Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

refiner's fire, part 2

Have you ever noticed how God arranges to have a sermon written just for you? Happens to me quite often. I figure the other 1500 or so people in the sanctuary at this morning's 9:00 a.m. service were just fortunate observers. God was speaking straight to me, giving me the encouragement and instruction that I needed. A reminder to persevere and keep my eyes on Him as I go through the trials of life. The sermon title was "Discipline of a Loving Father." (Although the title doesn't show yet, the audio is available on-line here, dated 7/31/05. I recommend listening to it, even though it was written just for me.<g>)

Hebrews 12:1(b)-2 And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

And there was one very specific song we sang with words that went "Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not faint." I needed that reminder too. It really lifted me up.

Pastor Tri talked about how steel for samurai swords is made: extreme heat, cold, heat, cold, hammering, tempering. And at the end of all this refining comes this incredible, usable, sharp instrument/weapon. Well, life's trials sure do seem like extreme heat, cold, hammering and tempering sometimes. Don't they? Man, I sure hope I come out the other side as God's incredible, usable, sharp instrument/weapon.

---

Tomorrow, I've got to get serious about writing again. Everything has seemed a blur for the past three to four weeks, between ICRS, the brainstorming retreat, and hospitals. Now August is here. Must make hay while the sun shines.

-rlh-

real praise

The sharing we had about Ecclesiastes in my Through the Bible reading group — as well as my life at the moment — caused me to go searching in The Purpose Driven Life for a favorite part (chapter 11):

But meditation is simply focused thinking — a skill anyone can learn and use anywhere.
When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry [Robin raises her hand and nods], you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses. The more you meditate on God's Word, the less you will have to worry about.

And from chapter 14:

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant.

I came to Christ primarily through books. The final book I read before asking Jesus into my heart was Prison to Praise, a book basically about praising God no matter what. Since 1976, I have had these four passages listed in the front of (I think) every Bible I've owned, along with the phrase, No matter what, I will praise the Lord!:

Daniel 3:17-18
"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Job 13:15
"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him."

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail,
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold,
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

[All verses above from the NASB]

So that's where I'm at today. Jesus is my praise and He is my God, and I will praise Him, no matter what.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

can i pick your brain?

In the comments on my post, storming the brain, Dawn asked:

Sorry this comment is long, but how do I find authors to brainstorm with? I get stuck often. Surely in this age of Internet there is an Internet group of writers that like to brainstorm? any links or ideas?

There is no easy answer to this. It takes time. You need to develop a level of trust with the other writers involved in order to do this well. Writers are an insecure lot. We need others who understand how our brains work. We can be temperamental and fussy. [As an aside, a wonderful editor I know has said, "I didn't need to have children. I have authors." Too true.] Anyway, you don't want to share your heart and soul with just anyone. So you meet people and you get to know them and then you see if the fit is right.

I sometimes brainstorm with a couple of writer friends who live in other states using Instant Messaging, but I'm not sure we would do this or that it would work as well if we hadn't already done face-to-face brainstorming in the past.

The best place to start your search is to join American Christian Fiction Writers. They have all kinds of forums and groups that operate almost exclusively via the Internet and email. They put on a fabulous conference every September. This year it's in Nashville. Editors from nearly every CBA publisher who publish fiction attend this conference. I highly recommend it.

You should also check to see if there is a novelist group that meets in your city or somewhere nearby. Romance Writers of America has many chapters across the country. While most of the writers write secular romance fiction rather than faith-based fiction, it is still a great place for learning many of the basics.

I hope this will help you connect with other writers and eventually find the right brainstorming partner(s).

-rlh-

refiner's fire

July has been a difficult month for me. Since this is not an anonymous blog, I carefully consider what to share and not share with the friends and strangers who read what I post here. I want to be open but prudent. Interesting balance to maintain.

For weeks leading up to the International Christian Retail Show in Denver, I was feeling stressed about my heavy travel schedule, particularly when added to my writing schedule. I had three trips scheduled for July with a total of 17 travel days. On day six of my trip to Denver, I realized I just couldn't go to Reno for the RWA conference (a six day, five night trip that would have started yesterday). Why, I asked myself, was I putting myself up for the unnecessary additional stress? I wasn't up for an award. I wasn't scheduled to present an award. I was on a panel, but nothing I couldn't find someone equally qualified to sit on. I had already had meetings with my agent and editors in Denver. My remaining reason for going was so I wouldn't leave my roommate in the lurch. When I called her, I offered to pay my share of the room costs if she couldn't find a replacement. Turns out she wanted to cancel too. Whew!

