Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

farewell 2006

Recap: 2005 was the year of Endurance. 2006 was the year of Victory.  The words I believe God gave me for 2007 are Peace and Simplicity. Sounds good to me. I'm ready for some of that.

2006 was the year I became a Mac addict. Yep, it's true. I fell for my little beauties (iMac and MacBook) hook, line, and sinker. There have been moments of frustration, but most of those were because I was still thinking with a Windows brain.

The first three months of 2006 were when I read the entire Bible in 90 days. It was an amazing experience. I'm glad I did it.

2006 was the year I grew in my understanding of how God uses trials and pain in the lives of His children. I particularly found help and guidance in Streams in the Desert, one of the best devotionals I have ever used.

2006 saw the release of two new hardcover novellas and one "redeemed" paperback novel.

I lost about five pounds in March 2006, and at the end of the year, they are still missing. Yea!! However, I wasn't as successful as I wanted to be with my exercise program. It's been hit and miss. Hopefully that will improve in 2007.

Today I wrapped revisions on my final Hart's Crossing novella. {{Huge sigh of relief.}} A nice way to end the old year.

So farewell, 2006. Let's see what the New Year brings.

-rlh-

the cure is worse

This weekend I was supposed to attend a women's retreat in the mountains of Idaho, but I didn't go. I'm disappointed but trust God had His reasons for keeping me at home. One of them being that the person who was supposed to stay with my elderly mother tonight has fallen ill (sick enough to have to go to the ER twice) and so couldn't be here with Mom. Her illness happened after I'd decided to cancel my plans, but God saw to it that I wasn't 100 miles away when that happened.

The reason I had to cancel my plans was because I had an adverse reaction to a new medication I was on. The first week of taking the medication went without mishap, but at the start of week two I was to double the dosage. After two days of that, my blood pressure shot way up and stayed up, and my resting heart rate was almost in my exercise target zone (more about that in a minute). I was flushed, had a killer headache, and felt generally not good. So on Thursday the doctor had me stop the medication, saying it would take two to three days to get it entirely out of my system. Yesterday was better but not great. Today my blood pressure has normalized and my pulse is down, although still higher than it should be when I'm doing nothing but sitting.

Speaking of my pulse ... I discovered that I've been exercising below my target heart rate. I was going by what I remembered that general chart on the wall of the gym that I last saw three years ago said (the one that takes age into consideration but not resting heart rate). So this too-fast heart rate of mine got me thinking that I should find out what my actual target heart rate should be. Oops! I've been shooting too low on my cardio. I was going for between 120 and 130. I should be shooting for between 129 and 147. So tonight when I get on my recumbent bike for 30 minutes, I'm going to amp it up a bit. More exercise at the right pace should actually bring down my resting heart rate which would be a good thing. I'm well above normal at the best of times, which means my ticker is wearing itself out faster than most folks.

We live in a wonderful day and age, as far as advancements in medical care goes. But sometimes these modern miracle drugs are hard on the old body, making the cure worse than the original complaint. I'm going to look for another answer to what ailed me.

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I'm going deep into revision mode for the next couple of weeks. I'll try to surface every now and then.

-rlh-

saturday sundries, week #36

I've kept my fanny glued to the chair in front of my computer over the three days since I last posted, but I did not make the progress I'd hoped I would. Progress, yes, but not enough. However, ideas are starting to pop a little more often. That's always a good sign. Especially since the writing schedule will remain intense for many, many weeks to come.

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The Boise Valley has been gasping, hacking, and coughing in terrible Stage 1 air quality alert. Smoke from something like sixteen forest fires has drifted into the valley and nestled against the foothills, growing worse day by day by day. People have been told not to spend time outdoors, not to exercise, basically to try not to breathe more than necessary. A hot wind blew through on Thursday night, but all it did was make the air smell even more like the neighborhood was on fire (and I live on the opposite side of the valley from the mountains). No smoke blew away, but I did get more small branches knocked out of my curly willow tree.

I must admit that the smoke has made for some spectacular sunrises, turning the morning sky an unusual shade of pink.

You can click on the photos for slightly bigger images if you wish. The one on the left is taken from my front yard, pointing at my neighbor's house. The one on the right is a little clearer view from my backyard.

