Diner Sampler!

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.

CFBA Tour: To Dance in the Desert

Most of us think of the desert as a dry and barren place. Kathleen Popa's lyrical prose reveals the desert to be a place of beauty and wonder where God whispers his love to us, if we only have ears to hear. To Dance in the Desert (RiverOak) offers hope and encouragement to anyone who has experienced desert times through the story of Dara Murphy Brogan, who has fled to a home in the desert to escape her broken past. But through some wonderful characters she learns to trust and love again, and find the healing and peace that only come from God.

I couldn't put this book down -- not because of the plot so much as because I fell in love with Dara and her new friends. The story is fairly straightforward, with the plot revolving around turns of character more than turns of events (though certainly there is drama and conflict to propel the story). Dara learns first to accept, then love, her new friend Jane (best described as a hippie missionary earth mother). And from Jane, Dara learns to listen to the voice of God telling her he loves her and calling her to follow him, even though she can't imagine anyone loving her or wanting her around, so damaged is her view of herself. But once you let one person into your life, a whole host of others will soon follow, and so it is for Dara. She takes a job in the restaurant owned by Jane's brother, Tom (a widower); she is beguiled by Tom's little daughter, Clemmie; she is drawn into the life of a mysterious stranger, Sophie; and she begins to find answers to questions that have haunted her all her life.

This book moved me to laughter and to tears and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a beautiful story that shows how God's grace is at work around us. Kathleen has done a wonderful job of writing about faith in a natural way, with characters who live in the same fallen world we all do and have the same kind of struggles we all know, and ask the same kind of questions we all ask -- and choose to trust the Lord.

I know I tend to wax enthusiastic about a book I really enjoy, but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you pick up a copy of To Dance in the Desert.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Raised in the American Southwest, Kathleen began her love affair with the desert as a child. Before becoming a writer she, among other jobs, worked in both the juvenile facility fro incarcerated girls and a home for emotionally disturved children. Mother of two, she lives in Northern California with her husband and youngest son. Visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and What Else is There? She is a member of the CFBA, too! Give her a holler!

Blog Tour: Shred of Truth

(This is a very book heavy week!)

This is the first book of Eric Wilson's I've read and after reading it, I want to go back and read some of the others, especially the first Aramis Black story. I enjoyed A Shred of Truth. Wilson does an especially good job of portraying an interesting, complex character who is still learning what it means to walk with Christ.

Aramis Black is trying to make a new, more peaceful, life for himself in Nashville. But his past keeps coming back to haunt him. In this novel, just as his brother is on the verge of breaking out as a country star, he ends up tied to a statue with the initials AX carved into his shoulder.

Aramis can't ignore the attack, or the threatening e-mails he starts receiving. Nor can he ignore the evidence that seems to be saying someone he long thought dead is really alive. Aramis struggles to determine the truth without returning to the violent habits of his past.

There's a little something here for everyone -- fans of suspense thrillers will enjoy the fast pace, those who prefer character-driven tales will enjoy the complexity of not only Aramis, but many of the other characters. It's a good mix and a good read.

Eric Wilson is the author of Dark to Mortal Eyes, Expiration Date, and the first book in the Aramis Black series, The Best of Evil. He lives with his wife, Carolyn Rose, and their two daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit him at wilsonwriter.com

CSFF Tour: Fearless

I blogged about Fearless by Robin Parrish a couple of weeks ago, for the other blog tour, but I don't want to let an opportunity pass to remind you what a good read it is. If you don't want to take my word for it, check out the buzz at some of the fine blogs listed below.

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
Andrea Graham
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Robin Parrish
Lyn Perry
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver

A few more thoughts ...

No, this isn't going to become all Harry Potter all the time. But The Deathly Hallows is a big book and there's a lot to digest. One thing that's sure to come up (because it always does) is whether or not the series is Christian, or at least is suitable for Christians. I found a good perspective in Bob Smietana's review for Christianity Today. Christ 'whispers' into the story, sometime pretty loudly it seems to me. But maybe not to you. Because that's one thing to remember about stories -- you can't leave the reader out of the equation. I got the scripture references on the tombs in Godric's Hollow and I've loved how, all along, the stories hint that death is not the end. There is a worse fate than physical death and Voldemort is a perfect illustration of that. (Just remembered -- in The Lord of the Rings the ancient Numenorians feared death, too, and it was their downfall.) But just remember that these are stories, after all, and you do a disservice to the story when you try to force it to do something it was never intended for.

