Musings from the Windowsill

CFBA Tour: Offworld

2009-07-27T20:28:00.001-05:00

Check out my post about the current offering from the CFBA tour: Offworld, by Robin Parrish.

My impressions of the new U2 album

2009-03-06T23:32:00.001-06:00

I've posted my impressions of the new U2 album No Line on the Horizon over here.

The musings are moving

2009-03-05T22:22:00.003-06:00

I'm moving my blogging over to a Word Press blog that I'm calling Observations from the Windowsill. Perhaps not a lot more original of a title than this one, but when I find a theme, I stick with it. :) I moved my devotions and other links to published things over there a while back and I like the interface. There's also lots of nice themes to choose from. This blog will remain in place for now (for some reason, my post about living in a small town still gets a lot of hits), but I may migrate the entries eventually.

I hope to be a little more focused in the new blog -- writing about what I'm reading, watching, listening to, and thinking about. (Maybe that's not really all that focused, but I like to think it is.) Anyway, if anyone is interested, that's where I'll be.

Classic mystery goodness

2009-02-12T20:26:00.003-06:00

One of the joys of my new computer (I got a Mac laptop back in November) is that I can take advantage of Netflix's "Watch Instantly" option. And lately I've been watching episodes from the first couple of seasons of Columbo, the classic TV show with Peter Falk. It holds up pretty well.

Columbo was originally part of a rotating set of programs on NBC -- if I remember correctly some of the other shows it alternated with were McMillan and Wife (with Rock Hudson and Susan St. James) and McCloud (with Dennis Weaver). I think there were a couple of others. But Columbo was my favorite. The series featured a different guest murderer every episode and the audience always knew who the murderer was from the start. The pleasure came in watching Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) solve the crime. He was always rumpled and untidy and drove an old junky car. He chewed on a cigar and didn't always seem like he was on top of things. But he was, of course. He seldom raised his voice, let alone chased anybody or got in fights, but he always caught the criminal.

Sure the show followed a formula, but it worked because of several things. One, of course, was Peter Falk. He was perfect and he had a great character to work with. Columbo was an everyman in a rumpled raincoat. When he met aging movie stars, he was starstruck (but it didn't keep him from arresting them). He was unfailingly polite. And he was shrewd. He didn't need to be brawny -- he had brains. He was middle-aged and that was OK.

But even a great actor has to have good material to work with. The writing elevated Columbo above the standard TV mystery fare of the day (or now, for that matter). The network gave the episodes about an hour and a half, so there was time to set up the story and time for some plot twists. Some episodes are better than others, but generally they're all pretty good. And when you watch the credits, you can see why the writing is so good -- among the writers and editors is Steven Bochco, and a few other familiar names from TV in the 1970s and 80s.

Of course, part of the fun of Columbo was watching some excellent guest stars almost get away with murder. There's a mix of TV stars of the era and older movie stars -- Robert Culp, Ray Milland, Jackie Cooper, Anne Baxter, Julie Newmar, Leonard Nimoy and many others. And they usually had good material to work with.

To top it all off, the series had excellent music, with a theme composed by Henry Mancini.

I watched one of the best I've seen so far a couple of days ago -- "Double Shock," from the second season. It stars Martin Landau as twin brothers who are as different as night and day, except for their mutual need for cash. Columbo steps in to investigate when their wealthy uncle is murdered. It's very good and kept some surprises for the end. And this was one of the episodes written by Steven Bochco (who created Hill Street Blues, another excellent cop show).

So, if you want to get the most out of your Netflix subscription and have a reasonably fast internet connection, enjoy some episodes of this classic mystery series. (And if you don't subscribe to Netflix, see if you can track down some DVDs of the series. It's definitely worth it.)

[Maybe this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the mystery novel I'm supposed to be revising this month, but I figure watching good mysteries from time to time is always good research. At least that's what I keep telling myself.]

February is for ...

2009-02-01T15:14:00.002-06:00

Writing. A friend of mine here likes to tackle a NaNo-like task (that's 50,000 words in a month) during February instead of November. A few of us have joined her in the effort this year and so today I'm starting a major rewrite of Secrets in Connors Grove. (That's the novel I wrote about 5 years ago and have fiddled around with off and on since then.)

I haven't done much writing for several months, but I want to get back into the groove again. I'm rusty and I figure 28 days of steady effort should help. I know this novel can be better than it is -- the characters need to be more real, the conflict needs to be less contrived, and the story can be tighter. I think I am a better writer than I was 5 years ago, so we'll see what I can do with it.

I may or may not post some word counts. We'll see.

Blog Tour: Parting the Waters

2009-01-27T20:34:00.002-06:00

Jeanne Damoff's book, Parting the Waters, is a wonderful testimony to a family's journey of faith. I've known Jeanne through the Faith in Fiction community and her regular posting at The Master's Artist, so I knew a bit of the story of her son Jacob. But in her book, she tells of Jacob's near-drowning and long recovery in more detail. And what struck me as I read it the other night (yes, in one sitting) was that it was not a kind of movie-of-the-week story for Christians. It's a story of a family dealing with tragedy and asking the hard questions about how God could let such a thing happen and facing their own grief for the future that was forever altered. Jeanne doesn't gloss over their doubts and fears. But she also shows how they do come to see how God works in surprising and even miraculous ways and can give thanks for his goodness.

Jeanne weaves the story well. She uses the metaphor of ripples in the water to show the far-reaching consequences of Jacob's accident. The reader walks with the Damoff family as they deal with all the challenges and decisions after the accident. We meet the people of Marshall, Texas, and the doctors and nurses and physical therapists who cared for Jacob. By the end of the book, you feel you're a part of the community. And you rejoice with each step Jacob takes toward recovery. And, most important, you'll marvel at how God has brought beauty out of tragedy and give thanks for his goodness.

This is a good book for anyone -- whether you've experienced a similar tragedy or not. But it will be especially meaningful for people who are facing difficult times and wondering where God is. Jeanne also includes a section at the end that deals more directly with the theology of suffering, which is helpful.

Others are posting this week about Parting the Waters and you can find a list here. Be sure to visit some.

You can also visit Jeanne's Facebook page and share your thoughts about the book (and see what others are saying).

it's finally quiet ...

2009-01-19T20:42:00.004-06:00

I'm babysitting for Kiernan for a few days, which is lots of fun, but exhausting. Add in a cocker spaniel puppy and I'm beat. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Right now, Kiernan's asleep (hopefully for the night) and Woody is napping. He'll have to go out again in a bit, but right now he's quiet in his crate, so I'm letting him be. It's the most quiet the house has been all day (which began about 5:30 this morning).

Woody is cute, but he gets so excited and jumps on Kiernan, which knocks the boy down, so I try to make sure Kiernan is in his high chair or play pen (or taking a nap) when I let Woody out of his crate. And Kiernan is 1 and walking and getting into everything, so I have to have him someplace safe while Woody goes out and does his business. (And of course, adding to the entertainment are the two cats, Franklin and Winston-- they stay clear of Woody, though, but they roam around at night and make odd noises.)

So above are a couple of pics: Woody attacking a stuffed fish and Kiernan with his toy mower (which we gave him for his birthday and it's very fun and noisy). He actually pulls it along behind him more than pushes it, but he seems to enjoy it all the same.

One year ago today ...

2009-01-12T20:26:00.002-06:00

We welcomed little Kiernan into the world. What a joy he's been. It's hard to believe he's a year old already. He's already walking and babbling and showing quite the personality. He's a sweetie, and he's fast, and he's busy. I get to go take care of him for a few days next week and I expect he'll keep me on my toes. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. As I've said before, being a grandma is the best thing ever.

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-22T21:09:00.003-06:00

As of 10:22 p.m. tonight, I'll be the mother of a 30-year-old. For some reason, it just doesn't seem like Julia should be 30 -- time slips away so fast.

Here are a couple of pictures:
In the upper picture, Julia is the child at the top of the group. (And I wasn't nearly as overwhelmed as I look in that picture.)

And of course, she is the mother of the adorable little boy in the next picture. I think her sparkling personality shows in both pictures.

I remember that when she was born, I was very happy, and very unsure of myself. I was terrified of giving her a bath. The first morning, when the nurses brought her to me, I looked at her and realized I had no idea how to take care of a baby (and this was after reading every baby book I could get my hands on). But then I realized she had never been a baby before, so she didn't know what to expect. I found that to be a comforting thought -- I didn't have to live up to anyone else's expectations of perfection, I could just do my best and be Julia's mother. She seems to have survived.

Now she's a mom herself, and I'm enjoying this new phase of our relationship. And I'm very proud of her -- as a woman, a wife, a mom and a lawyer.

Happy Birthday Julia!

Support fair trade music: Vote for NoiseTrade

2008-12-09T21:12:00.002-06:00

One of the best places to find music, NoiseTrade, is a finalist in the Mashable Open Web Awards. This is the second year that Mashable has recognized the 26 best web startups and services. They are competing with Last.fm and Pandora in the Music category. This is huge and it's time to show your support for NoiseTrade and the idea of fair trade music.

You can vote here, and you can vote again with a different e-mail address -- once per category per address every 24 hours. I think I've posted about NoiseTrade before -- one of the people behind it is Derek Webb and the site includes a growing number of artists offering their music in an innovative setting. Very cool, so show your support until Dec. 14.

Hands of Hope: Give the Gift of Life This Christmas

2008-11-30T22:01:00.004-06:00

Here's a different kind of blog tour ... (and FYI -- 100% of the money collected from the card sale goes to cost of providing chickens, goats and building wells; no administrative costs are deducted.)

Hands of Hope, a charity of Women Helping Women A World Away, isannouncing that their Holiday Gift Cards are available for purchase. These cards provide food, income and water for impoverished women and children in Zambia, Uganda, and

Southern Sudan. They can be purchased on the Hands of Hope website www.handsofhopeonline.org for $15.00, $30.00 and $50.00. Purchasing these cards will provide goats, chickens or wells to help change lives. What could be a more meaningful gift for holiday giving for family, friends, and customer appreciation?

Hands of Hope helps mobilize communities to respond to the needs of women and children

around the world. With an ever-expanding support base in the Chicago area, Hands of Hope

works to raise community awareness regarding poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa and its relevance globally. We are confident in the integrity of the channels we have established so that

contributions provide the highest possible impact for the most critical needs.

A Chicken Card will purchase a gift of twelve chicks and be given to an impoverished family in

Africa. As the flock multiplies, a struggling family will be given the hope to survive. Your gift will

help those in need for generations to come.

A Goat Card represents an actual goat being purchased for a needy family. Beyond providing

much needed milk, a few goats can quickly become a herd, providing sustenance and additional

income that can make the difference between whether a child goes to school or not.

A Well Card will go toward funding a well in the Western Province of Zambia. Statistics show that nearly half of all people in developing countries suffer from health related problems caused by unsafe water. In addition, African women and children spend several hours a day collecting water that is often miles away and may or may not be contaminated. This well will provide clean and safe drinking water and will go a long way to ease a heavy burden for hundreds of village people who struggle daily with basic physical needs.

Links: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org

The cards: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/goat.asp

Purchase cards: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/goat.asp#purchase

How HOH got their start: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/history.asp

Current Projects: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/ourwork.asp

Thoughts on faith and politics

2008-10-31T12:44:00.002-05:00

I don't think I've ever felt more conflicted about a presidential election than I have about this one. The level of invective and hysteria from supporters (even Christian supporters) of both main candidates is astonishing. I want to make a wise decision, but I'm finding it hard to filter out what I need to know. And then there's the fact that I live in the reddest of states -- it hardly matters if I vote at all (except locally).

One of the things that has always puzzled me is how Christians who believe fundamentally the same things can come to completely opposite conclusions about an issue. You see this all the time in theology, in how we address cultural issues, and in politics. I know sincere Christians who will vote for John McCain. I also know sincere Christians who will vote for Barak Obama. They have all approached the election seriously and with prayer. They read their Bibles and study where the candidates stand on the issues they care about and make their choices. Is one set of believers right and the other wrong? I don't think so. I think Romans 14 applies here -- to avoid passing judgment on a brother or sister who disagrees with you, and to follow your conscience. And guess what -- on Nov. 5 God will still be God.

We live in trying times. Of course I want to make a wise decision about who I vote for, but I have to remember that God is in charge and is working out his plan for the world.

