Where Romance Meets Therapy

Don't Follow Me Here...

2011-03-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

Instead, follow me over at my signature blog,
The Character Therapist!

I post Monday through Friday at the above address, and hope to see you there!

Kaye Dacus' A Case for Love Review and Giveaway!

2010-04-05T23:24:00.002-05:00

Click over to The Character Therapist for my review and chance to win Kaye's latest release!

Chance to win a GREAT Easter book!

2010-03-22T22:44:00.001-05:00

With Easter just around the corner, I've got the best book recommendation for you! Click by The Character Therapist to read my review and be entered for a chance to win A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White!

Faerie Drawing of ME!

2010-03-06T22:57:00.000-06:00

Y'all aren't gonna believe this! I was sketched into a faerie today by the most extraordinarily talented Elizabeth Meuller! This made my day! Check out this picture she drew of me!

I've never looked better! :) Check out her blog if you get a chance. Thanks, Elizabeth!

Learn Your Parenting Style--or your Protagonist's!

2010-02-18T20:16:00.005-06:00

Hello all! My blog isn't exactly defunct, but while I'm focusing on building platform, that lends itself to spending more time on my other blog, The Character Therapist.

Join me over there for a NEW SERIES on parenting styles! If you missed my personality types or personality disorder series, you can buy them on my other blog for a low cost. But don't miss this one....of all the ones I've done to date, I think this one has the most information for your manuscripts.

See you there! If you aren't following me over there, you might want to, as posts here will be fewer and farther between. I miss you all!

Win a copy of Thin Places !!

2010-02-10T10:53:00.001-06:00

Click by over at The Character Therapist to read my review and win one of two copies!!

Parent Pointers - Redefining Prayer

2010-02-01T23:26:00.003-06:00

This has been an exciting month! I had another article published by SAGE Girls Ministry Online. Click on the logo above to read it. Let me know what you think...my ideas aren't really too far out there. :)

February CFOM article!

2010-02-01T10:41:00.001-06:00

My first article with Christian Fiction Online Magazine has been published! Click the magazine cover below to read my Therapeutic Thought on Triangles!

Doing the happy dance....

T3 - Beaver/Melancholic Personality Type

2010-01-21T11:46:00.001-06:00

Check it out at The Character Therapist!

Treatment Tuesday - Fictional Therapy Session How-To

2010-01-19T12:11:00.001-06:00

The Character Therapist gives her first how-to lesson on writing fictional therapy sessions. Check it out!

CJ Darlington's Thicker Than Blood - Real Problems, Realistically Portrayed

2010-01-18T06:00:00.003-06:00

I recently finished CJ Darlington's debut novel, Thicker Than Blood, just in time for her blog tour this week! CJ's novel won the 2008 Operation First Novel contest with the Christian Writers Guild, and after reading it, I can certainly see why.

Here's a short blurb:

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late?

Before I don my therapist cap to do my psychological review, just a couple of general statements about CJ's story world and writing. She really has a knack for sharing pertinent detail. I say pertinent because it's certainly not boring detail that she weaves effortlessly into her prose, but detail that just transports the reader straight into the pages.

I also really appreciated the way CJ introduced me to a profession I knew absolutely nothing about. She digs into many facets of antiquarian book traders--of which CJ knew tons about because she was one!--from buying at trade shows and estate sales to internet sales and the managing of a book store. I love how CJ used a small, interesting fact of her trade to really spin the plot on it's side. (Of course, I won't tell which one...and you learn tons of them throughout the book...so you'll just have to read it.) :)

Now, let's talk about characters with real problems, and how CJ portrayed them very realistically. By Chapter One, you know her heroine, Christy, has a little problem with drinking. Given the situation, though, you might be tempted to excuse her. But as the book progresses, you realize that her problem is much more serious. Alcoholism really is a way of life, and CJ does a great job of showing the reader how Christy's past, present, and future fall victim to the choices and decisions she made. Being under the influence of any kind of drug alters your perceptions of everything, from what constitutes a "good" relationship to what looks like a good business arrangement that you later regret.

The key to creating such a flawed character really is in CJ's consistency. Christy's first thoughts when faced with any kind of hardship or stressful situation is to turn to the bottle for courage. This is so true to life! Alcoholics reframe their addiction and think things like the bottle will give them courage they wouldn't have otherwise. Christy falls prey to this line of thinking more than once--she's consistent.

CJ also blows the lid on abusive relationships and co-dependency. Abuse can come in many forms, not just physical. Emotional abuse--mind games, threats, using manipulation--are extremely common in relationships today. Christy's relationship with Vince is a testament to many women out there who go through the exact same thing every day. It's hard. It's scary. But kudos to CJ for showing that a woman can break free. Yes, it requires falling down and dusting yourself off. It requires striking out into the unknown. But it can be done!

I was pleasantly surprised at the character arc for Christy. I thought it was going to be one of these ultra-convenient spiritual transformations during a church scene. HA! The only time I was actually frowning while reading this book was during the preacher's oh-so-timely testimony. I'm not going to tell you how Christy "sees the light," but it sure wasn't during the church scene. :) So refreshing! Christy has come a long way, through so many hard knocks, to just lay down and pick up something as simple as a relationship with a Lord she has had no firsthand experience with. So again, kudos to the writer, who made her conversion believable.

Last but not least, CJ digs into family member estrangement. Any number of events could cause members of the same family to close off from one another. While misunderstandings are probably the most common, CJ's scenario works just fine. A very believable watershed moment sets the stage for these two sisters to walk down the paths they do. There is a certain amount of palpable awkwardness when the two sisters meet up for the first time in 15 years. It's not all hunky-dory and tears and hugs. Piecing back a family takes longer than that. It's really a very poignant reunion...eventually. CJ doesn't spoil it by making the connection too soon, in my opinion.

If you don't want to read the book after all that, something's wrong with you! While it's not a romance, there is a little romantic thread (although from a romantic side--I sure wish there had been more. I also wish there had been a little string-tying in that general direction...but perhaps there will be a book two?) amidst quite a big suspense thread. Ultimately it's a story of redemption and hope you won't want to miss out on.

You can buy the book from Amazon, CBD, Barnes and Noble, or Borders. You can also reach CJ at her website, http://www.cjdarlington.com or her blog, http://www.cjdarlington.blogspot.com/.

T3 - Golden Retriever/Phlegmatic Expose

2010-01-14T12:16:00.004-06:00

It's Personality Type Expose over at The Character Therapist! Come find out about the Golden Retriever/Phlegmatic!

Treatment Tuesday and a Little Aside

2010-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

I realize that most of my posts on this blog have essentially been directing you to my other blog, The Character Therapist. The reason for this--for those who don't know--is because I recently moved BACK to California and took a new full-time job as the director of clinical services for a non-profit there.

I've been so busy learning the ropes and getting adjusted to working full time (after having been a stay-at-home mom almost 2 years) that when I come home, I barely have enough motivation to keep hammering out my Character Therapy posts as well as the various articles I write for publication monthly.

So this is the reason for my absence on this blog, as well as my absence from commenting on many of yours. I miss you all. I do. But this is what I have to do for right now.

If you want to stay in touch with me, then come on over and follow me on The Character Therapist. I frequently write back to my commenters there, and often have mini "sessions" with authors who write in Tuesdays, which is a lot of fun. Today, I'm working on explaining to writers how to write bipolar in your manuscripts in believable ways, so click on over.

Again, I miss you all so much. I miss your comments. I miss writing! But I know this is just a season!

My First Time

2010-01-10T13:45:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Humboldt County, CA, experienced a 6.5 earthquake. You can see how this compares with the other minor earthquakes experienced on a daily basis by most of California at this website. That huge blue block at the top of CA...that's the one that hit us.

I've been through several of the minor ones, so this was not my first quake. Most are a gentle rumble, a slight sway. But my first time living through a moderate (yes, 6.5 is only moderate!) quake, I thought for sure I was going to die. Not trying to be melodramatic. I honestly thought it was the end.

My daughter and I were sitting on the couch when it happened. It started gently, a little rumbling and shaking. But then it honestly felt (and sounded) like a Mack truck slammed into the left side of the house. You should try tamping down your horror while trying to put on a happy face for your child as all your glasses come crashing down in the kitchen! I shielded Madelyn with my body, because I thought the living room windows might crash on us.

The aftershocks, thankfully, weren't very serious. I think there were some 3.4s or something around there...but I was too shaken to feel them. Maddy didn't have socks and shoes on, so I told her to stay on the couch while I tried to clean up the glass shards that were all over the floor. She just ate her Nilla wafers and drank her milk as she watched me. She didn't cry at all!

I immediately called my husband, who was fishing on the Trinity River with a buddy, and let him know that had been a massive earth quake. He got off the water right then and came home, but that was a 2-hour drive from inland California. The power was turned off, and sirens and ambulances were going off all over the city from the time it happened to the time my husband got home. It was like something from a movie. Creepy and scary. Had to keep Maddy out of the kitchen even though I swept up, because the flashlights started catching the shiny pieces of glass that I hadn't seen with my naked eye. The floor and counters didn't fully get cleaned until this morning.

[The picture above is of Eureka Natural Foods, a local grocery store here. Can you imagine what everything else must look like? We haven't ventured out yet to check things out.]

I am blessed to have wonderful neighbors. Everyone was out checking on everyone else. My neighbor came over to smell for gas and then he just turned it off as fire trucks began driving up and down the streets, waiting for people to flag them if there were gas leaks. He checked out heater to see if it was run on gas or electricity. Unfortunately, the fan blower runs on electricity...so the house got cold. Maddy slept with us last night to make sure she stayed warm, but that meant Allan and I got no sleep as she tossed and turned and sighed and bumped her head. Lights came on about 2:30 a.m. or so...and then the heat. So I brought Maddy back to her room and was able to get about 5 hours of sleep eventually.

But this experience has taught me something. You never know when your final moments will be. I felt like I came as close to death yesterday as I ever have. It was my "first time," so to speak. And to experience this with my daughter, desperately wanting her to be able to live a full and happy life, was nothing short of terrifying. The important things come to life and flash through your mind: my husband, my daughter, my parents. How I might never see them again. How I would miss them.

But I know where I'm going, people. I know that had yesterday been even more serious than it was (say, if I had been standing under the kitchen cabinet, for instance, when the glasses came crashing down), I know where I'd be. I also know how important it is to tell people how much you love them every single opportunity you can.

You never know when it might be your last time.

T3 - Personality "Types" Overview

2010-01-07T09:55:00.002-06:00

Starting a new series to aid you in character development. Come take the tests approved by The Character Therapist and join in the fun!

Treatment Tuesday - A "Dethroned" Firstborn

2010-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Looking at birth order today in a fantasy novel. But newsflash: it's the same no matter what genre. :) Check it out at The Character Therapist.

No Kiss Blogfest Fun!

2010-01-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

Since Sherrinda's, Katie's and Krista's Kissing Day Blogfest was such a big hit, Frankie over at Frankie Writes decided to do a No Kiss Blogfest--where we post our great "almost kisses" from our books. The only rule so far as I gather is that the lips can't touch.

So without further ado, here's an excerpt from my book, Blessed Beyond the Curse, in which the hero and heroine are about to dance in a fundraiser spoof of Dancing with the Stars.

“You want to go over some of the basic steps?” He itched to get started, needing to see where her skill level was. She nodded, her eyes big as she took in the camera crews.

“Ignore them. Focus on me.” Joshua escorted her to an unoccupied corner of the floor. “So we’ll be dancing in a closed position. Like this.” He stepped close and slid his right arm around her back to rest on her left shoulder blade. Her skin was cool to the touch, but oh-so-soft. A slight bit of pressure from his fingers brought them closer.

She raised her left hand to rest on his right shoulder and put her left hand in his right, which he held out from his body in a horizontal ninety-degree angle. In her heels, their position was just so they could look over each other’s shoulder.

“That’s great! Our line is perfect, actually.” He cleared his throat to begin his instruction. “The most basic waltz step is a box step. I’ll step forward with my left while you step back with your rig—”

“Let’s just give it a whirl, shall we?”

He frowned. He had just known she was going to pull something like this. Let her fall flat on her face, then.

“Fine.” His mouth thinned. “I’ll just count it off.” How could one woman be so aggravating and so tempting at the same time? “One, two, three, one, two, three…”

She followed his lead without missing a step, their feet in between each other’s just as his dance instructor had taught him. A little relief worked its way into his shoulders. At least she could do the basic step.

He moved on to more complex steps, and his relief gave way to amusement. Kathy was far better than the average beginner. No wonder she had been smug earlier. It didn’t take much effort on her part to dance with him, and she still got her end of the bargain.

Clever girl.

“I think someone was holding out on me,” he said close to her ear, before continuing to count aloud to keep time, since they didn’t have any music.

“Mm-hmm,” she said. After a while, she cocked her head to the side and he saw the question in her eyes before she asked. “So who was this Malinda you cancelled on tonight?”

“Curious?” Joshua answered her question with one of his own.

“I’m simply asking because I feel bad for her, that’s all.” She closed her eyes like a queen might do when talking to one of her subjects, her lashes fanning out on her cheek.

Joshua supposed it was his turn to tell the truth. “Don’t. She’s my younger sister, married, two months pregnant and exhausted. You did her a favor.” Lindy was no doubt ecstatic over being relieved of her sisterly duty.

Kathy tucked her chin in, her brow furrowed. “Then what was all this about a ‘special relationship?’”

