CFBA Author Intro: Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson has published over 100 books for adults, children, and teens, including On This Day, Finding Alice, the Notes from a Spinning Planet series, and Homeward, which won the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America. She and her husband, the parents of two grown sons, make their home near the Cascade Mountains in Central Oregon. Melody is a full-time writer as well as an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.



These Boots Weren't Made for Walking


Willing to make the necessary sacrifices–even skipping the occasional latte–to ensure career success, 31-year-old Cassidy Cantrell "invests" in a chic pair of boots, certain they’ll make a spectacular impression and help seal the deal on a long-anticipated promotion from her Seattle employer.

But reality tromps all over her expectations. Cassie’s job is abruptly eliminated–and her love life obliterated, when her longtime boyfriend dumps her for a "friend." Her self-esteem in tatters, Cassie limps home to the resort town she once so eagerly fled–only to find her recently divorced mother transformed into a gorgeous fifty-something babe with a thriving social life. Cassie wrestles with envy and apathy as she considers the dismal shape of her own physique and romantic prospects. What will it take for her to jump back into life and regain her stride?

This sassy and hilarious novel leads readers on a romp through the wilds of relationships, romance, career, and spirituality, revealing that, while God’s plans may look drastically different than our own, it’ll always be a perfect fit.

Need some extra money?

Avon is a great way to make some extra money for the summer?

Ask me how you can start having fun this summer with AVON

Contact me for more information at: avonlch@yahoo.com

NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.

SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS


Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.

Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.

Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.

When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.

The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.

Visit Nicole at : http://www.nicoleseitz.com/

Sites To Learn From 2

This week I found a new site to visit. They are featuring Lyn Cote. She is sharing some great information. Check it out

The HEA CAFE

http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org/pubbedauthors/

CFBA Author Intro: Rene Gutteridge

Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels, including Ghost Writer (Bethany House Publishers) The Boo Series (WaterBrook Press) and the Storm Series, (Tyndale House Publishers. She will release three novels in 2006: Storm Surge (Tyndale) My Life as a Doormat (WestBow Press, Women of Faith)Occupational Hazards Book #1: Scoop (WaterBrook Press).

She has also been published over thirty times as a playwright, best known for her Christian comedy sketches. She studied screenwriting under a Mass Communications degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University, and earned the "Excellence in Mass Communication" award. She served as the full-time Director of Drama for First United Methodist Church for five years before leaving to stay home and write. She enjoys instructing at writer's conferences and in college classrooms. She lives with her husband, Sean, a musician, and their children in Oklahoma City.

SNITCH:

Old School meets New School meets Homeschool

Just shy of retirement and a well-earned pension, Las Vegas Police Department Sergeant Ron Yeager's definition of "active duty" involves shifting his bad leg into a more comfortable position. But when he's requested from his mind-numbing desk job to head an undercover auto theft task force, the former narcotics officer determines to prove he's still got the right stuff.

That is...until he meets his unlikely team of officers.

As Yeager soon finds out, not all the crazies are on the street. An undercover rookie, the audaciously honest Mackenzie "Mack" Hazard sends Yeager's blood pressure skyrocketing by wearing her faith like an ever-present badge. Then there's Jesse Lunden, a maverick undercover officer who refuses to learn anything from an old guy with a cane. Can this tangle of egos and eccentrics be trained into a lean, mean, crime-fighting machine...even while they are being drawn into something much bigger and more dangerous than anyone imagined?

In her trademark style, Rene Gutteridge blends zany, original characters, sincere faith, and surprising plot twists into one hilariously addictive read.



"Snitch is an engaging crime novel, balanced between sheer whimsy and genuine human drama."

....CHRIS WELL, author of Tribulation House


"A wonderful, fully developed ensemble cast makes Snitch an entertaining, engaging read. Rene's flair for a comedic, well-turned phrase shines here. Snitch is worth snatching."

...SUSAN MEISSNER, author of Widows and Orphans

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Tracey Bateman

Tracey Bateman lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. Their rural home provides a wonderful atmosphere for a writer'simagination to grow and produce characters, plots, and settings.

In 1994, with three children to raise, she and her husband agreed that she should go to college and earn a degree. In a freshman English class, her love for writing was rekindled, and she wrote a short story that she later turned into a book.

Her college career was cut short with the news of their fourth baby's impending arrival, but the seeds of hope for a writing career had already taken root. Over the next several years she wrote, exchanged ideas with critique partners, studied the craft of writing, and eventually all the hard work paid off.

She currently has over twenty-five books published in a variety of genres. Tracey Bateman believes completely that God has big plans for his Kids and that all things are possible to anyone who will put their hope and trust in God!

DEFIANT HEART


Will Fannie be able to keep her family...and her heart, safe and find a new life on the frontier?