What I hope for is that, no matter who is elected, Christians will exhibit love and respect for those they have disagreed with about politics. More than ever, the church needs to be the church -- the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.

Peace. And vote.

Random thoughts in no particular order

2008-10-16T12:19:00.003-05:00

My iGoogle homepage now has the left-hand column. I like it (though not everyone does). It lets me interact with my mail or my reader without having to open a new window. (Click on an item in the left column and the main window is devoted to that application, without navigating away from the page.) I can now share items in my Reader without having to actually open Reader -- great time saver. I tend to browse through my google homepage, so this is actually useful to me. I can skim through e-mail and delete items quickly. Pretty nifty.

I have lots of time to think while I'm riding on the van and here's a few thoughts:
• Small towns are good places to live, but so often get bogged down on quality-of-life issues that appear to cost too much money to deal with. Clay Center has one of the oldest Carnegie Library buildings in Kansas, a swimming pool that was built during the Depression, and an aging movie theater that has been partially restored. All of these things need attention, but we seem to lack the collective imagination to visualize a way to deal with them. The theater is in private hands, but run mostly by volunteers and is used by the community for concerts and events, as well as movies. But the library and the pool are public buildings and yet can't seem to find the funds needed for improvements or (in the case of the pool) rebuilding. I think part of the problem is that these facilities are not streets or water plants and so are assumed to be "optional." Believe me, if you want to keep families with children in your town, a pool and a library are not optional. And maybe neither is a functional theater.

• I've watched the debates this year. They haven't helped me make up my mind about who I'm going to vote for. I know which way I'm leaning, but I still feel conflicted. This is the ugliest election I can remember and I'll be glad when it's over.

• There are some Covenant bloggers I follow regularly, for example Randall Friesen, Brad Boydston and Scot McKnight. Now I've added Eugene Cho to that list. (Actually, I've read him for a while, but I finally got around to adding him to my google reader list.) He always has thoughtful, insightful comments about faith and living it out in this world.

TGIF

2008-09-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

A few things for a Friday:

Congratulations to my daughter Julia, who passed the Missouri bar and is being sworn in as an attorney today. She had a baby, finished law school, took her bar exam and passed all in the same year (and while she was still pregnant she received job offers from two law firms -- she works for one in KC now)!

New music from Andy Osenga: Letters to the Editor, II. Once again he took suggestions from fans and readers of his blog and wrote six great songs. You can download it for free or a for a donation. Great stuff.

I like Bono.

I also like Randall's pictures of Prince Albert (in Canada) in the fall -- wow! Be sure to follow the link to his Flickr set.

CFBA Tour: Merciless, by Robin Parrish

2008-08-20T07:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a book I've been looking forward to for a long time. My take on it is below the author and book info.

Merciless by Robin Parrish

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Merciless
(Bethany House - July 1, 2008)
by
Robin Parrish

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract.

More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.

One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.

In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless. A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and this year, 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.

Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The world as we know it has ENDED.
DEATH and CHAOS creep across the globe and only the POWERLESS can RISE UP to stop it.

But can anything stop the onslaught of the DARKWORLD

From the earth's depths crawls a figure with skin like granite, flames for eyes, and the face of Grant Borrows.
Oblivion has arrived.

Every clock around the world has stopped. Time has frozen.

The Secretum have fulfilled the prophecy, unleashing on earth the most powerful being to walk the earth in thousands of years. His name is Oblivion and his touch is death.

He can't be slowed.
He can't be stopped.
And he can't be killed.

But as long as any live who trust in hope and love and freedom, the fight is not over.

They have only one chance before he brings forth the Darkworld.

Oblivion is: Merciless

If you would like to read the first chapter of Merciless, go HERE

Last year, when I finished Fearless, I really couldn't see where the story was headed. So, I started Merciless with a pretty open mind about what would happen next. And boy, I was not disappointed. What a ride. From the opening scenes, Robin Parrish takes the reader on a harrowing journey through darkness and chaos. At times, I wondered how he was going to resolve the story, but in the end, he did, and pretty satisfactorily, too. If you've ever wondered what the world would look like if evil was really let loose, Merciless offers a pretty convincing vision of the possibility. It's hard to talk too much about the plot without major spoilers, but I'll just say that though the story goes to some very dark places, hope and redemption awaits.

With his Dominion Trilogy, Robin Parrish has attempted something quite ambitious -- crafting a new mythology for a post-modern generation. I think he's succeeded. These are good stories, full of truth, but told in a way that is accessible to people from lots of different backgrounds, not only Christians.

Because any day is better with a picture of Kiernan

2008-08-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

There's our boy smiling big. I went and helped a few weekends ago while Julia studied for her bar exam. I know, it was a tough job, but somebody has to do it. (the babysitting, I mean)

We had a good time, Julia got in some good studying and even a date with her husband. (And the bar exam is done and she is greatly relieved.)

A sign of the apocalypse?

2008-08-11T15:26:00.002-05:00

Two quirks of my family:
1) We haven't watched the Olympics in years because the two stations we could get with the rabbit ears didn't carry them. But now we have cable and so that has changed.
2) Our three younger sons have no interest in televised sports.

So imagine my astonishment yesterday morning when I went into the living room and Joel was watching the U.S. men's soccer game.

What I'm reading ...

2008-08-07T11:46:00.002-05:00

I have eclectic tastes in reading, and usually have multiple books going at once. I've been reading some good stuff lately, so I thought I'd share:

His Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik. I saw a review of the newest book in the series and thought it sounded like something I would enjoy, so I started with the first one. I was right -- I really enjoyed it. The stories are set during the Napoleonic wars, and the twist is that all the countries have, besides armies and navies, dragons! It's very cool, sort of Master & Commander meets Pern, but different. Novik writes consistent with the style of the era, her characters' attitudes reflect that time, and her descriptions and characterizations are vivid. Now that I've finished the first one, I can't wait to get hold of the next book in the series and see what happens to Temeraire (the dragon) and Will Laurence, his aviator.

The River at the Center of the World, by Simon Winchester. Back about 1995, Winchester took a voyage of the Yangtzee and this book is his account. It's also a voyage through Chinese history and it's fascinating. This is one of his earlier books, but I picked up a recent reprint this summer and I'm enjoying it (I haven't finished it yet).

Graphic Discovery: A Trout in the Milk and Other Visual Adventures, by Howard Wainer. I found this book about the development of information graphics when I was looking for a book by Edward Tufte in the K-State library. I suppose it's more of a textbook, but Wainer's style is engaging and the subject interests me. I deal with charts and graphs in my work and have always been interested in them. This book, along with Tufte's work (such as The Visual Display of Quantitative Information) are good explications of the subject.

Coming up is Merciless, by Robin Parrish, the final installment of his Dominion trilogy. I'm eager to get into this. I also just bought Water for Elephants, which everyone tells me is an excellent book, and The Jesus Creed, a book I've been meaning to read for a long time.

Derek Webb is offering a new way to acquire music

2008-07-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

Derek Webb has started a new initiative called NoiseTrade to distribute music in a new way. You can choose to download music after recommending it to three friends, or you can pay whatever you want for it. This is how the e-mail I got today puts it:

It was through the support and success you gave the Mockingbird experiment that inspired Derek, with the help of a few friends, to start NoiseTrade. Now any artist can freely distribute their music online, via NoiseTrade's remarkable and embeddable widget, offering fans the choice to tell 3 friends or to pay any amount in exchange for an immediate download.

Derek concludes, "If artists and fans realized how they could help each other and started making direct connections, without a middleman, the whole industry would change overnight. It would start a revolution."

Rather than over-charging for music, we want to let you choose your price or will give you the record for free in exchange for a little help. NoiseTrade believes it's time to stop applying the old rules to a new world. If we can work together, an environment is created for the long-term benefit of both fans and artists.

I think it's a good idea from a ground-breaking artist.

Sailing on a tall ship

2008-07-03T10:17:00.001-05:00

When I was in Michigan I went with my group (the Ace Leadership Institute) on the tall ship Manitou in Traverse Bay. Very fun. Here's proof (video by Jeff Hino, of Oregon State):

Choose the high quality option (it didn't embed very well, so I'm linking). I'm the person who more or less introduces the ship.

Impressions: 'So Brave, Young and Handsome'

2008-06-27T15:53:00.003-05:00

I read Leif Enger's new novel, So Brave, Young and Handsome, this week. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I had hoped to. That's probably not fair, but you see I loved Peace Like a River so much and was really looking forward to this novel. Of course, even a somewhat disappointing effort by Enger is still many times better than my best effort, so this is all relative. Still, here goes:

The narrator of the story, Monte Becket, is a writer in Minnesota in 1915. He's written one bestseller and has spent the five years since writing and discarding seven tries at another novel. He's getting pretty discouraged and it comes as no surprise when he agrees to accompany a vagabond named Glendon Hale on a quest to find Hale's long-lost love. The journey takes them through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico -- all the way to California. Along the way they encounter some colorful characters, including a former Pinkerton's agent who wants to arrest Hale for an old crime. Before the end, both Monte and Hale will change, and lots of things happen.

The journey is significant in the story's development, but it also suffers from the problem shared by a lot of road stories -- it becomes a little disjointed, a series of incidents in each successive location. This is hardly a fatal flaw, but at times I found myself peeking ahead, which is not usually a good sign with me. It means I'm getting a little bored.

I think the main problem for me, the reason I feel a bit disappointed, is that the narrator never quite engaged me. Monte is certainly involved in the story, but his voice comes across somewhat detached. I don't know how it could be fixed, but at the most exciting moments of crisis the narrator's tone seems to fall a little short. The result was a story that could be put down and taken up again another day. (When I'm really engaged in a story, I can't put it down.) I'm not sure I was completely pulled into the world of the story.

I don't want to be completely negative about this book because it is a well-written story. Enger has a wonderful vocabulary and he sets the scenes well. Monte sounds like a (fairly well educated) person of his era. Enger gives a good sense of a time when the old West was fading, but still visible in places. The plot takes some unexpected turns -- one good thing about a road story (anything can happen on the road). I liked the ending, which is more satisfying as I reflect on it than it felt when I was reading it.

Like I said, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it, especially if you enjoy Enger's style of writing. It's an entertaining tale with some meat to it. It's just not Peace Like a River. But then, why should it be?

Listening to ...

2008-06-27T15:50:00.002-05:00

Nine Lives by Steve Winwood. Excellent album. It's all good, in a kind of jazzy style, but the outstanding track is "Dirty City," featuring Eric Clapton on guitar. It sizzles. Winwood gets better with age.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2008-06-25T08:57:00.003-05:00

Today is my son Sam's 22nd birthday. The picture was from a family gathering a few weeks ago -- he's actually smiling. (He doesn't usually like having his picture taken, but maybe Kiernan softened him up.)

So happy birthday, Sam.

Should travel really be this hard?

2008-06-20T12:09:00.003-05:00

The "hard" part of the title does not refer to the picture. This is sunset over the West Bay of Grand Traverse Bay, from my hotel window in Traverse City, Mich. I think it turned out pretty good. Traverse City is a lovely town and has a great bookstore, Horizon Books. I was there last week for a conference and enjoyed it.

No, the hard part was getting there and getting home. We were supposed to fly out of Kansas City at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 8 (United Flight 682). We were to change planes in Chicago (O'Hare) and arrive in Traverse City around 3:30 that afternoon.

Unfortunately, June 8 was the day that Chicago was pummeled with severe thunderstorms and we weren't even allowed to take off. I was fine with that. After a short while, our plane pulled back up to a gate and we were allowed to get on and off. It became considerably more tiresome, though, as hours passed and we still weren't able to leave Kansas City. The gate areas at KCI have sandwich kiosks and restrooms, so it's not like we were stuck on a plane with no food or drink or clean restrooms. But by mid-afternoon, the sandwich kiosk was getting pretty empty. Our pilot gave us updates as he had information, but it wasn't much. Finally, a little after 4 p.m. they said we could take off and our plane taxied out to the runway and we were first in line. And then our pilot came on again and said "You won't believe this, but an indicator light just came on." He said it was something that needed to be fixed and we headed back to the gate. And then, after probably another 20 or 30 minutes, we were told the crew had worked as long as they were able to legally do so and they couldn't find another crew and we were all getting off the plane. That's when the fun really began.

