Catching Up

Wow, it's been a really busy last few weeks. On Oct. 3 I had a book launch at The Christian Bookstore in my hometown of Lawrenceburg, TN. It was great fun. I caught up with lots of old friends, family, and people I've loved for as long as I can remember.

On October 12 I had a book signing here at the Borders in Goleta. Lots of great friends there, too (and some yummy samples from the Borders cafe. Mmm!).

Below are some pix from the Tennessee event (I forgot my camera in Santa Barbara-- sounds like me!)

Back from Minneapolis

I had a great time at ACFW last week. I sat in James Scott Bell's morning class, and it never ceases to amaze me that he always comes up with a new "nugget" of wisdom that is so applicable to my writing.

On Saturday, there was a book signing at the Mall of America, featuring 126 (I think that was the final count) Christian authors.

In the background you can see the gigantic media add for "Waiting for Daybreak". I'm in the foreground (wearing black) beside Lyn Cote.

This is a bigger picture of the ad.

This is a picture of "Promise to Remember", announcing that it was up for Women's Fiction Book of the Year.

BTW- Promise to Remember got third place. Woo hoo! Deb Raney won the category with "Remember to Forget". She also won 2 other categories that night for different books, and she's had movies made from her books, so I'm happy just to be on the same list with her! (Did I mention that she truly is one of the absolute SWEETEST people I've ever met?)

Some fun (and rather disturbing) facts

Did you know that...

...if your cat comes walking through the house with a live bat in his mouth--yes, I said BAT (black winged rodent that looks really creepy, just so we're clear)

...and if your cat scampers outside and begins to "play" with said bat in your laundry room

then...

...if your cat's rabies shots are up to date, he gets a booster. If they're not, well, I'm glad we didn't have to find out.

...you have to take the bat carcass into animal control for testing. FYI- they prefer that you use a glove to pick it up, and put it in an empty coffee can. Not knowing this, I used a HEAVY DUTY Ziploc bag.

Can we just say YUCK right about here!! We'll find out in a few days if Buddy the Bat had rabies. Either way, all should end well for Boots the Cat, and Buddy the Bat has gone on to his... uh... reward?

Daybreak has arrived

Hot-off-the-press copies of Waiting for Daybreak are starting to show up in the real world. Amazon.com shows it as being "in stock", and Christianbook.com shows that it will be ready to ship within the week! Woo hoo!!

Copies should be arriving on store shelves any day now. I can't wait for my first real "sighting".

Cadet Cushman, reporting for duty sir!

Well okay, I'm not exactly a cadet (space cadet not withstanding), but I am currently in the Citizen's Police Academy. This is a wonderful program that the Santa Barbara Police Department puts on a couple of times a year. We meet for a couple of hours a week, for ten weeks. Since my current work in progress involves a teenager who was arrested, this has been a really helpful--although it would be fascinating for anyone.

Last week we had a Crime Scene Investigator come in, tonight was the K-9 unit (how cool is that?). Brag, the 97 pound German Shepard, found a little teeny bag of cocaine hidden way down in a box of books, and Hondo, the mere 70 pounder, bit Brag's handler (with a training sleeve on his arm, thankfully!!), holding on so tightly that his back legs were dangling in midair when his victim tried to shake him, and he still didn't let go. Did I mention that his tail was wagging the entire time?

Brag the Dog.

The Traveling Rat is back!

Earlier this year, when Julie Carobini, Lauraine Snelling, Cathy Hake, and I went on a little southern California book tour (here are some of the pix from that escapade) we met a group of ladies who called their Bible study group the Yahweh Sisterhood of the Traveling Rat. They are a totally fun group of women, who have a rather large plastic rat as their mascot. Not to worry, this rat is not only housebroken, but she always dresses appropriately for any occasion :-).

It seems that the sisterhood all read A Promise to Remember as part of their summer book club-- including Reesa that rat, if this picture is to be believed. Cindy (one of the humans) tells me they had a great discussion. I wish I could have been there!! Here's to some of the nicest women -- and rats-- around!