Book One of the Westward Hearts series, orphans Fannie Caldwell and her two young siblings have spent the last three years as indentured servants under a cruel master. Desperately wanting a better life for her brother and sister, Fannie devises a plan to secretly join a wagon train heading west.

Her plan immediately runs into trouble when the handsome yet bullheaded wagon master Blake Tanner refuses to allow an unmarried woman on the train.

But Fannie's determined...she'll escape and go west with or without help!

As life on the trail tests everyone's endurance and faith, Fannie soon realizes the perils of being a single woman on the frontier. Witnessing Fannie fending off one scare after another, Blake slowly recognizes how much he cares for this alluring young woman.

Will Blake sacrifice his own dreams and guide Fannie to safety?


Or will Fannie's stubborn independence keep her from finding true love?

In Memory Of Katherine D. Jones

I’m in total shock today. I was visiting Monica’s Blog and I read the sad news of Katherine's passing.

Katherine was a good writer, a friend and an encourager. We met at the Slam Jam in Florida and kept in touch. I was truly excited to introduce her to SORMAG’s readers when her book debuted. I’ve watched her career blossom and looked forward to our emails. She would always send me one to pick up my spirits.

Being a writer is always a lonely business, but its always nice when you make a few writer friends. Most of my friends in this writing business I met online or at conferences.
When I met Katherine we clicked and it was nice to share about the struggles of writing. Since she made the publishing jump, I could ask her questions about what to expect and she was willing to share her ups and downs.

Katherine had ventured into different genres and wasn’t afraid to try something new. I admired that about her. I could tell she enjoyed telling her stories.

Seeing her career take off inspired me to keep up the writing dream. I’m so happy she was able to see her name in print and that she leaves a legacy for others to know her and her writing.

I had the pleasure of meeting her husband and boys at the Dallas Slam Jam. I thought it was great that her family supported her and her career.

I will truly miss Katherine and our emails.

I and SORMAG's staff send our deepest sympathy to her family.

The romance world has lost one of the good ones.

Visit Katherine's site and learn more about this kindred spirit

http://www.katherinedjones.com/

Sites To Learn From 1

On Thursdays I’ve decided to share sites I’ve found that I’ve learned something about writing or the publishing business

Here are two:

Book Acquisition

How To Write A Book proposal

CBFA Author Intro: Ann H. Gabhart

Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet.





ORCHARD OF HOPE:

Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath--waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.

Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their ORCHARD OF HOPE.

Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie...forever.

In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.

Let this riveting novel take you along to experience unexpected love, new life, and renewed faith amid life's trials.

Eight Random Things

I was tagged by Patricia Woodside. Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my eight things:

All my life I’ve been a late bloomer. I didn’t become a Christian until I was twenty-five. I thought saying I believed in God was good enough. A friend of mine died and it made me question where do we go when we die? I didn’t want to be left behind.

I joined the Navy at the age of 17. I wanted to sail the seven seas and see the world. I was in the Navy for six years. I sailed over one sea to get to Guam and I wasn’t in a boat. I never was on a boat the whole time I was in the Navy. I still haven’t been on a boat.

Every now and then it hits me that I’m somebody’s wife and mother. I could be walking up the stairs and it dawns on me, that my dream of being married and having children is real. Marriage and motherhood are hard some days, but it’s the best thing that’s every happen to me.

Seeing my name in print is fantastic. It feels like I’m getting closer to my dream of seeing my book on the shelf. The best ones are those, I didn’t even know would be there. I’m reading an acknowledgement and there my name is with those most heartfelt acknowledgments, and all I want to do is cry.

I can think of everything to do but write some days. It’s like I’m afraid of finishing the book. What is up with that?

When I started SORMAG, I never dream we would last this long or that I would come in contact with some amazing people because of it. Every time I think it’s the end for it, the Lord opens another door for me.

I am a t.v. addict. I tried to stop cold turkey but it never works. I find myself slipping back into my old habits. So this year I’ve decided that this summer I’m giving up t.v. I’m going to hang out in the yard with kids. Do more activities so hopefully I won’t miss the t.v.

I’m also an AVON addict. Have you seen the latest catalogues? They have some cute stuff in there. I find myself wanting more and more. If you want to become an addict, let me know and I’ll send you a catalogue.

Trying to find eight places that haven’t been tagged wasn’t easy, I found six.

Marilynn Griffith because I miss her blogging, maybe she’ll bless us with a few thoughts
http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/

Monica Jackson, because she always makes me think
http://monicajackson.com/blog/

Bonnie Calhoun, I enjoy her blog.
http://bonniescalhoun.blogspot.com/

Camy because she inspires me.
http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/

Michelle has great reviews, makes me get the book.
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

Farrah is a new writer, whose blog I’m enjoying.
http://farrahrochon.blogspot.com/

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Amy Wallace

Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid Blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms' Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.