Let me be clear -- I don't want to fly into a thunderstorm on a plane with a dicey engine. I can understand weather and mechanical delays. Up to this point, I think most of us on the plane recognized this and knew it was beyond our control and mostly beyond the airline's control. There were families with small children and even a little dog and nobody was going ballistic or crying.

But when we got off the plane, the communication from airline folks mostly stopped. There seemed to be poor communication between the crew on the plane and the employees at the ticket counter. We got our luggage back and got in line to find out what was going to happen next. And we stood in that line, barely moving for long stretches, for 2 1/2 hours. At first we were told that it was a weather-related delay and we were on our own. Then they said that since we were told it was mechanical the airline would provide hotel vouchers and we would be automatically booked on the earliest flight out in the morning. We got this information pretty quickly, but then all communication stopped and we just stood there in the really long, non-moving line and wondered why on earth it was taking so long to issue hotel vouchers. Some of the slowness was people trying to change arrangements because the morning flight wouldn't work. Some of it was short-staffing. (Sunday in KCI is not a day with full staffing, believe me.) Of course they had to take care of passengers for other flights that evening. But I was not impressed with the quality of United's customer service.

I have a lot of sympathy for people with thankless jobs, but a few things could have helped, such as:
Asking us to wait in a separate area.
Opening up another line or two as soon as possible (some people did go to other lines eventually, which forced the ticket agents to take care of them).
Maybe dividing us up into our boarding groups to deal with the situation.
They could have asked the people who needed to make different arrangements to get in a different line so they could handle them separately, instead of slowing everyone's progress.

Keeping 200 people standing in line for 2 1/2 hours is not good public relations.

Eventually, we did get our hotel vouchers (it was after 7:30 when I got mine) -- a lot of us ended up at the Howard Johnson's. Our van driver told us all about his hangover and how he wasn't supposed to be at work that day but he got called in. Some of us ate in the little restaurant, which had one surly waitress. Then we got up at 3 a.m. to take the hotel van (at 4) back to the airport. The ticket counter doesn't open until 4:45, and it couldn't have been plainer that the morning crew had no idea what was waiting for them. Again, I think it could have been handled in a more organized fashion. It's a wonder we all made the 5:45 a.m. flight because it was getting kind of chaotic at the counter. United has check-in kiosks, but they're right beside the counters and the lines get all mixed up and traffic does not flow smoothly at all.

Once we got through the check-in, though, the trip got better. We made it to Chicago in time, they let the Traverse City passengers off first since we had about 30 minutes to change planes, we made it to our next flight and made it to Traverse City just fine. My luggage all arrived with me, but quite a few people didn't get theirs until the next day.

Lots of people at the conference had travel troubles because of the Chicago weather. But even when the weather in Chicago is fine, O'Hare is prone to delays, as I discovered on my way home last Sunday. Once again, United didn't distinguish itself in the customer service department. The Traverse City airport is small and the airlines don't have a large staff there. Earlier in the afternon, some flights had been canceled and the ticket agents spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with the problems while the line backed up. I stood in line for an hour because of that. (I think one more staff person, or a better division of staff efforts, could have helped.) But I did get through and got on my 6 p.m. flight fine. But when I got to Chicago, my 9 p.m. flight was delayed until 11 p.m. so I didn't get back to Kansas City until 12:45 a.m. It made for a very long day.

Maybe I've just been really lucky, or maybe I don't fly that much, but this is the first time I've had anything like this happen to me. But the whole situation makes me wonder if it's really worth it to fly. I'll think twice before I fly with United again, and probably think three times before I get a flight that routes through O'Hare.

Maybe travel isn't supposed to be easy; maybe we were spoiled during that brief era when air travel was comfortable and easy. If it's uncomfortable and expensive and unreliable, maybe we won't fly so much. For most of history, travel was dangerous and left to adventurers. Now, at least in most developed nations, we think of easy travel as a right and get upset when it's hard. But I wonder if at some point the inconveniences of air travel will outweigh the benefits. I don't know -- I'm just thinking on the page. What I do know is that later this year I have to take a couple of trips -- one to Colorado and one to Atlanta -- and I'm thinking about driving instead of flying.

A season of change

2008-06-05T12:50:00.003-05:00

I've been a sporadic blogger for several months (or longer) and I don't see that changing soon, though if my planned technology upgrade at home goes through I'll be able to do this a little easier.

But it's not just the blogging. I haven't written anything substantive in months. I have been thinking and I've done some planning on a rewrite of a novel I wrote a few years ago. It would be a major rewrite, though, and I haven't figured it all out yet.

But there's more. Today a story I submitted to the next issue of Coach's Midnight Diner was rejected. If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit I'm not surprised. It's just not good enough and it was lacking in other ways.

I'm not sitting here feeling sorry for myself, or vowing to never write again. That's just silly. But what I do need to do is figure out how I'm going to do this writing thing and develop some discipline about it. There are other disciplines I need to work on -- spiritual disciplines -- and I think that has something to do with the creative drought.

Add in that our youngest will be off to college in a couple of months and another one of our boys is probably moving out (and to another state) before then, and it means I'm not going to be blogging much this summer.

I hope that by fall I'll have a plan in place to do some regular writing and can better focus the direction of this blog. Till then, have a great summer. Oh, here's a couple of pictures of Kiernan because I think any blog post is better with a picture of Kiernan.

In honor of the season ...

2008-06-04T11:07:00.001-05:00

You Are a Hot Fudge Sundae

Classic, simple, and divine.

Why mess with perfection?

What Kind of Sundae Are You?

Graduations

2008-05-15T16:11:00.003-05:00

This is a big weekend for our family. We have two graduations: our oldest from law school and our youngest from high school. (How's that for timing.)

Here's the two graduates a couple of weeks ago: Julia (holding Kiernan) and Joel.

We're so proud of both of them.

How well do you know Prince Caspian?

2008-05-14T13:05:00.002-05:00

In honor of the new Prince Caspian movie opening this week, they've got a quiz online to see how well you know the story. I did very well -- I'm a Centaur.

“[Glenstorm] was a prophet and a star-gazer, and he knew what they had come about. ‘I watch the skies, Badger, for it is mine to watch, as it is yours to remember.”

Like Glenstorm, you are strong in character and knowledge. You are truly an authority on Prince Caspian! Congratulations, your vast understanding of the tale has earned you the highest of honors.

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-13T15:53:00.003-05:00

The smiley guy holding Kiernan is Tim, who is 20 today. He was a happy baby and he's grown up to be a happy young man. He has a knack for making friends and looks out for them, which is a lot of why we have so many extra "kids." Tim invites them into our home and into our family and our lives are richer because of it. So happy birthday Tim!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T12:50:00.004-05:00

This is a special Mother's Day for us, as this picture attests. That's 4 generations: my mother, my daughter and her son, and me. (the picture was taken at Easter)

It was just before Mother's Day a year ago that Julia told us they were expecting and we're so glad that Kiernan is here and healthy. Julia and Mike are wonderful parents. And my mom and I are thrilled to be grandma and great-grandma.

And I want to send a big congratulations out to my brother Jim, who received his master's in worship ministry yesterday -- and he graduated with honors. I'm so proud of him -- this is a big accomplishment.

Quote of the day

2008-05-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a great quote:

Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
- Flannery O'Connor

Music and books and U2, oh my!

2008-04-30T12:40:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago eMusic.com wooed me back with 75 free songs, so I have joyfully added to my collection:
• A bunch of stuff by Andrew Osenga, including Photographs, Souvenirs & Postcards, and The Morning. It's all good. The more I listen to him, the better I like his music. His story songs remind me of John Mellencamp or Springsteen (more Mellencamp than Springsteen, though). A lot of his newest is more acoustic and I really like that. His music is informed by his faith, but it's not all "worship" music (but Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates is an awesome song to worship to, though I can't quite picture us singing it in church ...). Anyway, it's great.
• I don't know what it is about guys named Andrew (or Andy) -- I also got a couple of albums by a Topeka guitarist named Andy McKee. Again, this is great stuff. He has some incredible videos on YouTube. It's good instrumental music to listen to in the evening. (The albums I got were Dreamcatcher and Gates of Gnomeria.)
• Music by another Andrew -- Bird, that is. I got Armchair Apocrypha. Andrew Bird is more of an acquired taste, but this is a good album.
• Thanks to the Rabbit Room guys, I discovered a new group (to me) and got some of their songs -- The Weepies. I got part of Say I am You (I was running out of picks for this month or I would have gotten the whole album). I like it. I think I would like more of their music.
I've also downloaded some other stuff -- individual songs from a few different artists, but the above listed albums are the highlights.

I have become a fan of Nada Surf -- I already had a song or two of theirs and have recently added The Weight is a Gift to my collection. Their kind of poppy modern rock is fun to listen to and you don't have to be 20 to enjoy it.

I will also recommend the soundtrack of Once -- great movie, great music. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova wrote the music and starred in the movie and it's a perfect marriage of artistry, if you ask me.

I think I mentioned books in the title -- I just got Rethinking Worldview by J. Mark Bertrand. I've just started it, and there's a lot to absorb. I like Mark's approach to the subject, though, and I think I'll learn a lot as I read it.

Finally, U2. In my blog reading this morning, Jeffrey Overstreet pointed his readers to this post about U2's Elevation tour and I discovered the incredible, goose-bump inducing video contained therein.
Here it is -- Enjoy:

CFBA Tour: Winter Haven

2008-04-23T08:06:00.003-05:00

I'm back to blogging today with a plug for a book I really enjoyed: Winter Haven, by Athol Dickson. Here are the links, along with a bit about the author and the cover blurb. After that I'll give my take on the book.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Winter Haven
(Bethany House April 1, 2008)
by
Athol Dickson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Athol Dickson's university-level training in painting, sculpture, and architecture was followed by a long career as an architect then his decision several years ago to devote full time to writing.

Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler (Publisher’s Weekly), Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, FaithfulReader.com) and FlanneryO’Connor (The New York Times).

His They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist and his River Rising was a Christy Award winner, selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006 and a finalist for Christianity Today's Best Novel of 2006.

He and his wife, Sue, live in Southern California. Visit AtholDickson.com for more information.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Boys who never age, giants lost in time, mist that never rises, questions never asked...on the most remote of islands off the coast of Maine, history haunts the present and Vera Gamble wrestles with a past that will not yield. Will she find refuge there, or will her ghosts prevail on...Winter Haven

Eleven years ago, Vera Gamble's brother left their house never to be seen again. Until the day Vera gets a phone call that his body has been found...washed ashore in the tiny island town of Winter Haven, Maine. His only surviving kin, Vera travels north to claim the body...and finds herself tumbling into a tangled mystery. Her brother hasn't aged a day since last she saw him.

Determined to uncover what happened in those lost years, Vera soon discovers there are other secrets lurking in this isolated town. But Winter Haven's murky past now seems bound to come to light as one woman seeks the undeniable and flooding light of truth.

What I thought: I've been a fan of Athol Dickson's writing since I read River Rising a couple of years ago. The man has a gift for setting the scene and approaching a story from unexpected directions. While I'm not sure that Winter Haven is quite the same quality as River Rising, it's still a very good book. Dickson turns his attention to a remote island off the coast of Maine and the secrets it holds. It's a place where nothing is what it seems to be and the reader, along with Vera Gamble, must discern what is true and what is false. A lot of the suspense hangs on perspective and it works well. I thought the resolution came a little too easily, but it was still satisfying.

I found that Winter Haven stayed with me after I read it, and I suspect it will stay with you, too. Along with a good suspense story (with a healthy helping of romance), Dickson explores themes of truth, trust, and dealing with the past. It's a page-turner (I read it in one sitting) with some meat to it. That's a rare accomplishment for a writer and part of what makes Athol Dickson one of the best writers of fiction (of any genre) around.

National Champs!

2008-04-08T12:33:00.000-05:00

KU won the men's basketball championship last night in overtime. Yay 'Hawks!

Friday links

2008-04-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

Scot McKnight (and his readers) celebrate three years of the Jesus Creed blog.

There is a glimmer of hope for the Kansas City Royals.

Go 'Hawks!

A very good book: Winter Haven by Athol Dickson (more about it later this month).

