The Heart of Writing

The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts...Cyclopedia of Information for the Home

2011-11-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

I have heard several people comment about Amazon.com having free Kindle books for free downloads, but haven't even bothered to check it out because (((gasp))) I don't own a Kindle or any other digital reading device. At present, I'm one of those readers who enjoy holding the book in my hands. However, since I write historical fiction, I'm always on the look out for research material. My fellow blogger, Sue sent me a link for a free Kindle download from Amazon.com for the book, The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care for the Sick, Health Suggestion, Facts...Cyclopedia of Information for the Home by Fanny Lemira Gillette.

I followed the link to find that Amazon.com has a download for people like me who aren't ready to commit to purchasing a Kindle. It is called Kindle for PC. Readers can use this download to install a Kindle program on their computer and voila!!! Readers can enjoy any Kindle book on Amazon.com.

After having downloaded Kindle for PC, I then noticed that the cookbook link my friend sent me wasn't the only free book on Amazon.com. Most all the popular classics, such as Pride and Prejudice, Aesop's Fables, Treasure Island, and so many more books are free.

The Whitehouse Cookbook was an interesting read and one I can use for development of my stories and maybe even useless information that I find amusing. Did you know since I have downloaded this treasure trove of information that I now possess the recipe for Squirrel Soup? Green Turtle Soup? What I'd really like to know is what in the world are the finer parts of the turtle and where exactly is the green fat found? There is even a recipe for Frogs Fried and Frogs Stewed. Only the hind-legs and quarters are used.

I have even discovered a recipe that has been used my mother's family for generations which we seemed to have shortened over the years. We have enjoyed Salmon Croquettes (I'm supposing southern-style) and have passed the recipe on to our children. The recipe I received from my mother was 1-canned salmon, bread crumbs, and egg. Mix together. Form patties. Fry them in hot grease. Serve with milk gravy. However, here is the 1887 version of the same recipe but I think probably more richer with more calories.

Salmon Croquettes

One pound of cooked salmon (about one and a half pints when chopped), one cup of cream, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one tablespoonful of flour, three eggs, one pint of crumbs, pepper and salt; chop the salmon fine, mix the flour and butter together, let the cream come to a boil, and stir in the flour and butter, salmon and seasoning; boil one minute; stir in one well-beaten egg, and remove from the fire; when cold make into croquettes; dip in beaten egg, roll in crumbs and fry. Canned salmon can be used.

I had no idea salmon came canned in 1887. Who knew? The same recipe is used for every meat listed in the cookbook: salmon, lobster, crab, oysters, chicken, and beef. The beef croquettes adds hot mashed potatoes.

The book also teaches the housewife to cook all manner of organs. Beef hearts, beef liver, boiled beef and tongue. I'm not quite certain about all the recipes of which meat is used to make pudding. In my mind, I'm seeing vanilla and chocolate pudding, perhaps even fruit flavored puddings, but meat? Veal pudding sounded almost promising with its addition of bacon, but I'm not sure what a suet crust is or what a pudding cloth is either? Maybe I need a dictionary to go along with my reading? But by far, the worst pudding I read was Black Pudding. The main ingredient is coagulated blood of a pig. Yep, those plucky pioneers didn't let anything go to waste.

Here's a recipe that will really wake up your appetite. Calf's Head boiled. I won't give you the details of the recipe because after that Black Pudding recipe I'm a feeling a little nauseous. But think Calf's Head equals Spam.

Ooh, did you know that ketchup or as pioneers called it, Catsup was around back in 1887? The recipes say that if you bottle your catsup immediately while hot, and tightly sealed it will keep good for years. But red catsup wasn't the only one they had. There's a recipe for green tomato catsup too. That reminds me of the green or purple ketchup Heinz came out with years ago. The cookbook also lists walnut catsup, oyster catsup, mushroom catsup, and other flavors like gooseberry, cucumber, currant, apple, celery, and spiced vinegar catsup.

As far as helpful information, the cookbook has planned menus for the holidays and a sample menu for a White House State Dinner...think French food. A menu for Mrs. Cleveland's wedding lunch June 4, 1888 is also listed...again think French food or French words I cannot pronounce or even try to spell. Etiquette for the White House is listed as well with the disclaimer: Etiquette as observed in European courts is not known at the White House. Funny? I didn't know Rednecks were around then. Information is then listed on how to check your coat in at the cloakroom as well as where to sit. Then the menu is given. The first course is French style (no surprise there), second service is sweet dishes, third service includes desserts, fruits, ice, cakes, and all principal dishes are presented to the President before serving the guests. I was disappointed to learn that the fancy folding of napkins in 1887 was considered out of fashion. A plain square folded napkin with the monogram in the middle was preferred.

For treating the sick, the cookbook cautions housewives to consider the needs of the sick first. Don't serve an invalid milk for this may constipate the patient. As a rule, invalids should be served their food in small, delicate pieces in dainty dishes. Some recipes for ailments include serving an alcoholic beverage of Blackberry Cordial to infants to relieve pain from teething and summer diseases. Yeah, I bet they didn't feel any pain. Colds are due to men sealing the house up tight during winter. The family can stave off suffering from a cold if they drink a whiskey or a glass or two of beer before supper. After a few glasses, I'm sure they didn't suffer from anything.

A toothache can be cured by saturating a piece of gauze and lying it on the tooth. Follow that with a mixture of Alum powder and salt. To cure an earache: puff tobacco smoke into the sufferer's ear. For a burn, use butter and if that doesn't help add baking soda, the yellow of an egg, and apply with a feather. Of course, with a little flour and sugar and vanilla they could also make cookies to keep the burn victim's mind off the pain. For a sore throat, gargle with hot, salt water with a little alum and honey. Follow this with bacon soaked in hot vinegar applied to the throat as hot as possible. The sick can even gargle with equal parts of borax and alum. They can gargle and do their laundry at the same time.

One last recipe for the sick. A cure for felons: take a common rock, heat it in the oven, pound it fine, and mix with the spirits of turpentine. Put it in a rag and wrap the felon. In twenty-four hours you are cured and the felon is dead. My question is how can you convince the felon to allow you to wrap him in turpentine? That or maybe nineteenth century folks defined felon different than we define it.

Toward the end of the book, there are helpful laundry hints like how to wash black lace and how to wash feathers. Who said 19th century brides were prudish? Did you know that washing feathers required ironing too? Adding alum to the rinse water will keep dresses uninflammable.

I leave you today with a few facts worth knowing:

To Prevent Oil from Becoming Rancid - Drop a few drops of ether into the bottle containing it.

Slicing Pineapples: - The knife used for peeling a pineapple should not be used for slicing it, as the rind contains an acid that is apt to cause a swollen mouth and sore lips. The Cubans use salt as an antidote for the ill effects of the peel.

Choking: - a piece of food lodged in the throat may sometimes be pushed down with the finger, or removed with a hair-pin quickly straightened and hooked at the end, or by two or three vigorous blows on the back between the shoulders.

Table Etiquette: - Be careful to keep the mouth shut closely while masticating the food. It is the opening of the lips which causes the smacking which seems very disgusting.

The Chuck Wagon Cook Book Recipes from the Ranch and Range for Today's Kitchen by Byron Price Publisher University of Oklahoma Press

2011-07-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

Ah, Dutch ovens! A cast iron wonder and so popular on cattle trails. I own one and cook in it occassionally indoors. I have used it on a gas stove, electric stove, and in an electric oven. After reading this book, I am even more curious about cooking outdoors.

The first part of this book relates history of outdoor, cattle drive cooking. I learned that Dutch ovens come in sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16-inch diameters. The camp fire should be built on a large piece of tin foil to increase the heat and fight the effects of damp earth. The amount of charcoal briquets depend on the size of the Dutch oven. For example, a 14-inch Dutch oven needs 28 briquets. The charcoals need to burn until they are coated with white ash and then the coals are placed in a circle without any coals in the center. The Dutch oven is then placed over the ring of coals. Garden tools like a spade is used to place the remaining coals on the dutch oven lid.

Temperatures have a formula. Medium heat is the diameter of the oven times two to equal the number of charcoal briquets to be used. High heat is the diameter of the oven times three to equal the number of charcoal briquetss needed.

There are so many yummy ranch recipes in this book. Drinks, breads, appetizers, main dishes, and desserts which can all be cooked in a Dutch oven grace the pages of this book. One recipe which I enjoyed over the campfire as a child, is listed below with the name of the person who submitted the recipe to the author.

Cowboy's Dutch Oven Delight
by Cliff Tienert of Long X Ranch, Kent, Texas

Makes 1 large loaf, about 12 servings

Ingredients

Sourdough bread (doubled) (Debra here: as a child we used a couple of cans of biscuits. Probably not as delicious as sourdough bread makings but still enjoyable. To obtain the recipe for the sourdough starter mix you will need to acquire the book.)

1 cup sugar

1-tablespoon of ground cinnamon

3/4-cup of melted butter

Make the sourdough bread dough through step 4. (Debra here: open a can of biscuits) Tear off pieces about the size of golf balls and roll them between your floured hands to form smooth balls. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the balls in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Place each ball in a well-buttered 14-inch Dutch oven. Drizzle any remaining butter on top, and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon/sugar. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and let the balls rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2-1/2 hours. (Debra here: if using canned biscuits the need for rising is not needed.)

Build a charcoal fire with 28-briquets and let them burn until they are coated with white ash. Using a garden spade or kitchen tongs (protect your hands with oven mitts), spread about 10 of the coals in a 14-inch circle, pushing the other coals to one side. Do not place any coals in the center of the circle.

Place the Dutch oven over the ring of coals. Use the spade to place the remaining 18 coals on the lid. Cook until the bread is golden brown, about 45-minutes. Let stand 10-minutes, then remove from the Dutch oven. Serve warm, pulling off portions of the bread to eat.

Yummy!

Sometimes the cowboys on the trail couldn't be burdened down with heavy Dutch ovens or cast iron skillets. Instead of using these cooking instruments they would use what they could find. The recipe above was used with the bread dough wrapped around a stick with the cinnamon/sugar/butter added on. Then the stick was held near the campfire. This is how I had enjoyed the above recipe. Outdoors, eating the tasty treat off a stick. Try it sometime with your children or grandchildren.

Cast Iron Stoves

2010-02-08T21:33:00.000-06:00

In the nineteenth century, women's chores were difficult. Laundry was washed near a creek or over a cast iron cauldron with a stick. Women needed strong, muscular arms to wring heavy wet clothes, carry buckets of water, and iron clothes with a hot, cast, iron.

Strong arms were also needed in the kitchen. Women had to cook food, which she had to cut through thick muscles of beef and bones. An industrious women used her strong arms to bring cut wood into her kitchen and shove into her cast iron stove to cook a large meal for her husband and children.

Working the stove was difficult by our standards as well. Between the firebox and the chimney, a series of manual dampers and levers controlled the air and smoke flow, the rate of burning, and consequently the cooking temperatures. The fire was lit with all dampers open, after which adjustments redirected the heat and smoke to a passageway surrounding the oven to heat it. As the ovens were without self-regulating thermostats, overheating was prevented by opening oven doors temporarily, cutting down on the fire's air flow. To maintain temperature, women checked the relatively small fire-box, testing for heat by hand, and stoked it frequently.

Not only was the stove heavy, but so was the cookware. The tea kettle was extremely heavy and that was without it filled with water. Cast iron cookware, such as dutch ovens, muffin pans, and skillets were also heavy.

With knowledge of women's chores and the heavy appliance and cookware, it is no wonder why potential husbands and their mothers wished for women who were strong and could handle her own in the kitchen to be good, productive wives.

Love Untamed by JoAnn Chartier and Chris Enss

2009-11-01T12:41:00.002-06:00

I've been reading several books on what life was like in the 19th Century. I wish I could read them faster and retain everything I've read. I have so many ideas for book reviews, but just can't seem to keep up to date on my reading.

My current favorite book is, Love Untamed, Romances of the Old West, by JoAnn Chartier and Chris Enss.

Some of the real life love stories in this book are tragic with no happily-ever-after-ending, however there are several that end on a happy note and these stories are my favorite.

Backcover Blurb:
In these pages you'll meet a soiled dove who longed for a fairy-tale romance but instead fell for an ailing miner; a quiet schoolmarm who risked life and limb for her adventuresome husband; a spinster who refused to reveal the secrets of her heart despite a proposal from a dashing, prominent rancher; an actress who found her true love when she needed him most; and a rich couple who lost everything except their intense dedication to each other.

The romances of thirteen couples are explored in this book and represent the variety of relationships and love affairs that added color, controversy, and commitment to the unmatched days of the Old West.

Since HEA are my favorite endings, I want to tell you about two of the romances which I adore. The first one is about a couple madly in love with one another and leave their families and friends after their wedding with all their wedding gifts and all their clothes and set off on a ship to Honeymoon on the east coast.

However, as they near the southeastern coast of the U.S.A, a hurricane pops up. The storm takes their ship. Row boats are lowered into the water and women and children are the first to board. As the new wife boards another boat, she watches as the lights from the boat her husband is on sinks deep into the blackness of the ocean during the darkness of the night. Heartbroken, she sails to their destination point a new wife turned grieved wife.

When her ships docks, she disembarks. News at the harbor suggests that another rescue boat boarded all the men from the sinking ship she and her husband had sailed on. Trying not to get her hopes too high, she begins looking for her husband. In the distance, she discovers her husband is looking for her. Together at last, they embrace grateful God had spared their lives. Together, they owned not a stitch of clothing nor any of their gifts had survived. But together they cherished the greatest gift of God...love. The couple went on to live their life to the fullest, which included a home of their and children they adored.

My next favorite story is about teenage love. A young man took a fancy to a young woman. He escorted her to a town social. At the party, he became jealous of his best friend's attentions toward this young woman. The young men challenged each other to a pistol duel. Our young man shoots and kills his best friend. He runs away leaving the young woman heartbroken, yearning for his love.

As the years pass, the young woman had many men interested in her, but refused their attentions. She determined if she couldn't have her young man than she wouldn't marry at all.

The young man left the east coast and headed for the mountains in the mid-west. He learned how to survive on nature alone...becoming a sort of mountain man.

The woman heard stories of a wild man whose personality resembled her one true love, but as she made inquiries she soon discovered that this man had died.

Fifteen years had passed and the young woman's father loads up the family and travels west. As they near Colorado they are watched by angry Indians.

Miles away the young man turned wild man hears of some travelers who are being stalked by Indians. When one of the witnesses remarks about the traveler's last name the man assumes his one true love is one of them. He and his friends rides to save the family.

As they arrive, the Indians attack, killing the father. The wild man chases off the Indians and returns to the wagon. There he finds the girl of his dreams, the love of his youth, the reason he never could allow himself to marry. The woman who held his heart.

Together, they took the family to their destination and then they married, living happily-ever-after.

I think what really amazes me about that story is how ironic it is for a man who loses himself in the woods in middle America to pop up in the nick of time to save the woman he left behind on the east coast.

Sometimes real life is better than fiction.

A Slow Burn

2009-09-28T18:23:00.005-05:00

Recently, Zondervans mailed me a copy of Mary DeMuth's latest release, A Slow Burn. This week is the book's debut and I'm participating in the book's blog tour. I'm posting an interview with Mary DeMuth. At the end of the interview, I'll add links to other sites which are also participating in the blog tour.

I pray A Slow Burn has a successful debut week and the book's message will reach and touch the heart's of many.

If you are interested in reading A Slow Burn, follow this link to Amazon.com to purchase your copy. A Slow Burn on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310278376

Backcover Blurb:

A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth.

She touched Daisy’s shoulder.

So cold.

So hard.

So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer-a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.

Mary DeMuth's Biography:

Mary DeMuth is an expert in the field of Pioneer Parenting. She helps Christian parents plow fresh spiritual ground, especially those seeking to break destructive family patterns. Her message guides parents who don’t want to duplicate the home where they were raised or didn’t have positive parenting role models growing up.

An accomplished writer, Mary’s parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God. Her real-to-life novels inspire people to turn trials into triumphs: Watching the Tree Limbs (2007 Christy Award finalist, ACFW Book of the Year 2nd Place) and Wishing on Dandelions (2007 Retailer’s Choice Award finalist).

