A GREATER FREEDOM

Want to know a wonderful way to support our troops and their families?

Check out www.agreaterfreedom.com

Maybe you'd like to be involved?

I'm posting from the site here...Volunteers Needed:

Resource Coordinator Needed: Do you have some free time you could spend helping add resources to AGF's Resource page? If the answer's yes, please contact Sara at sara@agreaterfreedom.com.


AGF Street Team - Do you live near a military installation? Help her get the word out to people who need to know about the site! Email her at sara@agreaterfreedom.com and let her know you'd like to be part of their very first group of promotional volunteers. They'll send you resources to pass out and spread the word about AGreaterFreedom.com.

I plan to pick up some packets myself.

Squirrel

SICK OF IT!!!

I'VE HAD IT. I'M DONE. I'M GOING TO WIN THE WAR ON FLUBBER.

OR NOT.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO DIET WHEN YOU CAN'T EXERCISE EXCEPT ISOMETRIC.

I'M TRYING A NEW STATEGY....IN ADDITION TO PRAYING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND BE SKINNY.......

I'M HEREBY PRAYING THAT ALL MY FRIENDS GET FATTER THAN ME.

SQUIRL...BLOATED AND SUFFERING FROM 5 POUND WEIGHT GAIN DUE TO PMS.

UM...THAT'S Prehistoric Monster Syndrome for those of you wondering.

DON'T LAY YOUR WEAPONS DOWN

Prayer is powerful. Prayer is conversing with God as you would a friend. Prayer is digging in and pressing in and persevering in it no matter how long, how hard, or what the circumstances say.

God has called me to pray. I've known this since first giving my life to Him in mid-twenties. A very good friend taught me that God hears my prayers. I don't know why, but He does. I've never doubted that.

Enter the earthquake.

I didn't doubt that God heard me, but I did lay my weapon down. I walked away for a time. I didn't turn my back on God but I did my calling.

I've lived enough days of regret in my life and I don't want to look back on my life from this day forward and have one single regret. So I'll have you know I'm armed and dangerous again. LOL! One thing about this hip junk, it caused me to press in and keep my face at his feet. Pain will do that do you. Drive you to beg for mercy.

He is.

He did.

He chased after me and put that proverbial M-16 right back in my arms. I felt the weight of it tonight when two gals were praying for me....praying for me about...prayer. My role in praying for the church. Just ten minutes a day God asked of me in regards to this. Gee whiz. I converse with him on a continual basis in my heart and mind ninety percent of the time but ten minutes a day? That's VERY doable. I'm sure as time goes by He'll ask for more. It baffles me that he only asks for ten percent of my tithe too. So I always slip Him a little extra because, well it's absurd NOT to because every single thing I have comes from Him anyway.

Even the desire to pray.

Even the fortitude to keep asking.

Even the iron will to press in until He does what I want if that thing I want is His will.

What happens on the font lines if a soldier would set his weapon down and walk away? Right. He'd likely get a stream of bullets in his back, or worse, the fellow soldiers that his CO (Commanding Officer) put him in charge of providing cover fire for may get a stream of bullets in them. So let me ask you, what is your assignment? Think of God as your CO, and your weapon as prayer. The enemy is not flesh and blood. It is principalities and powers of darkness and evil which would dearly love to kill, steal and destroy everything in and around you.

Let's be brave soldiers and fight the good fight of faith in good conscience. Let's keep those weapons poised and our prayer bullets pinging.

God hears. Try Him.

Blessings,

Squirrel

Earthquake!

Did I get your attention? Tee hee. Actually it may not have measured on the National Richter scale but for the past three years an earthquake has cast tremors all over my life, shaking everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. . .except my faith.

I realized that the other day.

The earthquake? Chronic pain. I don't mean the kind of pain that's akin to a fly dive bombing your plate at a picnic either. I'm talking EXCRUCIATING pain. 9.5 on a scale of 1-10 kind of pain, with ten being the worst pain you could imagine. Childbirth was a cinch compared to this pain.

Feel sorry for me yet?

Okay then let me go on. . .see if I can evoke some more sympathy. LOL! Since January of 2004 there has not been ONE SINGLE SOLITARY NANOSECOND where I have not been in physical pain. Debilitating pain that has affected my sleep and altered my usually bubbly personality.

I turned into a whiney, moaney, witch with a capital B right before my husband's eyes. And though there were times I saw him eyeing the shovel and the basement and I knew he was thinking how long it would take authorities to find my body while he zipped off to Jaimaca with my life insurance money, he's been so faithful and kind. Most days. But yet, even my marriage has been shaken. We were a couple who laughed ourselves silly every day. Now scowling and strife defined our marriage up until recently when they realized the cause of my pain wasn't the nerve damage they'd originally thought but a hip dysplasia with an injury that occurred during delivery where my hip was dislocated and my labrum tore. Read: : Labrum. NOT labia. LOL. I do get some amusement seeing peoples faces twitch with the word because most have never heard it and probably think I'm mispeaking. Anyway, I digress, when they realized what the actual unjury was and started giving me REAL pain meds....ahh...for a few months my husband got his wife back and my daughters actually got to know me as I really am.

I'm not sure what my point is to this blog except to say that sometimes it's okay to be shaken. I thank God that He's grounded my faith so that was never affected by the tremors. So now I've had surgery to correct this problem and thank God that it was something they could fix.

So a few weeks post op I show up at church with my walker. I was astounded at the people who swarmed me, mouths agape. "What happened to you?" or "I didn't realize it was THAT bad!"

Yeah. Well, I did. And so did God. I'm pretty private with my pain, and I have an incredibly high pain tolerance. If I say I'm hurting, I'm near death. Seriously. It's the stubborn streak that runs through our family that teaches us to be tough.

But that's not God's way. And I've learned through this that it is much easier to give than to receive. It's HARD to admit we need help. Harder even to admit this has taken a toll on our family.. .our relationship as a couple. BUT, once people know they can pray for you and defeat any place where the enemy would seek to kill, steal and destroy your life or marriage or whatever his target of the time is.

Don't hang tough. Don't hide your pain. Tell SOMEONE you trust. Ask God to send you someone to talk to who will listen more than talk. Who will press in and pray for you and not stop until it's over. Someone who will praise God ahead of time for the victory. Someone who will love you as Jesus loves you and always point you to Him.

Maybe someone out there is struggling with chronic pain. It may not even be physical. Maybe you're struggling with depression. God acknowledges there is such a thing in psalms. Did you know that? He says, "I comfort the depressed." He doesn't send a priest. He doesn't send a pastor. He comes Himself to comfort you. He doesn't condemn you for your pain. His heart is full of mercy and compassion beyone what you are capable of comprehending and He loves you more than you or I could imagine. And believe me, I have a grand imagination.

Just know today that maybe no one knows how deep the pain runs or how far, or how long or how bad it hurts. It's okay. God knows. And He cares.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for His lovingkindness endures forever.

I hate crying in front of people but last night at Discipleship Community God busted me. Someone came up to ask me how I was feeling and you know how bad I wanted to say, "I'm feeling great!"

God whispered, "Why would you lie when they truly want to know?" Gulp. Okay, God.

So I said, "Actually, I'm feeling horrible."

So what happened? I cried my eyes out and a bunch of people prayed for me and though the pain wasn't less than it was when I came there, I knew even more that those people love me.

Something good will always come out of something bad when you trust God with it.

Praying for anyone out there today who's hurting.

He sees. He knows. He cares. Ask Him to show you how much in a tangible way. TELL SOMEONE! Let someone help you. Get prayer! Don't make the mistake I did. My marriage is stronger than it has been in a couple of years, but I know that's because I finally admitted our struggles to a close friends. Well. I Guess I just admitted it to the world but I really think if we as CHristians don't share our struggles we'll scare others away because we become unnapproachable.

I never want to be that.

I want to be there for my friends as they've been there for me.

Go get alone with God and let Him love on you. Just wait for Him. Be still. Be quiet. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in an eternally lifechanging way.

Have a blessed day.

Squirrel

Confessions of a Potty Mouth Momma

Okay, so I'm just gonna say right off the bat that I acknowledge that I may be the only Christian mom out there who slipped up and said a cuss word in front of her kid. Snicker. A blog is a place where we can be real, right?

Kid number two took number three in the bathroom and locked the door. Prior to doing this, the heatherrrrrr I mean the munchkins took the tiny screwdriver out of the crack I keep it in up near the left hand side of the door frame. That screwdriver is how I unlocked the bathroom when it advertantly got locked for some reason.

So anyway, moving onward.....

I hear them in there rattling around in the medicine cabinet. I have a childproof mechanism on it but I can tell they're trying to push it in and get the door open. Panic sets in as I think of all the meds I have in there so I start knocking on the door. "Unlock the door now. Right now. RIGHT NOW! One. Two. . .if I have to say threee. . . ."

Nothing. I rattle the knob violently. "Let me in right now! No TV time. Do you hear me?" I flat hand my palm on the wood.

Profuse snickering.

Two minutes later I'm still counting to three and have counted to three enough times to hit 300. My heart is in my throat and I'm ready to splinter wood with my foot in about thirty seconds. From inside comes giggling and the ominous sound of the medicine cabinet creaking ALL the way open, AND then the sound of pills rattling around those plastic medicine containers.

You know the ones. The ones that my kids can open faster than I can though they're supposed to be childproof. Yeah.

So now I'm FUMING and scared. Being a nurse I'm terrified of them ODing on my stool softeners or something worse.

So I fist my hand and BANG-BANG! BANG. BANG. BANG! on the door in perfect time with this:

"OPEN! THE. DAMN. DOOR!"

Silence.

More silence. Then, "Uh. Oh. I tink mom's mad."

