Sandra D. Bricker

COFFEE CHAT: Authors & Agents - Finding the Right Fit

2012-01-27T22:43:00.007-05:00

February’s Coffee Chat is such a pleasure for me! I’ve been joined by three of the industry’s leading agents to discuss the details of finding the right fit between author and agent.

Rachelle Gardner, my own rock star agent and ACFW’s 2011 Agent of the Year, recently moved from the well-known WordServe Literary Group to the prestigious Books & Such agency. In the early days of her career, Rachelle spent five years at Fox Broadcasting Company where she served as special programming coordinator, working on more than sixty network television specials including the Emmy Awards and Billboard Music Awards. She has been an agent in the CBA market since 2007, and is currently accepting submissions for both fiction and non-fiction.

Steve Laube was one of my very first agents, long before I was actually ready for one. He opened the doors to The Steve Laube Agency in 2004, and he’s known as an authority on the publishing industry with extensive experience in many facets of the business. Details about submissions can be found on his Web site, but he does not accept proposals via email.

Mary Sue Seymour was nominated as ACFW’s Agent of the Year, and she has been agenting for 19 years. She is listed as a top deal-maker for inspirational fiction on Publisher’s Marketplace, and she is currently accepting submissions for 1800s American historical inspirational romance, inspirational Amish romance, secular romance and non-fiction. For more information, visit her Web site.

SANDIE: Thank you so much for joining the conversation here at my blog. It’s an honor to welcome the three of you, whom I believe to be the industry’s most illustrious agents. Tell me, when each of you considers signing an author, what factors do you consider beyond the actual submission? For instance, do you check out their Web presence, read their blogs, etc.?

RACHELLE: I consider everything I can. Often when I'm considering a potential client, I've already met them in person, and I may have been aware of their work for quite awhile. I read blogs, Twitter streams and Facebook pages because I want to get a feel for who they are and whether they'll be a good fit for me and for our agency. Beyond that, I'll evaluate their long-term potential as an author. I want to make sure they've got more than one book in them. Sometimes I'll suggest revisions to the project and see how they do because I need to make sure my authors are going to handle the editorial process well. Of course, it's not all about them -- it's also about me. I'm asking myself, do I have time for this new client right now? Will I be able to serve them well, considering everything else on my plate?

MARY SUE: It’s different for me. I don't check these things out. For fiction, it's the writing that’s important. For non-fiction, it's the credentials; but it would be assumed that non-fiction authors would have a Web site and blog to promote themselves.

STEVE: I always check out a writer’s Web presence. I also Google their name to see if anything else shows up besides what they state in their proposal. I once did this and discovered the writer was a proponent of the legalization of drugs.

SANDIE: How important do you think it is for you to establish a personal connection of some kind with an author before signing them on?

MARY SUE: None at all. In fact, I just signed an excellent manuscript straight out of my slush pile. I do love to meet authors at writing conferences, though. I attend on average about one a month.

RACHELLE: I think it's pretty important; for me, anyway, but not necessarily for all agents. I'm a relational person, and I've found it's more difficult to be a good agent in cases where I don't have a strong connection with the author. I also need a strong belief in the author's work. It's what gives me the stamina to push through against all odds, if necessary.

STEVE: Well, I suppose it depends on your definition of “personal connection.” I have a few clients I have yet to meet in person, but we have a great relationship that we developed via the phone and email. I would never sign someone without talking to them first.

SANDIE: Do you tend to focus on individual projects, or do you extend your guidance out to full career planning?

STEVE: I prefer to work with an author over the long haul. This means multiple projects over many years. Strategy and career planning discussions are critical.

MARY SUE: Career planning for an unpublished author is to get that first book published. After that, I typically advise the author to remain with that publisher for a few books to gain experience.

RACHELLE: I do both. Sometimes we just have to concentrate on "first things first," i.e., selling that initial project. Then we can think about career planning. However, many times it's crucial that we think about the entire career right up front, especially when an author has books in several genres that they're interested in selling. We have to ask, "Which genre are you MOST interested in writing for over the next few years?" Whatever the answer, that's the genre we should try to sell first.

SANDIE: What about authors who have already begun to establish themselves?

MARY SUE: If an author is published when I sign them, it's all about the author's happiness with the publisher of their choice and where they feel God wants them to be. I listen at length to them and I try to find out what would make them the happiest. That's the way I proceed.

RACHELLE: Career planning becomes even more important when an author has a few books contracted and is starting to gain traction. We need to manage their presence in the marketplace, trying to have books releasing regularly, but not too close together. We need to build a brand and try to make sure each book builds the audience, rather than trying to create a whole new audience each time. We have to watch their writing and deadline schedules, making sure they're able to deliver all of the books they're contracting. The career planning aspect is crucial for a successful long-term run as a published author.

SANDIE: I’m laughing because that was an ongoing issue between us when Rachelle and I first started working together. She spent a lot of time pulling on my reins and counseling me about how to run the race on a long-term basis. It was a little painful at the time, but now I'm really relieved that she got through to me … And speaking of the relationship between author and agent, what sort of guidelines do each of you set with your authors so that they won’t develop unrealistic expectations about what you can do for them?

STEVE: Each author is unique and has different experiences, different economic pressures, and different goals. Thus, any sort of generic guideline would be counter-productive. Instead, I try to keep the individual in mind when working with them to help them keep their expectations realistic when it comes to the market and to revenue.

MARY SUE: When I receive an offer on a book, I contact the author and it's her/his decision whether to accept. I make a recommendation, but the choice belongs to them. I also email them or mail them copies of rejections so they have some closure. Sometimes rejections give authors tips for improvement and can be very helpful.

RACHELLE: I don't set guidelines but I encourage them to read my blog, which is designed to help writers maintain realistic expectations. I try to remind them every now and then that they have one agent while I have dozens of clients, so I occasionally need to ask for their patience.

SANDIE: How and when, if ever, do you reach the point where you realize it’s just not working with a particular author, and it might be time to part company?

STEVE: It has happened. Usually after at least a year of attempting to place that author with a publisher. And in other cases, it is a mutual agreement that the author feels it is best that they move on.

MARY SUE: For my romance authors, that rarely happens. I sign talented authors, and typically the author stays with me for 10 years or so.

SANDIE: On a very personal note, I’ve been represented by some of the most wonderful agents in the business, but Rachelle and I just seemed to find that right fit a couple of years ago. I think it’s so important for a writer to bear in mind that this is their career, and the relationship with their agent should be considered a partnership. If nothing else, I think my blog readers now have a clear picture from this interview that every agent operates differently, and the aspects of finding the right fit can be as diverse as the agents and authors themselves. I can’t thank you all enough for sharing your insight on the subject, and I hope you’ll come back and visit us again very soon.

READER LOVE: What are you reading?

2012-01-21T19:51:00.004-05:00

I had planned on this week's Reader Love feature being about what I'm reading, but I don't normally read much while I'm in the middle of writing toward a deadline. At the moment, I'm working on the final book in the Baker series.

It's been so cool getting back into Emma and Jackson's heads! They're kind of like those friends who live across the country. You love them, you miss them, but when they come for a visit and you all just click again, you realize HOW MUCH you've missed them.

So since I haven't quite finished the two books I was reading before I floated to the edge of the falls (which is how I see my last month or so of writing a book when there's a deadline involved), I thought you might like to just have a little sneak peek into Always the Baker, FINALLY the Bride.

So check it out!

Excerpt from Always the Baker, FINALLY the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
Abingdon Press - Spring 2013

PROLOGUE

“A champagne flute of vanilla bean gelato topped tableside with a shot of espresso.”

“Seriously?”

“Chocolate chip bread pudding drizzled with warm caramel.”

“Oh. My.”

“Tiramisu lady fingers in coffee liqueur and cocoa.”

Emma balled up the lapel of her jacket in her fist and whimpered. “Jackson. My heart.”

Jackson leaned toward the waiter and clicked his tongue. “I’m thinking we should just move on to the sugar-free menu. She’s diabetic.”

“Oh. All right.”

The gentleman pointed at the other side of the dessert cart as Jackson interrupted. “But I’ll have that bread pudding,” he whispered.

“Yes, sir. And for the lady, our sugar-free menu includes a warm berry tart with frozen vanilla yogurt.”

“Oooh!”

“A red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing sweetened with agave.”

“You can stop right there,” Jackson told him. “You had her at red velvet.”

“Not so fast,” she countered, and Jackson’s heart began to thump. “Go on. What else?”

“Pumpkin spice cake with creamy buttermilk icing.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely.”

Perspiration puddled over his top lip, and Jackson wiped it away with his napkin. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Red velvet is your favorite.”

“Yes, but I can make my own sugar-free red velvet. The pumpkin sounds—”

Jackson’s attention darted to the waiter and they shared a lingering exchange before the waiter offered, “The red velvet is our specialty. It comes highly recommended.”

“Really?” she reconsidered. And by the time she nodded, Jackson’s heart had begun to pound at double-time. “Okay. I’ll try the cupcake.”

“Very good.”

“Coffee for me, and a pot of tea for my date, please,” Jackson said, leaning back against the leather booth with a sigh.

“Are you all right?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” Emma replied. “You seem a little tense tonight.”

“Oh. No. I don’t know. I guess—”

Fortunately, the waiter reappeared so that he didn’t have to concoct some lame excuse. He stopped breathing as the waiter set the beautiful red velvet cupcake down in front of Emma. A shiny pink cupcake tin held the confection, and a ring of intricate white chocolate made to look like a crocheted doily surrounded it. The carefully-chosen diamond ring shimmered on top of it, catching the light from the chandelier overhead and reflecting the glint of recognition in Emma’s brown eyes.
She looked up at him, and those spectacular eyes of hers crested into turbulent waves of gold-flecked recognition. Her perfect lips parted, but not a single syllable passed over them. She blinked several times before glancing back at the cupcake, and Jackson knew this was his moment. He slipped from the booth and hit one knee beside her.

“What…What are you…Jackson?”

He took her hand and grinned at her.

“Are you serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life. You’ve changed me, Emma. You are the center of everything for me. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get here, but I can’t even think of living without you. Will you marry me?”

And with that, she turned her head away from him and began to sniffle.

“Are you crying?” he asked on a laugh. “Emma, this is not a night for tears.”

“I can’t help it,” she chuckled, and he watched her struggle to pull herself together. “You’ve really surprised me here.”

“In a good way, I hope,” he said, and he plucked the ring from the icing and gave it a quick lick.

“Frankly, I thought the best part of this night was going to be the cupcake.”

“Emma. Will you give me an answer, please?” he asked, wiping the ring clean with the corner of a napkin. “Before my legs go numb?”

“Oh. Sorry.”

He waited. “Is that a yes?”

A mischievous glint betrayed her amusement. “Can I let you know after I eat the cupcake?”

Jackson laughed. “I’d kind of like to hear it now, if you don’t mind.”

“If you insist,” she told him, and she tilted her head slightly and smiled. If he’d been standing, he thought his knees might have gone weak under the weight of that sweet little smile.

“You’re killing me here,” he said with raspy emotion. “But I adore you.”

“You do?”

“Oh, now you’re just messing with me.”

“You really do adore me?”

Jackson sighed, glancing at the floor.

Emma touched his jaw with one finger and nudged his face upward. “Yes, Jackson. I’ll marry you.”

CHAPTER 1

"Dude. When you said your family had a summer cottage near Savannah, I pictured something kind of different. More galley kitchen and bunk beds than Great Gatsby and mint juleps.”

Emma smiled and yanked the camouflage duffle out of the back of Sherilyn’s Explorer, heaving it into Fee’s arms.

“The Great Gatsby was New York, wasn’t it?” Sherilyn asked as she pulled her two floral overnight bags from the back. Leaning on the rear bumper, she wrapped both arms around her large pregnant belly and sighed as she gazed at the house. “It’s been such a long time, Emma Rae. Are you glad to be back?”

Emma hummed her reply, slinging a burgundy tote over one shoulder and a brown leather bag over the other. She made her way across the sandy driveway and up the white-railed steps to the wraparound porch, and she pressed her grandmother’s birthdate into the security pad. Once the beep of acceptance squawked its approval, Emma pushed open the massive double doors and turned around to grin at Sherilyn.

They sang it together. “Wipe yaw fee-eet.”

How many times had they heard those same three words out of Avery over years of spring and summer holiday visits! They scampered into a quick, animated run-in-place atop the large straw welcome mat while Fee stood behind them, eyeing them curiously over the bridge of square black sunglasses.

Emma dropped her bags at the foot of the staircase and hurried toward the vistas calling to her from fifty yards beyond the wall of windows. She unlatched the French doors at the top, and again at the knobs, before shoving them fully open with dramatic flair, expectant and eager. The salty sea breeze caressed her face just as she’d imagined, and the distant purr of the rolling ocean waves brought the perfect music to accompany the chatting gulls.

Emma approached the porch railing and leaned against it, mesmerized by the foam-capped dance on the white sand shore. Aunt Sophie had always called it “Atlantic Therapy,” a term which had popped immediately to mind when Sherilyn had suggested they go away somewhere relaxing where Emma could pull her thoughts together and make some solid wedding plans after months of avoidance.

Well. Not avoidance, really. More like…inertia. A numb sort of wedding paralysis that seemed to set in whenever key decisions needed to be made.

She wiggled the fingers of her left hand, allowing sunbeams to bounce off her beautiful engagement ring. She wondered for the hundredth time how Jackson had known that she’d always wanted a princess-cut diamond. She would have been pleased with a little square solitaire, of course, but the frame of smaller round diamonds that surrounded the stone and worked their way down to the platinum band caused the ring to catch that much more light. It was an exquisite ring. Perfect in every way.

“Sher, I never asked you before,” she said as Sherilyn stepped up beside her. “Did you tell Jackson I wanted a princess diamond?”

“No, of course not. I was as surprised as you.”

“Mm.”

“Why?”

“No reason. I’ve always just wondered, and I keep forgetting to ask him how he knew.”

“Hey,” she said after a moment’s thought. “What do you say we unpack. Then we can head into town and get some groceries.”

“No need,” Emma said, breaking her gaze from the ring and fixing it on the sweeping blue horizon. “I faxed a list to Elmer and Louise. They took care of everything.”

“Elmer and Louise!” Sherilyn exclaimed. “They still take care of this place? Are they still alive?”

“Twenty years connected to the Travis clan when they actually had a choice not to be,” Emma summarized. “Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?”

“Not really,” she replied. “I’ve stayed connected without being required by blood.” Emma glanced at Sherilyn, her turquoise blue eyes dancing with amusement as she mindlessly scratched her protruding stomach. “It’s not such a bad deal, really.”

“What’s with this new move of yours?” Emma asked her, nodding at Sherilyn’s belly.

“Oh, the scratching?”

“Uh, yeah!”

“I can’t help it. My skin itches all the time now.”

“You’ve got, what, five more weeks? If you’re not careful, you’ll wear down the skin and the baby can step right out on her own.”

“Stop,” Sherilyn groaned, smacking Emma’s arm playfully. “Wait! You said on HER own. Do you have a feeling? You think it’s a girl?”

“If you wanted to know the sex, you should have had them tell you at the doctor’s office, Sher.”

“We want to be surprised,” she sort of whined without conviction.

“You mean Andy wants to be surprised.”

Twisting her red hair around one finger, Sherilyn shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Well, I can tell you this with total conviction. I absolutely know it’s either a girl…Or a boy!”

Sherilyn swatted her arm again, and Emma rubbed her friend’s stomach lovingly.

“Em,” Fee called from inside. “Hey, Emma!”

Emma and Sherilyn went into the house, both of them looking around. When she spotted Fee standing at the top of the stairs leaning over the banister, Emma laughed.

“Can I have the blue room with the shells on the wall?”

She nodded, and Fee hopped away before the S in “Yes.”

“Cool. This place has a lot of happy-looking rooms. But I think I can live with this one.”

“What about you?” she asked Sherilyn. “Do you have any preferences?”

“Is the green room still green?”

“It is indeed.”

Sherilyn grabbed her bags and waddled up the stairs. “I get the green room across the hall,” she called out to Fee as she reached the landing, breathless.

Emma padded across the great room and through the open doors. Leaving her sandals behind on the porch, she rushed down the three wooden stairs and took off at a full run across the sand. She unzipped the heather gray hoodie and discarded it at the halfway mark, and she left her khaki shorts on the sand about three yards from the water’s edge. She stopped and adjusted the bottom of her red bathing suit where the sand darkened from a recent overflow of surf. Knee-deep in the icy ocean, she tugged at the suit top before diving in and swimming out against the brisk green-blue current.

Just before surfacing again, she thought she heard her Aunt Sophie’s melodic laughter.

“Atlantic Therapy, Emma Rae. And the colder the better when you’re looking for answers. They’re all right out there in the Atlantic Ocean. God’s hidden them there for us to find when we really, really need them.”

*****

What? You think I'm going to give the whole first chapter away???? I hope this makes you hungry for the spring release of Always the Designer, Never the Bride, as well as the Spring 2013 release of this one! And don't forget you can read the first chapter of Designer by clicking Chapter One on the right sidebar.

OUR WORLD VIEW: To resolve or not to resolve...

2012-01-14T17:37:00.005-05:00

I've never been big on resolutions in the new year. Back when I made them, the "resolve" of the resolution only seemed to last a few weeks. Then there were forty-some weeks left in the year to feel like a failure. So I started something new about five years ago, not long after the cancer. I decided...since I'm such a WORD freak...I would choose one word, a theme of sorts for my focus in the new year. I taped them to the fridge, wrote them on the white board in my office, even recited them again and again like a memorization technique. And I always lifted up my focus word in prayer with the petition that the Lord would help me in my pursuit.

On January 1st, 2010, my chosen word was RENEW. Over the year, I managed to (mostly) keep my promise to renew my strength with daily quiet time in the scriptures, one day each week with absolutely no work distractions, and a concerted effort to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. At the end of 2010, I looked back over my year with joy. I'd managed to make it a year of RENEWAL.

For 2011, my word was LEARN. Looking back, I almost wish I'd chosen a different word. The intent was to increase my knowledge of history and scripture, to learn something new every month... But in hindsight, at the end of the year, I realized that asking such a thing of God was a little like praying for patience. He's going to provide REASONS to exercise patience, and that can sometimes be pretty painful. Praying that He will teach you something is much the same. In 2011, I learned in no uncertain terms that I am nothing without God; I learned that everything I am and everything I have to offer...it all depends on His grace. I learned to reach out and ask for help, even though that is the one area where I've always struggled. And I learned that God will heal you when He's ready, even if it means waiting until you're at the very brink of death. Not a fun lesson, but I did indeed LEARN a lot in 2011.

For 2012, after much prayer and thought, I chose the word SHINE. I have resolved this year to take the gifts the Lord has given me and really polish them so that I can shine in my surroundings. If that means working harder at being a stellar writer or stretching beyond my comfort zone to reach out to people who might need what I have to give, teach, say or do. Already, it's not proving a simple task to SHINE, but I'm committed.

How about you? Do you have a focus word for 2012? If you don't, why don't you devote a little thought and prayer to it and let us know where you land? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

COFFEE CHAT: How Do You Know?

2012-01-05T19:57:00.004-05:00

January’s Coffee Chat revolves around the ever-elusive question: How does an editor or agent spot the author who really has what it takes?

Two industry professionals have participated and agreed to share our conversation with my readers. I’m so pleased and proud to welcome Julie Gwinn, Marketing Manager at B&H Publishing Group, and Barbara Scott, currently an agent at WordServe Literary Group and formerly the senior editor who developed and launched the fiction line for Abingdon Press. So grab a cuppa and listen in!

SANDIE: When I was a publicist in Hollywood, a big part of my job was creating a buzz around my clients so that the viewing public would pay attention and buy into their acting careers. The biggest challenge was gauging the gap between which clients had that something special that would last and which ones might have a momentary appeal. I imagine that’s an ongoing struggle for an editor. How do you define that special something in an author?

JULIE: I think the “it” factor is a unique combination of talent, personality, timing, persona and opportunity.

BARBARA: It’s indefinable. I get a gut feeling when I discover someone who not only has the writing skills, but that “it factor” in their personalities that will make them a success. It’s almost inevitable. Even if a manuscript is rough, my intuition tells me it could be great if the author listens to the advice to dig deeper than they ever have before. They aren’t quitters. They take a challenge and run with it. They work hard at their craft.

SANDIE: That’s a great point. I found that a huge part of the success path of an actor – or a writer, in this case – has to do with that combination of things that begin with talent and roll out into a perfect storm with that passion that manifests behavior like studying the craft, staying tenacious about it and really pursuing opportunities.

JULIE: I’m not sure if it can be created or controlled. I do think that word-of-mouth from publicity, promotion, etc. is the best way to generate a buzz, but ultimately, if the story, song, movie is good, the buzz will continue to build. If not, it fizzles out.

BARBARA: As an editor, I’ve spotted several writers who were either debut authors or authors who were not well known yet, and they went on to great success in sales and received glowing national reviews. As an agent, I’m confident that I’ve signed authors who will break out of the pack.

SANDIE: Julie, beyond the talent, what do you look for in a prospective author?

JULIE: I do look for an author willing to be an active participant in marketing/promotion, and it can range from managing an interactive Web site and tweeting to speaking to groups and building a strong Facebook fan page. Anything they do can help augment what the publisher does and goes a long way toward creating that important word-of-mouth buzz.

SANDIE: I always laugh at the concept of “overnight successes” who have been working so hard behind the scene for years, and then they have this one ideal situation where they just break out – kind of like Julia Roberts with Pretty Woman. She’d been around for a long time, but Garry Marshall put her in the role of a lifetime, and she was a star the day after it premiered.

BARBARA: Right, Sandie. I’m convinced there are no overnight successes. Most have worked at their craft for years, and suddenly they break out. I think media hype and buzz can take a person with talent and boost them over the hump to success. It’s like lighting a match to seasoned woods. It flares up immediately and people finally notice. But if a person or a product doesn’t deliver on the promise of the hype, they’ll be forgotten just as fast as they found fame.

SANDIE: An actor client of mine used to say that you can teach P.R., but you can’t teach talent. You either have it or you don’t. My reply was, “Yes, but if an actor does Hamlet in the forest, will anyone ever know he’s talented? No. But his publicist will tell the world, and they’ll all come to the forest to check him out.”

BARBARA: Authors can be taught to promote their brand and their books, or they can hire a publicist, but they must be willing to understand that marketing is at least a third of their job as an author. Yes, they must spend time writing, but without promotion, people won’t read what they write. Most publishers spend marketing money on winners, not on unknowns unless the book catches the attention of the sales and marketing people.

SANDIE: I want to thank you both so much for joining me here on my blog. I know there are a lot of writers, both aspiring and working, who will gain some insight from hearing what you have to say. I hope you’ll both come back again soon.

Blessings and Good Wishes

2011-12-28T12:55:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas to all -- and to 2011, a Good Night!

I spent the holiday with my favorite members of the under-four set...

...and a quiet Christmas Day looking back over the year and evaluating my choices...

...thanking Him for the blessings, and summoning up the gratitude for the lessons.

As we regroup and head into 2012, I pray that each one of you is blessed with good health, new opportunities, prosperity, success, and the joy that comes with knowing that you are not in control...and don't have to be.

Love to each and every one of you!

A Message from Sandie (and Sophie)

Story Junkie or Prepared Novelist?

2011-12-19T08:56:00.005-05:00

I normally post a new entry to the blog on Sundays. Every now and then, inspiration will hit and I'll start working on it early, but most weeks I grab a cup of my favorite coffee and I sit down and work on my post after church services, and it's normally published by early afternoon.

Yesterday, however, a pressing deadline loomed and I spent most of the day working on a detailed cover design form for a book I haven't yet written. In fact, I sold said book based on a paragraph of information. Normally, this cover design part of the publishing process comes well after the book is written, so providing details about location, tone, characters and key elements of the novel required quite a bit of brain stamina.

The only thing I had to depend on was the paragraph I'd written, so I read it again and again...until solid characters and threads of the story began to emerge. I browsed stock photos for inspiration on my hero and heroine, and I scrolled through Amazon's Kindle store for covers that jumped out at me. It took most of the day to fill out the one-page form of questions that publishers require in order to create a cover that will set the tone of my book and appeal to my readers.

I'm normally very much a seat-of-the-pants writer. I'll see someone at the bank, or overhear a conversation at the store...and a new book begins to emerge inside my head. I'll spend several days making general notes, designing a few key scenes that sum up my story and characters, and creating a complete pitch that might sell the book. If it does, I write the first three chapters before I even create character sketches for the main players. Then...something breaks loose.

I become a bit like a junkie out on a bender: I brew up some coffee, stock the pantry with healthy snacks, get out my supply of Writer Clothes (a couple of oversized tees, sweat pants and a scrunchie for my hair), and I'm OFF! I hardly come up for air again for the next couple of months. Friends know that this is not a time for social calls. She's writing.

It's exhilarating! A friend of mine calls it "Sandie's All-or-Nothing Method," and I suppose she's right. There's no balance whatsoever. I'm lost. In my story and my characters, in the world I've created around them, and in delivering satisfaction to my readers. Utterly lost, swimming around in my book until my brain is pruny with delight.

But yesterday, after spending so much time spinning a world around my simple little paragraph, I actually dreamed about the characters and their story last night. Bear in mind that I am currently working on another book, and I'm not ready to write this new one yet. Despite the fact that it is calling to me like a church bell clanging at the back door.

This morning, it occurs to me that I might want to hold on to that little blank form and pull it out before my next project; maybe spend a day filling it out and getting to know my characters and their world before I ever start to write. Maybe characters don't have to unfold before my eyes to surprise and delight me. Maybe there's something to this idea of carefully crafting them before they ever hit the page.

Have I been doing it WRONG all this time?!

Yesterday may have been a little like rehab for my writer self. I started to question my behavior as a writer, evaluate my process. Somehow, I learned that there are other ways to go about this writing thing, more organized and thoughtful ways that might bring out a different kind of creativity.

But would I still spontaneously fall in love with my heroes, revel in my heroines with complete surprised abandon? Would it be as much FUN?