Mary is a frequent speaker at women’s retreats and parenting seminars, addressing audiences in both Europe and the United States. National media regularly seek Mary’s candid ability to connect with their listeners. Her radio appearances include FamilyLife Today, Moody Midday Connection, and U.S.A. Radio network. She also has articles published in Marriage Partnership, In Touch, and HomeLife.

As pioneer parents, Mary and her husband Patrick live in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France where they planted a church.

Learn more about Mary at http://marydemuth.com/.

Now for the interview:

How did you get involved in writing?

I’ve been writing since college when the bug hit me. I wrote my first short story about a missionary going to Russia (when it was firmly encased behind the iron curtain) and having to do all these clandestine things to share the gospel. I’m embarrassed to write this, but the piece started with these four words: Thump, thump, thump, thump (representing the protagonist’s heartbeat, of course).

I’ve been actively writing since 1992 when my daughter Sophie was born. I created a newsletter that helped moms manage their homes. I bought my first computer from the proceeds. I also designed and edited church newsletters, wrote homeschooling curriculum, and even wrote a script for an ultrasound training video. Soon after, short stories started flying out of me. When we moved from East Texas to Dallas for my husband to go to Dallas Seminary, I decided to get serious. I met my friend Sandra Glahn then, a professor at the seminary and a published writer. She shepherded me through the query-letter-writing process and has been an incredible cheerleader.

In 2002, I wrote my first novel. In 2003, I signed with an agent, then signed two nonfiction books. Since then, I’ve had five books published (those included), Daisy Chain being my sixth book. The first novel I wrote is yet to be published.

How do you find time to write?

I make time to write. I give myself word count goals every day. While my children are at school, I work full time. Lately I’ve been writing and promoting like a crazy woman, pulling 10-12 hour shifts. Even so, it’s a priority for me to have a sit-down dinner with my family every night. It helps that I love to cook.

What do you enjoy most about the writing process?

I love the initial flurry of words on the page where I’m uninhibited. I love fleshing out a story as it comes to me. I see my novels on the movie screen of my mind, which may account for the visual nature of my narratives.

What was the most difficult aspect of the writing process?

I am not in love with rejection.
I also don’t cherish rewriting. But it’s a necessary and important evil.
What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?Here’s the analogy you need to memorize and internalize: Beginning the publishing journey is like wearing a sweatshirt and toting a sack lunch at the base of Mount Everest, thinking, Hmm, this should be a breeze!

In addition: know you are called. Know you have talent. Know you’re full of tenacity. All three things will help you succeed along the journey.

Another idea is hang out at The Writing Spa and its corresponding blog WannabePublished. I tackle nearly every question a new writer would have. I offer weekly free critiques and I have guest authors cameo there. I evaluate the saleabilty of a book idea. Hop on by at http://www.thewritingspa.com/.

Links of blogs participating in the blog tour:

Admissions of a Suburban Philosopher
All are welcome here
A Musing Mom Speaks
A Sandy Path Book Reviews
A Writer’s Journey
Adventures of the Duncan Six
AP Free Writing 101
Arkansas Dreams
Aspire2 Blog
Awesome God…Ordinary Girl
Be Your Best Mom
Beams of Light Ministries
Bell Whistle Moon
Blog Tour Spot
Bluebonnet in the Snow
Book Nook Club
Caregiving and Beyond
Carla’s Writing Cafe
Carly Bird’s Home
Carma’s Window
Cheaper by the Half Dozen
Cindy’s Stamping and Reviews
CommuniKate
Critty Joy
Declaring His Marvelous Work
Drive Home Productions
Edgewise
Elizabeth Bussey
Faith…Creativity…Life
Fiction for the Restless Reader
Fictionary
Five Bazillion and One
Fresh Brewed Writer
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
Heading Home
His Reading List
i don’t believe in grammar
J’s Spot
Joy in the Journey
Karen R. Evans
Kristin Early
L’Chaim
Latte with Me
Literary Fangirl Book Reviews
Merrie Destefano
Mocha with Linda
Moments with MarLo
Musings by Lynn
Musings of Edwina
My Alabaster Box
My Life Message
Net’s Book Notes
Niki Nowell
One Desert Rose
Paper Bridges
Passionate for the Glory of God
Pollywog Creek
Ranunculus Turtle
Real Hurts, Real Hope
Refresh My Soul
Restore
Scraps and Snippets
Sheila Deeth
Sherri Woodbridge
Snapshot’s Photoblog
Surviving the Chaos
The 160-acre Woods
The Gospel Writer
The Harrison Kaleidoscope
The Heart of Writing
The Stubborn Servant
The View from Here
This That and The Other
To Be Beautiful
Unreasonable Grace
Walking Daily
WhadUsay
Where Romance Meets Therapy
Word Vessel
Write 2 Ignite
Write on the Knows
Writer’s Wanderings
Writing to the heart of the matter

Remember Me

2009-09-19T12:48:00.002-05:00

~Excerpt from the Tucson Daily News, Arizona, 1892 (How the West Was Worn by Chris Enss)

This wasn't the first time Maggie Kremer had turned her face away when Ransom Diggs bent to kiss her, but she caught the pained look on his face as he planted a light caress on her smooth cheek. All the other times she had withheld her lips for the same reason -- jealousy. Not of another woman, but of his job. Ransom Diggs was Sheriff of Cold Springs, a silver mining town in Southern Arizona. His work often times took precedence over his relationship. Keeping the territory safe from desperadoes required round-the-clock dedication. It was for this reason, coupled with the fact that he might be gunned down in the line of duty, that kept Maggie, the town's school teacher, from accepting his proposal of marriage.

She tucked away a stray tendril of dark brown hair, and blinked away a tear. Ransom saddled his bronco. Neither of them said a word for a long while, then Maggie broke the silence.

"I don't see why you don't just let Charles Storms and his gang ride on to the next country," she said. "They'd be out of your jurisdiction then and you could stay with me."

"I can't do that," he told her as he cinched up the leather straps under his ride.

Maggie knew that was what he'd say and she loved him for it as much as she despised the notion of him riding off again.

"Will you be here when I get back?" he asked hopefully.

Maggie forced a smile. "Aren't I always?" she replied.

Ransom smiled back at her and mounted his horse. Maggie always thrilled a little when she watched him on a horse. He might be a bit awkward on the ground at times, but mounted, he was the handsomest man she knew. He was tall, with broad shoulders and had the narrow hips of a cowman. Looking down at his betrothed he adjusted the black hat on his head. She could see the little ducktail of straw-colored hair at the back of his neck. She wondered how much longer it would grow before she next saw him.

"I'll be home as quick as I can," he promised. The two stared a moment at each other. Maggie's eyes were pleading, but he wouldn't waver from his duty. She produced a dainty, lace handkerchief from her drawstring bag and stemmed the flood of tears breaking free. Ransom's face was filled with compassion. She walked over to him and laid her head on his leg and he stroked her long curls. Just before he announced that it was "time to ride" Maggie handed him her handkerchief.

"Don't forget me," she said jokingly. He raised the hanky to his nose, breathed in her scent, and fingered the fancy stitching around the him. "Never happen,' he assured her as he rode away.

The outlaw Charles Storms and his gang ambushed Sheriff Diggs and his posse in the mountains around Cochise Stronghold. Amount the personal effects returned to Ransom's intended nearly three mounts after he had left Cold Springs was Maggie's handkerchief. The men who found him claimed the delicate, blood-stained fabric was clutched in his hand.

If you would like to purchase one of Chris Enss books here's a link: http://www.chrisenss.com/

19th Century Fashion Research book: How the West Was Worn by Chris Enss

2009-08-20T11:47:00.007-05:00

Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier: Fashion that Shaped the Old West

Back cover blurb: Did you know that pioneer women sewed lead in their hems to keep their dresses from billowing on the trail? Or that hatless men had to wear bonnets to protect their eyes from the scorching sun?

From old familiar Levi's to the short-lived "instant dress elevator," HOW THE WEST WAS WORN examines the sometimes bizarre, often beautiful, and highly inventive clothing of the Old West. You'll learn how a cowboy's home state determined the way he wore his pants and hat, as well as how to distinguish one Indian tribe from another by their moccasins. Meet John B. Stetson, leading maker of cowboy hats; Adah Menken whose flesh-colored nylon costume left an audience gaping at her underwear; and Amelia Jenks Bloomer, the promoter of - you guessed it - the bloomer.

About the author: Chris Enss is an award - winning screenwriter who has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and for the movies, and is the co-author (with JoAnn Chartier) of Loved Untamed: True Romances Stories of the Old West, Gilded Girls: Women Entertainers of the Old West, and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon: Women Patriots and Soldiers of the Old West and The Cowboy and the Senorita and Happy Trails (with Howard Kazanjian). Her research and writing and reveals the funny, touching, exciting, and tragic stories of historical and contemporary times.

Enss has done everything from stand-up comedy to working as a stunt person at the Old Tucson Movie Studio. She learned the basics of writing for film and television at the University of Arizona, and she is currently working with Return of the Jedi producer Howard Kazanjian on the movie version of The Cowboy and the Senorita, their biography of western stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

The chapter headings are:

DRESSING FOR A GOLD RUSH

In this chapter, we learn about a San Francisco dry goods dealer named, Levi Strauss who developed a brand new material, called denim which he believed was superior to any other on the market.

CIVILIZED STYLE IN THE WILD

I found this chapter most interesting. We meet Amelia Bloomer who female underwear was named after. While she did not design the female, "bloomers" she did wear daring outfits which were a short dress that reached below the knees with a Turkish-style trousers gathered in ruffles at the ankles. Bloomers became a symbol of the fledgling women's movement.

DRESSING FOR ROUNDUP

What I found so fascinating about this chapter was that the cowboys at a certain ranch resented their employers for enforcing them to wear uniforms. Sporting bib pull-over shirts of the same color does not sit well with the hires, even if it is marked with the (name) Ranch.

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE TRAIL

This chapter dealt with what children wore during the 19th Century. To my surprise, I discovered that daughters didn't wear ankle length dresses. Their hems came to below their knees. Girls longed to be grown up enough to let their hems down and their hair up.

PRAIRIE STYLES

In this chapter, an excerpt from The National Wagon Road Guide, 1858 gave a listing of what men should pack for their trek across the country on the wagon train.

A LASTING EFFECT

Accessories made the woman. It could change her mundane, everyday, dress to a nice social, evening dress.

ALL DRESSED UP

Evening wear accessories, such as jewelry and popular hairstyles and hair accessories that were popular in the day.

UNDER THE CLOTHES

This was a fascinating chapter on male and female "unmentionables". I didn't know that the average person felt that underwear was such a taboo subject that they wouldn't even make their own, but preferred to order them through a catalog.

STYLE IN THE RANKS

Military wardrobe

BORROWED FROM THE LAND

Indian clothing styles

I think what I loved most about this book are several things:

1. The author uses many pictures to show exactly what she is saying. (Photographs, catalog images, and patterns)

2. Lots of white space, the readability of each chapter is easy.

3. I loved the clothing biographies of many famous people, including pictures.

HOW THE WEST WAS WORN is a definite asset to any historian or historical writer.

Texas Rangers

2009-08-16T10:24:00.006-05:00

From The Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Musuem Website

My current manuscript has a Texas Ranger for a hero. I needed to know enlistment requirements, pay, companies, and rank. I also needed to know a little more about their behaviors and thought processes during the 19th Century.

Here's a list of interesting facts, which I found at this amazing website: http://www.texasranger.org/history/FrtBattGenOrd.htm

Pay during the end of the 19th Century: $35 a month. They were paid at the end of their 12 month enlistment or earlier for a discharge. When they received their pay, they were given a receipt, showing their name, date they enlisted, date of discharge, pay for their months of service minus the amount for a state issued rifle, a Winchester Carbine worth $30. (This information came from uploaded, scanned, original documents on the website listed above.)

During the 19th Century, Texas Rangers were called, Frontier Forces or Frontier Battalion. These peace officers referred to themselves as, "State Officers". (Information found in an e-book, uploaded on the website listed above.)

Companies were organized to protect different areas of the state of Texas. The companies were Company A, Company B, Company C, Company D, Company E, and Company F.

The rank of each company were: Captain, 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant.

Enlistment requirements: "As it is expected that this force will be kept actively employed during their term of service only sound young men without families and with good horses will be received.
Persons under indictment or of known bad character or habitual drunkards will be rejected.
Captains will make temporary arrangements to supply as economically as possible for furnishing the men with bread, beef, coffee, and sugar & salt: the receipts for which will be taken up by the battalion Quarter Master."

On a side note, I did discover that during the end of the 19th Century, the Texas Rangers did muster married men for service. Married men enlisted for the War between the states. As in the account of Miles Biggs, Terry's Texas Rangers, http://www.terrystexasrangers.org/biographical_notes/b/biggs_mm.html who "According to family history, a different version of his enlistment states that during a trip to Shreveport, LA, to buy a load of lumber to be used as flooring for his home, Miles met and joined up with the Terry's Texas Rangers. He put his wagon into storage and sent his oxen back home with the message "I'll see you when the war's over." Miles was married in 1848 and enlisted in the Texas Rangers in 1862.

Badges weren't worn by all Texas Rangers. Each enlisted man was given descriptive papers to identify the peace officer and to show by the power of the state of Texas he had authority to make arrests.

For behaviors of the lawmen, I consulted the book, Lawmen of the Old West: The Good Guys by Del Cain.

Historical Research Book: The Women by Time-Life Books

2009-08-14T12:55:00.005-05:00

The Women: The Old West Series, by Time Life Books is an invaluable book to own when researching women's lives of the 19th Century.

I first found this book at the library among the entire collection, The Old West Series, which included The Gambler, The Trailblazer, The Railroad Men, The Lawmen, The Gunslinger, and many others. I had read about half of The Women when I knew I must own this book.

The first five pages of the book are black and white photos of women performing their daily tasks. These are not the only images. Throughout the book there are other photos which are in full color. There are pictures of women riding, cooking, teaching, farming, and best of all my favorite...items from the past. Such as a box mill, china, quilts, a fluting iron which pressed pleats into cotton fabric, a "choke" used to catch mice and snakes, a candle mold, and a butter mold with a pretty picture.

There are pictures of dresses plains women wore. One dress, the owner boasted she had wore all the way to Oregon without repair. This woman was so creative. When she fashioned the dress, she took her pattern pieces and sewed the cotton fabric to canvas material (the material used for tents and wagon covers). Then she pieced the dress together to sew. No wonder it made it across the country without repair! The woman knew practicality and fortitude would be needed for the journey. Another picture was of a slat bonnet. Ever heard of it? Me, neither. Apparently, for a long, arduous journey west, plain bonnets didn't protect the eastern women's faces well enough. So, the clever seamstress would sew little wooden slats into her bonnet to strengthen the bonnet against wind. Other pictures include furniture (even ones from brothels), dishes, cookingware, and documents.

The second thing I love about this book, is the multitude of journal entries. I read of a wagon train heading west. Three women, all newly weds, wrote about their journey. Each woman had a different prospective of the same trip. I felt so sorry for this one woman. All she wanted to do was please her husband. If she tried to carry on a conversation with him, he would say she talked too much. If she tried to limit her conversation with him, he would say she had ill spirits. If she tried to talk in a group setting, he would reprimand her in front of everyone. In her journal, she believed the trouble with her marriage was all her fault, well mostly her fault, one couldn't discount her husband's roaming eye. She was convinced her husband was more pleased with their neighbor's wife.

The third thing I love about this book, is its many topics. We begin the book reading of the wagon trains heading west. Then we read about the hardships of life and the reality of marriage of convenience. What I really love is how the book reveals occupations of women during the 19th century, which all seem to end in prostitution. If the woman was a laundress, she made extra money on the side. If the woman was a cook, she supplemented her income. (I can just hear the local, upright women saying, "She doesn't have no man. You know she just said she's a laundress. Why there's no telling what she does a night!") And even if the woman willingly became a prostitute, there was still money to be made by becoming an owner-operator. Madam's would make an agreement with seamstress' to allow her girls to charge to her account. Then the madam would hold the debt over the girls head, so they couldn't leave.

Whether a prostitute, an adventuress, or a woman with a cause, this book seems to to have it all. This book opened up the old west for me in ways other books could not. The only drawback to owning this book is that with it written in 1974 it is out of print. I bought it at http://www.amazon.com/ from a used book seller for $2. The shipping and handling cost more than the book.

