Your vote counts and pics of Jack

Before I delve into the very important business of sharing some recent pics of Jack, I want to urge you to visit Athol Dickson's blog. You might be wondering if you'll have a candidate in the coming presidential election whom you can truly get behind and vote for. I certainly have. Please take a few minutes to read Athol's blog and then feel free to send everyone you know there too (http://whatatholwrite.blogspot.com/).

Along with that, Athol recently posted a note on his blog from Terri Blackstock that I'd encourage you to read as well. A thought-provoking and grace-filled challenge to us as voters in the coming elections.

Here's Athol's introduction to Terri's guest blog post:

Terri Blackstock does not blog, but recently I saw a copy of an important email she sent to several friends, and asked if she would offer something similar here. To my delight, she graciously agreed.

Terri is always doing something gracious. For example, although we had never met, soon after the publication of my first novel she took time out of a busy book tour schedule to have dinner with my wife and me, along with my mother who was a big fan. I will never forget the encouragement Terri offered me as a writer that night, the amazing humility she displayed by treating me, then a one-novel author, as if I was a peer, and the powerful sense of God’s guiding hand I felt as she spoke of her recent decision to risk a well established writing career for the (then) very risky proposition of Christian fiction.

Writing for houses such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Silhouette, thirty-two Terri Blackstock titles had been published and 3.5 million books in print when she decided to switch to Christian fiction. At that time the Christian fiction market was untested, and the quality of the novels available was mostly very poor. It was a huge risk for her career, a true leap of faith. But Terri felt a calling and obeyed.

Since making that decision, she has sold 2 million novels and over thirty titles that explore faith in Jesus Christ, many of which have been number one best-sellers. Her latest book, True Light, reached number one on the Top 50 of all Christian books the first full month it was in stores, and Night Light was the winner of the 2007 Retailer’s Choice Award for General Fiction. You can learn more about Terri’s journey by reading her testimony on her website. But first, here’s what Terri wrote…

Click here to read what Terri wrote. And please take the time to read Athol's blog too. Excellent!

Now, to the very important task (ahem...)of sharing some Jack pics!

I've got a window in my office and Jack has his "chair" that he lazes in as I write. If the weather's nice, I'll open the window and he lies there and watches the birds and the squirrels, or tries to attack (then lick to death) the UPS man as he comes up the walk. Ferocious little Silky! ;)

Thanks to those of you who asked about him recently. He's doing great!

P.S. I just noticed that Jack's pictures are larger than those I posted of my kids. Oh brother...I'll never hear the end of this!

Love historical research

I'm sitting here in my office about to dive back into the rewrites of From a Distance (my next book that releases next year) and I'm watching sheets of rain slide down the window panes--and am loving it. It's been so dry here in recent months and we need the moisture, plus days like this make great fodder for writing. All tucked inside and warm while the characters take on breath and lives of their own.

Before I take that dive though, I want to share some pics...

Last week I took a couple of days while my parents were visiting (my dad loves Civil War history too) and we toured the Carnton Plantation in Franklin. I'd been there before but was eager to go back and learn more about the Battle of Franklin (which is a defining moment in my hero's life in my upcoming book).

Here are some pictures from Carnton, along with the private cemetery that runs alongside the estate where 1,500 boys who fought in that bloody battle are buried. I say boys because most of them were no older than 16 to 18. Standing on the now tranquil field, it's hard to imagine that over 9,000 souls fought and died in the five terrible hours of battle that took place here--until you walk the graves. Then it becomes very real. And sobering.

If you ever have opportunity to visit Carnton, please do. It's a moving experience and a vivid reminder of what price so many in our past have paid--and in our present are paying--for our freedom.

Find out more about Carnton here.

Tomorrow I'll share some recent pics of family. But for now, back to writing...

Within This Circle

I'm excited to tell you about this new release! My fabulous writing partner and dear friend, Deborah Raney, has written a captivating story about two couples, in different seasons of life, who are drawn together through dire circumstances and through their love of a child. Within This Circle is a powerful story of forgiveness that weaves a beautiful truth about what's most important in this life.