Drama. Tragedy. Thriller. Romance. Can these four actually go together?

Amy Wallace's meaty first book of the Defenders of Hope Series, RANSOMED DREAMS, has successfully united these genres.

It is one of those books that after you read a little and put it down, the desire to see what will happen next is so strong that it will occupy your thoughts, compelling you to make the time to finish. But watch out! It is best consumed where no one will hear you cry because, if you have children, it will hit you like a stab in the gut and wrench you with a twist of the knife.
Although the subject at first depresses, the characters are so real and likable that you need to see what will become of them.
This book will NOT bore you.


Chained To Yesterday
When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

ENDORSEMENTS:

Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market

~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn't let go until the deeply satisfying ending.
~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants

CFBA Author Intro: Chris Well

Chris Well is a fellow member of the CFBA and founder of its sister organization, FIRST. He is an acclaimed novelist and award–winning magazine editor and has previously written the “laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers” Deliver Us from Evelyn and Forgiving Solomon Long(one of Booklist’s Top 10 Christian Novels of 2005). He has also contributed to 7ball, Infuze, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Chris and his wife live in Tennessee, where he is hard at work on his next novel.

TRIBULATION HOUSE

Mark Hogan has it all. The job. The family. A position on the board at church. All he’s missing is a boat. Not just any boat—a 2008 Bayliner 192.When Reverend Daniel Glory announces that the Rapture is taking place on October 17 at 5:51am, Hogan realizes his boat–buying days are numbered. So he does what any man in his situation would do—he borrows a load of money from the mob.Not that there’s any risk involved: After all, when the Rapture comes, Hogan will be long gone. The mob will never find him.But when Jesus fails to come back on schedule, Mark Hogan finds the mob is in no mood to discuss the finer points of end–times theology...

Chris Well’s laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers appeal to the millions of readers who gobble up the rollicking crime fiction of Janet Evanovich and Elmore Leonard. TRIBULATION HOUSE does not disappoint!

SORMAG WORKSHOPS

SORMAG’s Spring workshops are open for enrollment.

Workshops begin May 7th. Click here to register –
http://sormag.com/schedule.html


A-Z Writing Tips -
http://www.sormag.com/WORKwilliams1.html

Timeframe: 4 weeks May 7th – June 1, 2007
Email Course
Cost: 50.00

This 4-week course will cover writing tips from A to Z for beginning
and advance writers. The twenty-six tips will be provided over the
duration of four weeks. Each week the students will receive 6 - 7
writing tips corresponding with a letter of the alphabet for discussion

Instructor: Barbara Joe Williams (Amani Publishing, LLC) is a former
business school teacher, guidance counselor, and reading instructor.
She is a freelance writer and an independent publisher living in
Tallahassee, Florida.

Writing Romance Novels (Part 1) -
http://www.sormag.com/WORKsoard1.html

Timeframe: 4 weeks May 7 – June 1, 2007
Email Workshop
Cost: 50.00

Do you love to read romance novels? Have you always thought you'd
like to write one? This four week course covers the basics of what
you'll need to know to get started on this exciting career journey. Lori
is the author of Become a Romance Writer and has published romance
novels through Thorndike's FIVE STAR line.

Instructor: Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing
and an undergraduate degree in English Education from Indiana University.
Her books include romantic comedies, suspense, mainstream and nonfiction
topics. She teaches for a college-accredited correspondence course and
creative writing to high school students.

The Fiction Writer's Self-Editing Workshop http://www.sormag.com/WORKstapleton.html

Timeframe: 2 weeks May 14 – May 18, 2007
Email Workshop
Cost: 25.00

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by confusing grammar, punctuation,
and editing rules? Don't despair! The Fiction Writer's Self-Editing Workshop
is the place for you. Whether you're a beginning writer or seasoned author,
you can learn simple, straightforward tips for self-editing.

Instructor: Rhonda Stapleton obtained her Master's degree in English
from Cleveland State University. She has a Bachelor's degree in English
from CSU, as well. Rhonda is a Principal Editor at Thomson West, a legal
publishing company, where she has worked for the last five years. In addition,
she has freelance edited novels, theses, student papers, and a college writing textbook.

See ya on the net - Building Your Online Presence - http://www.sormag.com/WORKhoffman.html

http://www.sormag.com/WORKhoffman2.html


Timeframe 2 weeks – May 14 – May 18, 2007 and May 21 – June 1, 2007
Email Course
Cost: 25.00

This course is geared toward the newly published authors or the author
who would like to promote their books online. This course will take you
step-by step to building an online presence.

Instructor: LaShaunda Carruth Hoffman is the publisher of Shades Of
Romance Magazine. An online magazine for readers and writers of multi-
cultural romance and fiction. She has eight years of experience in online
promotion. She believes in helping writers reach their dreams of publication
and introducing readers to the wonderful world of multi-cultural romance and fiction.