What I did not know is what was awaiting me during this time I would have been gone. A loved one is in the hospital. I'm so grateful to God for taking care of all my travel changes in advance.

In the midst of all this, I made a tough career decision that had me talking and corresponding lots with my agent as she worked things through. This too was riddled with s-t-r-e-s-s. And yet I have peace about my decision and feel a great sense of relief that I was able to make a choice and stand firm. One of the things that we Christian writers talked about at the retreat in Denver was the difficulty of having our livelihood also be our ministry. (Many pastors suffer burnout/stress for the same reason.) God gave me a talent that I hope to use for Him, and He called me to write for Him in the CBA market so that I can write openly about faith and Christian beliefs. Serving others in the body of Christ is a ministry, no matter what that service is. What I hope to do in my ministry is entertain, enlighten, encourage. But writing is also a business, and with business comes all the "stuff" that most writers would just as soon ignore. Me included.

All the above to say, I'm glad the traveling is over for me until September. I'm glad that I can now settle in and get to work on my next book with a clear view of what I want to accomplish. Oh, and I'm thankful that this was the month when I was reading the Psalms and Proverbs because there is so much praise, wisdom, and comfort to be found in those two books of the bible. That, too, was a God thing.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

the personality of my blog

What a fortunate find! Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life led me to this little test which in turn gave me something to post today.

Your Blogging Type Is Thoughtful and Considerate

You're a well liked, though underrated, blogger. You have a heart of gold, and are likely to blog for a cause. You're a peaceful blogger - no drama for you! A good listener and friend, you tend to leave thoughtful comments for others.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

What do you think? Is that accurate about this blog?

-rlh-

storming the brain

I'm home, safe and sound. Disaster reigns in my house, from room to room in varying degrees. A few bills collected on my desk. Lots of dirty clothes. Luggage to put away, both what I took with me and the ones I considered taking with me and didn't. Had a family crisis to deal with while I was away. What did we ever do without cell phones where we can be reached pretty much wherever we are? So it is good to be home for more than one reason.

Several of you asked about how to do a brainstorming retreat. Happy to oblige.

Aside: I tried a critique group about 15 years ago, but it was not a positive experience at all. I was in it about a year, and my agent kept telling me to get out. It was destructive to my creativity. Not because the other writers were super hard on me or anything like that. It is simply that I don't do well writing by committee. So except for that year, the pattern has been that I write a book and the next person to see it is my editor.

Brainstorming with other authors is something entirely different, and I love it. I began attending brainstorming retreats in 1995. For a number of years, I was part of a group of four writers who would meet twice a year to brainstorm. We all lived in different states so it was a time and financial commitment, but it was well worth it. We would fly in on a Friday and out on a Sunday. We would usually spend about two to three hours on a book, depending upon what was needed. This annual retreat I attend now has more writers, lasts four to five days, and we work shorter periods of time on each writer's book.

In general, the author gives her concept. Some come to the retreat with the story almost completely worked out in their heads. They may only need to develop a villain or a final scene. Others show up, like I did two years ago, and say, "I want to write a novel about four women friends who work on an airbase in WWII." Out of that came my novel, The Victory Club (Tyndale, June 2005).

Once the author has given her presentation, the discussion begins. Other writers toss out their what-ifs, and momentum begins to build. An author generally knows what absolutely will not work for her, but the field of possibilities of what might work can be huge. "Maybe Sam can come upon an old farm house in Spain while they're escaping and the wife agrees to hide them in the barn." "Oh, what if when they're in the barn they realize..." It goes on and on. The author is general scribbling notes like crazy.

Eventually there comes the moment when the energy has sort of run its course for discussion. Then we do what we call the List of 20. (I believe this originated from a workshop Debbie Macomber gave more than a decade ago.) As quickly as possible, everyone around the table writes ideas for what could happen in this story situation. It may be something that came out during the discussion. It may be something that was never mentioned at all. I rarely write 20 things in the time allotted, but I write as many as I can. They can be very short.