“Siblings are a special relationship.” He couldn’t help his own smile at her look of disdain. “But honestly? I wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine. You know—sort of like how you led me to believe you had a date tonight.”

She harrumphed, turning her head to look the other direction, which was the best show of aggravation she could manage while being held as close to him as she was.

Joshua took the opportunity to whip her into a promenade and then into a spin. The dance itself was exhilarating, of course, but dancing with her was even more exciting. They were a fluid pair, each an extension of the other.

As he altered his footwork to pull her into a dip, she did the same to accommodate a backward lean, elongating her body. His gaze traveled the length of her exposed neck, his pulse a staccato drumbeat in his ears. His desire to kiss her very nearly made him lose control in front of all the other dancers.

After a brief interlude, Kathy turned her head to glance up at him, as if to ask, Why aren’t you pulling me up? When she focused on the look in his eyes, though, her own widened in…what? Fear? Surprise dampened his longing, and he sprang into action, helping her right herself before releasing his hold on her. She busied herself with smoothing her dress, her eyes flicking what Joshua interpreted as mistrustful glances his way.

Would she be afraid if he kissed her? That would be a first for him, but wasn’t that what the apprehension in her eyes said? He cleared his throat in order to shut out his questions and break the awkward silence between them. “I think you might be better at this than I am.”

“You’re a very good partner. I just let you lead,” She spoke much faster than her usual Southern pace. Her hand on her chest revealed her breaths rising in time to his own.

“Ah, well, it’s about time.” Maybe a joke would lessen the uncertainty in her regard. Sure enough, he was rewarded with a partial grin.

“Just don’t get too attached to the experience.” She ran a hand underneath her hair, lifting it from her shoulders and allowing it to fall back into place.

Joshua spoke without thought. “What if it’s already too late?” As soon as the last syllable left his mouth, he wished the cufflink on his shirt had been fitted to his mouth. The timing of his first blatant flirtation couldn’t have been worse.

“Sounds like you have a problem on your hands, then.” If he hadn’t been sure before, he was now positive Kathy was treating tonight as strictly a business transaction, not a date. The problem lied in that he hadn’t counted on finding himself at the other end of that spectrum. Tonight was a date, even if it had come about unconventionally.

He also hadn’t counted on the feel of her in his arms. The silken skin of her back, the softness of her palm. They toyed with his memory so much so his hand wanted to move to touch her again.

His brain overrode the impulse, and he shoved them in his pockets instead.

Don't be fooled...this almost-kiss wasn't as one-sided as it might have appeared. Kathy wanted it every bit as much as Joshua did, which is why she was so scared. But you'd have to read the book to know why she's scared....gotta leave you hanging a little, right?

Hope everyone had a blessed New Years. I won't be on the blogosphere much today, as my family and I just moved into our new place YESTERDAY! But I look forward to reading as much as I can during my breaks.

T3 - New Year Resolutions: Some Friendly Cautions

2009-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

To set the record straight, I'm all for resolutions. I just don't think they should only be inspired by a new year. The date should be irrelevant to when you want to make an improvement to yourself.

However, it's pretty accepted that January 1st is some magical date to "start over" or "wipe the slate clean." So to that I say give it your best shot! But I have a few cautionary words as well.

1) Make your goals realistic.

If you're completely addicted to Starbucks, live/work three blocks from one, have a friend who works there or any combination of these three, then your resolution to abstain from Starbucks is pretty unfeasible. (Not to say there aren't extremely strong-willed individuals out there, but I'm just speaking in generalities as I so often have to do.)

2) Don't always focus on BIG goals.

Goals don't always have to be the long-range, big time stuff. The best accomplishments, in fact, could be a series of small goals you achieve. But if you only think about the big picture, you could miss this opportunity to triumph!

It's a great idea to break big goals into smaller ones anyway. That way, you're not overwhelmed with the idea of having to graduate from school. You just work your way through individual classes first. Losing the first 5 lbs can be the hardest when the amount you're aiming for is 50 lbs.

3) Figure out your rewards ahead of time.

What's the fun of actually accomplishing your goals if there's no reward? Sure, there's that inherent, philosophical idea that you did what you set out to do. That might be enough for some of us, but it's not at all enough for others. Some crave recognition, so maybe you should blog monthly about how far along you are in sticking to your resolution. Some crave a physical reward, such as divinely expensive chocolate, Kindle books, or manicures (oh, wait...this post isn't supposed to be about me!). Reward yourself for staying true to your goals...and do this on a regular schedule. It might work for some to treat themselves weekly instead of monthly. You know yourself.

4) Don't wait until January 1st, 2011, to jump back on the wagon.

There's nothing magical about January 1st! If you don't meet your goal, just get back to it as soon as you can! There is this supposed formula that it takes 28 days to break a habit. Well, in 28 days, you're still in January! Many, many, many resolutions are broken during the very first month (I tried to find the exact percentage, but it's late and I'm tired and the internet fairies weren't forthcoming).

Treat an occasional lapse as a temporary setback, not something to throw your hands up, gnash your teeth and wail about. If you went 10 days with no Starbucks, but on day 11 couldn't fight the aroma calling to you in your sleep, then just start back on day 12. One coffee in 10 days won't send you to the dark abyss. It's better than 10 coffees. The same could be said with getting off your diet, smoking a cigarette or compulsive shopping.

5) Be purposeful in your resolutions.

Don't just sporadically come up with something you think you'd like to change. Really give it some thought. According to psychologist Richard Wiseman, who led a study about failed resolutions, "If you do it on the spur of the moment, it probably doesn't mean that much to you and you won't give it your all. Failing to achieve your ambitions is often psychologically harmful because it can rob people of a sense of self control." Even more so, when we fail at our resolutions, we can often feel even worse about ourselves than we did before we made the resolution, and that's no place anyone wants to be.

TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCE FOR SUCCESS:

So, now that you know better how to prepare for your resolutions, I thought I'd add some sure-fire ways to increase your chance for success.

Breaking goals down into smaller steps is definitely the number one thing to do. This increases your chance of success to 35% (according to Wiseman's study). If you add the reward system, the success rate goes up. If you add telling your friends, keeping a diary (or blog) of your progress, and focusing on the benefits of succeeding (not focusing on the downside of not succeeding), then your success rate goes up to 50%!

So keep these things in mind when making your resolutions!

Here's wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Treatment Tuesday - Personalities of Doctors

2009-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Digging into the Myers-Briggs types associated with doctors today...so stop on by The Character Therapist!

Parent Pointers

2009-12-28T13:06:00.002-06:00

January's focus for Sage Ministry Online is "Media = Becoming a Christ-Conscious Techie in a Technology-Consumed World." You can see my article for parents about giving your child the Benefit of the Doubt when it comes to setting boundaries with them regarding their technology usage.

Hope you parents out there find it useful. Would welcome any comments or discussion about my particular views.

Q4U: What do you see as the biggest technological danger to young children today?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T12:03:00.003-06:00

Here's wishing a wonderful Christmas to everyone! May you be blessed as you remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm going to take a break for the holidays and will be back in action next week. The Character Therapist is finally taking a break, as well, so no Therapeutic Thought this Thursday.

Merry Christmas!

Treatment Tuesday - Down Syndrome & Foster Care

2009-12-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today's assessment focuses on foster care and Down Syndrome, both of which could easily slip into your own manuscri

Publish Post

pts! So check it out at The Character Therapist.

Official Kissing Day Blogfest!

2009-12-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

Okay, writers, readers and guests! It's the Official Kissing Day for blogs everywhere as we give a Writer's Tribute to MISTLETOE!! The following is an excerpt from The Character Therapist, my current WIP. I don't really think you need a lead in. You'll pick it up. :)

Charlotte helped herself to a cup of hot water provided by the hotel in the back of the room. While she was steeping her Earl Grey tea bag, a cough issued behind her. Charlotte whirled around to see a snarl of a grin on Jorja Patterson’s face.

“Lottie. Fancy running into you, of all people.”

Jorja's use of her father’s pet name for her was Jorja’s way of throwing the gauntlet down. Charlotte stirred her tea with measured calm. “Jorja.” So many other names would have fit better, though, like home-wrecker, adulteress—

“I was real sorry to hear about your mama. Just tragic, really. How’s she doing?” Jorja’s honey-sweet drawl was razor sharp, cutting Charlotte to the quick faster than any gang member walking the streets of Atlanta.

Charlotte would sooner spit on the doorstep to her mother’s nursing home before she talked about her to the one woman responsible for it all. It took two to tango, but no doubt Jorja had wagged her little finger—or shaken her caboose—at her father until he’d come running, throwing their family into utter chaos and pain.

She deposited her teacup on a round, linen-covered tray, the thought of drinking it now souring her stomach. “Good-bye Jorja. And, uh, good luck covering the conference.” Charlotte allowed just enough superiority to creep into her tone that Jorja’s impeccably made-up face twitched. Her ex-stepmother was close to forty, but her botoxed face and lipoed body was that of a twenty-year-old.

“You might have landed the opening story, Lottie, but there’s a lot more of Brock Corbin to go around.” She lifted a brow. “I should know.”

The inappropriate innuendo Charlotte had come to expect from Jorja would have normally made her roll her eyes and turn away. But instead of her usual response, a balloon began to inflate in her chest, filling her up and spilling out her mouth with a gust of laughter. “Like I said, good luck with that.”

With her ex-step-mother’s hawk-like eyes tracking her , Charlotte made a beeline to the front where Brock was sitting. Her neck burned hot as she bolstered her courage to do what needed to be done. He glanced up at her approach and stood to say hello.

Charlotte didn’t say respond as she dropped her bag in the chair next to the one he had occupied. She didn’t so much as hesitate as she reached up, grasped Brock’s tie to pull him down a few inches, and lay a kiss on him Jorja wouldn’t mistake for a chaste kiss hello.

It wasn’t until Brock’s mouth opened under hers with a surprised strangled sound that Charlotte wondered what the heck she was doing. She was already trying to figure out how she could explain Brock shoving her away to Jorja when one of his hands threaded around her waist to pull her closer while his mouth slanted on hers. Just as Charlotte’s knees began to buckle, Brock used his other hand to hold on tight, the folder occupying his attention earlier now pressed against her back.

Charlotte had no idea how long they stood there, kissing like leading actors instead of fundamental strangers, but it wasn’t long enough. All she knew was that when Brock raised his head, his eyes were curiously alight.

“So…um…is that your way of wishing me luck, or saying your sorry for getting me into the mess in the first place?”

As she stepped away to adjust her blazer jacket, Charlotte risked a quick glance back at Jorja in time to see her eyes narrow.

“Oh, the kiss?” She turned back to Brock. Interesting how she could sound so glib about it, like it hadn’t been completely bone-turning-to-Jello good. She congratulated herself. She had to make Jorja think things were far more normal than they were. She tossed her hair over her shoulders and smiled at him for Jorja’s benefit. “All you need to know is that it was spur of the moment, urgent, and necessary. I figured it would be better to ask for forgiveness later than permission first.” That certainly would have lost the impact for Jorja.

Brock ran a hand through his hair, drawing Charlotte’s eyes there. “Was there an apology in there somewhere? It’s not like I’m used to getting accosted by females.”

“You better get used to it.” Charlotte pointed out the French doors to the mob of women. “They are going to descend on you in less than five minutes for the first session. Are you ready?”

“I was just going over my notes before you distracted me. What was the urgency?”

Charlotte almost laughed. She had momentarily sidetracked herself, as well. Seconds after their mouths had touched, Charlotte forgot about Jorja. She forgot about the Hilton, the conference, Mack, and the Journal-Constitution. All she could think about was the dry warmth and fit of his lips against hers.

She had to put some distance between herself and this man, if only to gain perspective for the article she had to write. She couldn’t very well turn in a story about the sporty clean smell of aftershave that teased her nostrils. Or the darker rim of olive that surrounded his irises, irises that were regarding her intently.

She decided on the truth. “I needed someone to think you and I are an item.”

One of Brock’s eyebrows raised. “Glad I went with it, then.”

“Me, too.” Her lips still buzzed with how glad she was.

“So, am I going to get that apology or not?” Though his words were demanding, his tone was playful, teasing.

One last peek assured her Jorja was still watching the show. “I don’t believe so.” She stepped closer, letting her eyes follow the progress of her hand as it ran under his jacket lapel, smoothing it down. Then she moved to his tie, needlessly straightening it, before her fingers found their way to the hair at his nape. She stroked the softness there by his neck, reveling in the feel of his hair. She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted to touch it until now.

Brock shifted his weight from his right foot to his left, his eyes sliding shut. “Why, uh, why not?”

She stood on her tip-toes to reach the thicker hair at the back of his head, the hair that just brushed his collar. While she fanned her fingers, she stretched to whisper in his ear. “I was taught that you shouldn’t apologize if you don’t really mean it.”

Leaving him with one mussed hairstyle, two incredulous eyes, and three minutes to spare, she turned to walk off.

Hope you enjoyed my excerpt. Don't forget to check out everyone else's kissing scenes around the blogosphere!

Oh, in case you missed it...

I'm going to be a new columnist on Christian Fiction Online Magazine! Starting in February, I'll be doing my signature Character Therapy...so if you have questions about your characters or plot feasibility, email me and you could be one of the lucky monthly winners to be featured in my column on the magazine! You'll get links back to your website or blog, so this could be great exposure for your breakout or high concept novel. So what are you waiting for? :)

Kissing Day Blog Fest Tomorrow!

