Keep Me Accountable - Day 4

I'm so proud of my new coffee pot! When time allows, I'll post a pic. It's nothing fancy, just new and you know how new things feel...

Previous Word Count 39,488
Current Word Count 39,539
Target Word Count 60,000

**
I wrote a few words... these may have popped in via osmosis as I can't remember when I actually wrote anything, LOL!

**
Today, I slept in and I don't remember hitting the snooze button... Did I mention that since I had my last child, my mind, my memory, has slightly altered? Sometimes I even say things that sound weird. Part of my brain must have checked out when I delivered my little boy.

Oh well, just so long as it wasn't my creative side, I'll be okay.

**

Have a great writing day!! I'm taking my laptop with me to work and hope to write during lunch... how about you?


******************** Join me in this writing rally!!! **********************

If you would like to help keep me accountable and be entered in my contest for a $10 Starbucks gift card + a special surprise from me, leave a comment here. The winner will be announced at the end of this contest April 30. If you go to my post on FAITH you'll see I've posted instructions for the contest. I blog every Sunday on FAITH and will give a weekly update there as well. So those Sunday comments also count toward the contest.

But Only Blogger comments will be counted... Facebook comments don't count.

Thank you for your support!

As Young As We Feel by Melody Carlson

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

As Young As We Feel

David C. Cook; New edition (March 1, 2010)

by

Melody Carlson





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards. And her "Diary of a Teenage Girl" series has received great reviews and a large box of fan mail.



She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.







ABOUT THE BOOK

Is there room in one little hometown for four very different Lindas to reinvent their lives … together?



Once upon a time in a little town on the Oregon coast lived four Lindas—all in the same first-grade classroom. So they decided to go by their middle names. And form a club. And be friends forever. But that was forty-seven years and four very different lives ago. Now a class reunion has brought them all together in their old hometown—at a crossroads in their lives.



Janie is a high-powered lawyer with a load of grief. Abby is a lonely housewife in a beautiful oceanfront empty nest. Marley is trying to recapture the artistic free spirit she lost in an unhappy marriage. And the beautiful Caroline is scrambling to cope with her mother’s dementia and a Hollywood career that never really happened. Together, they’re about to explore the invigorating reality that even the most eventful life has second acts … and friendship doesn’t come with a statue of limitations.



If you would like to read the first chapter of As Young As We Feel, go HERE.



Watch the Video:

Keep Me Accountable - Day 3

As I keep my chin up and face day 3, I'm seeing it with bleary eyes. The coffee maker is caput.

Out.

Adios.

On Strike.

I woke up this morning at 3:30 cheery. I fed the baby. After I laid him down, I practically skipped into the kitchen because I was going to get some writing done this morning. But first, I needed my coffee.

Argh! No Coffee!

This orange juice may be good for me, but it just doesn't pack the same punch that good ole cup of Joe does.

**
Yesterday, I took my laptop with me to work and got some additional editing done. I find I do better with writing if I can back up into the previous scene and read, which gets me back into the correct thoughts and reminds me where I was going.

I did figure out what I had done a few days ago to lose the word count. I axed a love scene that came too soon. For all of those who love romance, I know this may sound ridiculous. But when writing for the inspirational market, there are many things to consider before you introduce that first kissing scene or the characters declare their love for each other.

My scene came too soon because the characters were not ready. There were things both the hero and heroine needed to address before I could bring them to that pinnacle. A kiss may be just a kiss, but speaking words of love need to be well thought through. Some writers choose not to allow their characters to make those types of declarations until the last scene.

If you're reading secular romance, then you can throw what I'm saying out the window. Those stories are completely separate from what I'm talking about and the love scenes come much earlier in the book.

**
Last night, I came home from work a little tired, but with enough energy to accomplish something. That something ended up being a project my husband was completing and had to complete yesterday. I was already committed to this and have been for some time. No choice in the matter. No additional writing on TBB.

**
My word count is at the same stagnant 39,488.
At this point, I'm not sure if I will be taking my laptop with me or not. Buying a new coffeemaker on my lunch break may be my goal for the day. However, I won't leave the house unprepared. Some of my best ideas come after a ride in the car. I'll have my notebook and pen handy to shoot out anything new that comes to mind. And hopefully, I'll have some new words to input into the CPU.

**
Thank you for your continued comments and updates. I'll post tomorrow morning with my progress. I hope to see you back with your writing updates.

