Within My Heart, ready for release

Do you have a blog or website where you would be interested in posting reviews of Bethany House books? Including my upcoming August release, Within My Heart?

If yes, please contact Bethany House Publishers here, and let them know. What will happen after you sign up to be on the review list (on the above link) is this: BHP will send you a "BOOK REVIEWER EMAIL" and you'll be able to request Within My Heart by responding to that email. 


Note: In order to receive the "BOOK REVIEW EMAIL" when WMH is shipped, you must indicate that you want to review historical fiction when you sign up. That's key.

Here's a peek at the back cover copy of Within My Heart...


Determined to fulfill her late husband’s dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she’s forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He’s a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks . . .


Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand’s dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient’s life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd’s stubborn heart.


From the beloved, bestselling author of From a Distance and Beyond This Moment comes an unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken––and mended––by love.

Sheesh, hope I can live up to those expectations! If you'd like to read the prologue and first chapter, visit here. Thanks, friends.

And the 2010 RITA for Best Inspirational novel goes to...

Well, we won't actually know "who" until this Saturday evening in Orlando when the winner is announced at the Romance Writers of America conference. I'm honored to be listed with the other writers below, such talented and wonderful ladies. And if you haven't read their books yet, I highly encourage it! 

2010 RITA for Inspirational Romance Finalists 

(as taken from the RWA website)

The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
Thomas Nelson, Inc., Women of Faith Fiction
Editors: Ami McConnell and Natalie Hanemann







A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley
Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Editor: Natalie Hanemann









The Gladiator by Carla Capshaw
Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical
Editor: Melissa Endlich








Entertaining Angels by Judy Duarte
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Editor: John Scognamiglio








An Eye for an Eye by Irene Hannon
Baker Publishing Group, Revell Books
Editor: Jennifer Leep








The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
Bethany House Publishers
Editor: Karen Schurrer

Julie won a Christy this year for this book. Wonderful story!

Breach of Trust by Diann Mills
Tyndale House Publishers
Editor: Stephanie Boerne


Diann won a Christy for this book too. Again, another great story!




The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah
Editor: Jessica Barnes

I'll post the winner next week. And just for fun, here's a peek back to 2007 when Mom went with me to the RWA conference in Dallas (when Revealed was up for a RITA). I was thrilled when Revealed won, but even more thrilled to have shared that experience with Mom. Precious memories...

Girl Time

I'm just back from some fabulous girl time, which means I'm rejuvenated and pumped up, but not at all rested. Serious girl time is hard work, ya know!

I've returned from an annual writers retreat that I treasure and look forward to all year long, only to have our days together pass far too quickly. 

Here's Robin Lee Hatcher on her scooter (since she broke her ankle recently), and she's wearing a hat (which she wears so well).

Me hugging on Sharon Dunn, with Sunni Jeffers in the background doing who knows what...

A great shot of Francine Rivers (lovely in purple) and Janet Ulbright (one of my fun and witty walking buddies while there).

Gayle DeSalles shared bits of wisdom from God's Word with us about "clearing the land." Gayle's a treasure and always has a smile at the ready.

Francine sitting beside Brandilyn Collins, catching a laugh, something we did a lot of this past weekend.

The fabulous Karen Ball setting us straight on something, or trying. What a fun and talented lady Karen is. But please, oh please, don't tell her I said that! I have a reputation to uphold with that woman.

Brandilyn Collins and her precious Mama Ruth. Mama Ruth and I flew out together from Nashville last week, and I loved traveling with her. You won't find a better travel buddy. Love you, Mama Ruth!

And lastly, me again with Robin. How fun it was to room with her and see her pretty smile. I always enjoy our late night chats. And you should see her getting around on that scooter. Amazing!

These dear ladies helped me brainstorm my next two books in the series I'm currently writing, and wow! are they ever talented. They gave me such wonderful ideas and really helped to flesh out the stories. Now I can't wait to write them. Robin had an especially great idea for a character in the third book, but shhhhh....we'll keep that under wraps for now. Thanks, Robin!

Especially grateful for girl time, and all my sisters. You included...