COMING IN JUNE

Mistakes First Time Authors Make
Writing Romance Novels (Part 2)
Detoxify – Your Life and Your Legacy Require it
How to Survive Your First Interview
Online Book Tours

Family Pictures

Nichaela & Itiah

ME

MOTHER

Stephaine, Robynn, Toni, Me, Nichaela & Itah

Sean On Easter

My First Column

I posted my first column - http://blogginginblack.com/

Check out what I had to say.

CFBA Author Intro: Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and former independent bookstore owner in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is his first novel.


The Heir


Jason Boyer Just Got an Inheritance to Die For

The fortune wasn't supposed to befall him. Jason Boyer had known all along his father's business empire would pass to different hands. Which suited him just fine. The money was crooked and the power corrupt. But when an accident claims the old man's life, everyone is stunned by the unveiling of the will. With the passing of the Boyer crown, power-hungry politicians and shady business partners all try to force Boyer's hand. Fighting the temptation of influence and riches, he simply wants to be a better man than his father--but attempting to stand for what’s right soon brings murderous consequences. As those closest to him are endangered--and news emerges that his father's accident may be something more sinister--Boyer finds himself fighting for his soul…and his life!


Is There Any Escape for The Heir?

All the money he could ever crave. In the splintering crash of a car plunging through a railing, Jason Boyer's life is changed. All the fame he could ever desire. But the last thing he wanted was the throne of his father's corrupt business empire. All the power he could ever wield.

The estate should have gone elsewhere, but the will was changed. And now everything is Jason's. But gaining the whole world just might cost him his life.

THE HEIR is a Grisham-like tale of intrigue and murder with a lot of humor and well-drawn minor characters.

Endorsement:

"In THE HEIR, Paul Robertson serves up politics, privilege, and murder with a side of acerbic wit. What a fabulous book--a great mix of angst, humor, and ultimately, hope."
T.L.HINES--author of Waking Lazarus and The Dead Whisper On

WRITING RESOURCES

Are you a freshman/sophmore/junior or senior writer?

http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/freshman.html

AFTER THE SALE

http://www.lorraineheath.com/articles/after_the_sale.htm

AGENT INFO

THE ASSOCIATION OF AUTHORS' REPRESENTATIVES
http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do

http://www.karenafox.com/agentlist.htm

Romantic Times Agent List:
http://www.romantictimes.com/index.html?/g_writer/g3_agent.shtml

Guide to Literary Agents
http://literaryagents.org/

The Association of Authors' Representatives
http://www.publishersweekly.com/aar/

Preditors and Editors
http://www.sfwa.org/prededitors/

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

Writers.Net - Literary Agents
http://www.writers.net/agents.html

Agents
http://www.absolutewrite.com/ebooks/ebookAgents.pdf

Romance Agents List:
http://www.passionatepen.com/agentlist.htm

RWANational.org

http://www.writingcorner.com/tips/agents/agent-editor.htm

How to Query an Agent

http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/agent2.html

Career Planning

Career Plan for Fiction Writers

http://www.crayne.com/carrplan.html

The Four D's of Success

http://www.laurenkellogg.com/Articles.html

COST TO TRAVEL

Cost to Travel in 1880

http://www.theseverts.net/Italy.htm

DICTIONARY

http://www.onelook.com/browse.shtml#all_gen

NAMES

http://www.behindthename.com/ for meaning.

To find the most popular name by birth year:

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Put your character's name in the blocks and learn about them.

http://miva.zodiacal.com/acro.mv

Native American names

http://www.20000-names.com/female_native_american_names.htm

http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/ame.html

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/natamnames.htm

http://www.babynameworld.com/indian.asp

http://www.babynamenetwork.com/origin.cfm?origin=native%20american

http://www.bchealth.com/services/birthcenter/nativeambabynames.shtml

Place names
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/nat_am/names.htm

http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/IndianPlaceNames.html
http://archnet.asu.edu/archives/ethno/places/places.htm

Online Press Kit

http://www.michelemartinez.com/pressroom.htm

http://www.alesiaholliday.com/mediakit.cfm

Query Letters

http://www.sydneylaineallan.homestead.com/QueryWorkshop.html

http://www.eclectics.com/articles/query.html
Synopises

http://jaxinedaniels.com/SynopsisProject.htm

White House

Life is like in the White House

http://www.beyondbooks.com/gop00/3.asp
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/statediningroom.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Writer's "Cheat Sheets"

http://www.inkalicious.com/cheatsheets.php

THE TWELVE STEPS OF INTIMACY by Linda Howard


This is one of the basics in romance writing....copy it out!
The original website where this was printed is no longer in
existence.