******************** Join me in this writing rally!!! **********************

If you would like to help keep me accountable and be entered in my contest for a $10 Starbucks gift card + a special surprise from me, leave a comment here. The winner will be announced at the end of this contest April 30. If you go to my post on FAITH you'll see I've posted instructions for the contest. I blog every Sunday on FAITH and will give a weekly update there as well. So those Sunday comments also count toward the contest.

But Only Blogger comments will be counted... Facebook comments don't count.

Thank you for your support!

Keep Me Accountable - Day 2

Thanks for the rally and support! I'm excited about starting a new day and wondering how many words I'll write today.

Yesterday was tough. I was doing laundry, helping hubby with his project. We were taking care of the kids. My 5 year old bounced around the house gleefully, wanting one of us to entertain her. She did entertain herself for a little while, although that seemed so short-lived. Hubby and I took turns feeding and changing the baby and I actually cooked dinner.

In between all of that, I answered blog posts - thank you again for your interest - and worked on the scene. I did write 102 words that are new, but the revising and deleteing I also did caused my word count to drop.

So, not only am I a girl who can GAIN weight on the Weight Watchers point system, but I will also LOSE words in a writing challenge!

I really don't know how I did that... My word count is now 39,488.
I'm not sure if I made a mistake yesterday or what. I don't remember cutting that much when I was revising... Hmmm...

So I lost about a thousand words.
Losing words doesn't make me feel good. I need to put the pounds back on this book. I need to gain about 21K now....

Today will be especially challenging as I return to work. On the flipside of that, if I am diligent and work on the book during my lunch break, I may be able to finish the scene. I've been known to be super creative midday...

***

And now, Kudos to my readers and fellow writers!!!

Way to go Rebecca! She wrote 2300 words - YESTERDAY!!!!
Girl, I'm coming to your house - I'll sit on one side of the desk and you the other and we'll just write. Congratulations!!!

***
As for me....

Progress so far... Current Word Count - 39,488
TARGET Word Count - 60,000

Goal Today... Instead of losing words, I wanna gain a few... Still working on the scene for Chapter 12.

I'll post tomorrow morning with my progress and I hope to see you back with your progress, too.

******************** Join me in this writing rally!!! **********************

If you would like to help keep me accountable and be entered in my contest for a $10 Starbucks gift card + a special surprise from me, leave a comment here. The winner will be announced at the end of this contest April 30. If you go to my post on FAITH you'll see I've posted instructions for the contest. I blog every Sunday on FAITH and will give a weekly update there as well. So those Sunday comments also count toward the contest.

But Only Blogger comments will be counted... Facebook comments don't count.

Thank you for your support!

Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa

Summerside Press (March 1, 2010)

by

Melanie Dobson





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Beroth Dobson is the author of the inspirational novels Together for Good (2006), Going for Broke (2007), The Black Cloister (2008), Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana (2009), Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (2010), Refuge on Crescent Hill (2010), and The Silent Order (2010) as well as the co-author of Latte for One and Loving It! A Single Woman's Guide to Living Life to Its Fullest (2000).



Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.



Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.



Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn't writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Times are hard in 1894. Desperate for work, former banker Jacob Hirsch rides the rails west from Chicago with his four-year-old daughter, Cassie. When a life-threatening illness strands the pair in Homestead, Iowa, the local Amana villagers welcome the father and daughter into their peaceful society. Liesel, a young Amana woman, nurses Cassie back to health, and the Homestead elders offer Jacob work. But Jacobs growing interest in Liesel complicates his position in the Amanas. Will he fight to stay in the only place that feels like home, even if it means giving up the woman he loves? Or will Liesel leave her beloved community to face the outside world with Jacob and Cassie at her side?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa, go HERE.

Keep Me Accountable - Day 1

I'm starting a rally and a contest is at the finish line for this goal.

I'm posting daily progress here on my blog and will sum up the week on the FAITH blog on Sunday. I need you to help keep me accountable to finish this book. It has 3 requests, received in 2009. I'm determined to fulfill those requests and take a gamble on this book.... read more of my struggle and more about this contest I've started today on FAITH.

For the purposes of this blog, the acronym for my title is: TBB.
Current word count: 40, 426
TARGET word count: 60,000

Progress so far today....
*** My thumb drive is in the laptop and the documents are pulled up. ***

Goal today....
*** Write a new scene for chapter 12 ***

If you would like to help keep me accountable and be entered in my contest for a $10 Starbucks gift card + a special surprise from me, leave a comment here and/or on FAITH. The winner will be announced at the end of this contest April 30. Again, go to FAITH where I've posted instructions for the contest.

