tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107821552024-03-13T16:54:46.290-07:00A Little Creative LicenseBooks and the writing life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger364125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-7974560403551891982010-01-16T21:29:00.001-08:002010-01-16T21:32:50.575-08:00Moving on...In this month's newsletter I unveiled the new trailer for "The Weight of Shadows" AND unveiled my new website. If you subscribe but didn't read it yet, please dig it out of your inbox and check it out. If you don't subscribe yet--see what you're missing!?<br /><br />Regardless, the new website is also the home of my new blog. The archives of this blog are housed there as well, in case you're ever looking for something from the past. But anyway, point being, change your bookmarks and come join me at <a href="http://www.alisonstrobel.com">the new site</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-26919231727361627442010-01-05T20:37:00.000-08:002010-01-05T20:51:30.630-08:00Done! (I think.)I turned in book 4 today. I think I'm done with it. I'm not 100% sure; it's been so long since I went through the publishing process I can't remember if there's another editing step after line edits or not. I really, really hope not. I really want to be done.<br /><br />Today was my deadline. I didn't remember that until about 3 days ago. I thought it was the *end* of January. Thank heavens I checked! I turned it in at 5:40PM, which is 7:40PM in New York where my editor is, but hey, as long as it's before midnight I'm in the clear, right?<br /><br />So now I'm freed up to work on other things--like the book that I'm supposed to be done writing by January 31. That's a self-imposed deadline, though, and I've already conceded it's not gonna happen, so I'm moving it to the end of the first week of February and just dealing with the fact that I won't have a whole month away from it before I start edits--which is a bummer, since I'm supposed to research and outline book 5 while also beginning a collaborative project with a friend. <br /><br />I've been working on a new website in my "free time," and will be ready to launch it next week. To celebrate, I'll be holding a bonus contest in my January newsletter, so if you're not signed up to receive that, just enter your email addy in the sign up field. I'll also be premiering the trailer for <span style="font-style:italic;">The Weight of Shadows</span> in that issue, and I can't wait for everyone to see it--I think it turned out *very* well.<br /><br />Well, PJ finally fell asleep on my lap (an hour past bedtime), so I think that's my cue to sign off. Happy 2010--looking forward to putting new books in your hands this year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-77028672020348472362009-12-15T07:51:00.001-08:002009-12-15T09:47:17.995-08:00Have you seen those prize bundles?!I was just over at <a href="http://project320.blogspot.com">Project 320</a>. I've already used up all my raffle tickets, so I can't try for any more of the bundles--and man, am I missing out! Have you gone over there since they started posting them?! There is some really beautiful stuff! Seriously, check it out. If nothing else, donate just $10 (they have a little thing you can print up now to give to someone if you're donating as a gift in someone else's name--a great way to finish up your Christmas shopping!) and help them get the last $600 they need to build the well. Yes, that's right, they've already raised $4,400--actually, more than that, but it was some un-round number I don't remember. :D Anyway, believe me, these gift baskets are incredible, and they're posting 3 new ones all week. (But then they're drawing winners each day, too, so if you see something you really like, best to jump on it.) <br /><br />What an awesome opportunity, and what a wonderful project. I'm so glad I got to be a part of it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-18629253872177636682009-12-06T19:57:00.000-08:002009-12-06T20:04:22.804-08:00Project 320Want to build a well for water in Africa--for just $10? Head over to <a href="http://project320.blogspot.com/">Project 320 </a>and you can do just that by entering the raffle they're holding. <a href="http://project320.blogspot.com/2009/12/on-december-14th.html">The story of this</a> is just incredible, and what better time than now in the Christmas season?<br /><br />And hey, here's an idea--you know how you're always wracking your brain to figure out gifts for those hard-to-shop-for-people? Well, half the time they're hard to shop for because they already have everything they want. So why not make a donation in their name and make a nice little card that tells them they helped make the lives of a few hundred people better? They'll probably be thrilled to not have another sweater or tie or scarf or knick-knack that they don't really need--and they'll *really* thank you if they win one of the gift baskets!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-21884189718677920052009-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:002009-12-03T19:52:06.673-08:00Come see me! Buy my books!Tomorrow (Friday) from 9a-11a I'm selling and signing my books at the Northglenn Dazbog (1050 W. 104th Ave). If you're in the area, come grab one of the best mochas in the world and do a little shopping--personalized and autographed books make a great Christmas gift for hard to shop for people! This event is hosted by the local Denver ACFW chapter, and we're also having a used book sale. Coffee and books--seriously, what better way to start your Friday?!