Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

idol 7: from 3 to 2

Well, we are down to it now. The Internet has been buzzing for quite some while with expectations that it will be a David-David finale. Tonight we will find out if the prognosticators were right. Of course, by the time I post this to my blog, quite a bit of the country will already know the answer. Here in the Mountain Time Zone, we get the show by tape delay.

Fantasia: Hmm. I would not have called in my vote for that performance. Simon looked like he wished he'd never voted for her either. 'Nough said.

They brought out each of the contestants one at a time and showed their visits home and their AI journeys. Each one of them were brought to tears by the crowds (and no doubt many weeks of stress and exhaustion).

And the final two are ... David and David. Well done, guys.

Syesha, I rooted for you a lot early on, wanting you to do well. I'm sure that you will continue pursuing your dream and will do well. Lots of luck!

why are we dependent on foreign oil?

The question posed in the title has been rolling around in my head for a long time. I believe it is important to tend God's garden, to be a good steward of all that God has provided to mankind, protecting the environment and practicing conservation. But I also believe it is necessary for the US to start recovering our own oil rather than depending upon nations who hate us to provide it while we make them richer and richer. I believe America can and must begin recovering the oil available to us.

Here's a tidbit I found on Energy Tomorrow.

Demand for energy is rising around the world, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Administration. Data show global demand for oil and natural gas will likely grow 45% by 2030 compared with 2006.

The Department of Interior estimates there are 112 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil beneath U.S. federal lands and coastal waters. That’s enough oil to fuel 60 million cars for 60 years, when you take into account the average yield of gasoline from a barrel of crude oil and the average number of gallons of gasoline consumed annually by a passenger vehicle.

(Click to enlarge graphic.)

Blog Tour: Healing Promises

Healing Promises by Amy Wallace

Facing a new threat.

When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.



Frozen in fear.

Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?



Faith under fire.

As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

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Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams, a homeschool mom, and a self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books, including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

a couple fun video interviews with Jason Castro

I really missed Jason tonight, so I was tickled to see these two video interviews from Entertainment Weekly. I know. I know. But I really wanted him to win.

-rlh-

PS I voted for David C tonight.

idol 7: the three perform

Paula chose for David A. to sing And So It Goes to show off his vocals. I didn't know the song, but I thought Paula made a great choice. It did show off his vocals. In fact, I liked it better than I have many recent performances.

Randy chose for Syesha to sing If I Ain't Got You. Very pretty. I wasn't blown away, but it was lovely.

Simon chose for David C. to sing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Good choice, Simon. Great to have him sing something made so famous by a girl. And David rose to the challenge. Man, the end of it gave me goose pimples. I kid you not!!

Round 1, IMHO, goes to David C. with David A. really tight against his heels. Syesha is a really close third.

David A. chose to sing With You for his second song. I liked it okay at best. Like Randy and Simon, it didn't seem like a great fit for him. Simon said it was a bit like a chihuahua trying to be a lion. LOL!

Syesha chose to sing Fever. (Was she being just a little too chatty?) She tried to sex it up, dancing around a chair. I liked her more restrained version, but wasn't crazy about the chair dance. None of the judges liked it much, all of them feeling it was a bad choice of song for this point in the competition.

David C.'s personal choice for his second song was Dare You to Move. Hmm. Didn't know the song, didn't care for the performance. Randy thought it was pitchy. Paula said the song just couldn't fit into 90 seconds. Simon thought it was just okay.

Round 2 wasn't as good as Round 1. I think I would put David A. in a slight lead, but pretty much they were all three just okay.

The final round of songs were chosen by the producers. (And, after listening to the final three performances, I would say the producers did a very poor job of selecting songs to end the evening.)

David A. kicks it off with Longer. Nice but none of the judges cared for the song.

For Syesha, the producers chose Hit Me Up. Very contemporary and uptempo, but I wasn't crazy about it. The judges were lukewarm about it. Like me.

David C.'s final song was I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. I liked it okay, but again, not wowed. Simon, however, calls it one of the best songs of all time and declares David C. the winner for the night.

Round 3: I would give the edge to David C. for this round as well with David A. right behind him. I agree with Simon that David C. takes the night.

If voters go by tonight's performances, it will be a David-David final next week.