I remember a couple of suggestions from a decade ago for the idea that became Patterns of Love: (1) She goes into the attic and finds an old trunk. In the trunk she finds a baby's christening gown. Who was the baby? Where is that baby now? (2) She is sitting on the swing and he comes along and pushes her in it. She feels her heart soaring.

As the author, I took those (and other) suggestions home. Some I could make work. Some I tossed as not workable for me. Others sparked new ideas.

This past weekend, I was brainstorming a novella. I pretty much came into my session with that same "I want to tell a story about four women friends..." That wasn't what I said; that book is written. I simply mean it wasn't much more detailed than that. An hour later, I had a fistful of ideas and am excited about writing this particular story. I have to finish another project first, but when the time arrives, I'll be ready to go.

Another great thing about brainstorming like this is that the contributing writers can just let the ideas flow. They have no responsibility to make the story work. Therefore, they can fire off ideas like scatter guns. It's up to the author to grab the ones that spark her imagination. And when we hand over the Lists of 20 to the author, it symbolizes that we have no ownership over those ideas; we are releasing them to the author to do with as she pleases.

So there you go. That's a quicky look at how the brainstorming retreats that I'm part of work.

Happy writing,
Robin

ideas wanted

Well, it isn't long before I leave for the airport for this brainstorming retreat. Psst. Can I tell you a secret? I haven't a clue about the story I want to brainstorm. Well, I want it to have something to do with Christmas. Maybe lightning will strike while I'm on the airplane. Strike my brain, not the plane!

I would feel worse about this, except that two years ago, I arrived at the retreat and I said, "I want to write a WWII novel about four women who work on an airbase." Within an hour I had all kinds of ideas. Some I could use. Some I couldn't. But boy, were the juices flowing. That book, of course, is this year's release, The Victory Club.

Did the final result resemble what was talked about around that large table in a dining room while it rained cats and dogs outside? Mmm. Yes and no. An author takes her ideas from lots of places, but then she has to make the story her own. As she discovers who her characters are, they take over and begin to go in the directions they want to go. Not that the author, as creator, can't rein them in and make them behave. Sometimes we have to do that, too.

Well, time to go. Later...

-rlh-

random thoughts of no importance

I feel so out of it. Any blog readers left?

I came home from ICRS and lived in a fog for days. I also had to dig into proofing/correcting the typeset pages for my February 2006 Steeple Hill release. Ugh! They were not in the shape they should have been in, and that was the fault of the author, not the typesetter. Today was the due date, and I made it, faxing all the corrected pages and the Author Alteration forms to my editor this afternoon.

The books I acquired at the retreat and at ICRS arrived by Media Mail yesterday. They are now in two stacks on the floor of my library, along with lots of other stuff that has yet to be put away. What a disaster!!! Anyway, I now have some wonderful novels to read the remainder of this summer and well into the fall. The tough part is deciding which one to read first. Sure wish I was a faster reader.

Zondervan presented each of the authors at the retreat with a Bible. We had to say what we wanted in advance (pocket bible, study bible, etc.), and I chose a women's study Bible. Oh my. I can't believe this Bible. It is so beautiful. It is a lime green, alligator-skin-looking women's study Bible called true identity. The print inside is purple. It is so beautiful!! Women who love things that are artistically pleasing will find this an inviting Bible on several levels. It's the TNIV, and I'm glad to have a chance to check it out. I've read through a number of the study entries, and I can say this is a Bible I will want to give as a gift.

I am now preparing to leave on another trip, this one to northern Idaho to meet with other Christian authors and brainstorm books. I'll be brainstorming a Christmas novella. Brainstorming is my favorite part of writing. What if this... what if that... what if this... I love that wild flow of ideas when gathered with other creative people.

Today I finished reading the Psalms. I must confess that there were a number of thoughts I wanted to post about but I just couldn't find the time. Psalm 139 is a favorite of mine, and it seemed particularly rich to me during this reading. Maybe I'll come back to it after I'm home again.

I treated myself to an upgrade of cell phone and Pocket PC, getting one of the new Samsung i730's. I have never wanted a Pocket PC Phone edition because they were so big and clunky. But the i730 is not much bigger than my LG phone was. Now I only have one device (not to mention only needing one charger when I travel). That's a major plus.