Boundaries

2008-04-02T12:27:00.003-05:00

I want to call your attention to some good posts that deal with Christian response to art. It's an issue I've thought about a lot, maybe because I often see God's fingerprints in the oddest places (Buffy, anyone?). Most recently, I loved the movie Once, but I find myself recommending it to fellow believers with cautionary words about the language. Others have written better words about this, so check these entries out:
Once, at Decompose
He said a wordy dird, at The Rabbit Room
Sin in movies -- see the heart of art, also at The Rabbit Room
Both of The Rabbit Room posts call attention to "heart" issues and the need for individual discernment. I appreciate the emphasis on recognizing the beauty in the world, wherever we find it.

I really think that our response to the world's art should be more than a list of words and actions to avoid. Too often, though, that's what Christian movie and music reviews revolve around. At the same time, we need to be aware that people are responding to art from different places in their own faith journeys. So I suppose we do need to mention things that might be stumbling blocks for some. I just hope that isn't the only criteria we use for evaluating art.

One more link, in a different but somewhat related vein: A Market for Science Fiction/Fantasy, at Forensics & Faith. Brandilyn Collins posts the comments of another author about the obstacles to publishing this genre by Christian publishing houses. It kind of comes back to the same issue -- science fiction and fantasy crosses some lines for some Christians and publishers seem to find that an obstacle. The market is changing, and there are some good comments on the post about that.

A little googley April 1 fun

2008-04-01T16:41:00.003-05:00

There's a certain geeky charm to Google's April 1 offerings (and evidence of people with way too much time on their hands):
Custom time
Google wake up kit (if only it were so for certain hard to rouse children)
Virgle -- Virgin and Google combine for a Mars mission. Criteria include "inadequate Google and Virgin personal performance reviews."

Some Friday stuff

2008-03-28T13:26:00.002-05:00

Julia and I took Kiernan to meet his great-grandparents (my parents) last week and we had a good trip. He's very cute and he loved both his great-grandparents, but especially great-grandpa.

I've watched some good movies recently. This week it was Dan in Real Life, with Steve Carell -- a sweet movie and I enjoyed it. It's a little uneven but overall a good movie.
I also recently rented the final cut version of Blade Runner -- it's very good and visually stunning. It had been a very long time since I had seen the original version, so it was really like seeing it for the first time. Harrison Ford is, of course, excellent, but I was really impressed by Rutger Hauer's performance. Yes, it's dark and violent and weird, but it's also brilliant.
Another good movie -- a documentary -- is Helvetica. I have a fondness for typography, but even if you aren't interested in typography itself you might like this. The film uses the history of the font to also illustrate the developments in graphic design during the last 50 years. I thought it was really interesting.

10 things about me

2008-03-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

Megan tagged me, so now I need to tell 10 things about myself:

1 I am fairly well addicted to American Idol and college basketball.

2 I really, really wish I could see Kiernan more often.

3 I love being a grandma.

4 I’m in love with my husband, especially when he makes me laugh.

5 I feel really victorious when I accomplish a writing goal (which I haven't done much of lately).

6 I would read and listen to music and write 24 hours a day if I could.

7 I surf the Web way too many times a day.

8 I’ve been trying to lose 20 more pounds (and I have a long way to go).

9 Aside from the goals I’ve already reached in my life, I want to know Jesus better.

10 I really love the library.

Oh goodness, who to tag. How about: Chris.

March column

2008-03-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

I've posted my March column: Longing for Spring.

There's no place like home ...

2008-03-12T16:11:00.002-05:00

My hometown/county has a new Web site. If you hit refresh, you'll see different pictures of people and places and the little chair in the upper left corner will change. Farther down the page, under Featured News is a link to a 30-second television spot. I think the project (Web site and tv spot) was handled by the chamber of commerce or economic development organization. They did a pretty good job with this. At the very least, it makes a nice first impression.

Tuesday music and more

2008-03-11T15:26:00.003-05:00

I've had a cold again and not blogged for a while, but here's some links to catch up with.

I clicked on a New York Times article the other day and discovered Eisa Davis -- a singer, songwriter, actor and playwright -- when her songs started playing when the article opened. I liked her music so much I decided I needed it, so I'm listening to her debut album "Something Else" right now. She has a beautiful warm voice and her music has been described as "stripped down soul with flecks of Joni Mitchell." Her songs feature her own piano-playing, with some drums and guitar in the background -- it's a wonderful sound.

This is an older article from the Times, but it's an interesting look at the demographic landscape as reflected in the most common surnames.

If you are as annoyed by misplaced quotation marks as I am, you'll want to check this out. (found via jen's blog)

Here's a wonderful tribute to Gary Gygax complete with a flow chart of geekdom.

And, finally, the peace symbol is 50! The article gives a succinct history of the design.

R.I.P.

2008-03-04T12:54:00.002-06:00

Larry Norman -- the Christian rock pioneer paved the way for a lot of the music I loved when I first discovered Christian rock (and I sang "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" many many times at camp). I was sorry to hear last week that he had died, but he left a legacy and witness that will live long after his time on this earth. His joy in Jesus always came through, no matter what his circumstances.

Jeff Healey -- If all you know of Jeff Healey was his hit "Angel Eyes" then you need to do yourself a favor and find some of his other work. He was an incredibly talented blues guitarist and died too soon (last weekend) at age 41. His album "Cover to Cover" is surprisingly good, considering it's covers of other material. But then, a lot of his covers are better than the originals (for example "Stuck in the Middle with You"). And I have a live set from Montreaux in 1999 that includes an absolutely blistering version of "My Guitar Gently Weeps."

Because Kiernan makes me smile ...

2008-02-27T11:11:00.003-06:00

Kiernan and Grandpa

Kiernan and mommy

Kiernan smiles

2008-02-25T13:05:00.003-06:00

Kiernan smiles now. This isn't a real big grin, but he seemed pretty happy to see his grandpa. We got to spend a little time with him Saturday and it's so fun to see how he's grown. (By the way, Kiernan was six weeks old Saturday.)

More random goodness

2008-02-22T12:42:00.002-06:00

Here's a couple of easy ways to do something good:
The Oxfam America Collegiate Click Drive. Find your college in the list, or sign up your college in the list, or pick one of the colleges on the list. Then click twice a day to generate donations to fight poverty.
Another hunger fighting site is Free Rice. Sponsors donate rice through the UN World Food Program when you get vocabulary words right. This is addictive.

Did you know that, very likely in your own county, is a repository of useful information? I'm not talking about the library (though that's also a handy resource), I'm talking about your Extension office. And now there's a national portal to Extension: eXtension. It's a growing resource for research-based information on a wide range of topics. And you can type in your zip code to locate the Extension office nearest you. (I don't usually mix work with this blog, but I think the eXtension project is neat and K-State Research and Extension has had a good bit of involvement in it. I even helped edit a few articles.)

National Grammar Day is March 4. Word geeks rejoice.

In related news, a New York City public servant has been recognized for his correct use of a semicolon. (And be sure to read the appended correction.)

CFBA Tour: My Name is Russell Fink

2008-02-14T12:11:00.002-06:00

This is one of the books I've been looking forward to this year, so I'm really ashamed to admit I haven't read it yet. But I will (and when I do I'll write more about it). I've read other stories of Mike's and I love his voice. I don't expect to be disappointed and I'll bet you won't be either. In the meantime, here's the basic info:

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
My Name is Russell Fink
Zondervan (March 1, 2008)
by
Michael Snyder

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Snyder has spent the bulk of his professional career in sales, has fallen in love, and continues to struggle with the balance between art and vocation. He's never investigated a murder, much less that of an allegedly clairvoyant dog.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Russell Fink is twenty-six years old and determined to salvage a job he hates so he can finally move out of his parents house for good. He's convinced he gave his twin sister cancer when they were nine years old. And his crazy fiancée refuses to accept the fact that their engagement really is over.

Then Sonny, his allegedly clairvoyant basset hound, is found murdered.

The ensuing amateur investigation forces Russell to confront several things at once-the enormity of his family's dysfunction, the guy stalking his family, and his long-buried feelings for a most peculiar love interest.

At its heart, My Name is Russell Fink is a comedy, with sharp dialogue, characters steeped in authenticity, romance, suspense, and fresh humor. With a postmodern style similar to Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland, the author explores reconciliation, forgiveness, and faith in the midst of tragedy. No amount of neurosis or dysfunction can derail God's redemptive purposes.

Enger fans rejoice

2008-02-12T12:43:00.000-06:00

Leif Enger's new book So Brave, Young and Handsome comes out in May. Mick Silva posted a bit about it and you can find it on Amazon. I loved Peace Like a River so I'm looking forward to this one.

Friday randomness

2008-02-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

Proof Kansas is not flat: Kansas Geological Survey photos
Absurd British humor: Bunny
Another good blog by a pastor (with cartoons): nakedpastor
The cutest baby ever

Random thoughts on a snowy day

2008-01-31T12:23:00.000-06:00

A couple of updates: I've posted my January and February newsletter columns on my writing site. I like them. If you've never visited my other blog, is mostly an archive of various things I've written, including all the columns I've written for my church newsletter. I've thought at different times that it might be interesting to gather them into some sort of collection, but then maybe they wouldn't be that interesting to other people.

I swear this has been the longest political season ever. But we are finally in the actual election year itself. I've never been comfortable with the mixing of religion and politics, but I live in a part of the country where it is almost assumed that if you're a Christian you're a conservative Republican. So I regularly get those forwarded e-mails from nice well-meaning people all about the horrors our country would face if some particular candidate (inevitably a Democrat) were to be elected. (A few minutes with snopes.com would probably save you a lot of time, folks.) But my point isn't to rebut every nasty political rumor. Like I said, look it up yourself. No, a thought occured to me the other day : Politics is not the Gospel. No political candidate can usher in the Kingdom of God. Even more important, no political candidate can stop the Kingdom of God.

Think about it.

Where I've been ...

2008-01-28T17:31:00.000-06:00

I got to spend some time with my grandson (and daughter and son-in-law) last week and took pictures of Kiernan. I do think he's beautiful. Even when he hides. (He was asleep like that, but maybe he'd had enough pictures, too.)

30 years and counting ...

2008-01-21T14:39:00.001-06:00

Thirty years ago today, Bob and I said "I do," in the presence of a fair number of family and friends. It was not an elaborate or expensive wedding, but it was very fun. I don't have a wedding picture handy, but this is pretty much what we looked like back then. We have changed a bit. But we still make each other laugh and we are still thankful that God brought us together. Through his grace we've weathered some storms and our bond is stronger.

Here's to the adventure of the next 30 years!

Classic rock at its best

2008-01-18T13:01:00.001-06:00

Back in the mid-1970s my friend Rebecca introduced me to the music of Joe Walsh. By far our favorite album was a solo effort from 1972: Barnstorm. I wore out the vinyl long ago. For some unfathomable reason, it has not been available on CD until now. When I happened upon it on Amazon last week, I called my husband and asked if it was OK to order it. Being a wise man, he said yes.

It came Wednesday and I have to say, it has held up well. It's definitely an album to listen to as an album. Each song flows to the next one and the cumulative effect is wonderful -- and it's layered with musical texture. (It's a great album to listen to on headphones.) It's a hard album to classify -- yes, it rocks out (this is Joe Walsh, after all), but you'll find some jazzy elements (Joe Vitale's flute solos, for example), prog rock in the classic ARP synthesizers, and hints of country. It has it's soft, melodic side, but also a bit of Walsh's biting irony.

Sometimes an album from one's high school and college days doesn't live up to one's memories of it. I'm glad that's not my experience with Barnstorm. If anything, I appreciate the musicianship even more. If all you know of Joe Walsh is Rocky Mountain Way or his work with the Eagles, give this album a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

CFBA Tour: Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008

2008-01-16T12:48:00.000-06:00

If you're at all interested in writing for Christian magazines or looking for a potential publisher for the novel sitting on your hard drive, then this is an essential resource. Sally Stuart has been putting together this guide for more than 20 years, so she knows what she's talking about. And her guide includes new things every year -- this year's edition even features a section on blogging. So check out The Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008 or visit Sally's new marketing blog.

Welcome Kiernan!

2008-01-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

We were so excited and happy to be able to welcome Kiernan David Gaughan, born Saturday Jan. 12, 2008, at 6:48 a.m. He weighed 6 lbs., 5 oz. and is 19.5 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful. Julia and Mike are the proud parents and, as you can see, Bob and I are pretty proud grandparents.

Weekly update ...