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-26787047155272888082009-12-01T11:51:00.000-08:002009-12-01T12:09:27.775-08:00LOST: My NovemberI could have sworn I had it right here. I was looking at it when I wrote my last blog post FIVE WEEKS AGO. It had some nice goals on it, some appointments, and a holiday. But I woke up this morning and realized I think I've lost it. It's gone. <br /><br />And here I am on December first--STILL NOT WRITING MY NEXT BOOK. But, disappointed as I am, I have to once again give mad props to Scrivener for being such a freaking awesome program. I'm nearly done with the snowflake for MM--like, 18 scenes left to flesh out--and this is the longest this last step has taken me before. I was trying to figure out why, and I realized it's because the space where I'm writing all the scene details is so BIG. In the past I'd done this step in a spreadsheet, and even though I set the preferences so that the boxes would expand to fit whatever I typed, I still only had this teensy little box to look at while I wrote. And the small visual ended up limiting me. I wouldn't flesh things out as much as I could have, and I'd write in weird shorthand that would have me scratching my head later when it came time to actually write the scene. But this time around, I've got this nice wide column that just goes on forever, and I can type, type, type to my little heart's content and not worry about how small the space is I'm trying to squeeze everything into. And so, I *am* typing and typing and typing--including bits of dialogue that come to me, making notes to myself of things I want to make sure get mentioned in passing, even adding details like what someone is wearing if I think I might not remember when the time comes to actually write the scene. (And let's face it: I won't remember.)<br /><br />So THAT'S why it's December 1 and I'm still not writing this book: because Scrivener is giving me the space I need to be as creative as I can be in this last snowflake step, which means once I do finally start writing it's going to go much, much faster. So it's all good, even if I am a whole month behind.<br /><br />And speaking of being behind, I'm yet again doing major edits on Reinventing Rachel, which releases with Cook in September. It was supposed to release this past September, so you can't get much more behind than that. But wow y'all, this book is SO MUCH BETTER than I ever thought it would be. I'm really excited for you to read it. And for those of you out there who are slaving away on your manuscript, let me just say that Nicci Hubert is the absolutely best editor I've ever worked with. Which I'll admit isn't saying all that much since I've only worked with a few. And I've been blessed in that all the editors I've worked with have definitely be above par. But ho.lee.cow. If you *ever* have the chance to work with her, you must. MUST. If you could see the HUGE changes made from the first draft I submitted to her, to what we're working on now, you'd realize that the woman is some kind of editing superhero.<br /><br />Alrighty--lunch is just about eaten, then I have phone calls galore to make (most definitely the worst part of my day--I HATE USING THE PHONE), then a small tome's worth of paperwork to fill out for yet another evaluation for PJ that is set for tomorrow, and then! Then! THEN I get to work on scenes and edits. Hope you're all having a lovely Tuesday. I promise not to let five weeks pass before writing again. I'll keep much closer tabs on my months from now on.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-90242167967789479422009-10-26T19:13:00.000-07:002009-10-26T19:23:35.214-07:00Scrivenings about ScrivenerCan't remember if I've blogged about <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/">The Best Writer's Software Ever</a> here before, but I know I mentioned it on my newsletter. For those who read the blog and not the newsletter (silly people!) <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/">Scrivener</a> is a unique writer's software that lets you do all sorts of amazing stuff. If I had more time I'd wax lyrical about all its amazing features, but since I'm itching to get back to character-building I'll just recommend you check out their website and <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/videos/index.html">watch the tutorial videos</a>--or you can <a href="http://community.icontact.com/p/alisonstrobel/newsletters/alisonstrobel/posts/sweet-software-a-stellar-new-book-and-who-gets-to-name-the-characters">read the newsletter where I wrote about it</a>. Seriously, if you're a writer, you need this software. Not just fiction writers, either--anyone would benefit from it.<br /><br />The one thing some people see as a drawback of the program (not me, of course!) is that it is only written for Macs. The guy who developed it is a Mac guy, and actually learned how to code for Macs just so he could develop the software for the OS X platform. However, he gets asked *constantly* whether or not he'll make a PC version, and now he's taking a poll to see what the real interest for that version would be. If you like what you see but want it for Windows, <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/about.html">click here and scroll to the bottom </a>to go to their poll and give him a thumbs up for PC.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-29876770957418566792009-10-25T12:45:00.001-07:002009-10-25T12:48:22.566-07:00Help me research!I've started the research for the next book and wow, this one's gonna be a research doozy! I'm looking at some books I may get for some of it, but it's always so much more helpful for me to be able to dialogue with people who are experienced in the area I'm researching, so I can ask the weird little questions that books don't typically address. So, to that end, I'm putting out a call! If you or someone you know has either had a heart transplant, knows someone who has, or has served on a medical team that performs heart transplants, and you/they would be interested in answering some questions for me, please send me a note. Thank you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-43329692733682552532009-10-23T06:21:00.000-07:002009-10-23T06:36:55.398-07:00Done. Really.When I got back from the ACFW conference, I "took back" my manuscript from Nicci the Wonder Editor because I had come up with so many changes I wanted to make. Well, when I started making those changes, I found other things to change, and then some more, and, well, I FINALLY finished last night, a month after starting "just a few quick changes." I just don't know how to stop!<br /><br />What's funny is that two of the scenes I was going to change ended up not getting touched, at least not as extensively as I'd originally intended. But once I started reading through the book--for the first time since finishing it--SO MANY THINGS jumped out at me. But it was nearly all craft stuff. Wording--making it better. Description--cutting it or making it more compelling, since description ends up getting skimmed by the reader 90% of the time anyway. Explaining--Oh.My.Gosh. I spend WAY too much time hitting you, my poor readers, over the head with things! Can you say "control freak"? I'm working really, really hard on subtlty, and on trusting you to be smart enough to figure things out without me pointing them out and clarifying and explaining all the time.