The box was from my publisher, but I had no idea what was in it. It was too early for copies of Bathsheba, which won’t be out until next year. I had all the bookmarks I needed and hadn’t ordered any copies of anything on my own. Hmm…

I grabbed the scissors to cut the packing tape, and pulled out a plastic wrapped cardboard pack with six books inside. Three copies of Michal in German! And three copies of Abigail in hardcover! I knew the German copies were coming some time, but had no idea when. A friend found the German publisher that carries it on their website. Check it out here. Funny that the title and my name are in English. But the rest, though hard to read here, is definitely in German. The hardcover copies of Abigail are available at Crossings Book Club. Check it out here.

Also, I will soon be able to give you a sneak peek at Bathsheba’s cover! Come back in about two weeks or stay tuned to Revell’s website or Amazon’s website. I can’t wait to share it with you all!

I’m coming up on the final section of Sarai, and working toward the climax. I think it might actually be possible that I will be within my word count without a ton of word cutting. Once I finish the first draft, I’m planning to take July off. Then I will do more research. I’ve got books on Ancient Mesopotamia that I want to read more of, and put myself into the manners and customs of the times a little better. By then galleys for Bathsheba will come and that will mean probably a month of editing. Then back to rewrites for Sarai, and I’ll start figuring out my synopsis for Rebekah’s story.

Also coming soon is another announcement on some upcoming books. Lots of good things ahead, and I am so grateful God has given me the chance to study His Word and write stories about the people He has immortalized throughout the pages of His book.

Other than that, I’ve got a few other writing deadlines I’m wrapping up and then going to spend July painting and visiting and reading. I wonder if we could paint the whole house in one summer…then again, painting is a LOT of work! Two window frames done. Too many to go! Wears me out. :)

Selah~

Shalom~

Abigail

In other thoughts…the sun has been shining most of the day. Amazing what a difference the sun makes. I think maybe God puts it there to remind us how much we need Him, not just His creation. I love what Revelation chapter 21:23 says of the New Jerusalem: “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (No clouds! And more importantly for the peace of Jerusalem there will be no need because no one will be fighting over that city as they do present-day Jerusalem!) Just a side thought there~

I finished a proposal for a new series that I’m working on – which I hope will sell sometime in the future. First, I need feedback from my critique partners. Then we’ll see if it’s good enough or if I need to look at it again. In the meantime, I’m headed back to work on Sarai. I left her in Egypt on her way to meet Pharaoh. Lots of interesting things to ponder in these upcoming scenes!

I finished reading Bruxy Cavey’s The End of Religion – Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus. Don’t let the title scare you–the book is really good. He writes in an easy-to-read style and doesn’t always use commonly known Christian lingo. He addresses some of the familiar doctrinal terms in the appendixes. But his purpose is to show the reader that Jesus did not come to start a new religion (and unfortunately even Christianity has fallen into the religion trap over the years) but to forge a relationship between us and God. He is the way to God and there is no other. But in our 21st century western thinking, we don’t realize just how surprising and subversive and shocking His message was to his 1st century hearers. I’m rereading the Gospels with a new look at what Jesus’ listeners might have heard when He spoke. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law hated Him because his words undermined the religion they clung to so desperately. (And they killed Him for it.) They were counting on their good works, their keeping of the Law of Moses (and all their added traditions) to save them. They weren’t counting on a Messiah who said that “no one comes to the Father except through me” or who called them a “brood of vipers” for thinking rituals were more important than relationships.

One of the most disturbing passages in the Bible, aimed at religious people who do so many things to gain acceptance with God, is Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus says, ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Jesus came so we could know God, know Him. He came to restore what was broken in Eden when Adam and Eve sinned and were cast from the garden, no longer able to walk with God and talk with Him in the cool of the day. God has always wanted a relationship with men and women. Always. It’s what He planned at Creation and what He will renew when He returns. Revelation tells us: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” Revelation 21:22

We can follow all sorts of rules, practice a zillion rituals, and become the most religious zealot of our time, but those things won’t bring us one step closer to knowing Jesus. He fulfilled the Law because we couldn’t, and He died so we don’t have to. All for want of restoring our relationship with Him.

The author (Bruxy Cavey) made me think outside of the religious box and renewed my love for the honesty and forthright message of Jesus. I want to read it again–and I don’t say that often. Highly recommended!

Selah~

My next purchase was a book a friend recommended titled The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus by Bruxy Cavey. I will reserve judgment until I finish the book, but so far, I am appreciating the author’s take on what Jesus had to say to the religious leaders of His day. The author uses the Bible as his main source of research. I’ve read seven chapters in two days, which is a little over 1/3 of the way through the book. That’s fast reading for me!