What do you think? When you approach a large and important project, do you dive in like a junkie with your whole heart and every spare moment until it's complete? Or do you slowly prepare and carefully step into it?

What Does Your Name Mean?

2011-12-11T12:21:00.006-05:00

The pastor talked this morning about the many names of Christ, and how it used to be that babies were given names that represented them, or that the parents hoped they would grow into. The meaning of my name is "warrior; defender of men." This made me laugh because my mother was forever lamenting over my tendency to take up for the underdog. I wonder how many times I heard, "This isn't your battle. Let them take care of it themselves!" But I could never do it. An injustice, whether my own or someone else's, always cuts right to the bone. Apparently, I lived up to my name.

I've been chatting this week with a dear, sweet friend who is going through a horrible time. Pregnant with her second child, she and her husband were told that the little girl inside her belly had been diagosed with a fatal neural birth defect called anencephaly, a cephalic disorder that results from a neural tube defect that occurs when the cephalic (head) end of the neural tube fails to close, usually between the 23rd and 26th day of pregnancy, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp.

I've had several miscarriages, but many years ago I carried a child to almost six months before losing her. We'd already given her a name (Brianne, meaning high and noble); we'd purchased some furniture and laid out a plan for the nursery. Talking to my friend took me straight back to those days, brought the pain right to the surface, pushing back the restraints of time. And then I realized how much more difficult it must be for my friend to carry the child to full term, deliver her, and barely get to know her before having to say good-bye. My heart ached.

This morning, after hearing the message about the meaning of names, I looked up my friend's name. Maegan. It means "pearl." How apt is that to describe Maegan. On Wikipedia, it states that "the pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable." This describes my friend perfectly.

Maegan writes: "Jeremy & I haven't been able to help but have several 'proud parent moments' due to the impact that baby Ella has had in so many lives during her short moments of life than we have had in my entire lifetime. Our hope, born of suffering has produced more perseverance than we ever thought possible. So my prayer over the past week has and will continue to be, Father, please continue to bring me along so that I can rejoice in my sufferings because I know that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance, hope (Romans 5:3). You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Please transform my thorn into a flower. Bring sunshine after the rain..."

Losing a child is heart-wrenching. It's one of those things that no one else can fully understand if they haven't experienced it. But to lose a baby to a thief like anencephaly ... to carry her to full term and still not go home with her in your arms ... to know that another child -- sweet Emmalyn, still a baby herself -- needs you to keep it together ... and to somehow manage to grab hold of your faith in God through it ... Now, that's a miracle.

I hope you will take the time to visit Maegan's blog to read about the journey she and Jeremy have traveled this year. It's my belief that you will marvel at the backbone of their faith ... and I know that you will be inspired, as I am.

"As physical healing slowly comes," Maegan writes, "I am realizing that emotional healing will take so much more time than I had prepared myself for. "Pick me up off the floor" moments are numerous and as I trust not in the merit of my own strength, I am being awakened more each day to the realization of how much I need Him... how much I need hope."

My prayer today is that the power of Jesus Christ will make manifest the hope that Maegan and Jeremy so desperately seek, that His love will fuse their hearts back together, and that His grace will carry them through to the other side of this dark valley. Join me in praying for them, won't you?

COFFEE CHAT: Adding a Visual Element to the Marketing of Your Book

2011-12-04T10:11:00.004-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit in a room with several creative types like myself, and the exchange of ideas and information really inspired me. I walked away wishing every author had the chance to experience something like that on a regular basis as a way to rejuvenate perspective and sharpen skills. That afternoon is the inspiration for a new monthly feature on this blog where a couple of professionals will discuss details and tips regarding some aspect of publishing. Publishers and publicists, readers and writers; there’s something to learn from every corner!

So grab a cuppa and listen in on COFFEE CHAT with myself, Julie Dowd (Senior Publicist at Abingdon Press) and Marian Miller (Producer of author interviews and book trailers at Marian Creates). Today’s topic is the use of trailers to add a visual element to marketing your book.

SANDIE: I had a conversation with an author bud this week about trailers and how to use them to sell your book. I know so many writers who maintain that, in the big picture, a trailer doesn’t do anything significant to increase sales, but I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, I think they play a key role in the marketing plan. If the trailer is a bad one or doesn’t hold a viewer’s interest, it presents the book as uninteresting as well. In so many ways, I think it’s worse to have a bad or confusing trailer than to not have one at all. But to have a good one -- that's gold.

MARIAN: Well, you know I agree with that! In fact, the main objective I like to keep in mind as I work with an author to design a sneak peek into their book is that it’s going to be one of the most important things they can do to entice a reader. I like to think of my contribution as a visual press release.

SANDIE: That’s a great way to put it, and I agree wholeheartedly. I think the book trailer equates to a receptionist in the front office of your own business. She better have great references, she better be punctual, and she better present the best first impression possible for prospective clients because you might not get another chance.

MARIAN: In a recent LA Times article [by Richard Verrier, November 9, 2011], filmmaker Chris Roth said, “It's becoming less and less common to buy books by their cover. It's more about showing eye candy to reel them in.”

SANDIE: Speaking from experience, you definitely provide that eye candy in the trailers you do, Marian. I’ve gotten an enormous amount of positive feedback from all avenues -- from readers to retailers and publishers -- in regard to the ones you’ve done for me.

JULIE: And they don’t have to always be high concept. I like Sandie’s author interview where she talks about her writing, and it leads into her most recent trailer. [To view, click HERE.]

SANDIE: Marian actually did them both; the trailer AND the author interview. The feedback has been tremendous. One of my favorites out there is Brandilyn Collins' author interview where she tells why she writes "Seatbelt Suspense." Everything about it, from music to the camera shots, identify her brand, and it makes the viewer really want to read her books.

JULIE: I’ve also seen some really good ones that are simple, like THIS ONE where an author chats about her latest book.

SANDIE: Right! I’ve seen a few of those where I thought how genius they were in their simplicity. And you know the overall cost was really reasonable because they probably shot the footage with their own Flip camera, and then turned it over to a professional to edit it and add the bookends.

MARIAN: That’s one way I’m able to offer such a good rate to my clients. Authors can provide video they’ve shot themselves, or I use stock photos and video clips, and the author writes the script. I firmly believe that no one knows their book and the characters in it better than the writer! It’s a completely collaborative process.

SANDIE: That should certainly be the plan. But recently, a writer friend told me a story about paying $2,500 for a professional filmmaker to put together a trailer for his high concept book, and the final product only remotely resembled his novel.

JULIE: You don't have to spend a lot of money. I've worked on trailers that cost $2000, but I've also created one for $50. Check out THIS PROMO VIDEO I did for our Christian Living titles at Abingdon Press. This was done through Animoto. All I did was upload cover images, typed in text, and picked the music. There are other sites like Animoto.com such as stupeflix.com, photoshow.com and more.

SANDIE: What are some more tips you both would offer authors who are thinking about creating a “visual press release,” as Marian puts it?

JULIE: The first thing I would say is to keep your trailer to no more than two minutes. One minute to a minute and a half is ideal.

MARIAN: Exactly! Often, I’ll receive a script from an author that will bring the finished product in at three minutes or more. I usually try my best to explain the marketing purpose of the trailer and, if I can, discourage them from telling every detail of the story with that one tool.

JULIE: Right. It's not necessary to tell the complete summary of the book. Consider movie trailers; how many times have you decided to see a movie based on a 90-second trailer? Sometimes you're not even sure exactly what the movie is about, but the trailer is produced in such way that it pulls you in. Think of quick phrases that would entice or intrigue readers to want to buy your book. HERE is a really good example of that.

SANDIE: I think the author can do a disservice to their efforts by over-selling their story.

MARIAN: At the same time, they have to really communicate those details to the person producing their book trailer. For instance, my typical style is clean and simple. But the author may want something completely different, and it's important that I know their expectations and hopes for the finished product. What kind of book have they written? And who are their readers? What style will best represent that author to his or her readers?

JULIE: That’s so true. Take some time to talk with the person before they begin working on the trailer. Let them know how you see the end product in your head and what you want viewers to take away from it. Do you want them to get goosebumps, teary-eyed, or giggly? You'd be surprised what can happen in a 90-second trailer. Ask the person to share their ideas with you about the trailer before they begin creating it. The best experiences with these things come when you work together to create something you're both happy with. Plus, you don't want them to get too far into the process and realize it's not exactly what you wanted. Also, ask them if they will help you promote the finished piece. Perhaps they have a website, YouTube channel, and social media channels geared toward showcasing their creations.

MARIAN: It’s so important to give me all of those details up front so there will be no surprises. The great thing about working with Sandie on her trailers is that she’s so organized and communicates clearly about what she wants. And if I don’t quite meet those expectations, she feels comfortable enough to tell me right away so I can adjust my thinking and give her something that she feels really represents her. Often, an author tries so hard to be polite that they fail to get the most important points across.

SANDIE: Yeah, I guess that’s not a challenge of mine.

MARIAN: (laughing) No. It’s not.

JULIE: If an author hires someone to create their video, they should provide examples of trailers that they believe do a great job of selling a book. Also, provide them with songs that have the style they're looking for.

SANDIE: So what do you both think is the MOST IMPORTANT THING an author should keep in mind?

MARIAN: I suppose, as a business owner, I would say it’s important to remember that the money you spend on a solid, professional trailer is an investment in your future. Of course you want to be frugal; but don’t pinch pennies either. This is a valuable and necessary business expense, and you want to get the best product that you can.

SANDIE: I remember a conversation I had with Maegan Roper when she was in Julie’s role at Abingdon, and she said that, when you have just five minutes with a retailer and you want to convince them that THIS is the book they want to buy, nothing says it better than a well-done 90-second video trailer. I was already a believer in trailers as a marketing tool, but that put me over the edge from producing them myself on Animoto to investing a little more with someone like Marian with the mad skills that I don’t have.

JULIE: I think the most important thing to remember is that this is your book, and the trailer is a representation of it. Be very specific when thinking about imagery, text, and music. What do those elements say about your book? Is it funny, sad, romantic, suspenseful, historical, mysterious, thrilling, or epic? Do the images convey the setting or characters? Do the words give just enough info to reel the reader in? Does the music match the tone of the book?

SANDIE: And my pet peeve with so many of them out there: Check your text. Make sure it reads like a smooth narrative to place your book in the strongest possible light.

JULIE: And check your spelling!

MARIAN: That’s why God made spell-check. … And Sandie.

Okay. I Admit It.

2011-11-27T18:39:00.012-05:00

My name is Sandie Bricker, and I'm an editaholic.

Here's something I've learned in my fifty-cough years on this planet: Not every person with a pencil (or pen or computer) is an editor. It's not their fault. You see, you either have this thing in you or you don't...but it's really important to accept it if you don't. I have it. I can remember being punished for editing my fourth grade teacher's handout. I couldn't help myself. Her note said that assignments must be RECIEVED by a certain date. It was just too much for me.

One of my favorite things on television is Jay Leno's Tuesday night feature called Headlines where he shows embarrassing or ridiculous mistakes made in newspapers and advertisements, on billboards and menus all across the country. I probably love it so much because I've been saving the same sort of clippings and photos for years!

Recently, I've been taking on freelance editorial assignments, and a writer asked me last week if there is REALLY a market for someone like me. After all, would a writer really be writing if they weren't capable of editing their own work?

Rather than sing for my supper, I simply sent the writer a few photos from my substantial collection with a short note: Not all people with a task to do are fully equipped to complete it. Just sayin.

Attitude of Gratitude -- and Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-20T12:10:00.013-05:00

A while back, a particular writer who was going through a very traumatic season of her life started a blog about all the things for which she was thankful. Inspired by her sweet spirit, I started a gratitude journal of my own. Every day, I tried to find something that reminded me that God was in control, and that His word would not return void. Some days, it was more difficult than others; I had to sit and think for quite a while just to come up with one little entry. Other days, my gratitude ran off the page.

So in honor of Thanksgiving week, I thought I'd share a little of this year's gratitude with YOU! I've taken a few of the entries of the last year or so that stand out to me, or that are a common theme of thankfulness. From the private journals of Sandie Bricker...

"FAMILY"

Marian is one of the Top 5 best gifts You've ever given me. I've known her forever, and we have a history that I don't have with anyone else. She kind of makes up for the fact that I'm an adult orphan in the world. She kind of grafted me in like You did.

Thank You for Tone, Lord. She brought me the only laughter I could find all day.

Thank You, Lord, for Jemelle, Alberto and the kids. They are family now, and I'm so thankful. Also, there's just something about spending an hour with the under-three crowd that puts the rest of my day in crystal clear perspective.

I'm so thankful for David; for so many reasons. He's very often the voice in my head when I'm trying to sort things out. And when I don't have a belly laugh left in me, he says just the right thing for me to find one. What would I ever do without him? He's just corny and goofy enough to bless my heart, just sweet and smart enough to keep me thinking.

ARE YOU JOKING, LORD?? When I've read that scripture about how wonderful it is when someone lays down their life for a friend, I don't think I fully understood. Until You sent Barbara. I'm completely wrecked by her generosity, Lord. Humbled to the point of absolutely caving in. Thank You so much.

How many times have I thanked You here for Sophie? She's just a dog! But the maternal feelings she brings out in me are just phenomenal. She's a clown and a jokester ... and the most affectionate being I've ever known. Completely uncomplicated and unconditional love. When I woke up and found her standing over me like that, with so much love and concern in her golden brown eyes ... I felt Your love flow to me, straight through her.

LIFE

I waited so many years for Rachelle. I praise You, Father, for bringing me the perfect agent for me. She's becoming a friend as well, and I really love her. Thank You. She's one of the only people on earth who can keep ME in check without offending or upsetting me. I don't know how she does it, but I'm really thankful that she does.

Debby called at just the right moment today. She does that a lot. I see You in that. Thank You for blessing my life with such an unexpected friend.

WOW. It's been so many years that I've been dreaming of being right here. And now that I am ... I'm a little terrified. But mostly I'm grateful. As of today, the day job is behind me, and the writing life is ahead of me. I feel swept away by gratitude. Thank You for whispering "Writer" into my ear as You brought me into being. I sure do hope I can make You proud.

Who would have ever thought such close friendships could be forged with people so far away?! Thank You for my writer friends, Lord. They're a lifeline. Andrea, Loree, Cynthia, Trish, Diann ... the list goes on and on -- all of them people who encourage me as a writer and as a woman. I'm especially grateful today that I've found Staci again. Who would have thought, when I was hustling for all my actor clients in Hollywood, that one of them would turn out to be such a valuable writer bud? My world seems so much bigger, thanks to Facebook and email. Who knew!

Last night I was out of my head with fever and pain, and I couldn't think or pray or hope. Just about the time I thought I was completely and utterly alone, there You were. Your voice is so recognizable. Just one little whisper, and I know You're there. Is it weird to thank God for God?

Barbara says her new name for me is Lazarus. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be coming home again this time around. Thank You, Lord, for snatching me back from the edge of the death pit. And for this sunny little yellow house and happy little red-haired Collie to come home to. I'm alive. Color me astonished. And so thankful.

Thank You SO MUCH for my lovely Keurig coffee!!!! I had my first cup today since they took away my caffeine last month. I write this with one hand while I clutch my favorite cup in the other. Creating those coffee beans, Lord -- A stroke of GENIUS! Ohhh, thank You, thank You, thank You ...

We had a Sandie is Alive!! Celebration Lunch today. Such a sweet gathering of friends. Barb, Debby, Julie and D. Toss in mushrooms stuffed with clams and garlic, and really! It just doesn't get much better.

Okay. So what about you? What are you most grateful for? How has God blessed your life unexpectedly or mercifully?

Panning, Scanning and The Big Picture

2011-11-18T09:03:00.001-05:00

I love movies. From classic black-and-whites to big budget musicals to the films of today, and everywhere in between. I've just always run into the arms of a film (good or bad) for escape, encouragement, or a little inspiration. Film is my longtime BFF, and we've shared an awful lot over the years.

I particularly love the older ones from the 40s, 50s and early 60s. I'd seen so many of them on my television at home, but the first movie from that era that I saw on the big screen was Gone With the Wind. Ohhh, be still my heart! I was hooked. There's absolutely no comparison to the TV version when you enter a cavernous vintage theater with bad popcorn, creaky leather seats and a massive rising red velvet curtain to watch a movie on the big silver screen that you thought you knew by heart. It's breathtaking. I'm convinced that this experience was the true inspiration for coming up with 52" flat screen televisions!

Over the years, I've spent a good bit of time studying screenwriting and filmmaking. I even volunteered for a few years when I lived in Los Angeles for an organization called Hollywood International, a group that directed its efforts toward the preservation of classic film memorabilia. I'm fascinated with the history of film and how it has evolved over the years.

Many decades ago, houses such as Cinemascope and Vista Vision perfected the technique of shooting wide and sweeping panoramic images that brought the experience of movie-goers to a new level. A serious problem arose when those same films were broadcast on small, square television sets, however. You've probably seen one version of the solution on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) when they broadcast in a letterbox format, leaving black space at the top and bottom of the screen.

Another so-called "solution" to the problem is called Pan and Scan. This is when the full height of the movie is left intact, but a portion of each side of the full width is cropped away. I put solution in quotes above because I happen to be one of the purists that doesn't think Pan and Scan is a viable option; in fact, I think of it a bit like some random producer taking the director's cut of a film and tearing it apart to completely remake the movie. The original vision may be in there somewhere, but it's not evident where.

I was thinking today that this world is a big proponent of the Pan and Scan phenomenon, particularly when it comes to our faith. We built America on the precepts of Christ and the Bible. Even our money declared that it's in God that we trust. We were taught that Jesus came, He died for our sins, shed blood that washes away the stains of sin, and He rose again to heaven to build a home for us; and without Him, there is no other road to reach that home. Until then, His spirit remained behind to guide us through our work here. It seems pretty simple to me.

But as time progressed, we shifted our venue a bit, and we used the Pan and Scan technique to focus on presenting the center of the message -- Jesus. Yeah, He was a pretty good guy! -- cutting off the edges of the complete directive. So many present day Christians are missing out on the fullness of our relationship with our Creator and living with their faith at half-mast.

If you've ever seen North by Northwest on the big screen, you'll know exactly what I mean. When that plane comes barreling across the desert, heading straight down toward Cary Grant, Hitchcock made full use of the vast emptiness of the character's surroundings. No shelter in sight; not even a tree to hide beneath! But on the small screen, Cary Grant simply runs for his life. Still handsome, still panicked, still providing edge-of-your-seat suspense ... but a big part of the direness of the situation is lost without the full-screen version before you. The moment you see that scene splayed out before you on a big movie screen, your pulse will pound harder than you expected, and you'll find yourself saying, "Ohhhh. Wow. I never saw the full picture before!"

Here's the good news: In our relationship with God, we needn't make a special trip to the movies to get the whole picture. He's laid it out in full Technicolor glory through the scriptures. And for what we can't see or understand there, the Holy Spirit is on hand to translate and direct. I encourage you this day to seek a full-screen version of what God has to offer rather than a Pan and Scan replica that may be missing the full panoramic meaning that will make your heart pound harder.

11/11/11: A Special Day

2011-11-11T08:04:00.011-05:00

I think it's kind of cool that the date is 11/11/11. But that's not what makes this day special, is it? After all, it's Veteran's Day.

I've always been a bit of a free spirit. My father called me his "flower child." It wasn't until I looked back at my life in the shadow of the force of nature that raised me that I fully realized how it must have pained him to have a daughter who spouted off about making love, not war ... who wore halter tops and sandals ... who flashed the peace sign.

My father was a retired officer of the United States Marine Corps. He fought in two wars, and had served for 20 years before he finally retired to civilian life. He regularly flew the American flag in front of our Cincinnati home where two ceremonial swords hung crossed over the fireplace and countless medals graced wooden frames on the wall.

As it usually happens with wayward teens intent on thinking for themselves, I accidentally learned a thing or two from living under the roof of "Officer Dad," as I liked to call him. I learned that the life of a soldier is not easy, and that there are great sacrifices -- not only for the soldier, but for the people who love him or her -- and those sacrifices are made because of an innate and indefinable respect and honor for America that goes all the way to the core. Or "to the Corps," as Officer Dad would say.

A few years after his death, I went to the theater to see a movie called A Few Good Men. I'd known Demi Moore back when she was married to a guy named Freddy and played a reporter named Jackie Templeton on General Hospital where I worked after moving to Los Angeles. I stayed in touch with her a little when she left the show and when she went on to St. Elmo's Fire fame and became engaged to Emilio Estevez. And I've followed her career ever since, so I was excited to see her big movie break with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson.

What I didn't expect was my reaction to Demi's character telling why she loved her Marine Corps clients so much. "Because they stand on a wall," she stated. "They say, 'Nothing's going to hurt you tonight. Not on my watch.'" And this former flower child who, for a time, rebelled against nearly everything her amazing father stood for ... burst into nearly-inconsolable tears.

My father had passed away by the time A Few Good Men hit theaters. But that afternoon, the revelation hit me like lightning out of a Scarlet and Gold sky. Those folks who, like my father, "bleed scarlet and gold," who sacrifice everything in order to stand on that wall ... they live it every moment of their lives. They're Marines (and Army and Air Force and Navy) TO THE CORPS. As an officer, my father believed in standing on the wall. But as my dad, he stood on a wall, too. He said, "Nothing's going to hurt you, flower child. Not on my watch."

So today, this patriotic-by-default child of Chief Warrant Officer-retired Robert D. Bricker salutes his memory ... and salutes the men and women who continued his fight. I feel a little like that picture of a young John-John Kennedy saluting his father's coffin as I do it, all awkward and childlike. But it seems appropriate just the same.

My dad taught me the meaning of the words Semper Fi. They mean ALWAYS FAITHFUL. And he was. And so are the men and women who followed him. Gratitude overwhelms me.

"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge." --Psalm 144:2

Last, But Not Least...

2011-11-06T12:30:00.005-05:00

It's been a great month of highlighting the other three authors who put together the lastest devotional, His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not. Each one of these women is phenomenal in her own right, but together I think we created a little lightning in a bottle. I hope you'll agree. I also hope you'll purchase the book, and get a few copies to give away at Christmas too! Every book sold will help to further the research into diagnosis and an eventual cure for ovarian cancer.

To punctuate the month, I'm going to give you a little peek into one of my own devotions that I wrote for the book. Enjoy!

Here, Wear My Armor!

“Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him;
you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
1 Samuel 17:33

It took a lot of talking for David to convince King Saul that he could slay the giant. Even then, nervous Saul placed his tunic around the boy, and added a suit of armor and a bronze helmet. But David tried to walk around in it and kept falling over from the weight of it. He tossed it all off and went after Goliath armed with just a sling and a stone.

How many times have we faced down challenges that look as big as that giant? We stand there, with our sling and stone, wishing we had a king to stand behind us, some armor or a helmet to protect us.

As a cancer survivor, I often equate David’s story to my own battle against the disease; although, when that phone call came to identify ovarian cancer as the Goliath now standing before me, my attitude was far more Saul than David. I yearned for dependable armor, or a big old helmet! When I pulled back the band of my sling, I realized I had no little stone to load into it.

Then God’s grace sent Dr. Alison Calkins; beautiful, smart, compassionate. She looked me straight in the eye and answered every one of my six thousand questions. She let me cry without judgment and, when my weight was more than the radiation machine would allow, she even figured out how to build a support. Through her and her team, God fashioned the little stone I needed to take one brazen shot at cancer.

I’ll never forget the day Dr. Calkins told me, many weeks later, that the giant wasn’t getting back up again. “You and I are going to be together for the rest of your life,” she said with a smile as she explained how she envisioned my post-cancer care. “And I’m happy to tell you…that will be a very long time.”

Even now, more than six years later, I still feel queasy while I wait at the light at Martin Luther King Boulevard to turn into St. Joseph’s Hospital for my annual check-up. At first, I remember the loneliness of those treatments, the fear and anxiety and desperation. But as I park in a spot marked for Radiation Therapy Patients Only, and the glass door slides open and I spot Connie or Alex or Ann Marie, my heart starts to beat again. Excitedly, I anticipate getting my first look at Dr. Calkins, knowing she’ll be the reminder God brings that the giant has been slain.

I’ll bet, every now and then, David spotted a small stone at the side of the road, and couldn’t help but smile, remembering what he and God had done. If only I could tuck Dr. Calkins into my pocket and carry her with me as a reminder: By the grace of God, giants are slain!

Today’s Prayer: Father God, I’m humbled by Your grace as I face the towering giants in my life. You are always prepared for them, and You always provide just what I need for the fight, whether that be a stone or a doctor with a sweet, promising smile. Amen.

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EVEN MORE His Grace is Sufficient...But Decaf is Not

2011-11-02T09:24:00.004-04:00

It's been TRISH PERRY Week here on my blog, which means that Wednesday is devo day. I've chosen one of my absolute favorites of Trish's from the new book so that you can see (like I do) what a gift she is. Enjoy!

Little Old Me

“The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
Deuteronomy 7:7

Fame is a funny thing. Despite the obvious annoyance of paparazzi, a publicist’s dream is an increase in media exposure for her clients. One of the points of achieving fame is to appeal to the crowd mentality: If everyone’s rushing to experience this [person, band, actor, film], there must be something special there! Of course we can all come up with at least one example of that crowd mentality showing itself wrong. Milli Vanilli comes to mind. Sir Mix-a-Lot. Jersey Shore. The Real Housewives of Anywhere.

But we do tend to put value in numbers that way.

So today’s verse points out yet another way God sees things differently than the world does. “Powerful” people or big numbers have never impressed Him. After all, when He first set apart the Israelites as His chosen people, Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac were the only members of that particular in-crowd. And, although the Israelites slowly grew in number, many other ethnic groups were far larger and more powerful.

The point of today’s verse, historically, was to bolster the spirits of the Israelites before they faced a mass of larger foes—the Hittites, Amorites, and a lot of other “ites.” In essence, God told them, Don’t worry about the size of your enemy. I’m going to be there for you today—not because you’re big and powerful but because you’re mine. I chose you because I love you—that’s why I redeemed you from slavery.