Deb's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title (check it out here). Great movie!

Within This Circle continues the story of John Brighton and Julia Sinclair (who we met in A Vow to Cherish). After a tumultuous courtship, John and Julia Brighton have a second chance at happiness, a fresh marriage and, now that their children are grown, a new era in their lives to revel in the promise of the future. Only such a promise is never guaranteed. And life can change in a heartbeat.

The Brighton's life is turned upside down when John's daughter, Jana, abandons her husband Mark and three-year-old daughter. As Jana struggles through delayed grief over her mother's death, her actions put her marriage and her own daughter in danger. John and Julia reach out to little Ellie, to give the young couple time to heal, but the little girl is confused and longing for her mother. How much sorrow and stress can both fledgling marriages endure? Two very different couples, with only love and faith to guide them, can only pray it will be enough.

Both Within This Circle, along with A Vow to Cherish, are released in mass market format and will make a beautiful book duo for your favorite reader this Christmas. Order Within This Circle and Deborah's other books here.

Deb is an award-winning author who's known for writing characters that step straight off the page and take up residence in your heart. She's currently at work on her seventeenth novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Readers' Choice Award and the Silver Angel from Excellence in Media, and Playing by Heart was a Christy Award finalist. Her new Clayburn Novels series from Howard/Simon & Schuster kicked off with Remember to Forget. Leaving November will be out in March 2008 and Yesterday's Embers early in 2009.

Deb serves on the advisory board of American Christian Fiction Writers and loves teaching at writers conferences. She and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They have four children and two little grandsons who live much too far away.

The Roundabout Way

Have you ever felt a restlessness inside you? Something you can't quite describe but you know it's real?

A friend recently asked me that question. I didn't even have to pause. "Yes," I answered. "Absolutely."

It's a feeling you can't quite identify. It won't be named. You're not exactly sad, but you're not joyful either. You're not anxious, but neither are you at real peace. So much is going "right" in your life and yet there's an emptiness, a void, that begs to be filled.

"That's where I am right now," she said. We went on to talk about what being "there" means.

When I'm in those desert places--and that's what they feel like--I've asked God why I'm there. Rarely do I get an answer, much less a reason. So I push on. Push on through the responsibilities we all have. Push on through the writing when every word and sentence sounds like drivel. Push on through meeting life's obligations, searching for God's face, waiting for his voice, and immersing myself in his Word.

And during one of those desert times, I came across this verse:

"When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, "If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness..." (Exodus 13:17-18a)

I've learned (and occasionally have to remind myself) to view these desert times as training grounds, as detours meant for my betterment--however difficult or long. God equips me during those "roundabout ways through the wilderness." It's not pleasant. I don't enjoy it, but I'm better for it in the end. I'm more trusting of him. I'm more pliant because of the wandering. I'm more the putty in his hands that I should be.

I have no idea if any of you have been in desert times in your life recently, or if you're there right now. But if you are, I hope you'll find encouragement in knowing that God has you (and me) there for an eternal purpose, that he's guiding our steps, and--though it may not feel like it at the time--we're still en route to the Promised Land.

Interview with model for Rekindled

Many of you have asked about the cover models for Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered. I appreciate you sharing my interest in knowing more about the gals and guys pictured on front, and what it was like on their photo shoots.

Following that thread, I'd like you to meet Cheryl Hendrick, the model on Rekindled. Isn't she a doll! :) She's joining us today to share how she came to be the model for Rekindled and what that experience was like.

Welcome, Cheryl, and thanks for chatting with us. A few questions...

Q: How did you come to be the cover model for Rekindled/Revealed?

A: The art director at Bethany House suggested I would be a good fit after seeing the photo on website where I work (www.thedesignworksgroup.com), and possibly from other covers I’ve been on. Steve Gardner, the photographer, also thought that I would be a good fit according to the character’s description.