2009-12-20T22:46:00.003-06:00

Hopefully I'll be seeing you all here tomorrow for the Kissing Day Blog Fest! Everyone's posting their kissing scenes in honor of the Christmas seasonal tradition of mistletoe. Go by this website and register your link so we know to visit your blog and read all the yummy deliciousness of kisses and near-kisses!

See you tomorrow!

T3 - Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

2009-12-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

The last personality disorder is on parade today at The Character Therapist. It's one heck of one, too. I should know, as I have more tendencies toward this one than any of them. :)

Treatment Tuesday - A Teen Mother's "Brother"

2009-12-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Interesting one today, folks. A teen mother gives birth to her son? Click the logo above to go to The Character Therapist.

Being Tagged and Tagging Others

2009-12-11T06:00:00.003-06:00

So I got tagged yesterday for the first time by Christine H. In turn, I sentence the following three people to also be tagged, because I'm ruthless that way:

Katie Ganshert
Jessica Nelson
Eileen Astels

(Because the three of you have absolutely nothing better to do, I know.) :)

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

The last thing I wrote was chapter 7 of my new WIP, The Character Therapist. This was about a week and a half ago. The first thing I wrote that I still have was this story about Mrs. Diamond (an actual diamond with arms and legs) who almost gets stolen. It is accompanied by a lovely crayon drawing from an abstract design the teacher made on the page that was converted into said Mrs. Diamond with arms and legs.

2. Write poetry?

For special occasions

3. Angsty poetry?

Never.

4. Favorite genre of writing?

Contemporary romance/romantic suspense

5. Most annoying character you've ever created?

Oooo...my new one, Jorja Patterson (same aged, ex-step mom of the heroine). I call her my botox villain.

6. Best Plot you've ever created?

My character therapist plot is rocking so far. It's very different and really creative.

7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?

After reading Maass and hearing him speak, I went back and connected my villain in Blessed to the hero in a fairly surprising way.

8. How often do you get writer's block?

Usually once per book during the brainstorming stage. I just hit a wall. But I can get past it fairly easily with using critique partners and family as sounding boards.

9. Write fan fiction?

No, but I devoured all the Southern Vampire fan fiction I could get my hands on.

10. Do you type or write by hand?

Type. Only.

11. Do you save everything you write?

Absolutely. See post here on Therapeutic Writing.

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?

Oh yes. I don't like to use the word "abandon." Usually, though, one idea far outshines the others in my idea notebook, and that's the one I go with.

13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?

I'd have to say the chapter in The Character Therapist when my heroine realizes that the character therapist is using her anonymous submission as an example at a speech to a writing organization. Hysterical.

14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?

I guess Blessed. Its the one most have read and enjoyed...although honestly I don't even think my crit partner has read it in its entirety. Have you, Katie?

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Yes to having written romance. Yes to having a fetish to READ teen drama (hel-lo Twilight).

16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?

Places I've lived and know about.

17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?

One fiction novel...when I have time, that is...and monthly articles for Sage Girls Ministry Online. You can read my latest one here.

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Not in the proper sense, no. But

19. What are your five favorite words?

That's a hard one. I love words, so have many favorites. The ones I probably like the sound (and meaning) of the most are some of the following: eclectic; cacophony; iridescent; juxtaposition and gregarious.

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?

Without a doubt, Shannon Hughes from my first book, What Might Have Been. It was written about a situation I went through, and she looks and acts a lot like me.

21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?

From my professional background as a licensed marriage and family therapist.

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?

I haven't yet. That said, if I did write a book based on a dream, I don't know that I'd advertise it like Stephenie Meyers did. I wouldn't want someone saying that I had my "dream" after reading someone else's book, like Stephenie probably did when she read *cough* L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries before she fell asleep.

23. Do you favor happy endings?

Yes. Romantic at heart, so I better have a good inclination from the author that they get together at the end if it's not blatantly obvious (like with a ring or white dress).

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Probably a bit too much so.

25. Does music help you write?

Not really. Haven't written much with music, although it was always classical music. I'm too easy to distract if I know the lyrics to something.

26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.

Here's one of my most favorite sentences:

Threads of uncertainty weaved a light tapestry of optimism over her heart.

So there you go. A bit more about me. Happy writing this weekend!

T3 - Schizotypal Personality Disorder

2009-12-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Only two more personality disorders to go in our Parade! You can find out about this funny-sounding disorder at The Character Therapist.

Treatment Tuesday - Multi-Disordered Assessment

2009-12-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week's assessment focused on a character with more disorders than ornaments on a tree. Check it out at The Character Therapist.

T3 - Dependent Personality Disorder

2009-12-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Come read about this fascinating, yet disturbing, personality disorder at The Character Therapist.

YAY!!

2009-12-02T14:11:00.001-06:00

I GET TO SEE MY DAUGHTER TODAY!!!

It's been 2 1/2 weeks....and she's coming in this afternoon with my mom on the "airpane" she loves so much. Please be praying for their safe travels...and our super sweet reunion.

Treatment Tuesday - From Playboy to Committed Husband

2009-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

How can you make a character swing from one thing to something totally opposite? Click on over to The Character Therapist to find out.

Parent Pointers for December

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

I think I might have been a little lax in sharing my articles for Sage Ministries. You can see my December article here on ways to think outside the gift box this year and really teach your children the blessing of blessing others during the Christmas season.

We Have a Winner!

2009-11-28T13:31:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Susan J Reinhardt for commenting on last Monday's review of Erica Vetsch's The Bartered Bride!

I just emailed you for your snail mail addy. You're going to love the book!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and participating. :) Hope everyone is recovering from Black Friday shopping.

Black Friday Fits with Yesterday's T3

2009-11-27T06:00:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! I did, although I missed my family so incredibly much. Only a few more days before my little girl will be here, though!

Wish me luck today at 11 a.m. Pacific Time. I'm going to be doing a walk-through of the house I hope my family will be living in! Haven't seen the inside, but everything else looks and sounds fantastic!

If you missed yesterday's Therapeutic Thought, you can click over to The Character Therapist to read up on Schizoid Personality Disorder. Interesting that it fell on Thanksgiving...I doubt that any person with Schizoid was particularly excited about the holiday.

Anyway...hope you enjoy all the Black Friday shopping sales!

Treatment Tuesday - Meeting An Absent Father

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Neither knew the other existed for 24 years. One's still in the dark. Check it out at The Character Therapist.

The Bartered Bride Book Review and Giveaway!

2009-11-23T06:00:00.004-06:00

Debut author Erica Vetsch nailed her first book, people. Nailed it. I really enjoyed reading this one....so much so, we're going to have a giveaway! (Just leave a comment in the comment section with your email address to be entered.)

First, a bit about the book from the back cover:

Jonathan Kennabrae is furious when his grandfather informs him that his future has been decided. He will marry Melissa Brooke or lose his inheritance. Jonathan has invested years of his life in Kennabrae Shipping, but heaven help him if Grandfather decides to take it all away for this.

Melissa, too, is devastated when her parents make their announcement. As little more than a bargaining chip in her father's business maneuvers, she feels her secure world slipping away. Engaged to marry a man she has never met--someone "considerably older" than herself? What have her parents done?

Can Jonathan and Melissa find a way out of this loveless marriage, or must they find a way forward together?

You have to love the immediate conflict and high tension from a premise like this. What a great title to capture that conflict. But that's not all that's great. Erica's writing is succinct and tight, with every scene moves the plot forward....very little fluff. But there are some lighthearted moments that make you smile....and the first kiss is so swoon-worthy it certainly won't disappoint. Hel-lo Jonathan! Big *sigh* for all you romantics out there. :)

One thing Erica did particularly well was her use of metaphor. Often she drew from nautical terms for scenes with Jonathan, whose life was immersed in shipping. She always found verbiage to fit the mood of the scene so well.

Donning the therapist cap for a moment...Erica's book covers some intense topics like women's suffrage and arranged marriages and parental expectations. During a time where women were expected to be seen, not heard....certainly not to make a fuss about a marriage or about the right to vote. I think Erica captured young Melissa's plight very well...getting us into her head and heart and how she feels.

Her main characters face the problem of staying true to themselves while trying to be obedient to their parental authority. The pang of disappointment many of us have as adults when we realize our parents aren't perfect...but are, in fact, flawed (sometimes severely so). Because of this, I think just about anyone reading this book could relate to the predicament the characters find themselves in. (Maybe not about an arranged marriage....but we all have received pressures to do things we don't want to do in various forms.) There does come a critical juncture where you have to do what you know is right, to follow your beliefs and live out your faith. Jonathan and Melissa both face to this to a degree. (But you'll have to read it to find out how it all works out for them!)

It's a page-turner...one for the book shelf. So don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing!

Click over to Erica's blog, On the Write Path, for some great posts about writing. Definitely want to follow her if you aren't already.

Blessings!

T3 - Avoidant Personality Disorder

2009-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

What do they avoid and why? Find out by clicking over to The Character Therapist.

Treatment Tuesday - Childhood Trauma

2009-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

What are the long-lasting effects? How can you treat it? I give some inside details at The Character Therapist.

Starting My New Job!

2009-11-16T08:10:00.002-06:00

Starting my new job today! I'm so excited that I feel like it's the first day of school. ;)

Please be praying for the rest of my luggage to come in...they made me check on a carry-on in Phoenix and indicated that the final destination was L.A. So my bag is out there somewhere...and I had some important information ad electronic equipment on this bag. Would appreciate the prayers.

Blessings to you all this week!

Erratic Posting and T3

2009-11-10T23:10:00.000-06:00

Erratic Posting and Borderline Personality Disorder

I guess by now everyone who even still reads this blog realizes that my posts have been erratic. If you missed my update on life, see this post here. I'm starting a new job, moving cross-country BACK to California (without my family for a few weeks) and house hunting. This all starts on Saturday!

Due to life circumstances, my commitment to writing has waned, much less blogging, although I'm staying up-to-date over at my other blog, The Character Therapist. I've got a fairly long queue of authors who have written in, and I'm not going to let them down. Plus, doing research into disorders and the like keeps me on my toes professionally, so it's a win-win.

Feel free to follow me on that blog if you're interested in the character assessments and therapeutic thoughts I post on Tues/Thurs. Occasionally, I'll have book reviews (and giveaways...like Erica Vetsch's The Bartered Bride on Nov. 23rd!) or some other life news on this blog...but until I can get into some sort of a routine, I'm going to have to stay low on other posts and comments on your blogs. It doesn't mean I don't love all of your blogs, it just means I love my family more. :)

God's been good to me. He's taking me into a new season where writing is going to have to take a backseat to providing for my family by working full-time again, and that's okay. I'm excited about it, actually. Still, I've got my next "killer idea" already brainstorming away...and it's going to be awesome. *sigh* If only I had time to work on it!

The next installment of the Personality Disorder parade will be up Thursday morning. Just click this image below to check out Borderline Personality Disorder.

I'll be around...kind of like an apparition...fleeting in and out of the blogosphere. Oh no, wait. I'm confusing my latest client's delusions with reality.

See you all around!

Treatment Tuesday - Death of a Parent

2009-11-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

What are some typical reactions a young child might experience? Get in on the discussion at The Character Therapist.

Win A Kindle!

2009-11-06T12:16:00.003-06:00

Lisa and Laura are giving away a free Kindle. Yep. Click to visit their blog for details!

Enjoy your weekend! I'll be busy packing and saying goodbye to my brothers who are coming to see me off!

T3 - Paranoid Personality Disorder

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Is everyone really out to get them? Find out over at The Character Therapist.

Treatment Tuesday - Torture 101

2009-11-03T08:18:00.003-06:00

Stop by and audit the class at The Character Therapist.

Job Update

2009-11-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

Thanks for being patient...I've been having some problems with Blogger, apparently. :)

But for the REAL job update:

Recently I flew to California for a week for two interviews and an informal lunch that turned into a job offer. That particular job was in a city a little far away from the school my husband will go to to really be feasible for us. But getting this job offer did take the pressure off. We now had a way to get back to California!

My first interview was directly after that lunch...and let's just say it was about two steps ahead of where I am administratively. Amusing, I suppose, because when I got home, I got a postcard in the mail that let me know my "rank" amongst the other job seekers. (I'm not sure how many there were, but my rank was 20, which was hardly high enough to give me a job! You had to be in the top 6 to get a second interview.)

So now we get to the God-part of the story. Seriously...good stuff. There was this job at Redwood Community Action Agency that I had seen weeks ago and applied for. The time to apply was ending on my birthday, Tuesday, Oct. 20th, which was when I was IN California. So I got a call asking if I could come in for an interview that Friday. So I did. The interview was really, really long (over an hour) and then I thanked them and walked outside to my friend's truck I was borrowing. The human resource director actually lifted up a window to ask me to come back inside! So I knew it was either going to be really good or really bad!

AND IT WAS GOOD! They offered me the job on the spot. I had prayed before I went in to the interview that if this was the job that the Lord wanted me to have, he would just sling doors wide open. And He did! They told me they didn't want to interview anyone else, but that they had never done this before. They felt I had just dropped into their laps, but I knew better. God had orchestrated it all.