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How about the Dems in congress threatening a TV network over a docudrama based on the 9/11 Commission report? What a ridiculous circus this has been! I have plenty I could say and would like to say, but I have had only limited time to follow the story and so don't feel qualified. But Hugh Hewitt has some informed columns regarding the matter. Here's a link to one called The Clinton Censors.

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So if thinking about the government and upcoming elections makes you want to scream, here is a bit of scripture to take to heart so we can all start praying for those who will be in authority over us when the election dust settles:

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.  For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.  Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.  Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.  (Rom. 13:1-7)

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The governing authorities are established by God. That's something to ponder in this day and age.

Which brings me to the Name of God I am meditating upon at presence:  ELOHIM (e-lo-HEEM), God, the Mighty Creator. In the beginning, He created everything out of nothing. He could have made things very different than He did. He could have made me very different than He did. I am created in His image. Amazing!

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And now it's time that I return to Patti and Al in the little town of Hart's Crossing where no politics or smoky forest fires are intruding on their lives. However, as is true of all of us, they have their own personal brand of trouble to deal with. My job is to make those troubles worse before things can get better. I am not a Mighty Creator, but I am made in the image of the Mighty Creator, so I create with a small "c" and hope to reveal some of His truth along the way.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

saturday sundries

My Garden:

I do not have a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination. I do not enjoy digging in the dirt, planting, weeding, etc. That is not my gift. I fully appreciate the beauty of those who do garden. While the front of my house is landscaped, including purple wildflowers, roses, potentillas, shrubs (which are in the process of being trimmed as they are out of control), some sort of pretty ground cover, a mock orange, etc., my backyard is lawn, a curly willow tree, and a huge lilac bush. I did have some rose bushes, but they were in too much shade and never did well. I had them ripped up and sod laid. My dogs were also a detriment to the roses, especially Poppet who loves to run the length of the back fence where said rose bushes used to be.

I love my backyard (except for the size of it when it comes to mowing and weed whacking). The curly willow casts shade across it starting in mid-afternoon and lengthening as the day progresses. Mom and I enjoy sitting on the patio on the porch swing in the cooler parts of the day. But we have missed the color that flowers bring to a yard. So this week I bought a "portable garden" in an urn, and it's amazing how it brightens things up.

Straight Up:

I was fortunate enough to be asked to do an advance read of Lisa Samson's next book, Straight Up (September 2006). PW gave it a very lovely review, and I concur. Here is what I had to say:

What if we chose differently in life? Straight Up is pure Lisa Samson — original, raw, and laced with grace. As always, Lisa's characters came to life in my imagination, becoming my friends. This book made me cry and also allowed me hope. What a treasure.

Lisa Samson has an original voice, and she doesn't pretty up the realities of life for her fiction.

What Brings People to Write Thinking:

Every once in a while, I look to see what people search for on Google and other search engines that ends up causing them to follow a link to my blog. Sometimes they are just down right funny. Typepad only shows this information for 24 hours so these are just what I can find in that time frame as of about 6:45 a.m. MDT:

Golf AND blister AND right thumb
How to write ten pages per day
Robin Lee
Mining theme for Christian women's retreat
I have an ugly thumb on my left hand
"Philip Anschutz" trusted assistant
Write farewell note
Hand pain golf
Write cheerful farewell notes

It appears that the problem with that blister on my thumb from golfing has created quite the traffic. Not sure about those farewell notes. And who is Philip Anschutz? Hmm. I must have quoted him or something.

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Well, that's the end of my Saturday Sundries.

Until next time, may God keep you ...

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

anatevka

"A little bit of this. A little bit of that. Nothing much. Only Anatevka." Fiddler on the Roof is a favorite musical of mine. I guess that's why, as I thought about writing this post, the words from Anatevka popped into my head. Yes, this is going to be a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

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I finished the revisions on A Carol for Christmas on Monday afternoon. It was an intense weekend as I worked toward the finish line. Now I wait breathlessly for the response of the editor to the changes I made. I should have the line edited manuscript back in two weeks she said, so it won't be a long wait.

