The Edit Cafe

Get Your Serving of Southern Fried Sushi

2011-09-29T11:20:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the book winner - Carol N Wong

Releasing Saturday is this wonderfully fun women's fiction title by Jennifer Rogers Spinola. It is a coming back to America, back to family, and back to God kind of story, and like all good Barbour books, there is a touch of romance too.

Click the blog title to go to the trailer video.

Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Jennifer writes with a lighthearted look at life, but there is a depth to her characters and their working through the questions of life that make for a memorable journey. Her experiences growing up in Virgina and the Carolinas and living abroad in Japan and Brazil have more than qualified her to tell Shiloh's story.

Two more books will follow Southern Fried Sushi as Shiloh explores the new dreams and goals God gives her.

Leave a comment here on the blog (not on Facebook) for a chance to win the newly released book. I'll draw a winner around 4:00 pm on Friday the 30th.

Do check back, as I'll need to be sure I can contact the winner for a mailing address.

This Is a FIRST!

2011-09-28T10:31:00.001-04:00

How many first time authors do you know who hit the New York Times bestseller list with their very first story? Well, a couple of our authors have done just that. Liz Tolsma and Michelle Ule had novellas included in the 9-in-1 collection titled A Log Cabin Christmas, and this week the book hit the New York Times fiction bestseller list at #34. I'm so thrilled for these authors as well as the other authors in the collection. See the full list of authors and stories below.

Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley
The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake
A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick
Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule
A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch

Historical Research Gem

2011-07-14T14:46:00.002-04:00

Hey, historical writers, have you stumbled onto this site yet? Maybe you have, and I'm just behind times.

Farm, Field, and Fireside Agricultural Newspaper Collection

They have copies of Prairie Farmer paper dating back to 1841.

Have fun!

Food Friday

2011-04-15T11:07:00.001-04:00

I'm always looking for quick and easy but nutritious breakfast ideas. When I saw this recipe for Egg and Veggie Cupcakes in Barbour's Quick and Easy Freezable Meals cookbook, I was intrigued. My 3.5-year-old Jodi doesn't normally love eggs, but she does love broccoli and she, of course, adores cupcakes. So we tried them. I love them, my 1-year-old Lilly loves them, but unfortunately even "cupcake" in their name didn't convince Jodi to love them. Oh well. :)

I do recommend trying these out. I wasn't impressed with the texture of them after re-heating in the microwave, but that can be expected with anything heated in the microwave, I guess. I still think they taste great and are an easy, yummy way to pack some protein and veggies into your morning meal...or anytime!

Here's the recipe:

Egg and Veggie Cupcakes
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups broccoli florets
Salt and pepper to taste
10 eggs
1/ 8 teaspoon water
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Sauté mushrooms and onion in skillet with butter. Add broccoli and stir for 5 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Fill greased cupcake pans half full with mixture. In separate bowl, beat eggs with water. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Pour over vegetables in pans and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Place each cupcake in sandwich bag, seal, then place a dozen in large freezer bag.

To serve: Microwave frozen cupcake on high for about 90 seconds.

Feedback Friday

2011-04-08T11:32:00.000-04:00

Check out this cool review on Amazon for one of Barbour's great non-fiction titles, The Complete Guide to the Bible by Stephen M. Miller:

"I was not raised in a religious household, nor was I taught about religion in any way shape or form. I needed somewhere to begin, other than the bible since it's difficult to read by myself, and it's very intimidating. I found this book walking through the aisles at Barnes & Noble, and I it turned out to be very useful! The visuals, and design are very clean and appealing. The writing is straight forward and simple, and the content is great. It really gave me somewhere to begin exposing myself to the different stories in the bible, and how everything is broken down. He highlights some main points, and his timelines are very easy to follow. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is trying to learn."

This book would make for a great Easter gift, especially for new Christians and those who are seeking!

Don't Miss These

2011-04-07T15:34:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't done well to keep you up on new releases, especially since our Marketing team has been working hard on some awesome new book trailers.

Videos don't seem to conform well to our blog layout, but I'll post them anyway.

The Crossing by Gilbert Morris -- book 1 of The Last Cavaliers series.
This first book gives a fictionalized peek into the life of General Stonewall Jackson.

Raider's Heart by Marcia Gruver -- book 1 of the Backwoods Brides series
In this book, Marcia takes unique history in North Carolina following the Civil War and builds a terrific story on remarkable characters.

Rugged and Relentless by Kelly Eileen Hake -- book 1 of the Husbands for Hire series
A nice twist on advertising for a marriage partner.

Digitalis by Ronie Kendig -- book 2 of the Discarded Heroes series.

A New Journey Begins in Kentucky

2011-04-07T15:26:00.003-04:00

National bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter starts a new romance trilogy with THE JOURNEY, book one of the Kentucky Brothers series.

Titus Fisher has often made poor choices. But moving from Pennsylvania to Christian County, Kentucky, is the best decision he’s ever made. There he finds a rewarding job using his new-found woodworking skills. . .and leaves behind a broken romance. But is he ready to consider love again when he meets two very different women: one who seems perfectly suited for any Amish man and one who challenges long held ideas of a woman’s role? Can a heart once torn by love’s rejection find new life and choose between two women who are as unique as night and day?

Coming soon, the journey continues with The Healing and The Struggle.

Feedback Friday

2011-04-01T20:59:00.000-04:00

We received some really great feedback last week for A Promise Forged by Cara Putman. First, you need to know a little about the story, set in 1943:

When Kat Miller makes All-American Girls Professional Softball League, she struggles with long road trips, grueling practices, and the challenge of making time for God. Not only that, but older teammates are jealous of her success and an irritating reporter, Jack Raymond, has a knack for getting under Kat’s skin.

When I opened up this package, I was instantly intrigued by its contents, especially the black and white baseball card autographed for Cara and the autobiography with a photo of a female softball player on the cover.

The letter begins:

Dear Cara,

I just finished reading the book called "A Promise Forged". A friend gave me the book because she knew I had played in the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League in 1954 for the Grand Rapids Chicks. As I read the book, it was like I was walking in Kat's shoes, reliving my life again.I am enclosing a book I wrote about my ball playing days, and a signed baseball card....

Thank you for the great story!

Sincerely,
Rosemary Stevenson

What better feedback for a historical book than for someone who lived that life to feel like it truly took her back in time to relive those days? Great job, Cara!

Introducing Emily Morelli

2011-03-28T10:02:00.000-04:00

Today we have Emily Morelli, a production/layout artist for Barbour, here to tell us about herself.

How long have you worked at Barbour?

About five months

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?

I make books beautiful. Really. Isn’t that a fabulous job? Officially, I am a Production/Layout Artist and I design book interiors and cover layouts.

What brought you to Barbour?

I was researching freelance opportunities for graphic design and discovered Barbour had a full time opening. I had heard great things about the company from people in the community and decided to rejoin the workforce for the first time since my daughter was born.

What interests you about the publishing industry?

I have a fascination for anything printed and collect samples of unique paper plus I am an avid reader and a frequent visitor to my local library. I love browsing through shelves of books and discovering new ideas and adventures, getting inspired and motivated or learning new things. Now I get to be a part of the creation of something I love and experience the thrill of watching a digital design turn into a solid three-dimensional object. Awesome!

Family/Home Life? I am so very fortunate to have a helpful and supportive husband who has the decidedly rare ability to put up with my neurotic tendencies and still love me madly. I am also blessed to be the mother of the most beautiful, charming, funny, imaginative, mischievous, and intelligent four-year-old on the planet (though I may be biased). Plus, I am lucky to have a stunning and sweet stepdaughter who is making her way through her first year of college and isn’t afraid to give me honest fashion advice that I hardly ever heed.

What are your hobbies?

I love food. I adore cooking and obsess about it a little - especially when it comes to creating tasty, wholesome food for my family. I can spend hours researching recipes, planning a menu and choosing just the right combination of dishes - okay, I obsess about it a lot.

I believe cooking is an art and food is beautiful. I love food packaging, and have food art on the walls of my kitchen. I dabbled in catering for a while and love having dinner parties to show off my passion for the taste and beauty of food. I enjoy wandering the aisles of a grocery store, discovering interesting ingredients, and researching ways to use them. Food packaging fascinates and inspires me. My husband thinks I collect an excessive number of condiments and seasonings, but lovingly offers to run to the store for the one tiny thing I need to make my dish perfect. I love visiting restaurants but can be hard to please, though when I find a good one, it’s worth raving about. I would have loved to be a food critic (for the eating part, not the writing). I almost went to culinary school instead of art school, but decided to make my living doing something I love and keep food as pure pleasure. I have never regretted the decision. Maybe someday I’ll write a working mama’s cookbook and I know just who I’d want to publish it.

Thanks for joining us, Emily!

Guest Blogger Nola Haney

2011-03-21T10:22:00.000-04:00

Today we have Nola Haney, Sales Manager for Barbour, joining us to share about a business trip she took to South Africa last Fall. She shared some of her pictures and adventures with us at a company meeting, recently, and we thought you'd enjoy hearing about her travels, too:

I went to South Africa on business in October 2010. Wow! Seems like a lifetime ago now.

Christian Art Distributors, Barbour’s exclusive distributor for southern Africa, invited me and acted as my host for most of the trip. I say “most” because I have cousin, Mary Gladman DeWitt, who lives in a suburb of Johannesburg and with whom I spent some time when I first arrived.

Mary met me at the airport and took me to a rugby game. I believe the teams were the Xerox Lions vs. the Pumas. Anyway, the favored team lost. It was interesting to watch, and my, the leg muscles those guys have!

Mary’s family treated me to dinner at Bomi, which features buffets of authentic local foods. It was all delicious. And Sunday afternoon they had a braai [barbecue] and I tried wart hog. Marinated, it is quite tasty.

Monday evening several Christian Art folks and I ate at MOYO, a very nice African restaurant in Johannesburg. Here I savored Springbok which is an animal similar to a deer or antelope. Moyo is as much an African experience as it is a restaurant. It is filled with African art and African music reverberates throughout.

South Africa is a beautiful country. The scenery was as varied as a country can be. Spring was just beginning so much of the north was cool and very green. The south around Cape Town was warmer and very sunny and many of its residence were enjoying the beaches. Christian Art also treated me to a game drive on a reserve in KwaZulu Natal. The KwaZulu area where we stayed was browner and very rural. This area would remind you of typical pictures you see of Africa with the tall brown grasses that sway in the breeze. However, it was cool here and I was bundled in several layers on the game drive. My hosts mentioned that they had not gotten their expected rain fall in August so the water tables were lower than they should have been.

Along with Johannesburg and Cape Town, I was also in Durban. I was very comfortable and never felt afraid on the trip, but I was rarely without a host either.

We made many store visits. There are some very large fashionable malls that could very easily be U.S. malls. South Africa is considered a third world country, but it has many 1^st world properties. Many folks have good jobs in factories, and offices just as we have here in the U.S. They have nice homes and drive nice cars.

But there is much poverty also, as there are not enough jobs for everyone. There are many immigrants from other African nations who have fled to South Africa for refuge. These may live in what are known as townships—shack-like dwellings without electricity or running water. Some poor citizens live in low-cost housing which are shacks with electricity and running water. One electric pole might feed 7 homes.

Barbour books are found in the same markets there as here— Religious bookstores, church bookstores, General Market chains, Mall stores, Religious chains. And just as in the U.S. the general market likes to place all books from a Christian publisher in the “Religion” section even though you and I know fiction would do well in the fiction section, children’s’ books in the kids section…

Having seen and experienced the First/Third world phenomena I now can understand a little better the decision processes and needs of my customer better and hopefully can help them as they select the books for the markets they serve in South Africa.

Our Submission Policy

2011-03-17T14:18:00.002-04:00

We’ve been trying to get the word out but wanted to remind everyone again that we no longer accept unsolicited submissions unless they are submitted through professional literary agencies. Professional agents can contact Rebecca Germany or JoAnne Simmons with fiction proposals that fit our full-length or Heartsong Presents fiction lines. There are occasional exceptions to this policy including submissions from authors who don’t have an agent but are already established with Barbour and/or submissions from authors we have met at a writer’s conference whom we’ve invited to submit to us.

Our fictionsubmit email address is still receiving mail, but senders will receive an automatic reply with this message:

We no longer accept unsolicited submissions unless they are submitted through professional literary agencies. For more information, we encourage new fiction authors to join a professional writers organization like American Christian Fiction Writers.
www.acfw.com

Thank you!
Fiction Editors
Barbour Publishing

Introducing Jessie Fioritto

2011-03-14T15:37:00.003-04:00

Today, we have Jessie Fioritto, an Assistant Managing Editor for Barbour, here to tell us more about herself.

How long have you worked at Barbour?
Since September 2010

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?
I’m one of the assistant managing editors. I review proofread manuscripts and handle the proofreading schedule.

What brought you to Barbour?
After I finished my copy editing certificate, I found the job listing posted on Barbour’s website.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
I have always loved to read. I have many cherished books from my childhood. I love being a part of producing more stories for others to fall in love with. I enjoy polishing others’ writing, and I’m very much a detail person.

Family/Home Life?
I live in Coshocton, Ohio, with my husband, Nic, and our two dogs. Our Chihuahua is named Chica, and our fox terrier is named Starbucks. Yes, like the coffee.

What’s your favorite food?
No question—chocolate. I have a hidden stash!

What's your favorite vacation spot?
Every year my entire family goes to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. My dad went there with his dad when he was little. It’s so beautiful in the mountains. We go kayaking, water skiing, and tubing. We even get in some family yoga.

What are your hobbies?
I love to read, but I also like to get my hands dirty. I have renovated houses with my dad since I was a kid. I also decorate wedding and birthday cakes.

Thanks for joining us, Jessie!

Happy Birthday, Becky!

2011-03-07T15:29:00.002-05:00

Becky's birthday was yesterday, but she's still celebrating today. I like to stop at a cute little coffee shop called Simply Cinnamon in Bolivar, Ohio, on my way to Uhrichsville every Monday morning, so I brought Becky a Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk muffin for a a belated birthday breakfast. Then at noon a few of us from the office went to lunch together for a quick bite during a busy Monday. Of course, I didn't think to bring my camera. :(

I hope you've had a wonderful birthday celebration, Becky!

