Teresa Morgan, Women's Fiction and Romantic Suspense Author

Nanowrimo Statistics

2011-12-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

November seemed to fly by. Though I didn't finish my 50,000 words, I wrote more words than ever before, almost 36,000. I wish I'd had another few days. Me, I'm turning back to the line edits on my third novel, No Greater Gift and hope to it sent on it's way, soon.

Here are the official NaNoWriMo Stats:

For NaNoWriMo main:

256,618 participants, up roughly 28% from 2010’s total of 200,530 writers.

We wrote a total of 3,074,068,446 words, up 7% from 2010’s collective word count of 2,872,682,109.

This averaged out to 11,979 words per person! We had 36,774 winners, giving us a 14% win rate!

For NaNoWriMo’s Young Writer's Program:

81,040 participants, up 19% from 2010’s total of 68,710.

We wrote a total of 368,143,078 words up 40% from 2010’s collective word count of 262,303,074.

This averaged out to 7,199 words per person.

We had 16,334 winners, giving us a never-before-precedented 32% win rate!

National Novel Writing Month - Week Four

2011-11-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

It seems that the faster I type, the behinder I get. Back in the day I was a secretary for a group of scientists and engineers. Unfortunately, I never did get the hang of typing scientific equations, some of which had loads of Greek symbols as well as three and four levels in both the numerator and denominator. In my defence, I was working on an IBM Selectric typewriter without the self-correcting feature. Yep. We used a lot of correction fluid in those days. I know, it was a long time ago. On an airplane two years ago I chatted with a young woman who'd never heard of carbon paper. Anyway, back to my point. What was it, again? I'm reminding myself that for the month of November, this is a no edit zone.

Late last week I set a goal of 2934 words per day for the next four days. Did I make it? Nope. It is possible, technically. Because of my secretarial experience, I used to type over 100 words per minute. I could easily have typed that many words in a day. But, I'm finding that i cannot write even bad fiction that fast. Added to that, on Monday and Tuesday it seemed every time I sat down, I fell asleep even before I could reach for my Toshiba netbook. Yes, I deal with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, but that was a bit much. Apparently, midnight/1:00 a.m. is way too late for this girl.

Because I'm writing this book on two different machines, I have pieces of this novel everywhere. So, I pulled them all into Scrivener, compiled the manuscript, and just for giggles pasted it into the word count verifier on the Nanowrimo site. My word count jumped to around 32,000. That is NOT correct. My guess is that when I was working with the Binder in Scrivener, I somehow added several scenes twice. Unfortunately, the verifier plugged that figure into the word count figure.

There is a disadvantage to working on a Netbook's small screen while working in Scrivener's binder. I couldn't get the keyboard shortcuts to work, I dragged and dropped some of the scenes around, and apparently into the wrong folders. That, no doubt, was my mistake, not Scrivener's

Another Big Push - 13,254 and counting

2011-11-17T23:23:00.001-08:00

I've been under the weather for a large part of this week, and for the last two days, I've spent most of the the curled up in my chair in my big fluffy bathrobe, asleep. I seem to be getting an upper respiratory infection. However, after sleeping on and off most of today, I was able to get several hundred words over my stated word goal for today.

So, here comes the next goal. As you can see, I'm in for a really rough time of it if I'm to get to 50,000 words this month. What might set me up for a big push forward during the last week of this challenge is to see if I can make 25,000 by the end of week three. According to my number crunching, if I can write 2,938 words each day--Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday--then I'll begin the last week at: 25,000. I'm ready to make a stab at it.

I did, however, set aside Dragon Naturally Speaking. Perhaps it needs re-training. Perhaps my user profile is corrupted. There are major mistakes in almost each sentence. Right now, I just don't have the time to retrain it. Simply put, I type well enough that its mistakes are too irritating for me to deal with. My own typing is far from perfect, but I'm fast. I can recognize what I meant if I mis-type a word or phrase. But Dragon's mistakes sometimes give me no clue.

I downloaded and installed WriteWay software for writers. It's also a free trial copy with--I believe--a discount for those who use it while participating in NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I kept getting an error message when I tried to run the program. If I have time tomorrow, I may try to figure out what went wrong and what adjustments in settings I need to make. Their tech support team did get back to me right away. Yea! Tech Support!!

Week Two -- National Novel Writing Month

2011-11-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is the second week of the month when normally sane people all over the world call themselves writers and take a head first dive into the deep end.

It isn't too late to join us. You answer to no one but yourself and your muse. Hopefully, the muse will learn to answer to you. The only fellow completely unwelcome is your internal editor.

To join the rest of us challenging ourselves, go to: http://www.nanowrimo.org/.

Last week I mentioned a few basics about the writing software, Scrivener. It's still a thumbs up. But, I've begun to use it in conjunction with Writer's Blocks, which is also available for a trial download at http://www.writersblocks.com/. Take a look at the screen shot, above. With that jewel of a program I can get an instant picture and printout of my entire novel. Consider each column a chapter and each block a scene. From the color coding, I can tell which character has the point of view in each scene. The program even comes with a word processor. Yes, you can definitely write the entire book in the program. I love the versatility of the program. Remove the columns and add link lines and you have the potential for some completely unstructured brainstorming.

In spite of the flexibility of each program, I admit to liking Writer's Blocks for its ability to show me a snapshot of my book. Perhaps it's that I've been using Writer's Blocks since almost the beginning--1.0 with a suitable letter following--and I know how to use it to get what I need in a hurry. I tried keeping track of that visual picture of my novel by color coding the binder in Scrivener and found it too distracting. Perhaps because the structure of the book isn't set in stone, yet, and I kept having to flip back to the note card section to check what happens in that scene.

What each program does, it does exceptionally well. In Scrivener, I don't care for the outline feature, and that might be because I'm already in the writing stage, and still learning the program. After I've gotten about half way through writing the book, I'll print my Writer's Blocks layout, and only go back to that program on the computer if I have major structural changes to make.