-rlh-

Christian Fiction Monday

My good buddy Angela Hunt has a new book out that I'd like to tell you about. And this I know for sure — when it comes to books by Angela Hunt, expect the unexpected.

She Always Wore Red

Jennifer Graham—mother, student, and embalmer’s apprentice—could use a friend. She finds one in McLane Larson, a newcomer to Mt. Dora. While McLane’s soldier-husband serves overseas, Jen promises to support McLane, then learns that her tie to this woman goes far deeper than friendship. When a difference of opinion threatens their relationship, Jennifer discovers weaknesses in her own character . . . and a faith far stronger than she had imagined.

A Romantic Times Top Pick! “Be prepared to shed a few tears in Hunt’s emotionally gripping tale, the second in the Fairlawn series. With themes of family, friendship, and trusting God, the plot is enhanced by realistic and engaging characters. Jennifer’s growth as a character is evident, and the supporting cast enhances the story in a significant way. “ --Melissa Parcels, Romantic Times reviewer

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An Interview with Angela Hunt about She Always Wore Red, the second title in the Fairlawn series

Q:  What's up with the funky photo?

A:  Tee hee.  It's my "serious author" photo.  I snapped it myself, sitting at my computer.  Notice the funereal pose. 

Q:  The first book in this series is Doesn't She Look Natural?  Do people have to read the first book in order to understand the second?  (And congratulations on the Christy Award nomination for that title!)

A.  Thank you--I'm honored.  And no, people don't have to read the first book first, though it's always nice to read the books in order to get a sense of the story and background.  But all the books will work as single title reads. 

Q: The Fairlawn series is set in a funeral home. Did you observe the embalming process in your research? Or just read about it/interview morticians? It's fascinating. (Although I'm sure some folks with non-medical backgrounds are a bit grossed out by it!) Believe it or not, I had always wondered about getting the clothes on; that was an "aha" moment in the first book!

A. Unfortunately, with the advent of all the new privacy laws (HIPPA, anyone?), I was unable to observe an embalming--and believe me, I was ready and willing.  So most of my research came from books, photographs, and interviews (and once you announce that you're working on funeral homes, morticians seem to come out of the woodwork!)

It just so happens that one of my Tyndale editors grew up in a funeral home.  She has been a great asset--she gave me the idea for the funny flower arrangements and the funeral singers, plus I had written a scene in book three where Jen and Gerald sit down to eat a steak in the prep room.  My editor said that didn't feel right.  "Too weird?" I asked.  "No," she said. "There's always an odor in that room . . . not very appetizing." 

Ah.  That's the sort of thing you can't always get from a book.  :-/ 

I certainly hope the embalming stuff didn't gross anyone out, and I tried to ease my readers into it just as Jen is herself "eased" into it.  Book one--the barest trace, book two, a complete description of an arterial embalming, book three, the cavity embalming.  And frankly, that's as far as I want to take it.  Any more would be gross for grossness's sake. 

Q: Did you and your editors disagree over how much of the body preparation process was acceptable to include? I ask because I find all that sort of thing fascinating, and I think that I would include far more than most people would care to read, initially.

A. Actually, the embalming you "see" is the embalming I put in.  :-)  After 20 years in this business, I think I've developed a pretty good instinct for knowing how much is too much.  And you can be descriptive in a way that is clinical rather than gross (" She searched for the carotid artery" as opposed to "her stomach clenched as her gloved  fingers eased into the warm opening and she tried not to think of fish guts").    So actually, none of my editors ever remarked on the level of detail . . . and none of my readers have complained.  Yet.  :-)

Q. How has working on this series changed your attitude about death?

A.  I'm utterly at peace about it--not in a hurry to pass on, you understand, but very relaxed about the process and my final destination.  Doing research has also convinced me that I want to be buried, not cremated, and that I'd be better off buying my casket online. 

Q: Can you give us a hint about what happens in the third and final Fairlawn book?

A.  Sure. People die and Jennifer buries most of them. It's a funeral plot.

Q: Groan. That's not much of a hint.

A:  I don't like to give all the plot twists away!  Okay, here's a blurb from the back cover copy (yes, the book is finished and handed in):  In She's In a Better Place, the third book of the Fairlawn series, Jennifer Graham is now running the Fairlawn Funeral Home. Her work takes on a new dimension when Gerald Huffman, her assistant and mentor, reveals that he has a serious illness. When she learns that he and his daughter haven’t spoken in years, Jen decides to help them reconcile . . . but things don’t go exactly as she planned. Once again, the mortuary is a setting for lessons of laughter, love, and life.