Although I’ve been featured subtly on several covers, the only other cover that I have prominent placement is The Ultimatum by Nancy Moser. However, the look and feel is so different that you would never be able to tell it’s the same model.

Q: Can you tell us where the photo shoot took place and if anything exciting or interesting happened during the photo shoot of Rekindled?

A: The photo shoot took place at a lookout point between Bend and Sisters, OR. It’s a beautiful, wide-open expanse that epitomizes the dramatic beauty of Central Oregon. To capture the scene in its most natural state, however, meant three people needed to hoist me over barbed wire fence—dressed in nearly 20 lbs. of awkward, tight-fighting, period clothing. Did I mention that this fiasco took place at a scenic viewpoint along the busiest main highway through Oregon? …Not the least bit embarrassing.

Q: Can you tell us anything special about the dress you’re wearing on the cover of Rekindled?

A: I believe the dress was rented from a vintage clothier out of Hollywood that is used heavily in cinematic productions.* The shoot took place after my regular workday at DesignWorks, and I was able to change there at our studio. It took about 30 minutes to get dressed, and then, of course, I had to model my vintage attire to the entire studio.

I’m sure it was entertaining for the designers that normally see me in straight forward, no nonsense, business suits to be squished into a fluffy, incredibly restrictive full fledged gown.

*[Tamera here: Yes, that's right! This dress is custom to that period and was actually worn by Jane Seymour in Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Fun tidbit!]

Q: What other kinds of modeling/acting have you done?

A: Strictly book covers and a couple interiors.

Q: How long have you been modeling and what’s your favorite thing about it? And likewise, what’s your least favorite?

A: My favorite thing about modeling has been to send the photos along to my mom. She acts like I’m a celebrity – it’s hilarious. My least favorite thing is to be bossed around during the shoot: “Look down and to the right, no – MY right!”

Q: Do you know the other models on the other Fountain Creek Chronicles covers?

A: I actually know the model, DeAnna, for the cover of Revealed. She works at another local design studio alongside my boyfriend and the love of my life, Russ.

Q: Who is the man standing so mysteriously in the background of the cover of Rekindled? Did you know him before the photo shoot?

A: His name is Ben and at the time he was the photographer’s assistant—a strapping young man used for a number of different shoots.

Q: Before you arrived at the photo shoot for Rekindled, were you familiar with the plotline of the book or the female character that you portray?

A: Not in the least bit. It’s always a surprise.

Q: What modeling jobs are you currently working on?

A: None at the moment, but I never know what the week will bring. Because I
(1) live within a block of PixelWorks Studios (our primary photographer), and
(2) work at a graphic design studio that specializes in book covers; so I could be pulled into a shoot at any given moment.

Q: Is there a ‘dream modeling job’ that you’d love to undertake someday?

A: Not really. It’s been very rewarding to have a small place in a reader’s heart and mind and I think the emotional connection with a book cover is far more significant than a magazine ad. I’m not really a model anyways—just a normal person who occasionally gets hurled over barbed wire fences in period clothing.

Q: And lastly, we have to ask... Have you read Rekindled?

A: Not yet—but I have a copy and fully intend to! I’ve heard great things about the Fountain Creek Chronicles series and can’t wait to learn about who I’m supposed to be!

Thanks, Cheryl, for chatting with us and for doing such a marvelous job of capturing Kathryn Jennings on the cover of Rekindled.
A few months ago, we hosted DeAnna Pierce, the model on Revealed's cover who portrayed Annabelle Grayson. Click here to read her interview.
If you'd like to leave Cheryl a comment, you can do that below.

Deeper Living Video Clip

I've gotten some emails saying that the link to my interview with Deeper Living wasn't working, so I'm posting the video clip below.

When Rebeca Seitz interviewed me at Deeper Living's TV studio in Atlanta, we had a great chat about writing, marriage, and a woman from my past that I'm hoping to cross paths with again some day. ;)