Busy Week

This week has been so busy. I can hardly believe it's Friday again, and not only that, but will someone tell me what happened to JULY? I'm sure I've misplaced mine. I cannot believe tomorrow is August 1st. What happened to 2009?

My mother said this is a sure sign of getting older. The days-weeks-months fly by. One minute you are a little child - the next minute you're having little children and then out of no where - little people are calling you Grandma or Nana in my case.

One minute your biggest financial concern is whether you can buy a house, the next it's whether or not you can afford to retire.

I remember wanting so much to wear my first pair of shoes with heels - any heel - any height at all. Then when I finally got to wear them, I chucked them out the window after a night on the town because they were so uncomfortable I swore I would never wear heels again. Yes, that is a confession of littering, but I swear I never did it again.

I remember when I was young and time seemed to move so infinitely slow that I thought I would surely die a tragic death before ever reaching 16. I remember thinking my 16th birthday would be something magical and wonderful - people would suddenly see that I was finally grown up. Folks would gather round to hear profound 16 year old wisdom, and beg me to write my memoirs. Hmmm, they never did.

Then I thought 18 would surely prove to the world once and for all that I had arrived, but alas folks still thought me a silly girl - despite all of the important information I had to share.

21 and 25 came and went and I was married with two children. 30 arrived and so did my last child. I remember planting trees in the front yard when my middle daughter was born and now they're over 70 ft. tall. I remember dropping my oldest daughter off at college and crying all the way home because she was 25 miles away.
Now she's 2,500 miles away and I would give most anything for a 25 mile separation.



I remember my son putting together intricate LEGO creations and proudly bringing them to me for approval, and now...well...he still does that, but he's much much bigger and here's his senior photo from last year to prove it.


Ah time. It drags when we don't want it to, and flees us like a robber when when want it to linger.

Tracie

Four Birthdays at Once...& a "Gift" for You

I think I told you last week that my youngest daughter turned 20. A few days later, my soul sister Kathy also celebrated a birthday. I usually fly to Nevada to see Kathy on or near her birthday, but this year I took all three of my daughters for a "group birthday" present (even though Kristian and Kaitlyn's birthdays are months away).

When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that Kathy had arranged for a stretch limousine to drive us to the Excaliber (hotel). My girls were tickled, and--admittedly--so was I. I'd never ridden in a limo, either! The first picture shows the girls sitting side-by-side across from the "bar" which contained icy-cold water bottles. The second picture cracks me up--they're each texting a friend to say, "Guess what I'm doing right now!"

The highlight of our trip was seeing "The Phantom of the Opera." For one thing, it was fun to see my girls all dressed up. Aren't they all so pretty? (Yes, I'm a biased mom!) But our theatre seats were FRONT ROW CENTER. We couldn't have snagged a better location. We felt as though we were a part of the production, we were so close to the action. And it was phenomenal--the acting, the singing, the elaborate costuming and sets. Everything flowed seemingly without effort (and I know what kind of effort that takes). We were mesmerized. It was amazing...

The girls flew home Sunday, but I stayed a couple of extra days to have some time with Kathy. I'm battling an infection (cellulitis) so we didn't do our usual "running around," choosing instead to relax and chat. But we did see the Titanic exhibition. I wish I had pictures, but they wouldn't allow any photography at all. Let me say, though, that if you ever have the chance to see this exhibit, do it. It isn't just your everyday exhibit--you experience the emotions of the passengers. Very well worth the time.

Here's a pic of Kathy and me before leaving for "Phantom." I've had the privilege of friendship with Kathy since 1983 when she hired me as her secretary. We've lived a lot of life over the years, and most of the time we've been states apart, yet our friendship has endured. I see her as one of my God-gifts. I didn't get a sister through the traditional means, but I've had Kathy, and she's as close to me as a birth sister could be.

So that was our birthday celebration for Kamryn, Kathy, Kristian, and Kaitlyn. I'd like to offer the chance for you to win a birthday gift. Kamryn just turned 20, but I'm not telling Kathy's age. When you leave a comment, include your guess at Kathy's age. I'll put all the guessers into a drawing for my newest book, Fields of Grace, as soon as I have copies in hand. Good luck!