Valentine's Short Story Contest 2011 Winners!

2011-02-25T15:32:00.004-05:00

We've chosen our winners for the Valentine's Day Short Story contest!

The Grand Prize goes to Kay Chandler for Cactus, Tumbleweeds, and Iris, which very creatively incorporated 23 Heartsong titles.

Runner-up prizes go to Barbara Lukow for Through Fire and Ice and to Becky Melby for The Marriage Masquerade Ball.

And an extra special runner-up prize goes to Alexander Curtis (son of 2009 winner, Barbara Curtis) for being the youngest and only male entrant! His story was titled Roses and Doves.

Thank you to everyone who entered!!!

Cactus, Tumbleweeds, and Iris by Kay Chandler

2011-02-25T15:20:00.003-05:00

Cactus, Tumbleweeds, and Iris

by Kay Chandler

The day Papa waved the ad in my face, the caption sent shocks down my spine: “Wanted—A Maid to Love.”

“Read it, Lily. He’s perfect for you.”

I didn’t want to read it—I’d seen enough. Though my father received a generous stipend, which I’m sure he considered more than my worth, the idea of being a bartered bride caused me great angst. Papa fumed and accused me of reading too many romance novels—works of the devil, he called them—claimed my head was in the clouds. He handed me a letter from my intended and took me to the train station.

Though I dreamed of the kind of love I read about in Clara and the Cowboy or Romance Rides the Range, I had no hankering to live in the land of shoot-’em-ups, where deer and the antelope played. Yet, here I was on my way to Wyoming to marry a cowpunch I’d never met. The marriage masquerade would take place before sundown on the morrow. I pulled out the letter.

“Dear Lily, I can tell from your father’s response that we’re polar opposites. Being the lightkeeper’s daughter, I’m sure you’ll miss the ocean, but I trust you’ll like your new life in Wyoming. My wife died three years ago. The house and my beautiful Iris could use a woman’s touch. I’m looking forward to same.

Sincerely,
Jake”

The color in my face must have changed many times, going from a washed-out pale to exposing amber to a glow-in-the-dark red. I felt sick. He wanted a gardener for his irises, a housekeeper and a woman to touch? The Ice Carnival in New England wasn’t as frigid as the cold words penned in the heartless letter. My long-held romantic dreams flew out the window like a fine, feathered friend.

As the train pulled out of Crossroads Bay, the whistle made a lonely sound. Autumn rains splattering the window were no match for my own river of tears. I looked across the cotton fields and saw Cottonwood Manor and remembered the grand parties we held there, not so long ago. The columns of Cottonwood needed paint and the white roses out front needed pruning, yet I’d always think of it as home—a place where the dogwoods bloom and pink azaleas grow profusely. But Papa was a gambler, and not a very good one. Becoming the lightkeeper and selling me to highest bidder was Papa’s way of recovering from debt.

I shuddered, picturing myself slaving for a dirty cowhand in a shanty surrounded by cactus, tumbleweeds…and a few irises.

“Last stop, White Doves,” the conductor yelled. Not eager to depart, I waited until the last passenger disembarked. Gathering my skirt, I stepped from the train and glanced about. I saw no one. All the way, I prayed for God to intervene. Now that He had, I felt a strange emptiness. Was it possible to experience both sadness and gladness? Can fire and ice occupy the same space? Did I dare go back and tell poor Papa he had to return the money?

I drooled when a tall handsome sheriff stepped from nowhere and grabbed my bags. “Excuse me, Miss,” would you happen to be Miss Lily Adams?”

My heart did cartwheels as I gazed into his cobalt blue eyes. “Yes, and you’re—?” My pulse raced.

“I’m Jake.” He led me into the sheriff’s office, where a little girl sat in a wheelchair. A minister and two witnesses were waiting. Pure Serendipity?

I repeated the vows, “For better or worse,” but from my vantage point, all was better.

He picked up the child.

“Yours?”

His brow furrowed. “You seem surprised. I explained about Iris in the ad.”

I smiled. Not letting on, I said, “She’s prettier than I imagined.”

The little girl grinned, stealing this heart of mine. “I like her, Daddy.”

He had a lovely home in town. He picked a bouquet for Iris, and one for me. “Welcome home, my darling bride,” he said as he swept me up and carried me over the threshold.

My heart hammered shamelessly. I suddenly had the urge to write a riveting romance novel. I’d call it Lily and the Lawman.”

Introducing Samantha Phillips

2011-02-21T09:07:00.003-05:00

Today we have Samantha Phillips, Production/Layout Artist for Barbour, here to tell us more about herself.

What’s your nickname?
Most people call me Sami or Sam

How long have you worked at Barbour?
I started working at Barbour August of 2010

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?
I love my job!!! I am a Production/Layout Artist and I design anything from book interiors, book wraps, and also book cover treatments.

What brought you to Barbour?
I grew up in New Philadelphia, Ohio and have also done clerical and data entry work at Twin City Hospital in Dennison, Ohio. When I heard about an opening that was in the area I jumped on the chance. I feel so lucky to work for a company that also values God and His teachings.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
As a little girl I was either writing short stories or drawing. My twin brother, Zach, and I would pretend we were characters in our favorite books, and still to this day I love getting lost in a great book. I love being a part of passing on someone's story.

What's your favorite food?
Anything found at the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner!

What's your favorite vacation spot?
Somewhere warm with a sandy beach

What's your favorite Bible verse?
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope"

Name something you miss about being a kid:
I miss the notion that time didn't exist. Summer vacation seemed like it was a year long, and Christmas could never come soon enough.

Name something you love about being an adult:
I love all the opportunities adulthood presents…from travel to finding what you are passionate for. As an adult you can keep dreaming as you did as a child, but now you have wings to go after those dreams.

What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
I love to listen to music and to zone-out into something creative, such as drawing or writing. On the colder Sundays it's always nice to curl up in comfortable clothes and watch a classic movie.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I love to bake pies from scratch

Thanks, Samantha!

Valentine's Day Contest 2011

2011-02-10T15:17:00.004-05:00

We did this contest back in 2009, and it was so much fun, we want to do it again!

So, as before, in the spirit of love and romance, let’s have a short story contest. Here are the details:

Create a story that incorporates as many titles as possible from the recent list of Heartsong award winners.
Keep word count between 500-700 words.
Submit the story by Friday, February 18th to editcafe@barbourbooks.com
Entries will be judged based on number of titles incorporated AND the quality/creativity of the story. In other words don’t just throw the titles in. The story needs to be creative and make sense! :)
What’s in it for you? A fun way to practice your writing skills and a GRAND PRIZE for the winner of a dozen great Barbour books. We’ll include at least four new 2011 releases in the prize package and some nonfiction books, too. If we have enough good entries, we’ll also do a couple of runner-up prizes.
The winner(s) will be posted on the blog by February 25th.
Any questions? Post a comment.

Happy writing and Happy Valentine's Day!

Introducing Shalyn Sattler

2011-02-07T07:59:00.003-05:00

Today we have Shalyn Sattler, Director of Trade Marketing for Barbour, here to tell us more about herself.

What’s your nickname?
My name is Shalyn, but a lot of family members and friends call me “Shay” for short. I also get “Shay Shay” from time to time, which only a few people can get away with.

How long have you worked at Barbour?
I’ve been at Barbour full-time for about 5 ½ years now. I also spent 3 summers and Christmas breaks interning here when I was in college.

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?
As Director of Trade Marketing, I basically oversee all marketing and publicity efforts for our books. This covers a large variety of things from advertising, press releases, in-store merchandising, trade show planning, catalog creation, etc.

What brought you to Barbour?
I was looking for summer work during college and sent my resume to Barbour. I was so thrilled when they hired me as their marketing intern—and extremely lucky that it is only about 5 minutes away from where I grew up.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
What I love about specifically the Christian publishing industry is that the books we are creating and promoting have the potential to touch so many lives. If I ever find myself getting overwhelmed, I try to remember how important our work is and that keeps me going. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

What’s the worst job you ever had?
I washed walls at my old high school for part of a summer. My hands were constantly wrinkly and dry. Not a fun time.

What are your hobbies?
I’m a pretty low-key girl. I just like to hang out with friends and family, go to the movies, get coffee, walk our dog, play with my niece and nephew, and buy shoes, of course.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I am dying to go to Hawaii! Ocean, beaches, luaus, hula skirts, leis, coconuts…sounds like heaven.
Name something you miss about being a kid:
Saturday morning cartoons. I have such great memories of eating cereal and watching Gummy Bears with my sister and brother. I can still sing that entire theme song.

Name something you love about being an adult:
Freedom! I can go anywhere I want, stay up as late as I want, and even run with scissors if I want to (although I wouldn’t recommend that).

Do you have any hidden talents?
As weird as it sounds, I’m really good at rhyming. If I thought it would actually be effective, I’d rhyme on every ad that we do. I don’t think my boss would like that very much though.

Thanks, Shalyn!

Fiction Acquisitions Update

2011-02-03T16:29:00.006-05:00

Novella Collections:
Thanks to the many authors (and agents) who worked quickly to fill my inbox with lots of very interesting novella collection proposals to choose from. At this point I've contracted almost all that I'm going to need for 2012. I just have to decide on a couple Christmas ones. So, I really don't need any new proposals.

At this moment, I don't know what the plan for novella collections will be for 2013, but I do hope I can contract some more. They are a lot of fun to work on.

State Romances:
This fall we are kicking off a new line of romances that -- similar to our romance collections -- focus strongly on a state location. The first two books will be from Erica Vetsch and Kim O'Brien.

I've already filled most all my 2012 slots. I expect by June or July, I'll be ready to start filling some 2013 slots. We are doing a fairly equal number of historical and contemporary settings. So, if you have an 80,000-word romance idea for this line, you might want to start putting a proposal together. The story should stand alone. We don't plan any series within the line.

This line is a great way to showcase some of our best Heartsong Presents authors.

Releasing September 2011.

Heartsong Love

2011-02-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

Have you visited the Heartsong Facebook page lately? There is a contest going on there now for a new book by Susan Page Davis. You can also read the posts from the Heartsong blog there, which features a weekly contest when you comment on the blog posts. And who doesn't love winning free stuff?

Starting tomorrow on the Heartsong Facebook page you'll be able to read the short story, Flowers for Christine by Beth Loughner, for those who have never read it in the Heartsong newsletter, Romantic Notions.

Help us spread the Heartsong love! Get involved on the Facebook page and blog and get your friends involved, too.

Introducing Anthony Barkett

2011-01-31T19:18:00.003-05:00

Today, we have Anthony Barkett, Inventory and Logistics Analyst, here to tell us more about himself and his job at Barbour.

How long have you worked at Barbour?
Three years

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?
I get to work with book printers from all over the world. I arrange delivery of product directly to our customers and also to our main warehouse. I assist the warehouse with order fulfillment too.

What brought you to Barbour?
After my summer internship with Barbour Publishing, they offered me a position right out of college. It’s been a great fit. I enjoy the company atmosphere, and the tasks are always challenging.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
To be truthful, I think I’m the only one at Barbour that doesn’t enjoy reading books. But I do find several things about the industry interesting. The book printing process has been fun to learn. It all starts with an idea, then we design the book, pair the right text stock and cover material and send it to a printer. The logistics aspect of shipping books, warehousing them and filling orders are my favorite aspects of the business. I also enjoy meeting and communicating with people from other countries that print our books.

Family/Home Life?

I have eight brothers and sisters, all younger then me. Growing up, we had some very interesting pets. I can remember cats, dogs, turtles, fish, geckos, ducks, a snake, a guinea pig, hamsters, mice, finches, horses, rabbits, and even goats. Needless to say I have a very active family life. Something new is always happening.

What’s your favorite vacation spot?
I love going to Disney World in Orlando Florida. I’ve been there 7 times, and the excitement and magic never gets old. My favorite rides are Space Mountain and Splash Mountain.

What are your hobbies?

I love taking things apart to find out how they work. I can’t wait for something mechanical to break so I can bust out my tools to fix it. I’ve picked up Origami, the art of paper folding. I’ve created many different things including animals, flowers, boxes and modular origami that can take over 75 sheets of paper for one model. Here is one of my favorite sites for finding new things to fold. http://origamitube.com/

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

My brother and I have already talked about this. He is much more adventurous than I am, so he is planning a trip for us to go to Spain to witness the pamplona encierro, or running of the bulls. He is thinking about running with the bulls too! I am not that brave.

Thanks for sharing with us, Anthony!

Picking through the Proposal Piles...

2011-01-27T14:15:00.003-05:00

…can you say that tongue twister five times fast? LOL! Today I’m picking through my electronic piles of submissions, and I’m feeling overwhelmed by them. I have so many good ones! My contemporary pile seems especially high, so I thought I’d get the word out that if you've submitted a contemporary for Heartsong, it may take awhile for me to get back to you. I have plenty of great historical proposals, too, but not as many, so the competition isn’t quite as tough in that category.

It’s definitely a challenge to find a great story idea that will put a new spin on a classic romance format in just 45,000-50,000 words. So if you want your proposal to jump out at me from my stacks, please try to wow me with a great summary that reads like back cover copy. If a short summary of the story doesn’t grab my attention, I’m not all that anxious to dig deeper into the full proposal.

And as a follow-up from my post last week, I’m excited to have a new niece on the way. My nephew, Jake, was wrong about a brother named Isaac. However, with a little Veggie Tale persuasion (some might call it bribery), Jake has decided a baby sister won’t be too bad. The boy is completely obsessed with all things Bob and Larry--so much so that every time he’s at the grocery store he wants to visit the produce aisle for a tomato and cucumber to play with! So, Jake’s mommy told him that a sister would probably love the new Princess Sweet Pea play set (one of the few things he does not have in his vast Veggie Tales collection), and he can get it for her and play with it until she's ready to. :)

Introducing Karen Miler

2011-01-24T14:54:00.004-05:00

Today, we have Karen Miller, Director of Consumer Marketing, here to tell us more about herself and her job at Barbour.