Group pic, with the lake behind us, and Robin on her scooter! 

Amber Waves of Grain

A friend from Colorado sent me these pictures recently. Gorgeous, aren't they...

If earth is this beautiful, fallen and cursed as it is, just imagine how beautiful Heaven must be. Blessings on your day, friends.

Selective Attention and Time

Check out this cool video (on selective attention) on CLASH ENTERTAINMENT and see how you do. I'll tell you how I did in the comments later today, after some of you have had a chance to view it first.

I was thrilled when attending a writers retreat recently to learn that multi-tasking actually kills brain cells. I used to be able to juggle so many more tasks and "goings on" than I can now. I'm guessing it's age (let's blame it on that anyway), but I'm finding that I really must concentrate on one thing at a time in order to do anything well. And yet life still demands our attention in so many directions at once.

At the writers retreat that I mentioned above, Angela Hunt shared some tips on time management with us. Some guidelines she's adopted that help her focus and accomplish more with her time. And if you know Angie, or have seen how many books she's written, you'll know the woman is highly productive!

1. Do the important things that are not urgent...FIRST. Devotional, exercise, etc... Once your day is underway, the chance that you're going to come back and get these things accomplished is minimized. Push come to shove, the "urgent" will trump the "important."
2. The phone is not your master. You don't always have to answer. That's what messages are for. Cultivate email. Use email for those quick questions that help avoid longer conversations.
3. Learn to say “No.” Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Pray about everything before you say yes.
4. How do you eat a cow? One bite at a time. Break those huge projects into step-by-step tasks. Writing a book, for example, is done one word at a time. Angie prints out blank calenders and gives herself daily quotas and goals. Mark out days you can’t work (Sabbath, travel days, etc...), then on remaining days give yourself a quota or goal. If it's the first draft, it may be a word quota. If it’s editing, then it might be a page quota. Give yourself some spare days too. Give yourself a couple of triage days (to fix the book where it's "bleeding"). 
5. A little prevention saves you time later (do the things like your annual physical, doctor’s appts, taxes, in group appointments (on the same day, for example) and get them out of the way at the same time, as soon as you can). 
6. Realize where your time is going. Try keeping a time log for 24 hours. Really look at how you spend your time. You might be surprised! 
7. Tame the television. Find the shows you absolutely love and mark your calendar and watch them, guilt-free. Then keep the TV off the rest of the time.
8. Capture stolen moments. Keep some work with you at all times. Keep that book or needlepoint or whatever close by and handy to get work done in those straggling moments.
9. Time is LIFE. Time=Life. And you only have a finite amount of it. Use it well. To waste time is to waste the life you have been given. Sitting by the lake and pondering is NOT wasted time. Neither is time with your family, your spouse, your children, etc... 
10. Harness the power of "the carrot." When you reach a goal, give yourself a reward. Reward yourself by reading that book on your nightstand, watching a movie, taking that long walk, grabbing that latte or scoop of ice cream. 
11. Hurry up and wait. Do not procrastinate! If a task is due in two months, aim for getting it done in 6 weeks in order to give yourself time. Life happens. Plan for those "happenings."
12. Remember...multitasking is a myth! In 1740, Lord Chesterfield said, “There is time enough for everything in the course of the day if you will do but one thing at a time.” Hurry up and bustle is the byproduct of a weak and frivilous mind. Repeated multi-tasking kills brain cells, and lowers your IQ (more than smoking a joint, some studies show).

So, there you are. Some quick tips that are really helping me to gain better control over my time. I hope you found one or two that will help you too. Now, go seize the day! And then a carrot!

And let me know how you did on that video above! I'm curious!

Indulging the lingering teen in me

Can you tell what movie my daughter and I went to see last week? :)

We didn't realize until looking at the picture that we were both wearing our matching shoes! Sheesh, so much for Mother/Daughter shopping.

I don't know if you're a Twlighter or not, but Kelsey and I both enjoyed the books immensely. And though the first movie wasn't a fav, we loved the last two, and plan on going to see Eclipse again during a matinee real soon.  

To catch some pics of our 4th of July weekend and a great YouTube video, visit Writes of Passage where I posted today.