I will definitely purchase Scrivener, and will also continue to use Writer's Blocks. The combination of the two programs will be hard to beat.

Scrivener to the Rescue

2011-11-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

During this year's NaNoWriMo I'm trying out something new. New to me, at least. the software is Scrivener, a computer program that has been available to Mac lovers for years. If I'd known about this writing environment, I'd have been tempted to buy a Mac. Now, the Windows trial version is available. It works amazingly well for those millions of writers who don't work chronologically.

This little beauty actually leaps that hurdle. It keeps everything organized and yet allows you to word out of chronological order. In the upper right of the screen shot is much loved note card. In the center is the editor window which can be split either horizontally or vertically which allows the writer to work on two different areas of the compiled manuscript at once.

The Scrivener tutorial suggests that you think as though every scene or whatever small block of material you're working with as having an index card attached to it. If you click on a different folder in the Binder--that's the section at the far left--the scenes in that folder become visible. Click on one of those scenes and that scene opens up as well as that block of text's index card.

The top, bottom or both windows of the editor can be viewed in the corkboard that shows your that particular folder's index cards.

I'm using this program for NaNoWriMo and so far haven't had any problem. This program is a good one. And, if you're participating in NaNo, you can get a free Windows trial version that will work until the middle of December. Their web site is:

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/

On Your Marks, Get Set, Stop?

2011-11-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Say what?

Yes, I know. On Monday night I was so ready to start writing on this year's NaNoWriMo. Then the contest bug bit me. It's been a long time. The contest is the Silicon Valley Chapter of RWA's 2011 Gotcha contest. Just send in the first fifteen pages of an unpublished manuscript. Simple, right? Wrong.

I'm a failed perfectionist, and it's difficult for me to let the pages slip from my fingers until I'm certain I can do no better. That's why I'm a compulsive re-writer. So, I pulled out a couple of manuscripts and started polishing. Yesterday, alone I printed and tweaked those fifteen pages three times. I'm not too embarrassed to say that one of those was to check each comma against the Chicago Manual of Style. Then, I printed that second entry once again this morning. Almost any writer will tell you that text looks differently on a screen than on paper. Different things pop out.

So, what's my word count on NaNo after two full days? Two hundred eleven words. But, like Scarlett O'Hara said, tomorrow is another day. I'm a really fast typist.

National Novel Writing Month

2011-10-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

You get thirty-one 24 hour days, and not one word is allowed before November 1 or after November 30. Prewriting and plotting are great, the planning of characters and conflict are fine, too. But not one word of the book.If we reach that coveted 50,000 word mark, we win... what? An icon much like the ones above, only it says WINNER! You get the satisfaction of having done it. The words don't have to sing or even yodel. They just have to be.

How many people long to write a book, to be published, to communicate... something. They yearn for the time when their children are older, more independent. They wait for the time when they can devote themselves full time to the task. Many promise themselves they'll do it after they retire. They never do it, sadly.

The thing about this challenge that brings me joy is knowing that so many people are actually doing it. It's just for a month, you know. They can write every day for a month. Some will enjoy the exercise, then put their manuscripts away and never look at them again. And that's fine. But some will continue even after November. They'll go back to those words they wrote in such a hurry and they'll revised and rework them. They'll strengthen their characters, cut out the deadwood and prune their dialogue. Some will polish their books and send them out, only to have them come back in what seems to be return mail. Or, they'll hear nothing at all for months. Eventually, some of those books will get published. Yes, it has happened. Either way, I applaud them.

Oh, there are those that take offense How dare these people call themselves writers! Just the mention of NaNoWriMo Director Chris Baty's book "No Plot, No Problem" makes them crazy. A novel needs a plot!! Often, they resent someone who spent a month typing 50,000 thousand words of unintelligible drivel calling themselves a writer, or worse, an author.

In a way, I understand where they're coming from. They've worked long and hard, many for decades sweating blood over each book, each word. They've struggled to understand and learn this business. After rejections and despair they get "the call". They're published. Then, one day at the gym someone announces that they've just completed their first book and wants to know the name of their agent. They want fast action because they worked on it for a whole month!

My response: You can't fix a blank page, only one with words on it. I still support this program. In 2005 they had over 59,000 participants. Almost 10,000 people world-wide wrote their 50,000 words.In addition, in 2004 and 2005 the NaNoWriMo organization contributed over $20,000 to Room to Read to build libraries for kids in Cambodia. Those libraries are up and running now.

Pantzer to Plotter: Crossing the Barrier

2011-10-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

In this article, award-winning author Dianna Shuford explains the difference and shares her journey.

Board to Death - A Book Review

2011-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Amy Barkman, Debbie Roome and Tracy Ruckman have a new book out, the first in a new series. Have a look:

Baby Boomers Polly Nichols, Lindsay Wilson and Gretchen Anderson may live worlds apart, but they have one common hobby—a penchant for board games.

Polly’s serene Kentucky campground turns sinister when the manager is a VICTIM of murder. In New Zealand, Lindsay’s life is turned upside down when MIND GAMES and evidence drag her into a murder case—as a suspect. At the Kettle’s On Campground in Georgia, Gretchen matches wits with a murderous wordsmith intent on winning the latest game of SENTENCED.

You’ll love the games, the characters, and the stories—and we promise, you won’t be BOARD to Death!

Board to Death: A Trio of Mysteries in the Dangerous Game Series contains stories linked with a couple of characters and three board games, Victim, Mind Games, and Sentenced. The characters immediately drew me into their well-crafted worlds. Each story is fast moving, and kept me turning pages. There is a romance subplot, but it adds motivation and doesn’t take over the book. Emotion, murder and mystery with lives on the line. Each story was an evening’s entertainment. When my husband interrupted me to ask what I thought of something on TV, I looked up and said, “I wasn’t listening.” What more could anyone want?

