Learning List

Hey y'all! I have another post up at Scribble Chicks today--check it out! =)

Also, I wanted to jump on here and say that I've been learning a ton lately. Because this is one of those times I'm pretty sure I would completely ramble if I tried to explain them all in detail, I'll go for a list and maybe explain more later.

Besides, I have a french press full of coffee next to me that says I'm actually supposed to be working on my next novel, NOT blogging. But the blog called to me. So what can you do?

Things I'm Learning:

1. If you want friends, you have to be one. That takes effort. Especially if you're an introvert. (Have you seen all the introvert comics going around facebook? yeah...)

2. If you take the time to invest in people and really listen to them and care about them, they like that and will be your friend. Yes. This is lots like number 1. I'm learning this a lot.

3. It really IS true that we all have 24 hours and choose what to do with them. My house isn't as clean as I'd like, BUT it's cleaner consistently than it has been since forever and that's because I finally decided it matters to me. You have time. Make sure you're doing what matters to you in that time.

4. Style is personal. And you can just get a FEELING something is awesome and it will be stylish because you like it. Trust what you love. I bought some amazing-beyond-all-reason boots yesterday. The kind where I'm planning my outfit for the next time I go out around what I can wear with those boots.

5. Time with God doesn't have to be long for it to be meaningful. Talk to Him as you, as you live life. And spend time reading your Bible too, or long amounts of time praying alone if you can and want to. But don't set time limits.


There are more. Look for part 2 sometime this weekend. As for now, I really have to go back to my work in progress or my coffee (aka 'writing juice') will get cold. I'm not sure if there's possible symbolism there or not, but who wants to take that chance?

If you want more, remember to check out the other blog post for today!

Books.

I love them. Books, that is.

This week I've been rekindling my love for reading. Not that it had un-kindled per se, but I confess...it had just gotten too easy to turn the TV on. And a loud TV is not conducive to reading.

So the other day when hubby commented that I don't seem to be reading as much lately, I decided I had to fix that.

This week I re-read The Princess by Lori Wick. Old, but good. I'm currently reading Key Witness by Christy Barritt. I'm planning to review that one when I'm done, so stay tuned!

In news about my books (okay, manuscripts, technically, since nothing's in book form YET...) I'm working on my next romantic suspense story that I plan to submit to Love Inspired, who is publishing my first romantic suspense later this year. This one is set in Alaska and I'm loving writing it. Not just because I love the setting. These characters are cracking me up too. I love the chemistry between them and the fact that it's not just all romance-lovey, but there's some teasing thrown in there.

My hubby and I worry about couples who are just gushy and never make fun of each other. Let's face it. When you know and love someone that much, there's lots to make fun of. Nicely. In love.

I have no backup for this, other than the fact that it works for us. So there you go. Take it or leave it. This isn't a marriage blog. ;)

Anyway, I'm loving the new story I'm writing and I'm really enjoying using Scrivener, an awesome writing program you can check out a free trial of at literatureandlatte.com

Totally not paid to say that by the way. Though I wish when my trial expired they'd give me a free copy of Scrivener. ;) At $45, it's worth it, though.

Speaking of other blogs. What are you favorites to read?

Exciting News!

The lovely ladies at Scribble Chicks have invited me to join them! I'll be chiming in on Fridays with things I've learned (so far) about writing. I'd love for you to join me there and check out the posts on the other days too--it's a blog I've loved to read for a while so I have a feeling you'd love it too.

Stuff on my Mind

I've been working on a lot in my mind lately. Actual that statement is truer than I realized. Even as I was typing it I'm thinking to myself that I HAVE been working on a lot in my mind. Stories that I want to submit. How I should best be potty training my two year old. Whether I should watch Gilmore Girls during naptime or do laundry.

Important stuff.

But not as important as what else I've had on my mind lately.

Here's my question. How does your faith change your life? (Actually, let me have a couple more questions) To what degree is there separation between what's 'spiritual' and what isn't?