Well, no deep thoughts today, but I hope to be back to regular blogging next week.

-rlh-

brain on auto pilot

Hello, all. I am finally home and slowly coming out of the travel fog. I averaged about 4.5 hours of sleep for the week I was gone. Fortunately, we were staying in an Embassy Suites so I wasn't too hard on my roommate. For two nights, we had a third roomie, staying on the sofa bed. She had to suffer from my early morning appearances.

The Christian novelist retreat was the best ever. The theme that God wove through the entire thing was about writing through out suffering and pain, about how God sometimes blesses us with suffering and it is in that night of the soul that many of us will find our greatest stories. I was stirred again and again with the words that others shared.

I had someone (a reviewer, I think) come up to me at the Christy Awards to tell me how much she liked my blog. See, we never know who is reading us when we post our thoughts on-line.

The ICRS (International Christian Retailers Show) was exhausting with some great moments and some rotten moments. That's kind of standard for a convention. I met with three of my editors, twice accompanied by my agent, plus I had a lunch meeting with my agent alone. I signed copies of Veterans Way in the Revell booth and copies of Loving Libby in the Zondervan booth. I chatted with a sales rep from WaterBrook who used to have Idaho as part of his territory (when I wrote my books for them). I did a couple of interviews with the media.

So here are a few photos (my apologies if I mess up the titles of their books; I'm not taking the time to look them up):

At left is the group photo from the novelist gathering.

At right is the drama team who performed on Sunday morning. From left to right: James Scott Bell (Sins of the Fathers), Tom Morrisey (Deep Blue), Robin Lee Hatcher, Tamera Alexander (Rekindled), and Brandilyn Collins (Dead of Night). Missing from the photo is Nancy Moser (Sister Circle).

At left is Judy Baer (Whitney Chronicles), me, Neta Jackson (Yada Yada Prayer Group).

At right, that's me with my agent, Natasha Kern, at the western dinner sponsored by the Baker Publishing Group.

At left, that's me in my full western attire. It was hotter than you-know-where on that roof where they served dinner. I was dressed in a summer sweater, leather jacket, and heavier-than-regular-Levis jeans (appropriate for air conditioned banquet halls where I normally freeze in the summer) and absolutely dying from the temps in the mid-90's!!

And finally, at right is Tamera Alexander (Bethany author) with me at the Christy Awards.

Highlights of the convention...

I got to play the fan. I was in the Tyndale hospitality suite when Randy Alcorn (dear friend) walked in with Charles Colson. I screwed up the courage and went over and asked to be introduced, which Randy kindly did. Mr. Colson shook my hand, and I told him how much How Now Shall We Live? had affected me when I read it.

Later, on the convention floor, I saw worship leader Don Moen standing in the middle of an area without lots of people or booths. So I went up and introduced myself to him and got to shake his hand and visit with him for several minutes. I think I may own every CD of Don Moen's worship music, and one of his songs is the theme song for my life and my writing:

All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down before You, O Lord. All my regrets, all my acclaim, the joy and the pain, I'm making them Yours. Lord, I offer my life to You. Everything I've been through. Use it for Your glory. Lord, I offer my days to You. Lifting my praise to You, as a pleasing sacrifice. Lord, I offer You my life.

There is another verse, but that gives you a taste.

This morning, in a state of complete exhaustion still, I dumped an entire coffeepot full of water onto myself and the kitchen floor. I was supposed to be turning the basket upright with my right hand and instead I turned the full pot of water upside down with my left. It took me about five minutes to figure out why I did what I did (other than just being a complete klutz!).

Bill paying and laundry and writing awaits me.

-rlh-

convention crazy

I have not had a spare second to post to this blog until now, and I only have about three minutes so must rush. My reformatted laptop is not recognizing my Sony memory stick, so I can't use any photos from the past five days. Will have to wait until I get home to figure out what is wrong.

Two highlights of yesterday. I had the pleasure of meeting and shaking the hand of Chuck Colson, whose book How Now Shall We Live? made such an impact on me. And I also got to chat with worship leader Don Moen whose music has blessed me for years. I think I may have every one of his CDs. So I guess yesterday I played the fan.