I see much to embrace about this verse today as well. God extended that “chosen” status to “a thousand generations of those who love him and keep His commands.” A thousand generations. Now there’s a big number worth considering, because it eventually included us. Jesus came to earth with our redemption from slavery in His heart. Not because we’re big shots or numerous in number, but because He loves us. Every single one of us, on an individual basis.

I tend to go through life with rather healthy confidence and optimism, but on my worst days I might feel very small. I might doubt my real value to anyone. Maybe no one remembered my birthday. Or my favorite book idea got rejected. Or someone posted a particularly negative book review online. Or some smart-mouthed kid called me an old lady. Plenty of people might question their value for more serious reasons. An unfaithful spouse. An abusive parent. Negligent or estranged kids. Chronic illness. Financial hardship.

It’s easy enough to recognize God’s love when everything is going our way. When appreciative friends and family surround us. When we’re successful, maybe even achieving a modicum of fame. When our health is good and our accounts are in order. But God didn’t set His affection on us and choose us for any of those reasons.

He did choose us though. And He does love us. Regardless of what the crowd might say.

Today's Prayer: Abba Father, I would be nothing without Your unfailing love. Thank You that You chose me. Please help me to remember Your love, to lean on Your grace, especially when I feel small and unimportant in the world. I love You. Amen. --Trish

COFFEE BREAK: Meet Trish Perry

2011-10-30T16:21:00.003-04:00

Over the last two weeks, you've had the chance to get to know Loree Lough and Cynthia Ruchti, two of my co-authors for His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not. Rounding out our foursome is TRISH PERRY.

I've collaborated with Trish before, and for a while we were both represented by the same agent. We also share a diverse personal background, and I was surprised and delighted to discover that she is a bit of a kindred spirit. I adore her. Trish is an award-winning novelist with a degree in psychology. After meeting in person a couple of times, I find it almost impossible to believe that this stunning woman is a grandmother!

About His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not, in Trish's own words ...

The theme of our devotional is grace. What does grace mean to you?

It means deliverance from my frailties, from my sinfulness; not necessarily deliverance from the consequences of that sinfulness, but eternal deliverance that means He still loves and accepts me. And He always will. Whenever I feel guilt or shame start to crawl back over me for some mistake I’ve made in the past, I remember the amazing grace the Lord has promised me and demonstrated to me.

A portion of the proceeds of these Summerside Press devotionals goes to ovarian cancer research. What do you wish every woman knew about the disease?

To be aware of anything unusual about her body and to address it head on. Many women put off seeing a doctor out of a strange fear about getting bad news. The sooner any health issue is diagnosed, the better.

Tell our readers a little about your perspective of the other authors.

You are just fun, funny, a dynamo, and one of my life’s great blessings; I truly praise God for knowing how much richness you would bring into my world.

Loree Lough was the first novelist I ever met in person (she doesn’t know that), a few decades ago, and she played a role in my choosing to write fiction, rather than nonfiction, God bless her!

Cynthia Ruchti is a poet, and one of the sweetest souls I’ve had the pleasure to meet. I’ve loved getting to know her a little better during this project.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to readers?

I'd love for everyone who picks up this devotional to walk away with peace. That’s what I feel when I consider His grace. I think as women we tend to self-reflect more than men do, and often that self-reflection uncovers plenty of reasons for us to beat ourselves up and feel we’ll never get it right. This devotional shares many ways that we, the authors, don’t get it right. Yet we know His grace is sufficient, even though our efforts aren’t.

Trish's Web site

MORE His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not

2011-10-26T12:05:00.003-04:00

This has been the week of CYNTHIA RUCHTI, our newest member of the Summerside Press devo family. We had a little chat with her earlier in the week, and now I thought I'd share with you one of my favorites of hers in the new book. I know you'll enjoy it too.

This is Grace

“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8

My first grandchild entered life on a tsunami of pain. A devastating wave of emotional and spiritual concerns accompanied what should have been a joy-filled announcement—“Mom, we’re pregnant.”

The words were couched with shame and embarrassment. My son and his girlfriend weren’t married and faced far more challenges than the fact that she craved fish sticks and FunYums. They both knew they’d made bad decisions. One of those “what were we thinking?” decisions meant that now, rather than ironing out their relationship issues and dealing with a 747-worth of baggage, they—and we—prepared for a baby in the house.

As with most parents of young people in trouble, we were heartbroken over their choice to bypass the divine plan for a husband and wife to bring children into the world in God’s glorious timing. It’s not that we didn’t understand how a thing like that could happen. But my husband and I and everyone else concerned knew that the path my son and his girlfriend chose came laced with difficulties and complications they weren’t prepared to handle, challenges the Lord never intended them to experience.

The young woman was homeless and a legal issue kept them from getting married right away. My son had a home of his own a few miles from ours, but the expectant mom lived at our house. As her belly grew, we tamped our disappointment and chose to love and forgive, taking our cue from the mercy that floods the pages of Scripture. Together we walked through morning sickness and fatigue and community stares and whispers. We traversed a path of embarrassment and concern, and faced challenges that only happened to “other people.” We felt every bit of the baby weight on our own frames and somehow adopted the waves of nausea and the clenching of false labor in our own bodies.

But through it all we counted on the wonder of the Lord’s forgiveness, His redemptive heart, His ability to turn what started out distressing into something of great beauty. It’s what He does. He molds rough clay to make art. He recycles pain to make a place for His joy to land.

As expected, He did just that.

At 4:30 in the morning one day in September, my son came to get us from the waiting room to lead us into the birthing center where a new life had entered the world moments before. Warm and bright-eyed and rose-petal pink, the child was laid into my eager Grammie arms.

“Mom,” my humbled but glowing son said, as if a formal introduction were necessary, “this is Grace.”

I drew that darling baby to my heart, as I imagine the Lord drew me, and answered, “Yes it is. This is grace.”

Today’s Prayer: Father God, how is it that You can make something so incredibly beautiful out of the messes we give you? Yet You do. And we’re grateful. You don’t just forgive, You lavish the riches of Your grace on us. Thank you for the exceptional and exceptionally well-loved child Grace, and for where-would-we-be-without-it divine grace. –Cynthia

COFFEE BREAK: Meet Cynthia Ruchti

2011-10-23T13:10:00.005-04:00

This week, we'll be spending some time with CYNTHIA RUCHTI, the newest member of our devo family at Summerside Press.

I first met Cynthia through my good friend and former Abingdon Press editor, Barbara Scott. Cynthia and Barb had forged a close relationship through working together on Cyn’s debut novel, They Almost Always Come Home.

NOTE: If you haven’t read it, I highly suggest that you do. It’s heart-changing.

After several meetings through Abingdon functions, the Holy Spirit gently brushed other people and situations out of the path so that Cynthia and I were sort of supernaturally drawn together. It’s become a friendship (and prayer partnership) that I consider one of the most valued and blessed connections of my adult life. When I wanted to draw a new author into the devo family at Summerside Press, Cynthia was a no-brainer.

So meet one of my favorite women on the planet. Meet Cynthia Ruchti.

Cynthia Ruchti served as president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) for the 2009-2010 term and now serves as ACFW’s Professional Relations Liaison. The radio broadcast Cynthia writes and produces – ”The Heartbeat of the Home” – is celebrating its 31st year of ministry. The scripted radio drama/devotional broadcast airs on 14 radio stations and two cable/digital television stations. Cynthia is the editor of the ministry’s magazine, Backyard Friends.

About His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not, in Cynthia's own words ...

What do you hope readers will take away from the new devotional?

I think it’s a beautiful thing that every reader will gain something different from this book. Some will devour it in one sitting…Some will take a chapter a day and chew on that thought for a while… Other readers will return to the book, to certain devotionals that particularly resonated with their situation…My prayer is that all will close the book with a sense that there’s so much more to grace than we realize at first glance, and that it rises like a good yeast dough when we apply to others the kind of grace God offers us.

Tell our readers about each of the other three authors?

You, Sandie Bricker, have an exceptional gift of digging the funny out of the junk drawer of life and using it to communicate potent eternal truths!

Loree Lough is a faithful God-observer who uses story to show that her own faith walk is a path worth following.

And Trish Perry is a woman of grace who knows how to lift someone’s spirit with a few well-chosen words, and who is dedicated to using her life to bless others in His name.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

Just that God’s grace is an inexhaustible subject. Detectives use a fine brush to deposit a layer of powder on a glass or knife handle or computer keyboard or lamp base so they can see the fingerprints that will help solve the case. We authors use words and story to dust for fingerprints, too -- the evidence of God’s grace. That’s what this book is about. I invite readers to pull up a chair. Let’s see if we can’t make a few discoveries about where grace has been and what it’s been doing. We’ll find it—the grace worth embracing.

Cynthia’s Web site

His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is NOT

2011-10-18T23:31:00.002-04:00

This week, we're spending time with highlighted author LOREE LOUGH.

If you read her interview earlier in the week, I thought you might really enjoy a sneak peek at one of her devos in His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not, due out in just a couple of weeks.

A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

The Prayer Wars

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

My grandkids love to say grace.

Not that memorized "God is great" poem we're all so familiar with, but something pure and simple and straight from the heart, because that's how they've been taught to pray. Suffice it to say Sunday dinners at my house are interesting. And the food is usually cold, because "simple" to them has no connection to "brief!"

Last week, for example, my granddaughter decided we should all take turns saying a blessing.

"But it isn't even Thanksgiving," said her twin.

"Just because it isn't Thanksgiving doesn't mean we can't say thanks," Samantha shot back.

"Well, all right," Steven agreed, "but you start." He pointed to his grandfather, who sat on Sam's left. "And go that way around the table."

Head bobbing as she did a mental head count, I heard her whisper, "Twelve whole prayers!" Smiling, she bowed her head and folded her hands and opened with "Dear God, we thank You for all this food, and for making the seeds and the men and women who grew it, and the truck drivers who delivered it to the Super-Fresh." She opened one eye and whispered, "Granddad, your turn."

"We thank You for our good health and our homes, and—"

"—and Grandmom," Steven chimed in, "who cooked it all up and set the table and made chocolate cake."

"Wasn't your turn," pretty Payton said, then added, "Thank You that I got five gold stars last week. And that Emily's pink eye is all better. And that Mr. Arnold's puppy didn't get runned over when he went into the street."

"And that baby Warner's poopy diaper didn't leak on his crib."

"Steven! You can't say 'poopy' in a prayer!"

He faced Samantha. "Why not? God made people, and people poop!"

Shoulders slumped, she groaned and shook her head as baby Warner said, "Poop!"

"Boys." Then, "Please God, let the soldiers all stay safe, and don't let their children miss them too much until they get home. And send lots of food and clean water to the hurricane people."

"Yes, yes!" Payton squealed, "And clothes and blankets for the children, and flashlights so they won't be a-scared when it gets dark out."

Meeting with God in this way recharges my batteries; what He does through each of us, by faith as we receive His grace, has eternity stamped on it.

Since my own childhood, I've held fast to Jesus' words: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." I searched the faces of loved ones seated around the table—the adults stifling chuckles as the children continued to pray—and wondered, could life get any more grace-filled than this?

Today's Prayer: O Lord, though our world is rife with sin and suffering, You help us recognize the blessings that You deliver each day. Let me say thank You, daily, with the pure, sweet sincerity of a child. Amen. -- Loree

COFFEE BREAK: Meet Loree Lough

2011-10-16T20:33:00.004-04:00

I first "met" Loree online about a hundred years ago. We got to know one another in chat rooms, in IMs, and later on the phone. We started out as two writers exchanging information and cooking up fresh inspiration; but before long, we were close personal friends. It's unimaginable to me that she and I -- the woman who talked me through transitioning from the general market to inspirational ... who supported me through stage three ovarian cancer, the loss of my best friend, then the death of my mom ... who has laughed with me, cried with me, strategized, dreamed and prayed with me -- never laid eyes on one another until a couple of years ago at a writers' conference! We'd just completed the first of the Summerside devotionals together (Be Still...and Let Your Nail Polish Dry) and had a decade of friendship under our belts already. We sailed into that first in-person meeting as if we were already in mid-conversation.

So meet this amazing woman; a person I'm proud to call my friend. Meet Loree Lough.

Once upon a time, best-seller Loree Lough (literally) sang for her supper, performing before packed audiences throughout the Midwest. Now, with more than THREE MILLION copies of her books in circulation, Loree has 80+ books (fiction and non-fiction for kids and adults; two novels optioned for film/TV production; more books slated for release between now and 2013), 68 short stories, and over 2,500 articles in print. In addition, her stories have earned hundreds of industry and "Readers' Choice" awards and 4- and 5-star reviews.

Loree splits her time between a tiny home in the Baltimore suburbs and an even tinier cabin in the Allegheny Mountains; she shares both with her real-life hero Larry.

About His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not, in Loree's own words ...

What do you hope readers will take away from the new devotional?

There are dozens of devotionals in the book. We, the authors, live in different parts of the country. We're different ages. We come from different backgrounds, went to different schools, worship in different churches. What we have in common is a love of Jesus Christ. I believe that readers will feel that common bond, and that as they read the devotionals, certain passages will touch them in a very personal way. And when that happens, they will know that the Father wants to wrap His arms around them, wherever they came from, whomever they've become, and touch them in exactly the way they need to be touched, right when they need it most.

Tell our readers about each of the other three authors?

Well, you and I go way back, as you said. And because we've shared personal triumphs and tragedies, career ups and downs, family traumas, the death of loved ones (and beloved pets!), illnesses, job losses, car troubles, we're more than peers in this wild and wacky industry; more than fellow believers ... we're sisters in Christ…and sisters of the heart.

From the moment I met Trish Perry (years ago at a Virginia Romance Writers' workshop), it was clear we had much in common. In the years since, we've shared a few secrets, shared the joy of getting something (besides dizzy!) on this crazy writing merry-go-round, and shared the pride of seeing a good friend turn her writing dreams into realities.

And Cynthia; although I've only known Cynthia Ruchti for a short while, I'm proud to have co-authored this devotional with her. Cyn has touched my heart with her generous spirit and genuine love for the Father, and she's reached my soul with the beauty of her written words.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

During the planning phases of Be Still ... and Let Your Nail Polish Dry, we decided to dedicate a portion of our proceeds to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Ovarian cancer is a copycat disease; it mimics a wide variety of physical maladies, and, because the symptoms are vague and rarely accompanied by pain, women don't know to tell their doctors to test for it. And since the test isn't a routine part of gynecological visits, it can go undetected ... until it's too late for surgery or treatments to be effective. We really do hope you'll help us support research and awareness efforts of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund by giving copies of this devotional to every woman you know!

Loree's Web site

His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is NOT

2011-10-14T14:45:00.004-04:00

Sweet Readers & Friends:

I've gotten together with three of my favorite chicks on the planet, and we've put together the third volume of Summerside Press' lighthearted devotionals for busy women.

Loree Lough, Trish Perry and Cynthia Ruchti have joined me (and our editor, the lovely and talented Connie Troyer!) in pouring our hearts and humor into this newest edition. We're proud and happy to ask you all to give it a whirl.

If you'd like to see the video trailer, it's available HERE.

In the coming weeks, I'll be spotlighting my co-authors here on the blog so that you can get to know them a little better, if you don't know them already. It's been a complete JOY to work with this group of women, and I think what we have to offer you is going to bless and encourage you!

Oh, and P.S. - We've dedicated this devotional to our friend and sister, Diann Hunt. Diann has been waging her second battle against ovarian cancer (a portion of the proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund). We ask that you keep Diann and her family in your prayers whenever she or this book is brought to mind.

Now what are you waiting for?? If you pre-order, you'll have it in plenty of time to give it away at Christmas to all the most fabulous females in your life!

Here's a little preview of the introduction to His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is NOT.

GRACE: noun – a manifestation of favor or good will; mercy,
clemency; pardon; favor shown in granting a delay or temporary
immunity. verb – a pure, ongoing act of God alone.

God's grace does what nothing else can. It leaps tall mountains with a single promise: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Grace enables us to do the impossible. When we don‘t have the ability, the resources, or even the drive to accomplish God's will for our lives, His grace is there. And when our foot slips, or when we've chosen the wrong path, His grace is a heartbeat away to dust us off and show us the way home, no questions asked.

Each one of us has lived with imperfect – perhaps very conditional – love, and the concept of God's perfect love often seems unfathomable by comparison. Complete pardon? Clemency? Unearned favor? Oh, come on. What's the catch? Can it really be that, as we navigate the high-wire act of our busy lives, God's grace forms a quiet safety net beneath us?

All of those things we often turn toward with the hope that they will justify or fortify us in some way – good works, career or family focus, even chocolate or caffeine! – contribute nothing long-lasting. They're just momentary, while the supply of God's grace never runs dry.

So does that mean when you step into line to order your next double espresso, we would suggest that you make it a decaf? Of course not! Decaf? Absolutely not!

We‘re here to show you…to gently remind you…that there is nothing else that offers the high-octane surge of His full-on grace!

And the beauty part? Grace is at its best when you are at your worst. How cool is that?

Sandie, Loree, Trish & Cynthia

Moving Forward

2011-10-09T11:28:00.005-04:00

I had a wonderful and terrible dream last night. The great part was that a big publisher that I respect very much had contracted me for five books. The advance was phenomenal, the editor was kind and helpful, even the book cover for the first of the five was exquisite! The editor called and invited me to a big literacy fair they would be attending, and when I arrived I was pointed to a booth where I was scheduled to sign my new novel. My agent was with me, and we walked up to the booth and stopped in our tracks. Over the top of my empty chair was a huge and colorful banner that could likely be seen from space: Today at 3:00 p.m. -- The Most Beloved FAT GIRL in Christian Fiction.

Rachelle's hand flew to her mouth, and her astonished eyes were round as basketballs. But, being the lovely person that she is, my quick-thinking agent said, "I'm sure they meant that in love, Sandie."

Really? Love? It didn't strike me as particularly loving to hone in on my most consistent battle in my life, what I consider to be my greatest weakness, and call the world's attention to it with a giant red, yellow and blue banner. (Yes, sometimes I dream in color that way!) Not that people wouldn't notice the minute they stepped into line for my signature. But still. A banner!?

When I woke up, I had tears in my eyes. I made my coffee and sat down to watch the Sunday Morning news show, like usual. They were doing a profile on Ellen DeGeneres, and the first thing I heard her say was that she hoped people didn't think of her first as a GAY talk show host, comedienne, dance fan, animal advocate, etc. I realized that her nightmare banner might read The Most Beloved HOMOSEXUAL in Hollywood. Yikes.

I admit it. I like Ellen. I know, I know. I'm Christian, and she's gay, and blah blah blah. But every now and then, I turn on her show and almost never walk away without having been entertained, without having laughed, and sometimes I've cried! While still in the process of thinking about that, she said something to Mo Rocca, the guy interviewing her, that pinched me. Paraphrased: "So much of comedy is delivered at the expense of someone else. It's mean. And I made a conscious decision to be funny without hurting another person or making them the butt of a cruel joke."

Ohhhh. So that's what it was about Ellen that appealed to me! For years, I've been frustrated with sitcoms (one of my favorite television genres all the way back to childhood) that start out really funny but deteriorate through their success to mean-spirited or truly offensive, one-track humor...so I've consciously strived not to follow suit. I've tried to employ Ellen's rule in my own humor.

Being the over-thinker that I am, I pondered Ellen's interview while I got ready for church services. Rachelle's horrified face and that colorful banner came into my mind's eye several times. Here's what I came away with:

Our sum total is NOT comprised of our most obvious and painful quality,no matter how it seems. I am not just the overweight chick. Ellen isn't just the gay chick. YOU are not just the harried mom or the bitter divorcee or the corporate failure. These are simply the things we have to fight the hardest to overcome. There's still time to add other things to our banners! Moving forward, we can all devote our time and efforts to developing the things that we want in capital letters on those banners that the world sees.

KIND-HEARTED. SERVANT. TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND. AMBASSADOR FOR CHRIST.

In the meantime, I'm working hard to disprove that FAT GIRL thing. It's a long, long road, but by the grace of God I'm believing that one day it won't even be an issue. What about you? Is there something major in your life to overcome, maybe even alleviate?

Today's Prayer: Lord, help each person reading this to be strengthened and anointed for the fight ahead. Let their biggest challenge today be next year's faded memory!

Love Never Fails

2011-10-07T08:47:00.004-04:00

Somewhere on Facebook yesterday, I saw a photograph of a protester holding a sign. The message ripped into my heart in an unexpected and sudden way. It said, "If Jesus comes back, kill him again." You never quite know on the internet whether photos like this are staged or if they're candid, but either way there was someone behind that picture, and my heart broke a little for that person. The guy holding the sign stayed with me. My spirit grieved that photograph overnight, and I woke up still thinking about it.

I've been wiggling into my old routine again after a long illness, so this morning I brushed my teeth and washed my face, let the dog out, sat down in my favorite chair and flipped on the television. In the higher cable channels, I have a station that plays lovely contemporary Christian music, and I often start my day by praising God and singing along. Once again, the guy with the horrendous sign pressed down on my spirit, and I felt led to pray about it again.

When I was through, I quietly asked God why my heart was so heavy about this person. Just as quietly, my spirit replied. "Because you know him."

Of course I don't know the guy in the photograph. But I do know many people like him. Bold, proud, outspoken. Clueless. So many people have crossed through my life who don't know the love and grace of Jesus Christ in their lives, who can't even consider making Him (or anyone else) the Lord of their lives.

"Have I missed the mark?" I prayed. "What could I have done that I didn't do? What should I do in the future when I come across those people?"

A soft whisper of an answer came to me then. "Love them."

I chuckled at the simple reply. Frankly, the bold and brash Jesus haters are hard for me to love. I want to. I try to. But it's not easy. I've often thought that it's a little like trying to love the guy on the school playground who tells you that your best friend is ugly. Your first inclination is to deck him, not love him. But the Holy Spirit had something to back it up with this morning. He led me to 1 Corinthians where I was reminded that "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Yes. In fact, "Love never fails."

My prayer time this morning ended with a sweet, uncomplicated song of praise that I'd never heard before. A song called Yahweh by Tal and Acacia. I hope if you're looking for something soft and sweet to share with Him this morning, you'll click here.

And then pray for someone who is clueless. Go out and love someone who seems completely unlovable. Your day will be better for it. And so will theirs (even if they don't know it).

Meet New Agent, Barbara Scott

2011-09-30T20:26:00.007-04:00

Every now and then, I like to look outside myself on this blog and profile someone interesting from the publishing industry. The last time, it was a short visit with author Trish Perry. This time, it seemed like a no-brainer, especially with all the buzz around Barbara Scott becoming a literary agent with WordServe Literary Group in September, that she would be the logical choice this time … especially since I have her here at my house to answer my questions! Captive audience and all that. So please join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Barbara Scott to my blog.

Barbara’s bio: Barbara J. Scott has been a book editor for more than a decade and has more than 30 years of publishing experience, ranging from newspapers and magazines to books. Most recently, Barbara has been credited for kicking off a well-rounded series of quality, highly reviewed novels at Abingdon Press. Her educational background includes a M.A. and a B.A. in English; a Certificate in Film from the Mass Media Institute at Stanford University, and training in screen development with the Robert McKee Story Seminar in Los Angeles.

After retiring from your career as an editor, what made you come back a year later and re-join the publishing world as an agent?
I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking the Lord about what He would have me do with the rest of my life, and agenting kept whispering in my mind. Even though I pushed it away a few times, it became stronger and stronger until finally I couldn’t ignore it any more. My intention was to open a small boutique agency on my own after the first of the year, but Greg Johnson from WordServe Literary made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

I’ve known you as a true advocate for writers. That aspect of your personality should go a long way in promoting your work as an agent.
Perhaps because I’ve been a writer, and then an editor, I’ve always loved other writers and have felt a continuing kinship with them. It was a natural fit for me since I’ve always championed the work of writers within my parameters as an editor.

Have you begun accepting queries yet?
Yes, I’ve already begun accepting proposals, and I’ve seen a few that have really excited me.

Specifically, what are you looking for?
I’m actively looking for authors with a Christian world view – not specifically writing Christian material per se, but certainly material that doesn’t contradict Scripture – and who have worked on their craft, have at least one complete manuscript and are now ready for an agent to partner with them to grow a new career or expand an established one.

Adult Fiction:
Full-length fiction, 65,000 to 100,000 words. General market or Christian market (but any General Market material MUST NOT contradict Scripture).
Genres: Women's, Romance, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Historical, Family Saga, Amish, Political Thrillers, Mainstream, Supernatural/Speculative, including End Times.

Short contemporary and historical fiction, 40,000 to 65,000 words. Christian market.
Genres: Romance, Historical, Romantic Suspense. Will accept queries for Barbour, Steeple Hill Love Inspired, Summerside Love Finds You, and Avon Inspire.

Kids:
Middle grade and YA books

Non-Fiction:
Both Christian market and general market projects: Current Affairs, Political, Management, Sales, Money, Home Life, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Health & Diet, How-to, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Women's Issues, Devotionals. Authors should have established social media, consulting, or speaking platforms.

Christian theology, apologetics, pastoral, spiritual growth:
I will only take on this type of project if the Christian author has well-known credentials and/or a large, established platform.

What are you NOT looking for?
Gift books; Poetry; Short stories; Screenplays; Graphic novels; Children's picture books; Horror.

How would you like authors to query you?
By email query only at Barbara@wordserveliterary.com with their full name and the word QUERY in the subject line. I’d like to see a brief bio and a short synopsis of the project. If I’m interested, I will then ask for a full proposal of a longer synopsis and the first three chapters. Non-fiction proposals will also require a table of contents and project outline as well.

Anything else you would like to say to prospective author clients?
I’m attracted to authors with a real passion for telling a great story, whether that’s through fiction or via an established platform for non-fiction work. Something I don’t think a lot of writers understand is that an agent, or even an editor, will often feel as excited about your work as you do; even more so sometimes. The calling on my heart is to be a foundational part of the team that transmits your voice and what you have to say out to the audience that needs to hear it.

