missing the trip in
September. This year, Lord willing, no trips will be missed. There's
plenty on tap for 2006—lots of conferences and running around. Hope
to see you soon.  : )

Also, don't forget to check out
my blog sometime soon. I absolutely
cannot believe it's been a year that I've been bloggin'. Much fun. Well,
at least for me. If nothing else, check out the cool pix of Mario, and my
sunsets.

May the Lord bless you all in the new year! Thanks for being here!!
December 5th, 2005
This is cool. Gina Holmes has been interviewing Christian novelists on
her blog,
Novel Journey, and today it's my turn! Thanks, Gina! : )  
Here's the link for her blog:  
www.noveljourney.blogspot.com. Check it
often cuz some big names are on the list to be interviewed.

And
click here to check out my interview.
December 1st, 2005
Okay, how is that possible? How is it already December?

Anyway, I know I promised news of contests, reviews, and other
sure-to-be-exciting stuff on this page. But here's the deal. There is
and probably will not be any Zondervan-sponsored contest until
next spring (hopefully) when
Valiant Hope releases. I'll definitely
let you know if and when. There are two opportunities to win a
free book on
my blog, but I'm not gonna tell you where they are.
You hafta find them. ; )

Reviews have been mostly positive for both
Wounded Healer and
Warrior's Heart. Of the fifty or so responses I've received, only
three readers (so far) have been "not so overly impressed." My
publicist told me, "Your stories will not resonate with everyone."
Yep, it's true. But I'm finding it very interesting how much
discussion Scott Mathis is generating. Seems like readers either
love him or hate him. But I'll just say this: Erin is way too cool to
marry a wimp. So if you think Scott's still a wimp after reading
Warrior's Heart, let me know and I'll give 'im a few more
redeeming qualities in the next three books. (He's pretty cool in
Valiant Hope, but you've gotta wait to find that out.)

By the way, if you're in a book club, discussion questions for
Wounded Healer are here.
November 15th, 2005
Still waiting to hear about things concerning the new contract. But I
think they may be willing to let me write three more stories in the
Homeland Heroes Series! Very cool news, especially since sales for
the first two books aren't exactly stellar, and my brainpan still refuses
to come up with anything else new and exciting to write about.

I'll definitely keep ya posted!
October 22nd, 2005
Went to the Oregon Christian Writers Fall One-Day Conference in
Portland today. Taught my first workshop! What fun. And they caught
it all on tape. (Don't know if that's a good thing or not.) Anyway, I
monikered my workshop
The Truth About Fiction. Catchy, huh? If
yer interested, let me know and I'll send you a tape and a copy of the
handout. (Or you can order the tape directly from Ediger Media at
www.edigermedia.com or 1-800-883-9929.)

Also, for you writers out there, a very cool way to learn more about
the craft is to listen to conference tapes (or CDs), especially of the
comprehensive classes. Here's some links to check out. For Mount
Hermon:
www.otstudios.com. For Glorieta: www.mannatapes.com.
For American Christian Fiction Writers:
www.ConferenceMedia.net.
They'll even sell ya an MP3 with the entire conference on it.
September 12th, 2005
My advanced author's copy of
Warrior's Heart sits, right
now, on my desk looking up at me! It's here, folks, and soon
to be arriving at a bookstore near you . . . any day now.
Official release date is October 1st, but it should start to be
available for ordering . . . any day now!  : )

Order at your favorite Christian bookstore, from me at
autographed books, from Amazon at Amazon.com, or from
CBD at
Christian Book Distributors.

Happy reading!
September 7th, 2005
For a bazillion different good and bad reasons, I've cancelled my
September-long trip that would have taken me to the ACFW conference
in Nashville, to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
I apologize to all my family and friends, but especially to my new
friends at the Guardian Angel Bookstore in Richfield, Pennsylvania,
who were diligently planning a signing for me. To all of you who were
planning on stopping by for that signing, I'll miss not seeing you. But
one of these days I
will make a trip back to the home of my childhood,
and this time I'll plan on spending more time than just a few days. May
the Lord bless you all!
August 1-4, 2005
The Oregon Christian Writers Summer Coaching Conference. Ahh . . . now
this was more like it. Definitely more my speed. Not that I didn't enjoy
hearing Tait and Relient K and the rappers at Creation West (see below).

OCW is home away from home for me. So many cool friends. It was fun to
hear James Scott Bell's keynote talks. He's awesome. And a terrific teacher
for all you aspiring novelists. Be sure and check out his fiction column in
Writer's Digest magazine every month.

From the great workshops, awesome weather, and gorgeous ambiance of
the Canby Grove Christian Conference Center, to the incredible food, fun,
and fellowship, to the great bunch of editors and agents, to the hilarious
moments at the Far Off Broadway OCW Variety Show. Wow. What a week.