Karen, how long have you worked at Barbour?
11 years

What do you do in your current role at Barbour?
I am Director of Consumer Marketing. I oversee the Heartsong Presents book club and retail division.

What brought you to Barbour?
I was working in Akron right out of college, which was an hour commute. After I got married I decided that I needed to find something closer to home. That's when I found Barbour.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
Being on the retail side of the industry, I love hearing from individuals who call to purchase our books how much our books means to them. It’s refreshing and really puts our jobs into perspective.

What's your family and home life like?
I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Trever, for 10 years. We have two sons, Luke, who is 8 and in second grade, and Jake, who is five and in preschool. We have 3 dogs, Mater (chocolate lab), Maggie (beagle), and Macy (miniature dachshund). We just built a house and moved in two days before Thanksgiving. My parents are a huge part of our lives; we see them everyday. They babysit my boys and take them to school. I have two brothers. Kevin is married and lives close to my parents, and Kyle still lives at home.

What’s your favorite food?
Pizza. I don’t think I’ve ever had pizza I didn’t like. :)

What's your favorite vacation spot?
Topsail Beach, NC. We went on a family vacation to Topsail two summers ago and had a wonderful time. We hope to go back sometime.

What is something you miss about being a kid?
Snow days! My brothers and I would be so excited on snow days when we could sleep in and just hang out at home all day. We would sled ride a lot as kids.

What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
After church we always go back to my parents for a delicious lunch. Then it’s home to relax and just hang out. I try to get a nap in, but my boys don’t think napping is necessary and always “need” me for something.

Thanks for joining us, Karen!

Feedback Friday

2011-01-21T14:46:00.002-05:00

I recently got this sweet note in the mail from a Heartsong member:

Thank you for your ministry. These books are my top favorite pastime. Christian and safe to read for someone growing and healing in Christ.

Love,

Chris

Baby Names and Character Names

2011-01-20T15:12:00.002-05:00

My nephew Jake is 3.5 years old and he’s excited to become a big brother. His mom (my sister) is expecting in mid-June. Jake is adamant that the baby is a boy because he wants a “bubby.” In fact, he called his most recent cousin (my Lilly) “Bubby Willy” for a while because he was kind of in denial that she was another girl cousin. Jake is also adamant that his new baby’s name will be Isaac. Of the list that my sister and bro-in-law are considering, that is the only one Jake likes, and he insists he’s getting a brother named Isaac. The ultrasound will (hopefully!) give us the verdict soon, and we’ll know if Jakes is right.

My sister has several boy names on her list, but she was having trouble coming up with any girl names she really liked. We came up with our girls’ names pretty easily, but I did have fun searching several baby name websites just to get ideas, meanings of names, etc. There are several good sites out there if you just google “baby names”. Another neat place to search is on the Social Security web page, where you can enter a year to find out the most popular baby names, going as far back as 1880. www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

I have to be mindful of character names when scheduling and contracting new Heartsongs. I don’t want to have too many like-named characters in the four books that will release to club members in the same shipment. Lately we’ve seen a lot of female characters named Ellie or Lily or Lilly, which, of course, I think is a great name, but we still can’t name every girl that. :)

I’ve blogged before about walking through cemeteries to find inspiration for names. What websites, tools, or inspiration do you use when your characters are born in your mind and you’re naming them?

Introducing: Kelsey Keller

2011-01-17T08:43:00.003-05:00

Kelsey Keller recently joined the Barbour team as an assistant marketing manager. Here's some more about her:

My name is Kelsey Keller. I am 25 years old and currently live in New Philadelphia, OH. I was born and raised in Dover, OH and I am the youngest of six children. I attended Kent State University where I majored in Applied Communication and minored in Management and Informational Systems and in Business.

What interests you about the publishing industry?
I love how each person at Barbour contributes a small piece of what sometimes becomes a bestselling novel. I love looking at the copy someone produces for a novel, the cover of the book… I just love the creativity of it! With my job, I get to see the final product and it amazes me that as a team, we helped create it.

What brought you to Barbour?
I was born and raised in Dover, OH, and I attended Kent State University so the whole idea of staying close to home has been a huge factor in where my life takes me. I come from a close knit family (the youngest of six kids) and most of my family lives in this area. When I found out Barbour was hiring, I instantly jumped on the opportunity.

What is your new role at Barbour?
Having a job as an Assistant Marketing Manager, I have no set routine because I do a variety of things. I post reviews, write and submit press releases, and design publicity/advertising pieces for upcoming events. I feel this is the perfect job because I am the type of person who gets bored doing the same thing every day!

Being from a close family, how would you describe your family?
I do come from a very close family. We are large in numbers also and living in a small area such as Tuscarawas County it is hard to get away with something without anyone in my family hearing about it. It is hard to use words to describe my family so I will just use some popular movies/television shows that give more of a visual. If you were to combine the families from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the television show Everybody Loves Raymond you would get my family. We are a large, loud Italian family.

Where is your favorite place to vacation?
The Outerbanks, NC is my favorite place to vacation. My family tries to go there every other summer.

What is your favorite food?
I have two favorite foods broccoli cheese casserole and cheesy potatoes. I guess I like cheese... hmmm does that make me a cheesy person?!

What is your favorite book?
I have more than one favorite book. There are so many different genres that it’s hard to pick just one so I will just list some authors I enjoy.
Kurt Vonnegut
Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)
Mitch Albom
Audrey Niffenegger
John Grissham
Nicholas Sparks

Food Friday

2011-01-14T10:00:00.003-05:00

We're starting some new fun Friday posts on the Edit Cafe. On Food Fridays, we'll share a review of a recipe from a past or present Barbour cookbook.

Today's recipe is "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Bar." It comes from the Barbour cookbook In the Kitchen with Mary and Martha: One Dish Wonders, published in 2006. I've made these many times. It's my favorite go-to cookie bar recipe, when I want cookies but don't have the time or desire to spoon out sheet after sheet of individuals. These always bake up nicely for me, without a gooey middle. And I love that rolled oats are part of the recipe, because (imho) oatmeal chocolate chip cookies taste far superior to the regular variety...and I can at least pretend they are kind of healthy!

So here you go:

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Bar

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups quick rolled oats
1 (24-ounce) package semisweet chocolcate chips
(Experimenting with different chip combinations is fun! I think a combo of semi-sweet and butterscotch is the best!)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Mix ingredients in the order given and spread into pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

18th Annual Heartsong Awards

2011-01-13T08:50:00.004-05:00

Each year, members of the Heartsong Presents book club vote for their favorite authors, books, and covers. The winners of the 18th Annual Heartsong Presents Awards are:

Favorite Author

Susan Page Davis
Erica Vetsch
Jennifer Johnson
Lauralee Bliss
Myra Johnson
Paige Winship Dooly
Pamela Griffin
Laurie Alice Eakes
Yvonne Lehman
Colleen L. Reece

Favorite New Author

Erica Vetsch
Myra Johnson
Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Sandra Robbins
S. Dionne Moore

Favorite Historical Romance

The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Paige Winship Dooly
The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch
Lily and the Lawman by Erica Vetsch
The Glassblower by Laurie Alice Eakes
Clara and the Cowboy by Erica Vetsch
Romance Rides the Range by Colleen L. Reece
The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins
Romance Rides the River by Colleen L. Reece
Across the Cotton Fields by Diane Ashley and Aaron McCarver
The Marriage Masquerade by Erica Vetsch

Favorite Contemporary Romance

White Roses by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Maid to Love by Jennifer Johnson
Pure Serendipity by Becky Melby and Cathy Wienke
Fire and Ice by Susan Page Davis
Where the Dogwoods Bloom by Myra Johnson
Polar Opposites by Susan Page Davis
Fine, Feathered Friend by Kathleen E. Kovach
White Doves by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
For Better Or Worse by Jennifer Johnson
Autumn Rains by Myra Johnson

Favorite Historical Cover

The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Paige Winship Dooly
Romance Rides the River by Colleen L. Reece
Lily and the Lawman by Erica Vetsch
Clara and the Cowboy by Erica Vetsch
Romance Rides the Range by Colleen L. Reece
The Ice Carnival by Janet Spaeth
The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins
The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch
A Bouquet for Iris by Diane Ashley and Aaron McCarver
The Marriage Masquerade by Erica Vetsch

Favorite Contemporary Cover

White Doves by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
White Roses by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Where the Dogwoods Bloom by Myra Johnson
Maid to Love by Jennifer Johnson
Fine, Feathered Friend by Kathleen E. Kovach
Crossroads Bay by Kathleen E. Kovach
Pure Serendipity by Becky Melby and Cathy Wienke
Polar Opposites by Susan Page Davis
Exposing Amber by Elizabeth Goddard
Heart of Mine by Lauralee Bliss

Congratulations!!!

Introducing: Elizabeth Shrider

2011-01-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth Shrider recently joined the Barbour team as an assistant marketing manager. She's answered a few questions so we can all get to know her better.

What is your new role at Barbour?

As an assistant marketing manager, I work mainly with publicity and advertising for the books we publish. There is no typical day for me, which I love! I could be doing anything from posting reviews online to writing press releases and making advertising pieces for our upcoming releases.

What brought you to Barbour?

I graduated from Heidelberg University in May, with a degree in public relations and English writing…and thus began the job search. I applied for what felt like a hundred jobs before I found a listing online for Barbour Publishing. It was pretty far from home (my hometown is about 2 and a half hours from Uhrichsville) but I decided to just go for it!

What interests you about the publishing industry?

I think the most exciting thing about the publishing industry is all of the work that goes in to every book. There is more to publishing than just coming up with an idea and creating a story!

Where did you grow up and here do you live now?

I grew up in Northwest Ohio, in a small village called Mt. Blanchard. After getting this job at Barbour, I made the big move to New Philadelphia and I now have an adorable one-bedroom apartment downtown, on “the square.”

What is your nickname?

My name is Elizabeth, but most people call me Betsy. Elizabeth is my big-girl, professional name.

What is one thing you cannot live without?

Coffee, definitely coffee. I don’t think I could function without at least one cup per day!

Are you a morning/afternoon/night person?

I am an all day person! It is rough for me to get out of bed, but once I’m up, I’m ready to take on the entire day!

What would your biography be titled?

Definitely Oh, Betsy. Whenever I tell someone a story their response is always, “Oh, Betsy.”

A Fresh New Year

2011-01-06T13:58:00.004-05:00

Hello again to whoever is still reading this blog! I hope you all had wonderful holidays. (The picture is of me with my baby dolls and their baby dolls on Christmas morning.)

It’s start of a fresh new year. Since “January in NE Ohio” is just another way to say “super cold and snow”, there’s not a whole lot I like about this month. But I do like new calendars. I have five of them, in fact. Two were gifts, and I bought three for myself since I couldn’t figure out exactly which one I’d like best to keep track of our little family in 2011. I’m still deciding. Good thing none of them cost me more than $4.

With the start of the new year, we’re trying to be better bloggers. And with Heartsong Presents, we’re brainstorming new ways to attract more members and keep existing members excited about the club. If you have any great ideas you’d like to share for our Heartsong newsletter, Romantic Notions, or the Heartsong blog, website or Facebook page, we’d love to hear them!

And because, try as I might, I can’t seem to find much I like about the month of January, I’d love to hear what you like about it. Help me get a better perspective than "cabin fever month", please. :)

Happy New Year!

Introducing: Linda Hang

2011-01-03T17:08:00.003-05:00

Recently Linda Hang joined our Barbour team as the new Editorial Assistant of Acquisitions.

1. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I’m the epitome of staying close to home. I grew up in the Canton area of Ohio, and that is where I remain today.

2. What is the last book you read?
Agatha Christie’s A Pocket Full of Rye

3. What is your favorite non-productive thing to do?
Sleeping in

4. Do you have a favorite place in the world?
I love the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, specifically Cook Forest, where my family has gone camping ever since I was little. The forest is beautiful, and there are plenty of trails to explore and rivers for kayaking.

5. What interests you about the publishing industry?
It fascinates me to see the process where an idea, after countless hours of work by dozens of people, takes the form of a finished book.

6. What brought you to Barbour?
Having graduated from Kent State University as an English major, I started looking for jobs related to publishing. I began to think that my job search would inevitably lead to New York or Chicago when I discovered Barbour Publishing in Uhrichsville, Ohio. It was a perfect fit—a job in publishing, close to home, and rooted in Christian faith.

7. Your position at Barbour is a new one, so what will your role entail?
As Editorial Assistant of Acquisitions, I’ll be working with the acquisitions editors to make sure that projects stay on track before entering proofreading, communicating with authors and editors about projects, helping with marketing copy, editing, and anything else that comes up along the way.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T11:15:00.003-05:00

Christmas is already in our past, and we are looking forward to a new year. May yours be blessed.

We hope to be a bit more active here in 2011, posting something useful at least a couple times a week. So don't give up on our blog yet. Thanks!

Becky and JoAnne at the Barbour Christmas party.

Your Ideas Are Needed

2010-12-16T11:19:00.009-05:00

As you can tell, JoAnne and I haven’t had much time or inspiration for this blog of late. I sure admire the busy agents and editors who do manage to maintain a blog, and I also appreciate a great blogger like Chip who understands when it is time to unload some of that busyness.

I’m popping on today in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year, both in our publishing and personal lives, to be sure the word is getting out about a new publishing opportunity.

Barbour wants to do several non-seasonal novella collections in the year 2012 on top of the 4 we typically do for Christmas—and I need proposals right NOW.

So, if you find yourself not too terribly busy and have the idea juices flowing despite the freezing temperatures, feel free to query me.

I need collections that have 3 or 4 short stories that add up to at least 80,000 total words.

They can be written by 1, 2, 3, or 4 authors, though I’m looking for a good mix of author experience in these groups. I’m fine with authors working on the ideas as teams and submitting proposals without going through an agent for these, so if we need to contact an agent to approve a contract we can do that for you (please include name of contact). This also allows for authors who have various representation to still work together on a project. And in this case, for new authors, they won’t need to be agented.

