So, this blog is currently very dull. There is a distinct lack of explosions, dragons, and space battles happening on this page, so I’m going to do my very bestest to make things more exciting around here from now on, even if that means posting random pictures of dinosaurs, Star Trek captains, and/or robots. And I can’t promise that I’ll shy away from gushing over various things I love, because, you know what? This is MY blog, and I’m tired of trying to find clever things to say when I simply don’t know what to say. So, instead, I plan to add a little more “me” and a little less “abandoned blog because I didn’t know what to post.”

Without further ado, here is the first post in my new (weekly? monthly? whenever I feel like it?) series about my the things I love. Why? Because I can.

And because it makes the world a little bit brighter when you think about your favorite things (seriously, Maria von Trapp did NOT lie!) and share them with others. Go ahead and SQUEE with me… and why not leave a few of your favorite things in the comments?

Favorite Thing #1: Leverage (TV series)

This is, without a doubt, THE BEST THING ON TELEVISION right now. I blew through all four series in a remarkable amount of time, and I’m going to be very, very sad waiting for the next season because I feel personally invested in the lives of these people and their zany capers. I love them. Truly. Parker most of all.

Favorite Thing #2: Skylanders (video game)

I think I played about 15 hours of this game after cracking it open for the first time. Then I went hunting around my city and a neighboring city, looking for MORE SKYLANDERS. Everywhere in the universe was sold out (until this week… needless to say, I’m going to Microplay later tonight), and every display I checked had sad people standing at it, wishing there were more Skylanders to buy and play with in the game. And when I say “people”, I mean “myself and several 8-year-old boys”. I am not ashamed.

Favorite Thing #3: Star Wars (WAY OF LIFE)

We’re talking films, books, games… need I say more?

Favorite Thing #4: Dragons (“mythological” creatures… *pfft*)

Yes. These. Fire, flying, and pointy bits. LOVE.

Favorite Thing #5: Cheesecake (food) 

Because WHO DOESN’T LOVE CHEESECAKE?!?! I prefer baked cheesecake, and if you’re offering me a version containing chocolate, pumpkin and/or raspberry, you will be my friend for life. If you also provide a decent cup of coffee at the same time, you will be my friend for INFINITY.

…and those are a few of my favorite things.

…which I’m really not, but I was feeling particularly ridiculous the other day, so I wrote a storypraxis that technically isn’t, but I’m claiming that it is. Is what, exactly? Well, you can figure that part out.

The prompt was “a book hitting the wall”:

a book hitting the wall

…yes, I know, I’m hilarious. But not really.  

…just felt like sharing. 

Go ahead, do something silly today! I give you permission.

Here it is… 2012! A new year, a new start… and a chance to refresh one’s habits and make new plans. Yes, I’m talking about blogging, writing, reading, and general social media interaction.

2011 was an interesting year. I made a lot of changes at the cost of other things (blogging, time spent visiting blogs, time spent with friends on LibraryThing and various writing forums I’m a member of, reading GOOD books), so this year my plan is to reintegrate those things on a more casual but scheduled basis.

Otherwise, being online might take up all the writing time I have!!!

So, along with the rest of you who are posting resolutions online, here are a few things I’m planning for this year:

• Blog posts minimum twice a week
• 1/2 hr. minimum on LibraryThing daily
• No more crappy books – if it sucks, stop reading it!!!
• Complete edits on the two half-edited books I have, and submit them
• Post once a week on The Ancient Standard again
• Re-watch the entirety of Star Trek: TNG (what? some resolutions can be fun! )

Mind you, my actual plans are more detailed than this (I have some weekly charts drawn up), but that’s the general idea.

That said… hope you all had a great holiday!!! Anyone else making resolutions (or plans, at the very least) for the year ahead?

Love on the Line

by Deeanne Gist

Historical / Inspirational

Release Date: October 2011

Synopsis:

It’s a Battle of Wills … and Love Is on the Line!

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man’s world . . . which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He’s a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

My Thoughts:

There’s nothing like a Deeanne Gist novel… truly. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but when I do, this is the kind I like: Factual, realistic, funny, and entertaining. The romance is believable and ignites with just a tiny spark, building to a slow burn—not a “head over heels” type of situation found in plenty of other novels of this variety. The characters make mistakes (in this novel, the hero makes more than enough mistakes to go around, but he’s well-intentioned) and the people are flawed but genuine.

