Rested and Refreshed

Join me at Inspired by Life…and Fiction where I blogged about our recent getaway!

A Beauty So Rare releases in Germany today

A Beauty So Rare, the second standalone novel in the Belmont Mansion series, releases today in Germany! 

The title there is Undiscovered Beauty, which is so befitting of the story. I can hardly wait to be there next week with buddies Lynn Austin and Elizabeth Musser for our June 11-18 book tour! My lovely daughter, Kelsey, is going too, fabulous marketing assistant that she is. 

Get ready, German reader friends, here we come! 

Check out our tour schedule

Have YOU been to Germany? If yes, what was most memorable about your trip?

Annual Retreat with writing buddies

Every July I meet a group of writers (and soul sisters) up in Idaho to plot and plan our next books, and what fun we have! We laugh, and plot, and brainstorm, and eat, and walk, and laugh some more, all amidst five days of "close to Heaven" fellowship. I'm so grateful to have these extraordinary women in my life!

The whole motley crew

Hard at work, can you tell?

Relaxing on the back deck

Brandilyn Collins listening intently (or about to fall asleep?)

One amongst us LOVES Rolos. Can you tell who?

A lovely gift from a writing buddy

Every year Janet makes the BEST fruit salads!

Delicious!

Friend and writer Robin Lee Hatcher, brainstormer extraordinaire! During the retreat, I share a room with Robin, and ahem…on occasion we've been known to stay up late and talk. I know it's hard to believe...

Me with Janet between brainstorming sessions

Three of us have size 9.5 feet and over... Can you guess who these feet belong to? (Click here and view the comments for the answer)

The traditional picture on the stairs

I'm a little cold natured so enjoy sitting in the sun in the early mornings

Another group shot (Oh, I love these women!)

Brainstorming with Sheila

Gorgeous flowers are in bloom this time of year 

Caught chatting in the upstairs hallway

Funning around with Tricia Goyer

Frani and Brandilyn, master brainstormers (and jokesters)

Me getting tickled at something Frani did

And getting even more tickled!

 

More beauty in nature

And the wildlife...so pretty!

After a walk...

A precious little Yorkie named Bear joined us this year too

And finally, our traditional "Tada!" picture. Another wonderful time of sharing and singing and fellowship behind us. I can hardly wait for July 2013! (L to R: Tricia Goyer, Brandilyn Collins, Karen Ball, Janet Ulbright, Robin Lee Hatcher, Francine Rivers, me, Gayle DeSalles, Sheila Lovell, Sharon Dunn. Sunni Jeffers is normally in our number but couldn't make it this year.)

Don't you love your sister time! And aren't we grateful for the women in our lives...

A Grand Trip, all in all

Me with Alicia (and Chip and Cougar)

Last Monday, Joe and I made a very quick trip up to Grand Rapids, Michigan where we met with the folks at Zondervan who are publishing my Belle Meade Plantation series. It was great to see both friends I'd made before and to meet some new ones.

Alicia Mey, the Marketing Director, lives at Dream Acres (don't you love the name!) and has horses on her property. So of course, we had to feed and love on them. I'd forgotten what it feels like to have a horse eat from your hand. A very "nubby" feeling, like they're gumming you to death.

Joe with Cougar

Chip and Cougar, the horses, were very gentle, and I was surprised to learn that Chip's lineage can be traced back to Belle Meade. Cool!

We had dinner that night at a wonderful place called Brewery Vivant, but of course I forgot to take pictures of that delicious meal. I was too busy chatting, I guess. But not to worry (Judy), I enjoyed something equally delicious the next day!

Joe and me (it was really fun to have some 

extra time with him)

The next morning, I had the honor of speaking to the entire sales staff, and I really enjoyed the time to share with them about what God has been teaching me––and continues to––about surrendering to Him. Considering how long the two of us have been working on this theme in my life, you'd think I'd be farther along by now. But I'm fairly sure that has more to do with me than with Him. : {

With Sue Brower,

my editor at Zondervan 

Becky Philpott (Associate Acquisitions Editor), Andrea Lyons (Director, Digital Marketing),

 Michelle Lenger (Art/Cover Design), and me at the Twisted Rooster for lunch

Becky, me, Michelle, and Andrea again

And this fabulous bowl of warm, gushy love is a signature dish at the Twisted Rooster...

Lobster Mac & Cheese with Fried Parmesan (Oh. My. Gracious. De-licious!!) 

Joyce and me

And last, but certainly not least, is Joyce Ondersma who helped shuttle us around while we were there and got us to the airport on time! She's the Director of Author Care at Zondervan, and let me tell ya... The woman is good at what she does! She's been with Zondervan for twenty-seven years, and I'm fairly certain the place could not run without her.