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

A Little Advertising Humor

In recent years some publishers have come to expect their authors to do much more self-promotion than they had in the 'good old days.' Unfortunately, there's a big problem with authors doing their own self-promotion--by nature, most writers are more introvert than extrovert. We enjoy going out to an occasional booksigning to meet our readers (if they appear) and we're happy answering readers' email (if they write), but mostly we enjoy sitting at the keyboard making up stories and fantasizing about our characters. We want to walk them through storyland and help them learn life lessons. We don't want to shout from rooftops that people need to buy our books. Don't misunderstand--there are a few extroverts out there who enjoy promotion work, but I think there are more (like me) who would rather stay home and write. But things have changed in the writing world, so authors must make some changes, too. There are a few authors who go beyond book signings or the internet, and are always on the lookout for some new tool to promote their book. And I say: To each his own!! If you enjoy being out there promoting, you should go for it. Enjoy those megaphones and skywriting airplanes, but you need to hang on, because I've discovered something even better.



I’ve found the perfect vehicle for authors who want something new and different to help advertise. Something absolutely wonderful. I’ll just have to wait and see if any brave soul is willing to don one of these sandwich boards to do a bit of promotion. What a hoot!



Think about your favorite author walking down the street with his or her latest book cover displayed on a giant sandwich board when suddenly a gust of wind surges down the street. With the aid of this apparatus, your favorite author could fly directly over your house. On the plus side, I’m thinking that with the proper straps and a little board, a laptop could be mounted for use while the author walks around promoting his or her latest offering. Hmmm. Maybe instead of writing this blog I should get busy and design a miniature desk and shoulder straps to hold a laptop. Now that would be multi-tasking at its best.




May you find joy as your multi-task for the Lord. ~Judy

Life through a dog's eyes

Have any of you read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein? I'm still reading so can't give a full-blown "Wow, you must read this book!" yet, but oh, what a treasure it is so far. Especially if you're a dog lover.

The story is written from the point of view of the dog, Enzo, a lab terrier mix, and my heart was hooked at the first paragraph:

Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature. And while I occasionally step over the line and into the world of the melodramatic, it is what I must do in order to communicate clearly and effectively. In order to make my point understood without question. I have no words I can rely on because, much to my dismay, my tongue was designed long and flat and loose, and therefore, is a horribly ineffective tool for pushing food around my mouth while chewing, and an even less effective tool for making clever and complicated polysyllabic sounds that can be linked together to form sentences. And that's why I'm here now waiting for Denny to come home---he should be here soon---lying on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor in a puddle of my own urine.

One more thing--have Kleenexes handy. That’s all I'll say for now.

Life has been a blur in recent weeks, and in the midst of that blur I’ve latched onto a Scripture—as I often do in trying times—and have tucked it deep inside me. Here are the verses God is currently engraving on my heart, and this after He's just told the Corinthian church that He who raised Christ from the dead will also raise us with Jesus, and will present us to Himself together with the saints:

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

What burdens are you carrying right now? What "present troubles?"

Is a loved one terminally ill? Have the doctors handed you a much-dreaded diagnosis? Is your child struggling with something in school, being ridiculed for it, and therefore dreading the start of classes in coming weeks? Is your marriage not what you expected it to be, even after all these years? Are you losing your house? Your car? Your health insurance? Are you battling depression that feels like a bottomless dark pit? Or does a loneliness stretch out before you with no seeming end in sight?

Whatever "present trouble" you're shouldering right now, take heart! Because, as the scripture says, it won't last very long in comparison to eternity. And know that you’re not carrying those burdens alone. Not hardly. We pray for each other on this blog. We, as authors, pray for you friends who leave comments, and for those who may write us personally, and for those “quiet souls” who may visit but not comment. We're in this together, and God knows who you are.

As a friend just wrote me today, though sometimes God’s mercy seems anything but mercy to our eyes, be assured that He is with you. He knows the details of your life and of your “present troubles,” and He’s working for your eternal good.

I don’t know about you, but these days I’m concentrating on not looking at my present troubles, but rather, I’m fixing my eyes on the unseen things, and I’m gaining precious glimpses of “a glory that vastly outweighs them all.”

~Tammy

For those of you holding my sweet mom close in prayer…she’s entered the hospital again (and she was just released on Saturday). She’s so very weak that the doctor has shelved the chemo and has, instead, made getting her strength back the first priority. Mom can’t fight the cancer if she can’t even eat and drink. Your prayers are coveted and so appreciated as we fix our eyes on Jesus, and on the unseen things.