Here are what they are...
1. Eye to Body
2. Eye to Eye
3. Verbal Contact
4. Hand to Hand
5. Arm to Shoulder
6. Arm to Waist
7. Mouth to Mouth
8. Hand to Head
9. Hand to Body
10. Mouth to Breast
11. Hand to Genitals
12. Genitals to Genitals

These twelve steps were taken from studying monkeys...

If you take the steps too quickly, it doesn't set up intimacy
well. Say, you meet a man at a party. It's eye to body first.
But what if a man came up behind you, put his hand on your
derriere...step back fellow, you're moving too fast.

AUTHOR INTRO: Keri Wyatt Kent

Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of five books and a co-author or contributor to several others, and is currently working on two other books. When she’s not busy traveling around the country to speak and lead retreats, she’s writing. She’s a regular contributor several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman, MomSense and Outreach magazine, as well as the several websites and blogs. She’s a member of Willow Creek Community Church, where she teaches in women’s ministries and also volunteers in children’s ministry.

She and her husband Scot have been married for 16 years and live with their son and daughter in Hoffman Estates.

Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul

Keri’s latest book, Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul, will breathe new life into your relationship with God. A devotional unlike any other, this unique tool guides the reader through meditating and reflecting on Scripture using six different spiritual practices. Rather than daily readings, Oxygen offers a chance to reflect deeply on one gospel passage each week. Go deeper into Scripture while learning spiritual practices such as prayer, meditative reading, journaling and solitude. Oxygen is a tool that will help you deepen your understanding of Scripture and help you connect with Jesus in a meaningful way.

What activity do you like to do in the spring?

Gardening. I love to see life reborn in the garden, to clear away the dead leaves and trash to find things springing up again. It’s a picture of hope.

Visit Keri:

My website is www.keriwyattkent.com, and I just started blogging at www.keriwyattkent.blogspot.com

I blog each Thursday at www.boomerbabesrock.com/blog and I write a monthly column at

http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/features/foryoursoul.html

Instructor Needed

Do you have a workshop you would like to offer to writers or readers?

SORMAG WORKSHOPS are currently looking for instructors.

Dates open are May 1 – November 20th.

SORMAG WORKSHOPS are online workshops for writers and readers.

Workshops can be 1 day to 4 weeks. They are held online at yahoo.com.

This is a nice way to make some extra money.

Please do not reply to this message, if you're interested in being an instructor, send your topic to: sormag@yahoo.com

I will send you more information on being an instructor for SORMAG workshops.

Look forward to working with you.

LaShaunda
http://sormag.blogspot.com

CFBA: Author Intro: Annette Smith

Annette Smith:

In 1997, Annette was working as a home health nurse. She traveled the back roads from house to house, caring for ill and injured, homebound people. Because of her unique position in the lives of relative strangers, she often found herself bearing solitary witness to intimate behind-the-scenes situations full of grace and meaning. The desire to honor both a particular patient and a poignant scene involving the woman and her husband prompted Annette to write a fictionalized story, The Anniversary.

That first story appeared as a column in the Houston Chronicle newspaper and as an essay in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Later it became a chapter in Annette’s first and best-selling book of short stories, The Whispers of Angels, that has sold more than 100,000 copies

Since then, Annette has penned four more books of stories, two volumes on parenting, and the Coming Home to Ruby Prairie trilogy.

Annette and her husband Randy, a High School teacher and coach, make their home on a wooded lot in Quitman, Texas. They are the parents of two young adult children, Russell and Rachel, both out on their own. Wally, a grateful, rescued mutt provides warmth and entertainment and keeps the Smith’s empty nest from feeling too lonely.

In addition to writing, Annette continues to serve part-time as a registered nurse. She finds the people she works with and the patients she cares for provide great inspiration for her fiction.


A BIGGER LIFE


Joel Carpenter did not plan for his life to turn out like this. He never meant to be a single dad, working at a hair salon in Eden Plain, Texas. But after making a careless choice four years ago, his marriage was permanently shattered. Now at twenty-seven, he finds himself juggling custody of his preschool son with Kari, the ex-wife he still loves, and sharing Sunday dinners with a group of other single dads.

Joel regrets the choices that brought him to this place, but it's not until the worst happens that he learns how much he still has to give. In the midst of deep tragedy, he learns that forgiveness is way more important than freedom. Hopefully it's not too late!

A BIGGER LIFE is a story of love in the midst of heartache, and friendship in the midst of real, everyday life.

Finding Time To Write

I'm doing some serious procratinating this month. I just don't feel like doing anything. That's bad because I want to finish this revision so I can move on. I've even given myself a motivator. The new Rochelle Alers book when I finish.

Now if only I can stay focus. Those emails and blogs keep calling me.