19th Century Recipes

2009-08-14T09:47:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm posting recipes often used in Texas during the nineteenth century. The amazing thing about Texas is that it had six flags flying overhead at one time or another. That means Texas cuisine has a plethora of flavors, which still has relevance today. Of course, dominating countries weren't the only ones who left their mark on Texas. Immigrants also influenced cooking, such as the Germans.

I'm quoting from the out-of-print book entitled, The Saga of Texas Cookery by Sarah Morgan. (I have found this book on Amazon.com. Amazon doesn't carry the book, but there are several people selling used editions of this book) Each chapter, showcases the prevailing ethnicity of the states flavors. I'm posting one recipe from each chapter, a recipe which was used during the late 19th century.

The French in Texas

Golden Cream - 1887 Style

Custards, which have always been an important part of the French cuisine, took many forms in the early days of our history, The following recipe found in an early edition of The White House Cookbook (first published in 1887), is a good example of how simple ingredients were turned into an elegant dessert.

A quote from The White House Cookbook:

Boil a quart of milk; when boiling stir into it the well beaten yolks of six eggs; add six tablespoons sugar and one tablespoonful of sifted flour, which has been well beaten together; when boiled turn it into a dish and pour over it the whites beaten to a stiff froth, mixing with them six tablespoonful of powdered sugar. Set all in the oven and brown slightly. Flavor the top with vanilla and the bottom with lemon. Serve cold.

The Spaniards in Texas

Rice Breakfast Cakes

This unusual mixture of yeast and rice is seldom found anymore except in homes where the influence of the forefathers is still felt and cherished. In the early days of our history the maids in the homes would make these, deep-fry them, and then take them out on the street, while they were still very hot, and sell them!

To make 6-8 servings: The night before these cakes are to be served, dissolve 1 package yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, Mash well 3 cups of cooked, moist rice, add the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover this mixture and let rise over-night. In the morning, beat 3 eggs until light, add 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, or a little more, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and mix well. Set aside again to rise for about 20 minutes. Butter a hot griddle and drop by tablespoons, cooking as you would any griddle cake. Drain (on paper towels) and serve with bacon, ham, or syrup.

The Mexicans in Texas

The Story of Chili Sauce:

There was a time when the Mexicans, the Indians, and the early Texas settlers gave chili sauce a great deal of credit for a large number of important influences on the human race. Some of them believed that the sauce, providing it was quite hot and strong, would protect one against colds, malaria, aid digestion, and clarify the blood. There were other people who believed that it acted as a stimulant to the romantically inclined and helped to develop robustness and resistance to nature's adverse elements. Be that as it may, a basic chili sauce such as the following can serve many and varied purposes when cooking Mexican foods.

Chili Sauce

To make approximately 2-1/2 cups: Fry 4 tablespoons finely chopped onion and 1 chopped garlic clove in 3 tablespoons lard or bacon fat until tender. Blend 6 tablespoons of chili powder with 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder. Add this to the onion mixture. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups of hot water, stirring constantly. When the mixture is well blended and smooth remove from the heat. If a thinner sauce is desired add a little more water. Serve this sauce hot over meats, tortillas, tomatoes, noodles, rice or over other Mexican dishes.

The New Republic

Ash Cake, Hoe Cake, Corn Dodger

Life would have been intolerable many times for the early settlers had it not been for a basic food product, the corn. The pioneer cooks used this vegetable in countless ways and cooked it by many different methods, but one of the most satisfying and most often used ways was the bread, especially the simple and easy breads such as the Ash Cake, the Hoe Cake, and the Corn Dodger.

These three cakes are a great deal alike in that they are made of a corn meal batter, which is salted and made wet with cold or hot water.

The Ash Cake batter is cooked on either the hot hearth with hot ashes spread over the top, or out in the open spread between hot ashes. When the cake is brown the ashes are brushed off. Some of the ashes will penetrate the batter, but this only serves to enhance the flavor- or so the early settlers thought.

The Hoe Cake is the same batter cooked on a helveless (handle-less) hoe. The batter is spread on the inside of the hoe and then propped up against the open blaze or placed directly in the hot ashes until brown.

Corn Dodger is the same batter made into small or large cakes, patted into rounds or oblongs with the hands and baked inside an oven on flat tins of some type. As the settlers were able to get a variety of food supplies they added bacon fat and eggs to the Corn Dodger. And finally they added soda or baking powder or both, making a light and tasty bread.

German Noodles

The pioneer women taught their daughters to make these noodles as soon as they were old enough, or tall enough, to reach a work table. It was not hard work to them but great fun.

To make 6 to 8 servings: Sift 2 cups flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the center of the flour. Break one egg into the well, add 2 tablespoons warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. With the fingers work the mixture together, gradually adding about 1/2 cup warm water or just enough to make a very stiff dough, but very smooth. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll out as thin as possible. Cut into ribbons or strips and let it rest for 30 minutes. In a deep kettle have a generous amount of salty water boiling, or you may wish to use meat stock instead of the water. Drop the noodles into the liquid, a few at a time, and boil just until tender. Drain them, toss with melted butter, and bread crumbs and serve hot.

To make green noodles, add 1/2 cup spinach puree to the first mixture and as much additional flour as is necessary to make a stiff dough.

Texas Under the Confederacy

Slapjacks - 1883

The slapjack was evidently one of the many forerunners of the modern-day pancake; however, this recipe which follows could be said to be the forerunner of just about anything. I found it in The Old Confederacy Receipt Book, 1863:

Take flour, little sugar, and water, mix with or without a little yeast, the latter better if at hand, mix into paste and fry the same as fritters in clean fat.

Fortunately, for today's cooks that method went out of style years ago. For a newer version I like the following recipe for Slapjacks:

Sift 2 cups flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Scald 1 cup milk and cool. Soften 1 yeast cake, or package, in 1/4 cup warm water. Combine the mixtures. Beat in 2 eggs and let rise for 20 minutes. Stir down, add 3 tablespoons melted butter and drop 1 tablespoon at a time on a hot griddle to fry as pancakes.

How many will this recipe serve? Who knows? Try it and see - that was the manner of cookery in the days of the Confederacy.

Grandma's Pound Cake

Only Grandma or Grandma's Grandma could follow this recipe without some misgivings. However, some of the romantic sounding measurements used during this period of Texas history were really quite practical and certainly familiar to the housewife of that day. It is given here as it is said to have come down from a very old "receipt":

First, stoke the fire and lay in some wood. You'll need a moderate oven. Take 1-1/2 teacups butter, 2 blue cups sugar, 5 eggs, dropped in one at a time, and 5 handfuls flour. The cake will be fine and close with not a suspicion of any toughness or heaviness, not porous like a cake made light with gas from soda and cream of tartar.

Now, for those not brave enough to follow the old "receipt" above, here is a modern version (and I can assure you it is excellent). Beat 1 cup sweet cream butter with 1-2/3 cups sugar until smooth. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Next stir in 2 cups flour to which 1/2 teaspoon of mace, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar has been added. Stir in the grated rind of 1 lemon and blend well. Bake at 350 degrees in a well greased and floured tube pan for about one hour or until the cake tests done.

The Union Forever

Ranch-Style Beef Hash

To make 4 to 6 servings: Into 4 cups beef stock add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh red pepper, and 2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed. Cook this mixture until the onion and potatoes are almost tender. Drop in 2 cups cooked roast beef (or stewed beef) cut and complete the cooking, about 10 minutes. Crackling cornbread goes well with this hash.

Fried Okra

Although okra is not native to Texas, it is one of the most popular of the vegetables found in our diet. It is also well known that people who like it claim to "love it" and those who dislike it say they "hate it".

To make 2 to 4 servings: Wash 1 pound of fresh okra thoroughly, by taking the pods in the hands and making sure they tiny, sticky, leaves are removed. Slice each pod into 1/3 inch rounds, snipping away the ends. Dip the pieces in a mixture of cornmeal, salt, and black pepper. Drop the slices into a frying pan of shallow hot bacon fat. Fry over medium heat, turning to prevent sticking until the pods are tender and slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Prick with a fork to test tenderness. A tablespoon of grated onion is often added to the cornmeal mixture to enhance the flavor.

Empowering Characters' Emotions

2009-04-06T11:54:00.003-05:00

EMPOWERING CHARACTERS' EMOTIONS

Presented by Margie Lawson

We over at Books To Write By (http://www.bookstowriteby.blogspot.com/) are avid fans of Margie Lawson's courses. Most of us has enrolled in more than one of her courses. The month of March was no different than when three of us joined the online course, Empowering Characters' Emotions.This class is a benefit to all writers who want to advance their writing skills. Ms. Lawson explores empowering emotions through her EDITS system. This system color codes your manuscript so you can actually see if your writing is layered with the essential keys to a great read.

Look forward to learning:
The EDITS System
Basic, complex, empowered, and super empowered passages
Backstory management
Kinesics, Haptics, Proxemics, Facial expressions, Paralanguage
Proprioceptive stimuli, Involuntary physical responses
Ideomotoric shifts
Mirroring, Communication Accommodation
Levels of intimacy, Love signals
Nonverbal gender differences
Emotional authenticity
Backloading
In-trancing the Reader
Writing fresh . . .
Projecting Emotion for a Non-POV character
Carrying a Nonverbal Image Forward
Objective Constructs
Empowering Characters’ Emotions Checklist

At first, I became overwhelmed with the course and I think many people did, too. However, once I grabbed my highlighters and applied the EDITS system to my own writing...I got what I paid for. I discovered that I write no dialogue cues and that I hardly ever write setting information. There are also some minor things I noticed, which needs to changed. But now I know how to correct it.

I highly recommend any of Ms. Lawson's courses. In fact, another online class is coming up in May.

Here is the information:
MAY 1 -- 30 Deep Editing: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices, and More Offered by Writer University: http://www.writeruniv.com/

You want regret enrolling!

I'll see you in class.

Hard to Believe

2009-03-03T10:28:00.003-06:00

It is so hard to believe that it has been three months since my last post. I feel almost guilty. :O)

The last three months I have been plodding slowly through my current novel. I say slowly because I'm having such a hard time. I've created some really great characters and I love them! However, my plot has sagged seriously. So, after hearing a recommendation on my ACFW loop, I visited Marcher Lord Press and bought a couple of e-books by Jeff Gerke.

(http://marcherlordpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=9&products_id=18)

The one I'm reading at this moment is How to Find Your Story. I'm halfway through his system for creating adventurous plots and am feeling some better about my novel. But not completely better, because I've come to a halt in the process with trying to discover an emotional knot for my character. And then if I add the obvious one, then I'll have to begin my story all over from the very beginning and I'm not wanting to do that since I'm halfway through the story. I'd like to find another knot, but finding one isn't that easy.

I have critique coming up next week and need to really buckle down and decide on something so I can present an offering at the table of critiquers. Not that I'm trying to rush it, but I am tired of this rut I'm in. I haven't written anything in this novel for weeks.

On to good news, since my last post I am now employed. Sorta. I'm writing reviews of websites for a webdesigner. You know what that means. Yes!!! I'm actually getting paid to write!!!! Whoo-Hoo!!!

Also, I'm still loving my Christian Writer's Guild class. I'm in the second year of my Apprentice Level Course. This month we are beginning to outline an non-fiction book. I've been leary of beginning this quest because my one true passion is fiction. However, after some brainstorming I think I know what I want to do. I've always wanted to write a Bible Study, but never though I had it in me. Well, I'm going to do it! Prayerfully it will turn out well.

Since my last post, I've also reunited with my very first critique partners, Pamela and Kay. Kay Swanson is a published author who has written Contemporary Romance and Japanese Historicals with a romantic element. We have been meeting monthly for lunch. It has truly been a blessing for me to have them back in my life. I've also created a yahoogroup so we can critique online. All three of us need gentle pushing to get the creative juices flowing, so hopefully this will help.

Well, until next month...may peace and blessings flow throughout your home.

CWG, Shoutlife, and other notions

2008-12-08T09:45:00.002-06:00

I really can't say enough good things about the Christian Writers Guild Apprentice Level Course. I enrolled this year and am on Lesson 19. Since I began this course, I had Lesson 7 printed in our local newspaper, I have had an extremely nice rejection letter from a major magazine who requested that I submit to them again. And now Today's Christian Woman has requested my Lesson 8. So, far all my lessons have pertained to non-fiction, however my fiction has benefited greatly from what I've learned. I guess you can say this is my humble plug for CWG. If you have wondered about joining, stop wondering and just do it. I think the absolute best thing about this course is the mentor-mentee relationship. I adore my mentor, Judy Bodmer.

On to other thoughts, I recently joined Shoutlife. this is a great community. I felt really welcomed upon joining. However, the only thing I didn't like about it is being inundated with requests from people I don't know who are in the entertainment business requesting to be my friend. I felt like I was being spammed. On the flipside, I like having access to all the ACFW'ers and requesting their friendship, with the added bonus of people who are regular people who like to read wanting to be my friend. I like having something in common with people.

I'm on facebook.com also. I don't like it as well as I do Shoutlife. It's so plain. I can't seem to figure out how to dress it up. I also don't like that you can't search for people with common interests. It's only work, community, or school. What's the deal with that?

Here is a truthful fact about querying: December is the lowest month for queries. Do yourself a favor and send out some queries this month. (Information provided from: CWG)

Critique Group Idea

2008-09-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

My critique discussed and decided to jump-start our sluggish writing juices.

For the month of October, we are meeting once a week, instead of our usual once a month to critique each others work. We each are expected to bring one chapter of fiction, and or a non-fiction piece.

We are doing this on a temporarily. I am hoping I will be able to get back into the practice of writing on a daily basis.

Wish me luck!

I'm Too Old for Homework!

2008-08-26T10:17:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school.

I sent my children off with mixed emotions. On one hand, I am anxious to get back to my writing, excited to get back to my exercising, and thrilled to re-unite with my writing friends. On the other hand, I'm feel lonely at home and miss my kids.

As the school bell rang, Bethany eagerly met her dad and walked to the car. She had a cat-ate-the-canary smile on her face. She entered the car and proudly announced, "Guess what, Mom? You've got homework and I don't."

Now I'm thinking, yeah she's probably talking about that mountain load of paperwork I have to fill out every year.

Oh, no. She flicked out of her binder a paper, "Look Mom, you have to write an essay!"

Thank goodness, it's not math!

Writing I think I can handle.

So, I wrote a six-paragraph article on who my daughter is in my eyes. On my family blog, I will display it.

As most of you know, I still have homework. I'm enrolled in the Christian Writer's Guild Course, so I have bi-monthly homework.

However, who knew at this age I'd end up with Junior High Homework?

Query Letters and Helpful Resources

2008-07-22T09:30:00.004-05:00

One of my critique partners and I are hard at work this week, writing the dreaded query letter.

Even though my strengths are in synopsis and taglines, I'm still learning the ropes with the query. You'd think since it is so low in word countage that it'd be easy to write. Wrong! The query letter needs to hook the person reading it right off from the get-go.

Now, I've bought books on the best selling queries and such, however I'm a streamline girl. If I can find an article on how to write a great query and not have to read a 300 page non-fiction book...I'll do it in a heartbeat. I'm just being honest.

I've found an outstanding article on the Internet about the craft of writing a query. This author's ability to write a query letter has garnered the praises of leading people in the industry.

So, here is Mary Demuth's blog address where you can find her pdf nine-page article on writing a best selling query letter: http://wannabepublished.blogspot.com/.

Another great small book on the subject is Agent Noah Lukeman's short on query letters. You can go to Amazon.com and download a free book. Here is Mr. Lukeman's website, which can direct you to the downloadable link: http://www.lukeman.com/greatquery/index.htm.

New Beginnings

2008-07-07T21:03:00.002-05:00

Ah, there is nothing quite as exciting as beginning a new novel.

I am in love with my hero and heroine. I love the setting and the historical research.

There's one hitch, though.

I have no clue what is to become of the plot.

I have tried so many different plot devices, exercises, the snowflake, and outlining. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

This time I thought to myself, "Girl, you just gotta write." So, I put away all my plot helps and worked on my goal, motivation, and conflicts of my characters. I get my heroine in trouble (drawing her away from her goal) and then I get her outa trouble (drawing her closer to her goal).

Whether wrong or right I have no clue. But I'm enjoying reading what happens next.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-30T13:07:00.001-05:00

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-30T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Life of a Writer

2008-06-30T11:44:00.003-05:00

Writing is hard work.