Celebrating Life

2011-09-28T20:18:00.005-04:00

I was going to post a sort of update today, just something to let people know where I am now in the ongoing health saga that has become my life. However, I've had a change of heart after spending an awesome afternoon with some great people.

I don't want to dwell on the last five months any more. Despite the fact that fear tackles me at unexpected moments, reminding me that the infections have come back three times now when we thought they had been taken down, I try not to let those reminders gain any real momentum. After nearly six months of H-E-double-L, my spirit tells me it might really be time to move forward. At last.

Barbara goes back to Nashville on Saturday, and I can't tell you I'm not a little scared about letting her go. After all, between her, Marian and Debby Mayne, I haven't been alone for more than an hour in nearly three months! Barb's visit being the longest (six weeks!), she's been the safety net every time my condition worsened. But it's time for her to go back to her husband and her life and her new career as a literary agent. And it's time for me to buck up and bravely face the unknown: A return to my life; and to good health.

So to cement that, Barbara and I drove out to Citrus Park today. I wore make-up and brushed my hair, and I wore clothes (real clothes; not sweat pants and a cotton nightshirt!). David drove over from St. Pete, and Debby Mayne and Julie Pollitt (two of my favorite writer buds) came as well. The group of us had lunch together and talked about our lives, about ACFW, we shared some laughs ... and it was WONDERFUL.

Friends. Lunch. Real clothes. These are the things that I'll forever remember as the kick-off to the renewal of my normal life. And those dark voices threatening a random fever or a twinge of pain to signal a different kind of renewal ... Well. They can pretty much (pardon my French) bite me. :-)

So you know that cheeseball saying about today being the first day of the rest of your life? In my case, it's actually not so cheesy. It's kinda true. Who knew?

God's "Unrelated" Circumstances

2011-09-17T16:08:00.007-04:00

What a few months I've had! Man oh man oh man. I gave notice on my day job after YEARS of praying for the blessing, and less than three weeks later ... kidney stones. Five months later, I'd hardly had a full week of good days as the stones initiated infection, sky-high temperatures, blood issues, I had three surgeries, and even entered acute renal failure. Not your typical kidney stones, huh? And all the while, the Lord provided helping hands every step of the way to lead me through when I wasn't able to do it myself. My BFF Marian came to help. Then friend and author Debby Mayne stayed the night a couple of times, David sat with me at the hospital when I was at my worst, and my friend Jemelle pitched in more than just a time or two. Even my bud Dianne (a nurse here in Florida), who was on vacation in Boston, actually called from her vacation and spoke to my primary nurse to discuss my care. And of course Ane Mulligan and my precious prayer loop, The Accidental Warriors, covered me in prayer each and every inch of the journey.

And then the ultimate -- and most unexpected -- sacrifice of all!

One of the helping hands ... the embodiment of "laying down your life for a friend" ... was Barbara Scott. While her husband Mike kept their plates spinning in Nashville, Barbara flew to Tampa (TWICE!!) for a period of more than five weeks total ... to be with me in the hospital, act as my advocate and caregiver, and just generally perform as the Lord's hands to support me. When I nearly died in the hospital, she lent me her faith. When an unexpected healing manifested, she sang praise songs for me.

When Barbara came to Florida, she was in a spiritual quandry of her own. But did you ever notice how God works through those times? She gave to me, and so He gave to her. He ministered to her, drew her closer, led her, counseled her ... and most miraculously of all, he provided answers to so many questions.

While at my bedside, Barb accepted God's challenge for the next phase of her life as writer, editor, screenwriter and speaker ... and she began making plans to become an agent. The plan was to start her own very small boutique agency centered around building author careers. Just a few hours later, as if God had smiled one of those knowing smiles of His, shaken His large head, and said, "My thoughts are so much higher than yours," a door swung open wide. Barb and I both knew it was God pushing it open the moment it creaked! A couple of offers came to her (while she made me pancakes for one of my first at-home meals!), and one of those offers had the fingerprints of the Lord all over it ... And now she is the newest literary agent with the prestigious WordServe Literary Group.

Okay. I'm biased. My rock star agent, Rachelle Gardner, works with WordServe. But also the multi-talented Greg Johnson is at the helm, and Barb will have the opportunity to learn from two of the absolute best in the business. That's what I mean about God's fingerprints. It was unmistakable, really.

So as we thank the Lord for answering her prayers, both about her future and about her very sick friend, we also have been marking the strides I'm making toward recovery. Yesterday, I drove the car! Today, we ran a couple of errands. The daily IV cocktails being delivered to me here at home have come to an end, and the port has been removed. I'm not making use of the several types of pain pills provided to me. I've lost nearly 40 pounds, and my blood sugars are looking better than they have in a year!

With the eyes of a casual observer, all of the events of the last few months likely appear unrelated. Just random things that have happened, crossing over one another, colliding every now and then. But in the eyes of this participant, there is an underlying and familiar melody to it all. There are lyrics written far above me, and a rhythm that was planned out long before the first pang of pain, before the first fever spike. All that's left right now is one more stride: an outpatient procedure with a small amount of risk. But we're hopeful. Joyful, even. We're believing that I will skate through it, that this is the beginning of the end of this horrible season I've endured.

I love it when I can track the index finger of God as He draws the course of my life in the sand and smiles. When I was in the hospital, feeling at my worst, terrified because they hadn't been able to track the toxins that were attacking my blood, wondering if I was going to live or die (and realizing that the medical professionals were wondering the same thing), I heard a strange little whisper in my head.

"I've got this."

And He did have it, my friends. And so much more besides! Join me in thanking our God for carrying me through this season? And in celebrating my friend Barbara. She did a lot of carrying as well.

Special note to Barb: I'll never get over what you've done for me. Not just the physical care, but the remarkable example you've set, and the permanent stamp you've left on my life over the time we've known one another. "Thank you" just doesn't cut it. But you know what's in my heart. You always do. I love you.

You are missed!

2011-09-06T09:25:00.003-04:00

A note to my readers:

Some of you aren't aware, but this has been a long season of health challenges. After passing a boatload of kidney stones, and dealing with the infection from HELLicopter came of nowhere. It's been a month of trying to get that turned around. The good news is that they think they may have it figured out, and I may end up going home from the hospital in the next few days!

So I'm sorry that my AWOL has been so ongoing -- it's been pretty endless in my mind -- and that the big Baker contest has been put on hold. Soon enough, however, we'll have the toxins out my blood, the infections will be all cleared up, and I'll be back in the saddle again.

Although sitting on a saddle right now???? Not so much.

Anyway, thank you for your patience. Hope to talk to you all very soon!

Blessings,
Sandie

Coffee Break: Agent Rachelle Gardner

2011-08-15T15:08:00.004-04:00

Rachelle Gardner is a voracious reader, a lover of books, a mom to two girls and a Lab, the wife of a firefighter, and she takes her support of local Colorado coffee joints very seriously! In addition, she is a literary agent with WordServe Literary Group out of Denver. Rachelle says she never gets tired of talking about books and publishing, and that working with authors is her dream job. Her well-known blog has been named multiple times as one of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers by Writer’s Digest.

Can you tell us a little about your background and, specifically, what led you down the agenting path?

I think all my experience in publishing has led me here. I started back in 1995 doing special sales, sub rights, and international rights. I worked at a small publishing company that gave me the opportunity to become intimately familiar with every aspect—sales, marketing, PR, design, and editorial. I went to the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs, attended BEA every year, and learned a tremendous amount about how publishing works. From there, I decided I wanted to specialize in writing and editing, so that was my focus for about the next eight years.

Over time I saw how the industry was changing so that authors really needed agents; they weren’t really optional anymore. I loved working with writers and it seemed agenting would be the best way to do this, being able to help them on a long-term basis as they navigated the publishing world. I felt I’d gathered a lot of knowledge over the years and I wanted to share it! Being an agent allows me to do all the things I enjoy, including some hands-on editorial work, general career guidance for authors, negotiating contracts (I always had a special interest in the legal field and I love working on contracts), and sharing what I’ve learned.

Can you share with my readers how you approach customizing your efforts with the individual writer’s talents and goals?

I’m not sure I have any specific approach except to try and listen carefully to each author as they talk about what they want and need for their writing career, and what they need in an agent. Often it’s a process of learning about a client as we go—I don’t always get it right to start with! I do think it’s important to help each author gain perspective on how their own passion and gifting meshes with the marketplace, and guide them towards choices that can advance their writing careers.

I thought it was remarkable last year when you announced on your blog that you were closed to submissions for a period of time so that you could devote your efforts to the immediate needs of the clients already on your roster. What were the indicators that led you to a decision like that? How did that pay off for you as an agent?

When I have 700 queries in my inbox, and no time to look at a single one of them, it’s a pretty clear indicator that something needs to change! I didn’t think it was fair to keep accepting queries when I wouldn’t be able to do them justice. It was good to have a break from the “incoming” and helped me get on top of all the work I already had on my desk. I’m going to have to close to queries again soon, I’m afraid.

Even with my marketing background, I’ve learned so much from you about the details of putting together a solid book proposal. What are some of the biggest mistakes writers make with proposals and elevator pitches?

It’s difficult for authors to take a step back from their own work and adequately explain it in a few words so that someone would want to read it. It takes a lot of work to do this, and works best if you have a critique group or partner who can give you feedback as you work through the process. I think the biggest mistake writers make is that they try to work through it quickly, and don’t get outside feedback. They also don’t make enough effort to seriously study and understand how their book fits into the marketplace—what books are like theirs, what area of the bookstore their book belongs in, how to convince someone to take a chance on them.

How do you approach your relationships with your authors? What are your expectations, and what do you hope to bring to those partnerships?

I try to understand what kind of agent each writer needs. Usually before we agree to work together, we’ve talked enough that we have a good feel for whether we’re a fit. Some writers want a more business-like agent who keeps their hands off the material and just focuses on selling; that’s not me. I’m very hands-on all the way through the process, from proposal and manuscript, to selling to a publisher, to helping the author work through any issues in the relationship with the publisher (and these ALWAYS come up). And of course, I give as much marketing guidance and career-planning guidance as I can.

The publishing journey is jam-packed with surprises! Tell us about something that’s surprised you, like a trend or an unexpected sale you’ve made.

Not to sound too cynical, but hardly anything surprises me anymore. I’ve been in publishing 16 years, and before that I worked in Hollywood, so I sometimes feel like there’s nothing new under the sun! But here are a few things that surprise me personally:

--I’m surprised so many people still complain that there are not enough “good books” being published. I think that’s complete and utter ridiculousness. I will never have enough time in my life to read all the truly great books I want to read. Good books are everywhere, they’re piled up on my nightstand and my floors and scores of boxes and bookshelves. Even my Kindle is packed with more good books than I’ll ever read. I truly don’t understand people saying there aren’t enough good books being published.

--I’m surprised there is still such a vocal set of writers out there who disdain all agents. There have been so many agents over the years who have done wonderful work, forming long-term successful partnerships with authors. I don’t understand the haters.

--I’m surprised at the success of a few bestsellers out there, but I’m not mentioning any names!

What are your Top 3 pearls of wisdom for an unpublished author with big writing dreams?

--Study the craft of writing. And never stop.

--Do your homework. You MUST make the mental transition from “writing as passion” to “publishing as business” if you’re to be successful.

--Dream big but try to have realistic expectations.

If you have the time/inclination, these are Quick Shots that I like to use at the end of profiles. Just short answers of a couple of words, never more than a sentence.

WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND RIGHT NOW?
• Reading My Father by Alexandra Styron
• Seeking Peace by Mary Pipher
• Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses by Claire Dederer
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave
• about a dozen other books
• my Kindle with hundreds more books
• my reading glasses
• a reading lamp
• a book light

WHAT ARE YOU READING?
• State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
• Several client manuscripts

DOGS OR CATS?
Dog—just one—Reagan the 6 year old Lab

WATER OR SODA?
Water – I’m drinking it all day long. About 1 Diet Coke a week.

COFFEE OR TEA?
2 cups of coffee every morning. In winter, lots of tea in the mid-day and afternoon because it’s cold in Colorado!

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Chocolate. Or, really high quality vanilla ice cream with homemade hot fudge sauce.

MICHAEL BUBLE OR AEROSMITH?
Are you kidding me? Who’s Michael Buble? Aerosmith is more my hubby’s style. I’m a U2/Coldplay kinda gal.

SUSPENSE MOVIE OR ROMANTIC COMEDY?
Romantic comedy if I’m watching by myself; suspense if I’m watching with my man.

LENO OR LETTERMAN?
Who are those guys? I vaguely remember them both from back before kids, when I was able to stay up late.

RUNNING OR SWIMMING?
I’ve been a runner since 8th grade! But I did reach Junior Lifeguard level in swimming, and I love to scuba dive, does that count?

TROPICAL OR MOUNTAIN VACAY?
I live in the mountains and often vacay in places like Breckenridge or Vail (poor me). But the big summer trip is always the beach.

Thank you so much, Rachelle. It's great for my readers to spend a little time with you here, and I really appreciate the drop-by!

To Promote or Not to Promote...

2011-07-31T16:42:00.002-04:00

...that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous writing dreams or to take arms against a sea of writing opponents...

Sorry. Shakespeare often carries me away.

There has been a lot of conversation out there regarding the difference between MARKETING and PUBLICITY as it pertains to authors. I agree that there is a significant difference; however, as someone who came to the publishing world with a background as an entertainment publicist, I guess I have a slightly skewed view.

In marketing class, one of the first principles taught is that there are four important Ps on which to focus.

1. Product (the book itself)
2. Price (determined by the publisher and the retail marketplace)
3. Placement (distribution, distribution, distribution!)

The first three have very little to do with the author at all beyond P #1 and the actual writing of the book. But P #4 is a nice, sharp double-edged sword (publisher on one side, author on the other).

4. Promotion

Promotion, from a marketing standpoint, is all about industry advertising, schmoozing with retailers to introduce them to this new product, branding characteristics, etc. But this P (in my head at least) also stands for Partnership! This is where the author partners up with the publisher to support their other marketing efforts, and it’s where the line often blurs a bit between marketing and publicity. In my opinion, an author’s efforts to promote their work becomes an important component in the overall marketing plan.

Book signings are a somewhat expected vehicle for authors to promote their books. Over the years, however, I’ve realized that for me the venue and specific situation can make all the difference in how much value the effort actually adds. Consequently, I choose my book signing opportunities very carefully, usually so that they coincide with my personal platform.

Platforms are extremely beneficial when an author is promoting a book. For instance, I’m an ovarian cancer survivor, and part of the proceeds of each of my annual devotionals for Summerside Press benefit ovarian cancer research. So in the case of the devotionals, I schedule book signings that coincide with speeches or fundraisers geared toward cancer survivors and research. For my fiction, like the Emma Rae Creation series from Abingdon Press, I’ll target audiences with a specific interest in weddings and/or baking.

Social media like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter has become increasingly important in regard to promoting books (as well as establishing author name). My own Web site, for instance, tripled its traffic in the first week of my posting a short author interview video on YouTube and Amazon where I invited readers into my home and answered some common questions sent to me. The video was produced with the trailer to my latest book tacked on to the end so that I can use it for each of the next year’s books; I’ll just change the trailer at the end dependent on the next release date. I get a lot of reader mail about my trailers and videos, and I’ve come to think they’re just about the most important promotion tool I have as an author. A book publicist told me last year that, when the publisher has less than five minutes to draw a retailer’s interest, very few things are more effective than a professional, compelling trailer. That comment put me over the edge from the 30-second freebie video I put together myself to the 1- or 2-minute video I pay a professional to produce.

Banner advertising is something worth considering. If you choose the right outlet, this type of promotion can have a pretty good return value. For instance, Facebook has an interesting opportunity for authors where you can gear your efforts specifically toward your demographic. After creating a small ad that includes your book’s cover, you are given the opportunity to pinpoint your audience, the time of day you’re most likely to reach them, even decide how much you’ll pay. By limiting it to X amount of clicks per day for X amount of days, you control the expense to a manageable level while directly reaching the age and interest groups that would be most likely to read your book.

Blog tours are another key component of social media that has paid off in a big way as part of my promotion stategy. Doing a quick Q&A for each blog, and offering a giveaway of your book to one of their their readers, is a small price to pay for a connection to a new source of readers that will potentially stick with you going forward.

Specialized giveaway strategies add a lot of value to my promotional efforts as well. For instance, I send postcards or brochures to women’s ministries and book clubs each time a book releases. My reader list receives email newsletters to tell them a funny story about the next book or give them a sneak peek. I hold special contests for my readers with prizes more unique than an autographed book. And for my devotionals, I often send a copy of the book to a dozen pastors’ wives at local area churches. Often, this will result in an invitation to come and talk to the women of their church.

Press releases come easily to me. Because of my background, I can pretty much write one in my sleep! So I find some sort of angle about every one of my books with the hopes of creating a captivating press release for even more exposure, and I’ve built a substantial list of contacts to which I send them. Some fairly interesting results have come from the releases, too. I’ve been featured in several local newspapers, received interview requests from radio stations across the country, and I’ve even done a few readings as a result of press releases.

I believe that, with every book contract I sign, I am also signing up for a partnership to do everything in my power to support the publisher’s marketing efforts by promoting my book (and myself as an author) in the best ways possible. Many authors have told me they don’t feel like they’re paid enough for their books to warrant spending a portion of their income on promotion; however, as a former entertainment publicist, I know the value of providing name recognition, establishing a personal relationship with readers, and branding in a way that lets them know what they’re going to get each time they open a book by Sandra D. Bricker. Yes, it’s an expense (both financial and personal), but I like to think of it more as an investment in my future, and the future of books in general.

His Grace is Sufficient...

2011-07-27T10:47:00.004-04:00

...but decaf is not.

I just thought I'd share the cover for the new devotional. This is the third one I've done for Summerside Press, and it should hit bookstores in November.

This time around, my team of authors consists of Loree Lough, Trish Perry and Cynthia Ruchti. All three of them are friends of mine, so it was a real pleasure working with them on this one!

Signs

2011-07-24T15:41:00.003-04:00

First of all, I want to congratulate Maggie C. She's the winner of Trish Perry's book, Tea for Two. Thanks to everyone for playing!

Meanwhile ... over the weekend, in search of a brain break, I made a cup of caramel vanilla hazelnut iced coffee (YUMMMM) and turned on the television. I came across a movie I'd seen years ago in the theater when a friend told me the Christian symbolism in the film was really moving. Signs, starring Mel Gibson. Have you seen it?

At first blush, it looks like a scary alien movie by a visionary director named M. Night Shyamalan. He's the guy who also did The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis, which I really liked too ... despite the subject matter.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it, and you have a high tolerance for that kind of thing (alien invasions, bumps in the night, and the like), I highly recommend Signs. Mel Gibson (before the Oksana debacle) plays a reverend who has lost his faith in a loving God. He discovers, through a pretty harrowing set of circumstances, that God is indeed in control of everything and that there are no coincidences. After all those years since the time I saw it at the movie theater, I still watched enrapt, and I cried at the end. Again.

Every now and then, in the middle of a Saturday afternoon of Otherwise Engaged, it's good to be reminded of what we already know, isn't it? He's bigger than our circumstances and our worst mistakes, and He still manages somehow to rock the unknowns in our lives.

I'm thinking Mel could probably use another reminder of that right about now.

Meet My Friend: TRISH PERRY

2011-07-20T20:48:00.006-04:00

I recently decided to incorporate my writing life a little more into my blog. With that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, and one of my favorite writers in the CBA: Trish Perry.

I've co-authored two devotionals with Trish, and she is one of the most amiable writers with whom I've ever collaborated. If you don't know her, or haven't read her ...

MEET TRISH PERRY

Trish is an award-winning, multi-published novelist. Before her novels, she published numerous short stories, essays, devotionals, and poetry in Christian and general market media. Perry holds a B.A. in Psychology, was a 1980s stockbroker, and held positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and in several Washington law firms. She serves on the Board of Directors of CCW and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

Trish, thank you so much for joining us here. Will you tell my readers a little about how you became an author?

I wasn't terribly aware of how much I enjoyed writing until I went back to school as an adult. While I worked on my Psych degree, I found myself looking forward to my various writing assignments in my classes. Then I started getting encouraging feedback from my professors about my writing, so I took as many creative writing courses as I could fit into my degree. By the time I graduated, I decided to take a few years to try to get published before going on for my grad degrees. But writing turned out to be God's will for me, so I never went back! It took several years before I got my first contract, but God truly has blessed me for hanging in there.

Trish, as you know, Tea for Two was one of my favorite reads this year. Would you give my readers a little blurb of the story?

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Sandie. Counselor Tina Milano has been visiting Milly’s Tea Shop regularly for the past several months. She has many friends but no steady man in her life. Zack Cooper is a local farmer who provides Milly with fresh fruit and vegetables. As a single parent, Zack is doing his best to raise his teenage son and daughter on his own. When the kids get in minor scrapes with the law, Milly gently encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before their rebellious natures land them in even hotter water. At first Tina sees the relationship in only a professional capacity, but soon her friends notice the luscious scent of romance in the air and decide to help things along. Tea for Two is a faith-filled novel that explores the delight of second chances, warm friendship, and unexpected romantic encounters.

Trish, what was your inspiration for your lovable heroine, Tina?

I didn't give this much thought before now, but she's actually the second of my heroines who is involved in counseling (Sonny Miller in Sunset Beach is a younger heroine, fresh out of college, who tries to counsel her family members--with less than spectacular success). I suppose these gals came to mind partially because of their desire to help people better enjoy life through healthier attitudes about themselves and others. I liked the idea of Tina being a little bit on the proper side, because Zack and his kids (not to mention the members of Tina's women's group) break her out of that protective shell some. Before I started writing, I let my imagination cook up why she had that protective shell, and once that happened, I just fell for her and wanted her to find happiness and strength through her faith and through trusting that Zack was one of the good ones out there.

I thought Zack was really yummy. Is he a picture-type of Trish Perry's ideal guy? If not, who is?

I try not to make my heroes unbelievably perfect, but they're always kind at heart, and they always respect women. I don't care how often a man blunders socially or privately, if he respects and admires women, he's miles ahead of many men in the "ideal guy" race. I love men, and I've met many wonderful ones, but so often, when problems persist in relationships, the core issue is that the man doesn't truly cherish the woman. Being cherished goes a long way in most women's hearts.

If Tea for Two is made into a movie, who will play the lead roles?

I pictured Viggo Mortensen and Linda Fiorentino.

Your contribution to two of the Summerside Press devotionals has been stellar. What do you like most about a multi-author project like His Grace is Sufficient...But Decaf is Not (due in bookstores this fall)?

So many things! I enjoyed the soul-searching and the faith-journey involved in coming up with a number of different applications for God's word. The closeness I felt with Him was so uplifting. And I absolutely loved reading my fellow authors' devos. I think these books are wonderful--the perfect amount of inspiration and introspection for the woman on the go. I enjoyed getting to know my sweet fellow authors better through working together, too. And thank you, by the way, for the compliment.

What are you working on these days?

A novella for Barbour Publishing called Labor of Love. It will be part of a four-story collection set in Oregon, titled The Midwife's Legacy. It will release in March 2012. Now I need to take a little break from contracts so I can concentrate of some real-world job training I need to do. But the moment I finished my novella, my imagination wheels started spinning again. I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid putting some story ideas together, even though that's not my plan. The possibilities wake me in the middle of the night!

How about we play a fun little game? I like to call it Quick Shots.

WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHT STAND RIGHT NOW?
Eight inspirational novels, awaiting me. There are another ten on the floor, as well as the 900 (plus) novels in my bookshelf. Yes, I'm a book-a-holic.

WHAT ARE YOU READING?
The Shape of Mercy, by Susan Meissner. Wow, she writes beautifully.

COLOR SCHEMES IN YOUR HOME?
Deep rust and teal. Everywhere. Like northwestern, Native American colors. I just seem drawn to that combo.

DOG OR CAT?
Neither since I moved away from my more ranchy home. But I had dogs before. Definitely a dog person. Big 'uns.

WATER OR SODA?
Water.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Chocolate ALL the way. But I'm into vanilla with chocolate all over it, like a hot fudge sundae. Or custard with chocolate sauce. Or warm bread pudding with vanilla and chocolate sauce. Please. Somebody stop me.

MICHAEL BUBLE OR AEROSMITH?
Oh, honey. Aerosmith.

SUSPENSE MOVIE OR ROMANTIC COMEDY?
RomCom. But I do like suspense films, as well.

LENO OR LETTERMAN?
Eesh. Neither. Give me Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Fallon any day.

RUNNING OR SWIMMING?
You mean watching them, right?

TROPICAL OR MOUNTAIN VACAY?
Tropical! I don't show much skin, but I do love the beach!

Trish, it's been so much fun to spend a little time with you, and I know my blog readers will enjoy it too.

Readers, if you'd like to be entered to win a copy of Tea for Two, just leave a comment dated before midnight on Saturday, and include your email address so I can contact you if you win!

My Wobbly Christian Witness

2011-07-17T08:37:00.006-04:00

For many years, I told God that I couldn't be an effective witness for Him ... and it broke my heart. But I know how people are! Who is going to look at an overweight, clumsy diabetic with financial challenges, rivers of unusual circumstances, flukes and troubles and say, "Yeah! That's a life I want!"?? In fact, it was probably ten years of crying out to God about my wobbly Christian witness before I realized what His answer was.

It's not about the challenges. It's about your response to the challenges.

If you've been a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been fighting kidney stones for quite a while now. The pain was more intense than anything I've ever experienced. Every single day. I woke up with pain, limped through my day in pain, and fell asleep at night exhausted from it. I couldn't function in my normal life, and the options for help were limited by my weight and physical condition. It was hard to keep believing for relief when the obstacles were so tall in front of me.