Yah think?

Click.

Four wide eyes are staring at me then my fist then my chest at which point I realize I'm heaving. I loosen my mouth because it hurts from clenching the teeth together. Think I probably lost a layer of enamel on that one.

So after explaining for the UMPTEENTH time why the med cabinet is OFF LIMITS and whoever gets in it may lose a hand...(Just kidding all you Child and Family Service people...honest) I think maybe they didn't think anything about the "D" word. . .even though my dh is staring me down with The Look. You know...the one where I know he's thinking, "Aw. Huh. And now they have one more word added to their vocabulary," kind of look.

"They'll forget about it by sunset," I told him. "Don't sweat it."

No matter that I kept them out of school the next day AND church two days after JUST to make sure.

So Tuesday of two weeks later rolls around and I'm going down the hall to get the toddler so we can go pick up her siblings from Christian school. Note: CHRISTIAN school.

Traitor baby is standing at her door. . .banging away. . .saying some such gibberish that sounds strikingly like, "Opie! Duh! Dam! Dam! Dam!"

Okay first off I never said it three times. So now guess what her favorite word is? Yah. At the grocery store. Sliding glass doors. "Opie dam door daddy." In front of the entire Wal-Mart. And he's giving me The Look again.

So back to Tuesday. . .blush. Cringe. BOTH of my daughters got a note. Well one got a note in her folder and the other lost a kangaroo out of her pocket because . . .yeah you guessed it. . .

They taught the class the NEW word. Only one of them actually demonstrated it though so it could have been worse right?
Yeah at church. . .now all of the jungle room kids know the "D" word thanks to me.

Sigh.

Baaaa-aaaad Mommy. The ONE time. . .okay okay, the *Maybe* fifth time I've said that word since I've been a Christian. . .and the ONE time I say it in front of my kids and it comes back to bite me in the da** butt.

Squirrel

PROMPT CONTEST BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!

Squirrel's Story Starters!!!

Here's the prompt for this month. Submit the story to my email address:

Cheryl@CherylWyatt.com

The winner will receive their choice of one of five new Inspirational Fiction releases from Steeple Hill publishers.

Note: This site is in no way related to Harlequin, or Eharlequin. This is just an aspiring author promoting fellow writers and their work.

Write a 500 word scene using one of these three opening hooks:

1. "You'll never guess who I just saw at the cop shop."

2. "This is not your car."

3. "Excuse me?"

Incorporate five of the ten words into the story, and use NO "ly" adverbs.

Trick
First
Love
Letter
Old
Model
Stand
Passersby
Reunion
Flutter

You will have until Sept. 15th to email me your story. Winners will be notified by Sept. 20th and prizes will be mailed by the end of September. You retain ALL rights to your work. I will not post or print it anywhere, and in fact will delete entries once I've logged entrants names for that month and chosen a winner.

If you'd like to enter my contest, leave a comment letting me know.

If you send three friends to stop by my blog, then you score a bonus point!

Happy Writing!

Squirrel

My Meltdown

Just so you know, I had another meltdown. . .only this time it made national news.

Check it out here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208026,00.html



Squirrel

LET'S SAY THANKS CARDS TO SOLDIERS

Regardless of your stance on the war in Iraq, our deployed soldiers deserve our thankfulness. If is for our freedom they are defending, after all. So won't you please join me in extending gratitude? Here's a really easy (and free!) way to bring a smile to a soldier in the midst of dust and chaos.

"Let's Say Thanks!" is a web site that sends free post cards to U.S. servicemen & women.


Please take a few minutes to check it out here: Let's Say Thanks.

It costs nothing and takes only a few minutes.

Please spread the word!


http://www.letssaythanks.com/

Squirrel

SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE

I've been thinking (dangerous I know) about my characters' spiritual struggle for this next book I'm plotting. I often use things I've gone through with God, or things folks close to me have gone through in their relationship with Him as ideas for my character's spiritual struggle.

Since I write Inspirational Romance, there needs to be a challenge to the characters' faith which they work out with God by the end of the story. So not only is there the development of the romance, and often a suspense thread to tie loose ends up with, the spiritual (faith) struggle needs to be present.

In my current story, the hero is a backslidden Christian. He grew up a missionary in India, lived there as an American citizen most summers. His father is of Indian descent, his mother American. The heroine believes there's a God, but the idea of having a personal relationship with the living God is a foreign concept to her at the beginning. When the rug of her existance is pulled out from under her before the hero's eyes, he knows it's going to take the love and power of God intervening to make things right, and to set her back on her proverbial feet. He also knows he has to get his issues worked out with God before he can be of help to her, so her tragedy becomes his catalyst. The last thing he wants to be to her is a hypocrite since hypocracy is a tool the enemy used to pull him away from the church. He always loved God, but knows how difficult it is to fight the good fight of faith without the support of Christian brothers and sisters. . .and a church family. . .upholding him. A couple soldiers in his circle have recently converted to Christianity, and this also helps him want to come back to his strong faith. He fights the good fight of an american soldier against terror and evil in the world in a tangible sense. Now he knows God is pulling him into warring another realm, where the battle is not with flesh and blood, but against powers and prinicipalities and dark rulers who are demonic, and trying to kill, steal and destroy the heroine's life and purpose on earth.

So this brings me to an idea.

I'd love to know what spiritual struggles you've had which you've truimphed over in your life with God. Only email me if you're giving me permission to use that struggle in a future book between a hero and heroine. If I choose your struggle, I may also need to consult.interview you during the book in order to make things realistic for my characters. I will never use real names or situations in my books. This is just to get ideas for spiritual struggles, because though my stories are fiction, I want the struggle to be real and something readers can identify with. I also want God's response to be real, meaning, how He responds to my characters should reflect His heart and how He'd respond if these people were made of flesh and blood instead of imagined.

In other words, I write modern day parables which I hope encourage and entertain people.

If you don't want to post your struggle here, feel free to email me. All emails are confidential.

Come on....share your struggles!!! You never know whose life you'll touch if you get transparent with what you've been through. Maybe someone else will be in the throes of something you're standing on the other side of, having come through the fire of it as gold.

Ready, set, SHARE! :-)

My email is Cheryl at CherylWyatt.com (replace "at" with "@") if you'd like to respond privately. If I choose to use your struggle in an upcoming book, I will contact you asap so leave your contact info.

My good friend and author mentor, Margaret Daley, spoke on weaving in characters' spiritual threads at RWA's FHL banquet this year, so if you're a writer, be sure to drop by her blog and check out her posts on this. www.margaretdaley.com. Click on her blog link then scroll to the message where she talks about interweaving spiritial and faith elements in. Margaret has published nearly 50 books, and her characters' struggles always seem realistic and touching, especially how she wraps up the relolution. Check it out and sign her guestbook.

Have a great day!

Off to plot,

Squirrel

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPO

Hello y'all!

Back from surgery. Major hip reconstruction. Everything went well. I'm getting all buff and stuff from carrying myself around on a walker. Going up stairs is rather interesting though. You have to hop backwards...which doesn't sound too dangerous except for the fact that the walker is two feet wide and the steps are only one foot wide. Hopefully I won't fall and break my non-surgical hip.

WRITING UPDATES
Mailed off revisions the Sunday before Monday surgery. . .which would have been July 31st. I emailed it to my agent and she snail mailed it to the editor who did email to say she got it, and was looking forward to reading it. So I could hear any day.

I haven't been entering contests as of late. I'm plotting my next novel and enjoying that. I LOVE the title. For now I'll call it TGTN. I'll tell you what it is when I send it to an editor. I'm getting to know the characters and their issues. I'm having a couple plot issues with it, but for now, I'm trying to sort out scenes so I can dive in and get the rough draft done. So that's what I'm working on now.

I plan to attend the ACFW conference, and I think I may even have a sequined skirt in the mix for my walker. LOLOL!

Thanks for all your prayers and support prior to my surgery, and during this time of recovery.

God is faithful. He brought me through, and I'm really awed by the peace He gave during the entire process. Day by day He's getting me through the pain and frustration of immobility.

Blessings,

Squirrel

Story Sensei Summer Sale!!!!! CHECK IT OUT

The Story Sensei Summer Sale - A writers' summer event!From now until July 15th, I will be holding a fabulous contest for myStory Sensei critique service.I will draw the names of TWO lucky winners! They will each receive:A free synopsis critique – up to 10 pages single-spaced, a $40 value!ANDA coupon for 25% OFF any manuscript critique – whether full or partialmanuscript, any number of words. For a 100,000 word manuscript, that'sa savings of $250!In addition, EVERYONE WHO ENTERS will receive a 10% OFF coupon for anyservice, whether synopsis, query letter, or manuscript critique (fullor partial). For a 100,000 word manuscript, that's a savings of $100,just for entering.Go to my Story Sensei blog and post a comment to enter the contest!http://storysensei.blogspot.com/Thanks!Camy-- Romance with a kick of wasabihttp://www.camytang.com/Check out the Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale!

Guys, Camy has edited my stuff. Bar none...she's THE BEST structural editor out there!

Squirl

A GREATER FREEDOM UPDATE AND PRESS RELEASE

Hey guys,

I wanted to make you aware of a TOTALLY awesome faith-based military website that I feel honored to be involved in. I love Sara to pieces, and I love the vision God's given her for A Greater Freedom.

Please pass this on to all your friends! Especially tell military readers and their families.

This is a GREAT thing for our servicemen and women, and a great way for YOU to show support for them.

Any questions, post them on my blog, or contact Sara.

Blessings!