Mom and me shopping in Dallas (July 2007) while attending the RWA Conference.

Sweet fragrance of friendship

Six years ago, I received an invitation from an acquaintance to join her and some other writers she knew at her home in northern Idaho. I came very close to declining. After all, I knew only a couple of people slightly and most not at all. Wouldn't I feel a bit awkward and out of place?

Oh, how awful it would have been if I'd not joined this group of women. Through the years, they have become the sweetest and dearest of friends. They are my sisters in Christ who I would trust with my very life. They have prayed me through the darkest days I've ever known and held me up when I was too weak to stand on my own power. They have loved me when I felt so unlovable. Being with them is a highlight of every year.

Wasn't it good of God to give us the body of Christ so we would not walk alone?

As I write this, our annual Plot, Play & Pray Retreat is at an end. When I awake in the morning, we will all be in a rush to pack our bags and head to the airport where we will fly off in different directions to our homes, to our families, to the work that awaits us. But we will each treasure our many wonderful memories of these five days and four nights together. And eventually (some soon, some later) we will all get to work on the stories we brainstormed over the past few days, and we will treasure the laughter that echoes in our memories.

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of friendship. May the stories that come out of this weekend go forth and bless others beyond all of our hopes and dreams. Amen.

~robin

National Ice Cream Month

JULY IS NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH! Just in case you didn't know, I felt it was my duty to fill you in on this wonderful fact. In 1984 President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month, with the 3rd Sunday being National Ice Cream Day.

Ice Cream goes way back in time - at least iced desserts do. In ancient times everyone from the Chinese to the Romans had a variety of treats they made with ice or snow and flavorings of honey and fruit. As time progressed rich milk with cream was added to some of these and eventually they "churned" out what we know today as ice cream.





Iced cream was a term our ancestors knew well, even as far back as 1776 when the first iced cream parlor opened in New York City. Eventually the "iced" became simply "ice" and the title has been with us ever since.

Jacob Fussell made the first large-scale commercial ice cream plant in 1851. Bless his heart.

The ice cream cone made its American debut at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Well, actually there is great dispute over this, as many claim to have been serving ice cream in an edible waffled-like cone prior to this. Even so, the World's Fair definitely gave the ice cream cone a boost in marketing.

One of the neatest facts I learned about ice cream was that in the late 19th century vendors who sold ice cream and other frozen desserts via portable carts were called Hokey Pokey men. Proving once and for all that ice cream really is "what it's all about." Actually it's said that the saying may come from the fact that many ice cream vendors were of Italian descent and would call out, "O che poco!" ("Oh, here's a little!") or occi-pocci (mixed colors or flavors).

No matter what - the important thing here is that ice cream deserves to be celebrated - even the President said so. Everyone go grab a bowl and get started. The month only has another week left!
Tracie

Nothing Much to Say...

I moved last weekend. I'm still missing stuff. Like the cord to my camera so I can download pictures. That's why I'm not sharing anything pictorical today. I wanted to. Really I did. Took pics of the finished rooms of my house so I could share. But I can't find the cord. So...

I'm also not feelin' too whoopy. Somehow I ended up with cellulitis on my jaw, beneath my left ear. Since my lymph nodes also decided to get involved, I've been pretty pooped. So I'm not terribly inclined to search through the 47 boxes in my office (yes, 47--can you believe it???) to locate it. Maybe next week...

On top of that, my baby turned 20 yesterday. Twenty. Where does the time go? She was tickled to see her "teenage" years slip away, but I confess to a touch of melancholy. Of course, it didn't help that while unpacking I came across a box of baby pictures. Seems like only yesterday she was a toddler, trailing behind me, calling out, "Mama, Mama!" I'd say, "What, what?", and she'd giggle like crazy. Never understood why that was so funny, but it was. Memories...

Whenever I'm feeling a little "weepy," I go to the Psalms. My favorite is 139. You can read it in its entirety in The Message version here. This morning, this particular verse sang to my heart: "Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea." That's a lot of thinking...and God thinks that often of me. He cares that I'm tired and hurting and heartsore. Somehow, just knowing that eases my discomfort. It also makes me want to spend more time thinking of and praising Him. And, somehow, praising Him lifts my spirits every time.