I've been trying to make my whole life more...whole. Not separating vacuuming and prayer time. Turns out they go very well together.

But especially in my friendships, I'm not sure where the line is. Are we supposed to have friends that we talk about our relationships with God with and friends that we don't, ever? I don't think so. I think we're supposed to talk about things like that will all of our friends.

Here's my next question. How do you make that natural? I know our conversations are an overflow of our hearts, so deepening our own relationships with Christ is first. But if you have a friend you haven't had these talks with and you want to, how do you go about doing that?

Maybe you're asking these questions too. I wish I could answer them for you and help you. Instead I'll just keep working through this in my mind. Feel free to chime in with help. I'll let you know if I figure it out.

Thanks for listening.

PS. Exciting blog news coming Friday!

New Look

I'm thinking after however many years of having this same background, it's time for something new. So look for a new background coming...sometime this week.

The problem is (well, this isn't really a problem, it's actually a HUGE dream come true and exciting news all rolled into one!) I have a book contract! And since this is the only website I have, anyone who reads those 'Dear Reader' letters in the back of the book and decides to visit my site will land here. Which is great. And awesome. And I'm looking forward to it.

But for some reason I feel like girly purple with bows on the background doesn't exactly say "I write romantic suspense."

At the same time...is there a blogger background that says that? Besides, you know, like crime scene tape?

(As I pause and decide that's not such a terrible idea...)

I'm starting to ramble, here, so I'll spare you. All of this to say two things.

1. I need a new look. On my blog. Although if my hair would hurry up and grow out so I could try new things with it too, that would be okay with me.

2. I seriously am blogging more this year. That's 3 posts in January, folks. Three. Count 'em.

2a. If you leave me some comments, I'll blog more... ;)

2b. Okay. Back to rambling. More later this week...

The Trouble With Cowboys Review

            Anytime I’m in the mood for a romance, Denise Hunter is one of my first picks. Her characters always have unbelievable chemistry between them, as well as believable obstacles keeping them apart, and The Trouble with Cowboys, the third in the Big Sky Romance series, is no exception. The book follows Annie Wilkerson and Dylan Taylor, both of whom readers of either of the first two books in the series will recognize. Annie has a problem—to attract more readers, she needs to change the column she writes for extra money into an advice column for lovelorn readers. The only problem is that she knows nothing about love or romance. Dylan needs help with his ailing horse and Annie is the best horse trainer there is so they decide that Annie will help him with his horse in exchange for help with her column.

            Dylan is attracted to Annie but she rebuffs him at every turn. Though she hates to admit it, she’s attracted to him as well, but a cowboy is the last kind of man she’d willingly fall in love with. Dylan works throughout the story to prove to her that her assumptions about all cowboys aren’t necessarily true and acts gallantly in several situations where a lesser man might have done otherwise.

            I enjoyed the pacing of this book and the fact that Hunter is such a master at getting the characters close and on the brink of love and then pulling them back again with some obstacle. I had already read the second book in this series, but I haven’t read the first and I’m planning to go out and buy that one whenever I get the chance. Denise Hunter has proven at this point that she’s capable of writing excellent romance after excellent romance, and she’s becoming one of those authors whose next book I’ll anticipate and probably buy soon after it releases.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review.

Bad Blogger!

So I've been a delinquant blogger. It's true.

Can this be one of my New Years resolutions? Blogging more?

One of my resolutions is to get more organized. Perhaps if that had worked last year I would have been organized enough to make an actual list of goals on January 1st to help guide me in the new year. As it is, I count it impressive that my house is finally less cluttered (having a baby does crazy things to your housekeeping skills. As in, takes them away.) and I'm just planning to go throughout the whole year calling anything I come up with that I should be doing a 'belated' New Years resolution.

That works, right?

Anyway, I'm up to my ears in writing deadlines. Off to meet some of those and then we'll talk some more later this week. Honest.

I hope you had a great Christmas!