Squirrel (Cheryl Wyatt)

------------------------

For Immediate Release

6/21/06

Contact:

Sara Horn, Publisher

AGreaterFreedom.com

615-302-1932

sara@agreaterfreedom.com

AGreaterFreedom.com Announces 21-Day Salute to Honor America
AGreaterFreedom.com subscribers and readers are invited to participate in our first 21-Day Salute to Honor America!

In 1975, Congress declared that the period between June 14 (Flag Day) and July 4 (Independence Day) would be recognized as Honor America Days, a time for Americans to publicly celebrate America and the great ideals our country stands for.

We want to do our part in honoring America by inviting you to tell us, in 350 words or less, who you think is a Great American – someone you know who is going beyond the norm to make a difference in the life of their country and their fellow Americans.

Email us your letters between June 14 and July 4 to be included in the contest. We’ll choose the three best letters out of the ones we receive to receive a special gift, courtesy of AGreaterFreedom.com

Send your letters to info@agreaterfreedom.com today!

We Can’t Forget New Subscribers!

Sign up for our free monthly newsletter and we’ll enter your name into a drawing each week to receive a special gift. It’s our way of thanking you for showing your support of AGreaterFreedom.com by becoming a subscriber.

AGreaterFreedom.com

Where Faith and Service Come Together


The mission of AGreaterFreedom.com is to equip, inform and encourage members of the military and their families through the use of news, feature stories and commentary that will lead people to a more passionate faith in Jesus Christ.

MOUSE IN THE HUMMER!!!!

MOUSE IN THE HUMMER!!!!

JUST KIDDING! HA HA HA. Okay, well it was funny to me. This image came from this website: http://www.173rdairborne.com/iraq12.htm
page 5 Image 91 (Photo by Pfc. Brandon Aird, 173rd Public Affairs)

Lots of cool photos there that you can peruse to see what our servicemen and women do while away. I use most of these pictures to remind myself to pray for them, their safety, their missions, and for their loved ones back home.

Revisions for OMINOUS CODE (which I've tentatively renamed TANDEM HEARTS or HOME ON HAVEN STREET for my working title) are coming along nicely. The story is going to be much more romance focused than action-adventure focused. So I don't get to have them chasing down computer hackers with very cool high powered machine guns...but that subplot was cheezy anyway. Maybe I will toss in a paintball game between Amber and Joel and Bradley. That would be cool I think, and fun. Plus it would get the shooting out of my system. LOL! Yeah! I think I will add that now that I think about it. Hey! Maybe that could be one of their dates.

Have any of you been shot at close range with one of those things? OUCH! I mean they HURT! Not as bad as when my sister shot me in the caboose with my Daisey Pellet gun when we were little and living in the desert of New Mexico. It's not like there are many trees to hide behind. It's wide open desert, and sorry, but cactus doesn't provide much cover when pellets and BB's hail.

Living in the Midwest provides more places to hide. Tons of trees. Our back fence looks white because of all the paintgun splotches my husband and daughters have shot there. What a fun way to paint though, huh? Although my neighbors may think I've gone over the edge if I stand out there shooting the porch rail hundreds of times.....

Okay, I'm off to write that scene....

Later!

Squirrel

MOUSE! IN! THE!!!.....DUG OUT???

Went to my niece's softball game tonight and around the 5th inning, all the girls from her team ran shrieking out of the dug out, except a few brave ones who were pounding the earth with their aluminum bats. We figured out they ran out because there was a mouse in the dug out...And he wouldn't come out. Okay, well all the shrieking and flinging of bats probably petrified him, so I doubt he could move if he wanted to.

Anyway, a little while later, my sister (who had moved her chair farrrrrrr-farrrrr away from the dugout) had her attention entrenched in the game. Now you have to understand she and my mother are terrified of mice. In fact, growing up, guess who got nominated to clean out under the sink every time? Yep. Me. And I was proud of that job because I wasn't scared of lil' critters.

So back to the game, I snuck up behind my sister and tickled her on the back of the neck with a large weed thing...Don't ask me what it was...coulda' been poison IVY or a Japanese Maple branch, or heck, even a twig of marijuana for all I know. Anyway, I ran this fuzzy thing up the side of her neck and she started slapping herself like she was playing drums for a speed metal band.

In the process of laughing my head off, she spun as she figured out it wasn't a mouse but her prankster sis, she then turned the slapping brigade at me...so I stepped back out of reach of her smacking and didn't realize one of my children was crouched on the ground behind me.

From the momentum of moving backwards, the backs of my calves hit said child, and I flipped over her, and landed right on my rear in a very ungraceful manner. My dad and I think maybe Chad (Brother in law) or George (family visiting from out of town) came to my aid. I was still laughing so hard but the last laugh was on me.

BORROWED PRAYERS:
Thank you Lord for laughter.
Thank you Lord for a close-knit family.
Thank you Lord for a funny memory we will treasure for years to come.
Thank you Lord for the thick carpet of plush green grass which provided a very soft landing.
Thank you Lord for giving me a sense of humor, even if it does often come back to bite me.


WRITING UPDATE:
I'm working through the revisions. Got a new synopsis written several days ago, and am waiting to get the green light on it so I can finish the new version of the story. I'll keep ya posted!

CONGRATS to Aimee and Chris today. My babysitter got married, and it was THE most touching wedding I've been to. The groom couldn't look at her without tears streaming down his face. Really precious. And they serenaded one another musical theatre-style. She'd sing a verse to him, and he'd sing the next to her, then they'd harmonize. Really neet. People were sniffling all around.

Blessings, Squirrel

THANK GOD FOR CAMY

I'm serious Y'all. We just had a plotstorming session on my revisions and I am, once again, totally blown away by her keen sense of story structure. I feel so blessed to not only have her as a friend, but to have her brain synapsing away on my synopsis. She came up with some totally awesome ideas, and in the process, helped me understand better about what a story arc is and how it should go. I learned a new thing today. Characters' external conflict needs to have a definable ending, or be closurable. See I'm botching it up as I'm explaining, but this is a really awesome thing to know. It totally helps me plot out my synopsis. I hope to have that done tomorrow. Then I'll send it to Camy, Melissa and Tamela to see if they clear it for take off before I rewrite the story according to my new synopsis. I'm getting even more excited about these revisions now. Yes, okay I'm a sick individual. Camy prayed for me because I had a hard time yesterday and today. For some reason I could NOT focus on this. I had liek brain freeze or something. I think because inside me I know THE--he next few thousand words I write...(don't worry, they won't be on my blog..LOL)will mean the difference in contract offer or rejection. NO PRESSURE thought. LOL!

Anyway, if you need help with structure or your synopsis, or proposals, seriously check out Camy's structural editing. Especially with all the conferences coming up=editor and agent appointments. Camy is awesome at pitches too. Check it out. Give her a try. You WON'T be sorry!!! http://www.camytang.com/sensei.html

Back to my synopsis...We've given me a tomorrow deadline for completion of synopsis. If Camy finds out I'm on here instead of penning that, she might throw her knee out again kicking my wasabi...

Squirrel

REVISION REQUEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOO HOOO!!!!!

Got an email from my agent last night, and I didn't get a rejection from Steeple Hill yet. They didn't think it was strong enough to contract quite yet but they are giving me a chance to revise it and resubmit. SHEW! We're one step closer!!!!!!!!!!!

In addition to this awesome chance, the editor is being so supportive and kind and helpful. Many people, including her and my wonderful agent are offering to help me through this revision process. YAYAYAYAYAY!

The changes are MAJOR. Even removing all of the suspense elements to focus on the romance. But here's the deal. I've been targeting this publisher from the get-go. Anyone who knows me well knows how badly I've wanted to write for this house. So I wrote most of my stories with this publisher in mind.

If I don't revise=automatic rejection probably. So why would I be stubborn and dumb and have a rejected manuscript collect dust under my bed and shoot myself in the foot before I even get in the door? I'm really excited to revise this, though it's going to be a major undertaking. God and I...we're totally up for the challenge. The editor was really detailed in her request, and I think it's really doable. I love the ideas she came up with to better this story. My only disappointment was that I may not get to write for the Suspense line for awhile but WHO CARES!!!! I have a chance to revise for the Love Inspired line, and I love romance and happily ever afters. Most of my other books have suspense elements in them too. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

If I disappear for three weeks, you'll know I'm being held captive by my Delete Key. We're going to get really friendly over the next couple weeks.

Keep me in prayer and I'll keep you posted.

Blessings!

Squirrel

NEAR COLLISION

NEAR COLLISION


WOOO WEEEE! I REALLY need to be doing some market research on other publishers and stop stalking the editors at Steeple Hill (Waving frantically to Melissa).

Robin Miller www.robinmiller.com www.critiqueboutique.com and I were discussing...well, okay, she was discussing, and I was pouting...about having to put this massive proposal together for Warner Faith Publisher since we're both finalists in our category of American Christian Fiction Writers www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com 2006 Genesis Contest.

Anyway, the deadline is looming like a scary creature behind me, chasing me down to the wire. I really, really should have mailed it yesterday or today, but well, life happens.

Anyway, so I'm in this dillemma because the top 5 scoring Genesis manuscripts are going directly to Warner Faith's publishing board (Christian Division of Time Warner Books)for consideration. Man what an awesome opportunity. And yet my agent www.tamelahancockmurray.com www.hartlineliterary.com and I have stuff out there, one with Barbour and one with my beloved Steeple Hill.

Who I could be getting a rejection from any day now.

Or a contract. Well, revision request, then a contract if I manage to make it out of revision hell. Okay, actually, I'm certifiable, because I am really looking forward to working with my future fiction editor for revisions. I'd really love that editor to be Melissa. Sigh. I just really connected with her at the Romance Writer's of America conference in Reno...you know...the one where I was running late because I got stranded in a faulty elevator at a fancy Hilton RIGHT BEFORE MY EDITOR APPOINTMENT with Nora Roberts and didn't know she and J.D. Robb was one in the same.

