Congrats to the 2012 Genesis Contest Semi-finalists!

I had to pop in and post the list of Genesis semi-finalists, just announced. The Genesis contest is for unpublished authors, and besides providing excellent feedback on your writing, offers the possibility of having your work put before industry professionals, like editors and agents.

BIG kudos to my awesome critique partner, Susan Miura, a semi-finalist in the Women's Fiction category!!  WOO-HOO!!! I can't give away the title of her entry, but I've read it and it is fabulous!!

Also thrilled for my other friends who made the list...Michelle Shocklee, Connie Almony, Normandie Fischer, and Sally Bayless!

The finalists will be announced at the end of May, and the winner will be announced at the ACFW conference gala in September. The following list is made up of the top 20% of scores in the initial round. Join me in congratulating these up-and-coming authors. Here's the complete list:

Contemporary Fiction

Kimberli Buffaloe
Michael Ehret
Casey Herringshaw
Melissa Lewis
Michelle Massaro
Colleen Shine Phillips
Anne Prado
Will Schmitt
Sarah J. Smith
Chris Storm
Linda J. Truesdell
Brenda J. Young

Contemporary Romance

Cora Allen
Brenda Anderson
Jennie Atkins
Pepper Basham
Kimberly Buckner (double semi-finalist)
Tari Faris
Sarah Hamaker
Kara Isaac (double semi-finalist)
Ava W. Jenkins
Kimberly Johnson
Jessica Keller
Amy Matayo
Shannon McNear
Carol Moncado
Sherri Murray
Andrea Nell
Melissa Tagg
Cindy R. Wilson

Historical Fiction

Heidi Chiavaroli
Jessica Clochesy
Nancy Diekmann
Kathleen L. Maher
Christina Miller
Vanessa Morton
Rachel Neal
Leslie J. Payne
Sarah Thomas
Mary Kay Tuberty
Terri Wangard
Renee Yancy
Elizabeth Byler Younts

Historical Romance

Lance Albury
Whitney M. Bailey
Crystal L. Barnes
Karen Barnett
Debra Calloway
Brenda Carroll
Kay Chandler
Dawn Crandall
Barbara Curtis
Susanne Dietze
Terri Haynes
Lyndee Henderson
Kristi Ann Hunter
Melissa Jagears
Diane Kalas
Susan Anne Mason
Marilyn Rhoads
Christina Rich
Michelle Shocklee
Ginger Takamiya
Brenda B. Taylor
Brandy Vallance
Lanna Webb
Becca Whitham
Rachel Wilder
Lora Young

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Jerusha Agen
Rich Bullock
Morris Christen Civiletto
Joseph Robert Courtemanche
Randall Gannaway
Dena Netherton
Deborah Quigley Smith
Matthew Sheehy
Chris Storm
V.B. Tennery
Larry W. Timm (double semi-finalist)
Michael J. Webb

Romantic Suspense

Sally Bayless
Paula Boire
Suzanne Bratcher
Arlene Coulter
Normandie Fischer
Kelli Hughett
Lesley McDaniel
Carrie Padgett
Ellen Parker
Pat Trainum
Katy Vorreiter
Terri Weldon

Speculative Fiction

Caleb Jennings Breakey
Dennis Brooke
Jo Hall
Stephanie Karfelt
Carla Laureano
John Leatherman (double semi-finalist)
William Ramirez (double semi-finalist)
Luke Scott
Regina Smeltzer
Amanda G. Stevens (double semi-finalist)
Heidi Treibel

Women’s Fiction

Connie Almony
Brenda Anderson
Robin Archibald
Sally Bradley
Kathy Buchanan
Diane Chase
Emily Conrad
Susan Hill
Kara Hunt
Ginger Marcinkowski
Susan Miura
Rachel Moore
Christina Nelson
Julie Scorziell
Katherine Scott-Jones
Dawn Alicia Shipman
Amy K. Sorrells
Julia Toto
Pamela Trawick
Erin Taylor Young

Young Adult

Linda Abels
Sandra Barnes
Kathleen Freeman
Sara Goff
Glenn Haggerty
Mary L. Hamilton
Barbara Hartzler
Katherine Hyde
Teresa Lockhart
Rondi Olson
Rajdeep Paulus
Martha Ramirez
Chawna Schroeder
Sarah Tipton
Cynthia Toney

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An Easter Wish for You

Just a reminder that even though it seems I've disappeared from the blogosphere, I'm still here and hope to resume my regularly scheduled blog very soon. Just had to pop in with an Easter wish.

May Your Easter be filled with...

LOVE and THANKS as you remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

JOY and HOPE as you celebrate His resurrection from the grave!

FAITH and COURAGE as you share this truth with others.

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Winner of Dawn Comes Early and a Friday Funny

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on last week's blog post for the giveaway of Margaret Brownley's new novel, Dawn Comes Early. I entered the names in an online random name picker and the computer chose...

