Happy Mother's Day!

Teen Son's been interning in the kitchen of a nearby fine dining establishment. He likes to spread that talent around, so before leaving to cook for our church's pancake breakfast this morning, he served me this 'snack' (in bed, of course!). Lol...I eat about a 1/4 of that for breakfast usually, but it's Mother's Day, so why not live a little?

To all mama's--have a beachy day, wherever you are!

Bonjour

So last night we sat around listening to tales from outdoor ed camp. Elementary Girl had been away for most of the week (my hub, Dan went for part of the time), and there was much to tell. Somehow in the midst of the frivolity, Charlie the Dog's head got beneath this hat (gee, wonder how that happened...) and the storytelling took a decidedly French turn...

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sun...

Took this picture a few days ago after a long day of writing and mothering. (This is sunset on the west coast. Visited the east coast once and was awed by sunrises that looked like this. Hm...may have to write about that some day...)

Anyway, Once I get on a roll, it's tough to tear me away from the computer screen (unless it's for things I have to do, such as pick up kids, groceries, etcetera...)

I make myself do it, though, not only because the body needs a break, but because of my readers who'll spot fatigue on the page if I'm not careful.

I wrote about one of my de-stressing breaks--beachcombing--for the Examiner, and if you'd like to read that article, you can find it by clicking HERE.

How about you? Do you make yourself take a break? I mean an out-of-the-house, if weather permits, fresh air break? Where do you go? What do you do?

Here's to working hard--yet taking great breaks. Have a beachy day, my friends--wherever you are ;)

*snort*

I know this is a sorry excuse for a real post, but it's kind of funny, don't you think? It's got that whole 'pearls before swine' thing going on...

And considering Elementary Girl played in a soccer tourney this weekend in a city that has had 3 confirmed cases of the Pig Flu, well, guess it's been on my mind. Hope you are all healthy--take your vitamins!

Weekend warrior

It's the weekend! Woot! Oh, except that I'm writing today because, well, I've got a deadline breathing down my neck...ha. At least the sun's shining and the grass is green after a light sprinkling of rain last night here in California. We also had an earthquake, apparently, but I didn't feel that. Phew.

If you read my newsletter this week, then I wanted you to know that the article I mentioned is up on my examiner page. It's a story and the pic of my son and a group of his friends who ran into ??? from The Passion of the Christ. My son was thrilled, to say the least! You can find that story by clicking HERE.

In addition to writing, it's also another soccer tourney weekend for Elementary Girl. It's the game that never ends, I tell you! Ah, but it's so healthy for her--and for me as it gets me out of this chair, ha.

Have a beachy weekend, my friends--wherever you are!

Take this down, Smitty

I'm sending out my every-once-in-a-while NEWSletter today. So if you've never signed up, I'd love to have you. Stop on by the home page of my website: www.juliecarobini.com or find the sign up over on my blog sidebar. Thanks!

Also, and I think you're really gonna love this, my editor Karen Ball posted some super fun pictures of a raft of playful sea lions PLUS a video of the slippery creatures all huddled and floating together in the sea. Very fun and cute to watch. You can visit Karen's blog by clicking HERE.

Off to write...drop a line as I love hearing from you. Have a beachy day--wherever you are!

Morning Friends ~ Found the following quote on Michael Hyatt's blog this morning and thought it might be as helpful to busy you as it is to busy me:

Multi-tasking is dead. It never worked and it never will. Intelligent people love to sing its praises because it gives them permission to avoid the much more challenging alternative: focusing on one thing. — Timothy Ferriss


O Lord, help us find our way to excellence today by focusing on one thing at a time. Amen.

The Process--from the writer's mind to store shelves (brief version :)

PHEW!!!

That's all I can say. Well, not exactly all (just ask anyone who knows me ;)

In the past week I wrote a bazillion words for my book due June 1, met a writer pal for lunch, wrote three online articles, and judged a writing contest (still working on those...) I also proofed the galleys of Sweet Waters, which will be released this summer, as well as its front and back cover. (VERY pretty, by the way. Tried to upload it here but it's in a .pdf and no can do).

The Process
Anyway, it's an amazing process from start to finish, this book writing thing. I wrote Sweet Waters last year and turned it in to my fabulous editor, Karen Ball. While Karen began the editing process, the sales & marketing team led by the innovative Julie Gwinn started early promotions.

I remember being in New York last fall and getting emails from marketing (already--yahoo!). Soon after ARCs-Advanced Reader Copies--were printed up. This is done early so that media outlets will be able to read & review the book in time for their own deadlines.

During that same trip--when we'd reached Pennsylvania--I had to hide out in our rental van in order to have a quiet spot to talk with my editor (hee!) At that point, she suggested some changes, and right after we touched down in California, I was back at work, revising the manuscript.

After that came the line edits. Each week I'd receive chapters of the book with Karen's revision. A GREAT learning process for a writer--loved it! There was some back and forth, and then a little more back and forth and a couple of busy holidays wedged in between. Marketing continued their promotions (including the creation of some cool bookmarks for a last minute book signing) while I began work on another book.

And then, finally, like I mentioned earlier, I received the galleys--the final designed pages of Sweet Waters --as well as the beautiful new front and back cover. On Saturday I overnighted the package with some minor changes to Nashville, and Houston, we have a completed book! (Okay, so B&H still has a bit of work to do...:)

Speaking of which, I'm so grateful for the team at B&H Publishing Group--and for my readers. Just last night I received the coolest email from an acquaintance on Facebook. She didn't even know I was a writer--our connection came through a friend AND through our mutual love of the sea. But she works for a Christian Bookstore in Florida and when someone recently bought one of my books, she recognized my name and said, "Hey, I know her from Facebook!" Love that!