<br /><br />So anyway. I think the book is way better now.I'll have to compare versions to see how many words I ended up cutting--I slashed entire paragraphs, entire <span style="font-style:italic;">pages </span>in more than once place. Granted in some places I replaced those paragraphs with new ones, though none of the pages got replaced with entire pages, that's for sure. <br /><br />And I have to say, this book turned out SO much better than I expected. Struggling with it for so long, rewriting it twice (or was it three times? It's been so long--I started it back before Abby was born!--I forget now how many incarnations it's had!), I just couldn't see it objectively anymore. I always get to that point with my books, but with this one I just couldn't bear to think about it anymore. But taking that month away and then coming back to make those "few changes" gave me the perspective I needed, and now I'm feeling a lot better about it. If I had more time, there are some changes I'd make, but it's time to let it go. There are *always* more changes that can be made; eventually you just have to shut the laptop and say, "No more!"<br /><br />And so, I am officially done with <span style="font-style:italic;">Reinventing Rachel</span>. Until Nicci the Wonder Editor sends me her comments, anyway. Until then--I have a week to get the snowflake done for <span style="font-style:italic;">Muscle Memories</span>, the book I'm NaNoWriMo'ing starting (hopefully) November 1. I worked some more on it yesterday while sitting in the car with two sleeping girls at REI in Denver. I'm almost done with the third step, and I figured out one of the parts I was stuck on, so that's good. Still looking for more layers, trying to build in more complexity and twists. I think those came more easily with <span style="font-style:italic;">The Weight of Shadows</span>. I'm hoping, though, that as I continue to snowflake more of those will pop up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-41705281816296939732009-10-10T19:50:00.000-07:002009-10-10T19:53:22.218-07:00Public Service AnnouncementBefore braving snow and ice and a 45 minute drive in sub-freezing temperatures to go to an event, double check that you've got the right date. Because you're going to feel like a serious idiot if you get all the way down there only to discover that no one knows what you're talking about because the freaking book signing isn't until NEXT WEEK.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-65571480096983197172009-10-03T14:04:00.001-07:002009-10-03T14:25:52.874-07:00My first weekendIt's been a long time since I let my weekend be a true weekend. Tpyically when I'm working on a book, I see every day as a work day. It's one of the difficulties of working at home--it's very easy to slip upstairs and do a little work, even when you're supposed to be taking a breather.<br /><br />I got really burned out after working through the summer to get my rewrite finished. I was frustrated because I felt like I had no time to recharge, to do things that help me relax, like scrapbooking and reading and working on my fledgling crochet skills. Every spare minute was going towards getting the book done, and by the time it was done, so was I.<br /><br />So I told Dan I was going to start forcing myself to take a weekend. It doesn't have to be Saturday and Sunday, and it doesn't even have to be two consecutive days. Just two days during the week when I can hide myself away and do things that fill me back up. Creativity doesn't exist in a vacuum, and my writing creativity is fueled when my craft-y creativity is exercised.<br /><br />So I have some new yarn and am going to start a hat for Dan on my cheater loom. I'm going to finish my 2007 Heritage Makers scrapbook and get it printed. I'm going to start my 2008, 2009, and California-to-Colorado move scrapbooks. I'm going to start PJ's first year baby book. I'm going to pull out the crocheting my mother-in-law started me on and try to pick that back up. And I'm going to READ. I'm in the middle of Christa Parrish's "Watch Over Me"--she's a fabulous new voice in Christian fiction, and I highly recommend her--and just started Diana Gabaldon's newest installment in the Outlander series, which is not as engaging as her other books were, though that might just be becuase it's been over two years since I read the last book and have forgotten the majority of the subplots and minor characters.<br /><br />Today I'm pinned beneath a sleeping PJ on the couch and watching hockey (Go Avalanche!) and football (Go Irish! Go Illinois!). Once Abby is up from her nap we're all going downtown for Oktoberfest. I'm really having to fight the impulse to do some research or something, but I don't want to start giving myself excuses. The desire to be productive is going to have to be satisfied by the 4 loads of laundry I've done today. I have a hard time letting myself "not to anything," but I need to remember that margin and recreation DOES do something--it refreshes and reorients and re-energizes. <br /><br />PJ is awake; Abby is going on 3 hours of nap and should probably be dragged out of bed soon so she's not awake until 11PM. The last load of laundry is spinning in the washing machine and it's sunny out for Oktoberfest. My first weekend in a long time. I think I could get used to this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-59098085457408237132009-10-01T11:49:00.001-07:002009-10-01T12:24:06.909-07:00Here we go!Today marks the beginning of a new book project for me. This book is the second for my Zondervan contract and will release April 2011. So weird to think how long it takes for the whole process, eh? And what's really nuts is that starting this book will mean I have three books in process at one time. Oi! How my brain keeps them all straight, I don't know, especially considering how few other things I can keep track of in life. I guess my plots and characters are taking up all the space and crowding out all the day-to-day stuff. :)<br /><br />This month I'll be working on the research and snowflake for the book. If you've been