CFBA Author Intro: Brandilyn Collins

Brandilyn Collins is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Web Of Lies, Dead of Night, Stain of Guilt, Brink of Death, and Eyes of Elisha just to name a few.Brandilyn and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.She also maintains an informative blog called Forensics and Faith where she daily dispenses wisdom on writing, life, and the Christian book industry.

CORAL MOON

The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn't even detect a breath.Spider fingers teased the back of her neck.Leslie's feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking...what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimony as last month's trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everything, touch nothing...

Leslie Brymes hurries out to her car on a typical workday morning...and discovers a dead body inside.Why was the corpse left for her to find? And what is the meaning of the message pinned to its chest?In Coral Moon, the senseless murder of a beloved Kanner Lake citizen spirals the small Idaho town into a terrifying glimpse of spiritual forces beyond our world. What appears true seems impossible.OR IS IT?And as Brandilyn would say...

Presently this Kanner Lake Series of books has its own character blog called Scenes and Beans. Stop by and visit the folks from Kanner Lake!

AUTHOR INTRO: Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Jill Elizabeth Nelson juggles many hats--Christian, wife, Mom, housing manager, and yes, author. She's thrilled if the adventures that spill from her imagination in the To Catch a Thief series can raise awareness about art theft, deemed "a looming criminal enterprise" by the FBI. Jill and her husband Doug have raised four children and live in rural Minnesota.

BLURB: Reluctant Burglar


Stolen Indian artifacts . . .

A dead museum guard . . .

A missing wife and mom. . . .

A baby in mortal danger . . .

Museum security expert Desiree Jacobs and FBI agent Tony Lucano scramble to unearth the horrifying secret that links every incident. The investigation thrusts them into the path of something dark and sinister.

Something that craves blood sacrifice.

WEB SITE: http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/

Question for the month: How do you introduce your book to a new reader?

Oh, that’s easy. I clobber the person over the head with a copy and holler, “You need to get one of these . . . or how about a dozen for friends and family!”

No, actually, I like to balance boldness with good taste. I’ll talk to anyone about my writing. In fact, I think I light up like a hundred watt bulb when somebody asks. But I like the conversation to be comfortable for everyone, which means the subject has to come up in a natural manner.

If someone is truly interested in hearing about my books, I focus my initial summary on genre and main characters. For instance, in the case of my To Catch a Thief series, I tell the person that I write romantic suspense about a museum security expert and an FBI agent tracking down art thieves. If interest lasts past that, I offer overviews of individual book plots, minus “spoilers,” of course.

CFBA Author Intro: Tom Morrisey

Tom Morrisey is the author of four previous novels and numerous short stories, a world-renowned adventure-travel writer whose work has appeared in Outside, Sport Diver (where he serves as Executive Editor) and other leading magazines.

He holds an MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Toledo and an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University. He lives in Orlando, Florida.







IN HIGH PLACES


For Patrick Nolan, every climb tells a story. And now maybe it's his own …. He's right at the rim, staring over the cliff's knife edge and wondering how things went wrong so quickly.

It all started after arriving home from a weekend climbing trip with his father, Kevin. That's when word reached them. In a silent moment, they'd lost the person most important to them—her death raising unanswerable questions and dangerous doubts.

Launching a new life in a new town to escape their pain, son and father find themselves in danger of being torn apart forever. As his father seeks a route to solace on the dangerous high face of the rock, Patrick finds a path to hope with the unlikeliest of allies—a pastor's daughter. Together they must discover the one answer that can bring Patrick and Kevin back from the brink of the precipice.

Visit Tom at: http://www.tommorrisey.com

Author Intro: Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep’s Clothing, a thriller set in Russia , was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader’s Choice award. A former missionary to Russia , Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota .

Reclaiming Nick

Nick Noble hadn’t planned on being the prodigal son. But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle—the Noble family ranch—to Nick’s former best friend, he must return home to face those he left behind. And to make sure that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family.

Award-winning journalist Piper Sullivan believes Nick framed her brother for murder, and she’s determined to find justice. But following Nick to the Silver Buckle and posing as a ranch cook proves more challenging than she first anticipated. So does resisting his charming smile.

As Nick seeks to overturn his father’s will—and Piper digs for answers—family secrets surface that send Nick’s life into a tailspin. But there’s someone who wants to see the Silver Buckle leave Noble hands, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it means taking a life.

2007 Goals

Goals For 2007

APRIL

Revision of Desires of The Heart

Week One:

Week Two:

Week Three:

Week Four:

March

Revision of Desires Of the Heart

3 chapters a week

Week Two: two chapters

Week Three: one chapter

Week Four: nothing

CBFA AUTHOR INTRO: Mary Lu Tyndall

M. L. (MARYLU) TYNDALL grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she's only give her heart to Him completely.



THE RELIANCE

A YOUNG BRIDE separated from her husband just as a child has been conceived...