I started a prayer group this year on behalf of a friend undergoing another battle with cancer. That tiny little group of women grew and grew, blossoming into a mighty team of prayer warriors. So when I couldn't handle the situation any more, I had a wonderful place to turn for support. They prayed for and with me that God's hand would push those supposedly impassable stones out of me and that I would find deliverance at last. It was hard for me to share my fears, to bear my soul for all to see that my life was in turmoil yet again. But what I remembered through their prayers was that now they were invested as well. Now they were waiting for God to do something wonderful just as I was waiting!

When we finally came to the place where the doctor said I needed surgery, I was crushed and disappointed. The surgery held risk of complications for someone like me and, with a stint inserted afterward for a full week, it held the promise of replacing one kind of pain for another. Once again, I found myself wondering what kind of witness I could possibly be when my life always seemed to be rooted in some type of challenge. It had been a full month of this, and I just wanted to get on with life again! I yearned to leap out of bed, all revved up for the dawn of a new day ... the way I had dreamed of doing since leaving my day job and committing to the full-time writer life. Instead ... not so much. The kidney stones had begun their havoc just after that move.

I asked my doctor (whom I call Doogie because he's like twelve years old!) if we could just wait another week. "Why?" he asked. "What's the point of another week of pain trying to pass kidney stones that aren't going to pass?" I wanted to give God a little more time to do what I just knew He could do.

Of course you see what's coming, right? That week, I passed the impassable stones! Poor Doogie didn't know what to do with that. He actually brought his laptop into the examination room to show me. "You're not going to believe this," he declared. "Unless the scan completely missed them, I don't know. They're gone!"

For three straight days now, I have been adjusting to this new-again way of life. I get up in the morning and shift in bed several times; just to make sure. I eat breakfast, and it actually stays down. Yesterday, I stood in the sunshine and just grinned like a crazy person. And I've shared the news of my "impassable" kidney stones with just about anyone who will listen.

Why?

Because my witness wasn't in the challenge of the stones. My witness is in the joy of their passing. I still have two small stones in there, smug, grinning for the scan camera. But because of their position and size, we'll be able to laser-blast them next month, and they'll pass without so much drama. As for today, the beautiful sun is shining this Sunday morning. At least it is in my world. I'm convinced that it's the reflection of God's knowing smile.

It's not about the challenges. It's about our response to them.

The Rainbow in My Backyard

2011-07-06T07:57:00.005-04:00

Jesus is the great love of my life. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that to you. Because I live alone now, I talk to Him. A lot. Right out loud. Sometimes He answers. But never out loud. :-)

Like all great loves, Jesus and I have a couple of special songs. When I hear Jeremy Camp's I'll Take You Back on the radio, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I stop for a moment and think about Him. It's a personal connection, something between just me and Him. Even though He's much-beloved, it's just ours in that moment.

It's kind of the same thing for rainbows.

Just a couple of months after I committed my life to Him (20+ years ago), I went through a rough time. A really, really rough time; one of those times when you've lost something you were standing in faith NOT to lose; one of those times when you're not sure if you can recover. In my pain, I went to my prayer closet (which was really on the top of my bed with my Bible) and I cried out to Him. After the tears and nose-blowing, I opened my Bible and started to read in Genesis.

"And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you...I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be...when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant...The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy..." (Genesis 9:13-16)

Okay. I realize this promise was made to Noah and to "all the flesh on the earth." But in that moment, it was mine alone. My Savior told my heart that He understood my pain, that He cried over it too, but that His promise to me was that everything was going to be okay; I would recover. And to seal the deal, I looked up and noticed something extraordinary outside my window. He sent me a rainbow.

That day was a profound and pivotal point in my young walk with Jesus. In hard times, I often find myself rejoicing over the rain, and searching for the rainbow. I'm sorry to report that I don't see many of them. In the hardest of times, I've been known to run out into the rain to search the sky in all directions, my heart pounding with hope. Once, I even stood next to someone who claimed they could SEE the rainbow in the sky overhead, and I still couldn't see it. She snapped a picture, and I could see it in the image, but not in the sky. For this reason, I have faithfully believed in rainbows sent to me as a reminder from my God. Everything is going to be okay. It doesn't look like it right now, but hang on. Just hang on.

Now and then over the years, however, I've spotted the unexpected rainbow; and it's always been in times of great turmoil and change. I've been going through one of those seasons lately. It started a couple of months ago, and the hits just keep on coming. A few days ago, I retreated to my current prayer closet (the recliner in the living room next to the window) and I spent some much-needed Me & Him time. I asked Him all my questions, delivered all of my complaints and worries and fears. It's amazing what an awesome listener He is. When I was finally all talked out, I stood up and returned my attention to the wrinkles of my life and set about loading the washer, picking up the dozen dog toys littering the floor, dragging the trash out to the garage. On my way into the bedroom for another load of laundry, I passed the large window, and then I heard something in my spirit.

"Back up."

So I did. And in the next fraction of a second, I exploded with laughter. "You so ROCK!" I cried out.

Had I lost my mind? Perhaps, a long time ago. But here's what I saw:

Wouldn't you have reacted the same way, if you were me? Of course you would!

There's been a lot of praise in my sunny little house since that afternoon. Not much has changed in my circumstances, but the Lord's reminder -- just for me! -- looms large. Everything is going to be okay. Just hang on a little longer. Just hang on.

And so I hang. And while I'm hanging here, I just felt compelled to tell YOU the same thing. Maybe today I'm your rainbow. Hang in there. It's going to be okay.

Life Lessons

2011-06-20T09:41:00.005-04:00

The last two weeks have been excruciatingly long as I was thrust into battle once again with kidney stones.

Lord, these things are painful!

But as with all challenges, I've been thinking about what I could possibly learn from kidney stones. While still in the heat of the battle, I'm sure there is more than this, but here are my initial thoughts.

1. Don't EVER take good (or even fair) health for granted. You never know when things will change. So don't wait until later. Start today. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!

2. Don't waste time. I'm willing to bet that most of us let a lot of time slip through our fingers. "I can do that tomorrow." "I just don't feel like..." But here's the thing: Time is a gift. Yes, there are times for just resting, relaxing, vegging out, and refreshing. After a season of turmoil or challenge, the temptation is to shut down long enough to recover. I encourage that! But those times should be the exception, not the norm. Productivity is really important to keeping all the plates spinning in our busy lives, and if something unexpected occurs to interrupt that productivity, you'll find yourself wishing for something that can't happen because you're not going to get that wasted time back.

3. Treasure those relationships where you are someone's priority. If you have a husband/wife, mother/father, brother/sister, son/daughter who considers you a priority in their lives, nurture and reciprocate. For those of us with no family ties at all, reality kind of bites in times of crisis. I have a host of wonderful friends, but even in an emergency situation, most people have their own familial priorities and commitments, and they may not be able or willing to provide last-minute assistance.

4. When you have spare time, invest it in The Word. You'll be joyously blessed when you realize you have recently studied a passage of scripture that directly applies to your situation. There is comfort in knowing God's Word, not to mention healing power, encouragement, and deep gratitude.

"The Lord your God...is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

5. Never discount someone else's pain. I've recently come to realize that there have been instances where I have not shown nearly enough compassion, understanding or sympathy for someone in pain. It's possible that, in the worst of it, they can't think straight,that desperation or fear has gotten the better of them, that their tolerance level has been compromised. Be patient with them. Show more compassion than you're inclined to show. It may seem futile in the face of it, but later ... your kindness will have gone a very, very long way.

James Arness and John Wayne

2011-06-05T11:32:00.005-04:00

My father, who retired after twenty years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps (Semper Fi!), once played cards with a certain actor, or so the story goes. He came away from the game with a pocket full of cash ... and the actor's hat. Yep. I grew up with James Arness' hat in the hall closet. As an adult, I do realize that it might have just been a really good story my dad constructed over time; but even so, being the adoring daughter of Officer Dad, I bought it. To the point that I paid attention when the owner of that hat passed away this week at the age of 88.

At first, I simply found myself wishing I'd had my dad for 20+ extra years, that he'd lived to the ripe old age of 88. But despite the fact that none of the newscasters made a single mention of the treasured hat Arness once lost to a handsome, charming Marine, I did find myself paying attention to the other stories about Arness' life.

A while back, I posted a blog about the importance of those people who play the Barnabas role in our lives. I received some awesome emails about the post, people telling me about their own Barnabas experiences or about how they played the role themselves at one time or another. So when the news stories this week spoke of a very special Barnabas in Arness' life, I paid attention.

Arness played some meaty supporting roles over the years as he started his career, and John Wayne was a frequent leading man. The two of them became eventual friends. So when Wayne was offered the role of Marshall Matt Dillon in a new show called Gunsmoke, he could have simply declined. Instead, he told the producers that there was a young actor under contract by the name of Jim Arness. Even though Arness was relatively unknown by the TV-viewing public, Wayne thought perhaps Arness might be a perfect fit for the part. And to cement the deal,figuring America was much more likely to give the newcomer a chance if they heard it from someone they already knew and admired, movie star John Wayne put his own clout on the line to film an opening for the new show wherein he told America why they should watch.

I love that story! Especially because it came out of Hollywood, a world with which I am well acquainted. Not a lot of Barnabas activity going on in Hollywood, folks. Sorry if that bursts any bubbles. But isn't John Wayne's behavior a perfect example of the kind of Barnabas we're all supposed to be to the Pauls around us? I know that's what I want to be. So let's pray together...

Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for the Barnabases you place in our lives; those folks who unselfishly offer up their own clout ... or money ... or time ... to support us in our ministries. We ask that You would anoint each one of us now, Lord, so that we can pay that forward. Show us how we can support someone else when there is no benefit to our own lives, no reward that we get out of it. Show us how to lift others up for no other reason than to help, encourage or edify them in Your name. Amen.

Greener? Or Only LOOKS Greener?

2011-05-29T10:06:00.003-04:00

Many years ago, I wrote a story about how the grass always seems greener on someone else's side of the fence. This morning, while drinking my coffee and watching a morning news show, I was reminded of that story, based on the science of the belief.

For your DID YOU KNOW? file: While standing on the grass, gazing over the fence at the lawn on the other side, the grass actually does appear greener! The reasoning behind it is that, when you're looking up ahead, you see the sides of the green blades of grass; while looking down at your own lawn, in addition to the green, you also see the brown dirt beneath it...so it doesn't appear as green.

I like to think of it in relation to God. Here we are, standing in our grass, looking out there to figure out where we're going and how to get there...while God lingers overhead, seeing the Big Picture of our lives.

One of my favorite reads of all time is Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam & Eve. I never get tired of reading it, mainly because I'm fascinated by those stories where the writer takes a common situation...one that everyone knows...and shows another side. Twain takes the classic, holy story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the place where our faith story truly began, and he looks down at it with a close bird's eye view.

After Eve has been forced into his life, Adam writes about her in his diary. One Wednesday, he observed: "Built me a shelter against the rain, but could not have it to myself in peace. The new creature intruded. When I tried to put it out it shed water out of the holes it looks with, and wiped it away with the back of its paws, and made a noise such as some of the other animals make when they are in distress. I wish it would not talk; it is always talking...."

In the many times I've studied the book of Genesis, I never saw Adam and Eve from this angle. Reading Mark Twain's take on them blesses me. It makes me see them, and by extension MYSELF, through new, more personal eyes.

This morning's reminder of how it's all about perspective brought Adam's pain to mind. I can't tell you how many times I've looked into the lives of friends who are married with children and grandchildren, and I've wondered why my life turned out so differently. And just about the time I allow myself to really work up a head of steam over it, one of those friends will look at me and say, "Sometimes I'd give anything to have what you have! I haven't had the house all to myself for more than a few minutes in twenty years."

Perspective. It's all about the angle from which you look into the grass. God has a different plan for each and every one of us. As you've probably discovered countless times, striving to live out someone else's destiny instead of your own leaves you exhausted, dissatisfied and...worst of all...set back to go around the mountain yet again.

So today let's pray together: Thank You, Father, for the beautiful design You have for my life. Help me to always listen for Your voice rather than tuning in to the voices of others; to run toward my destiny with childlike faith and joy; and to stay close to You through prayer and Bible study so that I can make it around the mountain and move on rather than circling it again. In Jesus' name, we pray. For ourselves and for each other. Amen.

Writer Fun!

2011-05-18T17:07:00.007-04:00

Have I mentioned that I am now a full-time writer????

Just had to say it again. It never gets old.

So in the first 30 days of Writer Life, I have (in no particular order):

- Written for 9 hours a day for 3 days straight without thought of a day job.
- Had a spontaneous brunch with friends, just because I could.
- Brainstormed story ideas with another writer.
- Given final approval for my latest book trailer.
- Shot the footage for my coming-soon author video.
- Spent some time just hanging with my BFF, watching TV, drinking coffee and giggling.
- Sipped margaritas with my four favorite women on the planet.
- Worked out right in the middle of the day.
- Painted my nails. [I can't remember the last time I did that!]
- Spoken to an ovarian cancer support group, met some awesome ladies, signed a bunch of books.

Yep. It's a spectacular blessing! I have no idea how I'll feel next month, but this month there is cash in the bank, the bills are paid, and I'm happier than I remember being in a very, very long time.

I saw this quote this morning:

"When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else."

I don't know who Joseph Campbell is except that he is into comparative religions. I do, however, feel his mellow on this fine sunshiny Florida day.

Follow your bliss, my friends.

Tuesday, May 17th

2011-05-14T23:44:00.005-04:00

Author Debby Mayne and I have been invited by the Ovacome ovarian and gynecological cancer support group to come and speak to them about our writing journey, and about my battle with cancer. If you're in the Tampa area, I hope you'll join us!

OVACOME Support Group invite you to join Sandra Bricker and Debby Mayne as they discuss the roads to their writing careers and the bumps and potholes that filled their paths. Sandra is a cancer survivor that was treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital. After the presentation, Debby and Sandra will be glad to answer your questions.

Sandra Bricker has been publishing in both the Christian and general market for years. With 10 novels in print and five more slated for publication through 2013, Sandra has carved out a niche as a best-selling and award-winning author of laugh-out-loud comedy for the inspirational market.

Debby Mayne has published 16 books, more than 400 short stories and articles, six novellas that have been printed in seven anthologies, and a slew of devotions for busy women. She has also worked as managing editor of Coping With Cancer magazine and as a creative writing instructor.

Tuesday, May 17, 6:00-8:00pm
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Medical Arts Building Auditorium
3003 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa
Reserve your space by calling (813) 443-2047

Twelve Steps

2011-05-07T09:06:00.005-04:00

My name is Sandie, and I’m a planaholic.

Hi, Sandie!

I am a habitual planner. Change often throws me for a loop. I make lists, daily; and then I categorize them. When I make a grocery list, I organize it by headings in the order of a walk through the store. For instance, I start with the Deli. Then into Produce. Followed by Dairy, Aisles, and Frozen Foods.

I know. It’s freakish. I’ve been made aware.

So now, picture – if you will – this same planner-type person making a decision on the fly to completely change her life.

I know. It boggles, right?

About five years ago, I found the dream day job. Well. A dream, for someone with a writing career on the side. This day job paid the bills, provided a bunch of extras like health insurance, virtually free cell phone service, enough PTO (sorry…corporate lingo for Paid Time Off) to attend writerly conferences and deadline-driven writing time.

Six months ago, things changed. In a heartbeat, my dream team was split into three different directions. My job title, duties, even my manager! changed. The job stress level soared. Friends who had always loved the company and their jobs changed profoundly. The stress began taking strange tolls on my health, my outlook, even my writing. Never one to give in too quickly, I finally took a deep breath, had a soothing conversation with myself, adjusted my perspective, and I dove into embracing the changes. After all, attitude is everything. Right?

Well. Maybe not everything. Because the thing is...It wasn't sustainable with the situation like it was. Technical skills were now required that I didn't have, so I had to learn them. New personalities made it close to impossible to please anyone. In a job where I'd been consistently recognized for excellence and requested by business partners, I was suddenly handicapped at every turn.

“No, Lord!” I objected. “I can do this! I CAN!”

But somewhere deep inside, I knew the truth. The situation had become almost ridiculous, and I soon realized there was a message in my circumstance. I recognized the spiritual pinches and pokes; I'd experienced it before when a change was coming. Yes, I could probably master the job again, maybe even learn to deal with the dysfunction and obstacles. But was I really meant to? Or had I reached one of those God Crossroads? Was it really a matter of just bending a little in order to keep my life in my neatly-organized day job box, or was it time to pack up the parachute and board the plane?

Long story, short: Almost as soon as I started to pray about God's will instead of my own, I became assured that He had other plans for me. So I closed my eyes and I took the leap. After all, He was actually answering a prayer I'd been praying for years...and it was TERRIFYING!

My name is Sandie. And I am now a full-time writer.

PROS:
- No more bending to fit into a job that no longer suits me.
- No more biting of the tongue when a manager or co-worker needs a power surge and takes it out on me.
- No more juggling projects and content management and editorial duties to find some extra writing time to meet a deadline.
- More time to generate income.

CONS:
- A different kind of bending required. The kind where I try to fit into various publishing guidelines.
- Working with editors instead of corporate management types. Of course, there's still a certain amount of tongue-biting involved, but that's a different blog post.
- Now the juggling portion of the program involves writing projects, deadlines, marketing needs and timelines to bring it all together.
- No more paycheck deposited into my bank account, whether I remind them or not.

Okay. It suddenly occurs to me that perhaps it’s not really all THAT different in this new world I’ve entered. Perhaps this new Plan just requires a few tweaks and adjustments, a change of perspective.

I can do this, Lord. I CAN!

Wait. Am I having déjà vu? A revelation? It's an epiphany!

Ahh, the power of the list.

I Woke Up...NEW!

2011-04-28T08:31:00.004-04:00

I've been praying for a long time that God would change a certain situation in my life. Move things around. Change my approach. Change someone else's.

But yesterday I had to face the fact that He wasn't going to change anything at all in my situation. Instead, however, He changed me. I discovered that retreat doesn't always mean surrender to failure. It can also mean that the road changes course. Mine has changed course.

I'm not usually one who likes a new course. I like to keep on the road I spent all that time mapping out. And I'm the girl who maps it ALL OUT.

Turn right. Go 3.2 miles.
Turn left and travel for another 1.6 miles.

But I broke away from the GPS I programmed, and yesterday I took a leap of faith. It was terrifying. But I woke up today a new person. I am lighthearted. I am convicted that God is in control of my new direction. I am stronger. I am changed because I jumped out of the airplane with nothing but a parachute packed with God's promise that He will honor my intentions to follow Him, and He will carry me through.

Thank You, Lord, for boldness injected into a not-so-bold, Type A planner-type writer with some very big dreams. And mostly...thank You for the unanswered prayers that would have kept me from waking up new this morning.

Holy Anniversary

2011-04-21T19:57:00.007-04:00

I was raised Catholic, so I always knew who He was. As a kid, while my friends made Let's Pretend games out of mommies and princesses, for some strange reason I pretended to be Mary. With a blue pillowcase on my head, I walked the long road to Calvary or rode a camel toward a manger. I was odd like that. Jesus was always a part of my life though, so it was no wonder that I instantly recognized His voice when He called my name on Good Friday morning, 1987. Who could have imagined He'd be there waiting for me beneath the Hollywood sign? He's always the last place you look. I gave my heart away, and I've never looked back even once.

He's been active in every day of my life since then. He's renewed the call He whispered into my ear as I was formed, and He's used a lot of His kids (whether they knew it or not) to pave the way for me through this life. Unassuming peeps with a good word or some shelter...knowledgeable students of scripture...unexpected voices on the other end of a telephone or an email...editors or agents who saw His recognizable stamp upon my writing...sweet-hearted people who simply sought to serve as His hands and feet...even a famous face or two with the bright light of His spirit shining through their eyes. It's been a messy, bumpy journey rooted in order and purpose and, just beneath the surface, the firm hand of my spiritual destiny.

While everyone else looks forward to Christmas every year, my heart is wrapped up in this very holy week. I look forward, and I count down the days toward the only anniversary that really matters: The one that gave me a future and a hope.

It seems only fitting that I would have found Him on Good Friday since grace is my favorite topic of all time. I'm sure it has something to do with how often I mess up, but the idea that He extends the kind of forgiveness that actually separates me from my mistakes, as far as the east is from the west...Well, that blows my mind. How often do we do that? Not as often as He hopes we will, but I'm convinced that any amount of grace extended is a wordless praise song to His ears. With that in mind, I try to hand it out as freely as I'm able. A lot of days I fail. But it's still my mission.

Like Spring itself, this week in history holds the promise of all things new. And for people who falter as often as we humans do, is there anything like knowing there's Someone waiting for us with a loving embrace and a comforting smile when it's all finished?

This week is a reminder. I can almost hear His voice: All is forgiven. Just come on home. You won't be sorry.

Riddle me this, Batman!

2011-04-19T09:26:00.009-04:00

I'm curious to know what people think about something.

I've been slammed lately. Absolutely SLAMMED. There was three months of agony that turned out to be a bad combination of neuropathy pain and fibromyalgia. That kinda stunk, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. I climbed back up to my life, and things were going pretty well ... until one late night when pain visited again. This time in the form of kidney stones. Ten days later, which felt like ten months, I clawed back into my life once again.

I should probably tell you that "my life" consists of a very challenging day job -- more challenging and tenuous all the time, actually -- as well as tight, tight writing deadlines on more than one project, a nutritional issue that has gone south with all of the health ups and downs, and various day-to-day struggles. So who needs some down time more than me, right? How great would it be to have four straight days off from the day job, without it being related to health or pain issues?!

So I arranged it. I tied two days off to my weekend, and I made big plans toward the cause of entering the land of NO PRESSURE. Some social interaction, some extra writing time, a change of scenery, a little perspective. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered, right?

So Saturday morning, I woke up with a scratchy throat and a fever. By noon, a headache and body aches had joined in the mix, and I began to sound a little like Brenda Vaccaro on a very bad day. By Saturday night, I had no voice, a fever spike, watering eyes, drippy nose and stuffy head. Cut to Day 4, and I'm under the covers, coughing incessantly, surrounded in used wads of Kleenex tissues, not able to move much more than going to the bathroom or into the kitchen for more hot tea. It's back to work tomorrow, and I'm more exhausted now than I was last week.

So here's your question: Am I cursed? Have I simply entered into one of those unlucky, bad karma, black cloud type of seasons where everything simply goes wrong? They happen, right? We all have them. But are they just part of life? Or are these times a sign that we're doing something (somewhere, somehow) RIGHT, and a spiritual attack has ensued?

Rock on, my friends. I really want to hear what you think about times like these. What in the world is up in SandieLand?

Prayer Chain...or Wildfire?

2011-04-14T08:07:00.007-04:00

Recently, the disappointing news was delivered. Diann Hunt, my sweet and treasured friend who had fought against ovarian cancer and won, would now be thrust back into the battlefield to wage war against the disease once again. She was scared, and I tried to encourage her ... but the truth is I was scared, too. I fought my own battle against the disease, and no matter how much time passes you always wonder and fear the return. Seeing Diann pushed back into the fight was devastating.

When we hung up after that first phone call where she shared what was ahead for her, I cried. A lot. For an hour. I yelled at God and asked Him WHY!? This woman is one of the most uplifting, God-loving women I know, and it seems so unfair to me that she has to do this again. And I'll admit to you that, despite my love and concern for Diann, my reaction was not completely unselfish. I also fearfully pleaded with God not to let me find myself on that battlefield ever again. Cancer is something you never forget. Never.

That night, I posted a notice on Facebook saying that I planned to start praying for Diann every day. If anyone wanted to join me, they could email me privately. WELL. 20 women responded within a few hours ... and the Accidental Warriors prayer chain was born.

Prayer is such a powerful thing, isn't it? I was reminded of that fact when our corporate concern for Diann spread like wildfire in dry brush. Within just a couple of days, I realized this was going to be much bigger than I'd anticipated. I formed a group on yahoo so that this prayer loop could thrive. And thrive they have!

Just a few days after we'd begun, I found myself sitting in the emergency room, and I called my friend Marian to tell her about it. "Ask the group to pray for me, would you?" I suggested. "I'm really scared."

By the time I got home and checked my email, the loop was blazing with prayers for me, encouraging me, concerned for me. What a relief that was! And that's the way the little prayer chain has exploded in the month or two since. Diann is still at the forefront of the prayers, but so are the children, neighbors, friends, even acquaintances of the women involved. Two weeks ago, we began praying for my boss' grandma who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at an advanced age; for Janice Thompson's granddaughter after her accident; for a son who needed a job, a neighbor suffering abuse... That little spark (love for Diann Hunt) has ignited an unstoppable fire of prayer support!

As for Diann? She's become part of the loop too. As she fights her own battle, she also fights the battles of others by praying for them. And me? Well, I'm still worried, for her and for me. For any woman who has ever heard the word "cancer" as part of their diagnosis.

But I'm reminded of Elijah. The guy saw a powerful move of God in answer to his prayers. "Show them who You are, Lord," he prayed, and the Lord sent down a dramatic show of fire. What a joy to experience answered prayer like that! But not long afterward, Jezebel turned on Elijah, and instead of remembering what God can do, what God DID do, what did Elijah do? He ran for his life. He ended up in a mountain cave, hiding in fear. When God came to him there, He asked, "Yo, Elijah. What are you doing here?" Why was he hiding in fear? Didn't he remember what God is capable of?

Why do we do that?

So every morning, I remind myself. He is a healer, a restorer, a loving Father with a plan for our lives that He's confirmed again and again. It helps me. And it inspires me to continue praying.

Meanwhile, I've had to put the Accidental Warriors prayer loop on digest because it generates so much email that I've had a hard time keeping up with my inbox! On my busy days, they are still praying. Other days, I pray along with them. What a privilege to be part of spreading the fire of prayer! And it all started with love for a friend.

But that's really how everything starts, isn't it?

Barnabas Mayne??

2011-04-03T08:48:00.006-04:00

I've got two writing projects going at the same time, and I'm thankful to God that He's kept the inspiration flowing as I make strides toward meeting the deadlines. One of those projects is writing the devotions for the next Summerside devo, this one on the theme of grace. I'm never so immersed in God's Word as I am when working on these devotionals. They've been such a blessing to my own spiritual life!