Period.

So, when it is already hard why do we put ourselves through even more hardship by listening to harsh criticism, frustrating ourselves by learning all the rules, or convincing ourselves that we are not good enough to write?

In one of the High School Musical songs, Breaking Free, the lyrics say, "We’re soarin’, flyin’, there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach. If we’re trying, we’re breaking free. Oh runnin’. Climbin’. To get to that place. To be all that we can be. Now’s the time. So we’re breaking free."

I have been reading, Dwight Swain's Techniques of the Selling Writer. Truely, it is changing my way of thinking, concerning writing. Before reading this book, I was a proponent of writing exercises to get those juices flowing, but now I'm seeing that a discipline regiment of writing everday provides the same boost of juices. I wished I had read this book years ago. But then maybe I wasn't ready for it yet.

I'm ready to break free and write with all liberty.

Romantic Comedy

2008-06-02T12:49:00.003-05:00

For awhile now, I've been studying the art of comedy. I've read how-to books, articles, and studied movies to figure out the whole "formula" of the romantic comedy.

Today, I'm pooling all my resources together to post what I've learned. Granted, some people are tired of formulaic plots, but if you look at all the successful romantic comedy movies you can't help but think that it works.

Often I've asked how can I make my manuscript funny? Embarrass the characters? Twist the plot with irony? Give the character a sarcastic voice?

Finally, what I've have noticed from my search is a truth when this statement is compared to all successful comedies.

True comedy is the result of the character "over-reacting" to a normal situation. They devise fantastic plots and schemes to achieve their goals.

The hero and heroine never laugh at their situation. Their plight is real and their emotions of loss and pain are great. Romantic comedies help their protagonists "cowboy-up" to face their emotions and expose them to the world. Romantic comedies are about courageous people.

There is so much to learn about the characters in these comedies. The writer will need to focus more on an internal plot, engrossing their characters in spectacular emotions. However, today I want to focus mainly on the structure of the comedy.

1. Let the audience see the introduction of the hero and heroine.

2. Allow the reader to see the protagonist's goal and conflict before the end of Act II. Slowly feed the reader the protagonist's motivation little by little.

3. Introduce the rival character after you have allowed the reader to examine the hero's personality.

4. In the middle of the book, the main character must commit to a relationship with the protagonist. This moment will be a no-turning-back moment for our hero. His/her emotions will never be the same again.

5. Always allow the reader to have superior knowledge. The reader needs to know what the character doesn't. Do not surprise your reader. Allowing the reader to know more, creates tension for the reader.

6. The wonderful romance between protagonists must end by the 75% mark of the novel. Usually, some secret or some type of deceit is uncovered. Then the trust is broken and the relationship is dissolved.

7. Characters then have the last fourth of the novel to figure out that their life is meaningless without their romantic counterpart and will go to unknown ends to find their way back into love. Most importantly, the romantic comedy always has a happily-ever-after.

Just because your romantic comedy portrays love in a light-hearted manner with outrageous, over-reacting characters, it doesn't mean that you can't layer-in suspense, history, murder, science-fiction, and any other elements that will make your novel truly unique and yours.

Brands and Taglines

2008-05-25T23:35:00.003-05:00

I attended a local writing group meeting this last week. I so enjoy getting together with like-minded writers. I especially love my critique partners. Somedays, I wished we met more often.

This last meeting, we discussed the importance of brands. For instance, when you think about Stephen King...what genre or brand do you think of...thrillers? We become more marketable when we zero in on one particular genre to write.

For many years, I detested the thought of singling out one genre. I felt that it would stifle my creativity. I wanted to try out all the genres and see which one fit me best. However, I have since realized that approach is a waste of time. (Truly, I never thought I'd say that!)

I must tell you since I know my brand now, I am much happier. Perhaps you are like me and don't know where to start, trying to figure out what you write? Well, I can certainly steer you in the right direction today. This little exercise is what I used to help me figure out what type of writer I am. Are you ready? Let me give you what I wrote. (If you use this example, please link it back to my blog or use my name)

First, list your top five favorite books and genre:

1. Men of the Saddle Series by Lori Copeland Historical Romantic Comedy
2. Yellow Rose Trilogy by Lori Wick Historical Romance
3. Yellow Rose Bride by Lori Copeland Historical Romantic Comedy
4. Bride Most Begrudging by Deanne Gist Historical Romantic Comedy
5. Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist Historical Romantic Comedy

(Some of these books may not be listed as comedy, but they made me laugh out loud.)

Second, list your top five favorite movies and genre:

1. Pride and Prejudice Historical Romance
2. Emma Historical Romance
3. Support Your Local Sheriff Historical Romantic Comedy
4. Bringing Up Baby Historical Romantic Comedy
5. Counterfeit Countessa Romantic Comedy

Third, list the genre most commonly found on your list.

Historical Romantic Comedy

Fourth, list favorite words that describe this genre:

Historical: antique lace, treasure, days of old, dusty, ancient
Romantic: love, interest, fondness,
Comedy: giggles, laughter, grins,

Last, take these favorite words and dream up a tagline. Here is mine. I've chosen to use words from historical and comedy adding in a word to describe my Christian market.

Grins, Grace, and Antique Lace

Now it's your turn!

If you get stuck and need help...post a comment with your email addy and I'll contact you.

So, go find your brand!

In Between

2008-04-28T16:37:00.002-05:00

Ah, man...I don't know what to write.

I'm like in between a rock and a hard place. I've started rewriting two older manuscripts of mine, but now I've lost my desire to continue.

I'm thinking I need to let go of them and continue moving forward. What do you think?

I keep mulling over possible plots and themes, but none of them excite me. Is it just me or have you gone through this too?

I love historicals, but am in no mood to research one. So, that leaves contemporary. I want to create some characters, throw in some conflict, and sit back and watch them react.

I've done the normal beginning stuff...looking through newspapers, reading magazines, watching sensationalized TV, and journaling ideas. Still nothing.

I'd be more than happy to entertain your thoughts. Post me some ideas or email them to me whichever. (((shrug)))

Perhaps next week, I can post I have a start of something?

Plots

2008-04-07T10:01:00.004-05:00

This week, I've posted a review of Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell over at a blog I share with my critique partners, http://www.bookstowriteby.blogspot.com/ . Go over and check it out.

In keeping with this theme, I decided to write down 20 of the most common plot patterns for fiction. If you'd like to read along, I'm taking my information directly from the book, 20 Master Plots (and How to Build Them) by Ronald B. Tobias.

Plot Pattern #1- The Quest

A quest plot should be about a search for a person, place, or thing; develop a close parallel between your protagonist's intent and motivation and the object he's trying to find.

Plot Pattern #2- The Adventure

The focus of your story should be on the journey more than on the person making the journey.

Plot Pattern #3- The Pursuit

In the pursuit plot, the chase is more important than the people who take part in it.

Plot Pattern #4- The Rescue

The rescue plot relies more on action than on the development of characterization.

Plot

Pattern #5- The Escape

Escape is always literal. Your hero should be confined against his will (often unjustly) and wants to escape.

Plot Pattern #6- Revenge

Your protagonist seeks retaliation against the antagonist for a real or imagined injury.

Plot Pattern #7- The Riddle

The core of your riddle should be cleverness; hiding that which is in plain sight.

Plot

Pattern #8- Rivalry

The source of your conflict should come as a result of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.

Plot Pattern #9- The Underdog

The underdog plot is similar to the rivalry plot except that the protagonist is not matched equally against the antagonist. The antagonist, which may be a person, place or thing, clearly has much greater power than the protagonist.

Plot Pattern #10- Temptation

The temptation plot is a character plot. It examines the motives, needs, and impulses of human character.

Plot Pattern #11- Metamorphosis

The metamorphosis is usually the result of a curse.

Plot Pattern #12- Transformation

The plot of transformation should deal with the process of change as the protagonist journeys through one of the many stages of life.

Plot Pattern #13- Maturation

Create a protagonist who is on the cusp of adulthood, whose goals are either confused or not yet clarified.

Plot Pattern #14- Love

The prospect of love should always be met with a major obstacle. Your characters may want it, but they can't have it for any variety of reasons. At least not right away.

Plot

Pattern #15- Forbidden Love

Forbidden love is any love that goes against the conventions of society, so there is usually either an explicit or implicit force exerted against the lovers.

Plot Pattern #16- Sacrifice

The sacrifice should come at a great personal cost; your protagonist is playing for high stakes, either physical or mental.

Plot Pattern #17- Discovery

Remember that the discovery plot is more about the character making the discovery than the discovery itself. Focus your story on the character, not on what the character does.

Plot Pattern #18- Wretched Excess

Wretched excess is generally about the psychological decline of a character.

Plot

Pattern #19- #20- Ascension & Descension

At the heart of your story should be a moral dilemma. This dilemma tests the character of your protagonist/antagonist, and it is the foundation for the catalyst of change in her character. Character and events are closely related to each other. Show your character progressing through successive changes as a result of events. If your story is about the fall of a character, make certain the reasons for her fall are a result of character and not gratuitous circumstances. Always focus on your main character. Relate all events and characters to your main character. Show us the character before, during, and after the change.

The author expounds on each one of these plot patterns and helps the burgeoning author relate each variation to their work in progress. At the end of each chapter, he list a checklist for the writer to know if he is on track with that particular plot pattern.

Also, know that you can combine each plot pattern to make it uniquely your own.

What Concerns You?

2008-04-04T09:47:00.002-05:00

I've had the opportunity to write an essay on what concerns me globally and then I had to write a piece on my local concerns.

Sometimes, I find this hard because I seldom read the paper and only watch the news to get the weather. However, when you look through news article, magazines ariticles, and internet news you will find certain subjects will leap out to you.

Write what concerns you and then you can submit these pieces to the op/ed of your local newspaper or donate them to a magazine. In this way, you can earn by-lines for yourself and thicken your portfolio.

Here is my latest offering:

The article entitled, First Catholic Church Opens in Qatar, Sparking Fear of Backlash Against Christians, By Sonia Verma, concerns me. I wonder what will happen as Americans continue to cover the Arabian nations with our missionary efforts. Will this provoke an already much touted tolerance message here at home? Will we be force-fed Muslim doctrine on our televisions, newspapers, and schools?

Reciprocity is the word used to describe this new movement. Among Muslim leaders, the idea of mosques accepted in the west should encourage their governments to accept Christian churches in the east. If this movement happened in any other country, and involved any other religion, I would applaud this great missionary success. However, I wonder will Americans be pulled into a religious war not unlike the wars of the past? Will Muslim militants seize Christian church buildings, murder priests, pastors, or teachers, igniting rage in the west?

During the crusades, English men of great courage fought the Muslim armies to regain control of Jerusalem. Twelve crusades and thousands of deaths later, the English retreated. How did this cause benefit them? It didn’t. Women lost not only their fathers and providers, but also 15,000 children died while they marched to Jerusalem. The fighters who returned infested their country with non-Christian beliefs much to the dismay of the papacy.

I understand that missions work must persist if we are to see our Lord’s glorious appearing, my caution is to be wary of the tolerance message. Our missionary efforts will be tainted in whole if we do not protect our gospel message at home. Great steps toward above ground churches are taken daily in such places as the Arabian nations and China. We need to not allow these advances to soften our domestic missions by allowing other religions to persuade us to accept their beliefs as truths. For we know the truth lies in knowing the one God, the one cross, and the one peace giver.

Dangerous Curves Ahead

2008-03-29T10:09:00.005-05:00

Sensory writing elevates the emotions in a story. Readers turn pages to feel the next emotion. Observing sensory perceptions in daily living will intensify every story told.

Every morning, much to my body’s dismay, I enter the gym. Music blasts me awake as I hear an electronic woman’s voice say, “Please change stations now.” I slide my membership card under the red light, hearing a high pitched beep. I’m clocked-in with the computer nagging me to weigh-in.

I find my favorite station. As I run in place, I feel my jiggles wiggle, and for a brief moment, I appreciate a gym with no mirrors. Looking around the circuit, I’m relieved to find other women in pursuit of replacing their winter coat.

Change stations, please…oh, thank ya, Jesus. My thighs ache from the squats. My heart pounds in my throat. My breaths are shallow. What’s that smell? I look to the lady next to me doing sit-ups. Could she have released a frog? I frown and hold my breath; surely it will pass in a moment.

As I move to the next station, the circular fan dries my wet skin. The odor is back. I quickly look around the room to see if anyone watches me and then I wipe my face with my t-shirt. I hope no one notices me sniffing myself. Oh, the horror of it all. No frogs were released. Mental note…stay away from the fans.

Second time around, the torture is over. I find a trash can and spit out my cardboard tasting gum. I stumble, reaching for pure refreshment, my water bottle on a shelf. Cold, crisp, liquid seeps down my throat. I wonder how something with no taste can taste so good? I pop a new stick of cinnamon gum in my mouth and head for the stretching circuit.

I grip the rubber handrails and stare at the second hand. I’m quite relieved I’m the only one stretching. I extend my legs. Three women attack the jungle gym. All of us monkeys clamor for more space. Someone ahead of me is not watching the clock. I now place my hand on my soft, velvety, sweats and wait. Their incessant talking irritates me. C’mon with it girls. Get a hitch in your giddy up. I’ve got things to do. Namely take a shower…I think the lady next to me is sniffing for frogs…in my direction.

Who's Head is it Anyways?

2008-03-27T20:52:00.003-05:00

I recently spoke with someone having trouble with point of view. So, I decided to post my response to her email on my blog because maybe there were other writer's out in cyberland who would benefit from this information.

Imagine yourself at a party holding a video camera. Everything you film is what your two hands move the camera to capture. Your voice is the only one speaking into the microphone. No one else can film your party like you. You film what you want, say what you want, and zoom in on what you want.

And then you pass the video camera to your husband. Now he films what he wants, says what he wants, and zooms in on what he wants. His story and everything he captures will be nothing like yours. The only way we can go back to your point of view is if the camera is handed back to you.

Now imagine you have two characters and their scene is their camera. They have to pass a scene back and forth between them so, the audience can understand their side of the story.

Sara, the heroine, begins the book in her POV. Everything she feels, sees, hears, tastes, thinks, and touches are written here. If anyone interrupts her internal monologue with their five senses or thoughts will throw her point of view off. Because it's all about her and her thoughts and her emotions and her five senses. No one else is allowed.

Sara, pass the camera, please...next scene.

Now after we space down a couple of times, we introduce our hero, Sam. This scene is told from his side of the story. His thoughts, his emotions, his five senses are recorded here. However, if Sara jumps in and her internal monologue appears, telling the reader her five senses, thoughts, or emotions while it's Sam's turn...she should feel guilty and be banished for the next 20 pages. Because as our mommas always told us it is rude to butt in on someone else's business. Besides, it's Sam's turn with the camera/scene.

This is called a purist point of view, because it is one scene - one point of view.

My critique partner made the claim that when you write like this the reader doesn't get to experience both the hero and heroine's emotion...for instance, when they share their first kiss. But this is not so. Sam tells his story about their chance kiss in his cynical way. There was nothing to the kiss. It was just a peck, one he'd give his own sister. He brushes the thought aside. There's more important things to think about...like Gary at work and how he always spys on Sam.

But wait, the next scene opens in Sara's loving point of view. She feels she has met her knight in shining armour. His lips were soft against hers and his hand pressed ever so gently against the small of her back. The kiss is obviously the beginning of a relationship.

Same kiss-two scenes-two points of view gives the reader even more insight into the character's goals, motivations, and conflicts. We know even more now than had we had one scene and only the descriptions of each character's emotions during the kiss.

If your not sure what omniscient point of view is...let's take it one step further.

Well, let's introduce one more character...the narrator. If Sam and Sara pass the camera back and forth, so the reader can see each side to their emotions, thoughts, and five senses, the narrator is the producer in the private sound room. The narrator tells the story, but sometimes she steps over her boundary and she spies and she exposes their private thoughts on a T.V. reality show.

However, this omniscient character is worse than the producers of any show. Because she is aware of Sam's and Sara's emotions, thoughts, and five senses and intrudes on their privacy by exposing what she knows, which is okay for a reality show, but is awful for fiction. Readers want to discover the characters on their own without someone telling them what is going on in the story.