Fantasy, maybe more than any other kind of story, is metaphor. But the metaphors work best when you don't strain too hard to look for them. They work best when you let the story sink in and simply be what it is.

I have read it ...

... and it is good. So very good. I wondered how she would do it -- end the story in such a way as to satisfy fans of the books and yet follow through on the heroic tale she seemed to be telling. Without giving anything away, I can say that J.K. Rowling accomplished it all -- not perfectly, but satisfyingly.

I bought the book Saturday afternoon, went home and started reading about 3:30 p.m. I quit at 11:30 to go to bed, then picked it up again after church yesterday and finished in about 3 hours. (And while I slept, Sam read it -- he's a very fast reader. Joel has it now, Bob and Tim are chomping at the bit.) My brain is still a big boggled by trying to absorb so much in a short time, but I really couldn't put it down. Rowling may not be a great literary stylist, but she knows how to tell a story. I was completely absorbed in the tale and sorry to see it end. For me at least, one mark of an author's skill is the ability to weave a world in such a way that you hate to leave. But the great thing about books is that I can revisit the world anytime I want. And I will want to return to the Harry Potter's world again.

Really, I can stop anytime I want to ...

61%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Free Online Dating from Mingle²

^{(thanks Brad)}

CFBA Tour: One Step Over the Border

This one sounds like fun -- I'll let you know more after I finish it. In the meantime ...

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

ONE STEP OVER THE BORDER(Center Street June 12, 2007)
by

Stephen Bly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Bly is a pastor, a mayor, an antique Winchester gun collector and a writer.

He's mayor of a town of 308 in the mountains of Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. In his spare time, he pursues the three R's of ridin', ropin' and rodeo...and construction of Broken Arrow Crossing, a false-front western village near his home.

That keeps him very western. And he collect old Winchester rifles, which reflects his love of historical accuracy. He's also a fan of Jimmy Buffet music.

Stephen says about his writing, "I write about the West (historic or modern) from the inside. Born and raised on western ranches, I have both the heart and mind to describe things as they really were...and are. There are those who think the frontier has long passed and with it the ‘code of the west.’ The truth is, both are still around...and it’s fun to show that in a contemporary story. The West is so big, so diverse, so enchanting it’s a thrill to write about it in any era."

Stephen is the author of ninety-five books and hundreds of articles.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s a romp...
A road adventure...
It’s a buddy story with romantic comedy!!

Some call it CowboyLit. Rodeo cowboy Hap Bowman’s on a search for Juanita, the gal of his dreams, whom he hasn’t seen in 18 years. He seems stuck on 12-years-old and the enchanting girl he met then.

"An idiot obsession," his roping partner, Laramie Majors, chides.

But Laramie agrees to a final summer’s trek along the Rio Grande. If they don’t find Juanita during those months, Hap promises to drop the idea of the hunt for the mystery senorita. But if they find her, will she feel the same as Hap does about their years ago interlude?

In One Step Over The Border the time tested values of cowboys rub up against contemporary mores. It’s a crazy story that becomes more logical as the reader delves deeper into it. It will make you laugh and shed a tear or two.

Getting back to Hap’s pursuit . . . don’t we all have someone in the past, that we knew for only a short while, that we wish we could have known better, longer? Stephen Bly has!. So when Hap and Laramie ventured out on a quest for Hap’s Juanita, Stephen decided to invite others to go along too. Folks have been e-mailing Hap hapandlaramie@yahoo.com and asking for their own “Juanita Search Kits.”

They get a bumper sticker, magnet, bookmark, stickers, flyers, etc. It’s a whole packet of material that will equip anyone to join the fun of finding the Juanita with “the mark of God.” If they send Hap a picture of the places where they stuck their Juanita signs, they’ll receive a free copy of the book. It’s all there on the website at http://www.onestepovertheborder.com/

And there’s a very special feature on http://www.amazon.com/...some more adventures about Hap and Laramie that did NOT appear in the book, can be found on AmazonShorts in the story entitled, Aim Low, Shoot High.

CFBA Tour: Fearless -- a review of sorts

Book Two of the Dominion Trilogy:

The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear...

And into the breach stride Grant Borrows and his team of heroes -- superheroes. As they use their powers to help a world experiencing one catastrophic disaster after another, Grant continues to grapple with destiny. Has he truly been able to choose a different path than the one planned by the Secretum? Or is he the reason the world seems to be falling apart? By the end of the book, you'll have discovered more about the mysterious organization called the Secretum, but more questions will remain, including the resolution to a cliffhanger ending that will absolutely guarantee you will want to read the third book, coming next summer -- Merciless.