Last night, I was reading about Paul. I just love Paul, and I identify with him greatly. A former bad guy, brought to his knees by the grace of God; a man with an undefined handicap who was anointed by God to use his writing talents to construct a large part of the New Testament, laying down the foundation for gazillions of believers who would come after him. When reading about Paul, it's almost impossible to miss his lower-profile friend, Barnabas. But I often do skim right past him.

As is often the case, after giving some thought to the relationship of Paul and Barnabas just last night, I turned on the television this morning to hear Joel Osteen talking about them on his television program. Joel pointed out what I hadn't really considered before: We might not have Paul's writings if not for the pivotal role played by unassuming Barnabas.

This got me to thinking about the Barnabases I've had in my life. How many times has someone played a key role in moving me forward in my faith walk or my writing career or simply my personal growth?

Fellow author Debby Mayne has been a powerful Barnabas in my life. More than a decade ago, I walked into a writers group meeting, new to Florida, relatively new to writing fiction as well, and this small, energetic woman walked up to me and introduced herself. After our first meeting, Debby took the role of encourager and mentor. She told me about writing opportunities, even introduced me to my first publisher, and I don't think she's ever asked for anything in return. Like Barnabas, Debby knows the secret that, when you do for others what they can't do for themselves, you embody the hand of God in their lives.

Who has God placed in your life to encourage, support and/or guide you on your journey? I'm about to send the link to this blog post to Debby so that she is reminded once again how valuable her friendship has been to me, how pivotal her Barnabas role in my life has actually been. I want her to know that I'm praying for her hundredfold reward, that I'm humbled by and grateful for her friendship, and that she has changed me.

Is there someone you need to remind and thank? Someone unassuming and yet completely valuable to your life? I encourage you to do it right away.

Negotiating the Winds of Change

2011-03-27T10:28:00.004-04:00

Here's the thing: I don't like change. Ask anyone who knows me well. I resist. I rebel. I whine and stomp my feet. And then ... I adjust.

Recently, I had a revelation about nutrition. Even on my diet, I rely largely on pre-packaged food ... I love me some chicken hot dogs ... I use two packages of Sweet & Low in my morning coffee ... I consume two or three diet sodas every day ...

Well. You see the problem.

So I decided to make a change. Okay, so I'm fifty-cough years old, and I've been inching up to need for this change for, like, three years. But I'm full-on there now. I am going to change the way I look at food.

I started with giving up diet soda. And let me tell you something: I quit smoking easier than I've given up my diet Coke. The first two weeks were excruciatingly difficult. Now it's been nearly a month, and I'm there. Reluctantly.

I also gave up my chicken hot dogs. I know, I know. But I am sorry to report to you that they have been a longtime staple for me. They nuke in a minute and ten seconds, they provide fast protein, and they're tasty on a slice of any type of bread with ketchup, mustard and a slice of pickle. And don't get all judgmental on me here until you admit openly what your staple item is. Ice cream every night? Green olives out of the jar? Chocolate hidden in every drawer? Okay, you're right. We'll leave the chocolate secret alone. Some things are just sacred.

So a month into my nutritional winds of change, I am diet soda-free, chicken hot dog-less, and there are no more 100-calorie snack cakes lurking inside my pantry. The latter came because my doctor told me she would rather I bake myself a real cake and eat it in small portions than to have me taking ecstatic pleasure in the processed, sugar-laden, plastic bag-contained red velvet cakes that had become my daily joy (often in 200- or 300-calorie indulgences). I mean, if they're only 100 calories ... and the portion is so small ... I can work the calories/points into my diet without exceeding my daily allotment ...

Next stop: Pre-packaged foods. I've lost more than 100 pounds, and most of it came off utilizing the Weight Watchers diet plan. I've spent a lot of my WW points on frozen pre-packaged entrees because, frankly, I am one of the worst cooks in the history of food. But for someone who retains water by staring too long at the salt shaker on the dining room table, these over-processed, preservative-heavy meals have been really rough on me.

So now I am relying a lot on things I do know how to make. For instance, I am an expert at putting together various types of salads that offer both protein and an abundance of fresh veggies. There's no lettuce-and-tomato salads for this girl. Mine are full meals on their own, with very limited amounts of vinegar-based dressings ... And they ROCK with variety and taste. I also have learned how to use a counter-top grill. I make skewers of meat and veggies, turkey burgers, chicken breasts, all of it delicious and quick when popped on the grill. I also toss on spears of zucchini, peppers, onions and asparagus. My little grill has begun to replace my very fast chicken hot dogs and frozen meals as the main staple of my diet. And when I'm not up to cooking? Recently, I've discovered that Lean Cuisine offers frozen dinners that are preservative-free. And what's more, many of them have low amounts of sodium. Sold! No longer an everyday meal ... but there if I need them.

My point in sharing my many personal flaws is to say that the winds of change, though overwhelming at times, can be negotiated in small increments so that each step taken brings you closer to the ultimate Bigger Picture.

I'm getting stronger. Not just physically, but emotionally. I'm taking control of my nutritional life. For several decades, it's been the other way around. Food has had control over me. If my body is a temple to my God, I've let it become run-down and pretty much of an eye sore. There is no curb appeal here at Temple de Sandie. But I'm committed to that change.

And so I pick up the torch of nutritional change, and I carry it across another few miles toward my goal: Healthy Me.

I'm beyond my secret desire to look like Julia Roberts. In my fifties, my obsession is to get healthy. Become more mobile. To serve God without wondering about the logistics of getting there.

My first line of defense? People are praying for me. Several people. Faithful people. Every single day, there is someone out there lifting up my battle to the Lord, sending ministering angels to help me get from sunrise to sundown (and beyond) with commitment and strength to putting one foot in front of the other. Well. Putting one chicken breast in front of four minutes in the microwave toward an edible mango chicken dinner on a warped plastic plate.

So how about it? Want to come along to a healthier you? It doesn't have to overwhelm you. Just look at your life in small boxed segments, and focus in on just one of those boxes. What first step can you make, really commit to making, that will get you toward the ultimate goal of a healthier you?

Inspiration Just When You Need It

2011-03-18T21:26:00.004-04:00

Did you ever notice how God uses really unlikely ways to encourage or inspire you just when you need it the most?

I've had a few rough days lately. Well. About thirty of them, if you want to know the truth. And I've been fighting...hard!...to get my mojo back. So I asked God last night as my head hit the pillow, "I don't know what's going on in my life, but I just don't feel sure of anything any more. If You could manage a little inspiration, maybe some encouragement, I don't think it would be lost on me."

I slept pretty well actually. Kind of unusual these days. I got up early and checked my email before work and, amidst loop mail and advertisements for whiter teeth and a bigger penis, I found an e-newsletter from one of my favorite authors, Susan May Warren. Her greeting really spoke to me, and I asked her if I could re-publish it here because, if you've been feeling out of sorts lately ... a little off kilter ... my hope is that this will encourage you, too.

Yesterday, the dog walked by my kitchen window.

Not under the window, but by it, because the ground was just below the windowsill. I thought it was a moose. Seriously. I called my son in from the next room with the words, "I just saw a moose!" (I'm still paying for that as the current laughingstock of the family.)

We are buried here in Northern MN, as is the rest of the country. And, while last year at this time I was road-tripping around Minnesota and South Dakota, wearing my spring clothes, this year I'm still clunking around in my Uggs and parka. Is there any hope of summer?

Yes. Absolutely. Even if it is for only a month, I know summer will arrive. I don't have to panic. In fact, with that knowledge, I am free to enjoy winter, with its challenges and delights.

My friend Tiff Colter wrote an intriguing blog over at www.mybooktherapy.com last week about the power of knowing. If you knew something would happen, what would you do to accomplish it? I've been pondering this all week - how does knowledge - or rather, assurance - change us? I understand the flip side - doubt causes all manner of destruction. Unfinished projects, worry, fear, anger, even desperation. I can walk into my office, stare at my messy credenza and prove that. (if I clean it, will it stay clean? Nyet). Or step on the scale. (Maybe we shouldn't go there!) But the truth is, I'm more familiar with doubt than assurance.

But I shouldn't be. The hallmark of the Christian life is about assurance. Assurance of forgiveness. Assurance of sufficient grace. Assurance of mercy.

Assurance of eternity.

I know I am redeemed. I know God is on my side.

At least I should know this. But sometimes, I operate as if I don't. I treat faith like an equation: Obedience + Sacrifice + A Grateful Heart = Blessings (often how we measure God's Love, which is fundamentally incorrect anyway. I know, it's hard to separate, because it feels that way. But God's love really is separate from the blessings of God. But that's another topic). But see, the equation doesn't work because God's Love is not equal with anything we do.

God's love is simply a fact. And we can't reconcile it, or make the equation balance. I mean, really, what can do we do with Romans 5:8, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us?" Or the beautiful statement in Song of Songs 1:5, "Dark I am (a sinner I am), but lovely, (beloved of God)." We just can't reconcile the fact that we are both sinner and beloved.

But God has. See, God's love is not dependent on our worth, but on His desire to give it. And he has. It's not in question.

It's assured.

John 15: 9 "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now, remain in my love." Believe in it. Be assured of it. Let it seep into you, change you, call you lovely, despite your darkness.

I love this old hymn:

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day.

How would your life change if you knew God loved you?

Because, friend, He does.

Note: It's true. He really does. --Sandie

Meet Our New Devotional

2011-03-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

Whether single or married, career girl or stay‐at‐home mom, today’s Christian woman is faced with daily obstacles. Delight Yourself in the Lord…Even on Bad Hair Days is a devotional filled with upbeat reminders about infusing hope and joy in the Lord as the first step toward conquering life’s problems and chasing down the desires of your heart. Through 100 funny and thought‐provoking devotions, the authors remind women to go back to basics with God. And they even share a few private hair confessions along the way!

So here we go ... one last sample for you. And this one's mine. :-)

I Wanna Bend It Like Bailey

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

I adore children, and my favorite age is right around three or four; they’re just developing their communications skills, but haven’t quite perfected the transition from emotion to verbalization.

While babysitting for a friend’s three-year-old, I encountered the challenge of keeping Bailey occupied so that she might forget that her beloved mommy had left the house without her. And it wasn’t easy.

First, we played Safari. After strategically placing all of her most treasured stuffed animals around the house, Bailey put on a plastic pith helmet and climbed aboard her push-and-ride Jeep and we toured the African plains of home to observe the animals in their natural habitat. When she spotted the giraffe leaning against the refrigerator, Bailey suddenly remembered who had given her that giraffe, and she started to cry for her mother.

Several games and a coloring book later, she accepted my invitation to a tea party in her bedroom. We donned straw hats, and Bailey tugged on little white crocheted gloves. Along with two of our very best doll friends, we sipped from empty tea cups and munched imaginary scones with cream and strawberries. Bailey was enthralled!...Until the garage door went up. Tossing the plastic teacup to the floor, she flew from the bedroom and down the hall. On her trail, I stepped over her hat and gloves that she’d shed on the way. I reached her just as the kitchen door opened and her mother walked in.

So excited to see her mom again at last, Bailey squealed with glee. When the words wouldn’t come, she finally began hopping from one foot to the other, pumping her arms, fists clenched, and her little face contorted. The return of her mother had trumped everything else, and thoughts of tea parties and safaris had fallen to dust. I stood there watching as the child completely surrendered to the ecstatic happiness of seeing the one person that meant more to her than anything or anyone else.

On the drive home that afternoon, I tuned my radio to a local Christian station playing I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe, a song exploring the depths of our reaction when we finally see Christ face-to-face. As I sang along, Bailey’s reaction to her mother’s return home sprang to mind. How sweet would it be to the Lord if, at His presence, we just jumped up and down with the glee of little children!

Today’s Prayer: Oh, Lord, thank You for the sweet parenthood You offer us. Let me always see You as Abba Father, through enthusiastic and childlike eyes. Today I am overcome with joy as I delight myself in You, remembering that Your arms always welcome me, Your thoughts are always about my well being, and there is no one else I would rather see. Amen. –Sandie

Joyful, Joyful!

2011-03-03T20:08:00.004-05:00

Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days has hit bookstores! All five of us are just so proud of this book, and we really hope you'll buy yourself a copy. Buy one for a friend, too! I promise you'll be a hero for giving this book away.

I've received a ton of emails about the news that Diann Hunt's cancer has returned, and I want to reassure everyone that she's doing just great. She's been to the treatment center, they've drained the fluid from her abdomen,and she's already started a new round of chemo. They think they've found it very quickly, and this type of chemo is aggressive ... but it's likely that she won't lose her hair. SCORE! Your prayers for Diann's treatment and speedy recovery are coveted and so appreciated.

So here's another sample devo for you ... this one from the beautiful Trish Perry! I hope you enjoy it and are inspired to ORDER A COPY OR TWO today.

Clueless Comfort 101

. . . all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic,
love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8

Don’t get me wrong here—I’m not claiming I’ve figured out all the answers after twenty-three years on this side of salvation. But I’m better than I used to be.

Years ago, when I took my first, stumbling baby steps in my walk with Jesus, I loved hanging out with one of my more eccentric friends. Gina was a good old gal from North Dakota. She was feminine but tough; she was flirtatious but independent; and she always spoke her mind. In fact, sometimes she embarrassed the living daylights out of me with her blunt comments to me and others. But Gina always made me laugh. And she had a 24 karat heart, which was one of the things I loved most about her. Certainly not a woman of means, she was nonetheless generous with what she had, including her affection. She cared far more about others than about herself.

So it was with confusion that I listened to her complaining one day, when she faced a number of significant disappointments in her life. We stood in her apartment, and I listened as she unloaded the list of events that had brought her down. She started to cry as she spoke. I looked at my normally strong, upbeat friend with what I assumed she recognized as concern. I wanted to be there for her as a good friend and as a Christian. I tried to think of what I was going to say to make her feel better and hopeful.

Finally, she stopped talking, heaved a sigh of exasperation, and spoke to me as if I were frustratingly clueless (which I was). “Oh, Trish! Will you just give me a hug?”

I blinked stupidly a few times and then stepped forward and hugged the poor girl. That’s all she wanted from me. That’s why she was kvetching about her lot in life. She needed nothing more than a hug. A shoulder to cry on. No pithy comments, just a physical demonstration that someone cared. I was so used to watching Gina show sympathy to others (and to me), I lost sight of the fact that she probably needed someone to return the favor on occasion.

I remember that moment whenever someone chooses me as their sounding board. They’re not always asking for a solution. Yes, I’ve hugged a few people who rebuffed the gesture, which was a little awkward. But hey, that’s where the humble part of Peter’s verse comes in, right?

Today’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, please keep me alert today to the needs of others. Help me to discern if there is something I can do to bring harmony to a situation, to feel and show sympathy where needed, to love my sisters and brothers, and to show the compassion and humility You demonstrated so long ago. Amen. –Trish

Trish Perry is an award‐winning novelist and has written 7 inspirational romantic comedies.

Down to Just One Week

2011-02-23T19:40:00.003-05:00

I'm trying not to be that dorky writer who counts down the days before a book comes out ... to no avail. Just one week until the release of our new devotional, Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days, from Summerside Press.

So you know what that means, right? You got it! The third installment of devo previews from the book, this time from Debby Mayne.

Forever Young

Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
Psalm 71:9

Hot young chicks are in high demand in this world; shriveled up old prunes are not. The question is who gets to decide at what point the hot chick is all dried up and ready to be cast aside? Our kids? Our grandkids? Um…I don't think so. At least not now…maybe never.

I remember thinking when I was in my late teens and early twenties that anyone over thirty was old. Back in the day (never mind the year), once a woman reached the big three-oh, she either started wearing double-knits and orthotics, or she lied about her age.

Fortunately, things have changed, and the old-age line has shifted. Cosmetic companies began producing beauty products to smooth out our wrinkles and erase age spots, making fifty the new thirty. Our kids grew up with hip moms who looked like they could be older sisters—much to the kids' dismay. We started working out and staying in shape. We have cool haircuts that cost more than dinner out for a family of four. Our hair color is whatever we want it to be, and we don't mind changing it to the hue de jour. There's no need to get old, even when we're ready for the retirement home. From what I hear, there's some serious partying going on in those places these days.

I have two daughters—both in their twenties. One is a single, educated, career woman, and the other is a married, educated mommy. Yeah, that makes me a grandmother, but hey, we haven't determined where that old-age line is yet, but the children might look at it differently. When my daughters were little, they thought I was smart. At some point in the preteen years, I became a feebleminded meddler and invisible when convenient. Then as they blossomed into adults, the most amazing thing happened: I suddenly got smart again. Now I'm grateful that my daughters and I have a warm, loving relationship based on mutual respect. I can't imagine them or my husband turning me away as I grow old and wrinkled.

As I think about this verse, "Do not cast me away when I am old…" I also consider myself fortunate that as a believer, I never have to worry about God getting tired of me or seeing me as less worthy of His love at any point in my life, no matter how old I get. Old age may steal our taut, firm skin and replace it with saggy, baggy hide, but I know the Lord sees beauty in His creation.

Today's Prayer: Lord, thank You for the assurance of Your love, even as the years pile on top of each other and add texture to our skin. Let us see the wisdom in Your plan and help us grow closer to You. Amen. –Debby

Debby Mayne has published 25+ books and novellas, 400+ short stories and articles, and a slew of devotions for busy women.

You can pre-order your copy of this devotional now. See the list on the right-hand toolbar of where to find my books! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Want to Talk About a Bad Hair Day??

2011-02-16T16:39:00.007-05:00

How about a bad hair SEASON!

As promised, over the next few weeks, I'm sharing samples from our new devotional, Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days. The first one, from Kristin Billerbeck, tickled a lot of funny bones. Now let Diann Hunt touch your hearts!

HAIRLESS WONDER

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Psalm 139:1-3

Once I learned that I needed chemo, I decided to take action and get my head shaved ahead of time. If I were going to look like Bruce Willis, I would make it happen, not the chemo. I was determined to wear stylish turbans and wigs of all colors and lengths, which would, no doubt, cast suspicion upon my sweet, faithful husband who would be seen with a “different” woman every night.

So while I was at the Cancer Treatment Center of America, I made arrangements to go to the salon and have my hair cut. The stylist had done this many times for patients, so I felt secure in her capable hands.

In the back room, away from prying eyes, she talked to me about what she would do before she set to work. I was fine—until the buzz of the clippers jarred my raw nerves. I saw a strand of long hair fall to the floor. The air suddenly turned thick, and it was hard to breathe. My chest grew tight. I wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, to say it was a mistake. This couldn’t be happening to me.

Oh, God, where are you? I can’t do this!

Then, amazingly, God’s Word flooded my heart: “O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.” Falling hair. So much hair. “You know when I sit and when I rise.” Do you see what she’s doing to me? Make her stop! “You perceive my thoughts from afar.” I’m so scared. “You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.”

Naked. Exposed. Vulnerable. Frail.

Lean on Me. We’ll get through this…together.

That day, I sensed His tears mingle with mine and fall to the floor with my hair. His Words melted over me and calmed my spirit in a way my words could never adequately explain. From that moment on, I knew I would get through this, one step at a time, come what may, because He would never leave me.

I don’t know what you’re facing, but if He can calm me in the midst of my storm, He can do it for you—and He will do it for you, if you ask Him. Our Father who knows us better than anyone and loves us infinitely more than we could ever imagine is here for You. Will you go to Him with your need? He’s waiting.

Today’s Prayer: Merciful and gracious God, no one knows us and loves us the way You do. Help that truth to permeate every fiber of our being that we may trust You more…come what may. Amen. –Diann

Diann Hunt has published 3 novellas and 17 novels, and she has won ACFW’s prestigious Book of the Year award.

You can pre-order your copy of this devotional now. See the list on the right-hand toolbar of where to find my books! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

A Valentine to My Readers

2011-02-14T08:29:00.003-05:00

*****THIS BLOG IS INTERRUPTED FOR A QUICK WORD FROM YOUR SPONSOR*****

My girlfriends and I used to call February "Singles Awareness Month." I hadn't thought of that in years, until yesterday when I saw a random post where someone had referred to Valentine's Day with the same term. And we thought we were oh-so original!

Today, I'll be short and sweet. I love you, Readers. You've played a huge role in raising my dreams to great realized heights. In many ways, you're the best relationship I've had. You laugh at my jokes; you encourage me in the pursuit of my dreams; you check in on me for no reason, just to see what I'm up to.

Be my Valentine, will you, Readers? No flowers or chocolates necessary.

But truthfully, I wouldn't turn down either.

*****YOU ARE NOW RETURNED TO YOUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED BLOG POSTS*****

Even on Bad Hair Days!

2011-02-09T17:52:00.004-05:00

On March 1st, Summerside Press will release a follow-up devotional to last year's Be Still...and Let Your Nail Polish Dry. This time, the message is all about putting God first, and I had the pleasure of writing this one with four other stellar authors.

Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days, by me, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Debby Mayne and Trish Perry, is filled with upbeat reminders about infusing hope and joy in the Lord as the first step toward conquering life’s problems and chasing down the desires of your heart. Through 100 funny and thought‐provoking devotions, we remind women to go back to basics with God. And we even share a few private hair confessions along the way!

In the weeks leading up to our March 1st release, I thought I'd share some of the devotions you'll find in the book so that you can see for yourself what's in store! I'm starting with one of my favorites by Kristin Billerbeck.

Do NOT Pull!
We love because He first loved us. --1 John 4:19

If you have ever talked to a mother about how she felt when her first child was born, you’ll hear words like, “I never knew I could love anyone this much.” Love for our children is beautiful and unconditional, even when others question our devotion. Once, when ... ahem! ... someone’s three sons were all under five years of age, our new church decided to have its first ever Christmas brunch before service to celebrate our first holiday season as a “family” with fellowship and food. What a beautiful picture of Christ’s love, right?

Now…imagine, if you will, a five-year-old boy who sees the pretty red plate on the wall, and can read the sign that says DO NOT PULL. His four-year old-brother also understands the meaning of RED. Both older brothers know instinctively that, if they pull this lever, they will be in big trouble. However, if they talk their darling little two-year-old brother into pulling it, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it? And here’s the beauty part: They get to see what will happen and won’t be responsible.

Just as people begin to sit down, brunch is interrupted by the piercing wail of the fire alarm, which does not stop until the fire department arrives twenty minutes later and charges their mother $150 to turn off the alarm. And now everyone has evacuated the first, and incidentally the only, Christmas brunch.

Let me just say that the organizers of this brunch were not happy. My family was not feeling the unconditional love of Christ in those moments; instead, they were feeling consequences of sinful actions. And trust me, the boys knew what they were doing was wrong, or they wouldn’t have talked their little brother into doing it for them!

Times like this inspire me to think about how God must want to drop His head into His hands over and over again at my foibles. He must think, “I know she knows better!” And He probably shakes His head and wonders if I’m ever going to get it. Just like I know my son’s great ability to lead others can have a dark side, God knows my own weaknesses. I like to believe He cheers for me when I do the right thing and pass it on to my own children.

Sometimes, the ability to love is not easy, but I think that’s why God shows us what it looks like. When we see the good and the bad in others, and sometimes ourselves, we are seeing people as God sees them: in love. Not perfect, but worthy of love.

Today’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for creating me as You did with a sinful nature, but a heart to do rightly. Help me to find my way in this world, to do Your will, and forgive myself and others as easily as You forgive me. When it’s time to get up and try again, be with me today in Your Strength. Amen. –Kristin

Kristin Billerbeck is a best‐selling author of 30+ novels and novellas, Christy‐award nominee, and two‐time ACFW Book of the Year winner.

Girl Power

2011-02-06T11:14:00.006-05:00

Some of us were having a conversation recently about tattoos, and how -- if you're going to have one -- it should be something really meaningful and personal about who you are at the core. We were saying what each of us should have tattooed on us if we were going to get one. My one friend, we decided, would have a dove because she's always the peacemaker. Another should definitely have a cell phone because we never see her without one attached to her. Me, they said ... well, I should have the statement GIRL POWER ... because I'm a warrior for women.

I love that.

I've always adored men. But at the same time I'm passionate about the women in my life. And I am blessed to be surrounded with some really exceptional ones. I think that's why Sex & the City always got to me the way it did. Carrie adored her girlfriends. When the men came and went, Carrie always had Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.

[NOTE: The link to the SATC clip above contains questionable language, but I included it because it really does sum up the feeling of Girl Power from the show, and in life.]

I am happy to report that I've been blessed in this way as well.

Marian is my heart. If I am Carrie, the unlucky-in-love writer ... Marian is Charlotte, the true believer who always seems to bring me back around to a kinder, more hopeful way of thinking.

My Samantha is Dianne. As I told her recently at my birthday party, Dianne will say ANYTHING; she's a true adventurer, always up for anything ... and best of all, she forgives anything. She has such a strong sense of herself that her reflection often makes me stronger too.

And Jemelle. Like Miranda, she is strong and bold on the outside, with a marshmallow center she doesn't show just anyone. But I know it well.

My birthday this year was AWESOME. There were some exceptional men who joined me to celebrate, but so many of my favorite women were also there. Suzi came all the way from Minnesota; Karen and Kim from next door. My treasured Debby and Julie came, and Marcia, Marian's sister. As I sat at the head of a very long table and looked around at the people there to celebrate with me, I became convinced that my father was right after all.

Show me a person's friends, and I'll show you who that person really is.

As it turns out, in the shadow of so many of my friends, it would appear that I am strong and bold, truthful and sensitive, creative and talented, and funny as heck!

Did you hear that noise? It was my father rolling over in his grave at the sound of his daughter admitting it. Yes, Dad. You were right!

A Love Letter

2011-01-29T09:32:00.004-05:00

January 29th.

It's Oprah's birthday. And Tom Selleck's. And my Uncle Dale's (thus the D in Sandra D. Bricker!).

And me!

I'm in the mood to celebrate this year, which is rather unusual for me in recent years. I'm planning to gather my A List around me and thank God -- not only for THEM, but for another year of blessings and grace, and for a fresh start in this new one.

Which bring me to YOU, dear friends and readers.