ACFW Book of the Year Finalist

Yesterday, I was notified that A Promise to Remember is a finalist in the women's fiction category of the American Christian Fiction Writer's book of the year contest!! I am beyond thrilled!
Thanks be to God for this encouragement, just when I need it, too!
Here's the entire list of categories and finalists:

ACFW's 2008 Book of the Year Finalists

Debut Author
Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll)
In Between (Jenny B Jones)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
My Soul Cries Out (Sherri Lewis)
Petticoat Ranch (Mary Connealy)

Contemporary Novella (*six finalists due to a tie)
A Cloud Mountain Christmas (Robin Lee Hatcher)
Finally Home (Deb Raney in Missouri Memories anthology)
Mississippi Mud (DiAnn Mills in Sugar And Grits Anthology)
Moonlight & Mistletoe (Carrie Turansky in Big Apple Christmas anthology)
Remaking of Moe McKenna (Gloria Clover in the Race to the Altar anthology)
Sweet Dreams Drive (Robin Lee Hatcher)

Historical Novella
Beyond the Memories (DiAnn Mills in Mississippi Memories anthology)
Finishing Touches (Kelly Hake in Missouri Memories anthology)
Love Notes (Mary Davis in Love Letters anthology)
The Spinster & The Cowboy (Lena Nelson Dooley in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)
The Spinster & The Tycoon (Vickie McDonough in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)

Lits (*six finalists due to a tie)
Around the World in 80 Dates (Christa Banister)
One Little Secret (Bottke, Allison)
Renovating Becky Miller (Sharon Hinck)
Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
The Book of Jane (Dayton/Vanderbilt)

Long contemporary
Autumn Blue (Karen Harter)
Like Always (Robert Elmer)
Taming Rafe (Susan May Warren)
When the Nile Runs Red (DiAnn Mills)
Within This Circle (Deb Raney)

Long Historical (*seven finalists due to TWO ties)
Courting Trouble (Deeanne Gist)
Fancy Pants (Cathy Hake)
Lady of Milkweed Manor (Julie Klassen)
Remember Me (Maureen Lang)
Then Came Hope (Louise Gouge)
Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky)
Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer)

Mystery
Days And Hours (Susan Meissner)
Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Sharon Dunn)
Gone With The Groom (Janice Thompson)
Sticks And Stones (Susan Meissner)
Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney)

Short Contemporary
Heart of the Family (Margaret Daley)
The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight)
The Perfect Blend (Allie Pleiter)
Wedded Bliss (Kathleen Y’Barbo)
When Love Comes Home (Arlene James)

Short Contemporary Suspense (*six finalists due to a tie)
Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper)
Her Christmas Protector (Terri Reed)
Nowhere to Hide (Debby Giusti)
Pursuit of Justice (Pamela Tracy)
See No Evil (Gayle Roper)
Vanished (Margaret Daley)

Short Historical (*six due to a tie)
A Time to Keep (Kelly Hake)
A Wealth Beyond Riches (Vickie McDonough)
Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman)
Corduroy Road to Love (Lynn Coleman)
Golden Days (Mary Connealy)
To Trust An Outlaw (Rhonda Gibson

Speculative
Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee)
DragonFire (Donita Paul)
The Restorer (Sharon Hinck)
The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck)
Isle of Swords (Wayne Thomas Batson)

Suspense
Abomination (Colleen Coble)
Black Ice (Linda Hall)
Coral Moon (Brandilyn Collins)
Crimson Eve (Brandilyn Collins)
Ransomed Dreams (Amy Wallace)

Women’s Fiction
A Promise To Remember (Katie Cushman)
Bygones (Kim Sawyer)
Remember to Forget (Deb Raney)
The Oak Leaves (Maureen Lang)
Watercolored Pearls (Stacy Adams)

Young Adult
In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
On The Loose (Jenny B. Jones)
Sara Jane: Liberty’s Torch (Eleanor Clark
Sarah’s Long Ride (Susan P Davis)
Saving Sailor (Renee Riva)