I’m also working my way through Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities (in paperback form) thanks to the recommendation of the same friend. Normally, I would have put Dickens down two chapters ago, but because I respect my friend’s judgment, I will keep going. I’ve had this book since our homeschooling days with the intent of having my kids read it. I don’t think we ever got to it, but I held onto it thinking I would read it some day. Well, someday is here, and if I can just stick it out…it’s starting to get more interesting. (Dickens’ style is a lot of narrating, which is not my favorite style.)

My mom has been sick this week but is starting to sound better. My dad was also coughing when I saw him. Illness can come on so quickly!

The weather people are predicting 4-8 inches of snow between tonight and tomorrow night. The warmer temps (in the high 30s -and it reached 40 today! – had me hoping for Spring!) The sun even broke through the clouds for all of yesterday. The clouds won back their air space today though and now the snow prediction. I hope they’re wrong, but Randy worked on the snowblower tonight just in case. He took it down the driveway to refuel, walked away for a minute to get the gas can and almost had it stolen by a guy in a passing truck. Apparently, the guy thought we were throwing it out. Still, if Randy had gone in the house…tonight isn’t even trash night.

Abigail is going to be the focus of a blog tour of reviews this coming week. A few have already started to pop up, and so far most everyone has been very kind. I had an online radio interview this past Thursday discussing the book, but it’s not posted up on their website yet. I’ll post a link when I see it there.

One reviewer of Abigail: A Novel apparently marked it down because it was fiction, which confuses me because that’s what it’s supposed to be. I hope my readers will never think any of my biblical fiction is meant to be a true accounting of the whole story. My stories stem from God’s Word, but they are not meant to replace it or to be the final authority on how that person’s life might have been lived. Sometimes we need to go back a familiarize ourselves with the Scripture so we can separate truth from the author’s imagination, which is based around that truth.

I hope my stories inspire those of you who read my work to love God and His Word all the more. To see these biblical people as real, but then to search the Scriptures to see what is truly there – to only use my work as enjoyment to fill in the blanks on what might have been. Someday, in heaven, perhaps God will fill in the blanks for us. For now, please remember, my books are a work of fiction.

I’ve been catching some of the figure skating in the Olympics. So graceful! Someday, when I get to heaven, I want to learn to skate and dance like that!

The ACFW Book Club is currently voting on the book we will read in MAY 2010 and YOUR book is on the voting list. We’ve got a lot of great books to choose from for May. Feel free to encourage your reader base to join the ACFW Book Club and join the fun!

MAY 2010 – Historical – GENRE
Polls will CLOSE in SEVEN DAYS from today.

ABIGAIL by Jill Eileen Smith
THE SHERIFF’S SURRENDER by Susan Page Davis
BECOMING LUCY by Martha Rogers
FIT TO BE TIED by Robin Hatcher
A STRAY DROP OF BLOOD by Roseanna M. White

CLICK ON THE LINK TO PLACE YOUR VOTE. (You will have to sign into Yahoo and join the book club to vote, but the club is free. You can also join by sending a blank e-mail to acfwbookclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, but you still have to go to the Yahoo site to vote.)

Honestly, I think the list of books all looks great and it could be tough to choose just one. But if you’re so inclined to vote for Abigail, that would be great! Thanks!

In other thoughts…
Yesterday I celebrated my birthday. Actually, the true family celebrating happened on Saturday, but the official day was yesterday. Randy, Ryan, and I went to Red Lobster Saturday night, then came home and I got to open the gifts my guys had gotten me over Skype with Jeff and Chris. While Skype isn’t as nice as in person, it came close.

The guys bought me a Kindle, which is an e-book reader for those who haven’t heard of it. E-book readers are available from Barnes and Noble (the Nook) and there is also a Sony E-Reader, but the Kindle had the features I wanted. I’ve been playing with it today a little and have downloaded some free books for starters. I’m checking out a couple of Bible versions and I hope to find a purse that might have a Kindle slot that might keep it protected as I take it places. Haven’t looked for one yet, so if you know of any, please email me and let me know.

I started prayer journaling again today. For some reason that I can’t recall (probably too busy) I stopped journaling in November last year. Then a friend reminded me of how cathartic it can be, and so I picked it up again this morning. There is nothing like writing to help me focus my thoughts and calm my spirit.

I read a Facebook status update today that talked about living life in color rather than gray. I like that! It reminded me of a quote Francine Rivers keeps in her office shared from a fellow author. The quote says:

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up and totally worn out, loudly proclaiming…WOW. What a ride!”

As I start a new year at this new age of life, I would remember both thoughts and add to them Psalm 39:4-5

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath.”
Selah

But a breath in living color, used up and poured out for Him!