Although Sweet Waters is on its way to print, I've still got more writing to do. In fact, I'll be doing just that for most of the day, so don't be shy. Feel free to drop me a line, as I'd love to hear from you!

C-razy days

A quick pop-in to say Hey! Duty calls and I'm writing like crazy. A shout out to my friend Tami who's been praying me through it today--woot!--it's working my friend.

Sorry for the sporadic posts. If you happen to be on Twitter, please look for me will you? Twitter name: juliecarobini Those micro posts are easier during this ultra busy deadline time.

Before I go, who do you think will leave American Idol tonight? Two have to go and my guess is it'll be Lil and Matt. Possibly Anoop for wearing pink, lol... The rest are just too fabulous, in my opinion.

Guesses, anyone?

Celebrity Sighting--Danny G!

So I recently learned that Danny Gokey--yes, the Danny G!--visited nearby. Waaah...I didn't get to meet him, BUT I interviewed one of the young gals who did and wrote about it for The Examiner. Posted a cute picture of the two of them too. You can read that here.

Off to write! Have a great day--and don't forget to watch American Idol,'cuz it's DISCO NIGHT.

Last dance, it's my last chance for lo-o-ve...sing it Donna...Lol...

Did y'all see 17 Again? (I did not). Not sure if I mentioned this but a week or so ago I went with the kiddos to see the Hannah Montana Movie at midnight--and it was packed. Guess there's nothing much to do in this town, Lol... Teens and tweens and weary parents everywhere.

But actually, we had fun. Our youth pastor came along with us, probably wondering why, and we laughed at the absurdity of watching a movie in a theater full of kids on a Thursday at midnight.

So anyway, I kind of want to see Zack Efron transform into Matthew Perry...and kinda not. Both daughters caught the movie and it's pretty much been a Zack-baby admiration society around here all weekend.

As for me, I did too much driving this past week--including a two hour round trip drop off at Magic Mountain (Six Flags) on Saturday. So yesterday the hub and I rode our bikes in our beach town, grabbing the sun and the breeze and working off a week's worth of flab (mine, of course, as I wasn't suggesting he had any.)

GREAT afternoon and while watching all the pretty boats on the sea, I got a fantastic idea. What say we all ditch our son's boat, the one with the GAPING HOLE in it--and buy something sparkly and new and rent a dock so we can play with it all the live long summer?

Of course, he just laughed in his hearty way. But I was serious and persisted and then I got a sign from above: a lady bug landed on his sleeve. I put my hand on hub's arm and allowed the little critter to climb aboard my finger, all the while persisting with the boating idea. Hub, of course, continued to twitter and guffaw, so I held up the lady bug and said, "C'mere and let me put a bug in your ear."

That pretty much did it. Giggles and laughter everywhere. Still didn't talk him into the new boat, but it was fun trying. Almost felt, well, like being 17 again. :)

Happy Friday!

Haven't mentioned much about *yawn* American Idol this year. I'm still watching but just not as interested. Could be all the deadlines on my plate, I just don't know. How about you? Are you as thrilled as you once were or...? Right now, I really don't have a clue who will win.

Adam? (great voice but will his theatric ways receive the votes?)
Danny (memorable voice and personality, but can he beat Adam's chops?)
Alison (fabulous voice but will middle America vote for the pink hair?)
Matt (will his 'save' go down as divine?)
Kris (a dark horse?)
Lil (will there be a comeback?)
Anoop (will he swap the preppy look and come out a winner?)

See, these are the questions I have. What do you think?

Before you go, please check out a brief article I wrote for The Examiner about a promotion CBD.com is doing with Compassion International. Just can't say enough good stuff about that organization. You can read that HERE.

Have a beachy weekend, my friends--wherever you are!

I'm in LA, but...!

Have a fieldtrip today with Elementary Girl's class, but I learned that the Tree Swing Reading Blog is giving away a pile of books. And--no hints!--guess which author has two books waiting for a home? Hmm?

Actually, there are a bunch of titles I'd also like to have from that list (I already have several.) If you feel the same, hop on over there. There's no time like the present for FREE STUFF. (Pretty much my motto these days, ha.)

Good things to report

I'm writing like the wind today as I'll be taking tomorrow off to attend an all day field trip with Elementary Girl. Wanted to pop in, though, and tell you about some fun endorsements for my upcoming release, Sweet Waters:

Reading Sweet Waters is like taking a beach vacation from the comfort of your own living room.

Julie Carobini paints a beautiful story of fresh starts, painful secrets, and the depth of a family’s love. The small town beach setting is as soothing as the sound of waves, and so well drawn I could almost smell the salt in the air. Engaging, fast paced, and romantic. Highly recommended.

~ Kathryn Cushman, Author, A Promise to Remember and Waiting for Daybreak

And...

As sure as the ocean ebbs and flows with the tide, so life changes take the characters from one adventure to another in Julie Carobini’s latest release, Sweet Waters. Exhilarating, fresh and warm as the summer breeze, this book is fun from start to finish. Grab your tanning oil and beach towel and immerse yourself in a great read that’s sure to make a splash when it hits the store shelves!

~ Diann Hunt, Author, For Better or For Worse

Me here again. I feel so honored to receive these endorsements! Sweet Waters releases in late July, so I'm hoping that readers will pick it up as a way to extend their summer. (See how I think? I'm always looking for a way to prolongue summer months :D Lol...)

Talk soon, Julie

Obsessed

So on Saturday my husband surprised me with an iPhone for my birthday. I've wanted one for a long time, but I'm super cheap. That, and every time we're eligible for a trade-in on our plan, one of the kids somehow weasels it out of me. I use the castoffs.