KIMBERLY

Congrats to Kimberly! Hope you enjoy Margaret's book. 

If you're not a winner, be sure to pick up a copy at your local bookstore, or ON AMAZON.

Friday Funny:

I ran across this comic and it reminded me of myself. Wash your mind out with soap... I'm not pregnant! It's the punchline that got me. My blogging efforts leave a lot to be desired lately, but it's not because I have run out of things to blog about. I've been extra distracted with a bazillion things, including my son's graduation and my book deadline, both of which are approaching way too quickly (and at the same time). The next couple of months will be ridiculously crazy, so I'll blog when I can, but I refuse to make myself crazier than I already am, so my posts will probably be few and possibly far-between. I apologize in advance, but I do hope to resume my regular blogging schedule this summer.

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G is for GIVEAWAY!

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another A2Z4UandMe post, and I'm up to the letter G. What better word than...

GIVEAWAY!

You may know the name Margaret Brownley. Margaret has penned it all: romance, mystery, suspense, thrills. There's nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

           

So that’s what Margaret did. She’s now a New York Times bestselling author and a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist with more than 25 novels to her credit!

           

The first book in her Brides of Last Chance Ranch series “Dawn Comes Early” is hot off the presses!  This book will be followed by Waiting for Morning July 2013.

Margaret has graciously offered to GIVE AWAY a copy of her latest novel, DAWN COMES EARLY. Be one of the first to read this wonderful book.

Here's a blurb:

 

Dawn Comes Early

Brides of Last Chance Ranch

Heiress Wanted

Looking for hard-working, professional woman

of good character and pleasant disposition

willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona Territory.

Must be single and prepared to remain so now and forever more.

Her latest dime novel banned, twenty-nine-year old KATE TENNEY answers an advertisement for heiress to an Arizona cattle ranch. It seems like the perfect solution for a disgraced novelist with no intention of getting married—ever. 

Trouble begins the moment she steps foot in Arizona Territory. The west is nothing like she wrote about in her books. Not only does she have to deal with a hard-nosed ranch owner, and nefarious outlaw, but a traitorous heart.  Kate does not trust men and has no intention of falling for LUKE ADAM’S charm.  She’s determined to learn the ranching business and prove to the doubting ranch owner that she’s up to the task—if it kills her.  If only she could stay away from a certain handsome blacksmith and his two matchmaking aunts.

Simply leave a comment on this blog post to be automatically entered to win a copy of Margaret's book. Winner will be selected and announced next Friday, March 23.

Also click on over to Examiner.com, where Margaret has answered some questions about her Journey to Publication.

__________________________________________

 **Contest disclaimer: Void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents. Odds of winning depend on number of entrants.**

Want to play along on the A2Z4UandMe meme? Blog about a G word or any other letter-word that's on your mind at the moment. Looking forward to reading your post!

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The Pull of Pinterest

 I started hearing about Pinterest a few weeks ago and honestly, I didn't pay much attention. I ignored the invites, chalking them up to just another craze that would disintegrate into thin cyber air any day now. But then I read a couple of blog posts from trusted friends about the pull of Pinterest, and I decided to check it out.

And a new addiction took hold.

In case you haven't heard about this latest social networking craze, here's the official description of Pinterest, as found on the site:

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

There are two reasons I believe Pinterest is quickly becoming a huge sensation.

1. It's visually appealing. With such a visual society, Pinterest certainly appeals to the eye. Fellow author Carla Stewart says it best: Pinterest is candy for the senses. So true!

2. People love to share who they are. This is pretty evident, right? With Facebook, Twitter, and a gazillion other social media sites, people don't only want to connect with others, they want to talk about themselves and share who they are. It's that whole validation thing. Sometimes I think we're just a bunch of self-absorbed people hiding behind the label of "social networking." But believe me, I'm not judging! I'm right there, too - on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn...and now Pinterest.

There are lots of good reasons to join Pinterest. You can browse images and find links and references to yummy recipes,  fitness routines, products you want to try, businesses, home decorating ideas, hairstyles, vacation sites and deals, and lots more.

But, the truth is, Pinterest is just plain fun. The ability to organize our lives in such a unique and visual way is pure genious. You can create boards about gardening, pets, beauty, television shows you watch, sports, crafts, holidays...basically anything you're interested in. And the fact that everything is categorized, makes it easy to pull up a specific board at any given moment to find what you're looking for.