A GRIEVING HUSBAND tempted to take his anger out through the vices of his past...

A MARRIAGE AND A SHIP threatenend to be split apart by villainous Caribbean pirates...

In THE RELIANCE, Edmund Merrick tormented by the apparent demise of his pregnant wife Charlisse, sails away to drown his sorrows. He turns his back on God and reverts to a life of villainy, joining forces with the demented French pirate Collier. When his mind clears from its rum-induced haze, will Edmund find the will to escape?

Seemingly abandoned by her new husband, Charlisse battles her own insecurities as she is thrown into the clutches of the vengeful pirate Kent, who holds her and Lady Isabel captive.

Will she be swept away by the undertow of treachery and despair? Can Edmund and Charlisse battle the tempests that threaten to tear them apart and steer their way to the faith-filled haven they so desperately seek? Or will they ultimately lose their love and lives to the whirlpool of treachery and deceit?

Visit Mary at: http://www.mltyndall.com/

Do You Have An Avon Lady ?

I'm selling avon again and its so much fun. AVON has some terrific new products.

If you're in need of an Avon Lady, let me know. I can send you a brochure. Doesn't matter where you're located, I can put it in the mail.

In need of some extra funds, AVON is the way to make it happen. Interested in making some money, let me know and I can help you start your AVON business.

I'm Back

My new year officially starts this month. I was on bedrest for the month of January and enjoying my new baby for the month of February. So I really didn’t have time to go over my goals for 2006 or make new ones for 2007.

Being pregnant kind of made a dent in most of my writing goals, because I honestly didn’t have any desire to write. So half of 2006 I wrote in my head and nothing on paper. I was just too tired.

I’m hoping this year will be different. I’ve come up with a few ideas for some of my manuscripts and a couple for some new ones.

So I’m ready to get started. I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing.

CFBA Author Intro: Mark Andrew Olsen

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.






THE WATCHERS:

Just below the surface among the family of God lives another family tree--one traced in spirit, invisible and ageless, known as the Watchers. For two thousand years they've seen beyond the veil separating this world from the next, passing on their gift through a lineage mostly overlooked. Throughout history they've scouted the borders of the supernatural frontier, but now their survival hangs by a thread. And their fate lies in the hands of a young woman, her would-be killer, and a mystery they must solve....

"Congratulations. You just reached my own little corner of cyberspace.
Who am I?
Abby Sherman, that's who.
Who are you? And why are you checking me out?
Drop me a few pixels, and let's find out!"

With that innocent invitation, Abby Sherman unwittingly steps in the crosshairs of history, and thus begins her harrowing tale--taking her from ocean-front Malibu to the streets of London, the jungles in West Africa, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and to the very gates of heaven itself!A sneak preview of eternity becomes her one-way ticket to danger--and discovery….Two lives collide in a globe-circling adventure involving both peril and discovery: Abby, a young woman whose visions of heaven turn her into a Web-celebrity; and Dylan, a troubled young man sent by an ancient foe to silence her. From California beachfronts to Nigerian rain forests to Jerusalem and back again, THE WATCHERS is high-octane blends of action, mystery, and spiritual battle spanning centuries.

A woman's awe-inspiring vision launches her on a quest through distant lands and ancient history, face-to-face with eternity and into the arms of a family line on the brink of annihilation...A man who is hired to exterminate her discovers the folly of blind loyalty, then learns how to wage war in a realm he never believed had existed...An extraordinary saga of the unseen war against evil, the reality of the supernatural, and the transforming power of forgiveness.

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Tricia Goyer

TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montana.

Tricia is a members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt.

A Valley Of Betrayal


For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside, searching for her beloved Michael. His work as a news photographer has taken him deep into the country wracked by civil war. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for Nazi-backed Franco fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. She is caught up in the escalating events when the route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her.
Secrets abound in the ruined Spain. Michael is loving but elusive, especially about beautiful maria. The American who helped Sophie sneak into Spain turns up in odd places. Michael's friend Jose knows more than he tells. When reports of Michael's dissappearance reach her, Sophie is devastaed. What are her feelings for Philip, an American soldier who comes to her rescue?

Sophie must sift truth from lies as she becomes more embroiled in the war that threatens her life and breaks her heart. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. Among these volunteers, she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world through the power of art.

Acclaimed author Tricia Goyer creates a riviting cast of characters against the backdrop of pre-WWII spain. Love, loss, pain, and beauty abound in A Valley Of Betrayal, the first book in her new series, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War.

Tricia's blog is: http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: John Aubrey Anderson

John Aubrey Anderson

I was born and raised in my grandparents’ home, five miles north of the setting I chose for Abiding Darkness. That little cotton country town is within a rifle shot of two rivers, a bayou, a double handful of lakes, and endless acres of woods. Add that backdrop to a culture that offered an umbrella of protection for children while allowing boys to roam the countryside with firearms and fishing poles, and you come up with an environment that would provoke the envy of Tom Sawyer. In those surroundings, millions of day-by-day adventures linked themselves to become my boyhood.