reading my blog for the last few years, then you know how much I loathe research. I used to love it in college. Now, not so much. I just want to get to the story! But this one is going to take some serious work to get certain parts of it right, and the only thing I hate more than research is having someone read my book and point out all the mistakes I made. I'll do the research after I've done the snowflake, since I'd rather get all the research done at once, and once the snowflake is done I should have figured out all the things I need to learn and verify. I actually started working on the snowflake last month--Dan bought me a Treo (my first ever cool phone--usually I get the "free with a two year contract" piece of junk) and I've been writing the first three steps in the memo program. And this time I'm going to augment the character-building steps with some of the character-building questions I learned in the "My Book Therapy" session at the ACFW conference. <br /><br />As I did last year with <span style="font-style:italic;">The Weight of Shadows</span>, I'll be using National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) in November to start the actual draft. I'm already registered, already changed my home region to Denver, and am hopeful that I might get to actually join some fellow NaNoWriMoers at a local writing meetup. <br /><br />NaNoWriMo should get me at least 50,000 words into the draft if I stay disciplined, which means I'll have December to finish it up. Last year I stuck with my 1667 words a day (that's what you write every day during NaNoWriMo) and finished it in plenty of time; this year I'm hoping for the same, although my brother and his awesome wife Kelli will be here for a few days at Christmas, so I may find myself playing catch-up that last week of the month.<br /><br />January I'll put the thing away, cleanse my head of the story, and dive into the snowflake for book number two of my David C. Cook contract. I actually started the snowflake for that one already, too, back when that was going to be the book I worked on this month. Then in February I'll print out this book, do my own editing, and then send it in March 1 to editor extraordinaire, Sue Brower. Five months and voila! A book!<br /><br />In other news...<br /><br />If you're not a subscriber to my newsletter, then you might not know that <span style="font-style:italic;">The Weight of Shadows</span> is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Shadows-Novel-Alison-Strobel/dp/0310289459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254425009&sr=8-1">available on Amazon for pre-order</a>. I hope you'll consider placing an order--I would really love to see the thing hit their best-seller chart the day it releases, a totally doable goal if folks take advantage of the pre-order feature. If you're willing to do that, may I suggest signing up for my newsletter first, so you can enter the contest I'm running when you place your order? Just sign up in the field to the right, and you'll get an email with a link to the current newsletter that describes the contest. It's a multi-layered contest, with the first ten pre-orderers getting a free book and all the orderers between now and April 1 getting a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to your favorite book store. After the book is released, another contest will start...but again, only newsletter subscribers are eligible! (The letter is bi-monthly, and not that long; you're not going to get inundated with mail, I promise.)<br /><br />Well, at this rate, today is going to be a day of talking about research and plotting, and not actually doing any of it. Not good. Time to get to work!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-88039671524438521672009-09-27T09:25:00.000-07:002009-09-27T09:29:08.716-07:00Questions, questions...I'm going to be making soem changes to my website, including adding a page especially for book clubs. I'd love to put some downloadable discussion questions for each book on that page--but to do that I need some questions! If you've read <i>Worlds Collide</i> or <i>Violette Between</i> and would like to submit a question, please email itto me at alison @ alison dot com and I'll list you as a contributor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-49793025746727733442009-09-25T22:14:00.001-07:002009-09-25T22:22:43.735-07:00Come see me at The Journey Event!On Oct. 10 I'll be at <a href="http://www.gleneyrie.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/contactus">Glen Eyrie Castle Bookstore</a> in Colorado Springs from 1-3, along with <a href="http://beckyharling.com/">Becky Harling</a> and Larry Killam, as part of <a href="http://www.thejourneyevent.com/Home/tabid/864/language/en-US/Default.aspx">The Journey Event 2009</a>. This is a massive book signing event spread out over two days and four bookstores, with over twenty Christian authors participating. <br /><br />If you own a business or live anywhere near Colorado Springs, and would be willing to post or distribute fliers for this event, please let me know and I'll get you some. Please be sure to let your church know to put it in the bulletin next weekend, too!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-44943371926357389262009-09-19T20:30:00.000-07:002009-09-19T20:46:31.219-07:00Conference thoughts and one last chance....This weekend was the ACFW Conference--my first writer's conference as an attendee. (How weird that I've taught at one, but never attended one.) Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was only able to attend Thursday and Friday, and only for the workshops. But it was SO worth it. Thursday's session with Donald Maass of Writing the Breakout Novel fame was TREMENDOUS. If you are serious about your writing and ever have the opportunity to attend one of his sessions, DO IT. If that had been the only day I could attend, it would have been worth it. The other sessions I attended Friday were great, too, although in hindsight I should have signed up for the next track up on the ladder. I am really focused on improving my writing at a foundational level right now, but I underestimated how much I already know and found myself in a track that was a little too elementary for me. But I still learned some things, and now I know for sure next time what track to do.