Prayers going up this morning for little Rainy and her family; for Tammy and her parents; and for Judy and Robin, too—God is thinking of them, and He will meet their needs, whatever they are. He's there for you, too. I trust that.

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Early Arrival

I was in our local Lifeway Store last week and was delighted to see A Surrendered Heart, the final book in The Broadmoor Legacy on the shelf. This is the most recent series co-authored by Tracie and me. The book was scheduled for release in August, but I was pleased to see it had arrived early. After a little more nosing around, I discovered both the book and audio are available on Amazon.com and ChristianBook.com as well—always a nice surprise when the baby arrives early.

Like all of the series Tracie and I have co-authored, this one was great fun. I truly loved the locales involved in this series. Researching and exploring Rochester, New York proved to be much more interesting than I ever expected, and the visits to the Thousand Islands each hold a special place in my heart. The islands are situated in the St. Lawrence River located between New York State and Canada. Part of the islands are American and part are Canadian. All of them are beautiful. In the picture to the left, you can see the St. Lawrence River and a little of Boldt Castle hidden behind the trees.

Since we’ve bid the Thousand Islands and our characters farewell, I wanted to share a few photos. If you haven’t visited the Thousand Islands or read any of the books in this series, I hope the pictures will provide a glimpse of a place you may want to visit in the future. The picture to the right is me on the stairs leading into the main entrace of Boldt Castle. We used Heart Island and Boldt Castle to gain ideas for Broadmoor Island and the summer home of the Broadmoor family.

Of course, I can’t let you go without a short history lesson about the islands. Back in the late eighteen hundreds, many wealthy people summered in this part of the country. George Pullman and his family were among some of those who spent a portion of their summer at the islands. Eventually, he purchased one of the islands and built a castle-like mansion for his mother and called it Castle Rest. Once completed, he invited the president and many dignitaries for a huge gathering that would draw attention and publicity to the islands. After that event, many of the wealthy families purchased their own islands and constructed huge homes. Some of them still exist and, like Boldt and Singer Castle, can be toured. I am amazed by the many man hours and barges required to carry all of the supplies, building materials, and workers across the water in the summer and horses and sledding equipment used to navigate the ice in winter. Nowadays there are even folks who build an occasional snowman out on the middle of the lake once winter arrives in full force. A friend I met in Clayton, New York sent the snowman picture on the right. In the picture on the left, you'll see Boldt Castle in the background, along with Cathy Marie Hake and Kim Sawyer with their trusty umbrella. That picture was taken when we were on book tour last year. Since it's purple, I'm guessing the umbrella belongs to Kim.

Each time a series ends there's a sense of sadness, but when I reflect upon the many things I’ve learned, the places I’ve visited, and the people I've met along the way, I'm also filled with great joy. And I’m deeply humbled by the wonderful opportunity God has given me.

May you always find joy in the opportunities God presents to you. ~Judy

And Congrats to Kim and Tracie for their wins at the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest last week. Way to go, gals!

When you become an antique

I'm at mom and dad's house in Atlanta (mom's in the hospital again, more on that below), but as I was walking through the house this morning, opening blinds and grabbing my Diet DP, I saw a package on the dining room table addressed to me.

Sure enough, a friend had sent me something to this address. I opened it and what did I find...

Tammy cards!? From 1964!

Lisa Campbell, you sweet woman, thank you for these cards! Lisa and I went to high school together and also worked in a pharmacy back in high school together too. Had such fun times. She says in her note tucked inside with the cards (and I'm paraphrasing), "Saw these in an antique shop and thought of you. They look just like you! Sorry for the antique comment though."

I got so tickled standing there, but I kept thinking, Bless Lisa's heart, this doesn't look like me. And then...

Oh gracious... The truth sometimes hurts, doesn't it? I've got to find yet another hairstyle. LOL! Thanks, Lisa, you gave me such a sweet gift in these cards and in your friendship through the years. Not to mention a wonderful laugh that I needed.

As I said, I'm in Atlanta. Dad called late Sunday night and said mom wasn't doing well. I drove down to Atlanta yesterday, got here about noon, and sure enough, mom was fairly non-responsive. We got her to the hospital where they determined that she had a very high fever due to an infection (somewhere). Plus she was dehydrated and hadn't been eating much either. Possibility of pneumonia is also lingering.