A glimpse out the window on our way home. So pretty...

Jack

Finally, this was the sweet little face waiting for us when we got home. It was great to get back and quickly jump into the swing of things again.

I'm writing basically 24/7 these days, but I'm grateful to have the opportunity to write, and I'm thrilled to share my next cover with you (albeit, it's a cover still in progress). To Whisper Her Name releases in November…

I'm off to VOTE this morning. I hope you'll do the same too, if you're able, and that you'll join me in praying for our country today.

Blessings on your Tuesday, 

Tammy

Those bygone days...

When did it begin…this fascination with the past? The earliest I can remember experiencing an attraction for days gone by is when I was nine years old and we were on a month long trip to Europe.

Traveling around Europe for a month, you say? At the age of nine? You must have grown up in a privileged family. While I was blessed in many, many ways, I would hasten to add that there were eight of us (four adults, four children) traveling around Europe in a VW Bug for a month. I was stuffed in the cubbyhole in the back.

My older brother, my mom, and grandmother were in the backseat (my dad had to stay home and work, bless him). My uncle and aunt and their two toddlers rode in the front, and then all of the luggage was strapped to the top. Does that give the month long venture new perspective?

Still, to me…it was heaven. And it’s where I trace my roots of my love for history. . .

Continued over at Southern BelleView where I'm guest blogging today. Join us!

And yes, that's me at age 9, getting onboard one of those glass bottomed boats in Germany. Heaven help me, I was tilting my head to the side even then... 

Would you like to write for Women of Faith Fiction?

If yes, then check out this great opportunity! Exciting!

If you have a manuscript that you can have ready for submission by January 31, 2012, why not consider doing this? One grand prize winner will receive: FREE Bookstore Advantage publishing package courtesy of WestBow Press, including the option of having your book picked up by Thomas Nelson. How cool is that?

I was honored to write the first historical (The Inheritance) for the Women of Faith Fiction line and had such a great experience. So...what's keepin' you? Check this opportunity out today!

Full contest details here.

And now, I'm headed from my hotel room in Miami to a "meet & greet" with some writing buddies downstairs. Tomorrow we leave on a 5-day cruise and I'm looking forward to some relaxing time with friends, (hopefully) beautiful weather, and writing on a deck somewhere, ocean breeze in my face. I'll be sure and post pics soon!

Lovely time at the Biltmore House

My husband and I got away this past week to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, for some long overdue time together and a belated anniversary celebration. Lovely trip and we had a marvelous time stepping back into history.

Here's a sneak peek at our trip...

**Click to view more pictures**

Annual Brainstorming Retreat

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm back from my annual brainstorming retreat in Idaho but am still flying high on the shared laughter and love. I consider myself doubly blessed to be included in this group of talented writers and altogether fabulous women. This is our ninth summer to meet together––hard to believe it's been that long––and I think this year might have been the best retreat yet.

Brandilyn, Janet, Sunni, Karen, Robin, me, Tricia, Gayle, Francine, Sharon 

We've been through a lot together and on our first night there, we always share a recap of our past year––what God has taught us, what we've struggled with, what we want to praise God for, and how the group can pray for us. And of course, along with some tears, there's LOTS of laughter and praising, and delicious food! 

One of the gals LOVES Rolos candy (chocolate with caramel), so I tweaked my sweet mom's recipe for Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake and added some Rolos. Yum!! Then I glazed it with warm fudge sauce, froze it overnight, and popped it into my checked baggage. As they say in Steel Magnolias, "It freezes beautifully!" And traveled without a hitch.

Hanging out in the kitchen

 We all loved Janet's scarf and wanted to share it

We met a brown bear while walking (then quickly ran away before the homeowner came out and saw us accosting his decorative driveway art)

Beautiful wildlife would venture up as we were out on the back deck brainstorming 

Tricia's teaching me Mahjong. She knows how to do everything!

Robin "off kilter" (which is usually the case!)

Thinking about marketing these...

(for the "backstory" on this t-shirt, click here)

Even the trees have eyes...

Hard at work during one of our free times (well, maybe Tricia's still playing Mahjong)

Cupcakes for everyone!

Relaxing on the back deck

 

Having a ball as we brainstorm

And finally, the motley crew again...

It's a little sad to think of the retreat being over so quickly, but as fast as this past year came and went––and it flew!––I know July 2012 will be here before we know it. And there's another book waiting to be written that these gals helped me brainstorm. We've started recording the brainstorming sessions too, which helps a ton. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back and listened to when we brainstormed A Lasting Impression. I'm grateful they share their immense talent with me, as well as this earthly journey.

Okay, need to get back to A Lasting Impression galleys. Blessings, friends!