Try this:

First Person Exercise

Write about Sara calling Sam for a date in first person. Using the word I and the verb is and be sure to include her five senses, her emotions, and her internal monologue (what she thinks).

Third Person Exercise

Write about Sam's reaction to the phone call in an internal monologue, entirely in third person. Using the word He and the verb was and include his thoughts, emotions, and five senses.

Omniscient Exercise

Write another scene this time about Sara arriving at Sam's apartment to ask him why he won't date her. Include both their thoughts, emotions, and five senses in this one scene.

My Talent

2008-03-20T11:26:00.002-05:00

As I was studying my devotion for the day, I read about how God gave men in select tribes of Israel, a talent. He did this in order to accomplish His goal of building a temple.

A man from Judah and a man from Dan were given such Godly wisdom and knowledge in craftsmanship they were able to construct anything. However, the scripture, which struck a chord in me was not only did God give these two men the ability to build, but they were also given the ability to teach their skills to others.

This led me to think...what is my God-given talent? And how can I share this skill with others?

What must I do to find my talent or skill? Or perhaps I already know and need God to confirm His word in me?

When I was 14, a man I had never met before ask to pray with me. While he was praying, he began to tell me things I had never told anyone before. When he ended his prayer, he held my hands and said, "This day God is placing a talent in your hands that you will use for His glory."

Now through the years, this has bugged me. I tried everything to figure out what this talent was...like playing music. I can honestly say playing the piano is not my gift. My brain seems to wake-up and realize the math involved in playing and then shuts down. I also tried playing the alto saxophone, I played decently, but not great. Cross music off my list.

Then I tried floral arranging. I love flowers. I have made bouquets, corsages, pew bows, and floral archways for many weddings. I enjoyed working in floral shops. However, within the last couple of years I have developed allergies to flowers. The kind of allergies that send me to the ER. Today, it's silk or nothing at all. Not to mention my wrists hurt from working in this industry. Probably from doing the same movements day after day, year after year. Cross floral design off my list.

About four years ago, I had this brainstorm that maybe...just maybe my talent might be writing. However, as I learn the craft of writing and offer my projects up as a sacrifice, I find only rejection and insult.

Not that I think that any talent God gives will be met with glorious approval and contracts, but a little encouragement would go a long way. Which is why I enrolled in the Christian Writer's Guild Course. So far, the encouraging words my mentor sends me ignites my creativity. I am working on articles and novels. And I haven't written anything, since the last writer's conference I went to several months ago.

With the encouragement of my critique partner, Janet Brown, and my daughter, I am now considering re-writing some of my manuscripts for the YA market. Possibly this is what I'm meant to do?

In researching the YA market, I came across this list. Look it over and see where you are...me? I think I'm somewhere between 6 & 7. (This is from Writing for Young Adults, by Sherry Garland)

Stage One - Dreaming. You read voraciously, love words and language, an admire authors. You have great ideas that might make good (young adult) books but, for one reason or another, you haven't written anything down. You are "thinking about writing a book."

Stage Two - Planning. You finally get some words down on paper and tinker with them off and on. You subscribe to writer magazines, read how-to books, join a writers group and even attend local writers conferences. You enjoy writing and the companionship of writers, but you do not try to sell your material.

Stage Three - Hopeful. Your friends say you are talented. You work diligently on your book for weeks, months or even years until you feel it is perfect. With your heart racing, you send off your first manuscript. You anxiously check the mail. As you tear open the self-addressed 9 X 12 manila envelope, you envision how you'll spend the advance.

Stage Four - Depression. You receive your first rejection. Then your second, third, and fourth. You shout at the absentee editor, or cry, or eat a box of chocolates and commiserate with your writing friends. Every item you send out is rejected, usually with no more than a form letter. Self-doubt soars.

Stage Five - Withdrawal. You convince yourself that you are totally untalented (or that the editors of the world do not appreciate you.) You shelve your manuscripts in the attic or garage and tell the rodents to enjoy them. You hate all successful authors, especially R. L. Stine.

Stage Six - Rejuvenation. At the bookstore you notice a (young adult (YA), romance, historical, contemporary, or whatever genre you write) bestseller that's eerily similar to your manuscript. You think that your name could have been on the spine. You dig out all the old dust-covered boxes, renew your subscription to writers magazines, join another writers club, attend more conferences, meet writers and editors and take a writing course. This time you set goals.

Stage Seven - Persistence. You set aside time for writing, usually late at night, early in the morning or on weekends. You experiment with techniques and styles until you find the one that feels right. You research the market and send out professional-looking work.

Stage Eight - Breakthrough. You sell your first short piece. It's for a regional publication or a children's magazine and you only receive ten dollars for it, but you celebrate anyway. Rejections still come, but they are personalized, encouraging and does not paralyze you.

Stage Nine - First Big Sale. An editor makes an offer on your manuscript. One year later, it is published. The future looks rosy.

Stage Ten - Sink or Swim. You sell more articles or maybe even another book. You stash away money until you have enough savings to survive for one year, and then you quit your day job. You write every day and keep several manuscripts in the mail. You are hard-working and dedicated, knowing that if you do not sell, you will have to return to your dreary job.

Stage Eleven - Career Author. Your income derives solely from writing and speaking engagements. As a published author, you are now a business with all the ramifications that it implies. The pressure of meeting deadlines, coping with bad or inaccurate reviews, balancing school visits with research, writing and family, keeping tax records and handling promotion can turn your hair gray. But you keep going; the rewards outweigh the headaches.

Did you recognize yourself at any of these stages? I did. And it makes me feel better to know that if I keep trying there are still stages ahead to recognize.

So, the questions hitting me today are: What is my talent? How can I play my talent forward and bless others by teaching them? What are my goals? How can I make the successful leap from stage six to stage seven?

What questions plague you? How can you find your answers?

I'm Back!

2008-01-28T15:43:00.000-06:00

I have been without my own computer for months now.

This week I have purchased a lap top and am loving it!

Now I'll be able to write anywhere. I have started two new manuscripts. One is a western and the other is a spiritual warfare. I have also enrolled in the Christian Writer's Guild writing course.

I'm excited and eager to get back to work.

2008 Goals

2007-12-07T23:48:00.000-06:00

For those of you who've asked...Um,...NaNoWriMo didn't go so well for me. It's supposed to be about freeing your mind and just writing without direction. However, I went into it with a plot skeleton, an intense outline, and pages of character sketches. I froze up at 5,000 words. Total writer's block.

The only thing I've written since then was four paragraphs about a gambler who just won a large pot, sees a woman lying face down on the trail. He stops to see if she's alive or at the very least has a valise. As he turns her over, she reveals a gun. Her sister behind him points a sawed off shotgun at him. They rob him. He's mad and bent on retrieving his money. I stopped writing after the fourth paragraph because my daughter read it and mourned the loss of Wyatt and Hattie Jo (from my manuscript Trail to Justice). My most recent rejected manuscript. (((wiping tears)))

However, my 2008 goals are:

1. Condense Trail to Justice and submit to Heartsong Presents.

2. Enroll in the Christian Writer's Guild classes. (I need something to strengthen my cover letter. It's so puny. Also, I hope to strengthen my writing.)

3. Rewrite Resisting the Darkness (my spiritual warfare manuscript). I plan on taking my plot skeleton and co-writing it with my brother.

4. I'd like to attend a writing workshop.

5. I want to flesh out that western I talked about earlier and finish my romantic comedy I got stuck on in NaNoWriMo.

6. Submit once again.

7. Submerge myself in cheesecake after reading rejection letters.

8. Do the same the next year.

I guess that's all, folks!

Merry Christmas!
Deb

NaNoWriMo

2007-11-20T17:48:00.000-06:00

Ugh!

NaNoWriMo is causing me anxiety attacks!

I completed 5,000 typed words and then I froze. I can't seem to write anything.

Writer's block, I guess.

Or maybe it's that I am not doing well under pressure?

I know the contest will be ending soon and my gut feeling is that I will not make it. So for my word count today, I wrote:

Today, I give myself permission to fail. It's okay that I do not complete my word count. At least I tried. I attempted the futile effort of 50,000. I am a sucess.

Funny, my panic attacks are already subsiding.

I've got clutter!

2007-07-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

(Sung to the theme song of Sanford & Son)

I've got clutter
I've got clutter, clutter, clutter.
I've got clutter

(Thank you, comedian Bone)

That perfectly describes my house. Well, at least my son's room and my laundry/office/storage room.

"Son, your room is a mess," I pointed to the ocean of toys covering what used to be seen as carpet. "I think it's time we get rid of some of your things."

"No, Momma," he cried. "They're my toys."

"You are to the point you are not able to keep your room clean." I said in a surprisingly stern voice. I hate making the kids get rid of their belongings.

"Aw, Momma," he said clinging to my waist. "I try..."

"I've got an idea. Why don't' we go through your room together and you tell me what toys you want to sell. Then we can take them over to great-grandma's resale shop and sell them. All the money will be yours to do with, however you want."

He cocked his head to the side and frowned. "You are going to clean my room?"

"Yes."

"And I'm going to get money?"

"Yes."

"Whoo-hoo!" He ran to his room and then turned to look back at me. "What'cha waiting on Momma, get to cleaning."

After an exhausting day of sorting through minuscule toys, we hauled two bags of good, usable toys to great-grandma's shop and we had two completely full trash bags of clutter toys. You know the ones I mean. Happy Meal Toys, Dollar Store toys, toys bought at Goodwill when I caved in to pressure, all of them stuffed these two bags. I decided since Goodwill lured me into buying a good portion of the junk,...um, I mean toys, they should have them back. But then a wonderful thing happen. The three-year old boy, which I've mentioned before on this blog, came over to play and wanted the bags. Yes, he can take them home and save me a trip to the donation box.

As I typed at my computer, he stumbled into my office. "Hey, you. I wanna go home. Take me home."

"You walked here didn't ya?" I continued typing on my great American novel.

"I can't take those two big bags home by myself. I just little. You want me to trip and fall or something?"

"Little mister, you do not demand me to take you home. You speak respectful to me and ask me to drive you home." I stopped what I was doing and decided it was about time to pick up my drama diva from acting camp.

"Would you take me home or what?" I dismissed the absence of the please and suspected that this was as good as I was going to get.

"You boys load the bags in the car and we'll go." I wondered at this point how his little grandma was going to feel about having two bag fulls of trash being hauled into her tidy home. I decided to keep the car running...drop the kid off in a hurry before she could come outside to demand me to take back my junk,...um I mean toys.

I loaded up the boys. We drove slowly down the street to his grandma's house. "Are you ready to get out?" I asked him before I ever stopped the car. I looked around the house to see if his grandma was watching. With no one in sight, I parked the car and turned around. "Son, you help him take the bags to the front door and then hurry as fast as you can back to the car. I don't want to get cau...I mean we need to get your sister from acting camp, so hurry."

I watched the boys struggle, heaving the bags up the steps. I rolled down the window. "Son, hurry. Come back to the car, quickly!"

The boy hollered at me. "Wait! I need him to help me open up the front door."

I nodded.

The door opened. I could see the inside of a clean living room. My heart quickened. That woman is going to curse the day she ever agreed to allow her grandson to come to my house. She is going to think I purposely pawned the junk,...um, toys off on him. Any minute she's going to come out and tell me to get these bags and get them back in my car.

"Son, come now." I said, perspiration beaded on my upper lip. "Get in the car."

My son the angel he is smiled at me. Did a little hop. And then he snuck behind a tree. I could hear him giggling. Did he know why Momma was in such a hurry? Could he possibly be that ornery?

"One!"

He fled the tree and jumped in the car. I sped away.

"How much money do ya think I'll get?" He said as he buckled.

"I don't know," I said as I checked my rearview mirror at the house fading behind us. I imagine this isn't over.

Memories

2007-07-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

When I married my husband, I was only seventeen years old. And like most teenagers I knew-it-all, I was arrogant, and I had to have the last word.

My husband's grandpa had me pegged right off. For instance we exchanged the following conversation.

"Texas residents vote Republican," I said as I folded the newspaper. I sat across from Grandpa.

"Ah, it ain't done it. Texas votes Democrat." Grandpa leaned back, crossed his leg, and frowned at me.

"It most certainly is to a Republican state," I jutted my chin. "It says so right in the paper."

"Phew! What does that paper know?" He cocked his head to the side, giving me his are-you-stupid look.

"If you will look at the voting statistics for the last fifteen years, you'll see..." My tone of voice changed into a chirp. Before I realized it, I was in a full throttle squawk.

Grandpa grinned. He looked at my husband and nodded. My husband laughed.

It took me years to realize that Grandpa baited me into these arguments so he could watch me squawk for his own entertainment purposes. When we would drive up in his driveway I'd tell my husband," Tonight, I'm going to do better and keep my mouth closed."

My husband would grin, "We'll see, but my money is on Grandpa."

This last week, Grandpa entered the nursing home. When we went to see him, he took me by the hand and said to my husband, "Boy this is it for me." Before we left that night, Grandpa told my husband and I both that he loved us. For the next five days his condition worsened to the point he was unable to talk. The last day he was able to speak I kissed him goodbye and told him I loved him. He said, "I love you too, Baby."

As I sat at his funeral today, I thought about memories I shared with my husband's family. His grandparents dominate the majority of my memories of our early years of marriage. They bought me my first brand new refrigerator, Grandma took me grocery shopping when I was pregnant and we had no food in the house, and they took me to haul hay with them.

My husband once remarked that we were so young when we married that maybe we should've just moved in with his grandparents instead of trying on our own. I countered that his grandparents wouldn't have been able to stand my immaturity and arrogance back in the day. But Grandma smiled at me and said, "Debbie, you're like one of my own. I would've spanked ya just like I did them."

They may not have been blood kin to me, but they were my people. They were like one of my own.

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa! I love you, too!

Bull slapping

2007-06-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. Ooh, aah,...yeah, I know. I was like ten when we married. :o)

I'd like to say we did something incredibly romantic...like take a tour of England or an Alaskan cruise, or even a private getaway to some remote cabin in the wilderness. Hey, I'd even settle for a motel six out of town. (With pretend names and a cash payment. hee, hee)

However, we went to the movies and saw Wild Hogs. I laughed so hard I had to run to the restroom because William H. Macy's character is named Dudley and he's becoming familiar with riding a motorcycle. Well, wouldn't ya know that's my husband's name and he just bought him a bike. He actually belongs to a group of riders now, too! But the scene that really got me into hysterics was the bull slapping contest. Oh, my it brought back memories...picture it...Texas, 1997...

"Hey, Debbie!" my husband hollers as he's jumping out of the pick-up bed after tossing hay bales out. "Have you ever seen bull kick?"

"Hello? City girl, here." I scratch my head. "How ya goin' to get that big bull to kick?"

"Watch this!" He runs to the feeding trough, grabs a bag of feed and pours. Soon, the whole herd moves in, crowding in around him, trying to eat. (Including the big bull) My darling husband squeezes out between the cattle, searching for a stick. He then prods the bull, tapping him with the stick. I scream. He laughs. And then he does the unthinkable. He runs behind the bull, grabs his tail, and snaps it like a whip.

Oh, my word! That bull came away from that feeder, high-stepping and kicking. My husband laughed so hard he couldn't move. I scream again. I knew he was going to get kicked by that monster.

But he didn't. It seems he had done this before. What shocked me most was that he did it as a child!

So, now you know why I laughed so hard at the bull slapping scene. In fact, the whole movie seemed to speak of my husband's life one way or another.

Maybe I didn't get a romantic getaway, but I sure enjoyed laughing at him until I cried at the theater. Bet he couldn't bull slap these days.

Locks and Electric Fences

2007-05-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

I admit it. I am an overprotective mom.

However, in my defense, my pediatrician says, "Debra, you are your child's only advocate and protector."

That being said, maybe you can decide if I went a little over the top today.

We have some new kids on the block who are not being raised with like values or morals as our children. They sometimes lure my son out of the safety of the backyard to get him in trouble.

After getting off the phone today with the credit card company, who told me they stopped accepting payments over the phone, (by the way...credit cards are evil) I went to call my son from the backyard. He wasn't there.

One of these little boys, who is three years old, talked my son into going into the front yard to smash mushrooms. I don't have a problem with mushroom smashing, however, I asked him specifically not to go into the front yard.

I was mad at the direct disobedience.