Long story short, they gave her IV fluids and antibiotics in the infusion area of the oncologist's office then admitted her. She has another full body CT scan today and the doctor's hoping that scan will shed some light on what's going on internally. Mom ate a tiny bit last night so that was good to see her appetite returning, however small. She had her fourth round of chemo last Thursday, and this after entering the hospital on June 21 for 11 days. She's really been through it recently and we continue to appreciate your faithful prayers for healing and strength for her.

Now I'm off to the hospital...if I can get this antique of a body (and hair, apparently) in gear!

Much love,

Tammy

Another trip behind me

I'm here at the computer, bleary-eyed, after the completion of another trip, this time to Washington DC for the RWA conference. Actually, I missed the conference and went for the awards ceremony. My book, The Perfect Life, was up for the RITA Award for Best Inspirational. While I didn't win, I did have a great time hanging out with friends (at left is a shot of Sarah Sumpolec, Rachel Hauck, and Leanna Ellis with yours truly).

The next shot is me after the awards ceremony with fellow finalists Deeanne Gist and Rachel Hauck. We all came away sans the RITA but we are also all rejoicing for the winner, Susan May Warren. (Way to go, Susie!!!)

The final photo is of me with my terrific agent, Natasha Kern. Natasha and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary as agent and author. Needless to say, I think she's the best. Sorry the camera caught her with her eyes closed. (Man, I look tall. I had on 3" heels. A very rare thing for me.)

Now I just have to take a moment of your time to recommend a couple of books to you. On the way home from DC, I finished listening to the audio book of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I've been raving about this book almost from the first chapter, and I'm delighted to say that when I got to the end I hadn't changed my mind at all. It is simply superb. It's set in the 1960's in Mississippi in the early days of the civil rights movement, and I'll admit that I was afraid one of the maids (they're "the help" in the title) would have something horrid happen to them in the end. I'm pleased to tell you that the book doesn't have a bad ending. Quite the opposite, in fact. The book ends with great hope. Love, love, love it. And if you like to listen to audio books, this is definitely one to get. The readers are wonderful. (I downloaded my version from Audible.com which is an awesome way to buy audiobooks.)

After finishing The Help, I decided to listen to a book that a friend recommended over a year ago. The title is Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. This is not light reading, but it is certainly worth reading. Flying from DC to Boise is a looooooooooooooooong trip, so I am more than 3/4ths finished with the book.

Well, off to play catch up with all the stuff that accumulated while I was gone. Next time you hear from me, I will be in northern Idaho for my annual Plot, Play, and Pray retreat with ten of the best Christian sisters anyone could ever ask for. More about that later. And, of course, you can always follow me on Twitter and Facebook and see some of my life in "real time."

~robin

Ups and Downs

The last couple of weeks have been full of ups and downs for my granddaughter Rainy. Since I'm often asked about her and how's she's doing, I thought I'd share just a little bit today.

Rainy has a cyst on her brain. She's suffered brain damage and other medical issues. She is often sick, has had over 25 brain related surgeries, and endures a lot of pain. Because of all of this, Rainy has weekly physical therapy at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. It's a pretty fantastic place, with a lot of great people. Here's a shot of Rainy getting some balance therapy and her brothers Max and Fox waiting for the hospital trip to come to an end.


This last week has been really hard for Rainy and for the family, but after physical therapy there was a moment of positive pay-off for everyone. Here are a few snaps of the kids having fun at one of the downtown water parks. Wish I could have been there.





Every day is a special gift. We're none of us here for long. Cherish the moments!
Tracie

Quick post

I'm still packing. Movers coming tomorrow and I'M NOT READY! (Do you detect the note of panic?) But I wanted to share a few quick memories from last week at ICRS.

Our own CHRISTY WINNER Tammy Alexander awarded me the "Worst Review" medallion, which is inscribed with the words, "Something is terribly wrong." Several authors brought the worst review they'd received and we all read them aloud. Voting took place, and mine was deemed, indeed, the worst of the lot. It might not be a Christy medallion, but I wear it proudly!