2008-01-11T08:07:00.000-06:00

No baby. After getting us all excited on New Year's Day, he's decided he wants to think about this whole birth thing. But if he doesn't arrive this weekend, he has a date with destiny on Monday.

Meanwhile, I watched a really good movie this week: Once. It's a little independent film -- a musical -- set in Ireland. It stars Glen Hansard, of the Irish band the Frames, as a street musician/vacuum cleaner repairman, and Marketa Irglova as a girl who sells flowers. They meet and make beautiful music together, though with a bittersweet ending. What I loved about this movie, besides the great music, was how real it seemed. I felt very much like I was there with the characters. It's a quiet movie, in a lot of ways, with the most intense emotion being expressed in the music. Hansard and Irglova are real musicians and wrote the music for the movie. The songs tell a lot of the story and flow naturally from what's happening -- music is their language and part of the fabric of their lives. I like that the characters aren't rich, either. In one scene, the girl raids her daughter's piggy bank to get batteries for a cd player so she can listen to the rest of the guy's songs. She whispers to her sleeping daughter "I'll pay you back." Then she goes out to get the batteries and you see her walking back home, in her robe and fuzzy slippers, singing along with the music. It's sublime.

If you're not good with accents, you might want to watch with the subtitles on, since the sound is often rather quiet and they are all Irish or Czech. The movie is rated R because of the frequent dropping of the F-bomb, especially early on. But that's the only reason. It's a lovely, sweet movie and I recommend it. (It's one of Jeffrey Overstreet's 25 favorite films of 2007, too. Here's his review.)

Still waiting

2008-01-05T12:20:00.000-06:00

Yes, we're still waiting on that grandson.
In the meantime, here's a link to some pictures I took with our new camera (we finally went digital so we can take pictures of the grandson once he actually arrives). I'm not a great photograph, but I think these turned out pretty good. (We got an HP Photosmart M632 -- a very inexpensive camera, but very easy to use and it takes pretty good pictures.)

The waiting is the hardest part ...

2008-01-03T07:36:00.000-06:00

Tom Petty says it so well. Because that's what we're doing right now and it's hard -- our daughter has been having contractions since Tuesday afternoon, but doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. She went to the hospital for a while that night, but then they sent her home. So our grandson is on the way, but not in a big hurry to get here.

Or course, I'm sure my impatience is nothing compared to Julia's (or maybe even Megan's, who is so very eager to be an aunt).

(The picture is from October, when we went to a family baby shower in Illinois. That's Julia's little cousin Isaiah talking to her tummy.)

Merry Christmas

2007-12-21T13:44:00.001-06:00

May the peace of Christ be with you this Christmas and throughout the new year!

A Beautiful Disaster (Winter Wonderland, part 3)

2007-12-13T12:25:00.000-06:00

One of my coworkers, Pat Hackenberg, went out and took some pictures around campus this morning. Now that the sun is out, it really is "a beautiful disaster" as Pat described it. But it's still a very challenging disaster for thousands here in northeast and north central Kansas who are without power. Pat said I could post these pictures, so enjoy, but I hope you'll also remember the people who are dealing with the after effects of the ice. Reports are that some people may not have power back for another 10 days or so.

These are all scenes from around the K-State campus. The building in the last picture is Anderson Hall, the main administration building.

Winter wonderland, part 2

2007-12-13T07:48:00.000-06:00

Everything is still ice-covered around here. Clay Center and Manhattan were both hit pretty hard by the ice storm, so lots of things aren't quite back to normal. We have electricity to part of our house because only one of the wires to our house was pulled out at the pole. Once we figured that out, an electrician was able to bypass something so our furnace would kick on (because it was in the part of the house that didn't have electricity). We had lots of limbs down around our house, but we are fortunate that no big limbs came through our roof -- that happened to people around town. If you go to wibw.com/weatherpictures you'll see some pictures from Clay Center. Clay Center has lots of big, pretty trees but I have a feeling they won't be so pretty now. It was kind of freaky to go outside Tuesday morning and see the tops of trees falling as I watched. It may warm up a little today, but I don't know how much will melt -- but the sun is shining so that should help.

Winter wonderland my foot

2007-12-07T08:04:00.000-06:00

Well, it's come all over winter here -- freezing drizzle, sleet, snow, slush, gray skies. It's not doing anything right now, but it did yesterday and it will all weekend. It was pretty when the snow was falling yesterday, but now it's just icy slush on the streets. And it's cold. So bundle up, keep warm and stay inside.

But there are a couple of positive things going on these days: it's less than a month before my grandson is due, and on Dec. 16 we do our adult Christmas program at church. And one of the neat things about the Christmas program is that I wrote it. At least, I wrote the scenes between the songs. Back in the fall the woman who is co-worship coordinator at our church asked me to write some connective scenes for the program, so I did and she's worked on coming up with music. I haven't gotten to see much of the acting practice because I've been in music practice, but what I've seen is fun. It's exciting to hear my words coming from actual people's lips and see how the scenes are coming to life. It's not a full-fledged play, but I think it does provide some continuity to the program and tells a little story of hope and redemption. So (shameless plug coming) if anyone happens to be passing near Clay Center Evangelical Covenant Church on Dec. 16 (at 7 p.m.), stop and see.

What kind of writer am I?

2007-12-03T08:02:00.000-06:00

What kind of writer are you?

You're a Dialogue/Character Writer!
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

This seems pretty accurate. (Thanks to Jen for the link.) I am such a sucker for quizzes.

Bad blogger and FIRST tour

2007-11-30T15:59:00.000-06:00

I'm afraid I've been rather negligent in blogging -- a continued pattern of late. I don't think it's going to get better anytime soon. I want to rethink how I do this blogging thing, too, but I'm sure I'll still post random stuff from time to time, like this: Robin Parrish answers questions about his books and whets one's appetite for the third. (I know it's like a week late, but it's still cool.)

It's also time for the FIRST tour. This month's book is Minor Protection Act by Jodi Cowles. You can read more about it at the FIRST blog.

Fun linkage

2007-11-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

The Creative Prose newsletter this week (from creativepro.com) had links to some very entertaining time wasters:
Typeflakes -- make snowflakes with words and email them to your friends (this is my favorite)
Cake writing generator -- even if you've never been good at writing with icing
Dance writer -- a dancer makes letters as you type them
What chefs do when they're bored -- the title says it all

Have fun and Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving and other stuff

2007-11-19T16:08:00.000-06:00

Megan has blogged about the trip Julia and I made to Illinois for a family baby shower. It was lots of fun. Reading it reminds me that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you'll take time to really give thanks this week.

Sports Illustrated has a good article about the Kansas-Missouri football game coming up on Saturday. I like the Max Falkenstien (long-time KU broadcaster) quote near the end of the article: "People are so wrapped up in football, they almost forgot basketball season was starting." It's been a long, long time since anyone took KU football seriously -- it's kind of nice to see a team from Kansas getting some respect.

Starting last week and continuing this week, there's a good discussion at The Rabbit Room about Creative Intent. If you haven't checked out this group blog, now's a good time.

How readable is this blog?

2007-11-16T09:55:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for stuff like this.
(Tip o' the hat to Brad.)

Monday music and stuff

2007-11-12T11:58:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of iTunes playlists. It's the only way to organize a big collection. So now I'm listening to my top-rated songs, but starting with the ones I've listened to the least. And I'm liking McAllister better and better. He's got an 80s thing goin' that's good for a gray November day. (the Last.fm list will catch up eventually) I blogged about his CD a few weeks ago and I'll just mention it again: Strong Tower. It gets better with repeated listenings. (So does Andrew Osenga's Letters to the Editor.) So those are my musical recommendations for today.

It's November here (well, everywhere, I guess) but you wouldn't have known it from the weather the last few days -- beautiful. I took a walk yesterday and enjoyed the warm breeze and the color still on the trees, though lots of leaves have fallen now. The year is winding down, but that's OK. I'm writing again. Some stressful things are behind me and I can think creatively again.

Speaking of writing, I have it from Coach Culbertson himself that the 2008 edition of Coach's Midnight Diner will probably be open for submissions on Nov. 15. Coach will be posting the categories at the Relief Web site so check it out soon. I think I have the perfect story for the next issue of the Diner, so I'll have to get busy revising it so I can submit it. Support Relief with your subscriptions and your submissions, folks -- this is a great outlet for writers who happen to be Christian and don't feel they fit in the traditional "Christian writer" mold.

Arts and faith and really loud music

2007-11-09T14:24:00.000-06:00

If you pay attention to my song list from Last.fm you'll see I've been listening to some Foo Fighters today -- I bought some of the new album and have been listening to the songs repeatedly -- they're just so good.

Actually, I want to call your attention to a very excellent article about faith and the arts: Being a Child of the Creative Age, by the artist Makoto Fujimora. He uses one of my favorite books of all time, Jane Eyre, to illustrate his point about art and redemption and imagination. Awesome. (I found this article through a link from Brewing Culture, a good source for though-provoking stuff.) We have divorced imagination and faith for too long -- Fujimora helps us see why that should not be.

Kansas is not flat

2007-11-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

And if you want proof of that, check out the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition. I've added a link to them in the sidebar since a member of the group left me a comment yesterday. Where I live is right on the edge of the Flint Hills and I love this part of the state. If you are ever driving along I-70 it would be well worth your time to get off at the exit for K-177 and go south toward Council Grove (and beyond). It's a beautiful drive anytime of year. In the spring and early summer, it's green and covered with wildflowers; in the late summer and fall, the grass starts turning color; in the winter, the land sometimes wears a dusting of snow, but even without snow the shape and structure of the hills has a beauty all its own.
(Edited to correct the highway number -- though U.S. 77 will get you into the Flint Hills, too, but I was referring to the state route that goes through Council Grove.)

A few changes and some good things to read

2007-11-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

As you can see, I've been messing with the blog again. The picture I've added to the header is of the Flint Hills of Kansas. I'll probably change it from time to time. I've also been experimenting with Word Press and moved my other blog to a Word Press blog. I've renamed it Writing from the Windowsill and it will be the home for newsletter columns and other articles that I want to post, as well as contain links to things. I think I like Word Press, but now that I know how long it took to migrate the other blog, the thought of moving this blog over is rather daunting, so I won't.

Mike's interview with Coach Culbertson is generating some good discussion about Christian horror.

Here's a new group blog/Web site worth checking out: The Rabbit Room. It's the home of musician Andrew Peterson and others and in the few weeks they've been up, they've already written about books and music I'm interested in and discussed interesting topics. This is becoming a regular stop for me and I heartily recommend it.

Check it out

2007-11-01T08:26:00.001-05:00

Mike Duran (at Decompose) has a great interview with Coach Culbertson, the warped genius behind Relief and Coach's Midnight Diner. Coach talks about the reasoning behind Relief and the Diner, as well as his experience at Gothicfest in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. Good stuff.

FIRST: Hollywood Nobody

2007-11-01T07:53:00.000-05:00

It's November 1st and you know what that means (or maybe you don't, but I'm about to tell you): It's time for the FIRST tour. This month's featured book is Hollywood Nobody, by Lisa Sampson, a young adult novel with a smart, fresh voice. More about Lisa and the first chapter below, and I'm betting you'll want to read more!

LISA SAMSON

and her book:

Hollywood Nobody

Th1nk Books (August 30, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Samson is the author of twenty books, including the Christy Award-winning Songbird. Apples of Gold was her first novel for teens. Visit Lisa at http://www.lisasamson.com/

These days, she's working on Quaker Summer, volunteering at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, raising children and trying to be supportive of a husband in seminary. (Trying . . . some days she's downright awful. It's a good thing he's such a fabulous cook!) She can tell you one thing, it's never dull around there.

Other Novels by Lisa:
Straight Up, , Club Sandwich, Songbird, Tiger Lillie, The Church Ladies, Women's Intuition: A Novel, Songbird, The Living End

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Hollywood Nobody: April 1

Happy April Fool’s Day! What better day to start a blog about Hollywood than today?

Okay, I’ve been around film sets my whole life. Indie films, yeah, and that’s all I’m saying about it here for anonymity’s sake. But trust me, I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments. Like outgrowing Tom Cruise by the age of twelve — in more ways than one, with the way he’s gotten crazier than thong underwear and low-rise jeans. Thankfully that fashion disaster has run for cover.

Underwear showing? Not a good idea.