(Our policy for full-length fiction, Heartsong Presents, teen fiction, and so forth is that new authors need to come to us through an agent.)

I need all stories to be American settings that fit under our “Romancing America” series banner. But they should highlight an interesting destination that the reader would want to experience.

We want both historical and contemporary collections. A historical collection could progress generationally where the last story is a contemporary setting.

Sweet romance is the key plot driver. Getting the couple together in scenes quickly and often is important to building toward a believable happy ending for them.

Other things besides the location and romance that unify these stories may be themes like a light mystery, hobbies like quilting, letters, family, occupations, an event as in historical occurrence or a modern-day reunion, subcultures like the Mennonites or Quakers, etc.

Titles currently available to review are:
A Door County Christmas
A Riverwalk Christmas
Christmas Mail-Order Brides
A Woodland Christmas

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

2010-09-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, JoAnne!!!

Feedback Friday

2010-09-03T14:31:00.003-04:00

A reader named Brandy had some great feedback for Heartsong author Donna Robinson.

Brandy explained in her letter about several tragic events that have happened recently in her life. She said after reading For the Love of Books, "I want to thank you. I just got over some bad feelings I had at God.... Your book has helped me a lot, and I hope you write more about Fort Lob and all its lovely people. God bless you."

What a great reminder of the impact a spiritual message can have in a book.

Today's Rant

2010-08-24T15:02:00.002-04:00

I confess. . .I hate double-spaced anything. It is too hard to read. On screen there is too much scrolling. On paper it takes up too many pages. I don't generally do the line by line kinds of edits on paper these days where I need the space for making editing marks and notes. So double spacing is just annoying. At least most authors have gotten the message to single space their summaries, and thankfully electronic documents let me change line spacing--even margins, font, type size, etc.--to my own liking with just a couple clicks.

Rant now over. LOL

Feedback Friday

2010-08-20T08:31:00.002-04:00

Here's a letter I received for all our great Barbour/Heartsong authors:

Thanks to all of the authors for their fine books.... I live by myself and they let me escape into the book I'm reading. I'm a very well traveled lady through them. I'm so grateful for all the authors and others who make my life bearable through their stories. Again, thank each and every one of all of you.

Sincerely,

Peare

Prayers Needed

2010-08-17T16:22:00.003-04:00

Please keep some of our authors in your prayers today. Christine Lynxwiler lost her dad this morning in a car accident. He was also grandfather to Annalisa Daughety, as well as father to mystery co-authors Sandy Gaskin and Jan Reynolds.

Feedback Friday

2010-08-06T11:52:00.003-04:00

A really nice card came for Jennifer Johnson that I thought I'd share here on Feedback Friday. I, too, love when authors seem to have great insight into human nature and can create wonderful, realistic, relatable characters.

Dear Jennifer,

I wanted to send a note to tell you how much I enjoyed reading Picket Fence Pursuit. What a lovely and sweet story about Kylie and Ryan. You have great insight about human nature with all its ups and downs. I laughed and cried, too. It was hard to put the book down.

Kate

The Value of Editors

2010-07-29T13:32:00.004-04:00

Paul Muckley, our senior editor of non-fiction at Barbour, passed along a link to a great article this morning. So, I thought I'd share it here, too. "How to Measure the Value of Editors"

Can you imagine being part of writing and editing The Declaration of Independence? We sure had some brilliant forefathers of our country!

Some New Marketing for Heartsong

2010-07-15T13:51:00.005-04:00

Here's a photo of my new marketing technique for Heartsong Presents. I'm using a stylish Heartsong Presents tote bag for Lilly's diaper bag! The bag goes with me everywhere I go with her, so the logo is getting a lot of exposure. LOL! Maybe it will generate interest in and conversation about our wonderful line of books!

What are some unique marketing tactics you've used for your books?

It's Been Awhile...

2010-07-08T15:17:00.007-04:00

...but I'm still here. :)

Life has been pretty hectic and hard the last few weeks. My Grandpa Willett (my dad’s dad) passed away on June 25th. At 88 years old and with an inoperable, cancerous tumor, we assumed his life here on earth wouldn’t be too much longer, but he seemed to take too quick of a turn for the worst. It was awful to see him helpless and struggling in his last days of life. But I’m so glad I was there to hold his hand and talk to him and take my little girls to visit him. And I’m happy that he is healed in heaven now. But we miss him, my grandma most of all. They would have celebrated 69 years of marriage this August. He was such a hardworking, respected man, a veteran of World War II, a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and most importantly a follower of Jesus.

The picture above is of my grandpa holding Lilly when she was just newborn. I took her in to see him two days before he died, the day she turned 3 months old. Grandpa wasn’t able to talk much, but he was able to weakly reach out his finger, and Lilly, his youngest great-grandchild, grasped it tightly with her tiny little hand. I hope that brought a moment of joy to him as he lay there dying. I know it’s a moment I will never forget.

At his funeral I was so proud to be his granddaughter, and as various people shared things about him, it made me hope he could look down from heaven and see how respected and loved he was. I just wished I’d told him more often how much and why I loved him. We can never tell our loved ones too often, so be sure to take every opportunity to do so!

I’ll throw in a couple more pictures of Lilly now at 3 months old and my two girls in their 4th of July finest. :)

Feedback Friday

2010-07-02T08:12:00.002-04:00

Here's a wonderful letter I just had to share from an avid reader of Barbour Books and Heartsong Presents:

Dear Fiction Editor,

I have read at least 50 of your 3-in-1 collections plus that many of Heartsong Presents, and there have been very few I didn't thoroughly enjoy sometimes 3 and 4 times each.

I have a husband with a very precariously unbalanced health. I sit a lot and reading makes that possible. My very best thanks goes out to you, your authors, and staff who make my time so very pleasurable.

My precious Lord and Savior helped me find you, and you make it very affordable so another thanks from a very happy customer.

Sincerely,
Claudene

ICRS - Another One Done

2010-06-30T11:05:00.004-04:00

ICRS wraps up today in St Louis, but I'm already back in Ohio and getting into the thick of work.

Here is a picture of the 6 fiction authors we had attend this year. We kept their hands busy signing lots of books!

(Kaye Dacus, Ronie Kendig, Mary Conneally, MaryLu Tyndall, Nancy Mehl, Wanda Brunstetter)

Just from an editor's POV, it was good to feel some nice energy at this show. There seemed to be some good traffic on the floor, though it definitely had a smaller feel from events of the past.

Feedback Friday

2010-06-25T14:48:00.003-04:00

I heartily agree with this bit of feedback from a reader who enjoyed A Wagonload of Trouble by Vickie McDonough.

Elsie said, "These books are excellent reading to share and discuss with our tweens and teens." And in answer to the question of how this book has inspired her life she said, "These titles will be good tools to open conversation about salvation and learning to grow in knowledge, grace, and faith."

As authors and/or readers of Heartsongs, have our books opened any doors for you to share your faith? Have they ever helped you mentor a young person in your life? I'd love to hear your comments on this!

Mail Call

2010-06-22T10:05:00.004-04:00

I used to look forward to mail delivery each day at the office. When I first started here in 1993, mail was delivered to my desk. Then they established boxes where we’d go and pick up our own mail.

Back in the day—before much email—mail time was fun. I’d get lots of interesting things each day:

manuscripts on disk and hard copy from contracted authors that were ready to process into books.
proposals fully printed out in interesting folders with attention-grabbing stationery and the like. Some presentations were gaudy and goofy, but it was part of the fun about the mail.
notes, cards, postcards, and the like and sometimes even photographs from authors. More thank-you notes and vacation postcards were received before electronics made it easier to just to shoot off an instant message. More letters and comments from readers.
marketing gifts and ploys to get us to work with certain service providers and the like (back before costs of gifts and postage skyrocketed).
more magazines and newsletters put out by reading clubs, reviewers, and the like.

Now the mail is a drag and just adds to the clutter in my office. We still get readers’ notes and survey sheets, but not as many. We still get book proposals (though we have asked not to), but now 98% of them are not even going to be on target for what we do—let alone worth reviewing.

The most fun mail is still around the Christmas holidays. LOL I also look forward to the Romantic Times magazine and the CBD fiction catalog. That’s about it.

You would think that the paperwork clutter would go away with all the forms of electronic mail and storage that we have -- but it hasn't. Grrrrr

So, do you think we’ve really lost anything by going with electronic mail? Just curious.

Winner of 10 Books

2010-06-21T16:40:00.002-04:00

Congratulations!

We have a winner! Clari Dees will receive a box of 10 fiction books as soon as I get a mailing address. Send me the info to EditCafe at Barbourbooks .com.

Don't Forget the CONTEST for FREE Books!

2010-06-18T17:10:00.000-04:00

Go here to Good Reads and Good Eats from Wednesday to see the details.

Get in on this great contest before it passes you by.

It would be helpful if you post your entry (with recipe) in the original contest post so I don't miss anyone.

Have a great weekend!

Matchmaking Games in Nashville

2010-06-18T17:00:00.004-04:00

A Christy Award finalist for her novel Stand-In Groom, Kaye Dacus begins a new contemporary romance series full of humor and inspiration with the release of book one in the Matchmakers series, Love Remains, in August 2010.

In Love Remains, matchmaking grandparents long to see their grandchildren happily settle in marriage. Zarah Mitchell and Bobby Patterson become the matchmaking focus of their well-meaning grandmothers when Bobby moves back to Nashville to work for the Tennessee Criminal Investigations Unit. Zarah believes he chose a military career over her fourteen years ago, while Bobby harbors his own resentment over Zarah’s choices to further her education. The grandmothers notice the feelings are still there between the couple, but will matters only get worse when Bobby investigates the agency Zarah works for? Will she be the one to leave this time, taking the opportunity to pursue a dream job in DC?

Watch for more romance in Nashville coming in The Art of Romance and Turnabout's Fair Play.

They Are Our Discarded Heroes

2010-06-18T16:55:00.002-04:00

"VALOR, ACTION, ROMANCE, HEART... Nightshade is the perfect blend of everything I like best in a story. I can’t recommend it enough!"
John B. Olson, author of Powers

Members of our armed services have championed freedom, survived the cruelties of war, and now these same heroes return home . . . wounded and discarded.

Nightshade, book one in the new military-themed Discarded Heroes series by debut author Ronie Kendig, mixes thrilling action, drama, romance, and a unique look at the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The novel is scheduled for release in July 2010.

Former Navy SEAL Max Jacobs is fighting a new war—a war for his family. Suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Max is unable to control his anger and alienates himself from his wife, who files a protective order against him. Their lives are about to collide when Sydney Jacobs hunts down the source of a human interest story at her local newspaper. Will she uncover Nightshade, the elite team Max is covertly working with, and bring danger to both Max and herself?

Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat, married a veteran, and they now have four children and a Golden Retriever. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, volunteers with the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and mentors new writers.

Feedback Friday

2010-06-18T08:16:00.003-04:00

I enjoyed this encouraging feedback from a reader named Peggy. She read A Still, Small Voice by Kim O'Brien and said, "This book touched. God is omnipresent. Even when we think we cannot feel or see Him, He is there. Just cry out to Him."

What a great reminder for all of us!

History in the Making!

2010-06-17T15:49:00.003-04:00

Be a part of history as MaryLu Tyndall's characters help to shape the course of the War of 1812.

MaryLu starts the brand new Surrender to Destiny series--packed full her trademark feisty characters, adventure, redemption, and strong romance--with Surrender the Heart.

For the sake of her ailing mother and destitute sister, Marianne Denton has become engaged to Noah Brenin, a merchantman she despises and who has no intentions of going through with the wedding himself. Unwillingly the volatile couple find themselves deeply entangled in the War of 1812 when Noah’s ship is taken by the British and they obtain knowledge that would greatly aid the United States’ effort. As they battle to stay alive, defy the enemy to save their country, and escape from a British warship, can they also fall deeply in love?

Watch for Surrender the Night and Surrender the Dawn coming soon.

It's a Mystery

2010-06-17T15:40:00.003-04:00

Mysteries are back in a new series that kicks off in July.

Hometown Mysteries--where love and suspense meet--is the place to go for a good mysterious read each month.

Nursing a Grudge by Chris Well

“Don’t be such a grump, Mr. Walker. What’s the worst that could happen?”

What is a grouchy old man to do when two attractive women drag him from his assisted-living apartment to join a clandestine spicy hot chili party? He almost has fun—until someone ends up dead. Now Earl Walker seems to be the only person suspicious of the way the partygoer met his demise. Can he solve the puzzle—and figure out his relationship with his new lady friend—before the Candlewick Retirement Community is closed down by state inspectors and the suspects move away?

The Ladies Are Taking Aim Again

2010-06-16T14:20:00.004-04:00

Back for a second round, is Susan Page Davis with The Gunsmith's Gallantry, book 2 in the Ladies' Shooting Club series.

Shy gunsmith Hiram Dooley has woman troubles. His sister’s about to leave him to marry his best friend; his sister-in-law feels it’s his duty to marry her, since they’re both widowed; and the woman he really loves, Libby Adams, has no idea of his esteem—and he isn’t sure how to tell her. When the schoolteacher suspects her father murdered her uncle, she turns to Libby, and Hiram is happy to help the ladies unravel the mystery. With rowdy cowboys and mysterious strangers, the town of Fergus, Idaho, is in an uproar. And it’s up to the Ladies’ Shooting Club to sort it all out.

Susan said: "My husband was a gunsmith for many years, and he was my 'expert' consultant for writing the Ladies' Shooting Club books."

Book 3 in the series, The Blacksmith's Bravery, will release in November.

Harmony Is the New Place to Be

2010-06-16T13:22:00.004-04:00

Let Nancy Mehl take you away to a little place in Kansas called Harmony in this new series that begins with a mystery-romance in Simple Secrets.