My favorite part of booksignings is connecting with readers. I signed advanced reader copies of Fields of Grace and gave away little bags of Turkey red wheat. I enjoyed explaining the historical significance of the wheat to people as they came through the line. (If you read Fields of Grace, you'll find a letter to the reader that explains it to you, too. )

I seldom get "gussied up" anymore, so it's kind of like playing dress up to don sparkly attire. Fellowship with other authors is always sweet. Here we find Angela Hunt, Deborah Raney, Lori Copeland, myself, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Traci DePree (who graciously handled me calling her Beth!), all in our Christy clothes, heading to the awards ceremony. This year's speaker was Richard Foster, and some of his inspirational words are still whispering to my heart.

It was a wonderful trip with learning moments and touching moments and growing moments. And I have to admit, I'm proud of myself for driving all the way to Denver and back (8 hours one way!) without getting lost! A real accomplishment for me. But now I need to finish packing! (Reality, you know...)

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

From the home front

Since I haven’t ventured far from home this week, I’m going to share a few pictures that reflect the joys of summer in Topeka, Kansas. We live near Lake Shawnee, where I try to make myself take a walk most every morning. I snapped this picture on the right during one of my recent walks. Since it’s also very humid in Kansas, I take my walks around sunrise in an attempt to avoid the heat. I’m guessing that you’re probably surprised to discover there are any large bodies of water in this landlocked state. Well, Lake Shawnee isn’t a large body of water, but it is a lake, and it does have some beautiful gardens and some wonderful walking and biking trails. And it's big enough for everything from speed boats to sailboats, paddleboats, canoes, rowboats and an occasional kayak.

The lake area has undergone many upgrades and changes through the years, but construction of Lake Shawnee and the surrounding park was a project of Shawnee County and the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). Anyone remember learning about the New Deal and the WPA in history classes? Oh, come on—surely you remember! If not, consider this a brush-up class. The WPA was a relief measure established in 1935 and was supplied with an initial congressional appropriation of $4,880,000,000, and offered work to the unemployed on an unprecedented scale by spending money on a wide variety of programs, including highways and building construction, slum clearance, reforestation, and rural rehabilitation. The building of Lake Shawnee began November 3, 1935, and was completed May 30, 1938, and employed an average of 400 workers for thirty months.

For seventy years, people have enjoyed picnicking and outdoor recreation at this lake, especially the children. The little girl enjoying some of the lake’s pleasures is Samantha, the daughter of a dear friend. And what better way to enjoy a summer day than feeding ducks or jumping off a bench with your best friend? If you haven’t taken a few minutes to stroll outdoors and enjoy the wonders of God’s creation, try to get out there soon. In the meantime, I hope you’ll derive a few moments of pleasure from pictures of a sunrise over the lake and little girls jumping off benches and feeding ducks.

May you find joy in God’s creation. ~Judy

P.S. And super congrats to our Tammy for her SECOND Christy win. You make us proud!!

Headed home

I'm headed home today, back to Nashville, and am sooooo ready to be back. At least for a few days. Seems like I've been gone from home so much recently, and I leave again on Friday for Atlanta. But that's a trip I'm looking forward to as I'll get to see my parents again.

Before we head to the airport in an hour, here are some snapshots from the past week. First is Robin Jones Gunn sharing from her prayer journal during a writers retreat about ways God has been working in her life (wonderful!). Next is Lori Copeland sharing from her heart during a devo (with Lynn Austin in the background), then a table full of wonderful writers (L: Nancy Moser, Kim Sawyer, Patti Hill. R: Lori Copeland, Mindy Starks, Carol Cox).

Here's me taking a picture of Karen Ball who's taking a picture of Brandilyn Collins who's taking a picture of herself, zany woman. Then the cute and feisty Nancy Moser hopping on our elevator, and Mark Mynheir presenting a session on "how to write real cops" at the writers retreat. I'm still mulling over how to include some of that info in my historicals...

Next, are pictures from the Christy Awards dessert reception: Me with that sweet Deb Raney, Robin with her Zondervan editor, Sue Brower, and lastly me with the multi-talented Angie Hunt. Thanks everyone for your congrats on From a Distance winning the Christy. It was a surprise, to be sure, and such a humbling honor.