Fact: I don’t know of a single girl who doesn’t wish the show-itall boxer-shorts phenomenon would go away as well. Guys, we just don’t want to see your underwear. Truthfully, we believe that there is a direct correlation between how much underwear you show and how much you’ve got upstairs, if you know what I mean.

I’ve seen the stars at their best and at their worst. And believe me, the worst is really, really bad. Big clue: you’d look just as pretty as they do if you went to such lengths. As you might guess, some of them are really nice and some of them are total jerks, and there’s a lot of blah in-betweeners. Like real life, pretty much, only the extremes are more extreme sometimes. I mean honestly, how many people under twenty do you know who have had more than one plastic surgery?

So you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little hard on these folks. But if it was all sunshine and cheerleading, I doubt you’d read this blog for long, right?

Today’s Rant: Straightening irons. We’ve had enough of them, Little Stars, okay? It was bad on Helen Hunt at the Oscars, worse on Demi, yet worse on Madonna, and it’s still ridiculous. Especially on those women who are trying to hold onto their youth like Gollum holds onto that ring. Ladies, there’s a reason for keeping your hair at or above your shoulders once you hit forty, and ever after. Think Annette Bening. Now she’s got it going on. And can’t you just see why Warren Beatty settled down for her? Love her! According to The Early Show this morning, curls are back, and Little Me ain’t going to tell why I’m so glad about that!

Today’s Kudo: Aretha Franklin. Big, bold, beautiful, and the best. Her image is her excellence. Man, that woman can sing! She has a prayer chain too. I’m not very religious myself, but you got to respect people who back up what they say they believe. Unless it’s male Scientologists and "silent birth." Yeah, right. Easy for them to say.

Today’s News: I saw a young actor last summer at a Shakespeare festival in New England. Seth Haas. Seth Hot is more like it. I heard a rumor he’s reading scripts for consideration. Yes, he’s that hot. Check him out here. Tell all your friends about him. And look here on Hollywood Nobody for the first, the hottest news on this hottie. Girls, he’s only nineteen! Fair game for at least a decade-and-a-half span of ages.

I don’t know about you, but following the antics of new teen rock star Violette Dillinger is something I’m looking forward to. Her first album, released to much hype, hit Billboard’s no. 12 spot its third week out. And don’t you love her hit single "Love Comes Knocking on My Door"? This is going to be fun. A new celeb. Uncharted territory. Will Violette, who seems grounded and talented, be like her predecessors and fall into the "great defiling show-business machine" only to be spit out as a half-naked bimbo? We’ll see, won’t we? Keep your fingers crossed that the real artist survives.

Today’s Quote: "Being thought of as ‘a beautiful woman’ has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Beauty is essentially meaningless." Halle Berry

Later!

Friday, April 2

I knew it was coming soon. We’d been camped out in the middle of a cornfield, mind you, for two weeks. That poke on my shoulder in the middle of the night means only one thing. Time to move on.

"What, Charley?"

"Let’s head ’em on out, Scotty. We’ve got to be at a shoot in North Carolina tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got food to prepare, so you have to drive."

"I’m still only fifteen."

"It’s okay. You’re a good driver, baby."

My mom, Charley Dawn, doesn’t understand that laws exist for a reason, say, keeping large vehicles out of the hands of children. But as a food stylist, she fakes things all the time.

Her boundaries are blurred. What can I say?

Charley looks like she succumbed to the peer pressure of plastic surgery, but she hasn’t. I know this because I’m with her almost all the time. I think it’s the bleached-blond fountain of long hair she’s worn ever since I can remember. Or maybe the hand-dyed sarongs and shirts from Africa, India, or Bangladesh add to the overall appearance of youth. I have no idea. But it really makes me mad when anybody mistakes us as sisters.

I mean, come on! She had me when she was forty!

My theory: a lot of people are running around with bad eyesight and just don’t know it.

I throw the covers to my left. If I sling them to my right, they’d land on the dinette in our "home," to use the term in a fashion less meaningful than a Hollywood "I do." I grew up in this old Travco RV I call the Y.

As in Y do I have to live in this mobile home?

Y do I have to have such an oddball food stylist for a mother?

Y must we travel all year long? Y will we never live anyplace long enough for me to go to the real Y and take aerobics, yoga, Pilates or — shoot — run around the track for a while, maybe swim laps in the pool?

And Y oh Y must Charley be a vegan?

More on that later.

And Y do I know more about Hollywood than I should, or even want to? Everybody’s an actor in Hollywood, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I wonder if any of them even know who they are deep down in that corner room nobody else is allowed into.

But I wonder the same thing about myself.

"You’re not asking me to drive while you’re in the kitchen trailer, are you, Charley?"

"No. I can cook in here. And it’s a pretty flat drive. I’ll be fine."

I’m not actually worried about her. I’m thinking about how many charges the cops can slap on me.

Driving without a license.

Driving without a seat belt on the passenger.

Speeding, because knowing Charley, we’re late already.

Driving without registration. Charley figured out years ago how to lift current stickers off of license plates. She loves "sticking it to the man." Or so she says.

I kid you not.

Oh, the travails of a teenager with an old hippie for a mother. Charley is oblivious as usual as I continue my recollection of past infractions thankfully undetected by the state troopers:

Driving while someone’s in the trailer. It’s a great trailer, don’t get me wrong, a mini industrial kitchen we rigged up a couple of years ago to make her job easier. Six-range burner, A/C, and an exhaust fan that sucks up more air than Joan Rivers schmoozing on the red carpet. But it’s illegal for her to go cooking while we’re in motion.

"All right. Can I at least get dressed?"

"Why? You’re always in your pj’s anyway."

"Great, Mom."

"It’s Charley, baby. You know how I feel about social hierarchy."

"But didn’t you just give me an order to drive without a license? What if I say no?"

She reaches into the kitchen cupboard without comment and tips down a bottle of cooking oil. Charley’s as tall as a twelve-year-old.

"I mean, let’s be real, Charley. You do, in the ultimate end of things, call the shots."

I reach back for my glasses on the small shelf I installed in the side of the loft. It holds whatever book I’m reading and my journal. I love my glasses, horn-rimmed "cat glasses" as Charley calls them. Vintage 1961. Makes me want to do the twist and wear penny loafers.

"Can I at least pull my hair back?"

She huffs. "Oh, all right, Scotty! Why do you have to be so difficult?"

Charley has no clue as to how difficult teenagers can actually be. Here I am, schooling myself on the road, no wild friends. No friends at all, actually, because I hate Internet friendships. I mean, how lame, right? No boyfriend, no drugs. No alcohol either, unless you count cold syrup, because the Y gets so cold during the winter and Charley’s a huge conservationist. (Big surprise there.) I should be thankful, though. At least she stopped wearing leather fringe a couple of years ago.

I slide down from the loft, gather my circus hair into a ponytail, and slip into the driver’s seat. Charley reupholstered it last year with rainbow fabric. I asked her where the unicorns were and she just rolled her eyes. "Okay, let’s go. How long is it going to take?"

"Oh." She looks down, picks up a red pepper and hides behind it.

I turn on her. "You didn’t Google Map it?"

"You’re the computer person, not me." She peers above the stem. "I’m sorry?" She shrugs. Man, I hate it when she’s so cute. "Really sorry?"

"Charley, we’re in Wilmore, Kentucky. As in Ken-Tuck-EEE . As in the middle of nowhere." I climb out of my seat. "What part of North Carolina are we going to? It’s a wide state."

"Toledo Island. Something like that. Near Ocracoke Island. Does that sound familiar?"

"The Outer Banks?"

"Are they in North Carolina?"

Are you kidding me?

"Let me log on. This is crazy, Charley. I don’t know why you do this to me all the time."

"Sorry." She says it so Valley Girl-like. I really thought I’d be above TME: Teenage Mom Embarrassment. But no. Now, most kids don’t have mothers who dress like Stevie Nicks and took a little too much LSD back in the DAY. It doesn’t take ESP to realize who the adult in this setup is. And she had me, PDQ, out of the bonds of holy matrimony I might add, when she was forty (yes, I already told you that, but it’s still just as true), and that’s
OLD to be caught in such an inconvenient situation, don’t you think? The woman had no excuse for such behavior, FYI.

My theory: Charley’s a widow and it’s too painful to talk about my father. I mean, it’s plausible, right?

The problem is, I can remember back to when I was at least four, and I definitely do not remember a man in the picture. Except for Jeremy. More on him later too.

I flip up my laptop. I have a great satellite Internet setup in the Y. I rigged it myself because I’m a lonely geek with nothing better to do with her time than figure out this kind of stuff. I type in the info and wait for the directions. Satellite is slower than DSL, but it’s better than nothing.

"Charley! It’s seventeen hours away!" I scan the list of twists and turns between here and there. "We have to take a ferry to Ocracoke, and then Toledo Island’s off of there."

"Groovy!"

"Groovy died with platform shoes and midis."

"Whatever, Scotty." Only she says it all sunny. She’s a morning person.

"That phrase should be dead."

Honestly, I’m not big on lingo. I’ve never been good at it, which is fine by me. Who am I going to impress with cool-speak anyway? Uma Thurman? Yeah, right. "Okay, let’s go."

"We can go as long as possible and break camp on the way, you know?" Charley.

I climb back into the rainbow chair, throw the Y into drive, pull the brake, and we’re moving on down the road.

Again.

DCB: One word

2007-10-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

Awesome!

OK, here's a few more words. Last night I got to see the David Crowder Band in concert right here in the Little Apple (Manhattan, Kan.). Opening acts were The Myriad and Phil Wickham -- who were excellent by the way. But the main attraction rocked the house. I was near the back, but it was a good location because the sound just washed over me and I could see just fine. David Crowder and company are excellent musicians and their focus is alway where it belongs -- on God. And they have a great time, too, so the audience has a great time. They played a lot of songs from their new album, Remedy, but also some old favorites. If you have a chance to see them on this tour, do it. You won't be sorry.

Help my hometown hospital

2007-10-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

My hometown hospital, Clay County Medical Center, has entered a short video in a contest to win a FREE Siemen's MRI machine that would be installed in the hospital. Currently, the hospital uses a mobile unit. Our hospital serves a fairly large rural area and the MRI would be a real benefit. If you want to help out, go to the Web site, watch Granny Gets an MRI, and vote. You can vote every day (once each day per computer) until Dec. 31, and you don't have to watch it every time after the first time -- just click the vote button. But it's really cute so you'll want to watch more than once.

CSFF: Bark of the Bog Owl

2007-10-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

If you've paid any attention to Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy in recent years, you've heard of this month's book: Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers. It's the first book in the Wilderking Trilogy for grade-school age readers, and an imaginative take on a familiar Old Testament story.

You can find out more by visiting some of the other bloggers posting this month:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Karen
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Donna Swanson
Daniel I. Weaver
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Monday good stuff

2007-10-15T11:54:00.000-05:00

I was absent from blogging last week -- getting ready for women's retreat and trying to get a lot done at work. The retreat went well and was a testimony to God being in control. (It's a long story, but a couple of months ago, I wondered if we'd even have a retreat.) God came through, big time, and I think a lot of us were encouraged and challenged.

When I got home from retreat yesterday, I found my very own copies of Coach's Midnight Diner and Relief Issue 4 had come in the mail. Yay! These are quality publications, in spite of my own contribution to them. I started reading the Diner yesterday and was not disappointed. There are some stories I like better than others, but the writing is top-notch. If you like horror, weird fiction, crime stories, or supernatural suspense, you should check it out. You'll be challenged and you may disagree with some of them, but you'll definitely be thinking after reading the stories in the Diner.

Want some good music? I'd never heard of Tim McAllister, but Infuze pointed me to his album Strong Tower. I figured I'd check it out, since it was free. This is good music. He's got kind of a different voice -- but good. And the songs express a lot of honest emotion and Christian wondering. It's not all wrapped up neatly and tied with a bow, but it's hopeful all the same. Good stuff.

One of the new posters at The Master's Artist is Chris Fisher. He's got some good thoughts today about writing and faith.

I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Joel Osteen last night. I am even more convinced that he's preaching a very incomplete gospel and downright bad theology. But better theological minds than mine have posted about it -- check out the Internet Monk's thoughts here. Of course, Osteen isn't preaching anything new -- the prosperity gospel has been around in some form or another for a very long time. But it's still wrong.