Who, Me? A Hypocrite?

2011-10-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Encarta dictionary says a hypocrite as, "somebody who pretends to have admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings but behaves otherwise."In Matthew 23:27-28 Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
This commentary isn't about those who make a habit of sin, or those who deliberately teach false doctrine. There are plenty of those individuals hidden within the body of Christ, who have done unspeakable damage to other Christians, the church, and the name of Christ among unbelievers. Believe me, God will deal with them justly. (See Matthew 13:24-30.)

But, I think the term is too often and too easily applied. To me, a hypocrite is someone who claims to be walking righteously before God and yet in secret—knowingly and willingly—violates the standards to which they hold others. There's a huge difference between that person and one who tries and sometimes fails to attain the high standards God’s Word sets. Need convincing?

In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

So, was the Apostle Paul a hypocrite? I think not. He was a Christian who fell short of the high standard of perfection. In my opinion, a better measuring stick would be not what am I as a Christian, but what am I becoming. Compare who I am, now, to who I was when I came to know Christ. We cannot expect a new babe in Christ to walk with the same wisdom and constancy as one who'd been walking with God for many years. Am I growing? Am I becoming more like Him? Am I beginning to yield spiritual fruit? Am I allowing God to work on my “stuff?” Working on it myself? Do I harbor ungodly habits, thought patterns and attitudes?

As my husband puts it: God says, “I AM that I AM.” Popeye says, “I yam what I yam.” Greg Morgan says, “I am what I am becoming.”

In Matthew 7:2 Jesus warns us all, "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." It’s not that we don’t render judgment at all. It’s that in our dealings with others, if we judge harshly and dispense little mercy, that is how God will judge us.

I can hear someone screaming. But Jesus, himself, called some of the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. But take a look at the scripture again. He knew their thoughts. He knew the condition of their hearts and deepest motivations. Can we truly know what a person is thinking? Their deepest motivation? It isn’t that we’re not supposed to judge actions and even attitudes, at all. But we must do so with the same wisdom and compassion that God does. In my opinion, we are to judge an action or attitude, not the person.

If my attitude or actions fall short, I pray someone close to me will speak the truth in love and call me on it. I want never to bring shame to the name of Christ. If what we want is to help an erring brother or sister, we’d best approach them with love, even if it needs to be tough love.

Chocolate-Filled Cream Puffs

2011-10-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

This evening I'm making a batch of chocolate-filled cream puffs to take to our Precepts Bible study brunch in the morning and thought you all might like the recipe. This little cookbook came with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Of course, when my husband bought it for me, I was anxious to try it out. I have changed the recipe a little, but basically it's the same. Sometimes I substitute pudding from a box, either vanilla or chocolate, for the filling.

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Pillsbury Best All-Purpose Flour
4 eggs
Powdered sugar (optional)

Chocolate Filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 ounces) PET Evaporated Milk
1 1/3 cupts water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla

Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup PET Evapoeated Milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat water, butter and salt in 1 1/2 quart saucepan over high heat to a full rolling boil. reduce heat and quickly stir in Pillsbury Best Flour, stirring vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a ball.

Place mixture in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and add eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Stop and scrape bowl. turn to Speed 4 and beat 15 seconds.

Drop scant 1/4 cupfuls of dough into 12 mounds 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Cool slightly on wire racks, then slice in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Scrape insides of puffs gently with fork to remove any soft dough, then cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate Filling. Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt in large saucepan. Gradually stir in Pet Evaporated Milk and water. Add unsweetened chocolate. Cook and stir over mediium heat until mixture is very thick and chocolate has melted completely, frequently scraping bottom of pan with flat spatula. Bring to a simmer and simmer for one full minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until chocolate chips have melted completely. Pour into medium bowl and cover refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare Hot Fudge Sauce. Place all incredients in heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts completely.

To serve, fill bottom halves of cream puffs with about 1/3 cup Chocolate Filling, place cream puff tops on filling. Lightly dust with powdered sugar (if desired), then drizzle with the Hot Fudge Sauce.

Per serving: about 363 calories. 7 G PRO, 42 G CARB, 20 G FAT, 102 MG CHOL, 36 MG SOD

The Loss of a Good Friend

2011-09-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

I heard yesterday of the passing of a dear friend, Lorraine Stephens. As one of the founding partners of Wings-ePress, she gave me my first contract. She was a problem solver with a servant's heart. She was also a wonderfully creative quilter and in recent months began teaching, again. Her Canaan dogs and her family were precious to her.

Already widowed when Wings was founded ten years ago, she seemed to give almost every waking moment to nurturing her authors. She once told me "I just want to make their dreams come true."

Are Chistians Intolerant?

2011-09-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of anger out there against Christianity and Christians. I expect it'll get worse during this political season. One of the first accusations we usually hear--and one of the mildest, lately--is that we're intolerant of other religions.

The charge of intolerance comes because we believe faith in Jesus is the only way to God. We’re perceived as arrogantly stating: if you don’t believe what I believe, you’ll spend eternity in hell. When a Christian shares their faith, it shouldn't be out of the self-righteous superiority that says that I’m right and you’re wrong, but out of brotherly love. Something along the lines of:

I’ve made a friend who brings me unspeakable joy. His compassion is endless because in his time on earth, he knew physical pain and emotional brokenness. One of his best friends betrayed Him. He experienced the rejection and scorn of his own family. Many of my relationships, my emotions and my body have been healed. I despaired of living a life of meaning, but now I have hope again. I've experienced something life-changing and I want to share it with you.

The "problem" with the Christian worldview is that it deals in absolutes. Few people would say, in effect, “The law of gravity may work for you, but it puts limitations on me that I don't like. It doesn't work for me, so I'll ignore it.” Whether or not we choose to acknowledge gravity’s authority over us, we’re still subject to it. Sounds silly, right? The principle is the same.