In any case, cold or warm, there is always a reason to snag a good book and live the story vicariously, right? Fiction makes some great downtime and many of the choices on this list look inviting! Of course, Abigail is at the top (alphabetically) and one I’m happy to suggest. :)

1. Abigail: A Novel,The Wives of King David, Book 2 by Jill Eileen Smith from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Turmoil marks her life – what price will she pay for love?

2. A Valentine Wish by Betsy St. Amant from Steeple Hill. Lori, chocolate-lover extraordinary, is unemployed, single, and out of brownie mix. But when a secret admirer pops up at her new job running a chocolate boutique, she might have the ingredients for a special Valentine’s after all!

3. Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll from B&H Publishing. When a female helicopter rescues a US Marshal escorting a heart, they must race against time to uncover the largest child trafficking ring in history.

4. Hometown Promise, First in the Kellerville Series Merrillee Whren from Steeple Hill. Kellerville: Finding family, community and love in one small town.

5. Love’s Winding Path by Lauralee Bliss from Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing. A prodigal’s life is never out of God’s reach and His love as two lonely adventurers are about to discover.

6. The Marriage Masquerade by Erica Vetsch from Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing. Sometimes running away brings you right back where you started.

7. Meander Scar by Lisa Lickel from Black Lion. When Ann is ready to jump back into life with a new love, she discovers the devastating truth behind her husband’s disappearance.

8. My Deadly Valentine by Lynette Eason and Valerie Hansen from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Two suspense filled stories about stalkers and the men determined to protect the women they love.

9. On Wings of Love by Kim Watters from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A dedicated nurse devotes her life helping others, only to discover the man who steals her heart doesn’t want her help.

10. The Pastor’s Wife by Jennifer AlLee from Abingdon Press. A woman must face the husband – and the congregation – she ran from six years earlier.

11. Walking on Broken Glass by Christa Allen from Abingdon Press. Leah Thornton stops numbing her pain with alcohol, but discovers the road to redemption might still be under construction.

Happy reading~

If you live in the area, please come and introduce yourself! I’d love to meet you.

I had lunch with a friend last Friday and stopped in at our local Family Christian Stores, which resulted in another booksigning possibility, but that is still in the works. There is also a possibility I may be traveling to Lake Orion for a booksigning there as well. Future events will be posted as they become available.

I’ve been doing a lot of research on Abram and Sarai and ancient Mesopotamia, which is truly interesting. In the midst of that, I’ve been brainstorming a new idea, and am hoping it works out as well as I think it might. I’ve found myself writing two books at the same time, flipping from Sarai’s story to my proposal idea. It’s interesting trying to switch mental gears to a somewhat different era and a whole new set of characters, but right now, it’s fun and a bit of a challenge. I like a good challenge, as long as it’s not overwhelming!

Sometimes, I marvel at how good God is. I’m sure I don’t revel in that fact nearly enough, but as I pondered Abram’s encounter with God today and what it must have been like to meet Him face to face, I wondered how that would have changed Abram. How it would change me. Abram was called God’s friend, and one commentator said it was because of Abram’s faith, but I don’t think that was the only reason. I think the main reason Abram was called God’s friend was because Abram did what God asked him to do.

Jesus told his disciples “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14

Abram was God’s friend because he did what God commanded.

So much to be learned from research. I love it when I can apply it to my life.

Selah~

Sunday, January 31, 2010
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

If you live in the area, I hope you’ll stop buy. I’d love to meet you!

The weekend flew by, as usual weekends go. I’ve been working hard on my de-cluttering project. Saturday I spent hours cleaning out one small section of our “office”, which is really a catch-all junk room, soon to be a guest bedroom, if I can keep up the momentum. Our bedroom is looking pretty nice, though I still have some dusting to do. We got rid of four boxes of books, which I hope the church library can put to good use.

I’m working on the first draft of Sarai, tentative title for book one in The Wives of the Patriarchs series. First drafts are always hard for me, but where I usually get stuck is when I haven’t done enough research. So I spent time on Amazon and CBD.com searching for history books and commentaries on ancient Mesopotamia and Genesis. My order should come tomorrow, and I can’t wait to dive into the reading. After three days of hard work on the house (and not as much as I’d like to show for it), I’ve been completely exhausted. Feels like I’ve packed up enough to move (but far from it). A massage sounds so good right now!

I also started working with plot and characters for a new story last night. It’s always fun to start a new project, to see where the story takes me. I’m hoping to have a new proposal for my agent in the next few months. I would love to keep writing biblical fiction for a long time to come, though I also toy with writing other historical fiction as well someday.

I finished a column for our church newspaper. I’ve changed the focus from reviewing Christian fiction (only because I’d run out of books to review and I can’t read fast enough for three books a month). So I’m writing about writing Christian fiction. Funny how inadequate I still feel about teaching or writing about writing. Seems like I should have more books to my name or more years under my writing belt to be qualified. Maybe we never feel qualified. Still, I hope someone benefits from what I’ve learned.