This week at ICRS has been great! Had a wonderful time with writer buddies walking the floor yesterday, seeing everyone at their book signings or at meetings with editors and agents. It was a real treat. Convention attendance was down some this year but it was still fabulous to reconnect with booksellers and readers and fellow writers. Next year ICRS is being held in St. Louis, Missouri (June 27-30, 2010), so if that's in your neck of the woods...get ready! This rowdy crowd will be coming your way.

And now...off to catch a plane home!

~Tammy

Monday from Denver

Thanks, Tracie, for posting the winners and finalists from the Christy Awards. Naturally, I'm pleased as punch that Writes of Passage's own Tamera Alexander won in her category, Historical Romance, with her wonderful book, From a Distance.

While in Denver, I've enjoyed such rich fellowship with so many writer friends. I wrote for many years in the general market and had many wonderful friends in the romance field. But there is nothing like the fellowship shared with brothers and sisters in Christ. So I always come away blessed from time spent in their company. We share together. We pray together. We encourage one another, rejoicing in victories and sympathizing in trials.

Here are a couple of photos from the past five days: First one of the authors who were at a retreat together, followed by one of my roommates (Tamera Alexander and Sunni Jeffers). Click to see larger photos.

Christy Award winners

Thought since Robin didn't have a message listed today that she might be very busy with the Christian booksellers convention. I wanted to share with the readers that the 2009 Christy Awards for outstanding Christian fiction were handed out Saturday night. Here's a list of the all the finalists and the ones in bold and listed first are the winners - including our very own Tamera Alexander. Congratulations to everyone!

Contemporary Romance

Beyond the Night
by Marlo Schalesky (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Finding Stefanie
by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White
by Claudia Mair Burney (David C. Cook)

Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas

You Had Me at Good-bye
by Tracey Bateman (FaithWords)

Sisterchicks Go Brit!
by Robin Jones Gunn (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Summer Snow
by Nicole Baart (Tyndale House Publisher)



Contemporary Standalone
Dogwood
by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

Embrace Me
by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)

Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon
by Debbie Fuller Thomas (Moody Publishers)

First Novel
Blue Hole Back Home
by Joy Jordan-Lake (David C. Cook)

Rain Song
by Alice J. Wisler (Bethany House Publishers)

Safe at Home
by Richard Doster (David C. Cook)

Historical
Until We Reach Home
by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers)

Shadow of Colossus
by T.L. Higley ( B&H Publishing Group)

Washington’s Lady
by Nancy Moser (Bethany House Publishers)

Historical Romance
From a Distance
by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers)

Calico Canyon
by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishers)

The Moon in the Mango Tree
by Pamela Binnings Ewen (B&H Publishing Group)

Suspense
The Rook
by Steven James (Revell)
By Reason of Insanity
by Randy Singer (Tyndale House Publishers)

Winter Haven
by Athol Dickson (Bethany House Publishers)

Visionary
Vanish
by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Battle for Vast Dominion
by George Bryan Polivka (Harvest House Publishers)

Shade
by John B. Olson (B&H Publishing Group)

Young Adult
I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires
by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Publishers)

The Fruit of My Lipstick
by Shelley Adina (FaithWords)

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Lovely Summer

We've finally been experiencing summer. We only get about 2 months of true summer here in Southwest Montana, but those two months are generally gorgeous. Yesterday it rained with great gusto, but then we were rewarded with the most incredible rainbows. We often get doubles and this time was no exception.


Last week we took a little Sunday drive and ended up in Helena, where the Thunderbirds just happened to be flying an airshow. It was incredible and the day couldn't have been more perfect.


Of course summer is tourist season so we see more traffic and definitely more visitors. My niece and nephew have spent the last week with us, and we've had so much fun. They made their way through Yellowstone and got some amazing photos. Here's a great one of Mammoth Hot Springs at the north end of the park.


Since we've had a lot of rain, the threat of forest fires are way down, which is a great relief. We're hopeful that it will stay that way, but our worst months for that seem to be August and September (right before the first snows in the higher altitudes.)

We've also enjoyed plenty of wildlife in the area. We caught these photos on a little drive the other day. My niece shot the one of the young moose.



All in all, I'm very blessed to have Montana for my home state. I've truly been amazed at the beauty God has provided, but then I remind myself as lovely as this is - we live in a fallen world. Just imagine what the perfection of Heaven will be like. I can hardly wait!
Tracie