Not anymore, baby! Lol...seriously, this thing is amazing. I'm obsessed. The world at my fingertips. Just yesterday after church I noticed my brother had tried to reach me. (I hadn't picked up his call because I was in service at the time, of course :) So anyway, before I called him back I checked email and--voila!--turns out he had proposed to his beautiful girlfriend and she'd sent a picture of the ring on her hand. See the beauty of up to the minute news? (Yes, that was me screaming in the church parking lot...)

A shout out to my husband who managed to surprise me (even though I told him over and over again not to get me a thing). You done good!

Alas, it's been a weekend of feasting with my birthday and Easter in just the past couple of days. I've gained much poundage and will have to get busy this week to shed it all, but then again I need to put B I C (butt in chair) in order to catch up on all the writing I didn't do while the kids were on spring break.

Do you see the conundrum here? ha.

p.s. Weren't you thrilled to learn of the US Captain's rescue yesterday? Me too!

Halleluia!

Celebrating Christ's resurrection today! It's sunny and beautiful this morning, but even if it were not, the incredible message of love and forgiveness that this day represents would be joy enough.

We're heading off to church, then a little beach walk, and finally dinner with fam. Here's to a beachy Easter day, my friends--wherever you are!

A Chat with Sara

UPDATE: Sara's husband Keith died suddenly last Tuesday night. He was 40 and together they have three children. It is the desire of her writing friends to help her do what she cannot at this tough time: promote her work. THANK YOU to all who have purchased Sara's books. Not only have you discovered a new talent, but you've helped provide for a grieving family. We love you Sara.

If you've not yet had the chance to read Sara's interview, please read on:

Today I'd like to introduce you to writer, Sara Mills, author of the Allie Fortune Mystery Series.

Booklist had this to say about her current release, Miss Match: Full of adventure and suspense, and thick with intrigue, this book is impossible to put down. The sense of danger that permeates the work, especially in the bleak European setting, gives the book a film noir feeling.

Friend and author, Cara Putman recently interviewed Sara about her unique series. Let's listen in...

Miss Fortune and Miss Match are delightful books set in NYC in 1947. Tell us how you got the idea for Allie and these books...

I got the idea for Miss Fortune in the middle of the night, when all good ideas come to me: One sleepless night I was watching The Maltese Falcon and I started to wonder how different the story would be if Sam Spade had been a woman. She'd never have fallen for Miss Wunderly's charms and lies. She'd have been smart and tough and she would have solved the case in half the time it took Sam because she wouldn't spend all of her time smoking cigarettes and calling her secretary Precious.

The thought of a hard-boiled female detective got my mind whirling.

I paused the movie and sat in my darkened living room thinking about how much fun a female Sam Spade could be. Intrigued but not yet ready to dash to my computer, I changed disks and put on Casablanca (my all time favorite movie ever). The sweeping love story, a tale full of hard choices and sacrifice was what finally made the whole idea click in my mind. If I could just combine the P.I. detective story of the Maltese Falcon with the love story from Casablanca, and make Sam Spade more of a Samantha, I could have the best of all worlds.

These books are so good, I wish I'd written them. How did you set the stage to capture that gritty PI feel without being dark?

I find that a lot of PI stories are gritty and dark, focusing on the worst of the humanity, and while I wanted the Allie Fortune mysteries to be exciting and tension-filled I didn’t want them to be stark and hopeless.

One of the things I tried to do to counteract the darkness was to give Allie a multi-layered life. She has cases, relationships, friends and family, all of which I hope combine to make the stories textured, rich and full of life.

Allie is a character I'd love to have coffee with. What did she teach you while you wrote these books?

Allie was a great character to write. One of the things I learned from her was that human relationships (man/woman, mother/daughter, friends) are complicated and full of unspoken rules and expectations. Allie is a rule-breaker at heart and it complicates her life on a regular basis. One of the storylines I loved most is Allie’s relationship with her mother and how it grows and changes and how it’s shaped her.

Another dimension of Allie’s character that really taught me a lot was her willingness to do whatever was needed to help those she loves. There is no price on that kind of friendship and it’s a characteristic I’d like to see more of in myself. Okay I admit it, I’ve got a bit of a friend-crush on Allie. LOL.

One last question: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would that be and who would you take with you?

If I could go anywhere right now I’d head to Monterey, California (I’m writing a book set there right now) and I’d plant myself on the beach with a notebook, writing my story as the waves crashed. Sounds like my idea of heaven on earth. There’s something about the wind-shaped Cypress trees and the crash of the surf in Monterey that calls to me. I don’t know why, it just is.

Here's a bit more about Sara's books:

Miss Fortune, Allie Fortune Mystery Series #1
By Sara Mills / Moody Publishers

In 1947 Allie Fortune is the only female private investigator in New York City, but she's kept awake at night by a mystery of her own: her fianci disappeared in the war and no one knows if he's still alive. Until Allie finds out, she will have no peace. When there's a knock on her office door at four in the morning, Allie suspects trouble as usual, and Mary Gordon is no exception. Mary claims someone is following her, that her apartment has been ransacked, and that she's been shot at, but she has no idea why any of this is happening. Allie takes the case, and in the process discovers an international mystery that puts her own life in danger.
Meanwhile, the FBI is working the case as well, and she is partnered up with an attractive, single agent who would be perfect for her under other circumstances-if only she knew whether her fiance was still alive.

