Off to Colorado

I'm off to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference this morning. (Yeah, so why am I blogging?)

I've got a book by Adam Sexton for airport reading (Master Class in Fiction Writing or something like that; not sure of the title) and comfortable shoes. I'm looking forward to a reunion with my good friend Sherrie Lord, who put me up to going.

If I have internet access there, I might find time to check in, now and then. Or not. See you sometime soon!

Rejoicing with my friends

The last couple of weeks have been chock-full of good news for some friends of mine. In no particular order....

Amy Wallace's debut novel, Ransomed Dreams, has been released. It's an action-packed, suspenseful story of a young woman who lost her family but dares to dream again, with the help of an agent with the F.B.I. Crimes Against Children unit. Check it out here.

Mary E. DeMuth's Wishing on Dandelions has been nominated for a Retailer's Choice Award. It's a lovely story, a sequel to Watching the Tree Limbs.

Deeanne Gist's latest novel, Courting Trouble, is hitting the shelves. The heroine, Essie, is original, funny, and brave. Read some of Dee's thoughts about the book here.

Suzan Robertson, Mark Bertrand, and Mike Duran have each received word that they're having short stories published in Coach's Midnight Diner, which is affiliated with Relief Journal.

Mark Bertrand's nonfiction book, Rethinking Worldview, is up on Amazon. Read some of his thoughts about it here.

Deborah Gyapong's novel, The Defilers, is a finalist in two categories for awards sponsored by The Word Guild: the mystery/suspense category, and the contemporary novel category.

Congratulations to all! And I hope I didn't miss anybody....

Eight random facts including Beowabbit

My friend Suzan Robertson is kindly kicking me back into the world of blogging by means of this "eight random facts about yourself" game.

I haven't blogged in ages. On the other hand, I dug into one of my novels that needed a total rewrite. I rewrote it in three months, then started a new one, so I don't feel too guilty about neglecting my blog. Is anybody still out there, though?

On to the game. But never fear, friends. I won't tag you. Tagging is the chain letter of blogdom. (Yes, Suzan, you're forgiven. I should thank you for making me blog.)

Fact 1: I have the world's best recipe for refrigerator bread & butter pickles. No canning required. Easy and delicious. If you want it, I'll share. You'll need a gallon-sized glass jar.

Fact 2: Seamus Heaney's translation of "Beowulf" is one of my all-time favorite books, but I also enjoy the "Beowabbit" version. I'm afraid to know what that says about me.

Fact 3: I once wrote a novel in three weeks. Yes, it was crappy. Don't worry, it's gone forever.

Fact 4: I love bad translations. I found an online recipe recently that translated "eight large peeled potatoes" to "eight great bare Popes." It made my day.

Fact 5: I used to play guitar and write songs. Dozens of songs. Maybe hundreds. I'm not kidding. I sang them in Christian coffeeshops in the Jesus Movement days in California. Yes, I'm dating myself.

Fact 6: I'm a Detroit Red Wings fan because we used to live near Detroit. The Wings are the only team I follow in any sport. They'll play the Ducks next. (Wings, Ducks....hockey's for the birds, eh?)

Fact 7: I drink my coffee black, unless it's nasty coffee.

Fact 8: I'm going to the Colorado Christian Writers' Conference next week, so I really should be stressing out about memorizing pitches for my novels. Or frantically writing one more chapter for my WIP. Or at least worrying about what to wear. But I'm just looking forward to having a reunion with my friend Sherrie, who put me up to going.

This means, of course, that I'll be too busy next week to do much blogging, so Suzan will have to give me another nudge in a week or two. Right, Suzan?