Free Burma

2007-10-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

Tuesday news

2007-10-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a few tidbits:

The revamped Relief Journal site is up and it looks great. The Relief Writer's Network is integrated into the site and I understand the submission system will be part of that. Coach is still transferring content, but it will soon be complete.

J. Mark Bertrand has been doing stuff with his blogs: He's separated out his Bible Design and Binding entries into their own blog as well as making a new site for his writing related blog. It used to be call Notes on Craft, now it's Write About Now and, like the other sites, shows Mark's flair for design as well as boasting excellent content. And, of course, he's got a blog related to his soon to be released book Rethinking Worldview.

The Master's Artist has a new look, too, thanks to Mark (with photos from Jeanne Damoff).

Right now I'm listening (via Rhapsody) to the new album from the Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. Very, very good. So far it's a good mix of loud and mellow.
Last week I got to listen to the new CD from David Crowder: Remedy. Also very good.
Both of these are going on my music wish list (my itunes shopping cart).

FIRST time again

2007-10-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

It's time for the monthly post for the FIRST tour and this month's book info is below, along with a link to read the first chapter. I'll have to admit I'm not likely to read it -- I have too low a heebie-jeebie threshold and it's not something that appeals to me. But if you like supernatural thrillers, this could interest you so check it out.

Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee

This month's feature author is:

TOSCA LEE

and her book:

Demon: A Memoir

(NavPress, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tosca Lee received her BA in English and International Relations from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She has also studied at Oxford University.

As a Leadership Consultant, Tosca works with managers and leaders of organizations throughout the Pan-Pacific region, Europe, and the U.S.

Tosca is a former Mrs. Nebraska-America 1996, Mrs. Nebraska-United States 1998 and first runner-up to Mrs. United States and has been lauded nationally for her efforts to fight breast cancer.

In her spare time, Tosca enjoys cooking, studying history and theology, and traveling. She currently resides in Nebraska with her Shar Pei, Attila.

Visit her at her website and her blog. Read the first chapter here.

Blog Tour: My Life Unscripted

2007-09-29T10:07:00.000-05:00

When I was a teenager in Southern Indiana, pining after a former boyfriend (who was definitely NOT the man God had in mind for me) and writing bad poetry, a book like Tricia Goyer's My Life Unscripted might have helped. Tricia, writing from her own experience, helps teen girls see that the plan God has for their lives is so much better than what they can imagine. And she helps her young readers see that they can't deal with the challenges they face by just living from moment to moment, from one emotional extreme to another. Here's how Tricia describes what she needed:

I lived each day as it came, with no plan for my future, for my relationships, or for my heart. I lived my life completely unscripted . . . and, well, you saw how well that went for me.
How about you? What type of script are you writing for your life?
When I say “script” I’m not talking about career goals or college plans. I’m not talking about current class schedules or finding the unique purpose for your future. While all of those are important, there are other parts of our life we need to script, too, such as:
• Dealing with peer pressure from both guys and friends.
• The search for popularity. How to find it. Or live without. Or be happy in between.
• Relationships with parents. No matter how out of touch with reality they seem to be.
• And living for God without turning your back on the world.
Scripting your life comes down to thinking through struggles—yours as well as the struggles of others—and considering the best approach. While there are dozens of teen books and magazines out there dealing with these relationship type topics, I’m going to lay it all out there by (1) sharing my past experiences (which would be easier and more comfortable to hide), (2) including input from teens just like you, and (3) showing God’s POV (point of view), through God’s Word—the Bible. We’ll dig deep to uncover answers concerning our lives and our place in the world.
Why use the Bible? According to a recent survey, “Almost two-thirds of teens (62 percent) believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings.”
If you’re part of this majority, then you’ll already appreciate how God’s Word can help you in everyday life. If you aren’t sure how you feel about the Bible, feel free to stick around and keep an open mind.

If this sounds like you or your daughter or a teenage girl you know, you can read more of the first chapter here. Then go buy the book. My daughters are grown now, but I'm going to share this book with our youth pastor (a woman with a heart for teen girls).

Happy Birthday Megan

2007-09-28T13:25:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Megan's birthday, so I thought I'd put up a couple of pictures. She's about 2 1/2 in the picture on the left; the other was taken this summer. I think both show her personality -- smart and sassy and strong. We've had our issues over the years, but she's grown up to be lovely young woman (in spite of all the mistakes I've made) and I'm so proud of her. God is doing a good work in her.

I'm going to tell a Megan-story. She learned to walk when she was about 10 1/2 months old -- it was shear determination. She would stand up and stagger drunkenly across the floor after Julia and John. She'd fall down, then pick herself up again and take off. There was no way she was going to be left behind. Not long after she learned to walk we were in a waiting room at the hospital and she was toddling around tapping on things, with her pacifier in her mouth. She wasn't talking yet (though it wouldn't be long), but she understood everything we said. An older lady spoke to her in that condescending tone some grown-ups use with little kids. She pointed at Megan's pacifier and said "Can I have that?" Megan gave her a perfectly dead-pan look, took her pacifier out of her mouth, and held it out to her. I'm sure she was thinking something like "well if you really want it lady ..." I don't think the poor woman knew what to think.

Whatever is ahead of her, I know her determination and sense of humor, as well as her reliance on God, will stand her in good stead.

Now that I've thoroughly embarrassed her, I'll say "Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day!"

I always knew I was a misfit

2007-09-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I guest-blogged over at The Misfits -- Songs in a Minor Key.

And speaking of the Misfits, Chris, Angie and Jenny all took home second places in the ACFW Genesis contest. Very big congrats to you all!

CSSF Tour: Return

2007-09-19T12:32:00.000-05:00

September's Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy tour is for Return, the third book of Austin Boyd's Mars Hill Classified trilogy. You can learn more from Austin's Web site or at one of the blogs listed below.

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

My brother is writing

2007-09-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

on a new blog: At the Crossroads. He had a Xanga site he used for a while, but this is new and he says he'll keep up with it more. Anyway, he's off to a good start with some thoughts about worship.

So 50 isn't so bad ...

2007-09-17T16:25:00.000-05:00

All in all, I think I had a pretty nice birthday. Yes, Saturday was my birthday and I don't feel any older than I did on Friday. I spent the day Saturday with Julia (the mother of my impending grandson) and we had a lovely time.

I also got a very nice bit of writerly news on Friday, which I think I'll count as a birthday present. "Sanctuary" will also be appearing in Issue 4 of Relief Journal, as a teaser for Coach's Midnight Diner. Speaking of the Diner, Nappaland.com has a nice review. (I'm not sure it's posted at the site yet, but Coach posted it in the Diner authors section of the Relief Writer's Network, so I've seen it.) I'm getting more excited to see my copy.

If you ever wondered ...

2007-09-07T14:40:00.001-05:00

Wondered, whatever became of me
I'm livin' on the air in Cincinnati
Cincinnati WKRP ...

A special treat came in the mail this week: the first season of WKRP in Cincinnati, one of the best TV comedies ever. It was supposed to be a Mother's Day present, but I think now it's more of an early birthday present. But that's fine. It's been fun to watch this week and see how well it's held up over almost 30 years. There are references you'll miss if you don't remember the 70s, but most of the humor is related to the characters and the situation and it's still funny to see Les Nessman broadcast live as the Pinedale Shopping Mall is bombed with live turkeys, or get ready for his date with Jennifer, or any of the other great moments from that season. The cast truly was an ensemble and it's fun to watch.

And here's a bit of trivia for you: Gordon Jump, who played Arthur Carlson, was a K-State grad and worked on the campus radio station in the late 1950s.

In the fall of 1999 (I think), Mr. Jump spoke at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters meeting when it was in Manhattan (home of K-State), so he visited the school of journalism and had lunch with some of the faculty and students in the Bluemont Room. (I was working in the school of journalism at the time.) Mr. Jump is on the front row, on the left and I'm the woman in the blue dress in front. He was a very interesting and nice man and seemed to feel he'd been blessed to have the life he did. At the time, he was still doing the Maytag commercials and enjoyed it. He died a few years ago, so it's neat to have had the chance to meet him.

New column posting

2007-09-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

I've added my latest "Notes from the Windowsill" column to my other blog: More Lessons from Summer Vacation, or, On the cloverleaf of life, where do you get off and ask for directions?

Yes, it's a long title and somewhat reminiscent of Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons. But I think it gets its point across all the same.

CFBA Tour: The Dead Whisper On

2007-08-31T16:27:00.001-05:00

(One of the books I've been looking forward to is featured this week on the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance tour. Unfortunately, I missed my chance to get a book before the tour so I haven't gotten to read it yet. But I will.)

THE DEAD WHISPER ON

(Bethany House July 1, 2007)

by

T. L. Hines

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tony is the author of the acclaimed Waking Lazarus. He has been an advertising agency owner/principal, a trade amgazine editor, and now a novelist.

He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years with articles appearing in publications as varied as Log Homes, Conservative Theological Journal, and Travel & Leisure. He is also Creative Director at Montana's largest advertising agency.

His long list of past odd jobs includes trimming Christmas trees, sorting seed potatoes, working the graveyard shift at a convenience store, and cleaning cadaver storage rooms.

As a teen he was undefeated in air guitar competitions in which he performed songs by ZZ Top.

He lives in Montana with his wife and daughter.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Would You Run Into A Burning Building?

Candace "Canada Mac" MacHugh lives a ghost of her former life.

Once a proud Butte, Montana, miner who daily risked her life setting explosives, she's now a garbage collector in her dying hometown.

Her beloves father is dead and she doesn't speak to her mom. More than anything, Candace Mac misses her father. He promised to contact her from the "other side" if he could...but it's been eleven long years. And now even her beloved city of Butte, Montana, seems to be dying off.

Candace Mac is alone. Longing for the past. Dreaming of making a difference.

Until one night when her father's voice speaks to her from the shadows. Bud MacHugh's trademark growl. The dead, it seems, have messages they hunger to share with the world...warnings of impending disasters and grave danger. Of cities doomed to burn.

But they need Canada's help.

T.L. Hines' first novel, Waking Lazarus was named one of the Library Journal's Top 25 Genre novels of 2006. Now he's back with a gripping suspense that brings to light our fears and asks us if we still have the courage to fight for those around us, if we have the guts to be one of those who run into burning buildings.

"Chilling!" Publishers Weekly

"...a well-paced suspense populated by dynamic characters." Kirkus Discoveries

Favorite books

2007-08-30T12:28:00.001-05:00

Angie posted today at The Misfits about her favorite books. I'm a sucker for lists, so here's mine:

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula LeGuin
The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
In This House of Brede, by Rumer Godden
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

There are other books I love and reread, even, but the books listed above all stayed with me in some particular way. They probably have more influence on me as a writer than most other books, too. And they all have some things in common.

To Kill a Mockingbird would probably get my vote for the Great American Novel -- the story, the characters, the imagery all work together to create something memorable. I first read it in high school and have read it several times since -- it's like visiting old friends. (I suppose that's true for all the books above.) I suppose what pulled me into the story is the distinctive voice that holds my attention even with the leisurely pace. It's like Harper Lee invites the reader to sit on the porch with her while she weaves her tale. The events are significant and powerful, but it's the voice and the characters that made me fall in love with the book.

The Left Hand of Darkness is a different kind of book, but I think a lot of what I just said holds true for it, too. Ursula LeGuin is a master storyteller and world builder. She makes Winter a real place, and Genly Ai and Estraven come to life on the pages. I first read this in college, over one weekend -- a weekend that found me so absorbed in the story that when I put it down, I had to remind myself where I was. This book showed me what science fiction could be in the hands of a master stylist. I love how it works on multiple levels -- it's a rousing good adventure story that makes you think about what it really means to believe in something, what price you would be willing to pay for that belief, and the true meaning of friendship and love. And all from a self-described atheist! If you've never read this classic, check it out of your local library and be prepared to lose yourself for a weekend.

The Lord of the Rings is, simply, the greatest fantasy novel ever written. I first read The Hobbit in high school and had never read anything like it before. I was captivated. I started The Lord of the Rings in high school, but didn't read it all the way through until college (I think I got bogged down in the Two Towers the first time). Tolkien makes me want to go to Middle Earth and hang out with the hobbits. Bob and I so loved the book that we named rooms in one of our first apartments after places in Middle Earth. (For example, the bathroom was Mordor, just so we could say "I'm going to Mordor." I've never pretended we weren't weird.) No other epic fantasy has so captured my imagination and I think it's because the characters are so wonderful and vivid.

