Weekend Peek In #15

Welcome to week 15 of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. I'll draw the winning name in just four weeks. Keep those entries coming, folks!

This week's reader's question is one I am asked often.

When can we expect a sequel to Delivery or any other books?

At a writers conference, Karen Kingsbury once told me she writes a novel in six weeks. What? At first, I thought I had misheard her. No! She explained that her books usually play like movies in her head, and she just writes them down.

Excuse me while I pick my chin up off the floor.

I'll admit that when I'm writing a scene, it often plays like a movie in my head; however, a scene flowing is far different than an entire story magically unfolding before me.

Unless God performs a miracle on me, I'll never churn out a novel in only six weeks, but I am hard at work on ideas for my next book. When can readers expect it? Since I'm not Karen Kingsbury, only God knows the answer.

But you can help! Please pray that God will put stories on my heart that readers will connect with and be touched by.

I would also love your input. What kind of novels do YOU like to read? What types of stories leave hand prints on YOUR heart? I'll be looking for your answers in the comment section below.

Weekend Peek In #14

Welcome to week 14 of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. I'll draw the winning name in just five weeks. Have you entered yet?

Now, for this week's reader's question:

What is your favorite verse?

Assuming this reader is referring to a Bible verse, I'm not sure I could isolate one as my favorite, but with Thanksgiving upon us, the scripture most on my mind is, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 NIV).

Sure, it's easy to be thankful for the blessings in my life. A warm home. Clean water. Plentiful food. Good health. Great friends. A loving family. And the list goes on.

But to give thanks in all circumstances--even during times of sorrow and suffering? Seriously, God, is this possible?

Even when my youngest son barely survived a fiery car crash?

When my eldest son suffered a brain hemorrhage requiring brain surgery?

When my eldest granddaughter narrowly escaped an apartment fire?

When my mom battles cancer after my grandmother, grandfather, father, father-in-law, and step-father-in-law lost that fight?

When my precious eight-year-old niece died after a double-lung transplant failed? Even then?

God's answer is yes, even then!

But how?

Am I to be thankful for car crashes, surgeries, devastation, illnesses, and death? No! God doesn't ask us to give thanks for all circumstances. He asks us to give thanks in all circumstances. Ah, there's the key!

In crushing circumstances, I learned some life-changing lessons. I learned to stop taking life for granted because each day, each hour, each minute is a gift. Every opportunity to spend time with loved ones is a blessing. We are never guaranteed another breath, and neither are those dear to us.

Through brokenness, I better grasped who God really is. Through suffering, I gained a new understanding of the sacrifice Christ made on that cross. Through heartbreak, I learned the truth of God's promise that if I turn to Him, He will carry me through situations I could never endure alone. More fully than ever, I realized that through Christ, death is merely the beginning of eternal life.

In short, these hardships and tragedies taught me to be thankful in all circumstances. And for that, I am . . . well, thankful.

Now, it's YOUR turn. What is your favorite Bible verse . . . and what are you thankful for? I'll be looking for your answers in the comment section below.

Weekend Peek In #13

Welcome to Week 13 of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. Only six weeks left until we find out who wins, but it's not too late to enter. Are you ready for this week's reader's question? I am!

What author/authors are your go-to when you are looking for something new to read?

Two of my favorite authors who work hard to bring new books to readers are Patti Lacy and Candace Calvert.

Imagine my excitement when I visited with these wonderful writers in person at the 2011 American Christian Fiction Writers conference.

Are you ready to be excited too? Both ladies are taking a short break from their busy writing schedules to pop in for a visit today--right here!

First, let's welcome Patti Lacy, a dear author friend who invited me to room with her at the ACFW conference and to dine with her and writer Britt Sanchez at a St. Louis cafe.

Patti, I adore you AND your talented, skillful writing. Please tell us about the driving force in your fiction.