2010 saw the release of three books for me, and contracts for four more. I'm grateful beyond words for your continued support, and for the emails you've sent me telling me how my books have blessed, inspired, or even just tickled you. You are one of my greatest gifts, sweet readers, and I pray right now that the Lord's hand would be upon you in 2011, that you and your families would be blessed with good health, unexpected prosperity, and the immeasurable grace that only our Lord can bestow. Thank you so much. I love and value you more than you can possibly know.

Gratefully,
Sandie

Lyrics of Tom Petty Dancing in My Head

2011-01-03T09:45:00.004-05:00

Waiting is the hardest part.
Every day you see one more card.
You take it on faith.
You take it to the heart.
Waiting is the hardest part.
--Tom Petty

There's been a lot of WAITING in my life lately. Waiting for answers, for red tape to clear, for decisions, for the coffee to drip. And here's what it's taught me:

Despite all appearances, I am a very active person. I think fast, and I push things through. If I have a sudden good idea, I want to bring it to fruition NOW. And I want people to act on things as fast as I would act on them if I stood in their shoes. When they don't, it makes me a little crazy. I wonder what's wrong with them.

My life has been tossed out of its box these last few months with the health issues. I've been on a leave of absence from the day job, and my days have been filled with trying to make things happen while not feeling like my regular get-things-done-already self. It's confusing. It's out of character for me. And it tends to make me worry. A lot.

People have always asked me how on earth I write all those books while still holding a 40+ hour a week day job. It always seemed so normal to me. Until lately. Now nothing seems normal. I find myself wondering a little myself. Maybe they're right. How DID I do that for so long when, in a full eight-hour day, I can't even get an insurance adjuster to check his fax machine before demanding I resend something I've already sent to him?

The confusion cleared a bit the other night ... and the catalyst was a very unusual source. I was watching the Kennedy Center Honors, and they were highlighting some awesome people, like Merle Haggard, Oprah ... And Paul McCartney.

They saved Paul for last, and I was tired (from all the phone calls, faxing, and doctors' visits!) ... but I couldn't just leave it to the DVR to watch later. I mean, this was Paul McCartney. I felt I had to be there.

When they got to him, and people like Steven Tyler and Gwen Stefani were performing his legendary tunes, Paul did the most extraordinary thing. He became a fan! He sang along under his breath, and he kept the rhythm of the songs by tapping his feet and bopping his head ... He was enjoying the show! I asked myself, How genius do you have to be to actually enjoy your own work after hearing it probably fifty thousand other times?

By the time I turn my books in, from creation to editing, I've probably read them a dozen times. Frankly, I get a little sick of myself. But after some time passes, and the book is on store shelves and the reader mail starts to come in, sometimes I'll go back and read passages that someone has mentioned. Quite often, I'll think, Hey, that's pretty good! I don't continue on and read the whole book one more time, but I do find a sort of appreciation for what God has done through me that has apparently touched someone's heart in a ministerial way, even if that's just bringing them a laugh when they need it the most. A few times, I've actually read the whole chapter, and found myself laughing, too.

I've got a lot more time for thinking these days, and sometimes the hum of my own thoughts makes my brain ache a little. But for some reason, Paul McCartney's joy as he sat there singing along with his own music eased the buzz for a while. And here's what I realized:

Waiting isn't actually a bad thing.

Don't throw anything just yet! Read on. It's an educational phase. It's a deepening of knowledge and faith and trust in God that is sometimes painful, but you will eventually move forward with the weapons and tools you will need for what He has in store for you. There is a purpose to our lives, despite all evidence to the contrary sometimes. And everything that we experience sharpens us, hones our gifts, and prepares us so that if we've done it right, and we've learned every lesson we were supposed to learn, at the end of our journey we can sit back and look at what we've been through and what we've accomplished ... and appreciate it! Maybe bop our heads, tap our feet, laugh a little at our own accomplishments.

And so I continue to wait, and hope, and (try to) learn, knowing that life is cyclical. Despite the fact that a particular season may often feel dire and quite pointless, it's actually just one segment of many, fitting together like puzzle pieces to move us along on our journey. I'm sure when The Beatles broke up, Paul wondered where he was headed; he probably questioned his life, wondering what the point had been. He couldn't possibly see how much more he had ahead, how profound his impact would still be on his family, his fans, and the music world as a whole.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not (yet) seen. So hang in there, my friends. It's all part of a journey that has a destination firmly in mind.

(And I got all this from a 15-minute segment on Paul McCartney. He really IS a genius!)

2011: Let's Get Started Already!

2010-12-27T10:54:00.005-05:00

"...As God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me! I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I WILL NEVER be..."

Okay. I'm not a resolution maker, and here's why: Fear of failure torments me.

There. I said it. I know deep down inside that, if I pulled a Scarlet and I swore before God that I would never be hungry again ... come April, when the hunger pangs hit, I would lose another little slice of my self esteem. Once again, I would have failed.

Every new year that I've resolved to lose a bunch of weight ... failure.
Promises to be more active, to cook at home instead of going out, to wash and clean out my car every other Saturday ... all of them ... failures. And failure, being something I don't do well or gracefully, is just too hard to deal with. So I stopped putting myself in the position to fail.

Eventually, I just stopped making resolutions. Instead, about ten years ago, I developed a New Year's Eve tradition where I sit quietly, alone, going over the past year in my head, praying about the things I wished I'd done differently, and journaling about my hopes for the future. Period. I don't resolve or promise or pledge or stand under a tree on a hilltop and lift my hands to the sky, vowing never to be hungry (poor, disorganized, irresponsible) again.

But this year I'm feeling a little differently. The last few months of 2010 have KICKED MY BUTT. No kidding. Everything (and I do mean everything) I've learned to relax and count on (with the exception of my God) has turned around and bitten me. The first part of the year was pretty amazing. But come September ... things changed.

So this year, as I hobble toward a clean slate and a new beginning, I find myself yearning to pull a Scarlet O'Hara and shake my fists at the sky.

With God as my witness:
I WILL receive my breakthrough.
I WILL remember, every single day without fail, that God's will is to bless me, not for me to go under. And God's will or word does NOT return void.
I WILL pray for others more than I pray for myself.
I WILL find new ways to make healthier choices.
I WILL seek a peaceful, easier, less tangled existence.
I WILL be a blessing to someone as often as I can.
I WILL find my delight in doing God's work, in whatever form that takes.

These are the resolutions that I can follow through. These are the vows I can appreciate and value and honor every day, without fear of failure.

Giving up my secret stash of Little Debbie 100-calorie red velvet cakes, with their sugar and preservatives and the like? I'm warning you: Don't even go there.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

My mom was the youngest of eight children, and their family didn't do the holiday accoutrements like decorating a tree and covering the house with lights. She once told me that her very first Christmas tree was bought for her by my father after they were married. Consequently, she was like Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor about multi-colored lights, gawdy decorations and tinsel-laden trees.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions has nothing to do with any of that. I've been thinking a lot about the Christmas Eve luminaria in our Cincinnati neighborhood. Every neighbor received their delivery of paper bags, sand and candles on Christmas Eve afternoon. My dad and I took care of lining our property with them together; it was our Christmas thing. And then, right at sunset, everyone in the neighborhood lit the candles, and our neighborhood of rolling hills and curved roads came to life like one of those Kincaid paintings. It was breathtaking.

I've often wondered why, since every thirteen seconds of our every Christmas experience was documented by my mother and her camera, there are no photographs of the luminaria. This week, I finally figured it out.

On Christmas Eve, my mother was inside singing along with Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole while she whipped up batches of clam dip and put together veggie trays, created appetizers and prepared side dishes while something roasted or baked or broiled. Food and decorations inside the home were my mom's thing. The luminaria ... that was my dad's thing. Well, my dad and me.

I can still see my dad, standing at the edge of the garage filling paper bags with the perfect ratio of sand, all wrapped up in his leather bomber jacket or the brown suede jacket that I loved so much. We would talk about everything during the couple of hours that it took us to prepare and place those bags, from school and boys to his love of football and his golf game. And when my mother's off-key singing made its way from the house out to the garage, we would burst into laughter.

"Oh, that's awful," I would say, and my often-stoic Officer Dad would snort and try to tell me all the other fine qualities his beloved wife had beyond song stylings.

I looked forward to Christmas Eve so much, simply because of those couple of hours I was sure to share with my dad. And now that the days of luminarias (and family) are far behind me, the Christmas season doesn't hold the same appeal.

But there is something different now; something I have now that I didn't have then. It is the birthday celebration of my Savior. There is an authentic love in my heart for the remembrance of a day that changed my life in such a personal way. And so I often send out cards to share the memory with the people I love; sometimes I decorate a tree or hang a couple of stockings. But always ... always! ... I cherish the memories. The one where I shivered outside of the garage with my beloved father, and the one where a star pointed the way to a manger and a baby who would change everything.

In your celebrations and family traditions and shopping for the perfect gifts, I hope you will take a moment or two to remember two things: Your favorite family memory, and the baby in the manger who changed you forever. Merry Christmas, my friends!

Childlike Faith...and other Childlike Things

2010-12-17T14:06:00.005-05:00

This morning, I am remembering when I was a brand new Christian. EVERYTHING seemed like a miracle to me: an unexpected parking place right at the front of the store; a relevant song just at the time I needed to hear it; a scripture verse jumping out at me when the Bible just happened to fall open to that spot. God was everywhere, in everything. Each day was an adventure.

Over the years, there are more obstacles than adventures it seems. I'm not sure when I stopped driving up to the very front of the parking lot. Why waste time? There won't be a parking spot there; there hardly ever is.

I like to think of myself as a humorous person, but I certainly don't laugh as much as I used to. Life just isn't as funny as it used to be, if you know what I mean. But I think last night I discovered a cure ... at least for me.

You see, I don't have any children of my own. I really wanted a family when I was young, but that just wasn't the road carved out for me. There were miscarriages and disappointments, but no kids. As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate the quiet house and the ability to be spontaneous ... And then came Olivia and Nico.

One of my best friends, a "mother" of Beagles with whom I shared my passion for animal welfare and the world domination of dogs as members of the family ... well, she and her husband adopted a baby (human) girl. Less than a year later, they did it again and brought home a baby boy. Both kids were adorable, but really. Nothing could have been more effective at putting a crimp in the style of our friendship than BABIES. But as time went on and I watched my friends grow into parents, I realized they were following God's plan for their lives. It wasn't until recently that I also realized it was part of His plan for mine as well.

NOTHING frees you like spending some time with a small child, especially when they aren't at your disposal 24/7. Olivia adored me when she was a baby, but when she got to be around two she went through her shy phase, and wanted very little to do with me. Fortunately, Nico made up for it by being one. He saw the benefit of Aunt Sandie during the time when Olivia had forgotten.

Last night, I spent an entire evening with the two of them ... Trying to entice them into eating their dinners, making funny faces to distract them, coaching Olivia as she intently polished each paint sample strip in a block of about two hundred of them. Then when Nico went to bed, Olivia and I watched Frosty the Snowman and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (no less than half a dozen times each).

She sat on the couch beside me, sometimes leaned into me, often looked over at me for confirmation when something Frosty did drove her into a fit of hysterical laughter. On about the fourth rerun of The Grinch's antics in Whoville, at the same spot that had cracked her up each time before, I realized as Olivia rolled around laughing at the VERY SAME THING, that looking at the world through the eyes of a child must be AWESOME! I tried to remember a time when I saw things that way, when every experience, no matter how close together they came, was absolutely brand new.

This morning, I sat down for some prayer time, and my Bible fell open on my lap. I looked down and read, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15) Immediately afterward, I hid under the blankets and called my dog to come find me. It was once a game she never grew tired of, but admittedly a game we haven't played for a while since this house has become rather un-funny of late. After five or six rounds, Sophie happily tossed herself into my lap on her back for a belly rub. As I complied, I told her she really had Olivia and Nico to thank for it.

And so do I.

Christmas Approacheth

2010-12-16T14:49:00.005-05:00

Why, Lady Gaga?! WHY?

2010-12-15T20:51:00.003-05:00

Why is it that the songs we don't particularly like are the ones that most often get stuck in our heads?

Last night, I woke up at around 3 a.m. and immediately noticed the beat of one of those songs bouncing around between my ears. Had I been dreaming and the song was part of it? Or was it waiting there for me, ready to pounce the moment I opened my eyes? Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if it was an old Beatles song, or Van Morrison, maybe a little Motown. But ... why Lady Gaga? I mean, I'm not a fan. I'll admit it: If she comes on the radio, I switch the station. I don't think I even know all the words to a single one of her songs! Which is why it was a little unsettling to find myself in the pitch-dark bathroom, first humming, and then singing straight out:

Promise I'll be kind
but I won't stop
until that boy is mine
Baby, you'll be famous
Chase you down until you love me
Papa-paparazzi

What?

I'm your biggest fan
I'll follow you until you love me
Papa-paparazzi

Really?

When I finally managed to fall asleep an hour or two later, you might think my brain would change the station, right? But no! The moment I opened my eyes this morning, there it was again! But WHY? Why Lady Gaga, of all people?! So I ran to Google.

"Why do songs get stuck in your head?"

One of the 1,620,000 results gave a bunch of tips on how to evict an unwanted musical visitor. Things like doing something else, like working out. Yeah, next? Play some other music so you can get another song in your head instead. Uh, why does my brain stereo have to be on 24/7? Listen to the song all the way through as a form of closure. Oh, really, I don't think I could.

Well, I just tried doing other things and forcing it out of my head. I watched some television, answered some emails, threw in a load of laundry. And wham! Victory! You-know-who was gone. I tried not to think about it too hard because I didn't want to remind my brain, but I was really really happy. I went the whole day without thinking of Lady Gaga even once, or wondering how on earth my brain knew the words to that particular song.

A little while ago, I turned on Sing-Off. Each group was assigned a medley of songs from one particular artist like Usher or The Beatles.

You see it coming, don't you?

That's right. One of the Sing-Off groups opened their medley of Lady Gaga songs with PAPARAZZI. I'm pretty sure I'll need help sleeping tonight. Tylenol PM anyone?

Dark Places

2010-12-12T10:01:00.004-05:00

I cried when I heard the news that Mark Madoff, son of crook Bernie Madoff, took his own life. Despite the fact that I've read and heard a lot of chatter about him being a "coward" and a "criminal" and all sorts of other labels that may or may not bear even trace amounts of truth, all I can really think about is how dark the world must have seemed for him to sink into its depths and surrender by hanging himself with his Labradoodle's leash.

I can admit that I know the dark places where those thoughts originate. I've had a couple of seasons in my life where I didn't know if I had what it took to struggle through. I've seen the world close in around me in what seemed like the blink of an eye ... and yes, I swam around in thoughts of escape.

Bernie Madoff's crimes were monstrous! But Mark and his brother, Andrew, were the ones who turned their father in to the authorities when they discovered the truth. That couldn't have been easy. But then to be accused of participating, to be investigated, hounded, even bullied because he had the misfortune to work for, admire and trust his father ... I can see where that could take a person down. I don't pretend to know the details about Mark Madoff's guilt or innocence, involvement or cluelessness, but what I do know is this: Any time someone reaches the literal point of no return in their hopelessness, our hearts should ache for them.

Many years ago, I read an article about a poverty-stricken man who continued to spend every cent he made by gambling. Poker games, horse races, lottery tickets. He was so desperate to escape his situation in life that he would do just about anything to score big. After losing job after job, when he finally couldn't deal with the pressures of his debts, had no medical insurance to address growing health issues, he spent his last bit of cash on a gun and he shot himself to death. The following Saturday, one of his quick-pick lottery tickets hit it big and the extended family that labeled him "worthless" and "trash" and "loser" was the very same that benefited from his death with several million dollars in winnings.

That story sticks with me. Every time things start to seem a little dire, I think about that man and his desperation. Especially for those of us who are called by God, who know His promises and His character, we just never know what can happen tomorrow to turn the tide. Faith in God almost always manifests in sudden, unexpected resolutions and solutions. And part of the responsibility of that faith, of learning to believe without seeing, is to hang in there and wait for God to act. Like that cat in the poster from back in the 70s, dangling by its claws above the saying, "Hang in there, baby."

I wish someone had given that poster to Mark Madoff. Or better yet, had spoken to him about the redemptive power of Jesus Christ; the magnificent way He can turn things around on a dime through sudden vindication and restoration; described to him how the disciples must have felt when, three days into their grief over the death of their dreams ... Resurrection came. And nothing was ever the same after that.

Today, I pray for Mark Madoff's wife and children. For his brother, for his mom. And although I don't particularly want to ... I pray for his monster of a father, and I hope that maybe this devastating end to his son's life will act as a catalyst for change within his own heart.

A Quiet Life

2010-12-10T21:02:00.006-05:00

A while back, a woman I love and respect made the difficult decision to retire. Despite the fact that so much of the essence of who Barbara Scott is has been defined by her work, and despite her best efforts to follow her flesh and carve out other roads, she finally got the message. Here's what she wrote in her final blog post:

I don't know what God has for me on the other side of this season, but the Lord has made it abundantly clear this is the right choice. A dear friend and author, Cynthia Ruchti, shared a Scripture with me that will carry me through.

"But we encourage you . . . to seek to lead a quiet life,
to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands
...so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders
and not be dependent on anyone." --I Thess 4:10b-11, Holman Bible

I've never given myself permission to lead a quiet life; hard work is all I've known since I was 19. I'm now 62.

Her post really impacted me. Cynthia is also a dear friend of mine, and I recall writing her that I hoped she wouldn't mind if I snagged that scripture for myself as well. The truth is that there's been a distant whisper that I've been hearing for a while now, one that seeks to call me toward a quiet life of my own. I don't know if this has been the case for Barbara -- I haven't had the chance to ask her -- but it seems to me that, the harder a person strives to simplify things, the further out of reach the peace seems to move.

I've been praying about it a lot lately. I have no intention of giving up the call God has put on my life (and I'm far too young to retire, right? ... RIGHT!?), but I can't help hoping He has a little peace and grace and quiet contentment in His plans for my future. Just this afternoon, I asked Him about it again. Being the strong, silent type, I so often don't hear His reply. But many times, like today, I will often feel a sense of comfort that I lazily accept.

Tonight, I took some time to roam around for a while, catching up with all of the blogs I haven't been reading lately with all of my distractions. I came across Chip MacGregor's blog. Chip is one of the great agents in Christian publishing. I was struck with emotion when I read that he'd submitted his final post a month ago! He's not retiring, but he's giving up his blog. It's the end of an era, in a way.

I was struck with further emotion when I read:

I was reading my bible the other day, and was struck by Saint Paul's
words to his protege, Timothy: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet
life." You know, I've led a loud, noisy life. It's been great in many
ways, and I've loved writing, but I'm going to step away and seek quietness.
I'm not retiring, or even disappearing -- I'll still be working in the
industry I love. But I don't think I want people to read my blog or
hear me speak at a conference and tell me how great I am. Instead,
I'd like to actually help people who stand in front of me, and maybe
not try to convince everyone I'm a hero.

It seems like the Holy Spirit is circulating that word to so many of God's children these days. Make it our ambition to lead a quiet life. Like Chip, I've led a fairly noisy one. Twenty years in Hollywood, ten years as an author, always working at least two jobs, always on the move. But recently, I've actually grown a little tired, a bit overwhelmed, rather reflective. And I find myself yearning for the strangest things ... like a smaller, more meaningful existence. Some peace, a little good health.

As I say a prayer tonight for my friend and sister, Barbara Scott, and for Chip MacGregor, an acquaintance who makes a difference in so many writers' lives, I ask the Lord to bless their intentions and anoint them with the answer to their pursuits. I pray that they find their quiet lives where truth and mercy meet.

And I can't help but wonder what the Lord has in mind for the rest of us, my friends! I'm so anxious to find out. And so so hopeful.

The Passage of Time

2010-11-27T15:30:00.005-05:00

A lot of time has passed since I blogged last. But I think the previous post explains why. I've been dealing with pain issues, and I have just been diagnosed with something called Fibromyalgia.

Recently, someone said to me that fibromyalgia isn't actually a disease; it's simply a lot of pain symptoms rolled into one title. Until recently, I may have agreed. To me, fibro seemed like a rather generic dumping ground; the label doctors used when they couldn't find the answers. It's an interesting thing to be told that you have something that so many people don't acknowledge. Especially when you were one of them.

"Only about ten percent of the people who say they have fibromyalgia actually have it," a medical professional said to me last week, after I'd been diagnosed. "Consequently, the intensity and the seriousness of what you're facing on a daily basis is going to be discounted, and regularly. People who have convinced themselves that they have it will figure that, if they can brave a normal life, so can you. What they don't understand is that it's not the same for them as it is for you because they live a normal life in between occasional flares of pain that they have decided to call fibromyalgia. They will decide that they know what you're facing, how you're feeling, that they understand the intensity of your pain, and then they'll decide how you should or should not respond to it. And the only thing you can do is just know that."

Well, that sounds bleak, doesn't it?

I've only just begun the first phase of fibromyalgia. I have it, and now I'm trying to test physical therapy, medication, diet and behavior in different combinations in order to find a way to work toward getting back a relatively normal life. I am holding out great hope that there will come a time again when I can take a few steps without crying out in pain; when I will make plans with friends that I won't have to cancel because I'm just not up to it; when I won't feel angry at someone who thinks they know what I'm facing and makes judgments about it without ever actually knowing the realities that have become my life in the last couple of months.

Who really knows why these things happen, especially to Christians? When intense pain is involved, I find that faith is sometimes diluted with questions. What did I do to deserve this? Why me, God? How will I continue to make a living? What's going to become of the life I once knew? I find myself thinking of the apostle Paul lately, wondering exactly what that affliction was that he wrote about in 2 Corinthians, chapter 12. He wasn't quite clear on the "thorn" in his side that affected him so profoundly; we only know that it was something he dealt with every single day, something inspiring his fervent prayers for deliverance (much like my own prayers these days).

In the same chapter, he declared, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

It's a little premature for me to say that I have found a way to take pleasure in my affirmity, to find the good in this situation. But I can confidently say that I believe God's Word. I always have. And if His grace is sufficient for me, then it will be enough to carry me through this season. Wherever I'm headed, whatever the road, this I know for certain: His strength will be made perfect in my weakness.

Beyond that ... I got nothin. But stay tuned.

Learning to Live with Chronic Pain and Mobility Issues

2010-11-09T18:16:00.006-05:00

I'm dealing with something right now that affects my mobility in a profound way. Despite the fact that there sure aren't very many things I know for absolute certain in this life, here's what I know for sure about mobility issues:

1. No matter how many times the postman rings the doorbell, it won't have any effect on how fast you get there. Apparently, this is not included in postman training.

2. When it takes you nearly ten minutes to get from the bedroom to the kitchen, you're in a perfect position to reward yourself for your efforts (and fortify yourself for the trip back). So don't keep the leftover Halloween candy thinking you won't get into it. You will. And you'll smile like a giddy fool when you do. Why? Because there's not a lot of things to be happy about these days ... but tiny Snickers bites? Oh yeah.

3. Don't cancel the dog-walker just because you're going to be home for a while. The dog of someone with mobility challenges is not going to be happy with a boot out into the backyard three times a day. That dog is going to want to see the world beyond the fence. And when denied, said dog will behave in unacceptable ways (i.e., barking at you when you head for the bathroom instead of the front door, or tossing toys at you with the launch speed of a torpedo!).

4. Don't order anything on the internet that is going to come in a flat box with assembly required. At least nothing that you plan to use any time soon.

5. Try not to drink as much water as you normally do. My meaning will be clear on the first day of your challenge.

6. When you're brought to tears by trying to put on your shoes, be realistic about the possibility of "picking up a few things" at the grocery store. Just kick off your shoes and phone a friend. But not too often, or they might not answer.

7. DO NOT wait until you're pulling into a handicapped parking place at the doctor's office to notice that you forgot to renew your little blue tag.

8. Don't attempt to medicate yourself. Take the pain meds at intervals suggested on the bottle rather than administering based on how much pain you're in at that exact moment.

9. Even if you're not expecting to see another living soul for a week, shower anyway. Surprises happen.

10. When you're used to working two full-time jobs and having a life, and suddenly you have to put it all on a back burner to deal with this new priority, the tendency might be to feel a little hopeless. Since you might not have taken the time to pray and read scripture every day when you were so busy, take the time now. You need the reminders that you are not completely alone or forgotten, that there is a future and a hope with your name on it, and where you are now (or the speed at which you got there) is not where you will always be. There are almost certainly trips across the house in your future where there will be no need to pack a lunch.

Memories Move in Like an Approaching Storm

2010-11-07T20:38:00.005-05:00

She thinks about him on this day every single year, despite the fact that it's been a couple of decades since she's seen or even talked to him. On every one of his birthdays that roll around, she tries to remember how old he would be, wonders if he's still alive, imagines his life now if he is.

When she met him, he was beautiful. Chestnut brown hair and exquisite blue eyes, the kind of smile that told the world he had a secret that amused him to no end. Until it didn't any more. In those times when amusement turned to something else entirely, and those eyes transformed from sky to steel, he wasn't quite so beautiful any more, and another part of her melted away with the fear. The storm was on its way. Would there be time to board up the windows and doors, to find any sort of shelter from the devastation?

She endured six years of turbulent weather, most of them sparked by a slow-rolling alcoholic fog. Blustering winds of anger brought on the screams, accusations, belittlement, threats, and almost always the kind of damage that can't be hidden by Cover Girl or Garnier. Damage to her heart and soul changed her over those years; the violence, the shattering glass, the miscarriages, and the fear broke her.

But one day, she picked up her broken pieces, opened the door, and walked through it. She moved as far away as she could get on a few tanks of gas, and she took only what would fit in her car. She disappeared, but she never forgot. Agoraphobia, claustrophobia, night terrors, a complete loss of control ... it all clouded the dark and desperate attempts to find a sliver of light again.

And then she saw it. At first, she thought it was a mirage ... but NO! The light was truly there. And through the break in the black sky, a Hand emerged. She didn't want to take it ... and yet she yearned to take it. And then she did.