I positioned myself in the front yard with the acceptable "What do you think you're doing?" motherly pose and waited for him to look at me. Finally, after he finished his smashing, he looks at me and says, "Oh."

I said, "That's right, oh." I called for my daughter and told my son to get in the car. I politely told the three year old that he needed to go home.

My son says, "Where are we going?"

"To get an electric fence device," I fumbled for my keys.

My son jumps in the backseat, "What are you trying to do, kill me?"

Smart six year old. I didn't have any idea he'd know what that meant when I smarted off.

In my best motherly tone, I said, "We are going to buy locks for the gates around the house, since I can no longer trust you to stay in the backyard."

"Is it going to electrocute me?"

At this moment, I see a red truck creeping down our street. The driver rolls down his window and is watching the three year old leave our house. He speaks to the little boy. Then my son's friend runs like mad home. It had all the signs of stranger danger.

"Son, you see that truck?"

"Yeah."

"He's a stranger and he's talking to Maury."

"What does he want?"

"I don't know." I kept both my eyes on the man in the truck. "But this is the reason we are getting locks for the gates. You never know who might drive near our front yard and want to talk to you. Or worse try to talk you into getting in their truck."

We returned home from Wal-mart and I placed the locks on every gate. I told my son that he could go into the backyard to play, but if I caught him crawling on our fence I promised I would embarrass him in front of all his friends with a good scolding.

Sheepishly, my son walked out of the house and into the backyard. He investigated all three gates with their prospective locks. "Mom?" he called.

"What is it?" I said, while hiding the keys.

"Am I going to get shocked if I touch the fence?"

"What do you think?"

Dream Big!

2007-04-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a visiting minister say that Joseph dreamed big, humongous dreams. We should be more like Joseph and dream just as big when it relates to what God has called us to do.

"Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the other." (Habakkuk 2:2 Message Bible)

So, here it is my big dream top ten list:

10. Publish my WIP
9. Become multi-published
8. Obtain best-seller status
7. Become a much sought after speaker/singer
6. Have Oprah and the Today Show hunting me down for an interview
5. Open a clinic/spa for obese women who have emotional eating disorders and self esteem issues.
4. Publish self-help books referring to #5
3. Open an all boys/all girls Christian school.
2. Attend the openings to the newest blockbuster sensation that also happens to be based upon my books.

And the number biggest dream of all time...
1. Become a dancer!!!!!!!!!!

Dream big people...visualize the positive!

Who Is Debra Calloway?

2007-04-27T18:10:00.000-05:00

I am in awe!

I just visited my website's traffic facts and discovered that in the last four months 1,472 visted my site, entering in the key phrase "Who is Debra Calloway?"

Wow!

I don't think I even know that many people!

But it certainly got me to thinking, who am I? (that came after the thought, "Girl you've gotta update your website! :o)

But on to my philosophical wonderings...who do I want to be? And have I even come close to being that person?

My heart tells me I've got a ways to go, but for now I'll keep on trying to be a better:

1. Christian
2. Wife
3. Mother
4. Writer
5. Friend

I think tomorrow I'll post on my ten most desired dreams.

Writing Prompt 5

2007-02-28T13:31:00.000-06:00

"Who would speak first at yours? Pretend they also had interventions for less serious things than drugs and alcohol. What might people intervene you about? Describe the unlikely intervention in a parody or descriptive piece."

“Hey,” Candy said. “What’s everyone doing at my house?” The blonde bombshell walked from her car to the front door. There she was greeted by her dad who appeared to be more at home with her house than she’d have liked.

“Candance, c’mon in and sit down.” Dad had a stern voice. He only used this voice with her when she’d done something wrong.

“Is everything okay?”

“We’ve arranged for you to sit in the zero gravity chair.” Dad gently guided her through the dining room and into the den.

Her entire family gathered in the room. Both brothers and her little sister with all their spouses and children had made themselves comfortable in her den. Candy ran her fingers through her hair. She didn’t like this at all. These people appeared as though they lived here. They needed to go home. They made her uncomfortable. She sat in the chair and bounced her legs.

Dad entered the den and nodded to Mom, “Hon, you go first,” he said.

Mom extracted herself from a lap full of grandchildren and came to squat in front of Candy. She took a deep breath and seemed to measure her words carefully. She hated it when her mom acted this way. It’s all the drama she hated. Her family had an incredible talent for making nothing into something gargantuan. Drama, Drama, Drama, she shook her head in frustration.

“Candance Marie Stanton,” Mom said and patted her knee. “Why do you think that you’re having closet trouble?”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Candy said, looking up at her dad who stood behind her chair. “I called a carpenter out this week, he’s gonna enlarge it.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Mom said. “Why do you think you’re having closet trouble?”
She shook her head. This was ridiculous. “I have too much stuff in my closet.”

“And what kind of stuff takes up most of the room?”

“Mother, you know. Why are you asking anyways?” Candy looked around the room. She noticed her little sister crying and her husband comforting her. “What’s going on here? Am I on some type of reality T.V. prank show?”

“We are very concerned for you,” Dad said as he brushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

“This is serious,” Mom said. “We’ve been distraught with worry for your situation.”

“There is no situation,” she said. “It’s only a carpenter coming to enlarge my closet.”

“Are you trying to force me to say it?” Tears welled up in Mom’s eyes. “I wanted you to say it. That’s the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.”

“What problem?” Candy leaped out of the zero gravity chair and stomped toward the door. “I don’t have a problem. But y’all sure do. I’m leaving.”

Bubba, her eldest brother, stood at the exit and wouldn’t allow her to pass. “Move it,” she said.

“Not until you listen to Mom and Dad.” Bubba folded his arms across his chest.

“You too?” Apparently, she was going to have to reason with these folks to get them to leave her home.

“Listen people, I don’t have a problem. I’m only having a little remodeling done. It’s nothing expensive and I assure you that I can’t take care of it financially.”

“You think this is about money?” Monty her other brother leaped off the couch and came straight toward her.
“You have a problem, Candance. You need to realize that you need help. Can’t you see we’re all here to support you? We care about you.”

“Tell me again what my problem is?” Of course, aliens could’ve landed and taken control over her entire family’s bodies. That would certainly cause this madness. For the life of her she couldn’t make sense of this family meeting.

Mom stood and came near her, standing between her and Monty. “My darling daughter, do we need to take you to your room and show you, your closet?”

“No,” she said. “I know what’s in my closet.”

“Tell me what’s in your closet,” Mom said as she took her hands and kissed them, murmuring something about her poor baby.

“There’s clothes,” she said.

“And what else?” mom said.

“…hangers?”

“And?”

“…coats?”

“And?”

“um…boxes?”

“Of what?”

“Shoes?”

“Thank God she finally said it,” Dad clapped for joy.

“Can’t you see?” Mom wiped tears from her eyes with her fingertips. “Sweetness, you have a serious shoe addiction. We’ve gathered here today for a shoe intervention. Come back and sit down.”

“Sally? Are you ready?” Dad motioned for her to rise. Then he directed his next statement to Candy. “Sally has written you a letter?”

“Why?” Candy said. “We’re next door neighbors.”

“Hush and listen, honey,” Mom held her hands between her own.

Sally stood and cleared her throat. “Candance, we’ve been friends for almost two weeks now. It has been a wonderful time of fellowship and fun…”

Candy rolled her eyes. During that time they’d only spoken once and that was when she took homemade cinnamon rolls over to welcome her to the neighborhood.

“We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve been genuinely moved by either other triumphs and failures…”

What was she talking about? They haven’t ever spoken three sentences strung together.

“Try to recognize your problem. Try to see that your family loves you and only wants what’s best for you.
Please I beg of you stop the insanity. Stop buying shoes.”

At this point, everyone in the room was moved to tears. Hiccupping accompanied sniffling. A tissue box was passed around the room. This was not her family. Where was the alien spaceship? She looked out the window.

“I want you to know,” Bubba said. “I know what you’re going through. I too was once addicted to arch support socks. I couldn’t buy enough of them. They just felt so good on my feet. I suppose we’re two of a kind.”

She shivered as she thought about her brother’s stinky feet. She couldn’t imagine what her sister-in-law saw in him.

“Joanie,” Mom addressed Candy’s little sister. “What do you have to say?”

“I wanted to write a letter,” she said. “But I guess I’m not that great with words.” She cried. Not a glistening tear on her cheek, but a full out uncontrollable weeping. “Please…get…better,” She hiccupped.

“If I promise you guys that I won’t buy anymore shoes,” Candy said. “Will y’all leave?”

“Well, that all depends on you,” Dad said.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you sincere?” he said. “Or are you just saying what we want to hear?”

The latter of course. This insanity had lasted long enough. “Dad I wouldn’t lie to you. I am sincere. I promise I won’t buy anymore stilettos.” That was an easy promise since the doctor told her this week that her knees couldn’t handle her wearing high-heels anymore. The fact was she had to get rid of the high-heels to avoid the temptation to wear them and further damage her knees. “I will even go through my closet and get rid of some of the shoes in my closet.”

“Okay, princess,” Dad said. “I believe you. But if for any reason you can’t hold up to our agreement, I’ll be forced to put you in shoe rehab.”

“That sort of thing really exist?”

“Nope, but we’d lock you in our basement until you came to your senses,” Dad snickered.

Candy didn’t find it so funny. She thought of Kathy Bates in the movie, Misery. Somehow she could see her
mother playing the part.

“Shoe rehab it is, if I’m lying.”

Thank goodness it was all over. The last of her family was leaving when her neighbor Sally hung back to whisper something. “You’re kinfolks are a little loco, aren’t they.”

“Appears so,” she said.

“I didn’t want to do this, you know,” Sally said. “But your mom tempted me with her homemade brownies.”
Candy laughed. On second thought where were those chocolate morsels? She needed a stress reliever.

“Oh, by the way,” Sally said. “May I have the shoes your getting rid of? I just love stilettos.”

Candy shook her head in disbelief. “Sure. Take them.” She thought it was about time to go look for that spaceship.

Writing Prompt 4

2007-02-27T09:12:00.000-06:00

It was an unexpected visit.

Sharrie Hart wanted to be left alone with no one reminding her of what she'd lost. But, there it was...the doorbell. Should she ignore it like the many before this one?

She shoved her feet into her slippers and padded across her bedroom floor. With one look into the hallway mirror, she knew she looked like death warmed over, too bad she hadn't of died. It would've been better than living with the horrible guilt and grief of Tom's death.If only she hadn't been driving the car? If only she could turn back the clock?

The doorbell rang again...twice this time. She was coming, good gracious! She passed her wedding pictures hanging on the living room wall, tears welled in her eyes for the millionth time. How could she live without him? They were so happy together. She remembered their summer getaway to Cancun and how his donkey couldn't make it up the hill with him on it. They laughed at him tugging the mules reins until he finally made it to the top.

A knock startled her. She managed to wipe her tear stained face with the sleeve of her robe and stumbled into the foyer. There on the front table set the floral arrangement Tom had specially made for her when they bought the house. She choked on the hiccups which erupted from within.

Would life continue to be one cry after another? With new resolve she clasped the front door and opened it. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Tom stood in the doorway.

"I've been trying to get your attention for two weeks." He said with love in his eyes. "Where have you been?"

She jumped into his arms and wept. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, dropping them both onto the couch. His fingers raked through her hair. His lips caressed her neck.

"I thought you were dead?" she questioned him.

"I am."

"Then how are you here?"

"God saw your sorrow and allowed me to come back for a short time to say goodbye," he kissed her lips.

"We never got to say goodbye."

No, she couldn't let go of him! Not this time, not ever. She appreciated her heavenly father for noticing her sorrow, but she didn't want him to leave without her.

"How can we stay together?"

"We can't," he said. "Not until you finish the good work he began in you."

"Did you complete it?"

"Yes," he said. "The morning I died I had witness to a young boy."

She held him tighter. She do anything to be with him. Perhaps, a trip to Africa? or to some other exotic mission field?

"Tell me what my purpose is?" she demanded. "I have to be with you."

"That's between you and God," he said. "I don't know."

"Well, every body's mission is to spread the good news," she thought fast. "What if I find a way to spread the gospel quickly?"

"Now your thinking."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know," he said. "It's different for everybody."

"How much longer do we have?"

"My time's up," he nodded to an angel who appeared at the door.

"NO!" she screamed.

Tom disappeared.

Two weeks later, Sharrie was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show. She was interviewed for the educational work she'd done in Niger. Sharrie glanced at her watch. She didn't want to make the great 'O' hurry, but she had to catch a plane to China. Awaiting her was the greatest underground revival ever and she was the main speaker.

Writing Prompt 3

2007-02-25T07:50:00.000-06:00

Write an intriguing first line for a romance novel. Repeat the exercise, writing first lines for a mystery, horror, Western and a suspense story.

Romance:
Out of all the women in the world, why was it her that excited him most.

Mystery:
A loud screeching noise came from inside her bedroom closet, but she knew she was alone...or was she?

Horror:
Blood dripped from the blade of the Pope's butcher knife.

Western:
His horse liked her, so he supposed he should like the little gal, too.

Suspense:
Penelope awoke, finding herself sitting at a rest stop in her car, on the side of the highway...how she got there she didn't know.

Fantasy:
The king arrived with his sharriors, each carried the banner of war and a spear.

Historical:
"I find it most difficult to imagine why it is women are allowed to drape themselves in garments, which half expose their bosom, but scandalously labelled a harlot for removing her gloves in public."

Chick lit:
That was the best pick-up line she'd ever heard from a man...too bad she was in a gay bar.

Writing Prompt 2

2007-02-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

Anyone can play!

A woman is forced to empty her purse without endangerment to her life.

Deandra Lawson drove her Pontiac Grand-Am into the parking lot of the First Union Pacific Bank of Decatur, Georgia. She was on a mission. The Federal Agent she spoke with this morning, on the phone, promised her an interview. Only he thought she was there to interview him as a potential hero for a novel. Wouldn’t he be surprised when she served him with a subpoena!

She hadn’t worked as a court officer for very long. It’d be six months come the 15th of this month. However, during this short amount of time she’d learned her trade well. When she first started the job, her conscience bothered her for the lies she had to tell to get close enough to the defendant. But now she rarely thought anything of it.

Dressing for each lie was a must. Today, she wore a black dress with large, red roses. Long red scarfs twisted around her neck and draped down her back. For the first time in years, she actually hot rolled her long, brown hair.

She parked her car, smeared I’m Really Not A Waitress lipstick across her lips, puckered and then extracted herself from the car. She felt like a real, honest to goodness romance writer.

Inside the bank, a security guard greeted her. She took the elevator to the second floor. In the hallway, a metal detector loomed in front of her. A man motioned for her to come near.

“Hello,” she batted her eyelashes. “I have an appointment with Agent E.C. Marshall.”

“Place all metal objects in the bowl and pass through,” the humorless fellow said.

She dropped her purse on a large machine, dropped her jewelry in the bowl, and then passed underneath the gate. The man clutched her purse, sending it through the x-ray machine. A loud buzzing noise resounded with a series of beeps.

“Ma’am, I need you to empty your purse.”

“Do what?”

“I need to see the contents of your purse.”

“I feel uncomfortable with you seeing what’s in my purse.”

“Then you need to leave.”

“Paul,” a man with incredible blue eyes and an athletic build appeared. “Is anything wrong?”

“No, sir.” Paul handed Deandra her purse.

“Ma’am,” the handsome man said. “Are you looking for anyone in particular?”

“Yes,” she said. “I have an appointment with Agent E.C. Marshall.”

“Paul?” he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“The machine went off when I scanned her purse,” he said. “I told her I needed to examine the contents of her purse but she refused.”

“Ma’am, empty your bag,” the Robert Redford look alike said.

If it weren’t for the subpoena in her bag, she would’ve gladly revealed her cluttered purse…well, almost. However, with one look at that slip of paper, she’d never get through to see this agent. She reached into her purse and extracted a small notebook, stuffing the subpoena quickly inside it. Then she dumped everything into a bowl.

Satisfied she didn’t possess a bomb, the two men handed her empty bag and a bowl filled with two handfuls of bubblegum wrappers, one red lipstick, a tinker bell wallet, two sanitary napkins, keys, and four chocolate candy bars. Her emotional eating habit required the last items, which had started when she began working for the courthouse. The men shared a mutual grin as if they’d communicated something extremely funny, which only they’d know.