So, beginning Nov. 16th, I will be RCAA's new Clinical Services Coordinator! I'm excited about this job, people. I haven't worked full-time in almost 2 years (since my daughter was born), but I'm ready to get back into it. This job will have some counseling and some supervising, but mainly I will be overseeing all the mental health at RCAA's Youth Service Bureau and Family Services Division (there are links on the main page). This is an administrative job, but with aspects I'm extremely familiar with so I'm comfortable assuming this additional responsibility.

Now on to prayer requests. Since I'ms tarting Nov. 16th and my husband doesn't finish up his semester until Dec. 11, there are some inherent scheduling problems trying to be a family from 3200 miles away (give or take a 100 or two). The best solution we could come up with is for me to fly by myself to California, live with a friend, and start the job. By the time my husband can come, I should have found a house (which is a prayer request--we need one within our range limit) by then. My mother will be bringing my little girl over after about 2 1/2 weeks. My daughter will stay in Cali while Mom returns to MS. My husband will then travel cross-country with the moving van and be in CA by Dec. 17-18, somewhere around there. So we won't se each other for 5 weeks, but I'll have my daughter most of that time. Still, 2 1/2 weeks without her will be extremely difficult. My husband is transitioning into the role of the primary caregiver, and this also needs prayer. Maddy isn't taking to it too well right now, but we hope that once I'm gone to CA and she doesn't really have a choice as to who's going to put her to sleep, put her in her high chair, etc, then it won't be quite so dramatic.

But that should fill you all in on me! I will COVET your prayers during this time as I get ready to leave my family and start a new job. Posts will be irregular, I'm sure, except I will be posting regularly on The Character Therapist. My assessment queue is getting fairly long!

Treatment Tuesday - Enuresis, Phobias, and PTSD

2009-10-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Lots going on with this week's assessment. Click here to find out more!

First Author Interview

2009-10-26T22:52:00.004-05:00

There's still a chance to win a 3-chapter assessment from a therapist viewpoint of your WIP! Keli Gwyn over at Romance Writer's on the Journey did an author interview of me here. Just click on by and leave a comment to be entered!

And you can still win a copy of K.M. Weiland's Behold the Dawn if you leave a comment in the comment section here!

Behold the Dawn Book Review and Giveaway!

2009-10-26T06:00:00.004-05:00

Today I'm doing a review and book giveaway of K.M. Weiland's newest release, Behold the Dawn. For those vampire enthusiasts out there (of which I am one), this has nothing to do with vampires meeting the sun. :) Instead, it's a very well-written medieval historical set during the Crusades.

Here's a blurb about the book from the author's website:

Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forever. But when a mysterious crippled monk demands Annan help him find justice for the transgressions of sixteen years ago, Annan is forced to leave the tourneys and join the Third Crusade.

Wounded in battle and hunted by enemies on every side, he rescues an English noblewoman from an infidel prison camp and flees to Constantinople. But, try as he might, he cannot elude the past. Amidst the pain and grief of a war he doesn’t even believe in, he is forced at last to face long-hidden secrets and sins and to bare his soul to the mercy of a God he thought he had abandoned years ago.

Okay, before I put on my therapist cap, I just want to say that as a reader, this book was truly incredible. Katie does such a great job of keeping the reader turning the pages. There's something in this book for everyone: there is enough action to satisfy the adventure lover; enough impossible awakening love to satisfy the romantic; enough research to satisfy the historian, enough intrigue, betrayal and murder to satisfy the mystery lover, and enough mercy and forgiveness to satisfy the Christ-follower.

I was impressed with how Katie portrayed Marcus Annan's hopeless depression. He feels he's being punished by God simply for living such a long life as a tourneyer (an occupation where most people did not live for 16 years). He asks himself when he became "less than meaningless" because of past actions he can't mentally or emotionally release. Since he can't forgive himself, there's no way in his mind Christ could ever forgive him. His past is an insurmountable obstacle to accepting the love and grace God so freely gives.

Katie really gets in deep with Annan's pain and misery. If Annan was in my office with such despair, I'd have to do a suicide assessment on him and would end up checking him in somewhere. (You're such a meanie, Katie!) He's got suicidal ideation (thoughts of wanting to die) and he's got the plan (if he can just get an opponent with a stronger arm than him to smote him). He's got the means (he is a tourneyer) and he's got the motivation ("less than meaningless"). Prime candidate for self-termination.

But the story only begins here, folks. Annan has a wild ride ahead of him as he encounters this monk bent on vengeance. The monk definitely has his own emotional and psychological issues. He went from a devout, God-fearing monk to an altered man willing to stop at nothing for revenge. The desire for revenge can destroy a man, because when the mind dwells for years in hatred and anger and bitterness, the result is a blindness to truth and a victory for Satan.

Katie's book is one of hope. Nothing is too great to separate us from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:38-39). He came to heal not the righteous, but the sick (Matt. 9:12-13). I was reminded of these verses reading this book. Behold the Dawn is a great message of new beginnings.

In a nutshell, Behold the Dawn has beautiful prose, engaging plot, secrets that explode off the page...it's a compelling read.

If you're interested in winning a copy of this book, then please leave a comment in the comment section with your email address. I'll post the winner Saturday!

California News and First Author Interview!

2009-10-25T22:13:00.003-05:00

Hello all! Greetings from California still. I've been here for a little over a week, and have had such an amazing time. God has been so good...I had TWO job offers. Looks like the Lord is leading us back to California...right where we were. It's an amazing story, but I'll save that post for some other time. I've still yet to accept a job, as I'm looking to do some negotiations on Monday, so please be in prayer about that.

In other news, my first author interview is today over at Romance Writers on the Journey. Please stop on over and say hello...just to be totally transparent here...I don't want to be interviewed all by myself! :)

Therapeutic Writing and T3 - Narcissism

2009-10-22T07:00:00.004-05:00

Today I'm guest blogging on why not to "kill your babies" over at WordVessel. Click on over and come say hello!

The third installment in the Personality Disorder Parade is up today over at The Character Therapist. Learn about Narcissistic Personality Disorder and why it's so hard for these people to maintain relationships.

Treatment Tuesday - Wishy Washy

2009-10-20T06:00:00.003-05:00

If one of your characters is a bit wishy-washy...and everything hangs on the idea that they've finally made up their mind, click on by The Cha racter Therapist for some suggestions.

And one more little tidbit.....

Today's my birthday, friends! So happy birthday to me. :)

I'm celebrating in California, missing my husband very much! But I'll see them soon. :)

Sandra Byrd's Piece de Resistance

2009-10-19T06:00:00.004-05:00

Sandra Byrd's third installment in her French Twist series, Piece de Resistance, recently released, and I was given the pleasure of a complimentary copy to review on my blog.

This is a series you don't want to miss. In previous times, I would call this chick lit at its finest, but since that word is so faux pas now, I'll call it women's fiction. It follows a young woman on her journey to self-discovery. Here's a blurb from the back of the book:

Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There, she finds life unexpectedly complicated.

She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there’s a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau Philippe and his daughter, Celine, then add a dash of romance with down-to-earth lawyer Dan, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle.

Since this is the third book, there's a lot from Book One, Let Them Eat Cake, and Book Two, Bon Appetit, about Lexi's journey that I don't want to spoil here. So, typical for my reviews, I like to focus on characterization from a therapist's point of view.

I liked the fact that Sandra doesn't have Lexi coming from some horrible past. She's basically a typical, average twenty-something who speaks French, thanks to her degree in college. She doesn't have a traumatic history. She doesn't come from a divorced family. She's got really good friends. She's got career troubles and romance woes, but nothing out of the ordinary.

That doesn't mean the book is ordinary, though. I think anybody who doesn't know exactly what they want to do with their life will be able to relate to Lexi Stuart. She's on the dawn of true adulthood and everything that means. She's trying to live up to expectations of her parents and herself with regards to her job, her faith, and romance. I find this all too common among this age group (early to mid-twenties).

Lexi suffers from a bit of a self-esteem problem. She's surrounded by those she feels are more successful than her. She's got a retired Marine for a father, a lawyer for a brother and sister-in-law, her best friend's happy as a teacher. Even once she gets her chef hat, she still is under pressure to perform a certain way, to be outwardly successful. And Sandra puts poor Lexi through the ringer as far as career mishaps and misunderstandings.

And for romance, Lexi's got a couple sexy French men and American stud lawyer Dan in her life. I just have to say the way Sandra ends Lexi's romantic story in Piece de Resistance is simply sublime. There couldn't be a more perfect ending, seriously. But before Lexi can get there, she's got to get a little more comfortable in her own skin, to know herself and what she wants/needs better.

As for her faith, I really like how Sandra seamlessly weaves Lexi's Christianity into all the books, but especially Piece de Resistance. In each book, Lexi follows through a book of the Bible. I'm a believer in how God can speak to believers through his Word. Lexi reads just what she needs to read right when she needs to read it. She figures out things about herself, future ministry opportunities, and spiritual truths to live by. There's so much to be gleaned from Scripture for our everyday activities. I think it's a fallacy to think to have a devotional you've got to read three chapters and journal about them. Lexi's devotionals are short and sweet, a verse or two that she ruminates over through the day. If only we could all do that a little more often, a little more consistently.

Great read, folks. Makes you laugh out loud at times, sigh at times, and keep flipping the pages for the next romantic encounter. Lexi is endearing, so I'd suggest you buy all three of these books at once, so that you can go right through them without stopping...took me four days, max (and that's because I've got a toddler).

You can find Sandra on the web at http://sandrabyrd.com and her facebook fan page is at http://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdbooks.

Five Words

2009-10-16T12:54:00.002-05:00

I was given five words to jump start a post from Wendy at All in a Day's Thought. She got five from Kristen Torres-Toro, who got five from JungleMom...but I have no idea where it started before that because I lost the trail.

The gist is that I'm to build a great post around these five words. Being a therapist, my twist might be slightly different. I'm going to free associate (write down the first several words that come to mind when I think of these following words below) and then expound on one or two. So here goes:

Innovation - new, different, ground-breaking, under-appreciated (at first, maybe?)

I'd like to think that I'm innovative with my web presence and my writing, in particular. I'm doing something different with Character Therapy, and really enjoy mixing the two biggest hobbies of my life: writing and counseling.

I'm always searching for something new and different, except in the kitchen. Tried and true is great there. But I like a surprise, a cool idea, a shocking twist.

Group - group work, community, friends, clique

My first thought was not pleasant, I'm afraid. Group work was the bane of my existence in junior high and high school, mainly because I'm so OCD that I took on all the work myself just to make sure things got done right and then everyone would get MY grade. So not fair.

But then I thought about how a group can be such a positive thing, like your community of friends. Even our blogging group of writers, encouraging each other.

Movie - actors, Hollywood, theater, New Moon

Okay, I was a bit surprised at that last one. Guess I'm already looking forward to it coming out in November. But after further thought, I don't want to reflect on any of the words I free associated. I'd rather talk about the medium of motion picture, and how easy it is, with one span of the camera across a room, to capture what could be pages in a book. There are some who prefer the written word (I actually fall into this category), but it's amazing what can be done on film. Premises can be set off in just a few seconds. Narrators can make or break, much like a book. Just an interesting thought.

Expression - face, bright, personal, communicates

I've been told I have an expressive face, in particular my eyes. This is not always a good thing, especially for a therapist. I've had to really work at controlling my features, making sure I'm looking slightly down fro a client, whenever I hear something shocking or unexpected or disgusting. (And it happens, believe me.) That person isn't seeing me to get some commentary (spoken or not) from me, and my expression will do just that: communicate my thoughts. I've gotten better at it with practice. But other times, It's truly a job to be able to communicate TONS of info through an eye blink, slitting my eyes over at someone, puckered lips, what-have-you. There are people who can't do this very well. So even though its somewhat of a professional hazard, it's great to take off my therapist cap and be myself around others.

Memory - remember, fondness, bitterness, soothing

I can only think of two reasons why a person would really remember something. Either the memory was positive or negative. We don't likely remember much about what we ate for dinner unless it was really good or really bad. That makes it memorable. But a run-of-the-mill meatloaf two Sundays ago? Not so much.

Same with emotional memories, I think. Most of our daily lives get dissolved into good or bad memories, while the quaint day-to-day operations generally dissipate and we find ourselves wondering where all the years went. The answer is that the years were filled with average things that didn't warrant a bookmark in our life, so we glazed over them a bit more than we intended. But that stellar performance at work that landed a pay raise, corner office and award? Oh yeah. All over that. Playing catch with your son on a truly incandescently beautiful summer day in a beautiful field? Yeah. We'll remember. Same as when we remember our first break-up or falling from the monkey bars and breaking our arm.

I'll be happy to pass on 5 words to any one who indicates in the comment section that you'd like me to. Makes for an easy post...and you can free associate or not. :)

Q4U: Can you think back (like over a year) to some run-of-the-mill memory? Something that was neither fantastic or horrible? Just curious if people see this the way I do.

T3 - Antisocial Personality Disorder (AKA Sociopath)

2009-10-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Click on over to The Character Therapist to find out everything about sociopaths.

Self-Publishing and Ebooks

2009-10-13T22:02:00.006-05:00

I like being a part of the American Christian Fiction Writers. One big benefit is being a member of the main email loop. Industry topics are brought up all the time. Recently, a lot of discussion has been going on about Thomas Nelson's new self-publishing option (read about it on Michael Hyatt's blog here). This sparked a lively discussion about ebooks v. print books and self-publishing stereotypes.