Reality doesn't change because we cannot see Jesus sitting on His throne at the right hand of the Father. Some say that Jesus was a good teacher, but not the Son of God, the Creator of all. But Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except by Me.” If He is not the Son of God and, as He claims, the only way to the Father, then He was either insane or a liar.

Reincarnation and Christianity cannot both be true. After our physical deaths we are either reborn into another human body on earth or we enter the realm of the spiritual realm into the presence of God or to await judgment.

Society today seems to agree that there are many ways to God. If we do good things, refrain from any gross sin, we'll go to heaven. God is love, after all. Scripture says so. Could a God of love send people to hell? Or so goes the argument.

Ah, but He must. God isn’t only love. He is also holiness. When Adam and Eve sinned, God had to banish them from the garden. God certainly took no pleasure in it, but it was a necessary, and temporary, separation. God cannot have fellowship with anyone or thing less than holy. His heart is also one of deep abiding love, and He would not abandon mankind. That’s why Jesus came to die. To pay the legal price for our sin.

I have many friends who aren't Christians, and when the time is right I've shared the gospel with them. Because I love and respect them, the differences in our beliefs doesn't affect our friendship. While I don't compromise what I believe, I'm not their judge or their conscience. But, because I try to walk the walk that I talk, they know I'm a Christian. Hopefully, when they want to hear more, they'll feel so secure in our friendship they'll know they can come to me.

1 Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Greater love has no man...

2007-11-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
-- John 15:13-14 NKJV

Our home group has recently begun a study of the book of 1 John. Not surprisingly, the discussion came around the depth of God's love for us and our responsibility to love one another no matter what. During our discussion, I remembered something I'd read many years ago. Here's the story:

A confessed felon was six months into a three year sentence. His life and the lives of his wife and children were a mess. He'd been disgraced. He'd lost his license to practice law. Those some called his compatriots in the conspiracy had been released a month earlier.

Then came the worst blow of all. His son--an honor student in college who'd never given anyone an moment of trouble--was caught with 15 ounces of marijuana and was also in jail. His son said to the arresting officer. "Now you've got both of us."

The felon received a phone call from a Christian brother who'd discovered an old statute still on the books. "I'm going to ask if I can serve the rest of your term for you."

The felon stammered a protest.

"I mean it," he said. "I haven't come to this decision lightly."

"I won't let you."

"Your family needs you, and I can't sleep while you're in prison; I think I'd be a lot happier being inside myself."

Who were they? Chuck Colson and Al Quie.

Al Quie was, at that time, a U.S. Congressman from Minnesota, the 6th ranking minority member in the House of Representatives, and senior minority member of the Education and Labor Committee. He served in Congress from 1958 through 1979 and as Govenor of Minnesota from 1979 through 1983.

His love of his friend would have cost him dearly. Another pertinent fact: Mr. Colson later discovered that Al Cuie--the man who'd volunteered to be incarcerated for two and a half years--had a horror of being closed in.

My source is Born Again, by Chuck Colson, Spire Books, Copyright 1976, 1977 and 1995.

Special Guest Miralee Ferrell

2007-10-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome Miralee. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm over 50, married for 35 years this July, and have two wonderful children, Marnee and Steven. I'm active at our small church, serving on staff with my ministerial license and working with women in a counseling/ministering capacity. My husband and I are looking forward to full retirement soon and taking off for a few months at a time on our 51' sailboat, where my writing will take on an entirely new creativity. We have a horse, a dog and three cats that my daughter and her husband will inherit while we're gone. Thankfully, they live on the adjoining property and are animals lovers.

Tell us a bit about your first sale: who is the publisher? Which book? Genre, etc.

My premiere novel is The Other Daughter—the story of David and Susanne Carson, a couple with an already fragile marriage that’s rocked to its foundation when a young teenaged girl appears at the door….

Here’s a brief summary:

The girl standing at the door took a deep breath, pulling her suitcase a little closer to her trembling legs. "My mama's dead. He's my daddy."Susanne Carson knew that she could trust the love of her life—her husband, David—until she discovered a strange, unkempt young girl on their doorstep, claiming to be David's daughter. Not that their marriage had ever been perfect—David's decision to embrace the Christian faith had strained their relationship. Susanne may not have agreed with his beliefs, but at least she trusted him. Had David been hiding this not-so-little secret from his past? He wanted Susanne to believe in his God, but believing hadn't done much to keep David out of another woman's arms. As David confronts the truth of his past, Susanne must face her own moment of truth as her marriage is taken to the breaking point and the life of one young girl is left in her hands.

It’s women’s contemporary fiction that’s set in the North West, and is being published by Kregel Publications, a well known Christian publishing house.

You have a book about forgiveness, secrets, healing and faith. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Great question and one has a very personal answer. I was brainstorming with a friend who suggested I use an experience from my life as the basis or theme for my first novel. I ran through several scenarios in my head, as we've had many interesting things happen in our marriage...some great, some not. This personal incident did indeed capture the essense of secrets, forgiveness and healing...not as much in my life as in our marriage and the life of an 18 yr old girl. About 17 yrs ago my husband received a letter stating a young woman believed him to be her biological father she'd never met. We agreed to meet and hear her story, and after some investigation came to believe he probably was her dad. The episode was similar to that of David in the book...a one night stand prior to his becoming a Christian, but that's where the similarity stops. He was not dating me at the time, and I had a strong relationship with the Lord and didn't have a problem accepting Trish into our lives.

What themes exist in The Other Daughter that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

The most important theme to me is the one of releasing control of your life to your Heavenly Father, and seeing that He cares more about your future than you ever can. Until a person bows their will to His and falls into His arms, there will be no true, lasting peace....and it's tough to find real forgiveness, or give it to others.

The character of Grandfather, a part Native American relative of David's, didn't exist in the first rough draft, but came quite some time after. He was brought into the picture to help both David and Susanne examine their motives and reactions to one another and to Brianna on a deeper level. He's a picture of unconditional love that we all wish for in our lives and the type of person we could all use, when we're heading the wrong direction.