<br /><br />Probably the most important thing I learned is that I need to swallow my pride, get over myself, and start seriously searching for a mentor. No more excuses. I can't expect to get any better just by reading books and attending one conference a decade. I need to be working one-on-one with someone who is a few steps ahead of me on the writing journey who can sharpen and challenge me. Seriously though? It SO scares me. I'm not good at taking criticism. I'm getting a lot better, but I really fear having someone tell me what I've written is crap. But if no one is speaking truth to you, how can you grow, right? <br /><br />I'm going to be sending out my next newsletter this week. If you're not yet a subscriber, please take a second to become one by filling out the email field in the little box up there on the right. The next newsletter will highlight an exciting opportunity open only to newsletter subscribers, and you're not going to want to miss it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-6509108956474703002009-09-15T11:51:00.000-07:002009-09-16T07:35:12.279-07:00Extremely Insightful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IJmhRuYfj74/SrD3H-nM2sI/AAAAAAAAATE/BBHsUvo3Z9M/s1600-h/cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IJmhRuYfj74/SrD3H-nM2sI/AAAAAAAAATE/BBHsUvo3Z9M/s320/cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382073271146306242" /></a><br />Have you ever met a Christian who seems way too happy? They're always in a good mood, nothing ever seems to get them down, they're always talking about how the Lord is blessing them and seem to think every adversity is a chance for God to show how he provides for his children? And you think to yourself, <span style="font-style:italic;">If this person ever faces any REAL trouble in life, that perma-smile and perky outlook are gonna go right out the window. </span> <br /><br />Well, I read Kimberley Woodhouse's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Home-Familys-Journey-Extreme/dp/1589975731/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253111453&sr=8-1">Welcome Home! My Journey to Extreme Joy</a> and I can tell you I will never think that way again. Turns out joy can indeed persevere, flourish, and even thrive through adversity--and I'm talking some serious adversity here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IJmhRuYfj74/SrD3IEnrMXI/AAAAAAAAATM/wMOQuP77rZ8/s1600-h/small+headshot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IJmhRuYfj74/SrD3IEnrMXI/AAAAAAAAATM/wMOQuP77rZ8/s320/small+headshot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382073272758907250" /></a>When I first started reading Welcome Home! I was a little...well...put off, honestly, by how Kim always seemed to see the bright side and stay so positive. I mean, no one would fault her for being a little cynical, a little jaded, after everything she and her family have been through. I thought maybe she was one of those Christians who is afraid to admit she's scared, or angry at God, or worried that maybe things aren't going to turn out okay in the end, lest a negative experience be all that it takes to sweep away her faith. I wanted her to admit, just once, that she doubted God's goodness, that at least once she decided to chuck Christianity altogether. I mean, that's how people are "supposed" to react when they're hit in the face with tragedy and strife. Sure, eventually they may come back to the faith, with a few dings in their shield of faith, but still wielding it nonetheless. But how can you face up in an honest way to those kinds of experiences and NOT be a little worse for the wear?<br /><br />Oh me of little faith.<br /><br />Kim reminded me--often--of James' words to "consider it pure joy...when faced with trials of many kinds." Oh yeah. Not that I forget about that verse--it's just that I tend to quote it while gritting my teeth and rolling my eyes. Not Kim, though. She has the audacity to take God at his word and believe that we actually CAN have joy--true, authentic joy, not a mask with a smile that hides our true feelings--in the midst of trials.<br /><br />Welcome Home! was not only an inspiring story, but a mirror that showed me the inadequacy of my own faith. That might sound depressing--who wants to read a book that reminds them at every turn that they suck?--but it was actually incredibly uplifting. To see someone living out their faith the way the Bible encourages us to helped me to see the ways in which I need to deepen my own relationship with Christ. And since I'm the kind of person who needs "action points" to focus on, I was glad to have the pointers.<br /><br />So...in a nutshell, the book was great and I highly recommend it. And you might have noticed Kim's name on the list of authors I posted last night who will be at the Denver book signing on Saturday. So after you've stopped by my table (nudge nudge) be sure to head over to Kim's and grab a copy of Welcome Home! I'm confident you'll find it as extremely insightful as I did.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-25633443603333755532009-09-14T19:40:00.001-07:002009-09-14T19:44:56.042-07:00Massive book signing even this Saturday!So I'm gearing up for the long-awaited ACFW Annual Conference--woot!--and in my excitement nearly forgot to post about the huuuuuuge book signing event they're doing this Saturday. Nearly 100 authors (including me) will be signing their books at the conference bookstore. Bring your own copies, buy books at your favorite local bookstore, or get them at the signing!