Writing has transformed my life—mostly for the better, but my schedule has been a little crunched for the last four years. In one sense, I look forward to the day when I will be able to squeeze in time for banjo lessons and golf. On the other hand, I’ve never had a hobby that came within a long mile of generating the kind of pleasure I derive from crafting a good scene in one of my books.


Wedgewood Grey

Mississippi cotton country . . . in the spring of 1960.

The War At Cat Lake is fifteen years in the fading past . . . but the demonic beings who launched that first battle, are alive and well at Cat Lake. Waiting.Late on a Friday night, on a muddy little road a mile east of Cat Lake, a ten-year-old black child is forced to watch while a gang of white men beat his mother to death. Aided by Mose Washington, an old black man, the boy exacts a measure of his own revenge. When the sun comes up on Saturday morning, Mose and the boy are fugitives.Missy Parker Patterson, who as a child stood at the epicenter of the first war, is married and living in Texas. In the aftermath that follows Mose Washington’s disappearance, she goes back to Cat Lake to discover that the demonic beings have been anticipating her return . . . and so begins the second battle of The War At Cat Lake.In 1962, an old black man and his grandson move into the country near Pilot Hill, Texas. The people in the local area are told that the old gentleman’s name is Mose Mann—his grandson introduces himself as Bill.However, the lives of the new arrivals are not as peaceful as they seem. The unassuming old black man and his grandson are being pursued by a triad of formidable and unrelenting adversaries . . . a ruthless political leader, an enduring lie, and an invisible army allied beneath the banner of a hatred for God.Wedgewood Grey is a story about the impact of choices that real people—people like you and me—are sometimes forced to make.

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Sally Stuart

Sally E. Stuart is the author of thirty-four books and has sold more than one thousand articles and columns. Her long-term involvement with the Christian Writers' Market Guide as well as her marketing columns for the Christian Communicator, Oregon Christian Writers, and The Advanced Christian Writer, make her a sought-after speaker and a leading authority on Christian markets and the business of writing. Stuart is the mother of three and grandmother of eight.



Christian Writers' Market Guide

For more than twenty years, the Christian Writers’ Market Guide has offered indispensable help to Christian writers. This year, for the first time, this valuable resource comes with a CD-ROM of the full text, so you can search with ease for topics, publishers, and other specific names.

The 2007 edition also includes up-to-date listings of more than 1,200 markets for books, articles, stories, poetry, and greeting cards, including information on forty new book publishers, eighty-three new periodicals, and thirty-four new literary agents. Perfect for writers in every phase, this is the resource to get noticed–and get published.

It contains listings for: 695 periodicals, 228 poetry markets, 355 book publishers, 133 online publications, 29 print-on-demand publishers, 1185 markets for the written word, 321 photography markets, 31 e-book publishers, 122 foriegn markets, 112 literary agents,and 59 newspapers.

It also gives you comprehensive lists of contests, writers groups and conferences, search engines, pay rates and submission guidelines, editorial services and websites.

Christian Writers’ Market Guide is a "must have' for any serious Christian writer that is looking to get published!

Visit her website for more information:
http://www.stuartmarket.com/

He's Here

My newest blessing decided to come a month early. I guess he was tired of being inside.

Sean Carruth Hoffman – 5lbs 3oz and 19 ½ inches

I say he looks like Nichaela and CJ smushed together.

He and I are doing fine. The first week was rough for me. Its amazing all the stuff you forget about having a baby. Relearning everything is fun.

When I get my pictures developed I’ll post a copy of the little one.

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Marilynn Griffith

Marilynn Griffith is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer. Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a devotional site for women.

Marilynn is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS. Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams. Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years. To book Marilynn for media interviews, speaking engagements, Serious Fun fiction parties or book club call-ins, please fill out the contact form below.

TANGERINE

Fans of Pink and Jade will eat up Tangerine, the third book in the cutting-edge Shades of Style series. Jean Guerra, a designer at Garments of Praise design firm, doesn't like surprises. These days though, the unexpected meets her everywhere. Since Jean's return to the church a year ago, her God-encounters occur with increasing frequency, along with thoughts of her husband-the one she vowed to divorce and gave up on long ago. The one nobody at work knows about, not even her best friend, Lily, or her boss, Chenille. But when the designer assigned to work with Jean on a line of men's suits shows up, her heart flips. It's her husband, Nigel Salvador. Jean is finally rendered speechless. Can her bruised heart become whole enough to love again? Or will she remain in the trenches of loneliness forever?

Visit Marilynn at:
http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/

and http://marilynngriffith.com/