In Fearless, Robin Parrish has crafted an exciting sequel to his debut novel, Relentless. And like Relentless, the pace never slows. I read the whole book last Saturday -- I couldn't put it down. Robin does a good job of pulling you into the world he has created -- a world like ours, but gripped by civil unrest and natural disasters on a scale that make the LA riots in 1992 or Hurricane Katrina seem like the good old days. But even as Grant and his fellow ringwearers use their powers to bring order and save lives, more challenges arise. They must deal with constant media coverage, as well as increasing suspicion from the government. When Grant and some of the others go to London seeking clues about the Secretum, events spin out of control and the team will never be the same again.

One of the pitfalls of a fast-paced story is a lack of emotional resonance. Fearless moves along so fast the characters hardly have time to breathe, let alone reflect on what's happening to them. And neither does the reader. Still, there's a certain reality to that -- when the world is falling apart all around us, most of us don't have time to process emotionally. But I think a little breathing -- and thinking -- room would have helped the story without slowing it down too much. Which is not to say that the characters are simply cardboard cutouts -- Grant and his sister and several of the other characters (especially Morgan, Payton, Lisa, Daniel and Alex) are distinct and do wrestle with what's going on. It's just that those moments of reflection feel hurried and a bit perfunctory. I don't mean to criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be -- I just tend to like spending time in the characters' heads.

Fearless avoids the wheel-spinning that often slows down the second book of a trilogy. (Anybody besides me get bogged down in The Two Towers?) The plot developments are significant and set the stage for the final book. Robin has a journalist's eye for detail, so many of the scenes are vivid and gripping. He's not afraid to kill off (or at least appear to kill off) important characters, either. These deaths are significant to the story development and the ramifications will be felt throughout the third book, I'm sure.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. When I finished it, I had to remind myself which world I lived in, which says something about Robin's ability to pull the reader in. Once again, he has managed to introduce ideas and raise questions in the reader's mind without preaching. If you enjoyed Relentless, you're going to want to read Fearless. And if you haven't read Relentless yet, then do so and then read Fearless. And then, as I said before, you're going to have a hard time waiting until next summer for the final installment.

CFBA Tour: Fearless

Today I'm posting the canned stuff about Robin and the picture of the book. Tomorrow, I'll tell you why I can't wait for Book 3 (Merciless)!

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

FEARLESS
(Bethany House, July 1, 2007)
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.

Born Michael Robin Parrish on October 13, 1975, Robin's earliest writing efforts took place on a plastic, toy typewriter, and resulted in several "books" (most between 10 and 30 pages long) and even a few magazines.

By the age of thirteen, he had begun winning local writing awards and became a regular in his high school's literary magazine. In college, he garnered acclaim from his English professors and fellow students while maturing and honing his skills.

After college, he entered the writing profession through a "side door" -- the Internet. He has spent more than ten years writing for various Web sites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and his current project 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. A trilogy, to unfold in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 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 is the Editor in Chief and creator of Infuze Magazine. He and his wife Karen reside in High Point, North Carolina. Karen works for High Point's First Wesleyan Church, where Robin and Karen are members and Small Group leaders.

Book Two of the Dominion Trilogy:

The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear...

And what about the book? Stay tuned ...

Friday goodies

Here's some good music: a new ep by Andrew Osenga (currently of Caedmon's Call) -- Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1. The music is wonderful -- acoustic and vocals, very simple. (Christian Music Today did a review.) He has a new fan. Would you like to have the cd? He's offering it as a free download from his Web site, though you can help out if you want. I like the way he went about writing the songs -- he asked people to send him pictures and stories and this is the result. The download includes a booklet with lyrics and more about how the songs came about. I think it's a neat look into the creative process.

Does the world need another group blog about writing? Well, The Misfits think so, and I say good idea. Check it out.

Random thoughts on a happy milestone

So here I am, sitting in my daughter's house checking e-mail when her cat Franklin starts to eat the packing tape. Yes, you read that right. Franklin eats tape. Julia and Mike warned me that he would if I left it out. He's a crazy cat. Sometimes he doesn't like me and hisses at me. When he does that the other cat, Winston, comes to my defense. Yay Winston!

So why am I at Julia's house with packing tape? Because I'm helping her pack. Julia and Mike have bought a house on the other side of town and since they are both working, I'm helping pack. This is very fun, especially since the main reason they have joined the ranks of the mortgage-encumbered is because they are expecting my first grandchild. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) I am VERY EXCITED.