Today I sign books for Zondervan and Revell, meet with one of my editors, and meet later with my agent. Tonight I get to relax with a friend I haven't seen in years. Tomorrow I head for home. I'm ready. But God has blessed me so much through the sharing of others this past five days. More later...

Robin

up, up, and away

Why is it that things seem to fall apart when time is in short supply? Getting ready for a trip always takes way more time than I think it should, especially when preparing for a week long absence where often I need two changes of clothes per day.

So yesterday I went to get my small Sony laptop (the 3 pounder) from my daughter who has been using it for the last two months. Oh, my. Whether something went wrong during an install of a program for her college class or maybe she got a virus, I don't know. But something was horribly wrong. I had to do a total system reload, wiping the hard drive clean and starting over. The hardest, most time consuming part of that is all of the update downloads, particularly for Windows. I worked on it for hours and hours last night, falling into bed at 12:30 a.m. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and went right back at it. Installing the software I am most likely to need while on my trip was the most important thing.

It's done now. All is working well. My bags are packed, I'm ready to go. Hmm. Sounds like a song.

While I'll be working hard over the next week, I'll also be spending time with writers and publishing professionals I admire, people who are also my brothers and sisters in Christ. Exhausting, yes, but exhilarating too.

The bad news is, today is already the 6th of July. I should have written at least another 35 to 40 pages by now. I think I've written two. My hope is that I'll get some writing done at the airport and during the flight. That would sure be nice.

I'll try to pop in with news from the International Christian Retail Show. In my absence, hold down the blogging fort.

-rlh-

fact and fiction, part 30

No, I haven't forgotten about my writing saga, but it has been a long time since I made an entry about it. More Firsts has me writing my first novel for the CBA in 1998.

let freedom ring

Today my thoughts turn to the large contingent of Idaho National Guardsmen who are serving in Iraq. The local news is also full of stories about the families left behind, the sacrifices that they are making while husbands, dads, sons, wives, moms, daughters are absent.

I wrote The Victory Club, in part, as a tribute to and encouragement for the loved ones who serve their nation on the homefront. They give so much — emotionally, financially, physically, spiritually — while they wait. They are not alone. God sees and cares.

Of course, The Victory Club is set during WWII, and the nation at home sacrificed a great deal. There were shortages of every kind. Food and gas was rationed. Today, while our brave men and women serve overseas, people at home can remain blissfully ignorant, if they choose. We have plenty of food to purchase in our supermarkets, and although gas may cost more, we get into our fancy automobiles and drive where we choose.

Most experts estimate that the military and civilian losses of Allied forces during WWII were 44 million, including nearly 6 million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. The USA lost over 400,000 to that war.

As I've stated here before, freedom isn't free.

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Today's church bulletin had some wonderful quotes regarding freedom, and I think they are all worth sharing with you on this 4th of July weekend.

• They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. * Benjamin Franklin
• In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. * Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty. * John F. Kennedy
• You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. * Galatians 5:13
• Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. * George Bernard Shaw
• None can love freedom but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license, which never hath more scope than under tyrants. * John Milton
• I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. * Psalm 119:45
• This is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. * Abraham Lincoln
• I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves, it should be first those who desire it for themselves, and secondly those who desire it for others. Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. * Abraham Lincoln
• It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. * Galatians 5:1
• No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation. * Douglas MacArthur
• The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. * Isaiah 61:1
• I do not know what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. * Patrick Henry
• Freedom is never given, it is won. * Anonymous
• Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. * 2 Corinthians 3:17
• Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author. * Thomas Jefferson
• I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of there skin but the content of their character. * Martin Luther King Jr.
• The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. * Romans 8:19-21
• Liberty is the right to choose. Freedom is the result of the right choice. * Anonymous
• A country cannot subsist well without liberty, nor liberty without virtue. * Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. * 1 Peter 2:16
• Free at last; free at last; thank God Almighty we are free at last. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
• To those who would crush religious freedom, our message is plain: You may jail your believers. You may close their churches, confiscate their Bibles and harass their rabbis and priests, but you will never destroy the love of God and freedom that burns in their hearts. They will triumph over you. * Ronald Reagan

Good thoughts to ponder as we celebrate our nation's freedom.