Anyway, I'll tell you what all this rambling babble is about. Mostly I'm putting off that stinking proposal because I REALLY WANT STEEPLE HILL TO CALL!!!! Okay. There. It's out. BUT, since the mail-off deadline is looming, and Steeple Hill just may not be the publisher God wants for me (WHAAAAAAAA!!!!!) then I need to get my caboose in gear and do some market research.

I was attempting to do a crash course today, so I could register for the ACFW conference and know which editors to sign up for appointment wise. Even though I have an open invitation from Jim Peterson of Barbour's Heartsong Presents to send him any and all things I have ever and will ever write, I haven't simply because I'd have to cut like 30 thousand words per novel. GACK. So I'm working on some Novellas to send to them because I'd really love to work with Jim and Tracie Peterson. They have such hearts for new writers, and I just love that. www.traciepeterson.com www.heartsongpresents.com

I marked Tyndale off the list even though I have two requests from Lorie Popp that I never sent because we had stuff at Steeple Hill and I didn't want to push the No simsub line even though I'm agented, and the other reason is they have The Dee..and my stuff is similar to her Uncommon Heroes Series..and well...who in their right mind would compete with the wonderfully talented Dee? Not me that's for sure.

So I studied NavPress and nearly signed up for an appt with that editor (Jeff Gerke) when I realized he is also Jefferson Scott...author of military action...the sort of thing I write. Dang. Mark that one off the list since I'm not going to want to be competing with an editor. Sigh. This was my near collision. Imagine what a blush and cringe that would be when I sat down to pitch my story...only to find out he writes close to the same stuff.

Darn. Why does the market have to be so saturated? OH LORD, create more shelf space for us! Thank you!

So I moved on to Bethany House but I think they take more historical romance than contemporary, but I really couldn't tell by the website.

I think it's a long shot but I signed up with Anne Goldsmith from WF simply because her guidelines were clear and seemed to match what I write.

Second choice was Westbow or Waterbrook and I am really not certain which one I ended up choosing for second choice because I finally shut my eyes and pushed a button then moved on.

Even if I'm too new of a writer to be targeting these bigger houses...I will have met the editors for future reference if I ever decide to write single title stuff rather than my beloved category stories.

Okay, I'm off to propose.....

GAG.

If I don't come out in a few hours....someone please send a search party because I've obviously been swallowed up by a mean synopsis with sharp teeth and crooked sentences, or torn to shreds by a comparitive market analysis gone postal...don't laugh...you're likely to blow a hole through your trachea on my behalf.

Yes, Cathy Hake, I'd rather have a root canal than write a syn..syn..shudder..s-s-s-s-synopsis.

Squirrel

LEFT BEHIND

BLUSH AND CRINGE

Okay, this one's on my husband. He took the children to school this morning, and even took the two year old so I could sleep in. What a sweetie. BUT...he's not used to her being with him apparently, because he dropped one child off at her classroom then dropped the second one off....

And left the baby in the classroom with the teacher!!!!!!!!!!!

He'd sat her down unbenown to the teacher, and she'd wandered over by the toy stove behind a shelf. And since she's shorter than the shelf...the teacher didn't realize she was there!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep! Forgot all about her! ROFL!

Administration had to chase him down. They caught him nearing the exit to the parking lot saying, "Um, Mr. Wyatt...aren't you forgetting something?"

They said he blinked in confusion a few times, patted his pockets, then his eyes grew wide and he nearly died laughing. Gee whizzzz! I'm really, really glad he didn't leave her in a hot car or something. Dang! I wonder how long it would have taken him to realize what he'd done. He was in a hurry to get to work apparently, after giving me a relaxing morning...and a humor-filled evening when I went to pick the children up and found out.

Squirl

FUZZY LAPELS

Well it didn't make sense but hopefully it got your attention.



BLUSH AND CRINGE:
I left the phone off the hook today...well actually when I switched from landline to cordless I forgot to hang up the landline. Someone business related called my house to talk to my husband and I've told them a hundred times he can't be reached at home during the day but they keep calling anyway saying they can't get hold of him by cell phone. This wasn't an emergency call mind you. So if they can't reach him, that probably means he's in the metal pole barn and I can't reach him either because the signal won't pass through the walls. So anyway, I was having a "Calgon, take me awaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!" moment and acted similar to a toddler having a tantrum of epic proportions. Said, "the best thing I can tell you is to keep trying to call him ON HIS CELL PHONE." I was nice, but direct on that point. I don't want my husband to lose business because his wife is being a witch with a capital "B." So I hit "end" and stomped across the floor and slammed the beeping cordless back on the base before the battery died, spouting multiple complaints in not so Christian language about this blankety blank annoying person who keeps calling for my blankety blank husband when I've told them repeatedly he can't blankety blank be reached at home during the blankety blank day and why can't they get that through their blankety blank head and, murmuring about how I don't have blankety blank time to field blankety blank calls every five minutes and yada yada yada." Then I stop short when I realize the landline phone....which is three inches away from my fiesty mouth....is OFF THE HOOK! I gasp then snatch it up and stick it to my ear.

Ugh. Same flowery elevator music in the background as when I spoke with the person before. Then a click resounded in my ear. Whoops. Oh well. LOL!

TO GET THE FULL EFFECT: Insert "Blankety Blank" with #$&(%&)#$!

LOL.

Okay, going to read James and repent for my serpant mouth. GRrrr. God got ahold of my heart a long, long time ago....He'll get a hold of my mouth eventually.....there's still hope....I'm not dead yet.....

BORROWED PRAYERS

Father, create in me a clean heart. Temper my speech and tailor my heart to your liking. Help me to be mindful of what other people are going through, Lord and not just focused on what's going wrong in my day. Bless those who've bore the brunt of my verbal monsoon and heal any hurt feelings this caused. Sorry if I offended you, too, Lord. Thanks for the diffusion of humor. Thank you for grace and you love me despite my mouth. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

WRITING PROGRESS:

I'm diving into research for my newest WIP (Work in Progress) which is book 2 of my Navy SEAL series. I'm LOVING the title. TO GOVERN THE NIGHT. It's based on the scripture in Genesis 1:14-19. After writing several novels, I've finally figured out how I do it. My method so to speak. I HAVE to know my characters. Down to every hair fiber. What they'd keep in their purses. What their childhood was like. Wierd I know but I can't really dive into the plot without being acquainted with my main characters. I have plot snippets and a mental outline, as usual. But since most of my heros are Alpha males, and most of my heroine's are tough on the outside bombshell types, they usually never obey the plots I set out before them so I anticipate my plot will change as I get to know my characters more.

WRITING UPDATES:

Became a board member for the Library we're opening, as did several members of the local writer's group I'm in. Interesting trying to figure out all that Articles of Incorporations stuff.

Nothing new as far as submissions. OMINOUS CODE is still under serious consideration by Steeple Hill publishers. www.steeplehill.com

I received two beautiful plaques today from Colorado Romance Writer's Heart of the Rockies contest 2006. One was for 1st place in the Inspirational category (Covenant SEAL0 and the other was for third place in the Inspirational category (Stealth Surrender). I also received a three page critique of my entries from teh final judge, who is Jim Peterson of Peterson, Ink. Senior acquisitions editor from Barbour publishing's Heartsong Presents line.

www.heartsongpresents.com

His comments made me laugh out loud. His appraisal of my work was kind but honest, for which I'm thankful. He helped me see some changes I need to make and why. One part he thought I had a typo though was an intentional mistake. A character had said, "I'm deeply embedded." and the editor mentioned that should have read, "Deeply indebted," but the very next line, my hero has an internal monologue where he acknowledges CO Pike's verbal blunder. Then one judge marked the word MAROON! on my ms to Moron. But I intended it to be MOROON! because it was in reference to something on her t-shirt. It was supposed to be a display of her sarcastic humor, but that brings me to a question:

How to balance these subtle things with not RUE...or resisting the urge to explain. Because if I explain, I'm taking the reader out of the story. So I need to figure out how to execute this sort of thing better.

Interestingly, one of the scenes this editor loved, another judge hated and said I should delete it. So again, judging is subjective. What one judge hates, another will love. Then some will be indifferent. I don't change those things right off the bat. The things I do know I need to change however are things that get consistantly brought up. Such as the fact that, Oh...9 or 10 people, two of which are editors, are telling me I'm waaaaaay too technical in Stealth Surrender. So this is definitely an issue and I'll change it hands down. No question readers will have a problem with it. Jim put it nicely. He said, "You don't want to alienate or frustrate your readers." True. I don't.

I don't want to talk above them and I don't want to talk below them. So I'm heading for the delete key now.....

BLESSINGS!

Squirrel

BL

HARD CHOICES

I've been in the process of stepping out in obedience to God on some things, and boy it's been painful. I feel Him tugging me away from some writing and critique groups, streamlining, and redirecting me to stop volunteering and write more. I'm also facing hip surgery so I'm praying about homeschooling my children for the next year. Please pray for wisdom for me to make the right decisions. I love that God has made clear in His word that He doesn't mind us asking for wisdom, and how He freely loves to give it. So that's reassuring. Problem is, I'm a really loyal person. When I commit to something, I hate to break that committment.

The church I attend has a great focus on small group ministry. In a church the size of ours, it's crucial in building and maintaining relationships in the church. So it's good, but there's a painful side of that too. When you've grown close to people, then the group grows too large to be healthy and intimate, then it multiplies. It can seem like relationships are broken, but it's for the greater good. It's for the kingdom. I know God will never ask us to step away from anything, unless it's for our own good, and/or for the good of His purpose and His kingdom.