What I really love about Gist’s novels is the level of historical detail she puts into them—she draws on real-life examples and situations to create her story, often weaving elements of true stories into her fiction. And she always includes a little note at the end of each book, mentioning which details are true, and where the inspiration for certain characters or events came from.

While the synopsis above may read as a little bit cliche, I assure you, it shouldn’t be a deterrent. And even though the book is published under an CBA publisher, there isn’t anything in here that wouldn’t be found in a typical ABA published historical novel.

…just a cast of entertaining characters, and a good, solid story.

About the Author

Deeanne Gist–known to her family, friends, and fans as Dee–has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her very original, very fun historical & contemporary romances. Add to this three RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success. She has a very active online community on her website at IWantHerBook.com and at Facebook.com/DeesCircle.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

The Christmas Shoppe

by Melody Carlson

Seasonal Fiction / Inspirational

Release Date: September 2011

Synopsis:

The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt.

A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town’s quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn’t fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share—that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

My Thoughts:

Well, I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, other than… it’s short, cute, and a lovely little diversion on a snowy day. Grab yourself a mug of tea, a blanket, and a comfortable spot on the couch, and curl up with this on a lazy Sunday afternoon during the holidays.

The story is full of quirky (and a little cliche, but still enjoyable) characters, a simple plot, and a heartwarming message that’s appropriate for Christmas. I’m afraid that if I say too much more, I’ll give the surprise away, so… all I can say is, if you’re feeling some holiday blues, or need a break from running around, pick up this little gem and breathe easier for a few hours.

About the Author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington’s, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, The Jerk Magnet, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books in 2010 and 2011. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Hey all… I’ve been buried in NaNoWriMo prep and writing for the past month and a half now, so this blog has been the last thing on my mind… but meanwhile, I’ve written a few articles for the fantasy website/blog Fantasy Faction. (There’s a pile of great writing & book-related articles on there, so head on over if you’re a fantasy fiction fan!)

Soooo… if you’re interested in reading a little bit about writing the opposite gender when creating fantasy characters… here are the links!

Writing Fantasy Gender Stereotypes, Part One: Writing the Opposite Gender

Writing Fantasy Gender Stereotypes, Part Two: Inclinations & Deviations 

…and as per usual, I have a few book reviews coming up… and hopefully a few notes on this year’s NaNoWriMo experience… year five! Ahhh!!!

What are you all up to this month?

Behind the Veils of Yemen:

How an American Woman Risked Her Life, Family, and Faith to Bring Jesus to Muslim Women

by Audra Grace Shelby

Memoir / Inspirational

Release Date: September 2011

Synopsis:

Women began to arrive in the entry hall, peeling away their black outer coverings. I watched in amazement as shimmering bodies emerged from the black shrouds. One woman sparkled in a purple silk caftan, her arms gleaming with gold jewelry. I smiled to myself. If people only knew what was under those veils. I looked at their faces, artfully painted with makeup, not at all how they appeared in public: dark eyes in narrow black slits. They were like the beauties of Arab folklore. I was awed by the transformation.

With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her husband and children on a one-way flight to Yemen…deep into the heart of conservative Islam.

With honesty and passion, she shares her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her new friends’ religion failed them, she gives us glimpses of a world most have never seen: behind the veils of real Muslim women–and how the grace of God touches lives in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

My Thoughts:

While this wasn’t the most compelling book I’ve ever read on ministering to Muslim women, if this is a subject area that you’re interested in, I do recommend it. Shelby is honest, candid, and straightforward in her presentation of her experiences in Yemen, and she presents both her successes and mistakes with humility and gratitude—something I appreciate in memoirs, particularly in those dealing with mission-oriented situations.

I’m always a bit wary, going into books about ministering to Muslims, because I fear that I’ll end up reading something that poorly represents Christians and their relationship to Islamic culture. The good thing is, I haven’t read many of these lately, as it seems the concept of relationship and understanding has taken a front seat to everything else.

As well it should! Because, as we all know, if we want to help someone or share in their lives, we need to build trust and a relationship first. You may be looking at the title of the book and thinking “oh great, another Christian trying to convert everyone” and on some level, you’d be right. But at the very core, at the very heart of ministry to Muslims, is love. Shelby displayed this in her interactions with Muslim women in Yemen, and it’s something I think we can all do, even in our daily lives.