I've had this news for a while (since Mother's Day weekend, in fact) but I didn't want to talk about it too soon. But they've heard the heartbeat now and so I feel there is an official baby to talk about. So I'm talking. It somehow seems fitting that in my 50th year (though by the time the baby comes I'll have passed my birthday) I should be anticipating grandmotherhood. So far, everyone I know who is a grandparent says it's wonderful. I have yet to have anyone tell me that being a grandparent is not all it's cracked up to be. So that's good -- not that I was worried or anything.

I guess I should get back to work before Franklin eats all the tape.

Just to whet your appetite a bit ...

for Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, that is, (you're not going to be seeing recipes here anytime soon) -- here's an article by Alan Jacobs for Books & Culture. I do not spend much time browsing Harry Potter fan sites -- that could be a full-time job in itself -- but I am looking forward to the final book in the series. (Maybe someday I'll write a post about why I like Harry Potter, but not today.)

Books, books and more books

I go through seasons of reading. Sometimes I hardly read anything, then I read a lot. I think I'm getting into a "reading a lot" mode right now, which is good because I'm looking forward to some books and I have some at home I want to read.

Last night I finished reading About a Boy, by Nick Hornby. I've been a fan of Hornby's nonfiction, and I love the movie of About a Boy, so I wanted to read the book. I enjoyed it, but it's different than the movie in some significant ways. The movie takes some of the edge off, which is understandable, I guess. Adapting a book for film is always a challenge, especially if you're hoping for mass appeal. Which is not to say I like the movie less after reading the book, or that I like the movie better (or the book better). In some ways, they're almost separate entities that just happen to have some of the same characters and incidents. Hornby is a very good writer -- sometimes even brilliant. The book has wonderfully drawn characters, snappy and witty dialogue, humor, and real insight into the human condition. A lot of people reading might even say it's uplifting in its outlook -- it does have a reasonably happy ending (though the movie did the ending much differently, but still happy). But to me, the book is also a perfect picture of what it means to live without Christ. I'm sure that was not Hornby's intent, but that's what struck me, and as such it's a bit depressing. Near the end, Will thinks he might have to try to talk Fiona out of committing suicide and realizes there's no point to life -- at least none that he can think of. He just goes along from day to day, waiting to see what happens next. For a lot of us, even Christians, I'm afraid that's how we live -- very passively. Anyway, I didn't mean to get all philosophical and deep here. I did enjoy About a Boy and I think I need my own copy (I had checked it out of the library) because Nick Hornby really is a very good writer and I want to reread the brilliant bits.

As implied by the title of this post, I have more books to talk about. Yesterday the mail carrier brought me a lovely book -- To Dance in the Desert, by Kathleen Popa. It really is a lovely book to look at and I'm looking forward to reading it. I read the first chapter quite a while ago and I've been anticipating the rest of it ever since. It's up for a blog tour soon, so I'll be telling more then.

Another book I'm looking forward to, and will be featuring in a blog tour this summer I think, is the new novel from T.L. Hines: The Dead Whisper On. I enjoyed immensely Tony's debut novel, Waking Lazarus, and I don't expect to be disappointed with this one. Here's a link to an excerpt. Tony has also been blogging about his present journey with lymphoma -- my prayers are with you, Tony.

There are a couple more books I'm looking forward to, but I think I'll save them for another day. That way I won't have trouble coming up with a blog topic. :)

Happy Birthday!

The young man standing in the middle of this handsome trio (I could be partial, though) is my fourth child, Sam. Today he is 21. (On the left is Tim, 19, and on the right is Joel, 17. It does not seem possible that they are that old, but if Sam is 21, then they are definitely that old.)

Once upon a time we called these three -- because they were the three youngest and were all boys -- the little boys. The three oldest were "the big kids." Original, I know. But Sam, Tim and Joel ceased to be "little" boys a long time ago. Joel is now the biggest of them all, even. But Sam was always the ringleader. And he still is -- he is better at most video games, he reads the fastest and he still wields the power: the Legos are still in his room and Tim and Joel and all their friends still automatically ask for permission before entering said room. They listen to him and seek his opinion about matters great and small.

We don't know what Sam will end up doing with his life -- he's not sure himself -- but we love him lots. He's smart and funny and cooks a mean chicken and rice casserole. Happy Birthday, Sam!

Operators are standing by ...

Coach's Midnight Diner is now available for pre-sales. Whoo-hoo! It will also be available on Amazon, but it will be cheaper if you order it through Relief, so don't dally. I'm excited about this -- and not only because I have a story in it. I haven't read any of the stories yet (except my own, of course) but I know the writing of some of the authors and I don't think you'll be disappointed in the quality. It's got a great mix of stories and I guarantee you won't find another anthology quite like this one.