I hope this message speaks to someone today. If you're struggling with change or transition, this may be for you. It could be a relationship you know is not right, could be your choice of career, or friends. Obedience hurts sometimes, but if we could see what God sees as far as rationale and outcome, I think we'd run toward it instead of shrinking back or dreading it.

Different people step in and out of our lives in different seasons, and for different reasons. When a relationship with Jesus bonds a group of friends, nothing, not time, or space, or geographics, or revamping time committments can alter that. Remembering that has helped me in making some of the decisions to pull out of groups. I know I'm called to write. But I'm spending so much time critting, I don't have time to write. I know I'm called to write. I wasn't always sure, but I am now. I'm speaking that in faith. I'd rather run hard after God and do my best at something I believe He wants me to do, even if there's a chance I'm wrong, than shy away from doing something if there's the slightest chance He's asking me to do it. I can't worry about hurting feelings or offending. Well, I shouldn't, just put it that way. Truth is I care about what God thinks more, but I also care about what people think about God because of me. So that's what makes some of these decisions hard. But God has his reasons and I have to trust. If anyone taught me that, it was Debra Clopton. I know He's called me to write. Yes, I know I've said that three times, but there is a reason (between God and I) for that. I also know I'm called to be a lover of God and His son and His precious Holy Spirit first, then my husband and children. Then my family and church. Then my writing and my friends. The first three priorities will never change, nor the order. But at times, I think God moves the next three around, according to His focus and what He's doing in and through and to me at the time. So my heart list will always be:

1.God
2.Husband
3.Children

Sometimes I want to put my children first, and in some cases, like abuse, yes. Definitely. But that's not my case. So please pray for the people in my life to understand as I enter this next season. Please pray that I'll spend time on what and who He wants. Not a minute more and not a minute less.

Bless you and thanks for hanging in.

WRITING NEWS:

Haven't heard from Melissa at Steeple Hill yet. So I'm slowly working on my proposal for Warner Faith, even though I don't really want to. LOL! I have most of it done, just polishing up. I've been tinkering with the next story in my PJ series. TGTN. Since titles aren't copywrited, I don't want to put it on a public loop, and I LOVE it. I hope they keep it when (speaking in faith!) this book is contracted.

I'm also working on the Colorado trilogy, and am going to try to get it finished pretty soon. Even though the editor said she won't be able to get to it (meaning for consideration)until Fall, you never know when a slot will open due to someone not being able to meet a deadline due to unforseen circumstances or something. So I'd feel better having it finished.

GOD NEWS
I've been craving His word like water. Thank you, Father for putting that thirst back. The desire for you and for your words are a blessing that I will never take for granted again. I'm shaking off the sand from my shoulders and my knees and dumping it from my shoes. Been in this desert wasteland far too long and it feels good to be back home. In your presence, like a refreshing waterfall. Washing. Feeding. But I pray my thirst is never quite quenched, so I run hard after you and drop the things you ask without looking back. I love you. Help me hear and obey. Help Lisa. Help the doctors to find what's wrong and heal her. Thank you for what happened two days ago. You know what that meant, now answer his prayers. You heard his heart, his fears, his vulnerability. Help him trust you. Keep the enemy away from my family. Thwart evil plans and have your way, God. Have your way in me, in my marriage, in my children, in my relationships, in my writing, in my time, in my giving, in the hearts of the people in my life.

I love you so much. Thank you for all you've given me. I'm truly humbled and awed, and thank you isn't strong enough. But I'm going to keep saying it anyway. Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, times a gazillion every second from now through eternity.

Squirrel

HUMBLED

I was asked to take part in a writing project at church. So I did, even though I was not at all passionate about that particular project. But I had a lot of fun working with someone who doesn't think she's a writer but I think she's a writer. Anyway, I helped her with hers....even though she really didn't need help because she has a better handle on it than she thinks. That part was fun, getting to know her. And I was humbled that they asked me to write something.

Then they didn't use it. LOLOLOL!

Talk about humbling. Sigh. But I love the idea of a women's eletter. If you've done this at your church, let me know what worked and what didn't. Now when I submit something I'm going to be totally paranoid.

I think I'll stick with fiction, thank you. LOLOLOL!

Okay I confess I was a little irritated for the first half of the day....not because I think my writing is that good but because it took a LOT of time and I hate wasted time. Especially when it's time away from my children. But maybe it wasn't wasted. God knows. But He's not tellin' me. LOL! I just have to be very strict with my writing time otherwise my girls have cyber rivalry and tell me they think I love the keyboard more than them.

So I'm praying for God to show me what to cut out so I can make a fool of myself if they ask me to submit something again. EEEEEK. LOLOLOL! But this time, I'm not spending 14 hours on it. LOLOLOL!

Sigh. Rejected by my own church. Hmmm. That happens quite often come to think of it. Just when I think I'm something, God topples the pedestal. LOLOL! Okay I'm making myself out out to be prideful but actually that's in jest. It rattled my comfort level just admitting to people at my church that I've been trying to learn how to write. And in fact, I didn't admit it at first, my husband blabbed it because he was proud of me. What a sweetie. He already has me on the NYT Bestseller list.

Maybe I'll live in bliss awhile longer and let him retain his delusion that I'm something. At least someone out there believes in me. Tee hee. Oh and of course my mom and dad are pretty proud of my accomplishments. And you know, they get most of the credit as well as God, since they all encouraged me to chase this silly dream.

Sometimes it's like blowing bubbles as a child. You blow them and it's wondrous to see the glistening orbs floating with irridescent rainbows all around you. Then you extend your hand to brush your finger along one....and....

Pop. What a let down! LOLOL!

Yep. Writing is like that sometimes. And by the way, I do love my home church, even if they did reject me. ROFL! Not that I'm holding a grudge or anything. 14 hours....GRRRRRRRRRR! WInk. Wink.

Squirrel

YELLOW ROSE CONTEST

Writing News:

Covenant SEAL came in third place. First time I've placed third, and though it feels like I came in last for the world to see, last year I didn't final at all in this contest. So I should just stop sulking. LOL!

I had a wonderful phone conversation with my agent yesterday, and I just want to say how thankful I am for her. She's so supportive and one of my biggest cheerleaders.

Visit her agency at

www.hartlineliterary.com

And her author website at www.tamelahancockmurray.com

In addition to being a stellar agent, she's a wonderful author. I especially like her historical romances.

My friend, Camy Tang, just got a three book contract with Zondervan. Check out her website and congratulate her. www.camytang.com. Camy amazes me with all she does.

My friend Pamela James is finishing up her story this month and getting ready to submit. She's been so diligent in polishing that story and I pray her efforts are rewarded. http://www.pamela-james.com/home.html

My friend Heather is so close to finishing her ms that she could sneeze and hit The End. I'm so proud of her. She builds excellent blogs and hopefully websites soon. www.outthereauthorservices.com

We make up the Fab Four of FabFourBookPicks.blogspot.com

Check out our reviews!

Personal News:

My surgery has been moved to July 31st, so I have a couple mroe weeks to lose weight. I'm kind of bummed because that means I probably could have gone to RWA but I trust that God knows what He's doing.

I've grafted myself back in my home church after hibernating for a couple of years. It feels good to be obedient.

I had a wonderful and surprising phone call from one of the OB employees I used to work with. She said, "I get so lonely for you sometimes." And I cried the rest of the day thinking of how special her words were and how she touched my heart. I miss the people and confess I've not done a very good job of keeping in touch. I tend to neglect my friendships and I am cutting back on stuff so I can focus more on people instead of things. I just want my life to matter. I just want the love of God to reach through me and my talents and touch deeply and irrevokably the hearts of others. I want God's will and purpose to be fulfilled in me and through me. Mostly,

I want people to know Him. I want quality stories with impact. I want everything I spend time doing to matter. Even if it's taking a drink of water to a child. That's where I am right now. And it matters. It matters to them and it matters to God. I love the freedom that comes with a relationship with Him. I love His forgiveness and grace, and that as much as I don't want to look back at my life with regret, He doesn't want that for me either. So I love how He keeps me in line by gentle nudges when I get off track. Okay and when I get waaaay off track, his nudges are a tad more jarring. But I'm thankful for a soft heart that longs to hear and obey. He is good. And I can't wait to see what He has in store.

Squirrel

GOD AND WRITING UPDATE

GOD UPDATE
I've been pressing in more. Gotten my passion for His words back, so I've been immersed in it more. Not just non-fiction devotionals and stuff, but the actual Bible. We had a womens day conference at church yesterday and it went awesome. God began giving me a heart for womens ministry several months ago, and it was that time that I realized they're probably the reason He's calling me to write.

I'm praying for my sister. She's sick and they can't find what's wrong with her. Please pray for her. Her name's Lisa.


WRITING UPDATE
I've been mentally plotting TGTN book. I'm SO excited about these characters and this story. But before I can dive into that, I have to get my Warner Faith Proposal together for teh Genesis contest in case I end up being one of the top five. OF course, if my dream publisher...Steeple Hill...would offer me a contract then they'd save me the trouble of going through the torture. LOLOL! I so suck at proposals.

I'm synopsis challenged. If you struggle with this....click the link to the right that says, "Camy's story sensei." She's a great structural editor, and can do a fab job looking over your synopsis and stuff.

If you still need to get your manuscript in order, I suggest Robin Miller's Critique Boutique...link also at the side.

Tiff Miller at Eagle Designs took over my website when Misty refocused on her writing...go Misty!!! and I will have her link up shortly, but you can engine search it online. She's done celebrity websites and stuff. She's so nice and helpful and doesn't make fun of me because I don't know the difference between an ISP and a frisbee.