“Are you Ms. Deandra Newman?”

“Yes, I am.”

The incredible handsome man extended his hand. “I’m Agent Marshall. Let’s go into this office where we can talk.”

One of the drawbacks of this job…meeting eligible men and then making them despise you.

Writing Prompts

2007-02-21T12:45:00.000-06:00

Anyone can play!

Take two people who dislike each other and stick them in the backseat of a cab. What happens?

Amy Larsen, an ad exec, ran out of her apartment building to catch a taxi for a work. She was already late. On the phone for the last hour with that awful Brad Adams. He had some nerve to call her on her off hours and scold her for leaving the printer cartridge empty at work. Oh, please! Who hasn't done that at least once.

He was looking for a reason to rile her up this morning.

Amy waved her arm as she approached the street. Today was an important day, she hated being late. As she reached the curb, thunder rolled in the distance. Oh, great, if she didn't hail a cab now she'd be soaked. Umbrellas, that's what her always prepared mother would of told her to get before she left the house. But excuse her, there are some people in the world who are not perfect.

A cab pulled to the curb as rain descended upon her with a gust of wind. Her flimsy skirt swirled around her
legs as she opened the door, rising slightly above her knees. What else could happen to her today?

"Where to, lady?" the cabbie asked.

"227 Madison Avenue," she said as she straightened herself, and then slammed the door.

"Do y'all work together or something?" the cabbie asked looking into his rear view mirror at her.

Amy turned to her left. Never asked what else could go wrong unless your prepared for the absolute worst!

Mister Brad Adams shared the cab with her.

"I thought you were already at work from the sound of your complaint," she said.

"I was for awhile," he smiled. "Until I had to leave to go to the office supply store for ink cartridges."

"I assume you've already bought them?"

"Nope," he said. "We had to slow down for you."

"Mister," she called to the cabbie. "Please drop me off first. I'm in a terrible hurry."

"Sorry, lady," he motioned to Brad. "He was here first. I have to drop him off and wait for him."

"No!" she shouted. "I needed to be at work like a ten minutes ago."

Brad leaned back with his smug grin and hummed. "Driver," he said. "Take your time."

"Yes, sir."

Her heart pounded. How could anyone be so cruel? They'd always been at each others throats, but never had

they'd pulled such a low-down, dirty ploy. She searched her brain to try and remember if she'd ever done

anything to offend him. Nothing. Notda.

"What have I ever done to you?" she punched him in the shoulder.

"Whoa!" he rubbed his upper arm. "What are you talking about?"

"You are purposefully sabotaging my presentation!" she beat him with her purse.

"Stop!" he yelled. "Are you crazy?"

"Admit it, now!" she hit harder, hoping her bottle of cologne pummeled him like a brick.

"Driver," he yelled. "Go directly to 227 Madison Avenue."

"Thank you," she said, pulling herself together. "That's more like it."

"It's your tough luck," he straightened his expensive suit. "You're the one who'll regret it."

What on earth was he talking about now? She smoothed her hair and asked, "What do you mean?"

"If you would of only asked," he turned his head toward the window. "I would've told you that Jack spilled his coffee on all your graphs this morning," he ran his fingers through his messed hair. "I tried to print more off for you, but we were out of ink cartridges. I thought you'd want all your props before you went in for the meeting. But I guess I was wrong."

Now she felt like the scum on the bottom of a stagnant pond. She was sure he was trying to get her fired. This had to be the worst day ever. How would she ever be able to say sorry to him? Words couldn't express her anguish. She reached for his hand, which laid on his dark blue trousers. With both hands, she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, the blond hairs on the top of his hand swayed with each breath of her words.

"Driver," he called.

"I know," the cabbie said. "Go to the office supply store."

Tagged

2007-02-09T10:04:00.000-06:00

Margaret Daley tagged me, so I will list six weird things about me.

1) Occasionally, I like to add potato chips to my sandwich.

2) I micro-organize my family's life, but can't keep my house cleaned.

3) I hate driving, but yet I have a sports car.

4) Occasionally, I like to eat Lay's potato chips with chocolate cake. (Do you see a carb addiction here?)

5) I wake-up every morning at 5 am to write, but do other things instead.

6) I hate vegetables!!!!

These are the people that I tagged:

Mary Beth Lee www.marybethlee.livejournal.com

Mindy Obenhaus www.maryobenhaus.blogspot.com

Rev. Joe Kelley www.preacherman4life.blogspot.com

Be Still My Heart

2006-12-10T16:42:00.000-06:00

I am thinking a lot lately about Nathaniel.

November 10, 1999 he was born to my husband and I...still.

Nathaniel suffered from Anecephaly. He died at 19 weeks, so there was no funeral or memorial service. Some days I feel that I am the only one that remembers him. With no headstone or marker to show that he was on this earth, I find myself creeping into the garage in the dark of night and pulling down a box from the top of the closet. In that box, is Nathaniel's gown, blanket, and hat that he wore; pictures of him; birth certificate; teddy bear; and hospital bracelet. I look at the pictures that display death in the most graphic sense and think that I am the only one in my family who ever saw him. Only my husband and I have ever looked at the pictures.

Because Nathaniel has weighed so heavily on my heart, I started searching out ways to retouch his images. I have finally found a place that will fix his photos. I plan on making a shadow box to store his keepsakes and hopefully put my spirit at ease.

Tonight, my family and I are attending a memorial service for stillborns at Hospice. This will be the first time in seven years that my children will light a candle for their brother.

God the author

2006-10-21T12:43:00.000-05:00

God is the author and finisher of our faith.

I love that scripture because I feel like God identifies with my desire to be an author. We have something in common.

And the winners are...

2006-10-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ticket to Write Contest Winners

TICKET TO WRITE 2006 WINNERS
SINGLE TITLE: LAURA CIFELLI: NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY
FIRST PLACE: FIVE O’CLOCK WHISTLE BY Nancy Lytle
SECOND PLACE: CAT SCRATCH FEVER BY Jodi Redford
THIRD PLACE: IN HER DEFENSE BY Vicky Tharp
FOURTH PLACE: THE CHILD OF THREE by Jo Anne Banker

PARANORMAL: KELLY MORTIMER: MORTIMER LITERARY AGENCY
FIRST PLACE: FORBIDDEN ATTRACTION by Jody Payne
SECOND PLACE: ANGELS AT ALMACK’S by Cathy Lemming
THIRD PLACE: A GLIMPSE OF ETERNITY by Vicki Crum
FOURTH PLACE: THE TROUBLE WITH GHOSTS by Jody Redford
FIFTH PLACE: THALGOR’S WITCH by Nancy Holland

CONTEMPORARY: SUSAN LITMAN: HARLEQUIN/SILHOUETTE BOOKS
FIRST PLACE: CAITLIN’S COWBOYS by Patricia Morgan
SECOND PLACE: CHASING THE MOONLIGHT by Anne Marie Novark
THIRD PLACE: THE GREEK RULE by Alexandra Nakis Alichos
FOURTH PLACE: THE SUMMER DEAL by Alexandra Nakis Alichos

INSPIRATIONAL: JULEE SCHWARZBURG: MULTNOMAH PUBLISHING GROUP
FIRST PLACE: TO WIN A GLADIATOR by Carla Hughes
SECOND PLACE: PROMISES TO KEEP by Tina Novinski
THIRD PLACE: A PLACE CALLED HOME by Tina Novinski
FOURTH PLACE: GIRL IN WAITING by Belinda Peterson
FIFTH PLACE: ONE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Myra Johnson

HISTORICAL: HILARY SARES: KENSINGTON BOOKS
FIRST PLACE: REVENGE by Jennifer Haymore
SECOND PLACE: LIEUTENANT’S BRIDE by Cheryl A. Skoglund
THIRD PLACE: TEXAS HOLD HIM by Lisa Cooke
FOURTH PLACE: FIRE AT MIDNIGHT by Lisa Marie Wilkinson
FIFTH PLACE: HIGHLAND PRINCESS by Cathy Leming

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE: KEYREN GERLACH: HARLEQUIN BOOKS
FIRST PLACE: DEVIL YOU DON’T by Shaunta Grimes
SECOND PLACE: DREAM STALKER by Sandra Kerns
THIRD PLACE: UNKNOWN ORIGINS by Lori Sowell
FOURTH PLACE: KEEPING SECRETS by Sandra Kerns

Check It Out!

2006-09-05T23:41:00.000-05:00

Look at this new and wonderful blog that I came across. It's awesome!
http://preacherman4life.blogspot.com/

Ticket To Write Finalists

2006-09-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

And the finalists are...

Historical Category- judging editor: Hilary Sares, Kensington

Fire at Midnight
Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Highland Princess
Cathy Leming

Revenge
Jennifer Haymore

Texas Hold Him
Lisa Cooke

The Lieutenant's Bride
Cheryl A. Skoglund

Contemporary Series - judging editor: Susan Litman, Harlequin

Caitlin's Cowboy
Patricia Morgan

Chasing the Moonlight
Anne Marie Novark

The Greek Rule
Alexandra Nakis Alichos

The Summer Deal
Alexandra Nakis Alichos

Single Title - judging editor: Laura Cifelli, NAL

Cat Scratch Fever
Jodi Redford

Five O'clock Whistle
Nancy Lytle

In Her Defense
Vicki Tharp

The Child of Three
Jo Anne Banker

Hot & Steamy - judging editor Kathryn Lye, Harlequin
Cancelled due to lack of submissions

Inspirational judging editor Julie Schwarzburg, Multnomah

A Place Called Home
Tina Novinski

Girl In Waiting
Belinda Peterson

One Perfect Christmas
Myra Johnson

Promises To Keep
Tina Novinski

To Win a Gladiator
Carla Hughes

Romantic Suspense judging editor: Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin

Devil You Don't
Shaunta Grimes

Dream Stalker
Sandra Kerns

Keeping Secrets
Sandra Kerns

Unknown Origins
Lori Sowell

Paranormal judging editor: Kelly Mortimer, Mortimer Literary Agency

A Glimpse of Eternity
Vicki Crum

Angles at Almack's
Cathy Leming

Forbidden Attraction
Jody Payne

Thalger's Witch
Nancy Holland

The Trouble with Ghosts
Jody Redford

It Hurts To Say Goodbye!

2006-08-25T00:10:00.000-05:00

I know many of my friends are wondering where my mind is lately. I've made some decisions that some don't agree with, and I'm fine with that.

Let me first say that up until the RWA National Conference in GA, I was content in RWA and planned to be in it for a long time. But then something happened while I was there. My soul stirred as if God was trying to talk to me.

My spirit was restless and then the day of my agent appointment I stayed in our room, praying. I felt a strong urgency that God wanted me to leave the RWA organization. My heart broke, because of the many friends that I had made locally and nationally. By the time my appointment came, I asked God to give me a confirmation of His will. Then a notable person in the publishing industry asked me why was I there? I should be in a predominately Christian organization. Wow! There it was my answer, my confirmation. Yes, God is still on the throne and He cares about me. Amazing!

When I came home, I still struggled. I hated to leave my close local friends. During my prayer time, I complained about leaving my friends behind. With a voice that I know was not mine, I heard these words, "Do not be like Lot's wife." Whoa!

Seeing how I don't care much for turning into a pillar of salt for my disobedience, I leapt up and ran to the computer and un-subscribed from all my RWA groups.

I don't know what God is doing in my life, but I am glad that He cares enough for me to direct my paths and I know that I've followed His direction.

This week as I sat before my computer and told God that I'm not a good enough writer to write what he wants me to write. Then on my new loop (ACFW) a lady posted what God had given her in her devotional, "If God has called you to a task, He will equip you to complete it."

I'm going to keep writing, keep praying, and keep following His steps.

Top Ten

2006-07-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I learned ten new things at the RWA Atlanta Conference and I wanted to share them with you. Here they go:

10. Always consider the length of your formal attire before wearing your dress to the ceremony. (Good morning moon, the earth says, "Hello!")

9. Conference it's a great place to meet new friends who are like minded. (Sending a shout out to Jenna Mindel, Mindy O., Tracy Leigh Brown, Brenda Coulter, Camy Tang, and Laura Post)

8. Never tell your daughter you're skipping workshops to chat with new friends..She tattles to her Daddy.

7. Always consider how you look in a formal before exposing more than half of your breasts. (I honestly have never seen so many half naked breasts!)

6. Men from the North aren't as mannerly as the Southern men. (This is to that man who pushed me further into the elevator that was jammed packed, just because he was tired of waiting for an elevator.)

5. While sightseeing with Kay, expect to get lost...in downtown Atlanta...while it's hot...with scary-looking people on the streets. (Yes, it was daylight, but scary nonetheless.)

4. After twelve hours of sleep and 3 naps, Debbie is real social and likeable too! (quote from Kay Swanson)

3. Margaret Mitchells House Tour isn't with $13. (They wouldn't let me go upstairs. Only the basement was for viewing.)

2. After a couple of Corona's, Kay is real social and likeable too! (quote from me...just now)

And the number one thing that I learned at the RWA National Conference in Atlanta Georgia...(drum roll please)...

1. If you go out into the real world, you have to eat more than beef and brownies. Life is not all about you, Debbie...(quote from Kay Swanson) But really, what's a beef-loving Texas gal who is being served nothing else, but chicken supposed to do? I need beef! and chocolate!

Nationals Day Five

2006-07-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

Since my hotel in-room internet service is fixin' to cancel, I'm goin' to blog now.

We stayed up last night with Laura Post practicing pitching. That was a lot a fun.

Today, Kay had her appt. with Kathleen Scheibling with Harlequin. It went well. She requested a partial. Yea!

We are going to the luncheon to hear Christina Dodd and then we're going to the Margaret Mitchell House.

Tonight is the big awards ceremony and dessert reception. I'm really looking forward to the latter.

Anyways, I'll come back to blog Monday to recap when I'll be at home with a decent keyboard that doesn't stick so much. Bye!

Nationals Day Four or Agent Awareness Agony

2006-07-28T15:31:00.001-05:00

Okay, enough is enough.

I've had it with falling asleep during early morning workshops. Tomorrow, I've decided I'm foregoing the Calloway #1 rule of 'Never turn down a free meal' and actually sleep-in. (Amazing, I know). However, after congregating last night at the eharlequin pajama party and then attending a private party hosted by some Kimani authors, I woke this morning a complete and undeniable bear, even Kay informed me that I was not a nice person early in the morning.

So, after a skimpy continental breakfast of which, I was informed by another writer that it was 'very continental' (What in the world does that mean?), I attended Gail Dayton's Writing Action Scenes. I knew while sitting there bristling when anyone spoke to me, that I needed to go back to bed in hopes I might wake-up with a better disposition for my agent appt.

After my nap, I did feel slightly guilty for not attending workshops, but that soon faded when I realized how wonderful and glossy my curls were after a 1 1/2 hrs in the hot rollers.(Oh, the vanity!)

My agent appt. was with Danielle Egan-Miller. It went well. She said my story intrigue her and she welcomed me to query her.

In celebration, Kay took me to the mall! I bought some souveneirs for my family and had a snack.

Tonight, we're having supper with several authors from SARA. So, that's it for now, I'm hungry.

Nationals Day Three

2006-07-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

The birds were singing and the sun was shining this morning. Unfortunately, my brain couldn't grasp the beauty until 9 am.

I enjoyed breakfast this morning with the sweet ladies from the Steeple Hill eboard. I had pancakes and bacon, if you're wondering.

I attended the Shrek's guide to GMC followed by Jo Beverly's Fitzwilliam Darcy to Harry Potter. Then I got lost in the hotel. (Oh, fun!) Kay found me. (Bless her heart!)

Together, we tried to make it to Gail Martin's Sagging Middle Workshop, but we had to leave because the room was full. Merrilee Whren told me later that she enjoyed it and wished it had been a two hour workshop.

So, Kay and I roamed the hotel until we were stopped by a Harlequin editor who invited us to the Champagne room to get a free autographed copy of Debbie Macomber's new book. Then she mentioned free refreshments, now we're talking.

We entered the room to see four lines of people. I found Margaret Daley in line and she said she was glad I'd come to support Laura Marie. Yea! I was so excited that I had not missed her signing! Laura Marie Altom and I squealed when we saw each other. I just love her! She asked if I wanted her to sign my book, "To Debbie" since she's in my 'in' group. I laughed and told her its my code name for people close to me.