I must confess I read every one, curious what the prevailing opinion is about both. One blogger friend, H. Charles Dilmore, went the self-publishing route with his first book, My Quirks and My Compass. His blog garnered a lot of attention (rapid following), and I honestly think it was because he was so encouraging and inspiring to authors everywhere. Here was a guy who was going to try the traditional route, but wasn't going to sweat bullets over getting an agent. He set a deadline for himself, and then stuck to it. The book was going to be in print by that time. And it was. And we all wished (deep inside) we could be just like him.

I haven't read his book, although his excerpts at the blog address above were really, really good. (No, Chuck isn't paying me for any kind of endorsement, Federal Trade Commission.) I think that there plenty of authors out there who have quality work, like Chuck, who don't want to stress out over getting published.

The whole ebook thing is wonderful to me. Authors getting more royalties, not having to worry about returns on books, cost of production is down, not to mention the "green" factor of saving trees. Ebook readers are SO convenient, too. I don't have a Kindle, but I have the Kindle foe iPhone and LOVE it. I can read while I'm eating and not have to worry about the spine of the book closing on me. I can travel and bring TONS of books with me without the weight. I can pay less for the SAME book. I don't have a problem with this at all. All good things, and this from someone who said she'd never buy them. Sheesh.

But I've gotten to thinking about self-publishing in the same light. I said I'd never do it. I wanted the traditional route all the way. Blood, sweat, and tears. But I remember at the ACFW conference a few weeks back when they announced that ebooks were going to be considered "books" for all practical purposes. Ebooks are coming into their own! Self-publishing is right up there with it.

I'm not saying I'm going to self-publish. I've currently got a manuscript out on submission to an agent who requested it. We'll see where things go. But I'm just looking at viable alternatives to this crazy route I've chosen with a new eye.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Life Update (and Treatment Tuesday)

2009-10-12T20:42:00.006-05:00

Today has been incredibly busy. Things are going down here...and I mean this in a good way. For those who don't know, I moved from California to my home state of Mississippi back in May. I had several job possibilities, and even though I knew my license wasn't going to transfer, we moved thinking everything would be cake when we got here.

Well, it wasn't. At all. Every possible option I thought I had fell by the wayside. Doors didn't just shut....they slammed on jobs of all shapes and sizes. My husband started his fall semester at school, so we were committed here until December. I got tired of being told I was overqualified for everything.

So, being prayerfully proactive, I started applying for jobs away from my hometown, in several states. Needless to say, my parents (the doting grandparents they are), are not happy. Well, neither of we! I need a job. I applied back in California for about 7 jobs...several in the same county we had just moved from.

Now....wouldn't you know that I haven't heard ANYTHING from any of the other jobs EXCEPT in that county? I now hold in my email airplane ticket confirmations for a flight back there to go to several interviews. SEVERAL. (To be juxtaposed against the ZERO here in Mississippi.) I even scored a nice picture of a plane that appears to be flying to the West. And it's United, which is what I'll be on. Hmm.

We're not sure God has planned for us to go back to California, but the doors seem to be opening in that direction. So I'm asking for your prayers. I'll keep you updated about the interviews!

And since it's so close to Tuesday, I'm just going to post the link to Treatment Tuesday over at The Character Therapist, even though it won't be up until 6 a.m. Central time Tuesday.

Have a great Monday evening and Tuesday!

Blog Award!

2009-10-10T17:22:00.003-05:00

I got a fun blog award this weekend from Cathy at Word Vessel!

Here's my answers to the questions that come with the award:

1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse on the table by the phone

2. Your hair? Shoulder length, light brown, and worn wavy today

3. Your mother? Barbara to others, Ms. Mood to former students, Mom to me

4. Your father? Terry to friends, Mr. Mood to former students/younger people, Dad to me

5. Your favorite food? pasta (any size, shape or flavor)

6. Your dream last night? That I had another baby. It was a nightmare, actually.

7. Your favorite drink? Sweet tea (with Splenda)

8. Your dream/goal? To be published (if that's what God wants)

9. What room are you in? Living room

10. Your hobby? Writing/Reading

11. Your fear? That I'll outlive my daughter

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? doing what I love best--writing or counseling--at whatever geographic location the Lord wants us

13. Where were you last night? Dinner with friends at my house

14. Something that you aren’t? Shy

15. Muffins? Blueberry cheesecake

16. Wish list item? an agent

17. Where did you grow up? Oxford, MS

18. Last thing you did? Helped a friend develop their blog

19. What are you wearing? khaki corduroy pants and a red sweater

20. Your TV? Playing the Ole Miss v. Alabama game (unfortunately)

21. Your pets? My cat Cookie is currently in relative foster care

22. Friends? Scattered all over this big wide world

23. Your life? Confusing, full, and overwhelming

24. Your mood? Anticipatory - not sure what God's up to!

25. Missing someone? My friend Sue

26. Vehicle? Subaru Outback

27. Something you’re not wearing? Trust me on this...you don't want to know.

28. Your favorite store? Borders

29. Your favorite color? Red

30. When was the last time you laughed? About twenty minutes ago at my daughter's antics

31. Last time you cried? A week ago when yet another job opportunity fell through

32. Your best friend? Kristie

33. One place that I go to over and over? Grocery store

34. One person who emails me regularly? Katie G

35. Favorite place to eat? Chick-Fil-A

I'd like to pass the award to Marybeth at Desperately Searching for My Inner Mary Poppins and Tess at Tess Hilmo. Their blogs are definitely over the top. :)

Have a great weekend!

T3 - Personality Disorder Overview

2009-10-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Before delving into individual personality disorders, The Character Therapist gives an overview.

Stop by and make sure your burning questions about personality disorders are answered in the coming weeks!

Donald Maass Free Ebook!

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I wasn't kidding when I said I was trying to get my hand on everything Donald Maass has written. The man has a way of explaining things that just make sense to me.

So here's a little freebie for Wednesday.

If you haven't already read Donald Maass' The Career Novelist, he's offering it free from his agency website.

And doesn't everybody like free?

You can also download it just by clicking here.

Enjoy everyone!

Treatment Tuesday - Effects of Trauma

2009-10-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

They are vast and varied. Click to find out at The Character Therapist.

Blog Drama

2009-10-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

For those who missed Friday's announcement, here it is again:

* IMPORTANT *

My blog address had changed. It's no longer http://mindhealingfiction.blogspot.com but http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com. I figured this address would suit me better in the future.

HOW DOES THIS EFFECT YOU?

If you FOLLOW ME or link to my blog from your blog, you'll want to change the address, or the link won't work. Also, any new posts won't show up in your dashboard.

So the best thing to do is un-follow me (I know, crazy to ask this of my followers, who I love dearly!) and then re-follow me at the new address. The name of the blog is the same. I miss some of my regular commenters, and I don't want you to miss some future book giveaways!

Sorry for the confusion and blog drama. If you ever want to change your blog address...email me FIRST for the best way to go about doing it (i.e., not like what I did). Hindsight's 20/20.

The Character Therapist remains unaffected...but those who would like can also drop by over there and follow the genius at work. (ha!)

Happy writing!

And the Winner Is....

2009-10-04T15:52:00.002-05:00

Erica B!

You're going to love Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn! Send me your snail mail addy and I'll get them to you as soon as I can!

Thanks to everyone for participating.

The Familiar Stranger Review

2009-10-03T07:00:00.004-05:00

Christina Berry's debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, is an amazing read, folks. Amazing.

Here's a little blurb about the book:

Craig Littleton has decided to end his marriage with his wife, Denise, but an accident lands him in the ICU with fuzzy memories. As Denise helps him remember who he is, she uncovers dark secrets. Will this trauma create a fresh start? Or has his deceit destroyed the life they built together?

As a therapist reading this book, I felt like I had been transported back to my office, sitting before a husband and wife as they told me about their version of the same event. Christina's literary device of "His" and "Hers" to indicate the point of view character was creative. Not because other authors don't swap POV of the major characters, but I've never read anyone who did it to give the reader the internal thoughts of each character about the same event. Brilliantly done! Like being in a counseling session, the man inevitably has different thoughts about what they're describing than the woman. And I do mean different. It's riveting in real life...so of course in fiction it's a page turner.

The emotions Denise and Craig both feel are so real, too. Not once did I read through some emotional scene and think, "That wouldn't have happened. No way." This stuff definitely would have been feasible. How each one felt, thought, acted...essentially lifted from the lives of thousands of Americans and people all over the world. Page turner.

Obviously this book strikes a chord at discordant marriages. Craig and Denise have major problems prior to his trauma, as evidenced by the first chapter. We're talking about lack of communication, intimacy, affection...they are essentially roommates instead of husband and wife. Then there is the trauma Craig suffers, and the ensuing secrets uncovered put Denise through a refining fire unlike any other. Page turner.

These secrets, which will have to be skimmed over for the purpose of this review (so that you have to go to amazon.com and buy this book for yourself!), are nothing to shake a stick at. Each one of the revelations uncovered would send a normal couple into therapy for a long time. And there's not just one, either. Oh, and did I mention that they are progressive in nature? Page turner.

Not because of any plot similarity, but I was reminded of the book A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. Gripping read, as well, and a true story of Sheldon's relationship with God and his wife. Through Christina's prose and dialogue comes God's "severe mercy" to Denise...and even to Craig and his associations. Page turner.

This book ends with a twist, folks...think Ted Dekker or William Diehl who wrote Primal Fear. But the ending is truly extremely satisfying. All loose ends are tied up and you turn the last page with a sense of hope. Hope for troubled marriages and hope for prosperous futures. Page turner.

Now for a bit about Christina:

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

You can read more about Christina at her website, www.christinaberry.net or her blog, www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com.

You can BUY THIS BOOK HERE. Don't miss this terrific read.

New Parent Pointers Column and a Blog Award!

2009-10-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

My new article is up for Sage Ministries Online. Learn the difference between Parenting and mentoring by clicking here or on the Parent Pointer icon above. I'm excited about where the ministry is heading, so check it out!

And thanks to Roni over at Fiction Groupie for giving me the Heartfelt Award!

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.

Rules:Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Without further ado, the blogs that usually give me a warm fuzzy when I visit them (but don't always comment on said warm fuzzy) are listed below in random order:

1) Eileen Astels over at A Christian Romance Writer's Journey
2) Stephanie over at Steph in the City
3) Cindy at Cindy R. Wilson
4) Jody at On The Path
5) Lynnette at Chatterbox Chit Chat
6) Kiersten at Kiersten Writes
7) Suzy at Tales of Extraordinary Ordinariness
8) Susan at A Walk In My Shoes
9) Shelli at Market My Words

Congrats, girls! If any of you decide to nominate a male, Roni added a more masculine image for their blogs (which was very nice of her, as I can't think of many males who'd want the mouse in the teacup thing). :) Here's the image:

On to other blog business.

You still have an one more day's worth of opportunity to win Mary DeMuth's new book, A Slow Burn, and its prequel, Daisy Chain, if you visit the link here and put your name in the comments section! I'll be announcing the winner Saturday sometime.

* IMPORTANT *

My blog address had changed. It's no longer http://mindhealingfiction.blogspot.com but http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com.

So if you link to my blog from your blog, you'll want to change the address, or it won't link (or continue with my feed every time I post). Sorry for the confusion, but I figured this address would suit me better in the future.

I think that's it. Happy weekend writing, everyone!

T3 - Therapy Basics: Session Notes

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Find out what really goes into them at The Character Therapist today!

Passion in Prose - Maass

2009-09-30T06:00:00.004-05:00

After attending Donald Maass' workshop at the ACFW conference two weeks ago, I've made it a point to really soak up everything I find written by him. October's issue of Writer's Digest has two articles by him (and one by James Scott Bell)...and I thought I'd summarize one of them here.

Everyone wants to know what is it in a novel that sweeps us away. If we could go into a store, buy it in a bottle and sprinkle it over out fingers and keyboard before beginning a novel endeavor, we would. So what is it that transports us?

Maass indicates the following all have a part in making a story matter: intriguing premise, protagonists we immediately care about, three-dimensional antagonists, gripping scenes, a richly developed world, a singular voice, high believability, and micro-tension on every page.

However, Maass doesn't think either of those things is what would be in that elusive bottle on the shelf. He thinks its passion, but not in the overused, buzzword sense of "write what you're passionate about." Maas says this "passion" is actually code for dedication.

So, to quote Maass, "How do you that necessary passion on the page--and in a way that pierces through to the hearts of crusty, seen-it-all agents, editors and (finally) readers? And how do you summon that passion at every writing session, no matter how many months and drafts you've already devoted to the project?"

1) Realize that every moment of a story that you choose to set down matters. Every scene should enact a change and have hidden in it why that change is important. You have to pin down that importance.

2) Nothing in a story is meaningful until its meaning is clear to a character. Don't ask the reader to intuit by themselves the significance behind something, but don't have "clunky moralizing." Maass mentioned at the workshop that too much internal POV from the character gets old, fast. He suggests measuring the impact of what is happening in the story by those experiencing it: the characters. But how to do this?

Don't include what a particular plot point means in the grand scheme of things, but what it means to the POV character instead. Maas says, "Illuminate for that person not what has changed, but how she has changed."

Find the overall story's meaning and make it come through. Not just by sticking moral at the end, but by infusing the entire manuscript with meaning. For this to happen, he says you must discover every day why this story matters to you. Ask yourself at every writing session why you care about what is happening in the scene at hand. Once you transpose your own powerful feelings, opinions, joys and sadness to your characters, then you instill in your pages the wisdom living inside your novel--and your self.