Miss Match, Allie Fortune Mystery Series #2

FBI agent Jack O'Connor receives a letter from Maggie, a woman he used to love, saying she's in trouble in Berlin. The FBI refuses to get involved, so Jack asks Allie Fortune to help him investigate. Allie and Jack pose as a missionary couple who want to bring orphans back to the United States.
A child finds important documents that everyone in the city - Soviets and allies alike - want for themselves. Maggie refuses to tell Jack what the documents are, saying if things go wrong, they are better off not knowing. Through the course of the search, Allie's past is brought back to her, half a world away from home.

You can visit Sara at www.saramillsbooks.com

Nothin'

In the words of Carrie Underwood at the ACM awards the other night "I got nothin'." This after the shock of learning she'd won Entertainer of the Year.

As for me, I've been drawing a blank all week here on my blog. Unusual, I know. But I've upped my daily word count on my current WIP to 2k, plus it's Easter week and my youngest is at home. Plus, plus, I've just accepted some writing assignments for an online newspaper.

So maybe that's why I've got nothin' else.

Ever felt that way? Like you're so overloaded that you're frozen? So how do you handle the stress? Are you able to break away for awhile or do you plough through? I'm just looking for some coping mechanisms that don't involve chocolate because, frankly, my seat's expanding, Lol...

Seriously, it's your turn today. Write to me. Entertain me. Fill me in on how you do all you do. In the words of Frasier Crane, I'm listening...

Here birdy, birdy

Happy Palm Sunday, my friends. We got up super early this morning to watch Elementary Girl's 3rd soccer game of the weekend, followed by church and an afternoon bike ride along the beach. While tooling along the coast, Hubby noticed this amazing bird and snapped a shot with his iPhone. I believe it's a Great Egret (Birders, feel free to jump in here.)

Pretty, huh?

Tomorrow it's back to work. See you then (on my break that is, Lol...)

Thinkin' about Truffles

It's a longer wait between books this time around, but the reviews and endorsements for Sweet Waters have begun to come in--yahoo! I hope to post a couple for you next week.

In the meantime, Tracy Keck over at Seed Thoughts posted a new review of Truffles by the Sea. If you haven't had a chance to read this fun book about Gaby "Always the Florist, Never the Bride" Flores, I hope you'll add it to your reading list. Gaby has stayed close to my heart :)

You can read Tracy's review HERE.

You can pick up Truffles by the Sea at Amazon or B&N or CBD.com.

Thanks for stopping by this sunny Friday morning. Another two-day soccer tourney awaits us, only this time in a town that's closer and warmer than the last (woot!). May you have a beachy weekend my friends--wherever you are!

Midweek update

Is it Thursday already? Gah! As I've said before, life's been whacky this week. Despite the schedule upheaval, I've still been able to write my daily word count, but blogging--not so much.

Here's a quick update of my week:

~ Yesterday I traveled to Studio City with my girls and mom and had lunch w/my sis in law and super-cute baby nephew. While there we ran into the two hunks from Desperate Housewives pictured above having lunch at Aroma Cafe. Such is the life of a novelist...haha...not.

~ Missed Am. Idol last night but read it online. Did Megan really come off as disrespectful? She's an amazing talent, but maybe this was harder than she had imagined. What do you think?

~ My mom popped by yesterday and pointed out that the backyard trampoline we acquired is MUCH BIGGER than the picture I posted on Monday. Take her word on that. And yes, it continues to get near constant use!

~ Earlier this week my son and I toured Westmont College, a private Christian school in tony Montecity. I figured it was just something to check off the list and really had little idea he'd really want to go there. But he does. And it's 30k+ a year. Gulp. Oh, but it's beautiful not just physically, but spiritually, so it's just become a contender.

Tomorrow, many of my pals will be landing in Santa Cruz for the amazing Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference. While visiting woodsy Montecito the other day, a waft of new foliage made me think of the redwood & pine conference center.... Anyway, so sad to be missing it this year, but with all the writing and mothering to do, it couldn't be helped! If you're up there, send in some updates, will ya?

Have a beachy day ;)

Jump!

So last Saturday, we set up a trampoline in our backyard that pretty much takes up 1/2 the postage stamp-sized space we've got. (If you follow me on Twitter--sorry--you've already heard about our new backyard adventure :)

For those who've expressed concern over safety, thanks, ha. My back's killing me today, but then again, I should've known better than to get on the thing in the first place. The kids are, of course, fine.

Seriously, this thing is HUGE. A friend was getting rid of it, said it was pretty small, and offered it to us (really generous of her, btw). I'd forgotten that she lived on an end of town where they actually have, um, yards. It pretty much swallows up ours.

But I have to say, the timing's perfect. Our kids are on break right now, and summer's just around the bend. So far it's had near constant activity--including a water balloon fight and one overnight usage with two girls and a dog :)

It's Monday, and like I said, the kid-doodles are home. I'm off to write my word count before they get up around mid-day (no more babies/toddlers in this house!) But if they get up before I'm done, it's no problem. I'll just send 'em outside (woot :)

Hittin' the beach, the lake, the pond, etc...:)

In a few short hours I'll be picking up Elementary Girl from a 1/2 day of school and spring break will begin. She's off all the way through Easter (unfortunately, my older two are not).

On a sunny note, it's beautiful here in California along the coast, and I'm hoping it'll stay that way through break. Daytripping to the beach (in between all the writing I still have to do, ack) ought to be the cheapest way to spend the time off. While the following link is premature for some, it's actually not for those of us on the central coast. Early summer is often foggy, but it's clear at this time of year--perfect for a pic-a-nic (dating myself with a Yogi bear reference, oh my ;)

Fun Beach Snacks for the Whole Family
Hitting the beach and not sure what foods to pack? Forget sloppy sandwiches and try these easier ideas for your family's picnic at the beach.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1575747/fun_beach_snacks_for_the_whole_family.html

Have a beachy weekend--wherever you are!