-rlh-

new look options

I was clueless about Typepad's upgrades to their system that were planned for this weekend until I took a look at my blog and the design was a mess. A little investigating and I discovered some nice additions, including some new templates. You may see this blog changing its look off and on until I'm completely satisfied.

I worked like crazy today, but not on the book. Just all kinds of things that need handled before I leave town. Life sure can get in the way of our best laid plans, huh?

Tiko, our sheltie, is the biggest coward in the world, all 60+ pounds of her. Thunder and pop guns and fireworks scare her to death. The littlest pop in the neighborhood, and she throws herself at the backdoor, demanding in. Poor baby. The 4th of July is tough on her. Kids have been setting off firecrackers for the past week.

I saw a cute movie yesterday, rented from Netflix. Saving Grace, starring Brenda Blethyn. It's about a widow who discovers her cheating husband left her in horrible debt and what she does to get out of it. It's worth seeing.

-rlh-

words, words, words

Well, while about half the population (or so it seems) of my fair city has disappeared into the mountains of Idaho to enjoy a glorious extended weekend, I remain in Boise, trying to work on my book while at the same time preparing to leave for Denver next week, making lists (don't forget to... call so-and-so about...), and trying on clothes to see if they will fit (my weight is up about 5 lbs from last summer, and those 5 lbs make a difference).

On Friday, someone talked to me a bit about the real meaning of repentance (turning 180 degrees and going in the opposite direction) and the problem of holding onto guilt/shame once God has forgiven you for something. Check out my book, The Shepherd's Voice, to know more of my thoughts on the subject because that was the theme of that novel, born out of a lesson I learned in the mid-nineties. That caused us to talk about how all of my life-lessons eventually find their way into all of my novels. In some ways, writing is my therapy couch, the place where I put on paper what God has taught or is teaching me. Writing makes truths surface so I can look at them, and then they go deeper so that they stay with me.

This morning in Psalms, I read this:

Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud,
or in those who worship idols.
O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
If I tried to [write] all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
(Psalm 40:4-5, NLT)

The Scripture actually says "recite" but although I love to talk about the Lord with my mouth and do a lot, I most often "talk" about Him in my writing. And the truth is, no matter how many more years I am given on this earth (even another 37 which would make me the age my mother is now), even if I'm able to write until the day I die, I will never come to the end of things to say about God's wonderful deeds.

Not running out of words is a good thing for a writer.

-rlh-

overdrive

It's July 1st, and I am officially heading into overdrive. I am behind where I needed to be on the wip. Bummer. I have three trips in the month of July (writers' conference/booksellers convention, brainstorming retreat, and another writers' conference). I'll be gone 17 days total, including travel days. These are all jam-packed business trips where I'll be on the go-go-go from breakfast meetings to dinner events. Nonetheless, I'll have to be writing too in order to finish the book in time. Have laptop, will travel.

I'm not sure how much blogging I will be doing over the next month. I guess you'll just have to drop in to see. Depends on (1) Internet connections wherever I am, (2) time available to me, and (3) if my brain is functioning enough to have clear thoughts beyond what my next appointment is or what my next scene is.

Last night I received the preliminary artwork for my next novella in the Hart's Crossing series, Diamond Place (Apr 2006). Oh, it is wonderful!!! I would share, but it's too early and this is just prelim. But they have captured exactly what I wanted. How sweet when that happens! Normally I don't have much in the way of cover ideas, but this time I did and they nailed it.

Yesterday was a bust, writing-wise. I prepared and sent out my e-newsletter, and I discovered a bit of a glitch in some email viewers. Sigh... I spent hours trying to figure out what I needed to do. I have also discovered that the newsletter distributor that I use, EzineDirector, works better with Internet Explorer than with Mozilla Firefox. Same thing for Yahoo Mail. So even though I love Firefox and would rather use it, I'm finding it necessary more and more to go back to Explorer. Why does technology have to be so wonderful and so awful at the same time?

BTW, if you are interested in receiving my e-newsletter, you can subscribe to it on my web site. The mailing list is kept private. The newsletter comes out about once a month.

Well, since yesterday was a writing bust, I now need to bust my behind to catch up a bit. Drivers, start your engine. Varoon, varoom.

-rlh-