Debbie Macomber was her usual sweet self. She signed my book "To Debra" since we're not on equal Debbie footing. lol

While there I ate the best giant chocolate cookie and sweet Georgia tea. Yum!

The luncheon was fabulous! We were served Santa Fe chicken and roasted corn grits. It was quite good. (Are you enjoying my dietary journal? Watch out Weight Watchers I'll be back!)

Meg Cabot was a riot! She was so funny telling of her account of attending the Princess Diaries Premiere. I envied her presentation. She was calm and so natural. After the luncheon she signed my book of the Princess Diaries. She signed it for my daughter, "To Princess Bethany" She is so nice.

I talked with Tina Novinski (aka the blushing bride) afterwards, she put me at ease with my agent appt. tomorrow. I really like her, she's awesome!

Soon the ballroom started filling up for the AGM, which I missed because of my 3 hr. nap. (Oh, yes it was sweet! Except for housekeeping coming in)

The Welcome reception was crowded. We had egg rolls and chicken quesadillas. (Here we go again with food!)

Kay and I was extremely disappointed that there wasn't any chocolate! So, we invited Karen Kelley and went upstairs to buy dessert.

The Moonlight Madness Bazaar is just that, Mad! We were stuffed into a small room like sardines! I bought two t-shirts and entered the FHL raffle to win an alphasmart. (Pray, Saints, Pray!)

Tonight, I'm going with Margaret and Laura Marie to the eharlequin pajama party. ( I can't wait!) I have to go now so I can dress in my satin pj's.

Nationals Day Two

2006-07-26T21:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, the joy of conference. Late nights and early mornings leave Debbie a dull girl. I dream of my pillowy cloud upstairs they call a bed here.

I started my day off eating breakfast with the most wonderful mentor, Margaret Daley. We talked about my historical and improvements that I can make. Then we registered for the FHL mini-conference. Oh my word! If you missed this years workshop, you must go next year. We had a great time in the Lord.

The workshop started off with Margaret Daley and Lenora Worth, two fabulous ladies. Then we had an editor/agent panel, the guests included Sue Brouwer/Zondervan, Melissa Endlich/Steeple Hill, Sha-Shana Criton/Agent, Michelle/3 Seas, Natasha Kern/Agent, and our very own esteemed President Kelly Mortimer/Agent.

Each of the panel members discussed what they are acquiring. I thought it interesting that Melissa encouraged international type ms. She mentioned exotic locals like India and the Amazon. She also said they are open to Biblical recreations, medieval, and regency for their historical line. Sue likes suspense. All the agents said they like to see strong writing and unique stories.

At the luncheon, the guests panel hosted tables. I sat at Melissa's table and we throughly enjoyed her company. It's nice to know that the publishing community is human like us unpublished mortals.

I have to say the best part of my day was the worship service. Camy Tang did an outstanding job with the worship music. We actually had a time of prayer led by Angie. We prayed for different prayer requests and for our chapter as a whole. It was a wonderful time.

On to other news, I almost slept through the literacy signing. I took a nap and neglected the alarm. The signing, omg, was so crowded! I couldn't even hear myself think, it was so loud. I went and took pictures of my local chapter members, who were signing. Then I went and said hi to Margaret Daley, Brenda Coulter, Colleen Coble, Debra Compton (Sorry if I misspelled your names, forgive me?) and my new best friend Rita finalist Jenna Mindel.

Tonight it was hard to find a restaurant. Several were closed for remodeling. We ended up having to eat at a very noisy Sports Grill. Ugh! I was so glad to leave there and come here to Kinkos to blog.

Well, that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow.

Nationals

2006-07-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

I arrived early at conference today. Kay and I departed for the DFW airport at seven a.m. Way too early for this chick! We were half way there before I fully awoke.

After we were checked in at the airport, we met Mindy Obenhaus (NTRWA), Juliet Burns, Laura Post (ETRWA), and several ladies from DARA.

Following Kay through the airport was a feat in itself. Her luggage wheel kept flipping the bag over. Better her than me. (I patted my new luggage and asked what she thought of it. LOL She mumbled something about next years conf. and glared at me.) After a pleasant flight, most of which I slept through, (imagine that?) we landed in Atlanta. More like Hotlanta! Granted it was alot cooler than TX, but the humidity is stifling. We found ourselves crammed like sardines into a cab with five women and a ton of suitcases. We drove through town with no airconditioning! I think I'll sue for false advertisement. Ugh! I think I'll go shower now, thank you very much.

The hotel is beautiful. Fifty floors with lighted, glass elevators. I have seen many people here already. There was Karen Kelley, actually she was leaving for a party at the Knight Agency. Gayle Gaymor Martin visited with friends at the Atrium. Gena Showalter said hi to us at the elevators. We saw Sandy Blair and Jane Graves at supper too.

That's it for today. I'll come back tomorrow to tell about the FHL conference.

The Education Of Debra Calloway

2006-06-17T00:17:00.000-05:00

Some of you I know are more wordly than me, you could have at least given me a heads up about the Tom Jones concert. (I assure you it would've been appreciated :D)

As we sat six rows from the stage, I glanced around the crowded Nokia Theatre thinking to myself, 'Wow, there are so many people older than me, we can just sit here and relax without having to participate in the concert.'

Wrong!

The first thing that caught my attention was this pretty, sweet looking grandmother that jogged down to the stage, (at this point she was the only person in front of the stage) there she preceeded to swing a precious peach lacy panty over her head. She threw it with all her might towards Tom. Unfortunately for her, her aim was off and landed on a bald security guard's head. As her face turned red, she covered her mouth and said, "Oops!" Then ran away.

Now several women ran down to the stage twirling panties over their heads, one lady boasted of a pair of size 4X whitey-tighties swinging through the air. So, this takes care of all the elderly ladies, now onto the teenagers. These little girls had twisted g-strings around their wrist and commenced in sling shotting them at Sir Tom. The security guards rushed over to them and asked them to please stop. The girls reply, "But, please we've got one more!" Zing!

Let's see where was I? The elderly women are twirling panties over their heads and teenage girls are sling shotting g-strings, oh, yes, my age group of women. Well, they slung bras. One in particular, made me bust a gut. The woman threw a triple 'D' black, bra up on to the stage and snagged herself a ringer around Tom Jones' ankle! He jumped back and shook his leg like he had been bitten by a snake, when he realized what the humongous thing was, he stopped singing to laugh. I guess it's true, things really are bigger in Texas!

But my, my, my what I saw next took my focus off of Tom and onto the 'other show.'

A beautiful woman in a white sundress, wiggled her way through the throng of women at front stage, to stand in front of Tom. He sang, "Baby, take your coat off" and she tugged her straps down. "Baby, take your clothes off" her hands feverishly tugged at the zipper on her back as she pole danced a seductive dance. (At this point I'm assuming she's a professional, however how I came to this knowledge? I don't know. Can't say I've ever really seen a stripper before.) The guards rush over to her, as Sir Tom is winking at her, to plead with her not to take her top off, "Ma'am there are children in the audience." And there were! I might not be wordly and may be a whole lotta of naive, but I sure know not to take my kids to a Tom Jones concert. Hello?

So what happened after the concert? Well let's just say this is an anniversary trip, honey and I alone in a jacuzzi suite...

Yes, that's right a perfect opportunity for my Lucille Ball Moment of the evening. I switched the hot water on, I pulled a towel out of the basket and what did I find? "Oh, honey, what's this? Oooh..." A large bottle of bubble bath. (Yes, I can hear you now saying,"Oh, Debbie, you didn't!" Yes, I did!) I poured one capful of bubbles under the swirling steamy water. "Hmmm, no bubbles?" I poured a second capful of bubbles into the stream of water. "Well, for goodness sakes it must be that bargain brand bubbles" There goes the third capful.

The jets whirled, and I sunk into the water. I opened my eyes and I couldn't see. I must be heaven for its surely all white. "Dudley?" I hollered over the roar. "Dudley, help me!"

He stumbles over to find me in the midst of the clouds. "Dileen, just how many capfuls did you put in this thing?" He sounded kinda mad. I just don't know why?

"One."

He grabbed the ice bucket and started shoveling bubbles...on me! "Aren't you going to help me?" I squawked.

"You saddled this horse, you can ride it." He walked away.

I finally figured how to turn the thang off. Did I mention the shopping was fun?

I Lost My Virginity

2006-06-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

Next month, I will attend conference not as a virgin, but as a second-timer. Last year, I wore the first timers ribbon and was warmly welcomed by conference veterans. I gladly received free books and promotional items.

But I want to address what I learned at conference, which leads me to the subject of transportation. Last year, was not only my first conference, but also my first plane flight. Please learn from my mistakes! When you need to use the restroom do as your momma taught ya and go before lift off. I learned while on the plane, toilet paper will not stay on the toilet lid. Also, when seated in the middle of the plane, and you feel a sudden jerk, do not panic and scream, "We're goin' down! We're going down!" Shaking your head emphatically while gripping the arm rest. "God please forgive me for stealing Barbie hangers when I was six!" Know that this jerking motion is only the landing gear deploying. However, do look for something to throw at your traveling companion's heads who are laughing hysterically at your expense.

Next, register as soon as you get to conference to avoid standing in long lines. Make a plan for what workshops you want to attend and highlight them in your booklet. Do checkout the Spotlights on different publishing houses, there you can pick up free books autographed by your favorite authors.

Now here's a lesson I learned the hard way. Never go to a comedy club unless you absolutely know the comedians performing and never ask aloud while there, "Isn't there a school or something for comedians to be trained? Geez, that was bad!" Using some discretion should pull you through this one.

During a luncheon, never assume that it's just one fish your allergic to and say, "Well, I'll just eat it for the Halibut!" After breaking out with a face full of hives, I now can safely assume that all fish is off the menu. But, the Halibut steak was so delicious!

Lastly, wear something comfortable to the awards banquet and ceremony. Avoid girdles and stilettos at all cost. Just know that after long lines and an equally long evening you will look more like a swollen pimple by the end of the night.

There will be a time when your babies cries and your husband's voice calls out to you in your sleep. Do call home frequently. Don't sit on a bench in the corridor of the hotel bawling your eyes out because your family won't answer the phone. Know that their out having fun without you and you can wop them on their heads when you return home. But then again, by the time you get home you'll be so happy all you'll want is hugs. And lots of 'em.

Golden Acorn Contest 2006

2006-06-09T02:12:00.000-05:00

Just found out that I placed fourth in the Golden Acorn Contest!

Discussion with Margaret Daley

2006-06-07T00:41:00.000-05:00

Margaret Daley has graciously allowed me to interview her on my website and now she is with us today to discuss the craft of writing.

Margaret, you and I have been recently been discussing slashing out unneeded material from one's prose. Can you give us more insight on how to know what to keep and what to trash?

Wedding Night Blues

2006-06-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I've safely recovered from my Xanax coma. And have been busy writing, updating my website, and playing with the kids.

This month my husband and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, yes, folks I was a June bride, a blushing and somewhat ornery one at that. I can remember our wedding night like it was yesterday... (persons under the age of 18, strongly encouraged to leave the blog)

In a somewhat average hotel room, my darling husband threatened the hotel manager over the phone, who was calling to ask permission to allow my parents and brother and his wife up to our room. While I prepared in the bathroom for our...Wedding night. As I heard the phone slam into its cradle, I sauntered into the room with all the sexiness I could muster.

As I predicted, my husband stared at me with mouth agaped and eyes widened. However, I didn't anticipate the anger that radiated from him. "What?" I asked in playful innocence. I gazed down to look over my pink flannel pj's and my pink fluffy bunny slippers. My hand reached up to feel the sticky, green goo crackling on my face and brush away the roller dropping over my eye. "What?"

Yes, I remember it like yesterday. Thinking back I almost feel sorry for him...almost. Fifteen years can surely change a man. He's not nearly as gullible as he used to be (what a shame, for I dearly love to tease him) he credits that to me. I believe he knows all my tricks now, which means I have to come up with new ones, like this blog. Boy, if he ever knew that I blogged about our wedding night... (hee, hee)

When everything falls apart

2006-05-15T10:50:00.001-05:00

I have felt so blue lately. Everything in the last two weeks just seemed to fall apart. My financial aid for school, my finals, and life in general overwhelms me. Can you say Panic ATTACKS!

As I take the next few weeks to recoup and reclaim my brain, I look for inspiration. It has come to my attention there is numerous women who experience panic attacks. My friend, MBL, said the reason why, is because someone forgot to tell us women that we can not do everything.

Yesterday, while I was sitting in service, I watched a video of our childrens church. One child was ask what was the difference between Mothers and Fathers. The child answered, "Momma's work at work and work at home, Daddy's work at work only." <*grin*>

Fifty years ago, (I'm told) times were slower. I read an article the other day with statistics that said back then more people went visiting their friends than today. I mentally said, Well of course, people had more time.

Where did our time go? Why have we made for ourselves such a high pressured, rushed culture? Is it all that important? We have sacrificed friendships to cram more activities into our day.

As I stave off panic attacks today, I am reminded of what to do when everything falls apart.

I PRAISE

I call out his name
When I am lonely
When I need a friend
When no one is there

I call out his name
When I am sad
When it seems
That no one for me doth care

I call out his name
When trouble surrounds
When I need a helping hand

I call out his name
He is there as only
My Jesus can

I call out his name
When I have no need
With my hands I raise
With my heart of thankgiving

His Holy Name
I PRAISE!

J.C.K (my daddy)
5/7/06

Finalist

2006-04-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

My manuscript Secret Faith was selected as a finalist in the 2006 Golden Acorn Contest! The judging editor is Julie Swarzburg of Mulitnomah. I'm so excited!

Fall In Love

2006-04-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

As I sat dreaming of how my heroine and hero were going to fall in love, I found myself recalling the book Song of Songs. Which actually means the song above all songs.

King Solomon is symbolic of Christ and the Shulamite country girl represents us-the church. This book almost didn't make it into the canon of text because of its graphic sensuality made the song quite controversial.

In this song, the King and the country girl yearn for each other. Their feelings are deep and intense to the point that nothing will satisfy them except being near to one another.

Then it hit me. Christ feels this way toward me? Have I let down on my part of the relationship?

I need to fall in love again, so that I may write a true account of love.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

As you begin to write today, remember we need to encourage love. We need to fall in love with our first love, the lover of our soul. And we can start by inching near the cross where our ultimate hero has rescued us.

Oh, to fall in love with the Lord. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is better than wine. ~Shulamite girl Song of Solomon 1:2

Keep Dreaming

2006-03-26T21:14:00.000-06:00

There are times in every writer's life when they just want to give up. Perhaps its mounting rejections or bad critiques or even filling your every waking moment in your day with important stuff until you haven't the time or energy to write, whatever the reason...it happens.

I was reminded this week of what an evangelist shared at my church recently. It went something like this...

D - discern God's will
& balance vision (experience) & Word (education)
R - Record goals & reevaluate
E Education - what do you need to learn?
A Associate with people who will build you up
(Become accountable to a mentor)
M Maintain your commitment thru setbacks
& measure the successes with setbacks

That spells DREAM.
Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 37:4
1 Corinthians 2:10

Learn the will of God & set

1. Lifetime goal
2. 3 year goal
3 6 month goal

Exciting College News

2006-03-16T17:07:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it!

I received an invitation from my local university to join Sigma Tau Delta!!!!!!!!!

The induction ceremony is next month and I'll receive my honor society pin. My brain is having a hard time fathoming this incredible honor.

All I can say is WOW !

2006-03-16T16:47:00.000-06:00

Debra Calloway

My first blog

2006-03-14T02:21:00.000-06:00

I am so excited!

I have finally uploaded my very first website to the internet. And now I have a blog. For the last two days I have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning constructing my site.

As I sat in front of my computer, I heard footsteps approaching from behind me. Aw, man I'm in trouble now, I tossed a glance over my shoulder to my husband leaned against the doorfacing, with his face soaked in sleepiness. "What are you doing up at this hour?" he demanded.

I pointed to the monitor, "Look at what I created." He walked up to the computer and grinned. "You did that?" Pride radiated from his beautiful blue eyes as he squinted at the screen. "I can't wait to tell my family."

My husband is my encourager, my defender, and my best friend. The silly man believes that I'm already a celebrity. How could I not love him?

Please tell me what you think about my site and blog.

debracalloway.com