Ever felt like this...?

springin' forward

When finishing up my first book, Chocolate Beach, I asked a twenty-something friend to read it. She loved CB, and when I asked what she liked about the heroine, Bri, she said, "She's not like everybody else. She doesn't garden."

LOL

Apologies to my friends who'd rather not, but something about the spring emerging--sunlight, blossoms, tweety birds--makes me want to get outside and, um, garden. Alas, I'm chained to my desk these days. With a new deadline looming and spring break about to start for my three kiddos, I'm typing as fast as I can (and my shoulder's been on fire--argh).

Still I've managed to do a bit out there. Last week I cleaned out my fountain and got it going again. Now I can hear it through my open window while I work (yes!). And I pulled a bunch of those dreaded weeds, the ones that had cropped up near our grill. I was beginning to wonder if my cooking outside was a fire hazard with all those sprouts nearby.

I've also got plans to repaint the gate and plant a couple of vines--once I reach an acceptable word count, that is.

How about you? Any plans to spruce up the garden? Or is that just not your thang?

Not so hot

Two days in the frigid desert, four games, one third place win. That pretty much sums up our weekend. Elementary Girl's team has been making the tournament rounds lately, and this one happened to be in the high desert. I'd heard that the weather was in the high 70s, so I figured hot, hot, hot--and packed for the overnight stay accordingly.

Who knew it snowed in the desert in March? (answer = me).

Yeah, yeah, I should have checked the forecast myself. Sigh. Our saving grace was the tattered old wool blanket we take to every game. Teen Daughter and I hid from the freezing, whipping wind by wrapping ourselves in it as best we could, managing to watch all four games (the cold got to us on day 2 and we fell into a giggle fit. Salty tears froze on my face ;)

At least we weren't playing in those games ourselves! And that's the funny part. Our team of 10 & 11 year old beach girls played super hard and had fun doing it. Go Vipers!

Other than seeing my girlie and pals play so well out there, another favorite part of the weekend was hiding out in Barnes & Noble between games on day 2. More than three hours in a bookstore with hot coffee--does that sound like heaven on earth or what?

Discount for Budding Authors

Happy Friday, my friends! Busy week and there's still much to do, but I had to pop in and tell you all about a fantastic deal for writers. Almost every year I attend the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference nestled in the redwoods near Santa Cruz. Alas, this year I'm not able to make it (pesky deadlines and all...) BUT I spoke with Dave Talbott the amazingly funny and talented director of the conference and he's offering a HUGE discount to last minute registrants.

From Dave: Anyone wanting to pursue the discount should go ahead and register and in the “Comments” box at the bottom of the on-line Registration form, note “Per Dave Talbott Discount.” That will do it. Their total bill will be figured, and $200 discounted before any credit card is processed.

Most of my article assignments over the years were a direct result of contacts made at Mt. H. I also met my cool agent, Steve Laube, there, and my first book contract (Chocolate Beach) came about as a result of the critiques I received during the mentoring program at the conference.

On top of all that, I've made great friends at Mt. H (I'll miss them this year!) and my spirit has soared during the intense worship times over the five-day conference.

So there you go. If God's been nudging you to take this next step, maybe this is your year. You can register here. You'll have to hurry because conference begins April 3!

Have a beachy weekend--wherever you are!

Another great sunset

Hubby just sent this to me from his iphone. He took this pic last night on our walk, and with so much going on in the world, I thought it would be fun to give you this 'Ahhhhh' moment.

It's cool to note that the night wasn't clear, but a bit cloudy. Even with clouds the sunset was spectacular.

What was America Thinking?

As my teens might say, letting Alexis go was redonk. Anyone else notice that now there'll be too many average guys in the final 10 tour? Nice guys, yes, but maybe a little dull for a successful show. Just sayin'...

American Idol, top 11

Popping in quick to say hello. I had my latte and pop tarts this morning and have been writing ever since. So much to do! My heroine's about to go through the door of no return, so to speak, and I'm just so stressed for her...;)

Last night I had my laptop out and continued to write while watching Am. Idol. Not much thrilled me, but I could've been distracted. You? I did get a little frightened off by Adam. He's an amazing artist, but that was just a bit creepy for me. Danny and Matt stick out best in my mind at the moment, oh and Megan too.

Any guesses about who'll leave tonight? I'm thinking Michael or Scott. This one will be sad because whoever leaves misses the tour by 'that much.' Ouch.

sunset daze

Love the longer days. It's been warm enough to walk along the beach at sunset (although my hands are a bit icy by the time we return!). The other eve, Elem. Girl and I walked Charlie the Dog to the beach and before I knew it, the two were running down the shore and plunking into the frigid sea. My girl's nearly in middle school, so I'm savoring these times (although sandy, wet jeans--not so much ;).

***

Enjoyed DWTS last eve, and Melissa continues to amaze. Think with me here for a minute. What woman could be dumped on TV six weeks ago and then given three days notice to appear on DWTS, and look (& move) like that? Seriously, if it had been me, I would have been weighed down by all the fat & calorie-laden wallowing I'd been doing. Go, Melissa!

Women's Expo

Just thought I'd pop back in here with a pic from the Women's Expo. The theme for the weekend is "the power of WE". Bank of Books in Ventura did a great job setting up the Author's Corner, which was bigger than I'd expected. Chatted with some fascinating people and signed a bunch of books :p

See you Monday!