CSFF Blog Tour: The Restorer

I was at a professional conference earlier this week and the week before that I was busy getting ready for it, so I've been rather absent from blogging. As it is, I'm a day late for the CSFF tour, but I wanted to post the links -- Christian science fiction and fantasy needs all the attention it can get.

The featured book this month is The Restorer by Sharon Hinck. This is the first book in a series, The Sword of Lyric, in which a soccer mom finds herself in a parallel world still waiting for its deliverance. I haven't read it, but the story sounds intriguing. You can find out more by visiting Sharon's Web site or some of the blogs listed below.

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
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
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Robin Parrish
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver

Passages, part 1

This year I turn 50. I like Jeanne's approach -- she's calling it her Jubilee year. But, anyway, I find myself reflecting on things a lot. So, from time to time, I'll be sharing some of those. Today, I was reminded of my children's teenage years by this article at the New York Times. I haven't joined Facebook, but I understand the dynamic at work.

My kids were saddled with a mom who liked the same music they did -- I don't think that bothered them too much. But in many other ways, my presence was enough to induce lots of eye-rolls and hissed admonitions to avoid calling attention to myself. An example: We were in a mall and one of my daughters was about 13. I said "There's the food court," and indicated this by pointing. My daughter immediately grabbed my arm and said "Don't point!" I think I responded with an equally embarrassing gesture with my head and said something like "How else am I supposed to show you where it is?" I came to realize that the very fact of my existence was an embarrassment so I might as well embrace it. Somehow, my children have survived, though probably not unscathed.

Another reminder of the passage of time: USA Today is celebrating its 25th anniversary with lists. Today's list is about things that have disappeared in the last 25 years. Definitely a trip down memory lane.

Sometimes I don't want to be nice

Most of the time I'm a nice person. On personality tests I always come out as the one who wants everyone to get along. I'm the "golden retriever" and my true color is blue. And that's OK.

But I also have a contrarian streak. For example -- about 5th or 6th grade, all the girls in my class got really into cheerleading. They spent every recess practicing cheers and trying to do cartwheels and splits. I failed to see the appeal of this. Deep in my heart, I knew I'd never be a cheerleader, and I didn't want to be, anyway.

Or, when the show "Here Come the Brides" was popular (I'm showing my age here, I know) and every other girl in junior high was swooning over Bobby Sherman, I liked David Soul.

When everyone else was into Motown, I was discovering Led Zeppelin.

In college, I didn't take History of the Pentateuch (a course most sophomores at my small Bible college had to take) because I thought it was pointless to outline the book of Deuteronomy. Since it took me so long to finish my bachelor's degree, I never did have to take it -- they changed the curriculum. I took Hebrew, instead, to fulfill my Old Testament requirement. Lest you think I would have been better off outlining Deuteronomy I will tell you that I like languages and enjoyed Hebrew (though I was a better student of Greek).

Do you see a pattern emerging here? I don't want to make a virtue out of being obstinate -- my point is that this contrarian tendency is part of who I am.

So it makes me wonder if I'll ever come up with a novel idea that will have any appeal to a publisher. I'm just not likely to write a book cleverly tied to a popular hobby, or any other current theme in women's fiction. (Here's an idea: The Rock-n-roll Knitting Circle. No, I don't think so.) I'm not denigrating anybody who successfully pitches such a book. Obviously this appeals to thousands of women.

It just has me wondering if I have anything to say to a large enough group of readers to be worth publishing.

Friday fun

I'll blame Randall for this: Is this your name?
Here's some tidbits about my name:

1) My first name is ...
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: Pretty One
(It was also much more popular in the 1940s and '50s -- you hardly ever hear of someone naming a new baby Linda.)

2) Backwards, my name is Adnil Eromlig. Interesting.

3) According to the US Census Bureau°, 1.035% of US residents have the first name 'Linda' and 0.022% have the surname 'Gilmore'. The US has around 300 million residents, so the guesstimate is there are 683 'Linda Gilmore's.

I have come across some of these other women with my name. At least a couple of them are scientists who have published extensively in the fields of educational psychology and biology. (If you Google "Linda Gilmore" you'll find them.) And for some reason, there's a Linda Gilmore on the East Coast who has used an e-mail address similar to my personal one. I've gotten e-mail for her a couple of times by mistake. I made sure the sender realized it had gone to the wrong person and I even got a thank you from the intended Linda Gilmore.

If you're looking for a way to waste some time this Friday afternoon, check out your name.