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My last post was a link to a post that referenced the James Frey controversy about his "memoir," A Million Little Pieces. I have not read the book, but because of my own experience as someone affected by the alcoholism of a loved one, I have thought I might. But this Publisher's Weekly article by Heather King makes me think I would prefer to read her memoir, Parched, instead. Here's a clip of the first paragraph:

I first read about James Frey's A Million Little Pieces in a New Yorker review. I was working on my own memoir, Parched (Chamberlain Bros.), at the time, so I scanned the piece with interest. Frey and I had a couple of things in common: we'd both had major substance abuse problems; we'd both been to Hazelden (him for six weeks, circa 1992; me for four weeks, six years earlier). But there the similarities seemed to end. It wasn't so much that we were of different genders, that I was a teensy bit older than him, that we'd chosen different approaches to staying sober. No, it was that Frey was angry. The whole tenor of the review was that Frey was angry. The testosterone-fueled rage! The studly ire! In light of my own 20 years as a falling-down blackout drunk, it struck me as an odd stance. The people who really had cause to be angry, it seemed to me, were the ones I'd trampled, cheated on, stolen from and lied to on my way to the nearest bar.

I wrote my novel, Beyond the Shadows, to show alcoholism from the POV (point of view) of the people who love the alcoholic, the people who are "trampled, cheated on, stolen from and lied to," those who watch the decline and live through the disaster and chaos. I have more than a passing knowledge of the 12 Steps of recovery, and I believe Ms. King has a better grasp on alcoholism and recovery than Mr. Frey. And so I hope her book sells many more copies.

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Friend and author Deb Raney has been collecting a list of social issues that are covered in Christian fiction. Criticisms often leveled at this market include the one that says these novels give a sanitized view of the world we live in. People who say that are woefully uninformed and haven't read much fiction from CBA publishers in recent years or they would know better.

Deb gave permission for other writers to post the list to their blogs. Angela Hunt beat me to it, so I am going to point readers to her blog. Angie is adding to the list as other writers inform her where their books belong on it, so check back every now and then, especially if you want to see what today's Christian novelists are writing about — or if you're simply looking for another great read.

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This morning I completed Day 21 of the Bible in 90 Days reading challenge. I am deep into 1st Samuel, reading about David on the run from Saul. The last thing I read was about Saul visiting the medium/witch of Endor who calls up the spirit of Samuel. Spooky and something I need to check into a little more.

I am enthralled with reading the Bible in this fashion. I was afraid that it would seem like speed reading (almost disrespectful to the word of God) and that I wouldn't get as much out of it as when I read the Bible in a year, four times as long as this challenge takes. I was wrong. I'm just getting a different picture. I would encourage everyone to try this at least once.

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Well, with the revisions off of my desk, it is time for some office clean-up and a return to the rewrites of my next "redeemed" novel. I'd love to have those rewrites done by next week so that I can get to work on my July 2007 release the first week of February.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

potpouri

My goal to declutter my life in 2006 is off to a good start. I spent the weekend working in my walk in closet (and my walk in is huge, all the better to collect more *stuff*). I have bags and bags of clothes ready to go to charity and still more to go through. But I feel good about what I've accomplished. I can't believe how much stuff was hanging in my closet that either won't fit (too big or too small) or is so out of date that it gets past over even if it does fit. So out it went!

I got up this morning, intent on returning to my revisions of Carol. However, I decided to take care of my year end business bookkeeping first. My writing business is a corporation, so there is quite a bit of work to be accomplished at this time of year. Hours later, I was done, and I felt wonderfully light, knowing it's behind me. Okay, another couple of weeks and I will be neck deep in preparing everything to go to my CPA, both personal and corporation receipts.

The next thing I did was the best part of my day yet. I made reservations to fly to see two of my dearest friends for a long weekend at the end of this month. Yes!! I'll get lots and lots of hugs and be loved on and be silly and drink lots of coffee and sleep little and talk until I'm hoarse. I can hardly wait!

I've read a lot of blogs with their year in review. I did a review of my blog posts. But the best thing I've read yet was from BJ Hoff's Grace Notes where she writes about her Not So Favorites of 2005. I particularly loved her "Much Ado About Nothing."

Okay, more work to be done.

-rlh-

Christmas Eve reflections

On this Christmas Eve, I'd like to wish all my regular readers and any visitors who happen by a Merry Christmas. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my posts. Thank you for telling others about Write Thinking and about my books, too.

