Mistletoe and Murder by Florence Case

Missy here. I bought this book, Mistletoe and Murder, A Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, in my grocery store the other day and wanted to tell you about it. It's written by a friend--an online friend. We never met in person, but I enjoyed getting to know Flo Moyer (writing as Florence Case) online through email and on writers loops. Flo lost her battle with cancer last month. And she was such a special lady. I hope you'll stop by the Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog and read a tribute to her that was posted on Tuesday.



I'm looking forward to reading this newly released book. You can check it out by clicking here.



The last words Flo wrote to me were these:



"I just pray that I have glorified God since turning my life over to him about 7 years ago."



And as you'll see in the blog tribute, she did.



Missy

Creative Space

Angie here: Today I am painting with my daughter. We're getting seriously creative with my new office walls. The new office is because I am transitioning out of my family heating company and into a creative working life as the president of Full Spirit Magazine!

While I'll be working with the new national magazine, I'll also be continuing in www.MyGemofWisdom.com to teach online classes, speak at women's retreats, seminars, and special events.

These positions require a lot of creativity! They also require a lot of writing and people skills. So in order to encourage creativity in my professional life and provide a space to work from my home base, we did some minor remodeling in our home.

Here's the before photos of what used to be my daughter's bedroom (and then she had the foresight to grow up and move out so I could use it.)

Now my daughter, Mariah, is back helping me have fun with color and create a space that will inspire me to want to spend lots of time in there.

The inspiration for the colors comes from an inherited Swedish pitcher set made of amethyst blown glass and toll painted.

The set was handed down from mother to daughter in my family since the 1850's. There wasn't much information when I got it except that I knew it had been given to my grandmother in 1920. (There's more, but it's the basis of an historical fiction I'd like to do next year.)

So I wanted to learn more. I contacted a Swedish museum and found out that this pitcher was a common design between 1850-1860. Because there is no marking on the bottom, it's assumed to be a design that was stolen between glass manufacturers (common practice back then) and just recreated. The unusual factor is the tumbler. Most were mere amethyst glass and not toll painted to match the pitcher making this one rare.

Now it would be cool to tell you that it was priceless. sigh. But it is not because of the commonality of the design at the time. It is however, priceless to me. I've loved it all my life for the family connection, beauty, and imagination it inspires.

Next week I hope to have the office done (new picture windows are already installed) to show you. There's even a wall hanging my step-mom made me that matches the pitcher set. The colors are just because I love them. I found the hanging again and became very excited at the providential match to the Swedish pitcher!

Once the walls are sponge painted and my "L" shaped countertop is installed, I'll feel like we've created my special space. A place I feel happy, confident, and inspired to keep working and a place full of warmth to create new stories.

This office is a dream come true for me.

Tell me about a dream of yours.

Angie
PS Remember to come visit the Courageous Beauties interviews over at GodUsesBrokenVessels.blogspot.com all this month. 30 beauty queens interviewed on courage, confidence, and some awesome experiences. (I did have a schedule change and so posted my interview today. I hope you will enjoy it, but I also hope you will read the other interviews. They are all so amazing!)

Hooked on Castle

Mindy here. Monday's have turned into a big television night for me. You know how I love Dancing With the Stars, but Castle, the show that follows DWTS, has captured my attention, too.

Perhaps it's the concept that intrigued me. A writer hooks up with a detective after a murder mirrors one of his books. They solve the mystery, but writer Rick Castle is so fascinated with detective Kate Beckett he decides his next series will be about a female detective based on Beckett. Hence the show keeps going.

Okay, so aside from the fact that Castle is a writer, what factors make this show work?

Crime shows can be very intense. Castle throws in just the right amount of comedic moments to lighten things up. Like last night's episode, they're in the morgue talking to medical examiner who happens to be eating his lunch. Castle grimaces. "How can you eat here?" The examiner looks at him and says something to effect, "We use some of the strongest cleaning agents known to man in here. This is the cleanest place in the building." Okay, not gut-busting comedy, but it got a chuckle out of me.

Great stories, whether books, TV shows, or movies, come from the characters. And Castle has some memorable ones. For starters, they're not cookie-cutter characters. The dynamics between Castle and his family make for some of the funniest and heart-warming moments in the show. Castle himself is rich, successful, and often juvenile. His teenage daughter, on the other hand, whom he has sole custody of, takes on the role of the parent. They have a wonderfully open and loving relationship. He counts on her as much as she counts on him. Then we have Castle's mother who also lives with him. Martha Rogers is about as eccentric and childlike as they come. And she loves men.

Sexual tension is a must when you've got male and female leads, and Castle and Beckett have some great tension. Of course, it's the fact that they don't act on it that keeps us watching. Yet you know each is somewhat smitten with the other. Someone asks if they're having sex. While Beckett pronounces an adamant "No," Castle responds, "Not yet."

Castle's curiosity about Beckett lends itself to a nice subplot, as well. He wants to know what drove her become a detective. Gradually, he learns that something happened in her past. And each week, tidbits of information are revealed about both Castle and Beckett, giving each more depth.

But above all, I love watching Rick Castle unravel a mystery, often using elements of good writing. The bad guy is never the person you suspect, but there are plenty of red herrings along the way.

If you haven't checked out Castle yet, have a look-see. If you're a writer, consider it a study of the craft. If you're not a writer, you'll be entertained. Even my husband, Mr. Why-Are-You-Watching-This?, has gotten into the show.