"Creating the Mennonite town of Harmony, Kansas, has been a joy. I've fallen in love with the town and its residents. I hope readers will too." ~ Nancy

Gracie Temple’s uncle left her a house in a rural Mennonite community. Gracie soon learns he secluded himself for years to protect a secret about her own father. Now it’s up to Gracie to decide if she’ll keep the secret or if she can afford to expose it. Sam Goodrich loves his fruit farm in Harmony, Kansas. But when he meets city-girl Gracie, he begins to wonder if he could leave it behind for a woman who makes him feel things he’s never felt before. When someone tries to keep Gracie from discovering the truth behind the secrets, both must decide what’s most important in life—before it’s too late.

Watch for more about Gracie, Sam, and the good (but rather eccentric) people of Harmony coming soon in Simple Deceit and Simple Choices.

A Wild Ride

2010-06-16T11:48:00.004-04:00

First there was Montana Rose and the timid bride who was taught love and tenacity by the reluctant groom. Then came the thrice widowed cattle woman who had sworn off marriage under The Husband Tree.

To round out the riotous series of Montana Marriages, Mary Connealy gives us Wildflower Bride where the once misguided and spoiled rancher's son has met his match in an Indian raised wild child.

Glowing Sun, born into the white man’s world as Abby Lind, is one of few survivors after her Flathead village is massacred. Forced to sever all ties to her adopted tribe, Abby wonders where she now belongs. Tenderhearted Wade Sawyer is bent on keeping Abby safe. When he receives word that his cattle baron father may be dying, he convinces her to go home with him. Has Wade’s rescue reflex overridden his common sense? Land-hungry killers are lurking around the Sawyer ranch. Can this mild-mannered cowboy and fiercely independent woman save Wade’s land—and each other?

And don't miss the start of Mary's new series Sophie's Daughters beginning with a July release of Doctor in Petticoats. Some might notice the connection to Mary's first book, Petticoat Ranch, available this fall in a Lassoed in Texas series omnibus.

Love in the Shadow of the Washington Monument

2010-06-16T11:36:00.005-04:00

Annalisa Daughtey follows her debut novel in the A Walk in the Park series with Love Is Monumental set in DC.

National Park Ranger Vickie Harris loves her job assignment at the Washington Monument in her nation’s capital. But while life in the District of Columbia is exciting and fun, the shy and withdrawn Vickie has resigned herself to the likelihood of being single forever. When a handsome professor asks the research-loving park ranger for her assistance on a project, Vickie reluctantly agrees. Will she come out of her shell long enough for the professor to get to know her? If she can only break out of her introverted ways, she might be surprised to discover that Love Is Monumental.

Love Is a Battlefield released last fall.
Coming in October 2010 will be Love Is Grand!

A Pie Contest Fit for a Groom

2010-06-16T11:25:00.004-04:00

I can't believe I haven't yet told you about this fun new series that Vickie McDonough is doing set in Texas and called the Texas Boardinghouse Brides.

It all begins with a crazy mail-order bride fiasco in The Anonymous Bride.

Luke Davis tells his cousins he’d get married if the right woman ever came along, never imagining the mayhem such a remark would make. For a month later, three mail-order brides arrive, courtesy of his well-meaning, scheming friends. How will he decide which one’s right for him? Widowed boardinghouse owner Rachel Hamilton loves Luke but never worked up the courage to tell him. Now that three brides have shown up, vying for his hand, Rachel is totally unnerved. What will she do if Luke marries someone else? Will he ever realize that sometimes love is right in front of you? Maybe a pie contest where the winner gets the groom will help him decide.

Book 2, Second Chance Brides, that finds love for those leftover brides, releases in September.

Wanda Brunstetter

2010-06-16T11:05:00.004-04:00

Wanda has had several of releases this spring.

Along with releasing books 1 (Kelly's Chance) and 2 (Betsy's Return) of her Brides of Lehigh Canal historical series that started in the Heartsong Presents line, the last of the Indiana Cousins series released in March.

Kumme back to Amish country, where sign language tutor Jolene Yoder finds herself attracted to her newest student—a brokenhearted Lonnie Hershberger. Love-shy Lonnie sees no future in becoming emotionally tied to Jolene. For how could he hope to protect her, if he can’t even hear? Besides, Jake Beechy seems to be taking up most of her free time. Meanwhile, Ella Miller is worried Jake will end up breaking her cousin Jolene’s heart. Little does Ella know that Jake is interested in her—not Jolene. What drastic measures will God use to bring these couples together?

Now Wanda is gearing up for the release of her new series called Kentucky Brothers coming in Spring 2011. She'll be attending ICRS and is planning a couple book signing tours this fall around the release of her big stand-alone title, Lydia's Charm.

Good Reads – and Good Eats

2010-06-16T10:50:00.003-04:00

I hope to kick off a flurry of updates on some of the good reads that have recently released to the market. I know I’m way behind.

I want to gift someone with these good books, so I’ll do a drawing on Monday the 21st for a box of one each of the books I post about (coming soon). To be entered, please do two things for me:

1)Post on your Facebook, twitter, or blog a note about one of the current Barbour fiction releases that you plan to read.

2)Then post in the comments that you did #1 along with a recipe or a link to a recipe that makes a quick and tasty summer treat.

I’ll start the recipes off with this one. I found it in recipes Colleen Coble shared with me back in February when I was behaving and eating well. LOL It is unique combination and great for summer when the strawberries and cucumbers are in season.

Cucumber and Strawberry Salad

1 cup sliced strawberries, divided
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Stevia, to taste (or you can sweeten a bit with sugar or sweetener of your choice)
1 whole cucumber, sliced

Combine all but the cucumber and a half cup of strawberries in food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour over sliced cucumber and strawberries. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

ICRS

2010-06-15T16:17:00.003-04:00

Time flies and the calendar is already pointing back toward summer and time for the annual International Christian Retail Show. This year it will be in the middle of the country--St Louis, MO--June 27-30.

I wasn't planning to go, but plans are known to change. So now I will be there for Monday and part of Tuesday.

The show has changed a lot over the years. It is no longer the same energetic, festive atmosphere that I recall when I first attended well over 10 years ago. Events and the scale of things have reduced as the market has a whole adjusts to new times, but nonetheless, it should be an enlightening couple of days and a good tool to gauge what is going on throughout the CBA market.

Guest Blogger Paige Winship Dooly

2010-06-07T14:57:00.004-04:00

The setting for my historical Georgia Belles series is three key areas in the state of Georgia. The Lightkeeper’s Daughter takes place on Little Cumberland Island, just of the southern coast of Georgia. The Displaced Belle is set north of Atlanta and The Reluctant Outlaw takes place in the mountains in northern Georgia. I love the state and have enjoyed placing my characters in such beautiful settings!

I’ve always been fascinated with lighthouses and their history. Many have fallen into disrepair or have collapsed when the shoreline eroded too close to their base, and some have been moved inland to safer locations. The Little Cumberland Lighthouse had a wall built around it in the 1870’s to protect it from erosion, but it still stands in its original location.

A few of the lighthouses that still stand can be explored or at least enjoyed from afar. The Little Cumberland Lighthouse is one of the latter. It’s best viewed from the water. The island where it rests is now private, so there’s no way to see the lighthouse up close. This made my research harder, but I used Google Earth and the internet to find out what I could.

The lighthouse stands 60 feet tall and is made of brick. It originally included a keeper’s house, but the house was gone by 1968. The lighthouse commenced operations in 1838. The first keeper was paid $400 per year and ran the lighthouse for eleven years.

A Fresnel lens was added in 1857. The tower survived the civil war, but was dark throughout most of the conflict. The lighthouse resumed normal operations in September of 1867, just before my story begins. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1915 and remains unused today.

I loved adding my fictional characters to the setting. I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Feedback Friday

2010-06-04T12:44:00.002-04:00

Well developed, realistic characters are essential for a good story, and so I particularly liked this feedback on the reader survey for The Marriage Masquerade by Erica Vetsch:

In answering the question, "These characters were special because?" a reader named Nancy said, "They were easy to follow and Erica is so descriptive that it makes it a delightful experience to follow the characters lives."

Great job, Erica!

Feedback Friday

2010-05-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

Here's some great feedback from a lovely card we received:

"Dear Friends in Christ,

I want to tell you how very much I am enjoying reading your Christian books. I find them more realistic than other Christian fiction....

We need more Christian literature for those of us who prefer reading rather than TV and movies. Your books present God as loving and worthy of our worship without pulpit pounding and denominationalism.

As someone who loves to read, I salute you for filling a great void and doing it very well! The low prices are frosting on the cake!

God's blessings,
Margaret"

Thanks so much to Margaret for sending us this beautiful card and feedback!

Guest Blogger Colleen L. Reece

2010-05-24T07:49:00.003-04:00

My first contact with Barbour Publishing was in March 1989. I'd seen an advertisement saying they were starting to consider Christian fiction. Their only fiction at the time was a few Grace Livingston Hill titles. Most of my 48 accepted/published books at the time were in that category. I asked if they would be interested in reprinting some of my out of print Moody Press titles.

The Calling of Elizabeth Courtland coupled with Honor Bound launched the inspirational Romance Reader 2-in-1 flip books. Sales took off like Superman. I did several more including my first westerns: Voices in the Desert with its sequel, Echoes in the Valley.

In 1992 Barbour asked permission to change four previously accepted titles from flip books to launch the Heartsong Presents line with A Torch for Trinity (#1) and Wildflower Harvest (#2). They found an enthusiastic, waiting audience. The next month brought the sequels: Candleshine and Desert Rose. As they say, the rest is history. Dozens more titles followed: historical, Biblical and contemporary fiction; YA and gift books.

After being chosen Favorite and/or 2nd Favorite Author several times, Barbour named Tracie Peterson and me as the first members of their Hall of Fame.

Now I have just completed and submitted the third title in an exciting historical series. Book One, Romance Rides the Range, has just been issued. Romance Rides the River is scheduled for fall 2010 publication. Romance at Rainbow's End neatly ties up the trilogy and is scheduled for release in January 2011.

Each title is unique yet allows readers (and me--smile) to discover what comes next in the lives of the original characters. Many must ride tangled and dangerous trails before discovering there is no way to real happiness except through Christ.

It's a long way from my initial contact with Barbour to having 140+ "Books You Can Trust," that have sold six million copies and are touching lives. God has led me every step of the way. I thank God for calling my attention to a small, inconspicuous advertisement that brought me to Barbour and then Heartsong.

Favorite Books for Children?

2010-05-20T16:15:00.005-04:00

I commented on Becky’s post from Tuesday that I think e-books should never replace the experience of holding a child and a book together on your lap and reading and turning pages together. There’s just something so special about that, in my opinion anyway. Of course with my two young girls we’re still just reading picture books, but I look forward to when they are ready for the Little House series and the Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte’s Web, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, Matilda.... I could go on and on listing my favorite books as a young girl!

My mom and I were laughing the other day at Jodi finding small spaces to crawl into and under. It reminded us of my favorite reading spots when I was little—an empty kitchen cupboard or under my daybed. I also often snuck out onto the roof of the porch that sat below my bedroom window. I loved to “get away” as I read so that I didn’t have to be interrupted!

So, in your opinion, what children’s books are must-reads to add to my collection for Jodi and Lilly? Whether they read them as e-books or sit down with me and turn pages together, the important thing is getting them reading! I hope my girls love books as much as I do!

Here's a picture of Lilly yesterday. I was so happy to capture her sweet, 8-week-old smile.

It's a Book!

2010-05-18T15:36:00.005-04:00

The buzz in the publishing world, especially with the IPad now out, is that E-books will eventually rule and maybe completely replace real, paper bound books. Do you ever see that happening? Could the conversation in this video ever take place in the future?

I have my doubts that real books will ever be fully replaced and the shelves of libraries emptied into hand-held computers. Sure, electronics will make some books more accessible. Reference books may become easier to navigate through electronics. Pop fiction will be easier to obtain, read, and dispose. But the allure of real books will never completely go away.

Guest Blogger Shannon Taylor Vannatter

2010-05-17T08:40:00.008-04:00

The White Rose trilogy for Heartsong Presents is set in the Arkansas towns of Romance (population 1700) and Rose Bud (population 2000). The two small towns are seven miles apart. Romance is known for the re-mailing program and weddings. Romantics send stamped/addressed Valentine’s cards and wedding invitations in manila envelopes to get them mailed with the hand-stamped Romance, AR postmark. Couples come to get married in Romance at the post office, local churches or the Romance Waterfalls. Last spring, my mother, my eight-year-old son, and I took a research trip.

The heroine in White Roses (which releases through Heartsong Presents this month) owns a fictional floral shop in Romance and the hero is a pastor in Rose Bud. I used a real church in Rose Bud as a model. When the Heartsong Presents cover artists asked me for detailed information and pictures for the cover, I realized I hadn’t taken any of the church. I described it to her and with fictional liberty added a few stained-glass windows. I was amazed at how much the cover looks like the real church.

Postal relief, June Sullivan at the Romance Post Office gave me insight and info into the daily workings. I learned how the mail is sorted by route and some postal lingo for the second book. Postmaster Angie Davis gave me the scoop on the weddings. They have three or four weddings a year on Valentine’s Day at the post office. Couples exchange vows in the lobby or outside the office. Someone carved a heart in the parking lot declaring it the Heart of Romance.

Next stop: The Romance Waterfalls. Owner James (Buck) Weatherly took us on an impromptu tour of his privately owned property, he and his wife open to the public for weddings and events. We walked underneath a wisteria-draped archway into a landscaped garden with a heart-shaped flower bed, numerous blossoms and flowering bushes. A wooden walkway leads down to the waterfalls, surrounded by jutting rock/steps with railing all the way down. We could hear the waterfall long before we got there.

Mr. Weatherly built two gazebos and balconies overlooking the waterfalls. Couples get married on the largest balcony and the Weatherly’s open their home for receptions and family reunions. I couldn’t help but include the waterfalls in all three books of my series and the owners agreed to let me have my book launch party there.

Teaser: a realization of true love, a proposal, and a wedding take place at the waterfall in my series.

Last stop: The Rambler Cafe’ in Rose Bud, famous for their steaks. Owner Cheri Limon gave me permission to use her restaurant in a pivotal scene. The rustic restaurant’s plank walls, shelves above each window lined with plants, antique books, and plates was the perfect setting for my hero/pastor to interview a potential associate pastor. Besides hometown friendliness, they have great food and the pie—oh, the pie. Turtle, coconut, pecan, the list goes on.