Maass says that to do the above daily will make your "passion" a practical tool.

Hope this spoke to you as much as it did to me! Don't forget, the contest to win Mary DeMuth's new book, A Slow Burn, is still going on until Friday night! Sign up here!

Q4U: How are you keeping the passion in your pages? Doing any of the above?

Treatment Tuesday - Bonding with an Estranged Child

2009-09-29T09:00:00.003-05:00

Find out how to do it over at The Character Therapist.

And don't forget to sign up for a chance to win Mary DeMuth's new novel, A Slow Burn, and it's prequel, Daisy Chain, in yesterday's post below!

A Slow Burn Blog Tour and Double Book Giveaway!

2009-09-28T06:00:00.002-05:00

Mary DeMuth's new book, A Slow Burn is an incredible read, people, and I'll give my reasons below.

Here's the back cover copy:

She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer-a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.

Mary, with typical courage and boldness, tackles some difficult issues in the second book in her Defiance, Texas trilogy. My review, coming from a therapist's perspective, will hopefully shed some light on the psychological power Mary conveys with her words.

Emory Chance could very well be one of my clients (in fact, I've definitely seen her in my office before). Addictions are so difficult to deal with (and some would say to write)...but Mary realistically portrays Emory's sunken state after finding out about her child's death. The passages where Emory is standing over the toilet bowl, hesitating over flushing her "little white pills"...that really happens! The dissonance Emory feels in herself when she remembers her daughter's admonishments to quick "smoking that stuff," so at odds with what her body wants and craves...incredible how it jumps out at you on the page.

Emory wasn't a good parent. She feels guilt, shame....you name it. And this will touch the hearts of readers everywhere...because everyone who is a parent can relate (perhaps in smaller or larger ways) to not being the type parent we want to be at least some of the time. There's always room for improvement, and for Emory, that's an understatement. But she comes from such a place of brokenness....her tragic history actually explains her actions in such a believable, tragic way...not to make light of what Emory did or didn't do with her daughter, but to give a backstory that makes you ache for her in understanding.

And parents all over who have lost a child, whether at the cruel hands of someone else or just at the cruel hands of fate, will gravitate toward Emory as she deals with the death of her daughter. The waiting period (about 2 months) before she found out, the shock, hallucinations...these will all speak to parents still grieving. Grief is nothing to be afraid of, and Mary writes it so well. So real. So sad. Her poignant flashbacks from Emory's own childhood and Mama are so well situated throughout the novel, punctuating Emory's current state of emotion with ah-ha type revelations. Excellent. the kind of stuff therapists DREAM would come out in sessions, so thanks, Mary. :)

But this book ends with an incredible message of redemption and restoration and healing. It didn't end the way I wanted, but it was satisfying nonetheless...probably more so the way Mary did it, actually.

So now, with my stellar, 5-star review, I'm sure you're dying to read this book for yourself! So leave a post in the comment section to win not only A Slow Burn, but also Mary's first book in the trilogy, Daisy Chain! The contest will end Friday night and I'll announce a winner Saturday sometime.

Learn more about Mary at her website (click here). And if you don't win, visit the Amazon link here to buy a copy for yourself!

T3 - Therapy Basics: Treatment Plans

2009-09-24T10:06:00.002-05:00

What goes into a treatment plan? Find out at The Character Therapist.

Treatment Tuesday - Death Row Counseling

2009-09-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

What on earth would be talked about? Find out over at The Character Therapist.

And So It Ends Begins...

2009-09-21T15:46:00.007-05:00

For those who have already gone through the blog circuit discussing the ACFW conference, you will notice a few similarities we have in common:

1) sleep deprivation
2) being overwhelmed
3) gratefulness to attend and learn
4) excitement re: pitching sessions with agents/editors
5) meeting the blogging community = WONDERFUL (it was like having built-in friendships amidst a throng of people we didn't know or only knew of b/c we had read their book!)

I'm still recovering from #1. I must have suffered some sort of altitude sickness of some sort...and I'm still not 100%. Thankfully, I had gotten all my pitches out of the way the day before I really felt bad!

SO....on to the big news:

I had TWO PARTIAL REQUESTS! This is the beginning. I'm nervous about it, of course, because I feel like this is some sort of invisible line I'm stepping over. Before I email off these partials, I'm really just a girl who likes to write. But as soon as I hit Send, I'll be a girl who is actively seeking representation and eventually publication. Scary, exciting. I'll be going over some last-minute edits, of course....and most of that will be cuts. So please be in prayer for me about that!

Now...I had a camera at the conference on my phone, but took very few pictures. So I'll have to steal a few off fellow blogger websites in order to round out the picture (no pun intended) of who all I got to meet (and of course, this isn't everyone)!

Here I am with my fab critique partner, Katie Ganshert, before the Saturday banquet. Not all of us had the benefit of lovely spray tans.

This is a big group of us fellow bloggers, all of whom met online in the months preceding the conference. People at our tables always knew we had some other connection besides ACFW. :)
Back: Jody Hedlund, Katie Ganshert, Jessica Nelson, myself
Front: Ralene Burke, Eileen Watson, Krista Phillips, Cathy Bryant

Erica Vetsch and me at the banquet. If I look like I'm about to hurl, it's because most of that night, I really was about to. Erica and my other dining companion (Jessica) were very nice about it. They just said to aim away from the table toward the wall. :)

Here I am with Eileen again at the My Book Therapy pizza party/presentation. I guess we both got accused of having accents at this shindig.

So that's the low down. I also met fellow blogger Jaime Wright Sundsmo, writers Mary Connealy, Julie Lessman, Mary DeMuth, Deborah Raney, Debbie MacComber, Christina Berry, Deborah Vogts, Janet Dean, Michelle Sutton, Camy Tang, Karen Young, Jenny B. Jones, Denise Hunter, Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck, and so many others, I can't even begin to try to put all of those names down!

I also met agents Donald Maass, Tamela Hancock Murray, Greg Johnson, Rachelle Gardner, Chip MacGregor, and Natasha Kern...which was all very exciting!!

Well, I gotta get to work!

T3 - Therapy Basics: DSM, cont.

2009-09-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Learn more about how it can help develop character backstory. Visit The Character Therapist!

Conference Time: Here I Come

2009-09-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Heading to the ACFW conference this morning. There will be a Thursday Therapeutic Thought tomorrow, but unless I'm feeling "Industrious in Denver," I'll be back on the blogosphere Monday!

Everyone have a great weekend! Pray for all of us traveling and pitching our novels with quaky knees! :) We'll be having a blast as we get to meet each other and hone our craft.

Blessings!

Treatment Tuesday - Death of a Fiancé

2009-09-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

How might it affect a person? Click here to find out.

Parent Pointers

2009-09-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

My first article is up for Sage Ministries Online Magazine. Check it out here!

Vampire Diaries - The Review

2009-09-12T12:35:00.005-05:00

So I watched the show. Finally. I've given up on actually catching shows at the time they come on. When you have an 18-month old, television takes a distant sixth or seventh, if that. But I've found Hulu and Amazon Video On Demand, and you can watch just about everything that comes on tv for free using these two amazing mediums. (I mean, with Hulu, you don't really need a television. Seriously.)

And the thing that impressed the most was how the cast was "perfected" from the book. If you haven't checked out Katie Ganshert's post here on Donald Maass' recommendations for the Perfect Cast, you should. I think this is exactly what the producers of The Vampire Diaries did.

Here's a rundown of the characters from the book and the cast from the show. Notice the differences.

BOOK

Elena (MC)
Bonnie (best friend)
Meredith (best friend)
Caroline (former BF, enemy)
Vickie (classmate)
Tyler (classmate)
Matt (former boyfriend)
Stefan (MC - vamp)
Damon (MC - vamp)
Margaret (Elena's lil sis)

SHOW
Elena
Bonnie/Meredith (combined into one person)
Caroline
Vickie (Matt's sister)
Tyler (dating Vickie)
Matt
Stefan
Damon
Jeremy (Elena's brother, likes Vickie)

So you can see that the producers upped the stakes by adding more associations between the characters. Bonnie incorporates the two friends, and she's still sorta friends with Caroline (who hasn't become all mean yet). Margaret was gotten rid of in favor of a brother who would be in high school with Elena. The fact Jeremy had some sort of summer tryst with Vickie also ups the conflict, because Vickie's set her sights on Tyler now (who actually has a thing for Elena in the books...not sure if that'll play out in the show). Making Vickie and Matt related definitely brings Matt a bit more into the fray, as well.

So kudos to the producers for the casting. This same sort of thing was done in True Blood, as well. Characters were given associations that weren't in the books, like Tara and Lafayette being cousins; Arlene and Terry being friends with benefits, Jason's entire involvement in the stories being manufactured to some degree to give him (a) a reason for being in the cast and (b) conflict in his storyline. These type things are necessary to increase reader apprehension.

Vampire Diaries promises to be a weekly entertaining diversion that I'm looking forward to. Plenty of surprises (i.e., scenes that make you jump) and lots of teenage angst. :)

What characters in your book could you combine? Get rid of? Give a different association to?

Glee

2009-09-11T07:00:00.003-05:00

Glee is my new favorite show this fall. It's got all the elements for an exciting, funny series that captures your attention and pulls at your heart strings at the same time. It's only two shows into the season, so if you want to catch up on an excellent fall program, you can watch those two shows on Hulu for free.

The reason I like it so much? The pilot episode was like sitting down to a good first chapter. I mean, I was HOOKED.

How'd the producers do it? Larger than life characters, for starters, a rockin' plot fraught with conflict, and a setting that adds to them both. Here's a rundown.

*Caution: SPOILERS BELOW*

Glee is set in McKinley High School. Matthew Morrison plays Spanish teacher Will Schuester. He takes over the Glee Club when the current Glee teacher makes inappropriate moves toward a student. When Will tells the principal he wants to take over, the principal asks him if he'd like the captain the Titanic, too. F U N N Y.

He has auditions, and the five (eventually six and will grow in later episodes) people he gets are extremely talented and quirky, and actually follow typical high school archtypes. There's an African American diva (Mercedes) who belts out Aretha Franklin's R-E-S-P-E-C-T, an Asian girl (Tina) who dresses more grunge and definitely sings an edgy number, "I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It." Then there's a gay guy (Kurt) who can really sing great and a guy in a wheelchair (Artie) who just cracks you up when he's doing the shows. They wheel him around while their singing and he sometimes crashes into things. F U N N Y.

Then there are the two main Glee members, about which there swirls an awkward attraction that's not without hindrances. Rachel is a girl consumed with Glee Club. She's extremely talented, a little dorky, definitely a loner at school, and beautiful. Finn is the quintessential jock. He's quarterback on the football team and the boyfriend of the captain of the cheerleader team. He's essentially coerced into the Glee Club by Will, who "plants" marijuana in Finn's locker and "finds" it later. (Will tells the audience that it was his lowest point as a teacher, but he'd just heard Finn singing in the locker room while taking a shower, and he's amazingly talented, as well.) Rachel is in love with Finn; he doesn't know she exists (well, until he hears her sing).

There are four other characters worth mentioning: Will's wife, Terri (she's a whiny prima donna; their marriage isn't going so well, but she tells Will she's pregnant--which she learns later isn't true but doesn't own up to it); the cheerleading coach Sue (played brilliantly by Jane Lynch--from The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Role Models; Sue feels threatened by Will because Will is scouring her cheerleading girls for Glee Club recruits; she makes life difficult for him...but F U N N Y!); the guidance counselor Emma (Amy in Paul Blart: Mall Cop; she's in love with Will and also has an enormous phobia of germs...she's likely OCD); and the football coach Ken (who is trying to get a date with Emma and knows she's got a thing for Will).

Gosh....do you realize all the conflict? Throw in the mix Finn's jealous girlfriend (who's president of the Celibacy Club) who wants to join Glee Club to "get her boyfriend back" and who the cheerleading coach recruits to be her "eyes" on the inside; Finn's growing attraction for Rachel - which he acts on with a kiss and a little hormonal surge that's pretty funny; the fact that for the Glee Club to even continue in existence, they have to final in the regional competition (and to do that, they've got to have at least 12 people); the stereotypes of jocks and nerds (and Glee definitely falls into the "loser" category)...it's awesome people. Awesome.

If you haven't seen it...DO. The singing numbers are awesome. I especially like the more modern songs. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is sung in the pilot...I was singing it all week long. So good.

Anyway...just thought I'd share. If all our first chapters could end up with the hooks that the pilot did....we'll final in every contest and be published within hours. No joke.

Q4U: Have you seen Glee? What were your thoughts?

And on a monumental aside, let's send up a prayer for those families who lost a loved one or a friend in the 9-11 attacks.

T3 - Therapy Basics: DSM

2009-09-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

What is it? How can it help your writing? Click here to find out.

Oh, and check out my word count to the right for Blessed. Heck yeah. :)

Vampire Enthusiasts Click Here

2009-09-09T07:00:00.007-05:00

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a vampire enthusiast. Not now, after I've read so many other Christian authors admitting to loving Twilight. I also admit to watching True Blood (I know, I know...slap my hand) and having read all Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series featuring Sookie Stackhouse.

Recently, I've stumbled across The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. The CW will be hosting the first season of The Vampire Diaries premiering this Thursday at 7:00 Central Time. This was the main reason I found out about it, so then I did some research.