Through my work, I try to fictionally depict Romans 8:28, God working for good in all things, even those that are dark, hidden, and scary. When brought to light by the love of Christ, all things can be made possible!

Thanks for letting me visit, Diana! It was great rooming with you in St. Louis!

Hanging out with you was one of the highlights of ACFW for me, Patti. You excel in depicting Romans 8:28 in your novels. That's one of many reasons I love your books so much. Thanks for dropping in today!

So what books has Patti written, and where does she get her unique story ideas?

Snippets of secrets, newspaper clippings, a teary, long-suppressed memory grab Patti Lacy's heart, then beg to be written. In An Irishwoman's Tale, Patti shared the story of a best friend, torn from her beloved Irish coast and dumped into a dysfunctional home in Lisle, Illinois.

What the Bayou Saw explores a blood oath made down by a Louisiana bayou on the day Kennedy was killed. A Chicago Tribune article about a mother's first...and last...cab ride with her baby compelled Patti to contact a Minnesota woman and pen her story in The Rhythm of Secrets, one of my favorite Patti Lacy books.

Patti's fourth book, Reclaiming Lily, explores the lives of two women from two cultures...and the child that divides them. Reclaiming Lily springboards off the memory of a brave Chinese doctor, determined to save her family. But from who...and what?

I recently finished reading Reclaiming Lily, and what a story of love, faith, and sacrifice it is! See a book trailer for this captivating novel, and learn more about Patti on her website here.

As Patti dashes off to write more novels, here comes another dear writer friend, Candace Calvert. She's the author of the page-turner Mercy Hospital series: Critical Care, Disaster Status, and Code Triage.

Candace, welcome to Weekend Peek In. I loved our visit at ACFW, and you know I'm a fan of your novels. Please tell us more about your writing.

Because I'm a former ER nurse, I like to think that my stories offer a "prescription for hope." And that readers who "scrub in" will find pulse-pounding action, charismatic characters, and warm romance. Think: Grey's Anatomy finds its soul!

Not only is action in your stories pulse-pounding, your handsome book covers are too. I'm so glad you dropped in today. I can't wait to read your next book--and to see its cover!

While Candace's book covers ARE terrific, the quality of her writing speaks for itself. In fact, Critical Care is a 2010 Carol Award finalist.

And Code Triage is currently on the ECPA BestSeller list with books written by the likes of Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, and Jerry B. Jenkins!

If you start reading Candace's Mercy Hospital series now, you'll finish in time for her new Grace Medical series to debut in May. The first book, Trauma Plan, is set in San Antonio. Get your heart set on reading this one:

"Sidelined by injuries from a vicious assault, nurse chaplain Riley Hale is determined to return to ER duties. But how can she show she’s competent when the hospital won’t let her attempt even simple tasks? Determined to prove herself, Riley volunteers at a controversial urban free clinic despite her fears about the maverick doctor in charge.

Dr. Jack Travis defends his clinic like he’s commander of the Alamo. He’ll fight the community’s efforts to shut its doors, even if he must use Riley Hale’s influential family name to make it happen.

As Riley strives to regain her skills, Jack finds that she shares his compassion—and stirs his lonely heart. Riley senses that beneath Jack’s rough exterior is a man she can believe in. But when clinic protests escalate and questions surface about his past, Jack goes into battle mode, and Riley wonders if it’s dangerous to trust him with her heart."

Who can wait for May after reading THAT book description? To keep up with Grace Medical series progress, "scrub in" with Candace on her website here.

Like my novel Delivery, Patti and Candace's books can be downloaded on your ereader. Print editions are also available.

You could begin compiling your digital library with these fine novels if you win my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. December 16, 2011, is coming soon. The winner could be YOU, so send your entry now!

Weekend Peek In #12

Week 12 is here! This week's reader's question leaves us asking, "What if?"

If you wouldn't have chosen teaching as your career, what do you think you would have become?.