I’ve made four visits to the Romance/Rose Bud area and learned something new each time. The second book, White Doves is set at the post office in Romance, with a Postmaster heroine and mail carrier hero. The third book, White Pearls is set at a Rose Bud historical Victorian plantation with slave quarters upstairs as a haunting reminder of our racially divided past.

The series has been fun to write and I’ve enjoyed meeting the local people while researching the rich detail and flavor of the area.

Feedback Friday

2010-05-14T16:38:00.003-04:00

Here's a thank you to all of our Barbour authors and maybe it will inspire all of us to reach out more to others:

"To the Editor,
Since I have no one in my life, I go into these stories and can hardly put them down. They help me make it through each day. I live by myself and a small chihuahua dog.... Thank all your authors for their books. Without them writing and you publishing them, a lot of us would be very lonely."

Promotion Opportunity

2010-05-10T15:50:00.003-04:00

If you are a member of ACFW, you should use Fiction Finder to help promote your work. It appears to have a lot of potential and ACFW plans to really promote it in the coming months.

Go to www.fictionfinder.com to see more.

Speaking of ACFW, both JoAnne and I plan to be in Indianapolis, IN, for the annual conference September 17-20. It is within driving distance for us this year.

Feedback Friday

2010-05-07T08:29:00.004-04:00

Since Janet Spaeth was our guest blogger on Monday, I thought it was very timely that I received some great feedback for her book The Ice Carnival this week. A reader named Rosemarie said this:

"I recently finished reading The Ice Carnival by Janet Spaeth. I absolutely loved it. It had all the elements I find enjoyable in a book. I have read Heartsong Christian books for a long time and find all of them good. I especially like the historical stories. But I must admit The Ice Carnival was my favorite. I told my sister about it and loaned it to her to read. I warned her to return it , or ELSE!"

I think that's a good goal for every Heartsong. Let's make them all such great stories that you'll threaten any borrower who doesn't return them to your book collection. LOL!

Happy Friday!

Talk to Me!

2010-05-04T16:35:00.004-04:00

We are all busy. We all get stressed. And we all get caught up in our own corner of the world, isolating ourselves and our problems. But that isn't good for any of us or our careers.

Writers need interaction with more than a coffee cup or keyboard. We need to talk about our ideas, our challenges, our achievements, and our frustrations.

Lately, I've been pretty well holed up just trying to get daily things done. Have you noticed that I haven't been talking here? Despite that I don't feel like I've made much progress catching up, and I don't want to lose touch with authors out there.

One of the main components of my job is to be the author's advocate in the publishing house. To recognize the author's passion and writing voice and to help interpret that to the rest of the team in editorial, design, marketing, sales, and beyond. But if we don't talk, I can't help you.

The best advice I can give an author today is to open up and communicate with your editor or other publishing advocate. Don't wait until they contact you. Don't wait until you feel out of touch or have a big problem on your hands.

If you are falling behind on deadline and inspiration, don't cower and pretend all is well. Don't make excuses either. Just be honest with yourself and your editor. By working together you can perhaps find that inspiration and avoid a schedule meltdown.

If you are confused about the business process, be it contract, accounting, marketing, etc., just ask. If your editor doesn't have the answer, they can get it for you. The worst thing you can do is stew within your questions and let them hold you back.

If you have an idea or a dream that you wish your publisher would help you realize, tell your editor. We love dreaming with authors and will do what we can within our power to help you realize those dreams. Publishing with you is a partnership and our authors become like family to us.

If you simply have good news to share or just want to say hello, do it. Talking to you, hearing your joys, and knowing that all is well helps lift your editor's spirits too.

So, for all those who I haven't talked to lately, I hope all is well and I hope to talk to you soon.

Guest Blogger Janet Spaeth

2010-05-03T19:25:00.002-04:00

When I had the chance to write about Minnesota, I seized it. It was my chance to write a love song to this beautiful state.

Authors are often asked, How do you get your ideas? Usually my response is simple: I have no idea. But in the case of these books, I do know. Each one had a very specific start.

The first book, Remembrance, began with a scene as clear as if it had been filmed. That “movie” stayed in my head for ten years before the rest of the story emerged. It was a story of colors (this happens to me sometimes, not often enough to make me worry about my sanity, but enough to keep things interesting). This story was the glorious deep blue-purple spill of the hour around a winter sunset, when the orb has ducked behind the trees and the rest of the world is awash in this beautiful hue. I set Remembrance between Crookston and Bemidji, where the prairie suddenly ends—and you’re in the north woods. That part of the state will always own a piece of my heart.

The second book, Kind-Hearted Woman, set on the Minnesota River near Mankato, came from a little drawing I did one day and stuck on my bulletin board at work. It was of the cat on the post. Why did I draw it? Why did I save it? Excellent questions without excellent answers. But that small drawing was the genesis of this book—that and the sense of overwhelming heat that lays (lies?) heavy on the back of your neck and makes sweat trickle down your spine. It’s also my salute to teenagers who have ADHD. There wasn’t Ritalin in the Depression, remember. I wanted to make Bud as charming and lovable and frustrating as so many ADHD children and teens are. My family spent some enchanted time in the Mankato area, along the Minnesota River, and I had to set this book there in honor of those memories.

The Ice Carnival is the last book and its inspiration was the Winter Carnival in St. Paul. There really is a Winter Carnival there every year, complete with an ice castle! It gets bigger and better every year. If you have the chance, go to it! And while you’re there, go to Grand Avenue, down by the Crocus Hill area. That’s where Cristal and her family and the Berings lived…in my mind, at least. This area is my home away from home, where I go when I need to get away from my workaday life. I have some wonderful friends who live there, and over the years we’ve become family.

I must thank, by the way, the people who helped me with these books. The Minnesota Historical Society—I love you, love you, love you. St. Paul Public Library’s reference librarians saved me by emailing me photos—you are wonderful! And my friend M.E., you’ve talked me through plot lines and details, and walked me up and down and over your neighborhood until I had The Ice Carnival’s setting clearly in my mind—and I cherish you for your friendship and support (alert eyes might notice that my first Heartsong was dedicated to her).

I hope you’ve been enjoying your time in Minnesota! Next, I’ll be seeing you in North Dakota!

Feedback Friday

2010-04-30T08:39:00.003-04:00

Today's feedback is for Autumn Rains by Myra Johnson:

I have been a member of Heartsong Presents for many years, enjoying your books very much! I am a busy homemaker/ volunteer, so I usually only read during my lunch break, and before bedtime each evening.

From the time I picked up Autumn Rains, by Myra Johnson (#873), I almost couldn't put it down! I set a record for reading through this book, and didn't get much work done today. :-) I appreciated the biblical way each character worked through their very difficult life issues, plus the way each of them turned their healing into an avenue for helping others, including each other. I liked the tough love exhibited by family and friends, because is so hard, but so necessary in friendships.

Thank you for this inspiring book! I'd like to read more books by Myra Johnson!

Gratefully,
Kristen

I'm Still Here, Too! :)

2010-04-29T19:40:00.003-04:00

Thanks for all your comments on Becky's post, everyone! It looks like we would be missed if we quit blogging altogether, so we'll do our best to keep the Edit Cafe open. :) For today, I just have two pictures of Lilly to share. She's five weeks old already. Time sure flies!

I'm Not Dead -- Yet

2010-04-23T14:40:00.002-04:00

I may not be dead, but I've been dead tired of late.

With JoAnne on maternity leave and lots of work on my plate, this blog has just seemed like just an extra thing to worry about. I've easily let it slip to the bottom of the to-do list.

But JoAnne visited the office with Lilly yesterday, and we discussed the blog and what future it should have.

At the heart of our ponderings, we wonder what difference this blog makes among all the traffic on the WWW. What can we offer to you that other, very eloquent CBA publishing bloggers can't?

So, we ask you:
Are you still out there?
Do you still care about this blog?
What do you expect or wish to see here?
Should we keep it alive?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend.
Becky

Lilly Is Here!

2010-03-25T14:35:00.004-04:00

Lillyanne Joy Simmons

(Lilly for short)

Born March 24, 2010 at 5:27 pm
7lbs 5oz
19.5 inches long
Some hair, but not nearly as much newborn hair as her big sister had.

We congratulate JoAnne, Doug, and Jodi on this delightful addition to their family.

Guest Blogger Kathleen E. Kovach on Alpacas, Whales, and Falcons

2010-03-22T08:30:00.001-04:00

What do alpacas, whales, and falcons have in common? Read on and you’ll find out.

When deciding my next book project a couple of years ago, I thought, “How can I visit Mom in Oregon and get a tax write off?”

Okay, I didn’t exactly approach it that way, but I’m a fiction writer. What do you expect? However, the answer to my fictional question was to propose a three-book series set in Southern Oregon: God Gave the Song, released last October; Crossroads Bay, releasing the end of this month; and Fine, Feathered Friend, still in process.

My octogenarian mother lives in Medford, a fairly large town near an intriguing hamlet called Ashland, where I set God Gave the Song. Creative people live in Ashland. Weavers, glass blowers, jewelry makers—this charming little college town is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and apparently where old hippies retired and birthed baby hippies.

And they have alpacas. Lots of them. They would have to in order to keep all those weavers in business.

God Gave the Song is about two people with abandonment issues who learn to forgive with the help of a melodious alpaca. And yes, alpacas hum. Usually when distressed, but often when contented. At least, that’s what several experts told me, so I’m sticking to that story.

My first up-close experience with an alpaca happened only a few miles from my Colorado home on Stargazer Ranch in Loveland. Okay, Colorado has alpacas, too, but Mom doesn’t live here. You can read about that visit on my blog.

Before my trip to Oregon I continued my research online. Google became my friend as I virtually visited other ranches. But what I found most helpful were blogs by alpaca enthusiasts. Ranch owners who had funny, poignant, and real stories to tell became fodder for much of the alpaca action in my story. This is including my vignette about the cria who enjoyed a game of “Let’s Bounce Off Mommy.”

Once the story was contracted, I visited Mom. Yay! And God, who just had to show off, orchestrated my visit to coincide with an alpaca show practically in her backyard. How cool is He? We wandered around talking to tons of participants, getting ideas on everything from dyes to diet. Speaking of diet, in the afore mentioned blog article, I bring up the fascinating habit of . . . um . . . alpaca excrement. I hadn’t learned yet what many in the biz call “beans.” Because it looks like . . . um . . . a pile of beans. Oh yeah, that had to make it in the book.

Then, with the help of my Oregon family, we visited all three locations of this series.

The second book is Crossroads Bay where a beautiful charter boat captain searches for lost treasure while her real prize is the caterer trying to keep up with her. This book continues Paul’s story, a supporting character in God Gave the Song. Meranda, who gives whale watching tours, causes some consternation in Paul’s life as he is a severe landlubber. Oh, the things we writers do to our characters to make their lives miserable. Heh-heh . . .

Loosely based on a variety of coastal towns, our tour continued as we traveled from Coos Bay to Port Orford where we visited several lighthouses. Cape Blanco won my vote for favorite lighthouse in a setting, largely because of its red brick interior. My characters chisel at that brick to find the treasure. Are they successful? Read the book to find out!

And finally, on to the setting of the third book, Fine, Feathered Friend. An actress and a falcon handler find love with the help of a tattletale parrot named Cyrano. I took two stabs at researching the setting for this book. It takes place in Shady Cove, about fifty miles from Crater Lake, but the raptor sanctuary I wanted to use was in Eugene. So I moved it. Sometimes I think writers have more power than they deserve.

At the Cascades Raptor Center, I met Brian, a handler with every bit of passion that Tim, my character, possesses. He introduced me to several predatory birds, among them a red-tailed hawk, two vultures who sized me up for a snack, and an eagle re-learning how to fly. His most interesting story was of a dead mouse he’d forgotten in his sweatshirt pocket. He pulled it out at the grocery store. Apparently the clerk was not amused. (Note the lifeless fuzzy thing in his right hand—ew.)

Watch my blog, http://www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com/, for updates or find me on Facebook.

Thank you JoAnne for inviting me to guest blog, and thank you readers for your support. I love you all.

Feedback Friday

2010-03-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

Here's some great feedback from a young reader of A Hero for Her Heart by Candice Speare and Nancy Toback:

"I just finished reading your book A Hero For Her Heart. My English professor let me borrow it as an example of fiction writing because I'm a legal studies major taking a creative writing fiction course for an elective. I haven't read much fiction. The story really touched me and you have an amazing gift to write. I can see why you were recommended. Your book truly did touch me and it made me wonder if I will ever get to live, I'm a 19 year old college student and I was a victim of abuse and I've always wondered if God could really love people like me who grew up as I did. I wonder if God will give me the strength to make it through the upcoming trial with my parents and stuff. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your book and it touched my heart. Thank you."

Guest Blogger Frances Devine

2010-03-15T11:26:00.004-04:00

Hi, bloggers and readers. I’m honored to be chosen to say a few words. I’m Frances Devine. I was born in Donna, Texas, in 1940, but before I was a year old, my family moved to Dallas. I spent most of my childhood, teens and early twenties there. I still miss Big D, but the Dallas of today is not the same city I grew up in.

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. The first one that comes to mind was called Mumpsy Goes to Kindergarten. I loved the story but was truly awestruck by the pictures of the little girl in her pretty, swirly dresses. I began sounding out words in my mother’s books when I was too young to understand the meanings. Later, I fell in love with the Bobbsey Twins, The Five Little Peppers and other favorites. In my preteen years, I graduated to Nancy Drew, Judy Bolten, and The Hardy Boys. Like a lot of other writers, I can remember writing my first story when I was eight or nine years old. It was, of course, a masterpiece in my own mind and thus began a life-long desire to be a published author.

Instead, I married young and started raising a family. Seven children take up a lot of time, so my desire to write had to be satisfied with stories I wrote for them and poems I wrote for myself. I never lost the dream, but somewhere along the way, I did lose the idea that the dream was possible.