Remember, this isn't the only stop on Miralee's tour. Keep checking in with the tour. I know Miralee will be sharing more about her own personal journey toward publication.

Read the entire opening scene at Miralee's web site:http://www.miraleeferrell.com/ The Other Daughter is out! Look for it in stores near you, or order from http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.christianbook.com/

Karen Phillips---Sky-High View
http://sky-highview.blogspot.com/

LaShaunda Hoffman—See Ya On The Net
http://lashaunda.blogspot.com/
http://sormagtours.blogspot.com/

21st Angie Arndt---The Road I'm Traveling
http://psmcmanus.blogspot.com/

22nd Deena Peterson---Deena's Books
http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/

23rd Rose McCauley---Stories of Faith, Hope and Love
http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com/

23rd Pattie Reitz----Fresh Brewed Writer
www.xanga.com/pattierwr and http://freshbrewedwriter.blogspot.com/

An Awesome Guest Blogger

2007-10-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine will be with us on Monday to answer questions. She's Miralee Ferrell, whose debut book has just released. It's The Other Daughter, and take my word for it, this is one splendid book. Those who love Women's Fiction will love it. Follow her blog tour to get to know this awesome woman of God. Dates and blog addresses are at the end of this post. Remember, start your week with us on Monday!

The girl standing at the door took a deep breath, pulling her suitcase a little closer to her trembling legs. "My mama's dead. He's my daddy."Susanne Carson knew that she could trust the love of her life—her husband, David—until she discovered a strange, unkempt young girl on their doorstep, claiming to be David's daughter. Not that their marriage had ever been perfect—David's decision to embrace the Christian faith had strained their relationship. Susanne may not have agreed with his beliefs, but at least she trusted him. Had David been hiding this not-so-little secret from his past? He wanted Susanne to believe in his God, but believing hadn't done much to keep David out of another woman's arms.As David confronts the truth of his past, Susanne must face her own moment of truth as her marriage is taken to the breaking point and the life of one young girl is left in her hands.

Read the entire opening scene at Miralee's web site:
http://www.miraleeferrell.com/

The Other Daughter is releasing Nov. 5th, look for it in stores near you, or order from http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.christianbook.com/

List of blogs and dates NEW:
Oct. 20th, Karen Phillips---Sky-High View
http://sky-highview.blogspot.com/

LaShaunda Hoffman—See Ya On The Net
http://lashaunda.blogspot.com/
http://sormagtours.blogspot.com/

21st Angie Arndt---The Road I'm Traveling
http://psmcmanus.blogspot.com/

22nd Deena Peterson---Deena's Books
http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/

22nd Teresa Morgan---Teresa Morgan's Blog
http://www.teresamorgan.blogspot.com/

23rd Rose McCauley---Stories of Faith, Hope and Love
http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com/

23rd Pattie Reitz----Fresh Brewed Writer
http://www.xanga.com/pattierwr%20andand
http://freshbrewedwriter.blogspot.com/

24th Cecelia Dowdy---New Christian Fiction Reviews
http://www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com/

24th Tiffany Amber Stockton--A Fiction-Filled Life
http://www.ambermiller.com/

25th Bonnie Way---The Koala Bear Writer
http://thekoalabearwriter.blogspot.com/

25th Stormi Johnson---Write Thoughts
http://writesthoughts.blogspot.com/

Knowing vs. Feeling

2007-10-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

After conference exhaustion can be a big factor for a lot of writers. For writers who are pitching a book to an editor or agent and have been working for months on proposals and finishing the book, it's a stressful time. We’ve sacrificed our leisure time and stolen hours we should have used for other things—sleeping, for one—in order to work until we’re bleary-eyed coming up with prose that, for lack of a better term, sings. For months we’ve dared to believe that we’re called of God. Then, we’ve attended the conference, gone without sleep, met with our peers as well the editors and agents in the hope that we’re keeping a divine appointment, praying that God will use us. Afterward, we traveled long hours to get home to find our loved ones clamoring for time with us.

Many published authors also find the conference to be stressful as well as a joy. Many are teaching workshops, leading a late night chat, others are spending whatever stolen hours they can catching up with old friends and new ones we don't often get a chance to see. Many nominated for an award. Then, there are those who are involved in the planning and the running of the conference.

I had a great conference, but when I came home, I found my vision a little sharper. Why hadn’t I seen all that clutter piling up? How had all those dust bunnies multiplied so rapidly?

Sound familiar? I was exhausted physically and mentally. My body felt like it’d declared war against me. The enemy isn’t stupid. He knows when and where in my thinking I’m vulnerable. I might as well have been wearing a “kick me” sign.

That’s the reason we don’t live our lives by what we “feel”. We’re to live them according to what we “know”. By what God has said. His Word. While our emotions are valid and very, very real, they also can be liars. As a teenage girl, I sometimes didn’t feel my mother’s love or support. Does that mean she didn’t love me? Of course not. My emotions were lying to me. At different times of our lives, we don’t feel God's love and wonder if He's turned his back on us. the Psalms are full of King David's cries of anguish.

Emotion. Combine that with a lack of healing, or anything else we think God should provide and doesn’t, and you have a major doubt. Fear, even.

The day after I received “the call”, I was so happy, I knew I’d never again doubt my calling. Wrong. At times when I was in physical distress I said there is no way I can do this. But, I know what God’s Word says. Romans 11:29 says, “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” That's the Logos Word of God. But, if I don’t know for certain I’m called, logically, I can't hang on to that as mine. What I need, then, is a Rhema, a Word from God specifically to me and my situation.

Now that's a specific promise or statement of God I can hold on to and rely on just as I rely on God, Himself. Even when my emotions are telling me otherwise.