And, by the way, if anyone wants to request a Stupid and Useless Straw
Trick Workshop taught by yours truly for next year's conference, send Pat
Rushford an e-mail and let her know.  : )
July 28th, 2005
Had a great time at the Creation West Music Festival at the Gorge
Amphitheater in central Washington. Well, the first day of the
festival, anyway. After hearing Margaret Becker's morning and
afternoon talks (and talking to her a bit afterward), I . . . left. Yep.
Too hot, too noisy, too . . . much. Yes, I can tell you for a fact, it
is possible to have too much fun. And besides, now that I'm old, I
can't hang with the young pups like I used to. And I prefer my
music a little bit . . . slower. And quite a bit . . . quieter.  : )
July 25th, 2005
Wounded Healer is now in its second printing, Warrior's Heart is
awaiting its first, and
Valiant Hope has a brand-new cover and is in the
final editing stages. Reviews for
Wounded Healer are starting to show up
at
amazon.com and christianbook.com. I'm hearing from cousins and
friends I haven't heard from in over 25 years. Thank You, Lord!!  : )

By the way, I'm about to submit a proposal to Zondervan for a new
contract to write the next four books in the
Homeland Heroes Series. It's
really rare for a series of novels to play out that long. I guess we'll just
wait and see what they say. Chris has been pacing around my apartment,
worried that they won't want all four stories. I keep telling her to sit down
and have a little faith. Truth is, she's about to be driving me nuts.
July 18th, 2005
Yessiree, I had me a ball at CBA/ICRS. My first official book signing,
organized by the terrific folks at Zondervan (and effectively scheduled
right after the appearance of the Newsboys), lasted for an hour and a half.
I'm not only amazed at how long the line was, but that it kept re-forming,
and that Zondervan actually brought enough books so we didn't run out!
Very cool, Joyce and Sue. Thank you so much!!!

Next week I leave for the Creation West Christian Music Festival, which
should be a blast because the only reason I'm going is to see Margaret
Becker. After the festival, I'm off to the Oregon Christian Writers Summer
Conference. Talk about another blast. I guess blasts are appropriate in this
month of fireworks and blazing heat.  : )
July 12th, 2005
That's me! And that's . . . Karen
Kingsbury!! Yikes!! Did I have fun at
CBA/ICRS or what??!!!???  : )
June 29th, 2005
It's almost that time! In two short days da book will hit da shelves.
But many of you have already snuck a peek. Here's what I've been
hearing so far . . .

From my Aunt Dot: "I didn't want to put it down, but I had to fix
dinner."
From my friend Marilyn: "When
Wounded Healer arrived two
days ago, I intended to write you immediately. The mistake I made
was starting to read it."
From my friend Perry: "I've attached a photo to show that I held
true to my promise, Indian Henry campground was beautiful, great
reading weather. My wife wants me to tell you that the book was
so engrossing, that I never even picked up my fly rod . . .
apparently she was pretty impressed by that, and is already
hounding me to finish so she can read it."

Happy reading!  : )  And Happy Summer!
June 3rd, 2005
Wounded Healer is officially released! Right now, tucked in boxes and on
its way from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the four corners of the country
(and a few parts of the rest of the world!), my wee story is about to hit the
shelves. Official publication date is July 1st. You heard it here first!
May 15th, 2005
Just for fun, check this out:  
CBD Interview.
April 1st, 2005
A few weeks ago (March 18-22), at the 36th Annual Mount Hermon
Christian Writers Conference, I had a moment. Well, quite a few moments,
actually. I introduced myself to my fellow Zondervan authors Brandilyn
Collins, James Scott Bell, and Randy Ingermanson, met authors Rene
Gutteridge, Marlo Schalesky, Laura Jensen Walker, Donita K. Paul, and
Susan Meissner, and met the incredible author/speaker/encourager/sister
Liz Curtis Higgs. You go girl!!

Meeting so many new people, seeing so many good friends from last year,
well, let's just say I had a blast. Going to Mount Hermon feels like going
home. Thanks to all of you who made it happen, and to all of you who will
make it happen all over again next year!

And, by the way, thanks again for choosing me as the 2005 Writer of the
Year. I still can't believe it. Still can't even begin to imagine why you'd
choose me. It's a humbling honor. Thank you. And thank You, Lord. You
know they were just applauding the way You've been working in my life. I
applaud You, too. Thanks! And keep it up!
February 28th, 2005
Last weekend (February 25-27), at the Writer's Weekend at the Beach in
Ocean Park, Washington, I realized something. Not only do I love talking
and sharing with fellow writers, I just plain love my fellow writers. I don't
care what they write. Even if it's non-fiction. : ) God has given people
amazing talents, and it's a blast for me to see how they are using them,
especially when they chose to use them for His glory alone. Amazing.

Bob Welch, author, newspaper columnist, and fellow Oregon Duck fan,
was the keynote speaker. Hearing him talk about his book
American
Nightingale
and the World War II U.S. Army nurse who inspired it (it's
her biography) brought me to tears. Which isn't hard to do. I'm a softie. But
this story, Francis Slanger's story, is incredible. To all you ladies who
knew Francis and who served beside her, thank you so much. You are all
incredible. To you, Bob, thanks for writing such a powerful and important
book. And for hanging out with us at Ocean Park. Go Ducks!
February 21st, 2005
Last weekend (February 18-20), I attended the Women of Joy Conference
at the Christian Church in Florence, Oregon (one of my hometowns!).
Sheri Rose Shepherd of
His Princess Ministries spoke several times,
and the 150 or so women present came away blessed. Sheri Rose spoke
with humor, wisdom, and helped us all see that we are, indeed, His
princesses, waiting for our Prince to come!

It was also very cool for me to see many of my friends from Florence.
Father God, You are doing great things there! Thank You for all my
friends who are serving You with their whole hearts. No matter what that
casino tries to do, Florence will always belong to You and Your people.
Thank You! And keep up the work You are doing!
page three of the news
Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon
the mountains
Are the feet of him
who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad
tidings of good things,
Who proclaims
salvation,
Who says to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"
1 John 1:3-4

That which we have
seen and heard we
declare to you, that
you also may have
fellowship with us;
and truly our
fellowship is with
the Father and with
His Son Jesus
Christ. And these
things we write to
you that your joy
may be full.
Click here to go back to the top of this page.