I'm struggling to find time to write. I'm overloaded with crit groups, and I know God's calling me into mentoring. Please say a prayer for me that I'll know where to borrow time from. God and my family comes absolutely first. I've already given up TV and IM. WAAAAAAAAAA! And I only check my email once a day. I went digest or no mail to most of my online writing groups.

I've had two pubbed authors offer to endorse my books! That was an answer to prayer.

I've had several friends get multibook contracts recently, and several other friends received rejections. That's so hard because they are ALL good writers. I think God's timing has a lot to do with it. I don't understand, I just wish there were more slots available. More openings. Rejection is hard, but something every writer goes through. Take my word for it, it's disheartening. But instead of looking at it like rejection, I try to have the mindset that it's redirection. Either this isn't the right house for me, or the right readership base, or my writing isn't there yet. EEEK I hope that's not the case. But even still, I don't think people should ever stop learning or improving.



Some friends and I started a book review blog. Check it out at www.fabfourbookpicks.blogspot.com


Lena Nelson Dooley and Vickie McDonough and I just mailed off the trilogy for consideration to Barbour Publisher's Heartsong Presents. That could take 18 months to a couple years to hear back so we basically send it and forget about it. A Colorado historical...the one that replaced the New Mexico one. GOOD news is, I can still use the New Mexico one, target it to the new historical line at Steeple Hill.

Ominous Code is still under consideration at Steeple Hill publishers.

Ambient Betrayal...well we retracted that one after two years of not hearing back since my writing's gotten stronger since then. Two years, standard wait for some publishers. Editors are very, very busy people. Some people follow up after like, three months of not hearing back. Not me. I don't say a word until at least 6 months. I feel to be considerate is just as important. Of course it's okay to follow up...just don't be psychotic about it...or I can pretty much guarantee you'll get a quick answer...and probably not the one you wanted. Editors aren't just looking for good stories...they want authors they can work with without pulling their hair, or poking their eyes out with the red pen.

Okay, hardly anyone uses red ominous pens anymore but you get the point.

I got to help a friend at church work on an article for our women's eletter. All three of our articles got rejected, but oh well. LOL! I just hate the time I spent away from my kids while working on that which irritated me at first, but I think it was harder on my friend because she'd never written anything for submission before. But the good thing that came out of it was I think it showed her she really can write. She's an avid journaler, and I think that's sometimes a sign of a writer. She has a strong voice and uses active verbs, creates excellent imagery with words, so I hope she doesn't give up.

THAT FIGURES and Flaming BLUSH AND CRINGE

SO much for me saying I love hard critiques. LOLOLOL! I just got a packet back from a contest I'd entered many, many months ago.

Sigh.

Gollly...one judge attacked ME and not my writing. Said the opening wasn't plausible.

HELLO! I based it on a TRUE STORY....something that really did happen to me! Only I changed a couple details but yes absolutely it is plausible. This is one of those situations where I wish I could go argue with that judge. LOLOL!

GRRRRR.

Testing. One. Two. Testing.

OKay, so when I wrote that contest comment post....I was definitely NOT saying I embrace STUPID comments from judges. Or when you know they're just being totally opinionated, and it has nothing to do with your story, or the craft. Those crits go through the shredder...and I enjoy every second of seeing those pages get crossripped to shreds.

Then to make me feel even better, I put them in the concrete ditch outside my yard and I BURN them.

Speaking of burning....um, one day I was standing at the top of the concrete ditch, burning credit card trash, and my shoes slipped on the tiny gravel lining the top of the ditch. The more I tried to backpeddal with my feet, the further I slipped. Then boom, I land on my butt, and I'm up to my ankles in FIRE! I scramble out of the ditch, after slipping back down in a couple times because it was steep, I managed to get out. Hands bleeding from the scrape. The soles of my dress shoes (I know, dumb) melted off so you couldn't see the tread. And, well, we don't want to talk about what happened to my butt. Not a pretty sight. My neighbor leaned out the door, "You okay?"

I'm sitting in the road kicking my burning shoes off, "Yep. Fine. Just trying to set myself on fire is all."

She blinked four times, drew her brows together, went back in and closed her door.

Sigh. At least our fire chief lives down the street. LOLOL!

EEEK. How embarrassing.

Squirl

ULTERIOR MOTIVES

Not me. God. I had the extreme privilage of being able to coordinate some writing contests this year. Up until last year, I'd only been an entrant. Then close to the end of the year, I was asked to judge. Since then I've judged several and you know, I had no idea HOW HARD it is. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but you want to be honest. Correction, you HAVE to be honest...or it's not doing the entrant any good.

That said, I'm really, really glad I've gotten some really scathing contest remarks. It's kept me mindful as I've made comments. As I've been praying for the entrants in the contests, I felt like God's been teaching me stuff. Stuff about my writing. Stuff about my heart. Stuff about my own responses to critiques. They say you have to grow a tough skin in order to survive this industry. But I'm not sure how exactly that happens. Maybe a combination of things helps. Maybe we grow immune to harsness, and actually, I've come to crave harder critiques from people who are brutally honest and don't hold back. Whammo. They let me have it. But these are people close to me who KNOW writing. I crave positive comments less, whereas before, I thrived on them. Oh, I still love them, but I'm learning to love the hard stuff more. And I'm just now beginning to really appreciate some of the really hard stuff I heard in the very beginning of this road when I KNEW NOTHING of the craft of fiction. Didn't know there was an art to crafting stories. I guess I just assumed that if you managed to finish a book then someone would buy it. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

In the beginning, those hard critiques made me cry, they made me mad at the person who was honest, because of course I thought they had to be wrong. How I wish I would have embraced those comments more instead of jerked back away from the sting. How I wish I would have thrown myself into what they were trying to get across instead of running as fast as I could. I so respect those people now and it's been interesting fielding comment concerns from the entrants I consider in my charge as coordinator. It brought back memories, and made me realize that I think God probably has alterior motives for each of us in this journey to publication. I think He's more concerned with the journey than the destination. I think contests and critiques are as much a test of our wills, our perseverance, our motives, and our hearts as they are a temperature check and gauge of where we are at this present time in the craft of writing.

I don't want this to be all about me. My ulterior motive for this convo is to get you guys talking. How do you deal with hearing hard things about your writing? How have you built your tough skin? What sort of critique do you find most helpful? The gentle easy ones which surround suggestions for change with positive comments...known as the sandwich method? Okay, talk away! I'm interested in knowing your thoughts on this.

Squirl

YOU KNOW THAT DREAM

Where you show up at school naked....or are in a portapotty and someone lifts it up, leaving you uh...rather exposed as you sit there?

Well pretend like you know what I'm talking about.

I had one of those moments today. I went to the post office to get something in the mail before it closed. In my rush, I didn't realize I'd took off in my houseslippers!!!!!

Okay, these aren't the nice flat/shoelike slippers that are so stylish today, resembling Indian sandals with the sequins and beading. No. My slippers were a Christmas gift a couple years ago from someone who knows and has my sense of morbid humor. They're BIG and PUFFY and made to look like leapard print thongs with BIG PUFFY TOES that are like four times larger than normal toes...so it makes your feel look like you had an anvil dropped on them or something.

SO anyway...I didn't notice I had them on until I'm halfway in the postoffice. I don't think most people would have even noticed except that I started giggling and couldn't stop. I think the town cop thought I was needing a breathilizer and was concerned for me driving the two blocks home. So when the postmistress asked me what was making me laugh so hard (I was incapacitated by this point..tears and everything at my goof) so I showed her my shoes and she laughed SO shrill and high pitched...EVERYONE in the post office came around me to view my slippers.

The funniest part was I have NO idea how I got all the way there without realizing I had them on!

Sigh. Yeah...so this has been a week for BLUSH and CRINGING!

Here's a picture of my slippers.

Squirrel

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND--Blush and Cringe with chance of prize for participation

BLUSH AND CRINGE!!!

I (thought I) dialed my sister's number yesterday. A voice answered, "Hello."
I immediately launch into, "Hey! I can't believe I got ahold of you!"
She giggles and replies, "Yep. I'm here. What's up?"
I say, "I'm SOOOO sorry I didn't call you back last night. By the time we got home and put the groceries away, one kid needed a bed time story, another wanted me to lay with them, and another needed some mom time so by the time that was all over with it was eleven fifteen so I thought that was too late to call."
Silence then the other voice says, "Syndey?"
Gulp. "Are you my sister?" I ask.
Other voice says, "That depends. Who's your sister?" More giggling.
"Um...Lisa?"
More giggling. "Nope. Not Lisa. But it was nice talking to you!"
For the next three minutes we stayed on the phone laughing about it.

So tell me....what's been the most embarrassing phone call:
1. You've ever received? or
2. You've ever given?

Come on people! Talk!

See who can make me laugh the most!

Winner will receive a prepaid phone card.

Squirrel

SHEW! WHAT A RELIEF!

God woke me up at four am.....to ask me to do something very frightening.

"Will you be willing to take new writers under your wings and mentor them for me?"

What?! NEW writers? I still feel I'm a new writer! Oh man do I feel NOT equipped to do this, Lord--"

"I've equipped you with Godliness and everything you need to--"

"But.but.but...Godliness has nothing to do with the craft of writing, God!"

Silence.

More silence.

"God?"

More silence. Big. Echoing silence....

Then something came to me....He probably cares less about me getting published than He does about the road leading up to it. He wants me IN THE PROCESS. It builds character, that's for sure.

Of course I told Him yes because I know He won't tell me to do the next thing when I haven't even done the last thing He asked of me.

You know, this journey to publication...or wherever this is leading...insanity possibly...

One thing I see that puts me in awe of Him....