What I (re-)learned

2007-09-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

What a thrill it was to be among other writers again. The ACFW conference was one of the best I've ever attended. I think the word I'd use to describe the authors, editors, planners, staff and volunteers, there, is unity. It wasn't just a unity of purpose, but a unity of motivation. Let God be glorified in me. Yes, for some this is our job. For other's it's a dream. But... whether our writing is a direct calling from God, or an offering to God from a heart that wants to glorify Him, The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. As we submit to Him, as we seek Him, he opens the doors He'd have us walk through.

James Scott Bell was our keynote speaker, and what a job he did in inspiring us. Some came to the conference wondering if they'd really, truly heard the voice of God when he called them to write. Others came simply discouraged and enjoyed a mountaintop experience. Lots of us were overwhelmed at the numbers of writers. So many came simply to be a blessing.

It was a joy for me to be among people like me. I wasn't an oddball in this group. We were unified in our worship, in our dreams, in our desire to learn.

Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of Relucant Burgular and Reluctant Runaway is an absolute jewel. She critiqued my synopsis and first chapters of my current book and opened my eyes to little mistakes that I never saw, before. Her books are so good, that at the conference I bought copies of both her books for a friend. My friend is already into the second. Jill's next book, Reluctant Smuggler will arrive on the shelves in January of 2008.

I've also learned what an introvert I've become over the last several years since my car accident. I'm beginning to miss my wry sense of humor. My roommate, Renae, had so much energy I sat watching her, amazed. Then, we compared ages and I realized she could be my daughter!

Margie Lawson taught us how to empower our characters' emotions to create deeper, better motivated characters. She taught us to use her EDITS system to help us to power up our scenes and rhetorical devices we'd never heard of. Ever heard the word: anaphora? And this was just the Early Bird session! Check out her web site at: http://www.margielawsom.com/. I believe she has an on-line class coming up in October.

Blessings, Teresa
__________
The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ro 11:29). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Why, God?

2007-09-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

The ACFW Conference is only 14 days away. Many of us are in overdrive, focussing on finishing our books, polishing our proposals and our pitches. It seems like the last thing I noticed it was the 4th of July!! The summer has flown by.

Scripture says: For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. -- Mark 4:22

In No Greater Gift, a newly-divorced history professor digs into her grandmother’s secret past for the truth about allegations of blackmail and treason. Though she knows the truth may ruin her family's business and disgrace them all, Grace must honor her grandmother's last request.

Grace's faith in God and His love for her is faltering. She's tried to serve and obey Him her entire life, and now it appears she's lost everything. Why?

Over the course of the book Grace learns to trust in God, and to take comfort in His nature as revealed in the scriptures. Even when Grace doesn't understand why, she can trust in His nature: love, justice, righteousness.

The idea for this book came many years ago when I was in a situation where terrible things were happening, and I didn't understand why. I've loved Him, tried to obey and serve Him since I was a young teenager. What did I do to deserve this? The irony is that I started writing this book well before I was through this valley. At one point, like Grace, I was almost convinced that God didn't love me any longer.

I think we all wonder why terrible things happen to good people. But, over the years, I've begun to learn to trust God in the midst of things I don't understand. But believe me, every time I begin to ask why, I have to remind myself. God is good. He never changes, and I can trust Him. When I demand to understand why, I forfeit that precious gift of God: the peace that passes understanding. That's having peace without understanding why. What is the alternative? Turmoil.

Teresa

Conference Time

2007-08-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for the annual American Christian Fiction Writer's Conference. This year, it's in Dallas, Texas from September 20-23, 2007.

For writer, conference time means a chance to pitch our newest books to editors and agents. We'll meet with other authors to learn, brainstorm and critique. There are awesome continuing education and individual workshops offered. The early bird session will be Empowering Characters' Emotions and hosted by Margie Lawson.

As a writer, isolation is sometimes a problem, so this time is precious. We get to meet with other writers, sometimes meeting writers we know on the web, but have never met face to face.

I know that the Word says that we're a peculiar people, but I sometimes think writers are a bit more peculiar.. One of my characters--Erik Petersson--from my current book followed me into church last Sunday and started chattering during worship. I had to shush him more than once. Contrary fellow, as he's been a bit elusive lately, not allowing me into his head and heart.

One author I'm looking forward to meeting is Jill Elizabeth Nelson. Check out Jill's web site. She's an awesome writer of romantic suspense. Both books in her To Catch a Thief series are page turners. The first is Reluctant Burglar, and the second is Reluctant Runaway. Once you meet Desiree Jacobs and her special agent, Tony Lucano, you'll be hooked. A friend of mine took them on vacation and was accused of being antisocial because she kept excusing herself to a back bedroom to read.

Keep reading!

Teresa

The Star Spangled Banner

2007-07-04T11:16:00.002-07:00

Following is the fourth verse of the official American national anthem. As an American Christian, I treasure not only my faith and my country, but also the undeniable connection between the two. Have a blessed Independence Day.

"O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, 'In God is our trust';
And the Star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
(Text from The Army-Navy Hymnal)

Time Passes

2007-01-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Time goes fast, whether we're having fun or not! An update on NanoWriMo: I ended up with a bit over 10,000 words, which is nowhere near what I would have liked. Still, I'm grateful.

I've just returned from the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Washington. What a joy to see the novice and junior divisions as well as the seniors! What incredible potential we have coming up.

On the 17th of February from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., I'll be signing books at Hastings Book and Music in Kennewick, Washington. I'd love to see you there.

And So It Goes...

2006-11-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

Life happens. Unfortunately, because of a few surprises, and a loss of almost a week and a half, I'm no where near where I'd like to be. As of this moment, I'm at 8,512 words. But, I still have eleven days. Good thing I can type over 100 words per minute.

Tata!

Courage and Fearlessness

2006-11-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

I've managed to survive days one and two of NaNoWriMo. As of the end of Day 2, I've written a grand total of 3141 words. The arms and hands are behaving themselves. I'm happy to note that my internal editor has had little to say.