<br /><br />September 19th, 2009 <br />4:00-5:30 pm <br />Denver Marriott Tech Center<br />4900 S. Syracuse Street<br /><br />Authors who will be participating:<br />Carolyne Aarsen<br />Diane Ashley<br />Ruth Axtell Morren<br />Karen Ball<br />Rick Barry<br />Christina Berry<br />Lauralee Bliss<br />Diana Brandmeyer<br />Sandra Bricker<br />Margaret Brownley<br />Candace Calvert<br />Robin Caroll<br />Jeanie Smith Cash<br />Colleen Coble<br />Brandilyn Collins<br />Mary Connealy<br />Shirley Connolly<br />Margaret Daley<br />Susan Page Davis<br />Mary Davis<br />Janet Dean<br />Megan DiMaria<br />Lena Nelson Dooley<br />Wanda Dyson<br />Leanna Ellis<br />Pamela Ewen<br />Miralee Ferrell<br />Linda Ford<br />Tina Ann Forkner<br />Darlene Franklin<br />Judy Gann<br />Jeff Gerke<br />Rhonda Gibson<br />Debby Giusti<br />Sandra Glahn<br />Elizabeth Goddard<br />Winnie Griggs<br />Rene Gutteridge<br />Cathy Marie Hake<br />Lisa Harris<br />Mary Hawkins<br />Roxanne Henke<br />Cynthia Hickey<br />Patti Hill<br />Denise Hunter<br />Annette Irby<br />Myra Johnson<br />Liz Johnson<br />Jenny Jones<br />Eileen Key<br />LAURIE Kingery<br />Kathleen Kovach<br />Harry Kraus<br />Jeanne Marie Leach<br />Tosca Lee<br />Julie Lessman<br />Loree Lough<br />Elizabeth Ludwig<br />Richard Mabry<br />Debbie Macomber<br />Joyce Magnin<br />Gail Gaymer Martin<br />Judy/Jude Martin-Urban/Urbanski<br />Debby Mayne<br />Aaron McCarver<br />Vickie McDonough<br />Dana Mentink<br />Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll<br />DiAnn Mills<br />Stephanie Morrill<br />Janelle Mowery<br />Jill Elizabeth Nelson<br />Kevin Parsons<br />Golden Keyes Parsons<br />Donita K. Paul<br />Tracie Peterson<br />Allie Pleiter<br />Cara Putman<br />Tara Randel<br />Deborah Raney<br />Sandra Robbins<br />Kim Sawyer<br />Marc Schooley<br />Michael Sheehan<br />Shelley Shepard Gray<br />Ann Shorey<br />Beth Shriver<br />Sandra Lee Smith<br />Virginia Smith<br />Betsy St. Amant<br />Therese Stenzel<br />Stuart Stockton<br />Alison Strobel<br />Michelle Sutton<br />Camy Tang<br />Donn Taylor<br />Janice (Hanna) Thompson<br />Missy Tippens<br />Pamela Tracy<br />Carrie Turansky<br />Deborah Vogts<br />Jenness Walker<br />Dan Walsh<br />Susan May Warren<br />Michael Webb<br />Kit Wilkinson<br />Lisa Wingate<br />Beth Wiseman<br />Kimberley Woodhouse<br />Lenora Worth<br />Cheryl Wyatt<br />Kathleen Y'BarboUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-18004423529686527422009-09-05T11:49:00.001-07:002009-09-05T12:15:55.965-07:00Searching for StyleI've been pondering lately what writing style I want to settle on and cultivate as my own. The style and tone of my books seems to change every time, and I know part of that is just maturing and growing as a writer, but I think it's time to aim for consistency.<br /><br />But when I think about the authors I read that have multiple stand-alone books, I notice that, because their style is consistent, their books all "read" the same. In a series this would make sense--the same characters, the same voices, etc. But when the characters change, shouldn't the tone of the book as well?<br /><br />A good example is Jodi Picoult. I love her books. I aspire to her level of plot and character development and use of figurative language. But it dawned on me after reading her most recent book that every character is eloquent, both in spoken word and thought, and that every book is written in the same style. There's almost always a major twist at the very end, when there's just a page or two left and you don't think she can possibly cram any more plot in there. There's almost always a marriage on the rocks in one way or another. There's almost always courtroom drama. There's always a plethora of well-crafted metaphors and similes sprinkled throughout the tight, crafted-within-an-inch-of-its-life-but-it-doesn't-read-that-way narrative. And, as I read this last book of hers, I found myself getting bored with it. I'm sorry, but 13-year-olds aren't that insightful or articulate. Mothers who are short on sleep and stressed to the nth degree aren't that coherent. And the ending? It didn't surprise me one iota, because I knew before I even loaded the book onto my Sony eReader that <span style="font-style:italic;">something</span> tragic was going to happen at the very last second. No tears from me this time. In fact, I felt a little irritated, because I felt like she was trying to manipulate my emotions.<br /><br />So, in light of that, I wonder if I ought to try to settle on one style or not. Maybe my "style" is that every book feels different, sounds different. My question to those of you who read authors who write stand-alones: do you notice a similarity between them? Does it make the books feel the same to you, or am I particularly sensitive (or is it picky?)? If an author's books <span style="font-style:italic;">didn't</span> exhibit a consistent style, would you notice? Would you care?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-40822599707212656692009-08-18T19:47:00.000-07:002009-08-18T19:48:20.213-07:00Novel Math39 scenes / 13 days = 3 scenes per day to meet my September 1 deadline.<br /><br />Ready...<br /><br />set...<br /><br />GO.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-5565127030028876902009-08-12T20:48:00.000-07:002009-08-13T05:16:04.055-07:00Answer the callThe internet is a funny thing. You stumble upon someone's blog--some random person you don't know from Adam, who could be who they say they are and could also just be playing you--and something they say resonates with you, so you keep coming back. After a while you realize you know the names of their kids, the name of the guy who broke their heart, what they did last weekend and what they want to do with the rest of their life. You leave a comment now and then, and then they start to comment on <i>your</i> blog, and before long you're chatting over Gmail. The next thing you know, you refer to the person as "my friend."<br /><br />I was lucky enough to meet "my friend" a few weeks ago when she was at ICRS here in Denver. <a href="http://ragamuffindiva.blogspot.com">Claudia, aka the Ragamuffin Diva</a>, whose life is so different from mine it's hard to imagine we live on the same planet, much less in the same country, was just as fabulous and funny and sweet in person as she is on her blog. I honestly don't know how we got to the point where we truly were friends--friends who email, who talk on the phone, who lift each other up when we're beaten down and talk each other down when we're peering over the edge of the cliff of writing-induced insanity. But it happened, and my life is blessed and richer for having Claudia in my life.<br /><br />Tonight I got an email from Claudia. Here's what it said:<br /><br /><i>“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.” – Dorothy Day<br /><br />One of my favorite parts of Dorothy Day’s autobiography, The Long Loneliness is the postscript at the end. She writes, “We were just sitting there talking when…” She goes on say that Peter Maurin came, and lines of people needing bread—and she couldn’t tell them, “Go, be thou filled!” Folks moved in and the walls expanded. “It was as casual as that,” Dorothy writes, “It just came about. It just happened.”