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Sweet Waters will be released in mid-summer, but promotion kicks off today. I was invited to participate in the local Women's Expo, so I'll be there signing copies of Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea, and handing out beachy Sweet Waters bookmarks produced by my new publisher, B&H Fiction. Pretty, pretty! Both sides are shown there in the pic.

After that, I think I'll grab a vanilla latte and sit at the beach for a while. How about you? Any big plans coming up? No matter what, I hope you have a beachy weekend--wherever you are ;p

Oh, ha ha ha! Guess the keepin' up with the Jones' thing has been around awhile.

Sad, but true.

Speaking of having it all, I wrote a piece awhile ago about having our luxuries for less because, well, let's face it...I'm a cheapskate who likes nice things. In this economy, that's not such a bad thing really (the cheapskate part anyway). And it's good stewardship too :) You can read about having your Luxuries...for Less here. If you have the chance to read it, please come on back and tell me what you do to maintain your lifestyle during down turns.

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On another note, sad to see Jasmine and Jorge leave AI last night. I thought it a bit premature for Jasmine, particularly, but frankly, there's some hot talent in this group. I'm on the fence about who'll go next week...my guess (based on this week) would be Scott, Michael or Matt, although I do like them all. The top 10 go on tour, so the next boot-off will be significant!

American Idol, Top 13

As much as I've NOT enjoyed the revamped system of whittling down the contestants, I believe that was the best Top 12 (er, '13') show I've seen. Everybody can actually sing and perform, so props to the people--and the judges--for putting the contestants there.

It's hard to say who'll go since the judges are planning to mix things up a bit tonight. Not sure what they're planning but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the phone line controversy. Anyone voting for Alexis Grace, #13 last night, had to dial a special number--otherwise they'd get a message from a not-so-nice dating service.

If the results come down to a straight vote, then I'd guess that Anoop and Jorge would go. When Teen Daughter saw Anoop's jacket she was sure he was going to sing Thriller, but performing Beat It was almost as bad. And Jorge's a sweetie, but the song was kind of boring, I thought.

Predictions? Thoughts?

Studying Esther, Talking 'bout Melissa

Late post today as I was studying Esther with the gals all morning. Extrememly intense lesson--yowsa. Still processing and will probably do a special post about that. Until then, wanted to take a minute to acknowledge our girl on DWTS last night.

Melissa Rycroft did very well, don't you think? I really like her and how she handled some tough stuff with grace. Wrote a bit about her new gig, so I hope you'll click the link below and stop on by. Until then, have a beachy day--wherever you are.

Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft Joins the Colorful Cast of Dancing with the Stars
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1550163/bachelors_melissa_rycroft_joins_the.html

New review of Truffles by the Sea

Happy Monday my friends! Sarah, an editor at Bethany House, sent over a review of Truffles by the Sea that appeared recently in Libraries Alive. I LOVED writing Gaby--such a kind-hearted, gentle and dramatic soul, that one--so I'm thrilled to see this terrific review of her story:

TRUFFLES BY THE SEA

Gaby Flores, the main character in this delightful novel, reminds us of Job since everything seems to go wrong for her. She owns a flower shop where an employee steals money and merchandise from her. A former client sues her for using ugly flowers for her wedding even though Gaby tried to talk her out of the color scheme she chose. Gaby’s apartment burns to the ground. She almost drowns in a kayaking incident. On top of all this, she can’t seem to find the right guy for her. She vows to be gullible no more and her faith is put to the test. Brownies from her best friend and truffles help her get back her life. A very enjoyable read. Rating: 4—PD

You can find more about Truffles on Amazon or CBD.com

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And in other breaking news, did y'all read the uncomfirmed report that Melissa--our Melissa from The Cad Bachelor--will be on Dancing with the Stars starting tonight? Holy cow, they'll attempt anything to to lure me/us back to ABC, won't they? Lol...

American Idol, Top 12...almost

Ohhhh...key. So we've got our top 9 with last night going as I predicted. Like it was that difficult to guess, lol... Tonight there's a sing off, right? Isn't that what I heard? What did y'all think of the 8 who are getting another chance? I was super surprised they didn't put Felicia and Ju'not through after all the props the judges gave them, but not shaken at all about their choice to bring Tatiana back. First, the girl can sing, and second, her dramatics--the crying and near fainting--mean RATINGS (remember The Bachelor???) Not that I'd like to see this week after week...

Speaking of The Bachelor, Patty posted the following comment on my last post about the 'historic' finale: Just for the sake of discussion.....how is the fact that this played out on the finale different than if it had played out on an earlier episode? The proposal??

I responded that breakups leading up to the finale were par for the course and expected. What showed a lack of maturity was breaking off the actual engagement on camera. This is my opinion, so chime in with your thoughts, okay Ladies and Gents?

And I'll leave you with this post to check out by Bill Giovanetti, giving his take on why Jason was doomed to mess up.

Have a beachy day...wherever you are!

American Idol, Round 3

Posted a little review/recap over at Associated Content. You can click on the link below to check it out. Prediction for tonight's top 3: Lil, Scott and Jorge.

American Idol, Round 3: The Good, the Bad and the Quirky
This family can't get enough of American Idol in all its quirky glory. And some surprisingly winning performances make Round 3 the best of the bunch.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1530279/american_idol_round_3_the_good_the.html

Stuck in High School

Remember high school when you'd miss your entire Algebra lesson because you were daydreaming about Mr. Cutie-Pie while doodling on your PeeChee folder? And then, within a week, you actually got the chance to talk to totally-hot guy only to discover that he smelled like BO and old Cheetos?