Did you know that where writing is concerned, there's a difference between courage and fearlessness? Ralph Keyes, in The Courage to Write, said:

Working writers aren't those who have eliminated their anxiety. They are the ones who keep scribbling while their heart races and their stomach churns, and who mail manuscripts with trembling fingers. The key difference between writers who are paralyzed by fear and those who are merely terrified is that--like E. B. White--the latter come to terms with their anxieties. They learn how to keep writing even as fear tries to yank their hand from the page. They find the courage to write.

Why do so many of us write in fear and trembling? Because we want desperately to communicate the souls of our characters. Though I've heard many writers say that their characters are complete fabrications with no connection to themselves. My characters come from deep within me. In every story I leave a piece of my own soul.

By the grace of God I won't fall short. I've only just begun digging deeper within myself.

On Your Marks... Get set ...

2006-10-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

While my husband is answering the door for Trick or Treaters, I'm making last minute preparations for the NaNoWriMo ordeal. This year, it's about putting a gag in the mouth of my internal editor. He's tormented me for much too long. I've put aside revisions to book #3 and am writing draft material on a new book, so far without even a working title.

So far I have a character and a bit of her background, and I know what she wants. I also know who doesn't want her to get it, and why. Well, a few someones, anyway. That's what I consider as the basis of any book. That ensures the conflict.

Now I have to figure out what happens next and who these characters become.

Ahhh. Here comes the fun part.

What Kind of Insanity?

2006-10-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, November is National Novel Writing Month. A challenge. Call it a dare if you like, plenty do. This is the month when tens of thousands of ordinarily sane writers around the world challenge themselves or one another to a ridiculous feat of endurance: Write a 50,000 book in a month. You get thirty-one 24 hour days, and not one word is allowed before November 1 or after November 30. Prewriting and plotting are great, the planning of characters and conflict are fine, too. But not one word of the book.

If we reach that coveted 50,000 word mark, we win... what? An icon much like the ones above, only it says WINNER! You get the satisfaction of having done it. The words don't have to sing or even yodel. They just have to be.

How many people long to write a book, to be published, to communicate... something. They yearn for the time when their children are older, more independent. They wait for the time when they can devote themselves full time to the task. Many promise themselves they'll do it after they retire. They never do it, sadly.

The thing about this challenge that brings me joy is knowing that so many people are actually doing it. It's just for a month, you know. They can write every day for a month. Some will enjoy the exercise, then put their manuscripts away and never look at them again. That's great. But some will continue even after November. They'll go back to those words they wrote in such a hurry and they'll revised and rework them. They'll strengthen their characters, cut out the deadwood and prune their dialogue. Some will polish their books and send them out, only to have them come back in what seems to be return mail. Or, they'll hear nothing at all for months.

Eventually, some of those books will get published. Yes, it has happened.

Either way, I applaud them. Oh, there are those that take offense How dare these people call themselves writers! Just the mention of NaNoWriMo Director Chris Baty's book "No Plot, No Problem" makes them crazy. A novel needs a plot!! Often, they resent someone who spent a month typing 50,000 thousand words of unintelligible drivel calling themselves a writer, or worse, an author.

In a way, I understand where they're coming from. They've worked long and hard, many for decades sweating blood over each book, each word. They've struggled to understand and learn this business. After rejections and despair they get "the call". They're published. Then, one day at the gym someone announces that they've just completed their first book and wants to know the name of their agent. They want fast action because they worked on it for a whole month!

My response: You can't fix a blank page, only one with words on it.

I still support this program. In 2005 they had over 59,000 participants. Almost 10,000 people world-wide wrote their 50,000 words.

In addition, in 2004 and 2005 the NaNoWriMo organization contributed over $20,000 to Room to Read to build libraries for kids in Cambodia. Those libraries are up and running now.

Check out their web site: http://www.nanowrimo.org

Spiritually-Minded Puppies

2006-10-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

I've been told that the difference between man and animals is that though animals have a mind, will and emotions, they do not have an everlasting spirit that communes with God. The gentleman that explained this to me said that the thing that proved this to him was that he'd never returned home to find his beloved Yorki--Teddy, by name--sprawled out on the floor communing with God.

After a search of the scriptures, I had to wonder. The book of Revelation speaks of Christ returning to earth on a white horse. In the Old Testament, the Lord used a donkey to rebuke a disobedient prophet.

Not only does God use our pets in our every day life to bring us joy and comfort, to amuse and inspire us, he uses them and all His creation to demonstrate His glory and majesty.

This little cocker spaniel is Misty. Two years ago God healed her of a particularly nasty anemia. Her red blood cells had broken down, flooding her kidneys and liver with bilirubin beyond their capacity to process. Beneath her black fur, her skin turned a fluorescent crayon-box yellow. She had to have transfusions and around the clock care. She was critically ill for six days.

One morning after picking her up at the after hours emergency care vet, I headed to the church. One dear gentleman, a food ministry volunteer, got down on his knees in the parking lot in thirty degree weather to pray for my dog.

Misty is still with us, as cunning and mischievous as ever. To God be the glory. I have no doubt He touched her.

The scripture says that God knows when every sparrow falls to the ground. So, will my cockers live in heaven with me? Perhaps my friend is right. Perhaps not. Still, I couldn't resist the image his words created.

Writing in Fear and Trembling... and in Faith

2006-09-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

And I, brethren, when I came to you,
I did not come with excellence of speech
or of wisdom
declaring to you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching
were not with persuasive words of human wisdom
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men
but in the power of God. (NKJV)

Odd, isn't it, that a writer would find this scripture comforting, but I do. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul was brilliant, one of the most learned men of his time, and had every reason to be confident in the gifts God had given him. Still, sixteen years after his conversion, he still felt the need to depend heavily upon God. Paul didn't want to be limited to his own best. For his beloved children in Christ, Paul wanted God's best.