Only Blogger comments will be counted... Facebook comments don't count.

Thank you for your support!

On The Road Home by Terry Burns

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

On The Road Home

Port Yonder Press; 1st edition (March 3, 2010)

by

Terry Burns





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Terry has over 30 books in print, including work in a dozen short story collections and four non-fiction books plus numerous articles and short stories.



His last book Beyond the Smoke is a 2009 winner of the Will Rogers Medallion for best youth fiction and a nominee for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. He has a three book Mysterious Ways series out from David C Cook, and Trails of the Dime Novel from Echelon Press.



A graduate of West Texas State he did post graduate work at Southern Methodist University. Terry plans to continue writing inspirational fiction as well as working as an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. Terry is a native Texan Living in Amarillo, Texas with his lovely wife Saundra.





ABOUT THE BOOK

In our sound-byte society, short stories and poems will always have a place, especially when they've been penned by the likes of Terry Burns. This, the first of four in The Sagebrush Collection, is a compilation of fictional, autobiographical, and fiction-based-on-fact shorts and poems.



Through fluent cowboy-speak, author Terry Burns shares his heart with these sometimes somber, often humorous, always engaging glimpses of life. From short stories about time machines and troubled marriages to poems of roses and hauntingly cold winds, you’ll find much to savor on the pages within.



A born storyteller, Burns style is natural, conversational, and above all real. He’s a fifth generation Irish tale-weaver and a fourth generation Texas Teller of Tall Tales. Storytelling comes as natural to him as breathing.



Come along with Terry as he journeys “On the Road Home”. You’ll be glad you did.



If you would like to read the first chapter of On The Road Home, go HERE.

Heart of Stone by Jill Marie Landis

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Heart Of StoneZondervan (March 1, 2010)

by

Jill Marie Landis





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jill Marie Landis is the bestselling author of over twenty novels. She has won numerous awards for her sweeping emotional romances, such as Summer Moon and Magnolia Creek. In recent years, as market demands turned to tales of vampires, erotica, and hotter, sexier historical romances, Jill turned to writing Inspirational Western Romances for Steeple Hill Books. She truly feels back in the saddle again, working on stories that are a joy to write. With her toes in the sand and head in the clouds, Jill now lives in Hawaii with her husband, Steve.











ABOUT THE BOOK

Laura Foster, free from the bondage of an unspeakable childhood has struggled to make a new life for herself. Now the owner of an elegant boardinghouse in Glory, Texas, she is known as a wealthy, respectable widow. But Laura never forgets that she is always just one step ahead of her past.



When Reverend Brand McCormick comes calling, Laura does all she can to discourage him as a suitor. She knows that if her past were discovered, Brand’s reputation would be ruined. But it’d not only Laura’s past that threatens to bring Brand down─it’s also his own.



When a stranger in town threatens to reveal too many secrets, Laura is faced with a heartbreaking choice: Should she leave Glory forever and save Brand’s future? Or is it worth risking his name─and her heart─by telling him the truth?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Heart Of Stone, go HERE

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Here Burns My Candle

WaterBrook Press (March 16, 2010)

by

Liz Curtis Higgs





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In her best-selling series of Bad Girls of the Bible books, workbooks, and videos, Liz Curtis Higgs breathes new life into ancient tales about the most infamous—and intriguing—women in scriptural history, from Jezebel to Mary Magdalene. Biblically sound and cutting-edge fresh, these popular titles have helped more than one million women around the world experience God's grace anew. Her best-selling historical novels, which transport the stories of Rebecca, Leah, Rachel, and Dinah to eighteenth-century Scotland, have also helped her readers view these familiar characters in a new light. And her nonfiction book, Embrace Grace, winner of a 2007 Retailers Choice Award, presents her message of hope in an engaging and personal way, speaking directly to the hearts of her readers.



A veteran speaker, Liz has presented more than 1,600 encouraging programs for audiences in all 50 states and 10 foreign countries: South Africa, Indonesia, Germany, France, England, Canada, Ecuador, Scotland, Portugal, and New Zealand. In 1995, she received the Council of Peers Award for Excellence from the National Speakers Association, becoming one of only 32 women in the world named to their CPAE-Speaker Hall of Fame.