In This House of Brede isn't a book that usually turns up on people's favorite books lists, but maybe it should. Rumer Godden wrote a number of novels in the mid-20th century and some of them were pretty well known. I first encountered this book as a Reader's Digest Condensed Book at my grandma's house. It's an episodic tale of a woman in England who becomes a nun in her 40s. Most of the story takes place in the late 1950s and early 1960s and depicts a way of life that has probably changed a lot since the book was written. But, again, the characters are so real and captivating that it's a pleasure to spend time in their company. Though I'm not Roman Catholic, I appreciated the way Godden was able to write about faith. Her nuns were human and had their own faults and failings, but the underpinning of faith and service in their lives says a lot to me. It's a story that could have come across as sappy and cliched, but it doesn't. God works, but not always the way you expect. Faith triumphs after tragedy but there's a long process of healing. This is another book worth looking up in your local library or used book store.

Jane Eyre, on the other hand, is a classic on a lot of people's favorites lists. I think of it as the original gothic romance. I first read it when I was about 13, so maybe my youthful romanticism colored my first impressions of it. But Jane and Mr. Rochester are such memorable, complex characters that the story holds up well. And when I reread it after I was a little older I realized that Charlotte Bronte was ahead of her time in how she wrote about women and their place in the world. Jane is not perfect, but she shows real courage and sticks to what she believes is right.

While these books were written in different styles and different eras, they have some things in common that pull me back to them: strong, vivid characters; distinctive voice; a slower pace of storytelling. I don't mind a book that takes a little time to introduce the scene. All of these books give the reader a chance to enter the story without being dragged in by the author. Yes, there are compelling elements to the opening pages, but it's not breakneck storytelling here. I happen to like that approach. The writer's voice is distinct in each, too. Ursula LeGuin and Rumer Godden have very different approaches to storytelling, but both work, both styles fit the story being told, both engage the reader. But even more important are the characters. If I read a book over it's because I like the people in it and want to spend time with them again. (This is why I've been rereading the Harry Potter books this summer, too.)

If I could write books that have these things in common with my favorites -- with strong characters, distinctive voice, and an engaging but not overly hurried pace -- I'd feel like I'd accomplished somethng, whether anyone publishes them or not.

Tuesday views

2007-08-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

Some good linkage today from Books & Culture:
Alan Jacobs' reflections on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
An assessment of Eugene Peterson's books Eat this Book and The Jesus Way.

My friend Rebecca has been thinking about church.
Jared posted a though-provoking Gospel Rant the other day.

Random

2007-08-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

I won't subject you to grainy sonogram pictures, but I have now seen the very first images of my grandson, who is due to arrive in January. It is very cool and exciting and pretty awesome.

I have not been writing much -- I'm not sure where the words have gone, but they haven't been rolling around in my head, that's for sure. I think some of it is stress -- the women's retreat I help plan has hit many, many glitches in the last four weeks, among other things. God is working it out, but I've still been stressed. I also taught a Sunday School in August called Film and Faith (I like to think of it as Watching Movies with Jesus) and that took quite a bit of time. One of my primary resources was Reel Spirituality by Robert K. Johnston. Excellent, excellent book. I've also been rereading the Harry Potter novels. But I was looking at the novel I started last November and thinking about how I might get back into it. Maybe the words will come back. We'll see.

CSSF Tour: Legend of the Firefish

2007-08-22T07:43:00.000-05:00

This month's Christian science fiction and fantasy book is Legend of the Firefish, by George Bryan Polivka. It's not one I'd requested, but you can check out the book and Bryan's blog.

If you like pirate stories, this sounds like something you might be interested in. Publisher's Weekly certainly has good things to say:

Swashbuckling is the best way to describe Book One of the Trophy Chase Trilogy. Without wasting time, Polivka's first novel drops readers into a fantasy world filled with action, where chivalry is alive and well, and sword fights are frequent. Packer Throme—a failed seminarian turned master swordsman—sets out on a great quest, but not in search of fame. He hopes to honor God by stowing away on (former) pirate Scatter Wilkins's ship Trophy Chase, convincing its captain and crew to seek the legendary firefish—a feat that could raise Packer's fishing village from poverty and win the heart of his longtime love, the beautiful Panna Seline. Happily, Polivka gives this heroine a backbone, not to mention a mighty right hook and her own part to play in this adventure. "It was wrong to have let her, and thousands of young women just like her, believe they had no power, no strength, and therefore could have no place or position," Panna reflects angrily about the plight of women. Though the Packer-Panna romance finds considerable ink, this is a tale almost entirely of pirates, warriors, stormy seas and battles with monsters. The Christian message is palpable, and Polivka's characters relatively complex. With the nonstop action that cuts between multiple story lines, readers will be flipping pages eagerly.

Harvest House, the book's publisher, lets you in on the seafaring fun with a "Talk Like a Pirate" contest. So check out the book, talk like a pirate and visit some of the fine blogs listed below for more fun.

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Merrie Destefano
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Robin Parrish
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver

I'm a dreamer

2007-08-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

At least, that's what this personality type test says. I've done these before and I usually come up INFP, so this was no surprise. I didn't think I'd show up this introverted, though. I think sometimes I'm not so much that way. (Thanks to Randall for the link.) I suspect a lot of bloggers fall somewhere in the introverted range -- we want to express ourselves, but not to any actual people.

E.G.G., F.R.O.G., A.R.G. ...

2007-08-10T08:46:00.000-05:00

Years ago my husband started a game that would provide hours of amusement through my six pregnancies -- making up funny names whose initials would spell words. Since our last name starts with a 'G' it was pretty easy. Of course, when we actually named our children, we tried to avoid spelling anything at all with their initials (unlike one of our kids' classmates, a girl whose initials spelled A.L.F. -- I kid you not).

Now, 29 years later, we are going to have a grandson -- we just found out this week that the upcoming grandchild is a boy. But Julia and Mike are being a bit coy about the name they've picked out and Bob told me I'm not to make suggestions. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun ... Julia and Mike's last name also starts with a 'G' so the possibilities are endless:
Edward Gilbert G.
Frodo Robert Oliver G.
Albert Ricardo G.
Play along -- make up your own fun combinations and leave them in the comments. (By the way, I'm sure they've picked out a lovely name and it won't spell anything weird.)

I think being an expectant grandmother is even more fun than being pregnant!

Coach's Midnight Diner appeals to ...

2007-08-09T12:54:00.001-05:00

Goths? Apparently so. One of the things Coach Culbertson (the editor and publisher, and also the sysadmin for the Relief Writer's Network and Relief Journal) told us recently was that he's been invited to sign copies of the Diner at Chicago's Gothicfest in October. And now he's gotten a review of the Diner from one Nickolaus Pacione, who edits horror and goth oriented anthologies himself. He's enthusiastic about it, to say the least. He loves the edginess of it even with the God stuff. I quote:
They have a strong faith in God but they are total badasses about it. Christian or Non-Christian -- you'll enjoy this if you like Speculative Fiction.
I've never been described that way before, but I'm OK with it. I think.

Lest I scare you away with all this goth-talk, I think any fans of speculative fiction will find something to like in the Diner. And it sounds like it'll get reviews from some more traditional kinds of places, like Infuze. So don't hesitate to order now.

He gets it

2007-08-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

I've long been a fan of The Thinklings, even when I disagree. If you want to think and laugh at the same time, it's always a good place to visit. Now Jared, one of the founding Thinklings, has a new blog that will definitely be a regular visit for me: The Gospel-Driven Church. The longer I'm a Christian the more clear it becomes to me that the whole point of it all is the answer that was always correct in Sunday School -- Jesus. And that's pretty much the whole point of Jared's new blog. Good stuff. He already has several posts up, all worth reading.

The iMonk rocks

2007-08-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

Michael Spencer (the Internet Monk) has an absolutely awesome post about the tendency of Christians to put causes or issues above (or in place of) the Gospel. He says things I've been thinking about so much better than I can, so go read it. I would also strongly recommend his podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes or get directly from internetmonk.com. He always has good stuff to say that will make you think.

FIRST: Bad Idea, a novel (with coyotes)

2007-08-01T13:16:00.000-05:00

Bad Idea by Todd and Jedd Hafer

It is AUGUST 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author(s) are:

TODD AND JEDD HAFER

and their book:

BAD IDEA a novel (with coyotes)

(NavPress TH1NK Books, August 22, 2006)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(s):

Todd and Jedd Hafer previously teamed up to write Snickers from the Front Pew: Confessions of Two Preacher's Kids, which has now sold more than fifty thousand units.

Todd is editorial director for the inspirational book division at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jedd is director at The Children's Ark in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a home for troubled teens, and travels the country as a standup comedian.

Visit them at their website.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter 1

“We should totally drive!” Rhonda said, wagging a limp french fry for emphasis.

I clenched my teeth. I hate it when adults try to talk like teenagers. Rhonda does it all the time. Her efforts are particularly grating to me because she does, in fact, employ the teen vernacular, but always, always at least one season too late.

Thus, my father’s 28-year-old fiancée didn’t say “Congratulations!” when I was inducted into Quill & Scroll (the National Honor Society for high school journalists) early in my senior year. She said, “Big ups to you, G!” And when I was named Honorable Mention All-Area in track and field (small-school division), she didn’t say “Way to go!” She said, “Big respect, G-Man! You got the mad wheels, homey!”

If she says, “I’m feelin’ you, dawg,” during one more of our Dad-initiated dinnertime theological discussions, I’m going to puke on her shoes.

Fortunately for Rhonda, and all of the people at the Big Bear Diner on the night the road trip was conceived, I didn’t barf when she said, “We should totally drive!” I raised my eyes to the ceiling and said, “I don’t think we should totally drive. I don’t even think we should partially drive.”

I looked across the booth to my dad to accept the disapproving glare I knew he would be offering. I smiled at him. It was my infuriating, smug smile. I practice it in the bathroom mirror. It’s so irritating that when I see my reflection doing it, I want to punch myself in the face.

My dad didn’t hit me. That wasn’t his style. He just nibbled his bottom lip for a while before saying calmly, “I think we should give the idea due consideration rather than reject it out of hand.”

“Okay,” I said, sipping my bitter iced tea, “let’s hear why we should cram ourselves into a car and drive for, what, three or four days to Southern California, stomping on each other’s raw nerves all along the way and probably breaking down somewhere near the Kansas-Colorado border. Or maybe getting in a wreck.”

Rhonda looked at my dad, giving him her Wounded Face, all droopy eyes and puckered chin and poofed-out lower lip. You know the look.

He looked at her, then at me. “Griffin, please . . .”

“Okay, okay, okay—you’re right, you guys. Yeah, you know, now that I consider The Rhonda Eccles-Someday-To-Be-Smith Plan carefully, it’s sounding better. I mean, why would I want to enjoy a quick, economical, and stress-free flight when we could all cram into a tired old vehicle and drive? Let’s go with the option that means more time, more money, more risks, more headaches.”

Rhonda tried to smile, but she couldn’t get the corners of her tiny heart-shaped mouth to curl upward. “Well,” she said quietly, “I just thought it would be bomb to make a road trip of it. See the country. Stop at mom-and-pop diners, like the Big Bear here. Maybe spend a day in Denver—hit an amusement park or catch a Rockies game. Griff, please be more open-minded. Think of the time it would give us to kick it.”

“We talk now,” I observed.

“Yessss,” she said, drawing the word out as though it had sprung a slow leak. She wrapped her long, slender fingers around her coffee mug and took a sip. “But in the car, you wouldn’t be able to run away from the convo whenever it got too intense for you.”

I pushed my chair back from the table and popped up like a piece of toast. I was ready to wad my napkin and spike it like a football on the table before marching out of the Big Bear. Then, only a half second before the Great Napkin Spike, I realized that would be proving her point.

Rhonda was studying me. I scrolled my mind for options on saving face, because since she had unofficially joined our family, I had lost more face than Michael Jackson. But I scrolled in vain. My brain was nothing but blank screen. ....

(Want more? Read here)

Diner Sampler!

2007-07-27T16:45:00.001-05:00

Coach has posted a sampler of Coach's Midnight Diner and here's a link. It's only the first couple of pages for each story, just to whet your appetite for the whole thing. Check it out, then order your own copy.