I found I could read the first book online. I liked it, so I wanted to see if I could find the other 3, and I found a site where you can download all four of the first books (click here. Apparently some people had problems downloading them, but it took me to a site and I managed to download them all. They are .rar files, so make sure you have a program on Windows or Mac to read .rar. There are plenty of free ones. I used iArchiver's 15-day free trial for Mac.). So now I'm starting on Book Three.

If anyone else has read these books, please let me know if it escaped your attention how very similar they are to the Twilight series? Now, I suppose there aren't too many spins on the whole vampire-human love relationship thing. But seriously. L.J. Smith wrote this series in 1991. Stephenie Meyers published Twilight in 2005. Fourteen years later.

Here's my rundown of the similarities between The Vampire Diaries (VD) and Twilight, despite the very obvious similarity in the pictures below, given that I'm only through Book 2.

STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS.

1) Setting: small town high school, USA

2) Vampire Stefan in VD is a mind reader. He had other Powers, too. He also "feels" the mind of Elena (main girl) differently than the rest of the high school.

3) Stefan is immediately attracted to Elena, but absolutely repels every attempt she makes at friendship (and is quite rude).

4) Stefan rescues Elena from a near rape by a high school boy when she's alone out being stupid with the guy at dark.

5) Stefan doesn't trust himself to ever be alone with Elena after they have their initial first kiss and it's so passionate they both are overwhelmed.

6) There is absolutely no sex mentioned (at least thus far). Just kissing, and not much of that.

7) Stefan's evil vampire brother Damon (sort of like the James character) wants Elena for himself, but not to drain. Damon forms the third of the love triangle (which would be like Jacob from Twilight, although Damon's no werewolf. Damon has incredible Powers b/c he's been feeding on humans all this time.)

8) Stefan is generally a "vegetarian" vamp, like Edward and the Cullens. He hunts animals to quench his thirst, although they don't help advance his Powers much (only the human life essence can really do that).

9) Elena has a "good guy friend" named Matt who absolutely is in love with her and isn't happy at all about the developments between Elena and Stefan.

10) Stefan has a thing about manners and being a gentleman, born from his birth era in the Italian Renaissance.

11) The producers of The Vampire Diaries on CW have definitely cashed in on the Edward Cullen look-alike type thing.

I'm sure there will be more just from reading the back cover copy of the next books, like how Bella eventually joins the vampire ranks, Elena does, too.

There are some typical vampire traits that L.J. Smith works with that most all vamp books incorporate: aversion to sunlight (although Smith has Stefan and Damon wear a ring like a talisman to protect them from the sun), ability to "influence" others with their mental powers, pale and cool skin, incredible physical power and prowess, increased/attuned senses, extreme sexual attraction/good looks, can't go inside a dwelling without an invitation.

So I'm curious what Twilight readers thought of The Vampire Diaries. L.J. Smith has written 3 new VD books now, and I imagine the idea was to cash in on the success vampire books are having right now. But how many Twilight readers have read VD? And who read what first? Any other vamp books you'd recommend to this enthusiast?

Treatment Tuesday - Identity Crisis

2009-09-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

How would you feel if you found out your dad wasn't really your dad?

Would love to hear your answers to such a deep question over at The Character Therapist.

Labor Day Proposal Writing

2009-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously. Isn't that like a misnomer? Writing a proposal on Labor Day has to be counterintuitive to everyone. Yet here I am. With conference so close, I've got to get this puppy finished!

So overwhelming to write the marketing strategies, comparables, market analysis...yikes. But you know, I'm almost there! It's actually looking pretty good so far. I mean, I'm proud of it.

Who else has gotten their proposals all fit and tidy for the conference? Or, if not for the conference, ready to actually submit?

Here's wishing you a great Labor Day doing something more fun than proposal writing. (Unless you consider proposal writing fun. If so, email me and I'll pencil you in later in the afternoon.)

Friday Film Reel

2009-09-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Phantom of the Opera

I won't be posting a Friday Film Reel every Friday, just on the Fridays that strike me. Someone suggested I review movies from a therapist perspective, so I picked The Phantom of the Opera because it's a favorite.

One reason is that there are many juxtapositions in the play, of course. The main one being between the dark, sexy Phantom and the heroic, noble Raoul. Besides the fact that Gerard Butler (an all-time fav of mine) plays the Phantom in the Hollywood film version, the therapist side of me really feels for the guy, which is another reason I love the flick. I mean, come on. He doesn't even have a name. He was "Devil's Child" when being paraded around the the circus and then just "Phantom." His facial scarring left him emotionally scarred, as well. I don't condone his killing or anything like that, but I can see how his anger and angst provide the raw materials to do the things he did. The Phantom has got to be one of the most haunted (no pun intended) characters in the history of filmography/theater.

The third is the lyrics. I'm just blown away by them. Charles Hart did most of the lyrics, but there was some collaboration on some songs. I'll be looking at two songs in particular.

Both the Phantom and Raoul do their best to woo Christine, and the girl has to decide between the two. Phantom woos her with his song "Music of the Night." I've included a few lines below, or you can click on the YouTube video if you have a few more minutes and want to listen to Gerard belt it out:

Softly, deftly music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you
Open up you mind let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night.

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
let the dream begin let your darker side give in
to the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night

Then Christine gets wooed by Raoul with a song that's almost the polar opposite, "All I Ask of You." Patrick Wilson seriously has one of the best voices ever. I like to close my eyes and imagine Jesus singing this song to me. Try it yourself:

No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
my words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom,
let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you...

Let me be your shelter
let me be your light
You're safe, No one will find you
your fears are far behind you...

So Christine's got the most basic choice of all mankind before her: good or evil. That's what it boils down to. Bad guy Phantom loves her, all right, but his love is warped, as he doesn't understand love and never had any kind of example. Raoul, though, growing up with a family in tact (he says his parents have always been great supporters of the arts, so he is the patron of the opera house now...and I draw from that the conclusion that Raoul likely emulated his parents in more ways that just that) understands what love and true sacrifice is. He makes a counteroffer Christine just can't refuse.

I really like to think about the Phantom and Raoul as human representations of much larger scale. The devil is out there, wooing people with his night music, while Jesus sings a song of light and love. It's truly beautiful.

[You can stop reading here...otherwise, you're going to get a therapist run-down of her favorite scene and how it relates to the goals of writing.]

The scene of Raoul singing to Christine "All I Ask of You" is my most favorite in the Hollywood movie made in 2004. The reason for this isn't just the love song and great singing. It's because its the first time the viewer actually feels pity for the Phantom's plight. Now, up until then, he wasn't really this awful villain just yet, but seeing Raoul and Christine together gives him the push over the edge of insanity a bit. But it's played so well that the viewer actually still feels sorry for him, understanding how his broken heart could lead him to such terrible actions. We've all been there. We can pity him because we have empathy with him.

And this is exactly what we need to do as writers with our villains, as well! Make the reader really feel for them by giving them an incredibly horrible backstory or some other weak point that made them like who they are today.

At the climax of the film, when the Phantom descends into his cave with Christine and Raoul comes after her, the Phantom makes Christine make a choice, once he has Raoul trapped:

Start a new life with me
Buy his freedom with your love!
Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!
This is the choice,
This is the point of no return!

He uses the very choice she had made earlier (to love Raoul) to bring her to this huge decision. This is MAJOR!! Our heroines (and heros) have to face this black moment, as well. It's made more psychologically powerful when it plays on the emotions of the one making the life-altering decision. She's seriously in a no-win situation, but when she thinks of the type of life the Phantom has had:

Pitiful creature of darkness,
What kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you,
You are not alone...

She is playing on the emotions of the villain! Ah-ha! This is brilliant. Striking him at his Achilles' heel. It's like she creates her own Option C, blindsiding the Phantom (with two major knee-buckling kisses) and getting what she wants in the process (Raoul). Although the kisses horrify Raoul as he stands there and watches, Christine actually does it all for him (and the romantic in me likes to think she did it to show the Phantom compassion despite all the things he had done).

This is just poetic and beautiful and perfect to me. Seriously...one of my favorite movies ever. And hopefully we can all learn a bit from it when we're creating our characters.

Q4U (if you actually made it down this far): What is one of your favorite movies from which you took away writing nuggets for your WIPs?

T3 - Therapy Basics: Assessments

2009-09-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered what goes into a therapist's assessment? Find out at The Character Therapist.

Interview with Author Lynnette Bonner and Book Giveaway!

2009-09-02T07:00:00.006-05:00

Before I get to my post, I wanted to let you know that I'm guest blogging today over at Seriously Write: A blog for Christian writers. Check out their site!

OK. Today I'm doing my first author interview, combined with a blog tour and book giveaway! Lynnette Bonner is with me today to talk about her new release, Rocky Mountain Oasis. I read this book in just a few days and really enjoyed it. Lynnette was kind enough to answer some questions from my therapeutic angle, which I've included below.

First, a blurb about the book:

She's been living in a desert all her life. Suddenly she's come upon an oasis. But is it just a mirage?

Brooke Marie Baker, eighteen, has been sent west as a mail-order bride. As the stage nears Greer's Ferry, where she is to meet the man she's pledged to marry, she tries to swallow the lump of nervousness in her throat. Can it be any worse than living with Uncle Jackson...or Hank? she wonders. All men are the same, aren't they? But with her parents and sister dead, she has no choice.

Sky Jordan, a rancher, holds a single yellow daisy in his hand as he watches the ferry cross the river. Ever since he'd found out his surly cousin, Jason, had sent for a mail-order bride, his mind and heart had been ill at ease. No woman deserves to be left with the likes of Jason. But now he questions his own plans to claim the bride for himself. Why am I drawn to this woman I don't even know?

Rocky Mountain Oasis is Book One in Lynnette's The Shepherd's Heart series.

Jeannie: Tell me a bit about what got you into writing. Readers always love hearing about an author’s journey.

Lynnette: I always loved to read. And after awhile I started having stories of my own floating around in my head. Writing is something I’ve toyed with for a long time. But I didn’t seriously start writing until about 1999.

The oasis is a desert metaphor prominent in Brooke’s life as she thinks about her history with men and how different Sky is from them. What made you choose this metaphor?

I think there are many women today who may feel a little like they’ve been living a dry, parched life. I want them to know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Not all of them can have a nice guy like Sky. But all of them can have the relationship with Jesus that Brooke finds in the book.

What is it about a marriage that brings the hero and heroine prematurely and permanently together early in the book that just touches a chord with women? If this happened in real life, we wouldn’t have such warm fuzzies. Why do you think it’s different when reading about it?

Romance is all about the happy ending. I think we all know how hard that situation would be in real life – so the happy ending is all the more fulfilling when it comes about.

For someone with such a battered past as Brooke, it’s not any wonder that she found trusting Sky hard to do. What primary method did you choose for Sky to win her trust and why?

Sky had to show her he was trustworthy through kindness and patients. She wasn’t going to believe him until she experienced safety and True Love for the first time in her life. I chose that method, because I honestly think it would be the only one that would work in that situation.

It’s said that Christian marriages have 3 partners: the husband, the wife and the Lord. But in Sky’s marriage, there is another partner: Brooke’s baggage. How hard was it writing Sky’s perspective as he dealt the fourth party in his relationship?

I don’t think it was any harder than writing the other scenes in the book. In a sense we all bring some baggage into our relationships.

Brooke suffers from terrible nightmares about her past. These are bad enough to effect how she views her present. In effect, she has post-traumatic stress disorder. Did you know anything about this disorder when you were writing?

No. I’d heard of it. But had no firsthand experience with it. I just tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who had been treated in that way and imagine how that might affect Brooke and her relationships with others.

What kind of research did you do on the effects of opium withdrawal?

I did most of that research online. There is so much information available online now. It is wonderful for writers. If you are typing a scene and you don’t know what the symptoms of opium withdrawal are, within 5 minutes you can have your answer.

Usually there is only one salvation experience in fiction books. What was behind your decision to include two?

I didn’t originally intend to redeem Jason. But as the story unfolded I just fell in love with him. And I knew I couldn’t leave him wallowing in his misery. He is the hero in the second book in The Shepherd’s Heart series, High Desert Haven.

Where did you find And Five Were Hanged: And Other Historical Short Stories of Pierce and the Oro Fino Mining District by Layne Gellner Spencer from which you based your book?

I lived in the town of Pierce, the setting of the book. That book was in our local library. The history of Pierce (previously known as Pierce City) was so interesting that a story begged to be told.

I want to add a note of thanks to Jeannie for allowing me to be here today. I’d also like to give away one e-copy of Rocky Mountain Oasis to a winner drawn randomly from this post's commenters. The winner will be announced next Wednesday the 9^th of September.

Big congratulations to Lynnette for her book release and thanks for being on my blog. Don't forget to leave a comment in the comment section to be entered to win a copy of Lynnette's book!

If you aren't the lucky winner, you can find Lynnette's book at Amazon or CBD.com.

Treatment Tuesday - Savantism

2009-09-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

How's it different from autism? Get in on the discussion over at The Character Therapist.

Weekend Review

2009-08-31T09:47:00.002-05:00

Oh. My. Gosh.

The looooooooooooongest weekend ever.

About 10 hours of sleep for the whole thing.

Don't care if I never see another airplane again (certainly not with my daughter on my lap by myself). Although I did record her talking loudly to the airplanes while waiting at the terminal gate. I'm sure it will be very funny.....MUCH later.