Feature articles about Liz have appeared in more than 250 major newspapers and magazines across the country, as well as online with Salon.com, Beliefnet.com and Spirituality.com. She has also been interviewed on more than 600 radio and television stations, including guest appearances on PBS, A&E, MSNBC, NPR, TBN with Kirk Cameron, CBC Canada, BBC Radio Scotland, Rhema Broadcasting New Zealand, Radio Pulpit South Africa, LifeToday with James Robison, Focus on the Family, Janet Parshall's America, 100 Huntley Street and Midday Connection.



Liz is the author of twenty-six books, with more than three million copies in print.



Her fiction includes two contemporary novels, one novella, and four historical novels. And she has written five books for young children.





ABOUT THE BOOK

A mother who cannot face her future.

A daughter who cannot escape her past.



Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.



Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips.



His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.



One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.



A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.



Watch the book video:







If you would like to read the first chapter of Here Burns My Candle, go HERE.

Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Dead Reckoning

Abingdon Press (March 1, 2010)

by

Ronie Kendig





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!



This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters

and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and inflamed at the injustices of life. When her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she flees for her life.



When she spots a man trailing her, the questions are, Who is he? And how is he always one step ahead? Is the man trailing her an enemy or a protector sent by her CIA father?



Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL and now serves his country as a spy. His life is entangled by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the sources to a nuclear dead drop in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai, India. The only way to end this nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown is to join forces with Reece. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become involved in her father's web of intrigue and mystery? Will she reconcile with her past and with him? Will she allow God to help her throught this ordeal of danger, mistrust and uncertainty?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Dead Reckoning, go HERE.

The Lord Is My Shepherd by Debbie Viguie

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Abingdon Press (March 2010)

by

Debbie Viguie





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life. She has experimented with poetry and nonfiction, but her true passion lies in writing novels. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from UC Davis. While at Davis she met her husband, Scott, at auditions for a play.



Debbie's love for writing brought her from working as a church secretary to a successful career writing supernatural fiction. She is the author of Midnight Pearls, Scarlet Moon, and Charmed: Pied Piper, and the young adult Sweet Seasons series. She also is coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Wicked book series.



Debbie and Scott now live on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. When Debbie is not writing and Scott has time off they love to indulge their passion for theme parks.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Cindy’s church is getting ready to celebrate Easter, and Jeremiah’s Temple is preparing for Passover when Cindy literally stumbles over the body of an unknown man lying dead in the sanctuary. The church was locked, and a bloody cross necklace on the floor seems to be the only clue. The killer is likely a member of the congregation, but there are hints that similar deaths have happened in the past. Are Cindy and Jeremiah dealing with a serial killer? They have to unravel the clues before Easter Sunday arrives and more people die.



Cindy and Jeremiah come from two different worlds, even though they work right next door to each other. Cindy is a strong Christian who lives a normal but somewhat dull life, working as a church secretary. Jeremiah is a Reformed rabbi with a mysterious past full of danger and excitement. But one eventful Easter/Passover week, the two find themselves working together to solve a murder and stop a serial killer from striking again. Solving the mystery should put an end to their alliance, but the church secretary and the rabbi quickly find themselves enmeshed in another mystery. Soon the two form a friendly alliance and friendship, exploring personal history and faith and growing closer with each passing adventure. Despite their differences Cindy and Jeremiah find a lot of common ground.



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lord Is My Shepherd, go HERE.

Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Hearts Awakening

Bethany House (March 1, 2010)

by

Delia Parr





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Two people in desperate circumstances. Life has left few choices for Elvira Kilmer. Her hopes for marriage and a family of her own have long since passed her by, and her arrival on Dillon's Island, nestled in the Susquehanna River, is not of her choosing, either.



She needs work. And Jackson Smith needs a housekeeper. Yet Ellie never imagined the widower would be so young...so handsome. Jackson, on the other hand, has never met anyone quite so...plain. But he quickly comes to realize that Ellie's presence may solve his own problems--both the rearing of his young boys and the scandal that surrounds his first marriage.



When Jackson offers her something quite out of the ordinary, will Ellie look beyond mere necessity and risk opening her heart?



Yet what options does she have? To marry would mean a home and stability. So despite the rumors circling Jackson and his first wife, Ellie accepts this unlikely proposal...



If you would like to read the first chapter of Hearts Awakening, go HERE.