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As Dan at Cerulean Sanctum posted a few days ago, Christmas can be difficult for many. It makes some feel lonely and set apart. Sometimes it's due to nothing more than the fact that children have grown up, moved away, and long held traditions get shifted as new traditions are made. Sometimes it is due to life changes (death, divorce, illness).

As someone who's had a year that included change, I find myself a bit wistful on this Christmas Eve. I remember Christmases when I was little and then when my own daughters were little, and I miss those times, those feelings, the anticipation, the excitement, the wonder. I miss the things we "always used to do" that I'm not doing now. And yet, I have an abundance of people and things to be thankful for.

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Last night, my family gathered for our Christmas dinner at my home. We were missing two of my six grandchildren because they left last Monday to be with their father for Christmas. And we met yesterday because this morning, Daughter #1 and her husband are driving into the mountains to spend the weekend with her in-laws. We dined on ham, potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cinnamon apples, fresh baked rolls, pie with ice cream, Christmas cookies. We laughed because "Mom cooked." (It's true. I was never much of a cook—although my kids never went hungry—and I cook even less often now that there are no children at home.) We gathered in the family room to watch The Polar Express on DVD. Then we opened gifts. The gifts were few from Grandma Robin this year. Worse, they were mostly clothes! How excited does a two-year-old get over new clothes? And before I knew it, the evening was over. The family was gone, and the house was quiet again.

How grateful I am to God for my family. I'm so thankful my mother was here with me for another Christmas. What a treasure she is to me. What a godly example and encouragement she has been throughout my life. I'm so thankful for my daughters. I look at them and know that, despite all of the parenting mistakes I made, I must have done something right. They are such beautiful young women and such good mothers in their own right. I love that we are friends. I am thankful that they both are married to fine men who love them. And I am thankful for my grandchildren. What a legacy. How rich I am. Still, I would have had them with me a little longer, all of them.

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This morning began with some excitement. My mom awakened me at 5:30 a.m. Like that old commercial said, she'd fallen and she couldn't get up. Nothing was broken or bruised. Nothing was wrong. She doesn't get dizzy or faint. Just sometimes she loses her footing and goes down. It is a miracle that the several times this has happened, she hasn't been harmed.

Anyway, Mom is too heavy for me to lift, and it was too early for me to go to the neighbors to ask for help. So I called 911. Out came the paramedics. Four guys (three of them really big guys), two gals. Nothing like a house full of paramedics to get your day started. Poppet, my Papillon, thought it must be her Christmas gift. Folks to play with first thing in the morning. Yippee! So they got Mom up, ascertained that she really was unharmed and in no need of medical attention, completed the paperwork, and were gone.

And so I am also thankful this morning that I live in a city where I can call 911 and get aid for a loved one.

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Mom and I will go to the Boise Vineyard's Christmas Eve service at 5:00. Because Mom doesn't get to attend her church anymore (at her age, she just can't manage the two hour services and does TV church at home), she really wanted an opportunity to take communion. I'm so grateful to God that I can share a time of communion with my mom, in this, her 92nd year of life.

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Dear Readers, I pray that no matter where you are, no matter what life changes you've gone through this past year, no matter who you are with or without, that you will feel the presence of the Living Lord in your heart as we celebrate His coming.

Merry Christmas to you all.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin Lee Hatcher

if this is tuesday...

... this must be Boise.

Two nights in my own bed, and I'm beginning to feel a little more human. Yesterday was a blur of unpacking and sorting through mail and attending to the "urgent." Like buying food. Talk about bare cupboards!

In my last post, I mentioned meeting the bloggers of Cerulean Sanctum and Fallible and commented on the "tall and the short of it." Well, here is proof. Meet Katy and Dan, two extremely nice people. Isn't that a great photo? It was taken by Tammy Alexander (see below).

I have three more trips coming up quickly (to Michigan, to Colorado, and to Oklahoma). One of those is a Christian women's retreat, the other two are writers' conferences. I love leading retreats and getting together with other writers, but to tell the truth, I'm tired of traveling and then playing catch-up because of it. The good news is that after mid-October, I'm done until well into 2006.

Two of my writing buddies (Sunni Jeffers and Tammy Alexander) were my roommates at the ACFW conference. We have been emailing each other our word production numbers each day because we are all on tight deadlines, so we are trying to challenge one another to excel. The one who has written the most was awarded a "verbal" tiara. Well, Sunni decided we should have the real thing, so she brought us tiaras. Isn't this a pretty bunch of writers? We clean up well when we have to go out in public! (Left to right, we are Robin, Tammy & Sunni.)