<br /><br />My friend Lisa Samson and I were just sitting there talking when someone brought up human trafficking. I’ve always wanted to do something to relieve this brand of suffering. The needs are astounding, but these victims are so easily forgotten, truly the least of the least of these Jesus talked about. Turns out Lisa always wanted to do something for this needy group of people God loves so much, too. In the wee hours of the morning, a work of mercy and hospitality, The Living Room, was born.<br /><br />We’re going to get a building in downtown Lexington. People have already offered their expertise to help us get started. In a safe, cozy respite, we’ll quietly offer compassion, coffee, and a comfortable seat to women who come off the street, or find their way to us by other means. We’re going to preach the gospel, but only use words when we absolutely must. If the ladies need more we’ll give them that, too. We’ll make wrap-around services available. God sent me to school, inexplicably, to be a social worker fifteen years ago. Now I know why. Ken and I, and the whole Burney brood were on our way to Lexington on August 3 for our first vision trip. We were so excited.<br /><br />On July 28th, our car was stolen. Two days later, we got an eviction notice. Most of the time I’m given room to get our rent payments in. Our apartment managers know I’m a writer. My income comes in slowly, but I wasn’t given that wide and generous berth this time. We have ten days to leave. I don’t have the means to fix this. I’ve tried, in the most humbling, pride crushing ways, but I gots nuthin’. I have felt every terror and loneliness a mother with four children and a disabled husband would feel in this awful predicament. But I keep hearing voices—no, not that kind!—but friends urging me to ask my readers and cyber-friends for help. Among those voices is my soul-mother Dorothy Day who said, “the only solution is love, and that love comes with community.”<br /><br />If I’ve had an intentional community, it’s been here in cyber-space. We have laughed, cried, prayed, and stumbled along on the journey together. Now, I need your help, as I never have before.<br /><br />Will you join me in love? Could you find it in your heart to be a part of the solution to this difficult set of circumstances? I want you to be part of our mission to love people for Jesus. Will you help my family get to Lexington where opportunity awaits us? We would be so grateful.</i><br /><br />It's a humbling thing to write a letter like that. But it's the right thing to do, to ask your community for help. I may be a couple thousand miles away from Inkster, Michigan where the Burney family lives, but I'm still a part of her community, because the body of Christ is not contained by state borders or divided by interstate highways. And so, because I am a part of her community, I'm going to help her in whatever ways I can--like by posting the ChipIn widget in the sidebar, and donating to her family. <br /><br />They need a car. And a U-Haul. And gas to drive to Kentucky. And insurance for the car. And hotel rooms to stay in on the way down there. And food to eat. And cell phones. And rent once they're in Lexington. And while some book contracts and bestsellers for Claudia and some tattoo customers for Ken would be great, those aren't the kinds of things we can whip out of our pockets. All that other stuff, though--the car, the gas, the hotel rooms, the food--we <i>can</i> provide.<br /><br />So here's the thing. I know there are a lot of you out there. Five bucks multiplied by 10--or 15, or 25, or 100--of you would go a LONG way to helping the Burneys. Even if all you can spare is one dollar, that's one dollar more than they have right now. The widget will bring you to PayPal. Don't worry if you don't have a Paypal account, you can still use the service. <br /><br />Thanks in advance to all of you who are able to chip in.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-74964742556168739692009-08-05T08:05:00.000-07:002009-08-05T08:17:09.975-07:00Deadly Intent by Camy TangIf you've read my blog for a while you'll probably remember the interviews I did with Camy Tang when she was blog-touring her first three chick-lit novels. I was lucky to recently have the chance to meet Camy in person and indulge in some seriously delicious cupcakes at an author reception at ICRS--it was great to finally meet the woman whose blog and books I'd been reading for some time. She's a crack-up, and I wish she lived a little closer than the Bay Area! <br /><br />Camy recently took a turn on the genre trail and published her first romantic suspense with Stteple Hill, called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Intent-Steeple-Inspired-Suspense/dp/0373443471/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249485362&sr=8-2"><i>Deadly Intent</i></a>. Here's the back cover blurb:<br /><br /><i>SCENE OF THE CRIME <br /><br />The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake...and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn...and whom can she trust? </i><br /><br />I interviewed Camy to find out a little more about her genre switch...<br /><br /><b>Your first three books are all chick-lit, but Deadly Intent is romantic suspense. What made you decide to change genres? </b><br /><br />I love reading romantic suspense, and when the chance came to submit to Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, I jumped at it! I'm very fortunate to be able to write for two different publishing houses. <br /><br /><b>How different was the process for you, writing in a different genre? </b><br /><br />I actually had to "get into the mindset"! I watched a lot of NCIS and CSI—not for research, but just to get into that crime-fighting brain mode! I also listened to suspenseful movie music while I was writing. <br /><br /><b>What can we expect next from you--will you go back to chick-lit, or continue with romantic suspense? </b><br /><br />My next novel is another humorous romantic suspense from Zondervan! It releases in May 2010, and the tentative title right now is BAD DOG: A NOVEL. Here's a little blurb, not official, but just to give you a taste of what it'll be like: <br /><br /><i>Tessa Ota, a professional dog trainer, is having a bad year. <br /><br />While moving ahead with renovation plans for her