The fire is going in the fireplace, and I think it’s time for some chamomile tea and our favorite TV show. Hopefully, my cleaning spree will start to look like it’s making headway, and I’ll be less exhausted in the process.

Happy Monday~

Ever since I heard that Abigail had received a 4-star review from Romantic Times Magazine, I’ve been trying to get my hands on a copy to read the review. I’ve stopped in at my local Barnes & Noble three times, but the newest edition just hasn’t come in yet. (Maybe this weekend, I hope!)

Today, as I worked at taking down the last of the Christmas tree ornaments, first the doorbell rang with UPS dropping off my author copies of Abigail! So fun to see a whole box of them! Now my mom can finally read it. (She doesn’t know it yet though.) :) For anyone wanting an early copy of the book, which wasn’t going to release until February 1, you can go to Amazon and order it now. They have it in stock already!

Anyway, after I got the box of books opened, I checked my email to find a message from the publicity assistant at Revell. She asked me if I’d seen the great review in RT (Romantic Times) and I told her I hadn’t, but sure wanted to! So she scanned the page and sent it to me. And here it is!

They got the book number wrong. Abigail is book two, not book one, but with words like “phenomenal” and “excellent” I’m not complaining! It’s a great review and I’m most grateful. I hope the rest of my readers enjoy the book as well.

Shalom~

Normally, when I’m home, I’m pretty driven to keep up on housework or writing projects or shopping or meal planning, etc. These two weeks since our guys came home, I’ve had to remind myself to work. I’ve forgotten what day it is more than once, and spent hours reading and relaxing, watching movies or just chilling and chatting. If I could avoid the computer for a month or more, my tendinitis might even go completely away.

We had a great Christmas – no six a.m. wake-up call this year – we all slept much later, due in part to the two still on California time – not to mention they are all night owls. But it was so nice to have them home, to spoil them with gifts, to just enjoy being with family. At night they invited us to tag along when they went to the movies with a group of their friends to see Sherlock Holmes. Fun movie, good mystery, though some of the characters could have been better developed.

We spent time last week with my folks, seeing my dad for lunch one day, then having more family over on Christmas Eve. Now that Christmas Day has passed, I’m more aware of the days left to us before we have to drive the boys back to the airport. I’m not thrilled with the new heightened security they will have to deal with and am wondering how many gifts we will have to ship to them rather than risk packing in their suitcases. Terrorism is such a selfish act. And of course, it’s always the few that ruin it for the many…

Lots of reading going on around here these past few days as I’m trying to finish two books that will be going back to California with my guys. The first one I finished yesterday – Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – What I learned While Editing My Life. Well-written, fast read. I enjoyed the book – he made some good points. The book isn’t deeply theological, but it does inspire one to think. In one point I would disagree with his theology, but overall, it made for an enjoyable read.

The second book is by Phil Vischer – Me, Myself, & Bob – A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables. I’m on chapter 7 or 8 and find the book fascinating. I would also read Randy Alcorn’s If God is Good before they leave, but I can’t read that fast, and Randy’s book is BIG! I may need to buy my own copy…

I found out right before Christmas that Abigail got a 4- starred review from Romantic Times Magazine! I’m hoping to brace the crowds tomorrow and pick up a copy at my local Barnes & Noble. I tried last week, but the new month’s edition wasn’t in yet.

We went out to dinner tonight to celebrate Jeff’s birthday belatedly. In a few days, we’ll go out to dinner again to celebrate Chris’s birthday early. I love not having to cook! But I love being together with my guys even more. The only thing is, even after all these years, I still don’t understand some of their humor…You would think living with all men for so long that I would get it. But I fear some of it just goes right by me. I think they find my cluelessness a bit amusing. I told them I need daughters-in-law to have women to relate to…of course, if they marry girls who do understand their humor, I’ll still be clueless and outnumbered!

After Christmas shopping online captured my attention this afternoon as there were some great sales and some Christmas money to spend… And I’m trying to get back into writing Sarai, which has been on simmer in the back of my mind waiting for me to get off vacation. But I still have another week to relax and read and be lazy, so I’ll write if the muse strikes. After they go home, I’ll write because that’s what I need to do, whether the muse strikes or not. :)

For now, I’m enjoying the moment, reminded of the many blessings God has given, and feeling grateful for each person He has placed in my life, each moment with those I hold most dear. I know many people who have lost loved ones this season, making me all the more aware of life’s fragility. If I have one goal for the new year it is to be more grateful, and to cherish each moment, and to bless God for what He has given.

Selah~