We need to love people who are different from us, who have different beliefs or who come from a completely foreign (to us) cultural background. Mutual love and respect go a long way in this life, and we’ll do no good in the world if we attack people who believe different things. Sharing our beliefs with love and respect, and engaging in dialogue instead of pushing beliefs on others, is what leads us to understanding—Shelby’s engagement of the Muslim women she interacted with stood firmly on this principle, while also trusting God to bring the opportunities she needed to share with the women and to be a part of their lives.

As for myself, I came away from the book with a greater sense of understanding of the daily lives of Muslim women in Yemen, an area I previously didn’t know much about. The traditions are strange to me, but we share a lot in common with women on the other side of the world: Care for family, a yearning to be loved, concern for our husbands / significant others, and a longing to belong. We are more alike than we often think.

About the Author

Audra Grace Shelby served nine years as a Southern Baptist missionary in the Middle East, alongside her husband and four children. The daughter of career missionaries, she speaks frequently at conferences and in churches across the United States, and she has been on local and national radio talk shows and broadcasts. Audra and her husband remain actively involved in reaching unreached people in the Middle East and around the world through ministries such as Faith Comes By Hearing.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

…and do you know why?

Because I just read halfway through a review book with these lovely qualities:

• outrageously predictable plot
• at least three twists that I predicted long before they happened (they were that poorly “foreshadowed”)
• flat, one-dimensional heroine with obvious “I needed to give her more personality so I added this quirk even though it doesn’t fit with the rest of the character profile”
• a “mysterious” hero who is neither likeable, mysterious, sexy, or dangerous (though the story wants to suggest he is)
• pacing that makes me want to tear out my eyeballs
• romance so forced I sometimes wondered if the characters were actually robots
• cliches so glaring I needed sunglasses

…and that’s only about 100 pages into the book. And you know what? If that can get picked up as a debut novel from a traditional publisher, your work can too.

Keep writing. Keep trying. Yes, it might take awhile, but those writers who succeed to become published authors are the ones who kept going and held onto that hope.

You can do it. I can do it. That crappy book tell me anyone can do it, so long as we persevere.

Have you read any books lately that bolstered your confidence by their sheer awfulness?

Grace for the Good Girl

by Emily Anne Freeman

Inspirational / Women’s

Release Date: September 2011

Synopsis:

You’re strong. You’re responsible. You’re good. But . . .

. . . as day fades to dusk, you begin to feel the familiar fog of anxiety, the weight and pressure of holding it together and of longing left unmet. Good girls sometimes feel that the Christian life means doing hard work with a sweet disposition. We tend to focus only on the things we can handle, our disciplined lives, and our unshakable good moods.

But what would happen if we let grace pour out boundless acceptance into our worn-out hearts and undo us? If we dared to talk about the ways we hide, our longing to be known, and the fear in the knowing?

In Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman invites you to release your tight hold on that familiar, try-hard life and lean your weight heavy into the love of Jesus. With an open hand, a whimsical style, and a heart bent brave toward adventure, Emily encourages you to move from your own impossible expectations toward the God who has graciously, miraculously, and lovingly found you.

My Thoughts:

You know what? I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, and that’s because I think the title, trailer, and the synopsis speak for themselves. If you’re a Christian ‘good girl’ who has lived her life trying to attain perfection, this is a book for you.

Freeman is honest, caring, and not afraid to hit the ‘good girl’ with some hard truths. Chances are, if you’re a ‘good girl’, you need God’s grace just as much as anyone else, but you’re likely unwilling to admit it. It’s not failure if you can’t do it all on your own. It’s called being human.

If you’re a ‘good girl’, or you know of a ‘good girl’ in your life, I recommend picking up this book. Have your tissues handy, and come with an open heart. There is grace enough for all of us.

About the Author

Emily Freeman is a writer who loves to read and a speaker who would rather listen. She writes for DaySpring (a division of Hallmark) and has also traveled as a writer with Compassion International to raise awareness for the needs of children in poverty around the world. She attended Columbia International University to study the Bible and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a degree in Educational Interpreting for the Deaf. She is married to John, a student ministries pastor, and together they live in North Carolina with their three children. Emily extends a daily invitation on her blog for women to create space for their souls to breathe. Come join the community of grace dwellers at www.ChattingAtTheSky.com.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".