new dog kenneling and training facility, Tessa needs to move in with her disapproving mother and her antagonist sister. She convinces her ex-boyfriend to take her dog for a few months … but discovers that his brother is the irate engineer whose car she rammed a few weeks earlier. <br /><br />Charles Bretton has enough problems. His mama has just shown up on his doorstep all the way from Louisiana, and his brother has to move in with him after being kicked out of his apartment—with a dog in tow. And guess who the dog’s owner is? <br /><br />His brother’s slovenliness, Mama’s diabetic bouts with low blood sugar, and the dog’s bad behavior are all distracting Charles from his wedding plans with a woman whose family connections will help Charles in his career. But he can’t help being attracted to the dog trainer whose sunny smile masks her bitterness at hypocritical Christians, and he starts to wonder about his own professed faith. <br /><br />Will Tessa’s disjointed family and Charles’s disruptive home prevent both of them from discovering what’s really important? </i><br /><br /><b>What are you reading right now?</b><br /><br />I admit, I read very widely, so right now I'm reading Julia Quinn's latest Regency historical romance, WHAT HAPPENS IN LONDON. Loving it! One day I'd like to visit London! <br /><br />Thanks for chatting with me, Camy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-13539823767113675982009-07-31T20:19:00.000-07:002009-07-31T20:26:03.863-07:00Coming out of hiding....It's been quite a summer. I started it in California and am ending it in Colorado. I still have a lot of boxes to unpack, and some new furniture to stain in my "spare time," a book to finish editing and a book to finish writing, and a lot of books to read. I've been doing some thinking, too, about this blog and its purpose. Still thinking, but expect to see a lot more discussion about books and the craft of writing and less of the politics and parenting. Not that I'm going to stop blogging about those things--I'm just not going to do it here. The blog for those topics will be up and running soon, and when it goes live I'll add the link to the sidebar.<br /><br />I'm trying to unearth my desk at the moment, but I wanted to come back in, say hi, and dust things off a little here while I was thinking about it. I'll be back to post some more in a day or two. Until then, leave me a comment and tell me what you read this summer. Would you recommend it? I'm always looking for another book to read....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-56871556871682089482009-05-06T18:36:00.001-07:002009-05-06T18:47:48.013-07:00You have three days. What are you getting her?Any idea what to get your mom for Mother's Day this year? If you're still scrambling, let me give you a quick idea--a copy of <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Collide-Alison-Strobel/dp/1578567939/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241660791&sr=8-4">Worlds Collide</a></span> or <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Violette-Between-Alison-Strobel/dp/1578567947/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241660821&sr=1-1">Violette Between</a></span>, with the promise that, in a day or two, she'll receive a beautiful bookplate with a personalized inscription from the author!<br /><br />I absolutely love them and am so happy to be able to finally offer this for those of you who live nowhere near me but still want a signed book. :) All you have to do is send me an email at alison at alisonstrobel dot com and tell me:<br /><br />1. What book the bookplate will go into (I have two styles, coordinated to the books' covers)<br />2. Who to sign the book to<br />3. Any special message (Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, etc.)<br />4. Where to send it<br /><br />And the best part--they're free! So pick up a copy of Worlds Collide or Violette Between today and drop me a line. I'd love to wish your mom a Happy Mother's Day. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-3566002297241234822009-05-04T22:15:00.001-07:002009-05-04T22:16:32.984-07:00For my fellow CaliforniansBreaking my hiatus with this quick Public Service Announcement for my Cali homies:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hjta.org/">Props 1A-1F are scams.</a> Vote NO on May 19th!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10782155.post-60230702913640916412009-04-23T14:23:00.000-07:002009-04-23T14:34:11.866-07:00Don't tell me you didn't see it comingHere's the thing: 4 books, 2 kids, 1 husband, approximately 6 weeks until we move. The numbers don't lie. I'm in over my head. Something's gotta give, and it's gonna be the blog.<br /><br />So, barring some really huge announcement that I don't currently know, chances are I won't be blogging for a while. If you're on Facebook, you can look for me there--I <span style="font-style:italic;">can</span> handle composing the occasional status update--and if you get my newsletter then you'll be sure to get the latest news on my upcoming release, <span style="font-style:italic;">Reinventing Rachel</span>. (And if you're not a subscriber, please sign up! The form's over on the right-hand side, or you can see it smack-dab in the middle of <a href="http://www.alisonstrobel.com">my website's homepage</a>.)<br /><br />In the meantime...<br /><br />--> don't forget to sign up at <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org">DownsizeDC.org</a> to help shrink the federal government back to its intended size. SUCH a fantastic organization, really really love them. <br /><br />--> don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=ikeasaurus">the auction</a> being held for <a href="http://www.ikeasaurus.com">Baby Ike</a> and his family. It's looking pretty certain that the little guy is going to need reconstructive surgery on his esophagus, and when you've got crappy COBRA insurance (and have to fly from Texas to be there, and then have to stay for a month in the PICU, and the parents have to, like, eat and sleep somewhere), it gets PRICEY. There is some excellent stuff being auctioned (including the chance to name two characters in <span style="font-style:italic;">Reinventing Rachel</span>!), and all the money raised goes to the family.<br /><br />See ya later, alligators...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1