Q: The setting--a funeral home--is unique, but these books are really about the typical challenges that face women today, right?

A: Oh, yes. Jennifer is a single mom juggling school, motherhood, and a career--and I think most modern women can relate to her. I certainly can.

Q: Anything else you want to add?

A. (whispering) I think you're supposed to ask where they can order it.

Q: Right--where can people order this book?

A: Thanks for asking! You can order it from your favorite online bookstore. Or, to make it simple, just click here.

For more information, visit www.angelahuntbooks.com.

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Enjoy!

-rlh-

a couple of heart-tuggers

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. I hope this was a blessed day for you. My birthday was yesterday, and I got a beautiful bouquet from Daughter #2 and her family, celebrating both my birthday and Mother's Day. And today Daughter #1 and Granddaughter #1 took me horseback riding. I haven't been on a horse since I sold my last one 25 years ago. I was thrilled that I could get up in the saddle on a rather tall horse (Rocket) without someone giving my backside a big push.

Now for the real reason for this post. Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen two movies that really tugged at my heart, and I want to share them with you.

Lars & the Real Girl caught me totally by surprise, despite the good reviews of critics and a trusted friend. I mean, how good does a movie sound that's about a guy who "dates" a life size female doll? But let me encourage you to see it. This is a movie that will tug at your heart strings and leave you smiling in the end. I thought it might be a chick flick, but the guys seem to really like it too. Don't let this one pass you by.

The other movie I loved was Bella. This movie is told in the present and with flashbacks. Early on the viewer knows that something awful had happened in Jose's past, but you don't know what it was. You get pieces a little at a time until all is revealed. In the meantime, you are falling in love with Jose and Nina. And the resolution to the story? Ahhhhhh. Perfect.

-rlh-

of Henry and Anne and other Tudors

More than twenty years ago, big historical novels set in medieval England were easy to come by. I gobbled up a lot of them. I even wrote one myself. But after reading a few that were historically inaccurate with characters speaking like teenagers of the 1960's rather than people of that day, I lost my taste for them.

Recently, I decided to buy The Other Boleyn Girl in audiobook format. Oh, my. I have fallen in love with Philippa Gregory's storytelling and have also become fascinated with Mary and Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. What a story. I've got The Other Boleyn Girl movie in my Netflix queue for when it releases in June. I have learned that the movies of great books rarely live up to their inspiration. Still I'm eager to see it.

I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl so much that I'm now listening to The Constant Princess , the story of the first wife of Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon. I'm enjoying it a great deal, and I suspect that I will continue to listen to more of the books by Philippa Gregory that tell the stories of the Tudors.

I must add that the reader of an audiobook makes all the difference of whether or not it's an enjoyable experience. The readers of these two audiobooks are wonderful. They really pulled me into the stories. I have the books on my iPod and listen to them in the car when I'm driving and take the iPod with me into the chiropractor's to listen to while I'm in traction. Great way to make the time pass more quickly.

-rlh-

a reminder of why I like Jason

I'm still sad this morning that Jason Castro won't be on Idol next week, and so I offer this YouTube video, a studio edition of Over the Rainbow along with great black and white shots of Jason on Idol.

I'll just have to watch the YouTube videos of Jason until he's got an album out.

-rlh-

idol 7: from 4 to 3

Nearly 51 million votes last night and the top three contestants, Ryan told us, all had within 1 million votes of each other. And how, I wondered at the top of the show, would that bode for Jason? Did his fans rise up in protest the moment Simon said, "Pack your bags"? Could be. This is, after all, American Idol.

David A — safe
David C — safe

Stupid phoned in questions. Guest group, Maroon 5. Bo Bice. Amazing how long an hour results show can feel. Thumb twiddling.

And finally the results — Jason goes home. I wish he could have gone out on a higher note. He's talented and original. He said his inexperience was showing last night, and that was true. Also showed he's got wisdom enough to know he doesn't know it all.

Jason, you make an album, I'll buy it. I'm going to miss you on the show a lot, and I confess I don't care as much about who wins Idol now.