I have had so many authors come alongside to help me... Margaret Daley being the one who's stuck by me from the beginning. She's been one of my biggest cheerleaders and I'm getting all teary-eyed right now just thinking about her and how wonderful she is. I have a really funny story about one of the first crits she did for me...but I'll save that for another day..but I'll suffice it to say, she tought me very well that the Delete key is not slathered in Anthrax...it's okay to touch it now and then. There are so many more published authors, and advance writers on the verge of publication that I could name who have helped me but I'm afraid I'd forget someone. Dana Corbit always has a listening ear for me and sound advice. Brenda Coulter spent so much time helping me learn how to format ms that I think her eyes must have permanantly crossed! Marta Perry is always rooting for me, and at high tea in Denver made me grin like a goon when she read the pitch Camy Tang had helped me prepare for editors...and said, "Oh! Now this is GOOD!" That moment is branded in my mind and heart and when I get a hard critique...God always brings that moment and her voce to mind. Susie Warren and Susan Downs and Colleen through contest crits and Mae Nunn and oh man...all of you who critted my stuff that I don't know your names. Then there's my wonderful agent Tamela. Lena Nelson Dooley, and Vickie McDonough are taking time out for me with a project...means SO much that they believe in me. My crit groups...Inspy critters, New Cambrian, Crit group nine...FABULOUS writers each and every one of them. And not one of them hasn't helped me profoundly. Robin Miller's critique boutique, Camy Tang's structural editing. Linda Rondeau's line edits and my grammar mentor...I really hope she starts an editing service so many more people can benefit from it. The FAB FOUR...Heather, Camy, Pammer...Pammer was SO sweet on the boards and taught me so much about POV and active writing and Heather beleived in me even when I didn't know which side of the comma the dialogue quotes were supposed to go on. Brandylin and Randy...his tiger marketing and advanced fiction writing ezine. The SEEKERs who are finding multibook contracts in their mailboxes left and right...and still SEEKING Him.

THANK YOU, Lord for each of these and I could spend an entire day writing names here and still not list everyone who's helped me.

So how can I tell you no even when it scares me to think someone a little behind me in this wonderful/difficult/exciting road? OH Man let me tell you I was sweating it there for a few days when you didn't tell me, "Relax, I'm not asking you to give it up." But I sense that now. Shew. What a relief. Shew what a test. I would lay it all down again for You. I'd have more time for my children. Yet I belive You want me to move forward. You're my best friend...my aspiration, my inspiration. My life. You're my whole life and all I want to do was write as worship.

You know, God gave me this gift of story to keep my mind of the physical pain I've been in for the past two and a half years with my hip...and to keep my mind from fear and prevent death by boredom while I was on bedrest and having complications with all four pregnancies...one of which didn't make it. But I know that baby is with Him, and He sustains me when I grieve, not over the loss of the baby, but over not being able to have any more.

Hey, there's always adoption, right? I would bring a million orhpans home with me if I had the room and the help and the money. So I'll just have to give it to Hopegivers and Phillip Cameron so they can care for the masses of precious children.

Anavim. Hebrew for "for the oppressed. The meek. The poor. The broken. The weary." etc. Anyone in need. Like Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest."

Anavim. Lord you know what that word means between the two of us. You understand the promise and the code. You are a God of covenant and you never break your promise. Let me be a servant of covenant and help me be just as faithful. I know you remember. Hold me to it. I still mean what I told you. You know my heart. You know my motives. Keep them pure. No regrets, Lord. What matters. Only what matters. Everything else can fade away. In the light of you...it all does anyway.

I'm humbled and blessed and touched that you'd even ask me, or trust me with such a task. Helping people chase their dreams...help me to help them to chase you more.


I'm excited to do it. I will study craft hard and speak the truth in gentle love.

Thank you for this journey. That there are people ahead of me in the road, like we're all in one long line...holding hands and moving down the same road. Some of us closer to the end of the road, some of us just starting out, some of us in the middle. But we all have hold of a hand. The hand in front of us tugs us along, helps us up when we fall down, grasps tight and doesn't let go when we try to shrink away from the road and give up, and dusts our knees of our hearts off because this road is sometimes paved with seasons of rejection and harsh critiques, and it sometimes feels like wearing shorts instead of jeans and crawling over broken glass to get there. Then we do the same for the person right behind us on the road. If I know a little bitty bit more than they do about how to craft a great opening hook...then I won't hold that to myself. I remember your lampstand Lord. I will not hide my talents under a bucket. As I've been given, I'll freely give.

Thanks for asking. I love you.

Squirrel/Cheryl


PS: blogreaders, sorry is this seemed like an utterly wierd post where half the time I was talking to you and half the time I was talking to God. Because of time constraints and because I feel like I'm supposed to leave my sincere though rambling conversation with God in there...I won't go back and seperate it. But I hope you have a blessed day and thanks for stopping by my blog.


Thank you for telling me what you want to see here, too. I'm on it!

Blessings,

Cheryl

A FREAKING LEAF

ME. That's me. A leaf tossed in the wind and I HATE it. God loves me so much and I know He's smiling at me right now...I can feel it. Because I'm having an "ah-ha" moment. Minister Graham Cooke has said something to the effect that "God will not speed up the development of your character just to launch your ministry."

Okay, this comes after group tonight. (Group is just home meetings with people from church. We visit, eat, have a discussion, then pray for stuff and one another. I love the group I'm in right now. It feels like family. People are real. I can be me and be at my worst which is really bad because even at my best I'm not very easy to get along with). SO anyway...during lesson, Garret talked tonight and through his and Brenda's discussion...God hit me hard. I was so stunned I didn't get prayer because I had to come home and process it.

I'm still not sure what all God meant but I left group with a VERY STRONG sense that God is about to ask me to do something. Thing is...at group tonight, He asked me numerous times, "Will you sumbit? Will you obey? Will you lay it all down again? Will you run after me hard like you used to when you first learned of my love? Will you trust me enough to tell me yes even before you know what I'm asking?"

Okay, first of all you must understand that I'm the type of person that cringes when someone says, "Hey...can you do me a favor?" I will NEVER say "Yes." or "NO."....although now that I think of it...that would be pretty funny to do--put on a serious face and nonchalantly say, "No." LOL. Okay so maybe not. Anyway, back on target, I will always say, "That depends." Or "I don't know." Or I'll say, "What?" when asked that question.

Since God knows me, He knows what a real test of trust that is for me to say yes to Him before I even know what He's asking. But...the bottom line is I DO TRUST HIM.

Sometimes I have to be like the man in the Bible with his unbelief, "Lord...I do believe a little, help me believe a lot."

So, my answer is, without hesitation, "YES, LORD." And "I do trust you a little Lord...help me trust you much."

Now what's been going through my mind since He impressed upon me that He's taking me into a new season? That He might ask me to give up my writing. All of it. For good. Okay, now sometimes when God asks us to give things up...He wants us to give it up without the slightest contemplation of being able to pick that thing back up again.

YIKES.

On the other hand....He could be tugging me into writing for publication. I just want to write as worship. DOn't get me wrong...publication is every writer's dream. At least most of us. The rest are fibbing.

He could be asking me if I'm ready to take the ride of my life. Am I ready for deadlines and navigating and author/agent/editor relationship that will launch my career.

I already left one career. Nursing. I left it to be with my children. I love to write, but my biggest desire in life is NO REGRETS. They're only little once, and there are no guarantees...unless God's promised specifially...that they'll live forever. So I told God in the beginning of this journey...unless this (writing fiction) is going to have an eternal impact for the good...I do NOT want to do it. Not one word. Fiction is meant to entertain, yes. I know this. But for me it has to be more than that. If only for me. If only for my children who learned by my example to chase the Giver and not the gift...to run hard after Him and cling with all out might not the dream but to the author and creator of the substance in our hearts.

And I have failed miserably. I'm an all or nothing person. So I have to be strict. I have to limit my IM time. I may watch TV two hours a month. If that. I gave it up not because I think it's wrong but because I needed to borrow time from somewhere.

Because God asked me to stop neglecting my relationships. Friends. Children. Spouse. Church family. Extended family.

My prayer today is to be cemented into his promises. Bound to his word. Fastened to his spirit, branded with his ever-presence. Devotion. Simple. Jesus. Sweet Jesus.

It's all about you. Everything in my life is about you. For you. From you. Through You. To you. Bring me back. Back to who I'm meant to be.

Whatever trip I'm about to embark upon...I'm ready, Lord..let's go. I know it's gonna be okay why? Because you'll be with me. You're always with me. I want to be with you, too. Not that I want to leave this earth mind you. Too much left to do. Watch my grandkids grow up. See my daughters and my parents point to a book on the shelf at Wal-Mart and say, "My mommy wrote that." Or "My daughter wrote that and I always knew she could and I always told her so."

True. They did. I love the thing on Angie Poole's blog.

I'm basically a visionary. So as Angie would say, "Lord, cut the bait....let's go fishin'"

Whereever you take me...I'll go. I'll follow you anywhere. Whether that means to the OR to get this hip surgery even though the epidural I'm dreading so bad. Even if it means stepping away from the keyboard and my characters more or totally. Or if it means the opposite...to be called as a novelist who's an undercover Christian. To write the stories you put on my heart without being preachy.

As many times as You ask me, Lord, I say:
Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Squirrel

Devotions

PANTYHOSE

Okay, what am I talking about you wonder? Or maybe not. Three grand friends and I do a book review blog at www.fabfourbookpicks.blogspot.com

I was looking over the stat counter, in particular, the keyword search....meaning what people typed in the address bar that got them to our site.

Pantyhose. LOLOL!

So I thought maybe if I typed "Pantyhose" in the header of my blog....I'd get more visitors.

LOLOLOL!!

I read some awsome blogs....