That's pretty much how I'm feeling about Jason the Cad (formerly The Bach). No doubt the twists and turns in what seemed like a pretty straight forward Bachelor love story brought ratings galore for its network and RealitySteve was vindicated. But in the end, the whole scenario stunk like old socks. Actually, old wet socks that had been left in a pile underneath a teenager's bed.

Am I painting the picture of how I really feel yet? (Not that I'm bitter or anything, LOL...)

So for those who've asked, that's how I felt about The Bachelor Finale, ATR and ATR2. I'm not convinced that the network set up the entire mess, but I do maintain that Jason made a terrible mistake agreeing to drag Melissa's heart through the mud while on the air. Somewhere in that decision making progress, the high road was overlooked.

Still laughing...

Decided to take a break from writing and found Charlie the Dog had slipped into something more comfortable. LOL Seriously, he did this all on his own.

Excuse me while I die laughing...;p

got laughter?

This past Saturday, I attended a memorial for a friend--my 6th in less than a year. More and more I'm reminded of the brevity of life and how important it is to live life joyfully.

For some reason, this cartoon cracked me up...maybe it's because the older I become the more age-defying products I seem to be buying ;).

Have a beachy day--wherever you are!

The Confessional: Obsession, Part II

So yesterday I confessed my infatuation with The Bachelor. By the number of hits on this blog, it seems there are many more like me. Kudos to the brave souls who commented ;)

Whether the conspiracy theory turns out to be true doesn't really matter, because I've (finally) realized that I'm not having fun anymore. I'm over it. Meh.

So what about the the whole 'life imitating art' thing I mentioned yesterday? It occurred to me that in my next book, Sweet Waters, heroine Tara is a rational, organized, first-born. She's protective of her sisters and has helped her somewhat flighty mother care for them ever since the death of their father six years prior.

And... she's obsessed with Eliza Carlton, the lead character on her favorite Soap, Quartz Point. So much so that she reads the soap's daily digest online every night and often mentally consults with Eliza for advice as if she's real.

I confess. When I wrote Tara, I thought, poor girl. I mean, seriously, how could she possibly get so wrapped up in the life of someone on TV? Isn't that a little over the top? Maybe. But then again, so is believing that what I've been witnessing on The Bachelor week after week has been playing out as naturally as the cresting of a wave. Sigh. Right.

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AMERICAN IDOL
Didn't want to sign off without mentioning last night's show. Based on performances, I'd guess that Allison, Megan and Adam will get the votes. Sad for Kai--he treats his mama well so I was hoping he'd do better :). Alas, not so much. So. What say you?

The Confessional: Obsession, Part I

Hello, my name is Julie and I'm addicted to The Bachelor.

It has to stop.

While I've not watched all the episodes, this particular season intrigued me. For those who have been smart enough to stay away from the series, this year's bachelor is last year's reject: Jason, a handsome-enough, single dad of one super cute 4 year old boy named Ty. It was played up last year that Ty's mother abandoned him and Jason, but this year the word is that Ty's mom is actually involved in his life.

Hm. That should have been my first clue that there was mischief in the making. Unfortunately, I fell hard for the series this season, particularly because of Melissa the sweet, gentle and seemingly obvious choice for Jason. Unlike other years when I had to switch off the show because of gratuitous intimacies that, frankly, grossed me out, this year there's been far less of that. So like much of America--apparent by the number of Melissa/Jason videos set to music and posted on YouTube--I fell for the romance that appeared to be brewing.

Then this week I learned about RealitySteve, a blogger who's been dishing on The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise for 15 years. Only this year he's got a spoiler theory that will break hearts--and if he's correct--turn stomachs. Who knows if any of what he says is true? Anybody's guess, but I'll admit that my own observations plus this guy's have left me with questions. I'll leave it at that. For those who want to know more, go here, but you'll have to wade through a lot of info and of course, read at your own risk.

All this to say that my plan is to go online next Monday evening and find out ahead of time the validity of this widely-spread spoiler. I'm on Pacific Std. Time, so no reason to waste my night waiting to be manipulated by a reality show that, accuracy or no, is anything but real.

Which leads me to my reason for the confession. Let's just say it has to do with life imitating art, and there'll be more on that tomorrow...!

On Idol, colds and God's prodding

Anyone else disappointed in the revamped American Idol format? By splitting the group into three smaller entities and having only 12 compete against each other at a time, the results show gave off a rather lackluster sheen. Since I'm on west coast time, I think I'll just skip the next two results show and sign into Twitter instead where for several brief moments, all the back east folks are chatting up the winners. (Btw, yay for Alexis, Michael and Danny!)

Other than that, I've been sick with a nasty cold since Monday. Various family members have been fighting it as well. Strangely enough, this has grounded me so much that I'm actually getting a bunch written on my next Otter Bay Novel. After the morning rush, I pretty much climb into bed with my laptop and lozenges, and pound out thousands of words. Of course, just about everything else that needs doing has been neglected (ack).

In addition to the laptop and lozenges, I've also kept my Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman Bible Study on my nightstand. Most mornings, I work on that first. Yesterday, though, I toyed with jumping right into writing when a niggling--you know what I'm talking about?--prodded me toward doing the study. Here's the funny part: when I picked up my study book, I found some very cool writing notes beneath it. The night prior, I'd made myself some notes about the novel I'm working on, and then promptly forgot about them.

So the moral of the story: Pick up your Bible study book, because you just may be surprised by what you find :)

American Idol, Round 1

Sarah wrote last week to ask if I was still on the AI boat, and the answer to that is, well, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!! It may be somewhat hokey and filled with a bit of corn, but AI has become a ritual in our house, a bonding experience, if you will.