I've had times during my writing career when words came hard. Even prose that couldn't sing, came hard. My most interesting characters either uttered clichés or stared sullenly into space.

During those times, I've cried out to God. Why? You've called me to write, so why can't I? What am I doing wrong? Why do my words have no life, no emotion? Tell me what to do! At this point, I'd have settled for melodrama. Writing should be a joy, a thrill. Instead, what I perceived as my failure filled me with despair.

When I've reached that point, and have done everything I know to do, everything that's ever worked to release the flow of thoughts and words, I've learned to stop and turn off the computer. Then, I seek the face of God, and hen sit quietly in His presence, waiting. The Holy Spirit sometimes prompts me with this question:

"Why are you putting yourself through this?"

"Why, for you!" I said. "I'm doing this for you! I want to show your love to the world."

After I'd heard my own words, He opened my eyes and I realized the truth. I'd lost focus, and without realizing it, I'd begun to depend solely upon myself and my own giftings to write this impossibly ambitious book.

God reminded me that without Him I may be able to write a suspense novel that would keep the most critical of reviewers up until they'd turned the last page. If that happens, great, but that alone is not what I'm called to do.

My calling is to allow God to enable me to write stories that use His power not only to entertain, but bring hope to reader who is discouraged, to proclaim God's unfailing love and forgiveness, to show the world that there is no place a human heart can go that God cannot follow.

Someone once asked me if I ever had doubts about my ability. Absolutely, I do. Often, in fact. But I don't doubt God's. Not any longer. I've even tried to quit writing, but God keeps calling me back. I know that if I quit, when I look back on my life, I'd have failed. So in faith, I continue. I still have to study my craft and work hard. I have to exercise discipline. I have to show up at the page whether I feel like it or not. God helping me, I'll do it.

When my doubts threaten to overwhelm me, I return to another favorite scripture:

"... being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

- Philippians 1:6

Photograph copyright Greg Morgan,

Stained glass window of New Hope Community Church, Clackamas, Oregon

Smart Cat

2006-09-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

I adore animals of all kinds, with the exception of rodents and bugs. This fellow belongs to a old friend of mine. Some would question his sanity. If I found myself in this position, I'd probably need a chiropractor. Linda caught him during a time of intense play, and he stayed in this position only for only the instant she snapped the picture. He scampered across the grass in just a few leaps and up the side of the fence. Something he does even while in the house. But, I can't look at this picture without smiling.

The Web Site

2006-08-23T16:34:00.001-07:00

If you're a writer, you know that your own web site is essential to get the word out. Unfortunately, mine hasn't been updated lately. Imagine how surprised I was when I tried to log in and was denied permission due to an authentication error.

What do you mean? I have to prove I'm an authentic person? Hey, I'm security consious, but I thought the ISP was going a little overboard when the password I was using for my internet account and my e-mail account was determined not authentic. What? You want to see my birth certificate? I was told different things at different times. Once I was told: we offer web space, but we don't support it. A week later, I got a hold of a poor longsuffering tech support person who spent almost half an hour going the extra mile again and again. God bless the man. I thought he'd end up having run a marathon. My next contact was in response to a message on my phone giving me another phone number to call and instructing me to "ask for a level three technician." When I did so, the operator blurted out an impressed, "Wow!" I was connected immediately.

We all have similar tales of woe. Mine aren't any different. Soon, I hope to my updated web site will be up and running. I got a sneak peak at the custom graphics the most talented web artist is designing for me. Check out her sets at http://www.danaleasgraphics.com. For years I've visited her site just to look at her designs. She also does custom work. As soon as she's done, I hope to have my new and improved site up and working.

Summary of My Afternoon

2006-08-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

A new friend of mine generously allowed me to share her thoughts on writer's block. I couldn't agree with her more. Swing by and say hello to her at http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com.

A Summary of My Afternoon
by Betsy Ann St. Amant

Writers block, you really stink
I need an idea, I need a link!
What to say? Where to go?
My spirits have sunk so very low.

I need a gimmick, I need a plan
My heroine desperately needs a man!
Adjectives and adverbs, don’t fail me now!
Prepositions and nouns, please tell me how!

What will I do? How will this end?
Time ticks by that I don’t have to spend.
The pressure mounts, the page stays bare
My eyes glaze over as I continue to stare

Tension builds, desperation rises
A blank manuscript just doesn’t win prizes!
The end is looming, the tunnel is dark
My palms are sweaty until – hark!

What’s that? A word? It glimmers bright
I type it out, the tunnel flickers light
Another word follows, behold, a phrase!
Oh precious muse, promise you’ll stay!

I’m on a roll - now, a paragraph!
When this is over, I just might even laugh.

An Act of Hope

2006-08-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Writing is an act of hope. It means carving order from chaos.
– Jack Heffron, The Writer's Idea Book

That just about says it. All the sounds, smells, scenes, fragments of scenes, thoughts and surges of emotions must be pulled into order. As I begin a new book, the characters' faults and failures, their kindnesses and cruelties, the why's and how's of their actions, make my head spin. They're all a part of the heroine's struggle to overcome what she must, or die trying.

Sitting down at the computer is an act of hope. Communicating the essence of the characters and their stories is always a challenge. Sometimes it's as much a struggle for me to write the story as it is for the character to live it out. Still, there's a joy in the struggle.

Discovering, the struggle as well as the joy that comes with it, is something I crave. These characters won't leave me alone. This book, tentatively titled No Greater Gift, has been a stretch for me. The plotline is more intricate than any I've attempted before, and the characters face more than choices between not just stark right and wrong.

This is another book of my heart so, as Jacob wrestled with the angel, I keep wrestling with this book. One of my characters is trying to be mysterious. He probably thinks that because his mission in London during WWII is secret, that his deeper thoughts and emotions must be, too. Perhaps he's annoyed that tis isn't "his" story. He's got another think coming.

On to work! Blessings to you today

Teresa