And speaking of word production, I must get to mine.

-rlh-

this and that

The Fair

I love the fair. I always have. Food Row. The exhibits. The animals. The rides. The people. Monday at the Western Idaho Fair is kids day. No smoking and no drinking allowed on Monday, and for a $15 wrist band, all the rides you can manage between noon and 6 p.m.

So off I went yesterday with family in tow: Daughter #1 with her children (Granddaughter #1 and Grandson #2). Son-in-law #1. Daughter #2, who is six months pregnant, with her children (Grandson #1, Granddaughters #2 and #3). Photos are of Daughter #1 with her nieces.

Temps were soaring near 100 degrees. I started not feeling well soon after we arrived, kind of dizzy and faint. I thought I must be dehydrated and kept drinking water and drinking water. The feeling that I might pass out never really went away and after three and a half hours, I knew I needed to leave. Daughter #1 told me to take my blood pressure when I got home. Ye gads! No wonder I didn't feel well. It was 87 over 70 with my pulse at 105. Good thing I've got an appointment for a physical next week. (P.S. BP is normal this morning and pulse is down where it should be too.)

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New Survey Released

The Barna Group, a research and media development organization located in southern California, has released its latest survey results. The report examines 28 faith factors among people in the 86 largest metropolitan areas and 27 most populous states. Check out Godless Hollywood? Bible Belt? New Research Exploring Faith in America’s Largest Markets Produces Surprises.

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Here's Where I'll Stand

Yesterday, I sent an email to a group of 12 Christian women writers. This is a tight-knit group who meet annually and have established a wonderful bond of trust and vulnerability. The trials and tribulations that have come into our lives in the past few years would make anyone weary. Serious illnesses of family members. Death of a loved one. Job losses and money concerns. Writing struggles. Marital strife.

Several of these women have joined me in my annual through-the-Bible reading, and yesterday we arrived at Jeremiah 29. This is what I posted to them:

There aren't very many Christians of any length of time who haven't heard the Scripture from Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” To which we say, Amen.

My True Identity Bible has this commentary on Suffering connected to this verse: “Have you ever felt that God had it in for you? When everything in your life feels like it's crashing down around you, you may conclude that either (a) God doesn’t exist or (b) He's out to get you. Neither is true. Whenever a difficult circumstance occurs in your life — whether it's a trial to enrich your character, suffering to display your commitment to God, or discipline as a consequence for your sin — God's goal is not to crush you but to restore you. You can trust that God will bring about good for you. You have a hope and a future with Him.”

To which we say, Amen.

... Even if the only group I had to pray for was [this one], it could feel daunting. Every family represented by the women who are part of [this group] has been under siege, it seems. But our God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. We have a hope and a future.

And that's where I'm standing today. In hope. In Christ.

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Back to the Book

Today it's back to serious, serious writing on Diamond Place. Speaking of which, I don't think I've shared the preliminary cover art so here it is. I love it!

I need to write like a fiend this week and next. I'm only two weeks and three days away from the Vineyard Women's Retreat where I'm the speaker, and right on its heels comes the ACFW conference in Nashville. Like it or not, some preparations for speaking and traveling must be done, which will intrude on my writing time.

I want to finish the first draft of the book before I begin traveling, but I concede it may not happen. Still I'm hopeful. It is not an impossible goal.

Now, off to work.

-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-

this and that

Suffering with Job

Today was the first of eleven days of reading in the Book of Job. Want to know about suffering? Want to know about asking God, "Why? Why me?" Want to see how friends can steer you wrong? Want to know how to persevere? Well, this is a good book of the Bible to read. But it isn't always easy to understand.

Newsflash: I've suffered when I haven't done anything to deserve it. I have not lived a charmed life, and plenty of things in my life haven't turned out the way I dreamed they would or that I wanted them to. I share a lot of things in this public blog, but there is much that I don't share except with my most intimate friends and family members.

Life isn't always fair. In fact, as the song goes, "Life is hard. God is good." Only God knows exactly why things happen as they do, and for the Christian, submission to their Sovereign God is the only real answer when trials, testing, hardship come. Grief and mourning are as real for the person of faith as for anyone else. The difference is Who we trust to see us through.