So far, I have created 9 boards and have pinned 132 images, which is really nothing compared to other members. My personal categories so far include "Destination Dreamland"- photos of places I'd love to go, but probably never will, except for in my dreams, "Inspiration Station"- inspiring and motivating quotes, "Calories Shmalories" - photos of foods I'd love to splurge on (mostly desserts!), "Keeping the Faith"- inspiring quotes and photos representing my faith, "You Can Say That Again" - quotes worth repeating, "Beautiful Things" - no explanation needed, "Chuckles, LOL's, and Groaners" - things that make me laugh or smile, "Recommended Reading" - books I've enjoyed and want to share, and "Blasts from the Past" - items that bring back memories for me (lots of great stuff from the 80s). You can see all my boards and follow me HERE


I have been enjoying (and spending way too much time) playing around on the site, figuring out how it all works. Many of my pins have been re-pinned by others. My latest pin, posted just this morning, already has about 60 re-pins. Oh - and by clicking on an image, you are able to leave a comment, which connects somehow through Facebook. I won't pretend I know how any of that works, but it is pretty cool.

I'm even beginning to see how it might help me as an author. Not only can I pin my book covers, and hope others repin them for their followers to see, I can also create boards about my books. Some authors have boards with images of things/topics found in their stories. For instance, my friend Cathy West has created a board with images from the Vietnam War era, which is when Yesterday's Tomorrow, her historical romance, takes place. Some authors have boards where they pin ideas for their works in progress. They have boards for settings, clothing, or characters.

Pinterest is a great way for readers to get to know the authors they love. It's also an easy way for anyone to connect with others who share the same interests. As of right now, you can join Pinterest by invitation only. Either have someone invite you or request an invitation via a link on the site.

One word of caution: Be careful of where you click. As any other site, Pinterest offers an opportunity for spammers. Links aren't always what they appear to be. While most are legitimate, and Pinterest does everything they can to prevent abuse, it's bound to happen.

What about you? Have you joined the Pinterest Craze? What unique boards have you created?

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Too Many F Words

No worries! I'm not talking about the F-bomb. This blog is totally family-friendly. I'm referring to my A2Z4UandMe meme. I'm up to the letter F and there are too many words I want to feature, so I guess I'll just make a list.


FAITHWRITERS - If you've known me for any length of time, you know that I credit FaithWriters for re-jumpstarting my writing career. FaithWriters is a wonderful community of Christians who want to use their talents for God's glory. Founded and run by Scott Lindsay for many years, Scott sold FaithWriters last month in order to move in a different direction. New owners, Mike and Bea Edwards, have big plans for the site and are excited to take FaithWriters to a new level. I strongly encourage you to check it out, specifically if you are a newer writer and are looking to meet some awesome people who can encourage you and help you grow in your craft.

FACEBOOK - Is there anyone who doesn't have a Facebook account? I love connecting with my friends and family through comments, status updates, and photos, don't you? I also love the platform it offers for my work. The one downside to Facebook is the temptation to waste lots of time I could be devoting to my writing. As you may know, discipline is not my strong suit. Still working on that! And now that I've discovered Pinterest, I may really be in trouble. Question for you: How much time do you spend every day on social networks?


FORTIES - Now that I'm in my forties (NOTE: early 40s), I'm starting to feel it. And let me tell you, I don't like it one bit.The other day, I was scrubbing the bathroom floor and my shoulder went out. I couldn't have been doing something fun to make it worth the pain. No. It had to be doing the most unfun thing ever. I've decided that either I need to start doing shoulder exercises or stop cleaning. Hmmm....such decisions.

FILM - Another sign I'm getting older is that my son will be graduating in May. Frightening! Because I posted about my daughter a couple weeks ago (See D is for Daughter), I thought I'd post a couple pics of my son Zach. He's passionate about Film and will be attending film school in the fall. His ultimate interest is directing and writing (cool, right?) Looking forward to sharing in his Fame and Fortune!

FICTION - Hello...Fiction is a huge part of my life, so of course I had to include it in my F-word list. Right now I'm working on book #2 in the Madi series. I'm about halfway done with Madily in Love, and my deadline is less than three months away. Which brings me to the next F word...

FREAKING OUT! (See previous F word)

FOCUS - The key to minimizing my Freak-Outs, is FOCUS. The dictionary describes "Focus" as  Close or narrow attention; concentration. Yep, that's what I need to do. Give my novel close attention! And I will. Just as soon as I finish the laundry, plan my son's graduation open house, play on Facebook and Pinterest, and watch the latest episode of Survivor. Kidding aside, my greatest focus needs to be on prayer, which I'll definitely need a lot of in order to meet my deadline.

Okay...I could go on, but that's enough F words for today. What F words are on the tip of your tongue today?

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Winner of The Baker's Wife and a Weekend Question

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for The Baker's Wife. It really is a wonderful book and I hope that those of you who didn't win will pick up a copy, either in print or for your e-reader. You can do that HERE.

I entered all of the names in an online random name picker and the machine selected a winner. Time to make Friday even better for someone. 

And that someone is...

JENNIFER!

Congrats, Jennifer! Your book's on its way!

And now I leave you with this comic and a question for the weekend:

Inquiring minds want to know: 

Do you dog-ear your pages or use bookmarks?

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