My children were all grown and had homes and families of their own when the wonder of computers and the Internet came into my life. A thought began to worm its way back into my heart. Maybe, just maybe.

Then, a wonderful, exciting event occurred. My youngest daughter’s book was accepted for publication by Heartsong Presents. I walked on clouds. Then her second book was published and then the third. Suddenly, I was living my dream through her. And at first it was enough. But with her nudging me, I got my own dream back and started writing. First a novella was published, then a cozy mystery, then I took a deep breath and decided to try my hand at writing a Heartsong romance.

I’ve been reading Heartsong books for about fifteen years and love the wonderful stories, exciting settings, and heroes and heroines who might sometimes make mistakes, but eventually let God have his way in their lives. It is also very nice to pick up a romance book and not have to cast it aside with embarrassment after the first ten pages. As a new Heartsong historical author, I feel honored to be a member of this talented group of writers. I am so grateful to the Barbour editors and staff for their help and encouragement.

Since I’ve always been fascinated by stories of old Chicago, when I decided to write a Christian romance, this was the first setting that I considered. The first story, Once a Thief, which actually turned out to be the second book in the series, also includes a little bit of mystery. A girl named Danielle, from an Oliver Twist type situation, deceives her way into the home of a wealthy and very kind family. But the handsome young man next door isn’t fooled by her acting ability. Will Danielle let Christ change her or will catastrophe occur?

After writing Once a Thief, I knew I had to go back and write the story of the hero’s parents. A Girl Like That, book one, is about Katie, a young star struck girl, who learns that some people are less fortunate than others and might perhaps need a helping hand. She meets a young lawyer who also has a lesson to learn. Conley’s Patch, a real and very poor district of mostly Irish immigrants plays a large part in the book. As the flames of the tragic Chicago fire jump the river and devour the Patch, we find our hero and heroine in danger as he searches for her among the screaming hordes of fleeing people.

The third book, Sugar and Spice, finds Danielle’s younger brother Jimmy at a crossroads in his life. Should he continue in law school which his brother-in-law, Blake and sister, Danielle, have made possible? Or should he follow his restless heart wherever it might lead? More complications arise when he falls in love with Cici, a very headstrong preacher’s daughter with a restless spirit of her own. That restless spirit leads her into dangerous situations and she finally finds herself among the passengers of the Eastland steamer as it sinks into the Chicago River.

Perhaps the reason my heroines all have character problems in the beginning is because of my own rebellion when I was young. But just as Jesus Christ turned my life around, I knew he would do the same for Katie, Danielle, and Cici as well as for the heroes in their lives. I hope my readers enjoy this series as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Have a very blessed day and walk in His joy.

Frances Devine is also the featured author all week on the Heartsong Connection blog.

Critique Partners....

2010-03-11T09:14:00.004-05:00

…do you have one (or more?) If not, check out the article, "To Critique or Not to Critique" by Angela Briedenbach in the March issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine. ACFW has a program to get writers connected in a critique loop and a monthly class to get you started.

From this editor’s POV, I really appreciate when authors are running their manuscripts by a good critique partner before sending them in to me.

If you do have great a great critique partner or critique group, leave a comment and tell us what makes your writing/editing relationship work well. Have you ever had a bad experience? What did you learn from it?

Guest Blogger Lauralee Bliss: Adventure (plus) Writing (equals) Lessons Learned

2010-03-08T13:44:00.006-05:00

Hi, I’m Lauralee Bliss, and I’m a lover of adventure. Sounds like the introduction for some group therapy session, huh? It reminds me of a time back in 2007 when I was hiking the Appalachian Trail. The kindly mayor of a small town in New York State asked if I needed psychiatric help after I informed him that my son and I were hiking the entire route from Georgia to Maine (which we completed in ’07). It was all in jest, of course. :) Adventure is simply a part of me—from traveling, to hiking, to adventures on the homefront caring for family members or dealing with the trials that pop my way. And that adventurous side of things frequently sneaks into the pages of my novels.

So it is with my brand new series from Heartsong Presents, set in the beautiful state of Utah. To research this series of books, my husband and I settled on the ultimate adventure—flying to Salt Lake City with our camping equipment packed into duffel bags, renting a car, and touring the state. Each of the books covers a famous aspect of Utah. Book One, Love’s Winding Path, found us in Moab with rafting on the Colorado and a tour of Arches National Park. Book Two, Heart of Mine, is set in one Utah’s larger towns, Cedar City, gateway to canyon country and the most famous canyon of them all, Bryce Canyon National Park. And Book Three, Wasatch Love, takes place in the largest city in the state, Salt Lake City, flanked by the beautiful yet rugged Wasatch Range. And so our Utah tour covered all these unique locations. And with that tour, I gained an appreciation of the scenic beauty of the state along with the people, towns, and the culture that prevails.

Day One of our Utah adventure found us roaming the streets of Cedar City. What a wonderful touristy town that boasts a famous Shakespearean festival every year and an annual summer Jamboree with old model cars on display, of which both events are depicted in the second book of the series, Heart of Mine. Our journey into canyon country led us to Cedar Breaks National Monument and finally Bryce Canyon where the reader will enjoy glimpses of both as experienced by the hero and heroine.

Day Two of our travels brought us to the doorstep of Moab, Utah and the principle setting of Book One, Love’s Winding Path. For this research, my husband and I booked a half day rafting trip on the Colorado. Armed with a list of questions I needed answered, my husband quizzed our guide while we rode the bus to the put-in area for the rafting companies. I was able to discover all that the river guides did on our trip down the Colorado. I learned the names of rock formations such as Fisher Towers and the Gummy Bear, paddled over rapids, and even played games on the beach and on the raft. The day ended with a trip into Arches National Park and views of the Window Arches and Delicate Arch—both incredible illustrations of God’ s creative touch, and both described in Book One (though words do it little justice).

At the very end of our trip, we returned once more to Utah and Salt Lake City for a drive into the world of the Wasatch Mountain range. Cold and foggy, the particular day lent a unique visual backdrop for the heroine’s wanderings in Book Three, Wasatch Love, where she attempts to discover herself. We drove by green meadows and snow capped mountains, to a silent ski resort and a few hiking trails meandering into a wilderness setting—all a perfect representation of what we face in the crossroads of our lives.

Our journey did not just include Utah but some famous parks on the West Coast such as Lassen Peak, Crater Lake, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Olympic, to name a few. Oh, how I would love to write about each of them! I feel blessed to be able to bring to the readers at least a tiny taste of the beauty that exists in this great nation of ours. Yes, we hear so much doom and gloom in the news. But one thing I have discovered on this trek—that our nation, the United States, is worth fighting for. Worth preserving. Worth writing about. And worth discovering. I hope you will consider going on your own adventure soon and seeing for yourself the great wonders that exist right here in our beautiful land.

For insight into the personal inspiration behind the prodigal son theme of Love’s Winding Path, please check out my guest blog post this week on the Heartsong Connection blog,
http://heartsong-authors.blogspot.com

You can learn more about my books at http://www.lauraleebliss.com

Birthday Wishes

2010-03-05T07:36:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is Becky Germany's birthday. Happy Birthday, Becky! Leave a comment. Let's see how many warm birthday wishes we can send her. :)

Guest Blogger Debby Mayne

2010-03-01T08:39:00.003-05:00

Thank you for inviting me to be a guest blogger here at the EditCafe! This is such a cozy and fun place to be!

As I write each book for the Heartsong Presents line, I think about what I want my readers to come away with. The most important thing is to know the Lord is with us, through every set of circumstances, and with every step we take. We’re not promised all candy and roses, but we are to have a heart of contentment in following the path He chooses for us. Love is a gift from Him, and we are to treat it with care.

I’m excited about my West Virginia-set books. Although these stories aren’t connected as a series, the setting is in a gorgeous state filled with caring people who are committed to faith, family, and community—all things I love to include in my stories. As I researched the settings and situations, I received an outpouring of help and good wishes from everyone I spoke to. Another benefit was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones as I e-mailed and called people, begging for help. I also want to give a few shout-outs to people who gave up some of their precious time to answer my questions.

The first book, Noah’s Ark, is about Emily, a woman who returns to her aunt and uncle’s farm to reconnect with her family and faith, and Noah, an animal loving man whose veterinary practice provides them plenty of opportunities to learn about each other. Although the story was about the relationship between Noah and Emily, I had to do research on the area to add believability to the scenes. I was fortunate to make connections with Brian Clercx, the chairman of Art and Design at Marshall University in Huntington, and Brenda Holley, a representative with Huntington’s Chamber of Commerce. My close friends, Dr. Scott Lamb and his wife Kathleen, answered all my questions about veterinary medicine.

My second West Virginia book, Special Mission, gave me the opportunity to include some of the emotions tied with being involved with someone in the military. Although it’s an honorable calling, any military service can be filled with misunderstandings and heartache. I grew up in a military family, and I moved every couple of years when my dad received new assignments. Even though I had the amazing opportunity of living in gorgeous places like Oregon, Hawaii, Japan, Mississippi, and Florida, with each move came sadness over leaving friends behind. This was especially difficult with overseas assignments because I didn’t see extended family, including grandparents, for three years at a time.

As Kim in Special Mission evaluates her relationship with David, she grows increasingly confused about her feelings toward her childhood friend Brian, who is trying to help her deal with loneliness after he’s jilted at the altar. This book forced me to dig deep and dredge up some old feelings I hadn’t dealt with in a very long time. In a way, it was cathartic for me, and I hope it shows a realistic side of this type of relationship. Love isn’t always neatly packaged, all pretty and shiny. It often comes with confusion, angst, and many sleepless nights.

The third book, Portrait of Love, will be mailed to book club members this coming summer. This story enabled me to explore relationships from another angle as Mandy the heroine felt a combination of annoyance and attraction to Tony the hero as he walks in and announces that he has the job Mandy had planned to apply for, simply because his family owns the company. Adding to her frustration, Mandy has a sister who has never had to work hard for anything, yet things always seem to work out for her. As the relationships develop in this story, Mandy realizes that nothing is or ever has been as it seems.

New friends Jennifer Fleahman with the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce and Margaret Prager at Suzanne’s Bridal Shop helped me with research of the area for Portrait of Love. Without their assistance, I would have completely rearranged this delightful town.

Being a Heartsong Presents writer is a blessing to me. I love being able to connect with readers through this blog and when I receive the sheets from the back of the book letting me know what you like about my stories and what you’d like to see in the future. Thank you again for letting me share with readers and other writers.

Blessings!
Debby Mayne

Be sure to check out the Heartsong Connection blog this week for more on Debby Mayne and Special Mission.

Feedback Friday

2010-02-26T15:07:00.004-05:00

Today's feedback came in a letter from a reader who enjoyed Rhode Island Weddings by Joyce Livingston. He said, "All three of these stories were a real blessing to my wife and myself.... I am realizing one of the greatest growth factors in our marriage is when I nightly read Christian novels aloud to my wife of 44 years. The challenges of Christ-likeness in these fictional characters inspire and motivate me to allow the Holy Spirit to search and cleanse carnality from my old flesh and admire and desire to be like Him and allow Him to change me. Thank God for gifted, godly authors who are so used of God to minister to us."

How cool is that, that this man reads our books aloud to his wife to strengthen their relationships with each other and with Jesus? That's very romantic, too. :)

Guest Blogger Nicole O'Dell

2010-02-22T08:14:00.008-05:00

Hi, Barbourinos!

Thank you so much for having me here at the illustrious Edit Café. What an honor! I know my reader isn’t the typical Edit Café follower, but her mom, aunt and big sister sure are.

I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about my books to some women who have the biggest influence on their teenager’s lives, and the greatest ability to impact their choices.

I have a passion for teen girls. It’s like God kept my heart and mind rooted in that phase of my own life. I just want to get in there and help girls make some commitments to sound choices before they face the issues in real life—before they have to make a command decision while staring peer pressure in the face.

Written for tween girls faced with lots of peer pressure, the Scenarios for Girls series debuted with Truth or Dare and All That Glitters in August 2009. Lessons of right and wrong are put to the test in this series, where readers can test their decision-making abilities in an eye-opening, but safe, way. Each book follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s the reader’s turn to choose between two alternate endings. At the end of each book, there is a contract and a prayer designed to help solidify her commitment to her choice.

In Truth or Dare, Lindsay Martin is faced with a tough choice: Does she give in to peer pressure and make her friends happy or does she do what she knows is right—even if it means losing her friends forever?

All That Glitters finds Drew Daniels with popularity and a cute boyfriend—everything she thought she wanted and exactly the opposite of what her identical twin sister wants. But now she’s faced with choosing between pleasing her boyfriend and doing what’s right.

Book three, Magna, deals with issues like retail theft and employee dishonesty when Molly Jacobs gets her first job at the coolest clothing store in the mall. It releases on April 1st. Making Waves also releases on April 1st. It takes on the topic of performance-enhancement drugs when Kate Walker puts all of her hope into the possibility of a college scholarship based on her swim-team success.

Books five and six (High Stakes and Essence of Lilly) are coming in 2011 and tackle cheating in school and purity.

I’m at www.nicoleodell.com which can also be accessed with www.scenariosforgirls.com. On twitter, I’m Nicole_Odell and on facebook, you can find me at www.facebook.com/nicoleodell.
Pop by my blog when you get a second. On Mondays, I post a message to Mom and Dad. Tuesday’s is my Girl Talk day—my daughters and I answer reader’s questions. Wednesdays I write about something happening in the writing world—book reviews, etc. Thursdays are for a devotional or testimony. Friday’s posts are simple fun. You can access my blog through my website or directly at www.nicoleodell.blogspot.com.

Here I am talking about my upcoming releases: http://gabcast.com/casts/1631/episodes/1264012962.mp3

Thank you so much for having me over for a visit!

Feedback Friday

2010-02-19T13:57:00.002-05:00

I received some feedback recently that made me very sad, and I'd like to ask you all to pray for this Heartsong reader. I won't specify her name or the title of the Heartsong she responded to, but she said about the book, "This theme was great, but realistically, I haven't found that happy endings are true. I keep praying and trusting God to provide for us. I'm beginning to believe God wants us to be miserable."