The books of Job in the Old Testament and James in the New Testament have served to guide me through more than one storm. I'm thankful for the guidance, examples, and comfort I've found therein.

Shakespeare Night

Tonight is my first show of the 2005 season of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. I'm only seeing three of the five performances this year because of scheduling problems, and tonight is the only play by the Bard that I'll see this season. This one is The Taming of the Shrew. (Will love tame a shrewish heart and an intemperate bachelor?) This year is a special treat because in addition to my two writer/Shakespeare buddies who I go with every year, I'll be joined by both of my daughters and both of my sons-in-law. We'll sit on low-to-the ground lawn chairs, eat our dinners, visit, laugh, and watch the performance as evening falls over the outdoor stadium. I love it.

Book Progress

Hmm. The good news is I'm moving forward. The bad news is I'm not moving as fast as I wish I was. Still, I'm enjoying the story and hope readers will too when it is done. It is lighter fare than my just released The Victory Club. This one is an historical romance with a fun tone and an ahead-of-her-time heroine.

MW progress (29.0% complete)

Well, I want that progress meter to really move this week, so I'd best stop posting and get to my writing. It'll be time to pack my supper in the cooler and toss blanket and lawn chair into the back of my car before I know it.

-rlh-

silence is golden

I've been absent from my blog posting because I've been ... Ta Da ... writing. Yea!!!

I didn't make word goal for the week, but I'm feeling more immersed in the story so I'm content. Yesterday, I went looking for some photos that might represent my characters. I don't normally do this. My characters are so real in my head that it's almost impossible to find an actual person to represent them, but it worked out this time.

Thoughts on "Emerging" Christian Fiction

Hmm. I've been bopping around the blogosphere a bit, reading different Christian fiction writers' blogs. Sometimes I was left really disturbed by what I read. I guess because too often what I seem to be reading is "what is out there isn't as good as what I could do/what I am doing." Hmm. I know many of the CBA published authors today. They are writing some fine stuff. All writers need to strive to improve constantly, but is cutting down our brothers and sisters in Christ the way to do it? Don't get me wrong. I read many different kinds of Christian fiction, and I love many of the new voices that are coming along.

As for my own writing, I'm not terribly analytical. I admit it. I try to write the stories God gives me to write. I don't want to analyze His direction. I just want to obey.

I like what Pat Loomis said on Deep POV: "A New Christian Fiction writer   can be defined as a Christian writer whose work falls into one or more rings of a set of concentric circles as defined below and who supports all Christian writers no matter what circle they choose to write in." It's the supports all Christian writers no matter what circle they choose to write in that I think is so important. The definition she shares comes from Steve Turner's book, Imagine.

The Unchurched

I read with a sense of heartache the lead article in the February issue of Charisma Magazine. One of the purposes for all Christians is ministry to the body of Christ. If we are out of fellowship, we miss the opportunity to fulfill our purpose.

From personal experience, I know that when we are out of regular fellowship with the family of God, we are headed for trouble. It's easier to practice sin. It's easier to leave the Bible unread.

Oh, Happy Day!

I've marked my calendar for March 22. That's the Tuesday when Finding Neverland will be released on DVD. This was my favorite movie of 2004. I don't expect it to win at the Oscars (except maybe for the score which is truly beautiful), but it is a perfectly wonderful movie as far as I'm concerned, and I will watch it often once I own it.

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And now it seems I'm getting a late start in getting ready for church so I must run. Hopefully, I won't leave too many errors and typos in the post in my rush.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

one of those good days

Every once in a while, a day is good from start to finish. My day began with ideas. I awoke, and there they were, just waiting for me. I scribbled in my notebook as fast as I could write, trying to get all my thoughts down before they disappeared in a mist.

Next, I got a massage. 90 minutes of pure bliss. I guess that pretty much speaks for itself.

At 1:00 p.m. I met Daughter #1 and her daughter and son at the movie theater to see Phantom of the Opera. I have seen the play twice, once on Broadway, once in Boise. I have listened to the CD countless times. I loved the play and the music, and now I can say I loved the movie. It didn't feel like I was in the theater for two and a half hours. I was transfixed. I like some of the things they added for the movie, and I have to say that the unconditional love and forgiveness of Christine was so much more clear in the movie than it was in the stage production.