What are some of your favorite shows? If you're a writer, do they lend themselves to your craft? If so, how?

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

NanowriMo

Belinda here.
I think I got the title write. National Writing Month abbreviated. It's a great idea and has a HUGE following. I did it last year. Goal is to write 50K words in the month of November. It's a great motivator. You can check it out here.

I forget how many words I wrote last year. It wasn't 50K but it was a lot. I didn't do it this year for 2 reasons. One I was on vacation the first week and I knew I wouldn't get a lot of writing done. And second, I'm still revising the book. So I don't want to start anything new right now.

Although I did hand write 2 scenes for the new manuscript while on vacation. That was fun but made me very grateful for my computer. I hope I can read my writing when trying to type it in later.

Have any of you ever tried NanowriMo? We'd like to hear about it. Or what other ways do you find to write a lot of words. Lynn Rush if you're out there we'd love to hear from you!! You write a lot of words! Fast!

In a Fog: Part Two

Christy posting, late and foggy as usual...

I was up very early this morning, pondering my FAITH blog post. It took me all morning to come up with this idea... to take Jenn's idea and expand on it. Or reduce it, however you want to look at it.

Some may politely say I'm nesting, others may say, nah... my procrastination has just come to a head and I can't take it anymore.

I've got so many things I want to do with my days, I don't know what to do first.

I suppose I should make a list...

But then, if I lose the list, I'll be in trouble for sure. Back where I started from.

Clutter wise, I want to bring the lady from Clean House over to my house and help me de-clutter. I'm ready to throw things out, give items away.... I've been doing this for a few weeks now. I'd like to install a whole-house vacuum system to suck the dust bunnies out of my house on a continuous basis so I don't have to look at the floor I just swept and wonder how I missed that one... I want a new dining room table... more than ever now that my dear husband has suggested we have our Sunday School Christmas party at my house! I love to entertain, but I want to entertain with new furniture... not the worn, brown stuff I've been calling furniture for the past 5-9 years...

I've been pondering how I can keep a cleaner house. I know I should divide up the house work - hubby half the chores with me. We should probably take one room or one section of the house a day to clean and straighten, then I wouldn't find myself so overwhelmed and flustered on the weekends. Gosh, that would mean another list. I'd better get busy...


Do I decorate for Christmas now, or wait until after Thanksgiving... By the time I purchase new Thanksgiving decorations on sale, it will be time for Christmas anyway...


In the meantime, with all of this cleaning and wanting and buying I'm worrying over, I've got to edit a manuscript and mail it off to some hopefully interested parties.

Oh, and then there's my blog that I'd like to bring to life, but who has that many hours in a day?

And if that's not enough---

WAIT... I forgot what the last thing was I was going to mention!

See, I told y'all I was in a fog. And you are sitting there, shaking your head saying, what else is new LaShea?

..... So.... what are you foggy about this week?

Living in a Fog

Fall is my favorite time of year. We always go to the mountains on my birthday weekend and have a lovely time. But this year things seem to be passing me by in a whirlwind. I'm there and with everyone, but not really "feeling" the festivities. It's like I'm living in a fog. Everything is passing me by so quickly, and I can't relax and focus my mind long enough to enjoy it and bask in it.

I hate this feeling and I don't know how to slow things down around me. I'm feeling overwhelmed and I'm scared Christmas and Thanksgiving is going to pass me by in the same fog. Anyone ever feel like this?

I am determined to slow down by Thanksgiving. I told my hubby and daughter that I plan to decorate for Christmas early this year because I'm determined to enjoy Christmas and not be burdened with trying to decorate when I should be shopping, attending Christmas parties, sending out my Christmas cards (last year was the first year I didn't even send out any).

Putting up my historical Christmas village always puts me in the Christmas spirit. I NEED to FEEL the Christmas spirit this year! Do any of you ever feel like that? Let's pray for each other BEFORE the season gets here.

And believe me, I'm not overlooking Thanksgiving. My hubby is turning the big 40 this year so he's getting a party. My birthday is near Halloween and his is at Thanksgiving.

The Payoff

It's that time again! Royalty check time, at least for Harlequin/Steeple Hill authors. We get royalty checks twice a year, and one is in early November. Starting about November 1st, the emails begin flying around asking, Did you get yours yet? And as they arrive, authors chime in to say, yes, in such-and-such state. This is not to compare dollar amounts or sales numbers. No, that's confidential. But the emails are just so we'll know when to expect our pay check! :) The big payoff for all our hard work.

But there is another big payoff that comes all throughout the year. Reader letters! I've saved every emailed letter in a folder online. I've also printed them all! And I keep all the snail mail letters that Steeple Hill forwards to me. I also answer each letter, because they mean so much to me.

People that contact me often tell me sweet stories about their lives and family. Or they'll tell me something in the book that they could relate to. I've even had the privilege of having a few readers ask me to pray for them or a family member. Such touching--and sometimes heartbreaking--stories! I've been so blessed to be a part of their lives.

So, though the check is a really nice thing, the reader letters are an added bonus. They're what keeps me going when I'm having trouble with a plot point or when I'm discouraged.

So you writers waiting to be published, keep plugging away. Don't give up! There may be some reader out there just waiting for your words to touch them in a special way--to bring just the right word from God at just the right time.

Have you had a book truly touch your life?