Instead of the usual 24 contestants vying for the top 12 (or really, the top 10, since those are the only ones to go on tour), this time 36 singers compete. We saw 12 last night. In case you're wondering, here's how the new system works:

The top vote-getter of each sex automatically advances to the Top 12. The next highest vote-getter of either sex also gets in. For everyone else, their only hope is to make the wild-card round, either as the next highest vote-getter or as a special pick by the judges. (A grand effort to avoid having a terrific singer get 'Daughtry-ed')

So what did you think? Did you agree with those rascally judges last night ... or not?

I agreed with the judges and loved (loved! loved!) both sultry Alexis and heroic Danny. However I disagreed with them concerning AnnMarie, and maybe even a little about Michael.

Both Alexis and Danny deserve the top pick, and as for the next top? I'm going to guess the public will vote in ... Jackie (or possibly Tatiana--Vote for the Worst's top pick--sigh)

Check it out. I got my mullet on over at Linda Lou's Book Trailer Park.

Kudos to B&H Publishing Group--Woot!

Confessions of a movie-holic

Nothing like spending the weekend watching trippy movies. Life's been busy and stressful lately, so when a chance for R&R presented itself, we grabbed hold of it. This weekend, while our teens were off at winter camp, the rest of us (hubby, Elementary Girl, and I) biked along the beach, ate toooo much (thanks Dad for the heart-shaped box of chocolates--it's almost gone!!!), and watched various movies.

Ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? I'd seen it before, but hubby hadn't, so we watched it on Valentine's Night. I know, weird. Underneath all the strangeness, though, is quite the (dysfunctional) love story. It's one of those movies that you need to watch a couple of times to catch all the layers and clues. Adaptation is another movie rife with odd-ness. While I usually prefer romantic comedies or Austen-style films, sometimes I'm in the mood to jump out of the box.

Elementary Girl and I also saw a movie together: Pink Panther 2. Pretty predictable stuff, but c'mon, it's Steve Martin--and who doesn't love him? Especially as clueless Clouseau, and with that ridiculous French accent. LOL!

Later today--provided all the homework gets done--the girls and I are hoping to hit the theater together, this time to see Confessions of a Shopaholic.

How about you? Have you been running around like crazy this fine double-holiday weekend, or have you found time to kick-back and hang with the ones you love?

Memo to self: Clean your desk

When Katie Cushman and I went to see prolific author Karen Kingsbury last year, we ended up chatting with her about how she cranks out books (seemingly) every other day. From what I understand, she's a 'pre-writer', someone who gets the story as together as possible before sitting down and cranking it out at a nearly non-stop pace. The incredible Susan Meissner has taught on how she pre-writes as well.

Other writers are more SOTP -- seat of the pants. They work on the chapters from the getgo to get a sense of the characters, often stopping and revising along the way.

I started off as SOTP and have morphed into a sort of mix. I really love to write the first chapter even with limited info at my finger tip because when I do this, I often come away surprised! For example, in my current WIP, someone I planned on bringing in much later in the book decided to show up--and it worked. Kristin Billerbeck said in an interview once that she free writes several chapters to get a feel for her characters.

However, I've found though that once I get those first thoughts onto the page, I need to map out more of the details to help me stay on course. I tried story boarding with post-its, but that was just a big mess. I've also tried diagramming the story on paper, complete with arrows, circles and curly-cues, but then I never looked at the thing again.

So now I outline the old fashioned way, in writing, block by block. Sometimes those blocks must move or morph or be stricken, but since I'm not a legalist about it, that's fine by me.

Of course, some habits haven't completely faded away. That pic at the top is of my desk in its current state (although as I like to say, "I know where everthing is!"). Despite my move toward more organization in writing, my desk just hasn't read the memo.

moving picture show

I posted a preview here a few weeks ago, but now it's official: the SWEET WATERS video is now on the BHFiction Channel over on YouTube. I've been told that my video trailer is the first on the channel!

Even if you've already seen it, I'd love it if you'd pop on over and give it a rating. Would you?

You can also subscribe to the BHFicton channel (upper right on YouTube linked page), and be one of the first to see new B&H videos as they are released.

Enjoy! And have a beachy day my friends--wherever you are!

Back from Camp!

Returned last night from 48 hours of non-stop camp adventure. That's me on my bunk, underneath the magazine. Within an hour of being in the frigid mountains with a cabin-full of 5th grade girls, I was already dreaming of Maui. Ha ha ha.

Had a smaller group with me this year, so we had to share with another church. A different counselor knocked on the cabin door and dropped off three girls saying, "Their counselor's not here yet, so here you go." Or something like that. Fortunately, the newbies in our cabin were friendly and funny and our two church groups melded the way only preteen girls can. Seriously, they taught me a thing or three.

But then the girls told me all about their counselor, the one yet to arrive:

"She's so funny!"
"She's the best counselor ever!"
"Oh, and she's super skinny!"
"She works as a model...you'll love her!"

Gah. Did I need this kind of pressure??? Life's. not. fair!

Haha--as it turns out, Trish was all those things, but Godly and likeable too (our God has such a sense of humor, don't you think?) We ended up being a super good match, as we're both night owls and fairly laidback. We kept the girls safe, of course, but c'mon! It's camp! We wanted them to live a little, ya know? Hopefully, they soaked up all God had for them and enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed them ... :)

I'd like to say that I'm off to take a nap, but no. My dear, sweet, lovable editor, Karen, just sent me a boat load of work (thanks, friend ;p) So I'll be workin' until my eyes just won't stay open. I'll check back in, though, so here's a question for you former campers or counselors:

What's the funniest experience you've ever had at camp?