Then it was off to eat at Goodwood Barbecue in celebration of Grandson #2's birthday (his birthday was last week but he was off in the mountains so we had to wait to go out for our traditional birthday lunch).

When I got home, I found out that Catching Katie has landed on the Library Journal's Best Books of 2004 list. Now there was a shocker. A very pleasant one, to be sure.

And to top it off, this is CSI: Miami night, and it isn't a rerun.

I'm glad this was a good day. Tomorrow I see the dentist, and I'm pretty sure that isn't going to be as pleasant as seeing Phantom of the Opera.

-rlh-

back to work

It's time for my holiday to end. I've got to get serious about writing again. Well, maybe not a lot of writing just yet but definitely time to be productively wrestling with ideas and plots and characters.

I've had a few pearls dropped in my creative lap lately. There is a particular parable that I want to use in a book, and in answer to that desire, I've now heard two teachings on that parable within a matter of days, the first one by my own pastor, the second on an audio book from Max Lucado. Listening to these two teachings, I saw so clearly what one character's motivations would be for her actions. Too cool. Love it when that happens.

I went to the mall today, spending a bit of my Christmas money (helping out the economy, right?). I didn't do a lot or buy a lot.

Oh, I was back at the fitness center this morning, too. Ugh! I have been eating way too much and exercising way too little. Tried to put on a new pair of jeans that I bought a month ago, and that was a nightmare. So I'm getting a head start on the New Year work outs. Why is that good habits get broken in an instant and bad habits take forever to break?

Our church is planning a big celebration for Epiphany (Jan. 6). The movie Luther played for about one week in Boise and then was gone. Staff members who saw it said it's a great movie. So the Vineyard is going to have a movie premiere night for Luther with ushers in coat tails and a search light and the whole schmear. Kids will have their own movies in the youth center. There will be popcorn, etc. Yesterday we got tickets to give away to non-Vineyard folks. Should be a fun night.

I hope Poppet lets me sleep tonight. She has been so restless lately, asking out several times a night. I love her but...

But tomorrow I quit playing and get back to work. It had to happen.

what was I thinking?

Now I know that I had just a ton of really profound things to write in this blog when I got up this morning. However, by the time I was finished with my Bible and study time, my DSL server had gone down. So off I went to work out, thinking all would be well by the time I got home. Not so. Called tech support. Yes, the DSL went down earlier, but it was back up and operating. I should be on-line. Nope. For some reason, I've gone missing in DSL land. An hour later, tech support calls me. I should be able to get on. Can I? Yes, only now my e-mail isn't working. Tech support checks and reports one of their servers is down. Thirty minutes later, I get a call back. All is well. Everything is working. Trouble is, now I have a 9:15 a.m. appointment.

Here it is, nearly 3:00 as I write this, and the entire day has vanished in a series of phone calls and a flurry of emails. One of those calls was from the publicist. Looks like I'm going to be doing another couple of TV appearances to talk about Beyond the Shadows, this time at studios in the Midwest.

Made the tough decision not to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year. Bless my (90 yr old) mother's heart. She encouraged me to do this, knowing I'm overloaded. So we have made reservations at Boise's beautiful Cottonwood Grille, party of 13. Yea! (They will have their regular menu, but will also offer a traditional Thanksgiving dinner platter so everyone should be able to eat what they want.)

I'm off in a few minutes to have my annual vision exam. This sitting at a computer all the time is tough on the old eyes. Maybe when I get home I'll have remembered some of those profound thoughts from this morning, and I'll revisit this blog for an update. Or maybe not.

-rlh-

Today's Bible Reading: Luke 23-24
Quote from The Word on the Street: Luke 24:50-53 "Then Jesus takes them back down to Bethany. He lifts his hands up to the sky; he's coaching them, inspiring them, motivating them, doing them good. He's still in full flow when he starts hovering off the ground, going up gradually back to heaven. They are mind-blown, blown over, overawed, awestruck, struck dumb, dumbfounded, found speechless. Eventually they go back to Jerusalem as instructed. They hardly leave HQ, spending every waking hour finding new ways of talking God up to anyone who'll listen." (I just love reading this hip, storyteller/performance overview of the Bible as written by Rob Lacey.)