Had a couple brushes with death as my husband's Papa drove us back from the airport to the church. SCARY.

Made several notes for future romantic comedy featuring a wedding weekend where nothing goes according to plan, everything is delayed/late, there are lots of mosquitoes, an impending tropical storm, and the heroine doesn't get to eat any meal. Again, I'm sure this will be very funny....MUCH later.

For now...off to recover. Forgive me if I'm absent from your blogs today. Will be back on later, hopefully!

Q4U: Have you ever been a part of a wedding weekend to remember...or forget?

In Honor of Boo-Boo

2009-08-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

We're having some wedding jitters around our house. No, not mine. :) Happily wed now for four years, two months, and 24 days - but who's counting?

No, the jitters are actually for the flight I'll be on with my 18-month-old daughter to go from Memphis to Richmond so we can ATTEND the wedding. It's a short flight (nothing like my transcontinental flights from Northern California!), but I've not flown with her this ACTIVE before. She's going to have to sit on my lap for the flight duration. Before, with her not even crawling, this wasn't a biggie. Where was she gonna go? But now, walking--no, running--everywhere...yikes. Watch out, flight attendants!

The good news is that this is also the first flight she will be on since she's been on what we like to call her "airplane kick." About a month ago, she realized she could say the word "airplane," although it sounds like "airpane" instead) and she's ENAMORED of them. She wants to see pictures on the computer, YouTube videos of them taking off and landing (she yells "down airpane!" telling them to come down), points at them flying overhead--and then says the word ad nauseam after the sighting. I can only imagine what she will do once she realizes that she is ON one. Watch out, everyone sitting around me within hearing distance!

We'll be meeting my husband there, as he's actually in the wedding and is going on a different flight...WITH OUR CAT. Okay...can you say trip to be remembered? Cookie's never been in a carry-on bag cat carrier. We're not really sure how she's going to handle it! I won't go into the reasons we're bringing our cat to our in-laws, but suffice it to say I'm not happy about it. I'll miss my little Boo-Boo, but will get her back ASAP, I promise. That said, I'm dedicated today's post to my cat, Cookie (aka Boo-Boo - see picture above).

All for now. Prayers will be appreciated! Have a wonderful weekend!

T3 - Therapy Basics: Confidentiality

2009-08-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Confidentiality in therapeutic relationships: what you need to know for your WIP.

Fashion Trends...and Another Blog Award!

2009-08-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

My husband started college this week. Well, he's been to college several semesters before now, but this is his first semester here at the University of Mississippi. As a non-traditional student, he already feels...shall we say...slightly conspicuous on a campus full of what he likes to call "babies."

Since he's at my Alma Mater, I went up on campus Sunday to walk through his schedule with him. What I noticed was disturbing.

There is no originality on campus anymore. I say anymore, because I seem to remember some originality when I was in school. Now, everyone is a clone of everyone else. No one dresses differently!

And I've noticed some fashion trends that have taken root. Let me indulge you. The ONLY shorts worn by girls are Nike Tempo track shorts. (And guess how many females are on the Ole Miss track team? 25. That's IT.) Many of these females sport the official Ole Miss Nike Tempo shorts pictures to the top right.

The second trend is this metallic thong sandal. Of course, not all were all metallic, but most of them were gold or silver, ALL of them a thong just like this one, with a strap all the way around the ankle. No flip flops hardly at all. And these thongs were paired WITH the Nike shorts (and usually an oversized t-shirt). How much does that NOT make sense?

As for the men, they all wear plaid shorts. ALL OF THEM. Paired with an American Eagle polo shirt (have to have the flying eagle logo on the left breast). Leather flip flops. Every last one of them wore their backpack with the straps fully extended, the backpack flopping around their backside.

So imagine my husband, with khaki shorts, polo shirt with NO eagle, Keen sandals, no tan, and what I like to call his "man purse." (I bought it for him from Fossil, and it's way cool and manly...one that you sling over the shoulder.) Talk about a fish out of water. But he's MY fish, and I'm so proud of what he's doing (and how he's looking). :)

Now to change the pace a bit...

Last but not least, special thanks to Kristin Torres-Toro from Write in the Way for the Lemonade Blog Award! I've got to confess that I've seen these cute little awards on blogs and have been jealous to get one! Who doesn't like lemonade? :)

The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows gratitude or a great attitude.

Here are the rules:

~Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.
~Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.
~Link your nominees within your post.
~Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
~Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

So my nominations, in no particular order, for the Lemonade Award go to:

1. Jill at Jill Kemerer
2. Jessica at BookingIt
3. Katie and SFHardy at Plot This
4. Patricia at Readin N Writin with Patricia
5. Eileen at A Christian Romance Writer's Journey
6. Ralene at A Call to Love
7. Tess at Tess Hilmo
8. Jaime at The Jaime Reports
9. Liana at Liana Brooks
10. SM Blooding at SM Blooding and Crew

Congratulations, everyone!

Q4U: What were some fashion trends when you were in school?

Treatment Tuesday - Doctor/Patient Relationships

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Romance between doctors/therapists and their clients. Ethical dilemma? Click to find out.

PROPER English

2009-08-24T07:00:00.004-05:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Here's a writing-related forward I got and had to share, just for laughs.

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.


2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually)
unnecessary.

9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

10. No sentence fragments.

11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.

12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than
necessary; it's highly superfluous.

14. One should NEVER generalize.

15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

19. The passive voice is to be ignored.

20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.
Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.

21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would
suffice.

22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others
use them.

23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put
forth earth-shaking ideas.

24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I
hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

25. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand
times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can
use it correctly.

26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.

27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid
colloquialisms.

28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be
derailed.

29. Who needs rhetorical questions?

30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than
understatement.

And the last one...

31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Q4U: Which rule resonates with you the most? Which one irks you the most?

New Column: Parent Pointers!

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

My monthly column for SAGE magazine online is going to be called Parent Pointers!

I got the logo from the director of SAGE ministries Wednesday night in my email. Here it is:

The first edition should launch September 1st. I'll include a link from my blog when it's live. September's edition will focus on generosity. Since this is a publication mainly for girls, my column will be to reach parents with advice, tips, and "pointers" for dealing with these girls! For next month, I wrote about King David and how he was a generous parent...hopefully it will resonate with parents who read it.

But I just wanted to share the exciting update! I have a logo...for being regularly published!! :)

T3 - Alcoholism...Disease or No?

2009-08-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

Cast your vote over at The Character Therapist. Is alcoholism a disease or not?

Blog Award!

2009-08-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Liana Brooks for the Kreativ Blogger award! Made my day on Monday, especially after my post on waiting. So I'll pass my time waiting coming up with seven random, "kreativ" things about me. :)

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Because I'm one to like rules, and I find it conspiciously absent that there are no guidelines about what seven things I should write, I'm going to regale you with seven kreativ things about me you might not have known.

1. I actually play the piano really well. I used to play solos and duets in church all through high school, and recently did a stint as church pianist for over two years at my church in California. I love to play and sing, too.

2. I'm addicted to a really bad show on HBO called True Blood that is so good. It's my biggest vice. But there are actually some really good principles shown through the show once you get past a few naked scenes (gasp!), like not teaching others how to hate people groups (vampires, in this case) for no other reason than that they are different.

3. I was editor of my high school newspaper. This was a major big huge deal at this juncture in life, and landed me a spot in the 1997 Hall of Fame for my school (the editor always got a spot...done deal...oh, yeah!). But it was hard work....deadlines, layouts...we had a newspaper in color that looks just like a normal newspaper!

4. Oh! Before I was overall editor, I was the editorial editor. I couldn't find anyone to write a regular column about their viewpoints about ANYthing. As a result, I wrote a monthly column called "Jeannie's Mood." (My maiden name is Mood...kreativ, huh?) It got lots of attention, needless to say.

5. My first "regular" writing endeavor was in elementary school. I created Good News, a Christian publication of which I was the sole journalist, layout designer, and editor. I posted new editions outside my bedroom door.

6. I like to do beadwork. I've made several pieces for myself, friends and family. I made all my bridesmaids' necklaces and earrings. I like to use semi-precious stone chips and Swarovski crystals. However, I haven't done this in at least two years (because all free time usually goes to writing!).

7. I designed my own wedding ring. I knew I wanted a princess cut center diamond, but instead of being square, I wanted it rectangular, flanked on either side by two trillion (triangle) diamonds. It's exactly what I wanted...perfect. My husband had it made by Ramseys Jewelers in New Orleans, LA.

So hopefully you learned some things about me you didn't know (and hopefully you cared). :)

Here's the seven bloggers I nominate for this award:

1. CKHB at Heim Binas Fiction. For those who don't know...CKHB is an attorney! Might come in handy for those WIPs, people!

2. Danyelle at Myth-takes. Danyelle always has kreativ posts...I just wish I had more time to comment on them more regularly.

3. Katie at Katie Ganshert. She's my fab crit partner, published short story author and just a wacky girl all around.

4. Michelle at Edgy Inspirational Author Blog. She has regular book giveaways...so check it out!

5. Crimogenic at Crimogenic. Interesting reads with a sense of humor.

6. Jill at Jill Kemerer. Jill's always got original angles on things all writers think about.

7. KLo at The Philosophy of KLo. She's fascinated by everything, and blogs about it very kreatively.

Q4U: What's the most kreativ thing about you?

Happy blogging today!

Treatment Tuesday - Blended Families, cont.

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Blended families once again on the discussion table over at The Character Therapist. See you there!

Waiting

2009-08-17T08:17:00.003-05:00

Here it is, August 17. My little girl is officially 18 months old today. The time has flown by, as many of you have already experienced with your own children. We'd like to keep them little forever (sometimes), but time just doesn't stop when you want it to.

But what about when it stops when you DON'T want it to? I'm talking about waiting. At this juncture in my life, I'm doing a lot of waiting. Waiting to hear back about several job interviews. Waiting to hear back about my Today's Christian Woman article. Just WAITING.

How have I passed the time? I've been productive in my rewrite of Blessed. I've visited with family here in Mississippi and in New York. I've written character therapy assessments and Thoughts and I've even started on some other articles to submit to magazines when the time comes.

But in between these periods of prolific editing and worthwhile visiting, I still check my email probably 100X a day, hoping to hear something about SOMEthing, which is a frustrating place to be.

Q4U: How do you pass the time waiting?

The Winner Is...

2009-08-15T08:19:00.002-05:00

CINDY!

I hope you enjoy The Duchess and the Dragon! Send your snail addy to charactertherapist (at) hotmail (dot) com and I'll get that into the mailbox Monday!

Public Library Pros and Cons

2009-08-14T08:05:00.004-05:00

Just another reminder to leave a comment in Wednesday's post to be entered to win Jamie Carie's The Duchess and the Dragon historical romance!

Just this week, I went down to my public library and got a library card. This is a library I went to quite a bit as a child, from borrowing books to playing in piano concerts there. I had lost my card a long time ago, so hubby and I both got one.

I was NOT expecting the third degree to get a card. The guy behind the desk asked us if we could provide proof of living, working or being a student in our county. So I gave him my driver's license and hubby gave him his student ID. All was clear.

He pulls out this card and it had this superhero "family" on it. My husband, ever the comic book lover since he was a child, says, "I don't recognize these superheroes." The guy behind the desk shoots him a look, like, "What?!" Then he says, "You really don't know who Captain Info is?" People around the desk checking out books are now looking at us like we're foreigners.

Captain Info? We looked at each other and shook our heads. Have we been under rocks since we last were in the South? Who the heck is Captain Info?

Then the little twerp shakes his head, laughing, to inform us that Captain Info is just a local icon created by the library to get more kids to read. There's also Storyteller (who looks an awful like Wonder Woman with different coloring), Page (who looks like Wendy from Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers) and Dewey (who is a cross between a martian and a Stark Trek character). We're nodding, as obviously that's a good thing...getting kids to read. We just would have preferred a less humorous (to him) and more informative (to us) introduction to the revered Captain and his random little family. You know?

Then we go in search of books. I'm looking for the fiction section, my hubs is looking for possible books for school. The good news is that the library has really grown since last time I darkened the doors. In fact, the old piano recital room is no longer, books covering every available space. I see with delight there is a huge fiction section, so I head that way.

It dawns on me, though, that this ain't no Borders. The fiction isn't arranged by genre. Every book is done alphabetically. However, my local library did make the attempt to put stickers on the spines. Just about every book had one, or several. (The above are actually what the stickers my library uses looks like.) So that was handy trying to search for Christian fiction. I just looked for the picture that someone resembles the one to the left here: Jesus with a halo around his head (although at the library, it was blue). I wasn't entirely pleased with the selection. But hey...it's a library, the books are "free" (minus the third degree, a slight embarrassment about not knowing Captain Info, and 10 cents a day late fee - which I don't plan on incurring).

So today, I'm starting my first book from the library. Part of me hopes I really enjoy this relationship with my local library. Part of me hopes I don't like the books as much, because I won't have them at my ready disposal to read again. I'm totally a Borders Brat...spoiled, buying whatever book I wanted, when I wanted. But when you don't have a job yet...that's really not an option! :)

Q4U: How many of you are card-carrying members of your local library? Any other Captain Infos our there?

T3 - Jealousy

2009-08-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jealousy...what's behind it for you and your characters? Get in on the discussion at The Character Therapist!