I'm sure we can all relate to times when we just want to agree with her. Sometimes it seems life is too difficult to handle and a happy ending just isn't possible. But as Christians, no matter how hard life on earth here might be, God does have a happy ending in store for us. In our small group we're studying 1 Corinthians, and this past week we talked about a scripture I find so encouraging: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

So, please pray for this reader with me, that she will be encouraged by fellow Christians and will hold to faith that God does indeed have an incredibly happy ending in store for us. Not just a happy ending to this life but an incredible beginning of forever with Him. One not even the most creative writer can possibly dream up!

Keeping Busy

2010-02-18T15:13:00.006-05:00

Well, I’ll follow Becky’s lead from Tuesday as it seems like I have not much else to talk about except all the snow! And there are nasty rumors floating around that we might be in for another several inches with a possible new storm early next week. But I’m in denial, and I’m thinking pleasant thoughts of warm spring days to come soon (I hope?)! Never mind how soggy—likely even flooded—the ground will be after all these white mounds melt....

I have plenty to keep me busy during this snowed in time, though. When I’m not working, I’m trying to keep my active, two-and-half-year-old Jodi occupied with fun indoor activities. We made Jello Jigglers for the first time the other day, much to Jodi’s delight. She refuses to actually eat them, but she loves to “juggle” them as she says. We’ve also been finger painting, making cookies and cupcakes, playing with Play-Do, swinging away on the swing Doug put up for Jodi in our basement, and digging in “Rice Beach” down there, too (dry rice in an inflatable baby pool). I also have a house to pack up, as we bought a new one and are moving in the next few weeks. It’s only about 5 minutes away from where we are now but is bigger with a great fenced-in backyard for our growing family. We are so excited and thankful for the way God provided. Oh yes, and I’m having a new baby sometime in the next six weeks or so. Whew! I'm so thankful my parents and Doug's parents live close by to help!

I’ve been busily working ahead so things will hopefully run smoothly with Heartsong while I’m off on maternity leave. For the most part I have my schedule of planned contracts full clear through the summer. I have content and copy edits scheduled way in advance with my freelance editors so that I can just quickly move things along during my time off. It feels good to be getting things done ahead of time. A good friend of mine recently had her second baby six weeks early; and thankfully her baby boy is home and doing great, but their experience has motivated me to get things done sooner than later!

Hmmm…turns out I had a little more talk about than just snow after all! I hope you all are staying warm, dry, and sane if you’re snowed under in your area, too.

The McCord Sisters

2010-02-17T10:57:00.003-05:00

The McCord family is so special that readers--and the author--want to be a part of it.

"The characters became so real to me that when my dog had a problem, I founds myself wanting to ask Elyse McCord how to handle it," says Christine Lynxwiler.

Cowgirl at Heart by Christine Lynxwiler

Elyse McCord has tried to put the past behind her. But even in the safety of her adoptive family, this dog whisperer is afraid of her own shadow. Unless a canine is being cruelly treated. Then Elyse’s hackles rise, leading her into volatile situations. Can anything—or anyone—keep her safe? Rescuing Elyse from a pistol-wielding maniac, Andrew Stone finds his damaged heart picking up a beat. Can he put aside his lust for avenging the murder of his wife long enough to start a new life? Or will he and Elyse forever be damaged goods, unable to forgive, unable to love?

It Is Easy to Make a Case for Love

2010-02-17T10:51:00.004-05:00

Kaye Dacus has had a lot of fun researching the Brides of Bonneterre Series, including shadowing a wedding planner, watching cooks on the Food Network, and visiting a local television station.

In this last of the series, love invades a lawyer's well-ordered life.

A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus
TV social-scene reporter Alaine Delacroix’s parents are about to lose their home and business to the giant corporation owned by the powerful Guidry family. When her only option comes down to asking the Guidrys’ oldest son to help her fight for what’s right, can she bring herself to trust the handsome, disarmingly charming lawyer? And will Forbes Guidry be able to make a case for love before losing his job and family? Can both trust that God will present a solution before it’s too late?

Snowed Under!

2010-02-16T14:14:00.005-05:00

The workload comes in mounds as usual, but what I want to talk about is real SNOW!

This is the snowiest February that I can recall for a long time. Our snow pack is a couple feet deep, and we are finishing up a storm that is dumping 6-8 inches. I need boots that go up past my knees.

The picture is my mother's shitzu pup in a rather cleared area. If she goes out in the open yard we can easily lose her in the snowdrifts.

It is said that being snowed in does crazy things to you. I have a friend who has been talking nonsense about moving to Alabama. Yesterday she channeled her restlessness into cleaning out the kitchen. The day before it was the boys' room. Not sure what job she is tackling today.

Most winters I have a project going like a scrapbook or a quilt, but this year has simply been animal husbandry. It takes a lot of time, but even though the animals are quite literally cooped in, I'm seeing a good crop of eggs (enough to put some in the incubator for hatching) and a good return of babies naturally.

My 4 rabbits quickly multiplied to 21 two weeks ago when both of my does had litters. I lost only one baby but gained two more rabbits from a friend (another pregnant doe), so my rabbit total sits at 22.

Spring is in the air despite another predicted snowstorm for next Monday. Its almost time for me to start seeds for the garden. And the next thing to complain about will be mud.

So how are you doing during the winter doldrums? Are you snowed in? Do you have a project that you are working hard on? Are you feeling down or inspired?

Faith, Hope, and Love

2010-02-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

The Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writer’s of America is now accepting entries to their 10th Annual Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest. The IRCC is a unique contest in that it is only for Inspirational fiction and is judged by readers, not writers, of Inspirational fiction.

The IRCC has 7 categories for books: Long Contemporary, Short Contemporary, Long Historical, Short Historical, Women’s Fiction, Romantic Suspense, and Novella.

This is the link to find out more about entering the IRCC: http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/contests.htm

Titling Drawing

2010-02-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

We will most likely go with these titles for Marcia Gruver's Backwoods Buccaneers series (group C):

Raider’s Heart
Bandit’s Hope
Hunter’s Prize

Thanks to all who gave their opinion.

Congratulations to Erica for winning the drawing for the complete series of Texas Fortunes.

Feedback Friday

2010-02-12T13:35:00.003-05:00

Today's feedback came from a reader who is loving MaryLu Tyndall's books:

Dear MaryLu,

I just finished The Blue Enchantress and have pre-ordered The Raven Saint. I love your pirate books! I have all of them.

Even though the books are historical fiction, the dilemmas of the characters and the challenges they face are certainly within the realms of today's relationships. That's another thing I appreciate about your stories is the spiritual content, especially the redemption. You paint very real tragedies and serious circumstances that not only challenge the hero and heroine, but also show God's love and character and the special way He has of interceding in the affairs of man. You give hope in a world that needs it so much. Thank you!

Janet

Your Help Is Needed

2010-02-11T09:47:00.006-05:00

Sometimes titling books so that they sound unique and appealing becomes a great challenge.

When the author feels stuck, I usually jump in and start by reading the book (or series) proposal with highlighter in hand. I pick out all the interesting words pertaining to the story.

Very briefly, this book is about the gang formed by Henry Berry Lowrie at the end of the Civil War in Rebeson County, NC. Two brothers join the gang late in its existence. Along the way, they encounter two women--one fair in face and temperament becomes a captive, the other as beautiful and wild as the land becomes a raider. Though they've never met, the women are the missing parts of a secret that will bind them together for eternity.

Key words:
outlaw
swamp
captive
plunder
gang
brothers
secret
backwoods
desire
hope
war
Scuffletown
wild
raiders
bandits
debutant
hope

Then I start matching up words.

The Raider's Bride
The Captive Bride
The Swamp Captive
Scuffletown Secret
Plundered Hope
Raider’s Hope
The Backwoods Outlaw

Out of the matched words I look to see if anything stands out as a great title.

With a series, I have to do this for each book and then try to get a title grouping that we feel would be the best for marketing the series.

This is where you come in. Marcia Gruver is writing the Backwoods Buccaneers series. The first releases in Spring 2011. The series basically is about three generations of "land pirates" spanning from North Carolina, to Mississippi, to Texas, who confront the inescapable wages of sin and greed.

We are looking for the most appealing group of titles. Please vote for one group. And to reward you for your time and opinion, we'll draw three names from the comments to send Marcia's complete Texas Fortunes trilogy to.

Group A:
Backwoods Heart
Natchez Hope
Uncertain Prize

Group B:
The Swamp Outlaw
The Natchez Bandit
The Treasure Hunter

Group C:
Raider’s Heart
Bandit’s Hope
Hunter’s Prize

I'll close the drawing on Monday the 15th. Thanks for your help.

A Beautiful Culmination

2010-02-10T14:19:00.003-05:00

"When problems arise, how quick we are to point the finger at someone else, when, in truth, it's our heart God is trying to change." -- M. L. Tyndall

A kidnapping plan leads to romance and adventure in this thrilling conclusion to M. L. Tyndall's Charles Towne Belles series.

The Raven Saint

While on a mission of mercy outside Charles Towne, South Carolina, Grace Westcott is kidnapped. Captain Rafe Dubois snatched Grace for the money, but when he gets her aboard his ship, her kind heart makes him second-guess his decision. Grace isn’t certain why God has put her in this situation—unless it’s to bring redemption to the wicked mercenary. But Rafe’s desire to assist the poor makes Grace reconsider her initial impression of her captor. Will Rafe be able to give Grace his heart and risk letting another woman betray him? And what will Grace do when she realizes her purpose is not to redeem Rafe, but herself?

Montana Marriages

2010-02-10T14:03:00.004-05:00

Mary Connealy knows how to weave the Wild West with romance and terrific humor.

The title alone of this new book promises loads of fun.

The Husband Tree
(book 2 in the Montana Marriages series)

Belle Tanner just buried her third worthless husband under a sprawling tree. Now she needs to move her cattle to market before winter sets in. But is the aimless cowpuncher Silas Harden worth hiring on? Silas just escaped the matrimonial noose—only to lose his ranch in the process. Although he’s glad for the job, he doubts five females can survive a treacherous cattle drive across the Rockies. With both Belle and Silas determined never to get tangled up with marriage again, love seems bound to lasso them in. Will they survive the drive and make it into the winter unhitched?

Book Previews

2010-02-10T10:32:00.004-05:00

Wow, I haven't done a new release announcement since early December. January and February have seen some wonderful releases you shouldn't miss hearing about.

For starters, they include these:

Colorado Crimes by Lisa Harris

Chef Pricilla Crumb’s guest list has just turned into a suspect list. . .for murder. Stocked with a spiritual message and a sprinkle

of romance, these fun mysteries highlight Pricilla’s escapades as the unconventional busybody

follows one lead after another, stirring in heaping doses of laughter and suspense along the way.

Mainely Mysteries by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis

Romance and intrigue abound at Blue Heron Lake when journalist Emily Gray returns to the lakeside town of Baxter, Maine, to prepare her family’s island cottage for sale. She soon finds herself reporting on, and trying to solve, a trio of murders in the deceptively quiet little town.

Rodeo Hearts by Joyce Livingston

Saddle up for a rodeo of romance when three modern, big-city women meet their matches in men more comfortable wearing boots, spurs, and guns.

Salt Lake Dreams by Paige Winship Dooly

Three women, pioneers in their chosen professions, find that life in nineteenth-century Utah is filled with romance and fraught with intrig

ue and mystery.

Feedback Friday

2010-02-05T13:10:00.002-05:00

Today's feedback came from a reader named Nancy who sent Janet Spaeth a lovely card thanking her for writing her book, Kind-Hearted Woman.

Nancy said, "I just wanted to thank you so much for such a lovely book called Kind-Hearted Woman. Lolly and Colin and the brothers are such sweet people. I've been going through a lot of stress, etc., and your book brought a smile to my face and hope for the future."

Guest Blogger Angie Brillhart on Barbour's New Camp Club Girls Series

2010-02-01T14:56:00.009-05:00

Girls ages 8 to 12 will enjoy the mystery, mayhem, and adventure found in Barbour’s new Camp Club Girls series written specifically for them! Camp Club Girls & the Mystery at Discovery Lake and Sydney’s D.C. Discovery, the first two books in the 24-book series, officially released in January 2010. Books three and four, McKenzie’s Montana Mystery and Alexis and the Sacramento Surprise release in March 2010. Two books will release every other month through November 2011. Each 160-page paperback book in the series will retail for $5.97.

In Camp Club Girls & the Mystery at Discovery Lake, the series begins with six girls meeting at Camp Discovery and learning they all share one thing in common: an aptitude for intrigue! They form a super sleuth ring, call themselves the Camp Club Girls, and are soon embroiled in a search for lost jewels. After the first book, each of the 24 titles focuses on one girl, though the other characters are involved in each story and use their special skills—analyzing, spiritual insight, gadgetry, physical strengths, and research—to help the whole team stump adversaries and master the mysteries they encounter. In Sydney’s D.C. Discovery, Sydney and Elizabeth are on-site in the nation’s capital when odd happenings occur at the Vietnam Memorial. Can they decipher the clues and save the president before the dawn’s early light?

To kick off the new Camp Club Girls series, Barbour Publishing will be holding both reader and store contests. Readers will be offered a chance to win the “Kate’s Gadget Girl” grand prize gift basket worth over $2,000. Named after one of the Camp Club Girls characters who loves gadgets, the grand prize includes a MacBook computer, Nintendo Wii, iPod Nano, Canon digital camera, video journal, and many more cool gadgets. Running from January to August 2010, the readers’ contest also offers monthly winners a Camp Club Girls backpack full of goodies. To sign up, readers can fill out a form found inside the books or enter online at www.campclubgirls.com.

In addition to providing an entry form for the contest, www.campclubgirls.com offers character profiles, information on all the books, bookmarks to print out, and lists of all the monthly winners. The grand prize winner will be announced after the contests conclude in August 2010.

Join the Camp Club Girls in their new series as they find hidden jewels, destroy terrorist plots, uncover intrigue, rescue their friends, and so much more!