Nothing has ever been the same again. Except once each year, on this day, when he creeps back toward her in the darkest places of her memory. For that one day, she could almost forget that she's a new person now ... that she's been rescued. Redeemed. Delivered. Made new. That she is whole again.

And then comes The Light to remind her. A new day dawns, and the sun comes up over a new creature and a brand new life. That sunrise, each and every November 8th, is the most beautiful and spectacular sight she's ever seen. Until next year.

Halloween: Harmless Fun?

2010-10-31T08:10:00.006-04:00

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, at the end of summer…. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.

I was raised Catholic, and it seemed like there was a feast day celebrating a different saint every day of the year! Halloween was one of our most festive and celebrated holidays, and we started planning our costumes weeks in advance. The first Halloween I remember, I was a bunny. I loved that costume! Later, I was the Virgin Mary. And later still, I was a Gypsy. I liked that costume so much, I wore it two years in a row. My favorite of all time, however, was the year that I was a pirate!

When I was a kid, we lived in Slidell, Louisiana, and one year my father was invited along with his men's group at church to ride one of the Mardi Gras floats. Dressed as a pirate, he tossed candy and beads to thousands of French Quarter visitors. I wasn't allowed to go, but I remember seeing him in his costume before they left that night. He wore an eye patch, and he got to wear a sword on his hip. I just thought that was the coolest thing ever, and I borrowed the idea (as well as the eye patch and sword) the following Halloween.

Many years later came my true salvation experience. In my twenties, I tripped over Jesus completely by accident, and my life has never been the same. My faith in Christ, my redemption and the grace offered to me ... these are the true, pure joys of my life. It wasn't long after finding Him before the Christian/Halloween controversy rose to the surface, and I began to study on my own to figure out how I felt. Learning about the roots of the holiday, I made a choice not to celebrate. "It's a matter of respect," I said then. And so I ignored Halloween ... for more than twenty years.

But after a while, life moved in. My friends' kids wanted me to see their costumes, and the offices where I worked planned days of festivities and contests revolving around Halloween. One year, I budged a little. I dressed like normal, but I wore an angel's halo. My teeny little statement was deemed "adorable" ... and I scored a bag of chocolate just for participating.

Recently, I looked back on the years since then, and hindsight has brought my Halloween evolution into very clear view. A halo here, some chocolate there, a few kids dressed as caterpillars and witches and hippies and goblins ... and I became lukewarm about something that once burned in me.

I've always been the Christian who didn't want to preach to the choir. I live my life out there in the world. I have as many non-Christian friends as believing ones. One of my favorite people on the planet is Buddhist. And you know what? I have an alcoholic beverage every now and then.

On the other hand, although I don't judge someone for seeing movies involving slasher-killers or paranormal activity ... I don't join them. It's just something I feel strongly about in my own relationship with the Holy Spirit. And this year, I've decided to get back to ignoring Halloween for the same reason. If my friends' kids go out "trick or treating," or if my co-workers dress up in scary (or even silly!) costumes ... that's their decision to make. It's not like they're worshiping satan. In their minds, it's all in fun ... and certainly I can understand since some of my best childhood memories are related to Halloween!

But the thing is ... I've always felt that we are responsible for what we know. For whatever reason, my heart drove me to research Halloween very early in my Christian walk, and I was absolutely convicted by what I learned. If you don't feel the same way, I don't judge. But if, like me, you've become lukewarm over years of ignoring your former passion, perhaps spending some time in prayer this October 31st will reignite the fire.

Either way, may this last day of October be a blessed one for you and your family. And may your relationship with your Creator be strengthened and nourished.

Digging Deeper into His Word -- It's a Good Thing!

2010-10-11T07:25:00.010-04:00

I am so proud to be an author for one of the most respected publishers in the CBA. In addition to the awesome fiction line that I’m part of, Abingdon Press is one of the publishers involved in the new release, The Common English Bible New Testament. The cool thing is that it’s not a revision or an update of an existing translation; it’s a bold new translation designed specifically for Christians who desire to dig deeper into the New Testament. It’s written at a comfortable level for over half of all English readers. I think anything that brings a heart for Jesus closer to Him through understanding of His word … Well, that’s something I can really get behind.

This week, you can go to Amazon for a FREE DOWNLOAD. But if you would like to have a hard copy of this amazing book, I’ve cooked up a little giveaway with two of my fellow Abingdon authors, Loree Lough and Christa Allan.

Here are the simple contest rules:

Post a comment on one (or all!) of our blog posts about the contest; tell us your favorite scripture verse and why (in just a few sentences, please). At the end of October, we’ll each choose one winner at random. That winner will win an autographed copy of our latest novel AND a copy of Abingdon’s Common English Bible New Testament.

*****PLEASE REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU!!*****

BONUS BONUS BONUS: If that winner has posted a review of one of our novels on Christian Book Distributors’ site, they will receive A SECOND COPY of this innovative Bible to give away to a friend. Perhaps as a Christmas gift????

It’s that simple for you to own your very own copy of The CEB New Testament. So let’s hear it! What’s your life verse of scripture, and why??

Another cool bonus: Click HERE for a sample audio clip of this contemporary, reader-friendly translation.

Choosing Our Responses

2010-09-30T11:52:00.004-04:00

Really, Mr. DMV Clerk?? REALLY?!

At ACFW, it was pointed out to me that my driver's license had expired back in January. So the minute I got back, I started trying to find out what to do about renewing. This is an important thing to do, right? So it's a no-brainer to break a hole in a stretched-tight schedule to make this happen.

I made an online appointment, only to discover that I can't find my Social Security card. I spent 40 minutes on hold until I found out what documents I could bring instead. "A paycheck stub" sounded simplest; however, my paycheck stub only prints the last four digits of my SSN on it. For security reasons. How about a W-2? Okay, I thought ... and I spent considerable time digging into the closet in my office where the plastic bin holding ten years of tax documents sat at the bottom of a pile of board games, author copies of past books, and a battery-operated radio/television I bought in case of a hurricane. But at last! I had what I needed for my appointment.

Upon arrival, a long line of people zig-zagged within a maze of ropes. At the end of the line stood a sign: Appointments Only, Stand Here. But the arrow that directed people to "here" actually pointed at the window sill on a large wall with chipped paint. So I walked up to the desk and asked the clerk behind it, "I have an appointment and--"

Before I could finish, the red-eyed man with the wrinkled shirt snapped, "Then you'll have to wait over there!" I made the mistake of asking, "Where, exactly?"

The DMV Monster seethed. "Where do you think? The sign says wait over there. Can you read?"

Oh, I can read, DMV clerk. I can write, too.

I showed him my cane and asked, "Would it be all right if I sat down in one of the chairs over--"

"Did I say sit down?" he clarified. "I think I told you to stand over there."

So I did as I was told. I needed my renewal. I could be obedient in return for that, right? So there I stood. And stood. And stood. When he finally looked up at me, with narrowed bloodshot eyes, he pointed his knobby finger at me. "Come here."

I limped toward him. "My driver's license is expired and--"

"Let's see it."

As I dug into my purse to pull it out, he stood up and shouted at the long line of people who didn't have appointments. "There is a list of documentation you need there on the wall to your right. If you don't have it all, you'll have to go get it. If you do have it, for goodness sake, have it out and ready."

Very subtle. Yes, DMV Monster. I've been put in my place. Score one for you!

I handed him all of my paperwork: My expired license; two utility bills to prove where I lived; my W-2 with my full Social Security number on it; and my birth certificate.

"What's this?" he snarled at my birth certificate. So I stated the obvious. "This isn't official," he insisted.

I looked down at it. "Those are my baby footprints, and that's my name and date of birth."

"They don't do this any more."

"Well, I'm old," I said with a grin. "That's how they did it when I was born."

Looks can't kill. But they do tend to silence a person.

Five minutes later, I left the DMV with all of my paperwork and my expired license. It seems I need to go back to the State of California, San Diego County, and explain to them what I'm pretty sure they already know: They don't do birth certificates like mine any more, and so I need a certified copy of an updated one.

On the drive home, I thought a lot about what I would have liked to have said to The DMV Monster, and where I would have liked to have poked him with my cane. I had my favorite Christian station on (The Joy FM), and Carmen spoke of one of her favorite quotes. Paraphrased: You know how free a person is by how free you feel when you're with them.

I laughed right out loud. The DMV Monster must be in rusty chains, I decided.

As I sang along with the next song they played, I tried to pray for him. It didn't exactly flow, but I asked the Lord whether he was a Monster every day, or just that one, and I prayed for his liberation from whatever it was that had soured his disposition so profoundly.

I don't know if it was Dave, Bill and Carmen of The Morning Cruise that made me feel better, or the music they played afterward, or if praying for the DMV clerk released me from my fantasies of introducing him to the rubber tip of my cane ... But I was indeed released.

It occurred to me then that, although I nevereverever want to come off like that to someone else, I had recently been quite rude to someone myself. In fact, the day before I left for the ACFW conference, my lawn worker had decided to take a break in my side yard, leaving my back gate gaping open, and he'd watched as my dog sauntered right out the gate and down the street! My flesh had gotten the better of me after that incident, and I surprised him (and stunned myself) when I let loose and actually yelled at him! I imagine now that he'd probably felt a little like I felt this morning at the DMV.

I called the lawn company and sent a message of apology to the worker for losing my temper. It wasn't an easy call to make, but I made it anyway.

In honor of my lawn guy and the clerk at the DMV, why don't we have a little corporate prayer time together right now, readers.

Lord Jesus, remind us on a daily basis that we have the option to CHOOSE how we treat others. Help us to choose, every single day, to reflect your love and grace, to let others look at us and see the God we serve rather than the flesh we've allowed to run amuck.

My Life as a Writer

2010-09-24T08:03:00.008-04:00

Working a full-time day job can be great, financially. But it tends to anesthetize the whole Writer Experience a bit. I get so caught up in projects and conference calls and the ever-insistent corporate rah-rah that it becomes too easy to forget who I am as a writer.

And then the ACFW conference rolls around!

For five days in Indianapolis, I was a full-time writer type. I rubbed elbows with other writers, with editors and agents, I talked shop, did book signings, attended dinners, and just generally behaved like A WRITER.

It was exhausting.

And exhilarating. And fun. And my time in Indianapolis reminded me who I was created to be. It seems like every time I remember, I walk away feeling humbled ... and so grateful.

One of the greatest things, for me, was the opportunity to get together a couple of times with my co-authors on next spring's devotional for Summerside Press. That's me in front, and behind me (left to right) are Trish Perry, Kristin Billerbeck, Debby Mayne and Diann Hunt. I hadn't met Trish or Diann before, and it turns out my instincts were correct. I adore these women.

My BFF Marian came along again this year, but this time it was not just to support me. She was there promoting her new business, Marian Creates. It turns out that Marian is so gifted at graphic design and video production that she's fallen into a pretty cool business creating book trailers and interview videos for authors. It was so cool to share this exciting new phase with her, and she got A LOT of praise and accolades for her first (official) trailer, Loree Lough's From Ashes to Honor. We laughed so hard, and got so silly and stupid at times! That kind of time with Marian, in the midst of my Writer Life ... despite the huge physical challenges I faced in getting there ... It was just what I needed!

I met my agent, Rachelle Gardner, for the first time at ACFW last year. We clicked in such a way that it was a no-brainer for me to sign with her soon after. Over the last year of working with her, I've been mentored, supported, there's even been a little psycho-analysis (God bless her!). I was blessed to spend some significant time with Rachelle over the five days in Indy, and I've never been more convinced that I'd taken a right step when the opportunity presented itself. It's not that I haven't had fantastic agents in the past because I really have! I just didn't have Rachelle. And now I do. Knowing that makes it a beautiful day in my writing neighborhood. And my personal one.

I also had the opportunity at the conference to meet some of my writing ICONS, like Camy Tang, Margaret Daley and Jeanette Oake. Brandilyn Collins came right up to my table at the Abingdon signing and sat down to chat for a few minutes! My heart hasn't thumped like that since the 80s when Marlo Thomas asked me how to find the ladies room.

There's really nothing like escaping the everyday, if only for a little while, to dip your toe in the water of your dreams. I highly recommend it!

A Bouncing Baby Cover

2010-09-13T20:54:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited about the devotional, and we just got the final cover from Summerside today. Had to share!

Girl Power, Again

2010-09-06T08:22:00.003-04:00

I'm re-posting a former post about Girl Power. Don't look at it as recycling either. But perhaps recycling-with-a-good-reason. :-) But you'll have to get to the end of this post to understand why.

Oooh, a mystery!

RE-POST: I'm working on a new devotional right now that will hit bookstores next spring. I really like the title (Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days); I like the group of authors with whom I'm co-authoring even more.

Kristin Billerbeck
Diann Hunt
Debby Mayne
Trish Perry

It hardly gets better than that, right?

Many years ago, right after the first Ashley Stockingdale book came out, a friend asked me what I wanted for Christmas. My immediate reply was, "I want to write like Kristin Billerbeck."

I didn't know Kristin then. In fact, my horizon didn't even have a shadow of the possibility that I would one day consider her to be a dear friend, one of my favorite people, or that she would consistently make me laugh in person the way she made me laugh through her books. I was her biggest fan (still am) ... but how many Cincinnati Kids ever actually meet and become friends with one of the rock stars they admire?

Sometime in the 90s, I wandered into a local chapter meeting of RWA, kind of scared, all kinds of insecure ... until this awesome writer walked right up to me, welcomed me, sort of befriended me. Debby Mayne has been easing my insecurities, making me feel like I actually FIT somewhere, ever since. This is my third project with Debby, and every time I emerge thanking God for the uniqueness and Polyanna-ness that is Debby. More importantly, she's evolved from writer-bud to inner circle and treasured friend.

Trish Perry and I had the same agent for a time, and I slowly got to know her because of that. I've always enjoyed her writing, and I've watched her talent blossom over the years. These days we share secrets and laughs, and I'm so excited about getting to know her even better through this devotional project. She has a great style about her, both professionally and personally.

And Diann Hunt. She's been making me laugh and tugging at my heartstrings for ages with her books. We were acquainted, but when I heard from our mutual friend Kristin that she had ovarian cancer, all the walls came down. Anyone who knows me also knows that the ugly "C" enemy is a very personal thing to me. I am now six years clean, but stage three ovarian cancer was, for a stretch of time, pretty much who I was. So I contacted Diann to see what I could do, how I could help, did she need any support? Who knew I'd get as much as, if not more than, I gave!

These are the divine connections that the Lord used Summerside Press to continue building for me. The five of us just fit. The connections make sense. I woke up thinking about these women this morning, praying for them, trusting God to solve the problems that have been plaguing them recently. I'm so honored to know what they're going through, to love them enough to pray for their outcomes, to know that they're praying for me as well.

To these four magnificent women, and to sweet Barbara, faithful Marian, beautiful Staci, strong Jemelle, supportive Rachelle, hysterical Tone, and ... to all the women who bless my life so profoundly, as Ruth said to Naomi ... "Entreat me not to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge (if only at conferences). Your people (and dogs) shall be my people (and dogs), and your God, my God."

Lately more than ever, I have come to realize that girl power is a beautiful thing. I urge you to embrace it. When times get tough, it's what you'll rely on; it will be the first thing you reach for. When you just need to be silly, your speed dial will get you there quickly. And when you can't stand another moment of the pressures of life, girl power will open its door, invite you over for a cocktail, and offer you a soft place to fall for a while.

So readers of this blog ... Do NOT forget your girlfriends. They're part of the lifeblood that God has provided for you as an escape hatch. They will be the vent for the steam of life that builds up inside you. So nurture your relationships and remind yourself that you can't do without them.

Virtual high-five on behalf of girl power. Hoo-wah!

In honor of my Bad Hair chicks, click on the "just for fun" video link for your viewing and sing-along pleasure.

Favor and Grace

2010-08-29T09:08:00.005-04:00

Why is it so hard for us to believe for the things that God promises us?

I have had the great blessing of being grouped with an amazing circle of women for a new devotional that will come out in the spring. Debby Mayne, Kristin Billerbeck, Trish Perry and Diann Hunt are my partners in a project that has become a great joy to me and, although each of us already had some level of friendship established, this work has brought us closer in so many ways.

Summerside Press has commissioned me with the leadership of the group, and that has carried over to a weekly prayer on behalf of the five of us. I pray it, write it in an email, and the other four pray it aloud and make their Jesus agreements on the other end. It's been such a blessing to share our concerns and hopes, and to pray about them together.

I received some disappointing news this week. Nothing earth-shattering or anything that tossed me into the throes of despair. Just disappointing. And the minute I did, it was followed by a promise in my heart that it was all part of the plan. I felt that whisper in my spirit that this was not how it looked, that it was a road sign leading me toward the ultimate goal.

So as I started praying about that, a passage of scripture wafted over me and dropped at my feet. I knew the minute I began to study it that it was for the five of us.

From Deuteronomy 28: The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.

So I sent out the following prayer for my group of girlfriends: Lord Jesus, since life and death are in the power of our own tongues, according to Your word, I speak life over my sisters, and I claim this blessing for each of the five of us. Let your prosperity and favor rain down upon each of us in Your intended way, in great abundance and with peaceful and joyful grace. In Jesus' name, amen.

A while later, YOU crossed my mind. The faithful readers of this blog. Knowing it was time to post a new offering, it occurred to me that this stunning promise in Deuteronomy doesn't belong to just me or Kristin or Debby or Trish or Diann. It's a promise He has for ALL OF US! As Barb and Marian start their new businesses, as Jemelle struggles to balance business and family, as Deb battles health and weight concerns, and Rachelle tries to figure out how to give the 168% that's needed ... To each of them, and each of you ... there is a lifeline waiting for you. The promise of God says that, for no other reason than that He loves you and you love Him right back, you will be blessed. The work of your hands will always be blessed, and you will emerge as the head and not the tail. That's spectacular, isn't it?

One of my favorite quotes of all time is a Latin phrase that translates like this: Bidden or not bidden, God is present. Whether we call to Him, or even remember to acknowledge Him this morning or any other, He's there just the same. And so are His promises!

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!

Summers, Then and Now

2010-08-21T20:31:00.006-04:00

I've lived a lot of places in my life. A LOT of places. But when my family settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the winter of my third grade year, we really settled for the very first time. I lived there until my early twenties. The foundation of who I am now was formed there, and it was kind of a crap shoot how I would turn out. I think I was a strange and quirky girl back then. The saving grace, of course, is that no matter how I misbehaved, rebelled or acted out ... God was still there with His big net laid out beneath me. It's a miracle, really.

The happiest times of my life were the summers I spent in Cincinnati. Root beers by the backyard pool ... dancing to 45s and giggling with girlfriends at slumber parties in our basement ... going to the movies for an afternoon show, then sneaking into other theaters to see different films until late into the evening ... dragging a picnic lunch and a big bag of torn bread to feed the ducks down on Winton Lake. I don't remember there ever being "a plan" for summer vacation. Just bare feet, late nights, friends, music, and hope. When school let out in June, the general mood was that anything could happen before September rolled around.

This afternoon, something brought those summers to mind. Here in Florida, almost 40 years later, I am smack-dab in the middle of one of the hottest, steamiest, most miserable summers I've ever endured. I don't enjoy the sunshine so much any more, at least not in an all-day dose, and I haven't been on a bike ride or a picnic in a decade or more. But as I stood in the doorway of my relatively-new home, the glass doors wide open, watching my dog as she stalked a dragonfly across the backyard grass, a breeze wafted by me. The smell of cut grass and humidity transported me back to those summers on the hill above Winton Woods, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment.

A surge of inexplicable hope and anticipation about the future pulsed through me just then. I saw the playful, childlike joy of summer in the eyes of my goofy dog as she pounced, and missed. For just that moment, I was barefoot, swaying to Barry Manilow's Could it Be Magic and nothing else ... like curfews and 100-degree heat ... nothing else mattered in the least.

That's when it dawned on me. Summers haven't really gotten hotter over the years that followed; I've just grown a little colder. There will never be another summer like the one that brought first love, and a heart is never so carefree as it is the summer before senior year when you're hanging with the girls. But every now and then, like today, a warm breeze brings it all back and reminds me ... It might be time for a girls night in, giggling with a friend, singing along with some old 45s.

Funny how the summer feels so hopeful now. I can hardly wait to see what September brings...

Divine Connections: It's a Girl Thing

2010-08-15T07:28:00.004-04:00

I'm working on a new devotional right now that will hit bookstores next spring. I really like the title (Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days); I like the group of authors with whom I'm co-authoring even more.

Kristin Billerbeck
Diann Hunt
Debby Mayne
Trish Perry

It hardly gets better than that, right?

Many years ago, right after the first Ashley Stockingdale book came out, a friend asked me what I wanted for Christmas. My immediate reply was, "I want to write like Kristin Billerbeck."

I didn't know Kristin then. In fact, my horizon didn't even have a shadow of the possibility that I would one day consider her to be a dear friend, one of my favorite people, or that she would consistently make me laugh in person the way she made me laugh through her books. I was her biggest fan (still am) ... but how many Cincinnati Kids ever actually meet and become friends with one of the rock stars they admire?

Sometime in the 90s, I wandered into a local chapter meeting of RWA, kind of scared, all kinds of insecure ... until this awesome writer walked right up to me, welcomed me, sort of befriended me. Debby Mayne has been easing my insecurities, making me feel like I actually FIT somewhere, ever since. This is my third project with Debby, and every time I emerge thanking God for the uniqueness and Polyanna-ness that is Debby. More importantly, she's evolved from writer-bud to inner circle and treasured friend.

Trish Perry and I had the same agent for a time, and I slowly got to know her because of that. I've always enjoyed her writing, and I've watched her talent blossom over the years. These days we share secrets and laughs, and I'm so excited about getting to know her even better through this devotional project. She has a great style about her, both professionally and personally.

And Diann Hunt. She's been making me laugh and tugging at my heartstrings for ages with her books. We were acquainted, but when I heard from our mutual friend Kristin that she had ovarian cancer, all the walls came down. Anyone who knows me also knows that the ugly "C" enemy is a very personal thing to me. I am now six years clean, but stage three ovarian cancer was, for a stretch of time, pretty much who I was. So I contacted Diann to see what I could do, how I could help, did she need any support? Who knew I'd get as much as, if not more than, I gave!

These are the divine connections that the Lord used Summerside Press to continue building for me. The five of us just fit. The connections make sense. I woke up thinking about these women this morning, praying for them, trusting God to solve the problems that have been plaguing them recently. I'm so honored to know what they're going through, to love them enough to pray for their outcomes, to know that they're praying for me as well.

To these four magnificent women, and to sweet Barbara, faithful Marian, beautiful Staci, strong Jemelle, supportive Rachelle, hysterical Tone, and ... to all the women who bless my life so profoundly, as Ruth said to Naomi ... "Entreat me not to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge (if only at conferences). Your people (and dogs) shall be my people (and dogs), and your God, my God."

Lately more than ever, I have come to realize that girl power is a beautiful thing. I urge you to embrace it. When times get tough, it's what you'll rely on; it will be the first thing you reach for. When you just need to be silly, your speed dial will get you there quickly. And when you can't stand another moment of the pressures of life, girl power will open its door, invite you over for a cocktail, and offer you a soft place to fall for a while.

So readers of this blog ... Do NOT forget your girlfriends. They're part of the lifeblood that God has provided for you as an escape hatch. They will be the vent for the steam of life that builds up inside you. So nurture your relationships and remind yourself that you can't do without them.

Virtual high-five on behalf of girl power. Hoo-wah!

The Delicacies of the American State Fair

2010-08-05T23:41:00.005-04:00

If you came to my blog today looking for something uplifting, encouraging or wise ... I am sorry to tell you that this is NOT THAT DAY.

I have a nasty head cold at the moment, and I can't sleep because, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I can't breathe. So while I wait for the decongestant to take effect, I'm awake and watching the shows I don't normally get to watch. A rerun of Golden Girls; George Lopez's late-night talk show.

Will Farrell was on with George tonight, and they did a bit about state fair food. Farrell tasted every one of them, and George indulged in a few. I can't stop asking myself ... Who are the Rhodes scholars that think these things up??

- Chocolate-covered bacon on a stick
- Barbecued pork and mashed potato parfait
- Deep-fried pats of butter
- Cheeseburgers between two Krispy Kreme donuts
- Deep-fried Twinkies
- Fried balls of cola (yep. cola.)

Perhaps ONLY A WRITER sees a segment like this one and wonders, "Hmmm. Am I more like the guy who said, 'Hey, let's dip that bacon in some chocolate!' or would I have had the epiphany to put the burger between two glazed donuts?"

I decided, by the way, that I am probably the latter. What could be better than a big old cheeseburger? Well, a two-donut chaser, that's what! Farrell agreed with me.

All of this brought me full circle. If the storylines in my books were food, would my readers marvel at the oddball creativity of the ingredients? Or would they set down the book and head for a McDonald's drive-thru on the way home instead?

An ex-boyfriend once told me, "You know, you can bring anything around to writing." Although I'm pretty sure I've never uttered these words to or about him before, I have to say ...

Apparently, he was right. Or else the decongestant is just about to do its magic.

Swimming Down the Mountain

2010-07-25T18:13:00.003-04:00

What's your calling? What are you passionate about? For me, it's writing romantic comedy with a thread of an uplifting, Godly message.

I tried for many years to find my place in the market, too. When it wasn't happening, I looked to those for whom it was working. But I learned very quickly that patterning myself after someone else really wasn't the answer.

If you'd trained your whole life as a swimmer with Olympic dreams, but you couldn't make the team ... would you then shrug your shoulders and steer your efforts toward the ski team? Of course not.

The Word tells us that the body of Christ has many parts to it. Some of us are the head, some the arms, others the legs. Think how strange it would be if you, as an arm, decided one day that the leg was getting more attention and so you were going to take on that role. The problem is ... you're still an arm. You don't fit as a leg.

Find the sheer joy in knowing who you are, what your path is, and how you can serve God by taking it. Don't look to the right or the left. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Challenge yourself today to find new and creative ways to make strides toward the goal that is yours alone.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13