Heather Tipton
Angie Poole
Mary G
Gina Holmes
Camy Tang
Margaret Daley

Just to name a few....and I'm amazed at how many visitors they get.

So tell me...and be honest....what would you like to see in my blog?

Did you like the BLush and Cringe that I have been slacking on?

What about the writing prompts with book giveaways? Huh? Bring that back, yes or no?

I deleted all my posts about my media mission trip to another country...well because I got some threating mail from that....MEAN PEOPLE...GO AWAY!!!

Anyway...I'm trying to draw NICE people....

Readers....Writers....Christians....Non-Christians.....Editors....Agents....nevermind...I already have an agent and she's WONDERFUL.....

www.Hartlineliteraryagency.com


Check out her books too!!!

www.TamelaHancockMurray.com

She's an excellent author as well so she understands both side of the coin.

Okay....so I could name a hundred blogs that I'd love to be able to read but because of time constraints we have to be picky....

SO...tell me what makes a blog be in the top of your blog fav's? Like...I mean the top three or five?

All comments welcome! You're not gonna hurt my feelings....

Squirrel

GENESIS CONTEST FINAL!!!

STEALTH SURRENDER finaled in ACFW's Genesis contest in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Category!!!!!

WHOOOOO HOOOOO!!

Top five scoring manuscripts go to the Publishing Board at Warner Faith Books!!!!!

Found out my story was the highest scoring entry in the category!!!!

Now, if I can just do as well in the second round.

I'll keep you all posted!!!

www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com


Squirrel

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!

I've been doing a book review blog with four other writers....one of whom just got a THREE book contract from Zondervan!

GO CAMY!!!!!!

Pammer writes kick butt suspense.....

Heather owes me a cowboy story.....and you don't want to miss her Sarcastic Saturdays!

Check us out at

www.Fabfourbookpicks.blogspot.com

Sign our guestbook!

Squirrel

BELATED GOOD NEWS

Forgive my forgetfulness, oh faithful blog readers....

I forgot to tell you I also finaled in Yellow Rose RWA/Winter Rose contest!!!!

That makes 5 stories having finaled in about 10 different contests this year.

THANK YOU, JUDGES!

THANK YOU, JESUS!

Okay, not that He was one of my judges or anything...but He granted me the dream and the talent, and just enough tenacity to chase it.

This Easter weekend, may we all remember what You did, Lord. From your birth to the grave, to the tomb to now. You are ALIVE! And you love us more than we are capable of comprehending. I pray you would be blessed this weekend as a lot of people will be thinking of you more than any other time. Heaven's King....we love you!!!!

Love, Squirrel/Cheryl

OH OH OH!! I forgot to mention the editor of the house of my dreams...my first choice in a publisher...received the ms from my agent..hardcopy...and she is taking it home to read this weekend!!!!!!!!!! So I will hear back really, really soon.

May your will be done, Lord! Your timing. I always want my family to come first. I always want you to come first, Lord. So I don't want this if it's going to interfere. But if you are commissioning me into this.....then WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!

I'm game! Let's go!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Ookaaay...and to my faithful bloggers readers.....I'm going to need a LOT of cyber chocolate if I get a rejection....

I'd LOVE a revision request....and that's my prayer if it's God's perfect will.

HAPPY EASTER!!

Squirrel

INTERACTIVE BLUSH AND CRINGE AT WRITING CONFERENCES

With all the conference talk starting up in the writing community.....I thought it would be fun to do an interactive blog about conferences.

Specifically, your MOST embarrassing moment at a conference.

I'll start: I accidentally handed a male editor my room key with my business card after an appointment at a Christian writer's conference last year. ROFL! Only I didn't realize it until an hour later as I stood at the door of my room. I went to grab my room key from the badge holder....and behold NO key! I kept it in the same pocket as my business cards. I found the editor later, horrified at the thought that maybe that's what had happened. Thankfully he didn't take the wrong way, and yes, my key was stuck to the glossy business card. Sigh.

SO what's yours? Or you could make it even funner and tell on a friend!

HAPPY TALKING!!!!

Squirrel

MORE GOOD NEWS!!!!! I'm a DOUBLE FINALIST IN Heart of Rockies!!!

STEALTH SURRENDER and COVENANT SEAL both finaled in the Inspirational Category of Colorado Romance Writers' Heart of the Rockies!!!!!!

Stealth makes my 5th manuscript to final in contests the past year! I'm pulling away from the contest circuit this year....but now I kind of wish I'd entered Barclay and Daphne. I just didn't have the time to get the subs out because I'm working on a NM historical with two authors, and I felt I needed to focus my time there.

Plus not I've got to get Ominous Code spit shined for the Steeple Hill editors.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Squirrel

GOOD NEWS!!!! Full MS Requested by editor

The editor for the pub house of my heart emailed my agent this week to say she read the proposal for Ominous Code (Book one on the Inspirational Military Romance)

and...

SHE LOVED IT!

She's requested my agent send the full ms to her so she can pass it up to the Senior Editor. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm SO excited. I know it could still get shot down, but I'm so thankful and thrilled beyond words to have made it this far!

Guest Blogger Donna Caubarreaux on Contests

I'm delighted to introduce Donna Caubarreaux to my blog readers. I met Donna through the contest loop she started. In addition to hosting many writing loops, Donna started the Divas With Tiaras. If you don't know what that is....stay tuned. If you've finaled or won writing contests in the past few years...YOU might even be one of Donna's Divas...and didn't realize it. Thank you for joining me for an interview with Donna.

Cheryl: Let's talk about the Contest Alert Group.

(ie: When did it start? How did that come about? ie: Was it your idea? What gave you the idea for it? How did you execute it? Were you surprised or dissappointed at the initial response? Has it increased? etc, etc)

Donna: Contest Alert started at the end of May 2002. I'm one of those people who seem to misplace things, and I really wanted to know what contests were available. Then, I figured that others were organizationally-challenged as well as moi; and the loop was formed. I was suprised at the response and with comments made to me from members, organized an 'Contest Alert Published' and 'Contest Deadline' which is an announcement only list. Presently there are 705 members on Contest Alert...all of whom stated that they would buy my first book...and I'm holding them to it!



Cheryl: How important do you feel contests are to an aspiring writer?

Donna: With the addition of final round judges being editors/agents; it opens doors that might have been closed. It also gives the entrant of having fresh eyes look at her work and give her their opinion, which the entrant must remember is subjective.



Cheryl: Has it helped your own writing career? If so, how so?

Donna: Well, I haven't sold yet. But, I've brought a heroine who no one like to someone they can finally root for. I've gotten two requests, but only if I changed the book to meet the genre guidelines. If anything, I think the most important thing I learned is that I'm not going to please everyone, but if I do the best work that I can, I will please some readers.
Usually every year, I go through a day or two of thinking of quitting, then get over it. One year, I was on my third day. When I received a call from Linda Hill, that I finaled in 'The Gotcha' contest. I broke down and cried on the phone, Linda was so sweet. So, it's a validation that you aren't wasting your time, that people who are complete strangers thought your writing was the best they had read. I believe in contests.



Cheryl: Is the contest loop exactly as you envisioned it? Is there anything you wish was different?

Donna: I wish I was better organized...LOL...but I have this massive spreadsheet that I use to keep track of contests. I wish that more coordinators would notify me of their contests. I have to literally search for the majority of them.


Cheryl: How can folks become a part of the Contest Alert Group?

Donna: Super easy-send a blank email to ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Now, there is chatter on this loop, and if you have any contest questions, there are always members who will help you out. If you only want notification of contests without the chatter, there is ContestDeadlines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
If you're published, ContestAlertPublished-subscribe@yahoogroups.com they are a quiet bunch.

Cheryl: Is there anything Loop Members can do to make your job easier?

Donna: My job is easy. They are a friendly bunch, very supportive whenever anyone finals or wins a contest. We have both women, and our designated male finalist on board. It's really a great group of people...and they all are going to buy my first book.

Cheryl: Are there any other contest loops you host?

Donna: Oops, I answered that in the first question.



Cheryl: How do you think contest-ers can get the most out of Contest Alert?

Donna: By paying attention to what loop members are saying. We have several American Title finalists on board, questions were flying then about the process, which was very informative.


Cheryl: Let's talk about Contest DIVAS. What gave you the idea for this? How did you execute your idea? What kind of response have you received? How does the tiara thing work? How long have you been doing this?

Donna: Ah, my Divas...several years ago, my d-i-l had a Maltese...a beautiful dog. And the dog had a tiara. I wanted one so bad, so I asked for one for my birthday. (I learned that you can't hint...just ask.) I thought she understood that I wanted one the same size that the dog wore, I thought it would be funny to clip the thing to my head. (Don't shake your head...I live for stuff like this.) Anyway, my two daughters and her got together and bought me a really nice one. I really felt special wearing it. Sometimes I wear it while writing, cause with my social life it would never get out of the house.
In 2003 I started to keep a database of contest finalists. The contest deadline had to have occurred in that year. I was 'hot' that year and was mainly keeping track for myself; then thought that others might enjoy it as well, and started the 'Top Divas.' Who had the most contest finals/wins; who placed with the most titles; and who received a first, second, third or more with one manuscript.
That led me to think, what would the leader of the category like...well, a Tiara. So for the last two years I've awarded a tiara to the top three winners. It was difficult during the Dallas conference with all the Mary Kay ladies; one was extremely eager to purchase Jessica Trapp's tiara, and didn't want to hear the word 'no.'
The leaders are still up at the 'official' website...2005 winners won't be determined until July, and the leader board is updated often. It's fun...doesn't cost anything...and I'm hoping everyone listed there will buy my first book.

http://www.geocities.com/divaswithtiaras/ContestDiva.index.html