I have so many jobs I'd love to do! Let's explore a few:

Neo-natal nurse? Few things tug at my heart more than brand new babies, particularly wee ones with special medical needs like my granddaughter, pictured below. She took an emergency helicopter ride with paramedics to a St. Louis hospital when she was thirteen days old.

Historian? Every community should have a museum of local history. Interviewing residents, collecting memorabilia, taking photos, and building displays are tasks right up my alley.

Archaeologist? Unearthing artifacts to study how people lived in other cultures and other eras would be an adventure. And of course, I'd have my camera ready to document each finding!

Shopkeeper? I sometimes dream of owning a quaint boutique, a place with atmosphere where townsfolk could hang out, sip coffee, browse books, purchase flowers, and listen to live music--my husband on piano, my daughter on guitar, my son on . . . tuba? Okay, maybe I'd nix the tuba--even if he did make All-State Band.

Of course, I have experience in other areas besides teaching--art, photography, and floral designing, to name a few. But for me, the career of all careers encompasses these professions and more.

If I could choose a profession besides teaching, I'd become a novelist! Fiction writers are blessed to experience a multitude of careers vicariously through their characters. Hmmmm. I think I'll give it a whirl! :-)

What if YOU had chosen a different career? What would you be doing now? Please share your dream job in the comment section below. And don't forget to enter my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway!

Weekend Peek In #11

Welcome to Week 11 of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. On December 16, 2011, one lucky person will win a Kindle 3G AND choose the recipient of a second Kindle 3G--just in time for Christmas. Have you entered yet? The reader who submitted this week's Weekend Peek In question has!

In writing about Ida's decline, did you have to do medical research into signs and symptoms of her condition?

William Wordsworth writes, "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility." Fiction often takes its origin in that way as well. My depiction of my character Ida's decline is one example.

Ida's character is not based upon my grandmother, but as my beloved grandma neared the end of her life on earth, she suffered some devastating effects of dementia. To write certain scenes in Delivery, I drew not only from memories of events surrounding my grandma's illness but also from my resulting emotions, as Wordsworth so aptly put, "recollected in tranquility."

Walking a loved one through a terminal illness can bring both hardship and blessings to all involved. My emotions warred while I held my grandmother's hand as she departed this life. I shed joyful tears that she was leaving behind a broken body to join her Savior for a pain-free eternity. I shed mournful tears that she was leaving me as well. I later channeled those emotions into similar scenes in Delivery, which I hope brings those scenes to life and touches readers' hearts.

When I needed medical facts and statistics, for instance to create a realistic timeline for Ida's decline, I turned to credible internet sources and to Linda, a best friend from childhood who happens to be a registered nurse.

In fact, Linda read my manuscript to check for medical accuracy, allowing me to concentrate more on the creative side of the story. It helps to know people in the know!

While a novel is a product of the author's imagination, fiction needs accurate roots. A novelist should check facts with expert sources, but emotions ring most true when the author draws from life experiences, authenticating the story world.

I hope Delivery's readers find Ida's journey and her daughter Livi's growth through it not only authentic but heart-stirring as well!

Weekend Peek In #10

We're officially on the downhill slide now with my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. Ten weeks down, nine to go until we learn the name of the lucky winner. Don't forget to enter daily for more chances to win!

This week's reader's question allows us to dream, so please be sure to share your answer, too.

If you could choose anywhere in the world to live, other than Missouri (insert your home state), where would it be and why?

Where? Anywhere near the Rocky Mountains or Door County, Wisconsin.

Why? I'll let a few of our family vacation pictures speak my thousand words.

Now, it's YOUR turn! Other than your current state, where in the world would you choose to live and why?

Weekend Peek In #9

We're almost to the half-way point with my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway. Nine weeks down, ten weeks to go!

Babies are the topic of this week's reader's question. I'd love for all you parents and grandparents to chime in with your answers, too!

As a mother and grandmother, what is the most important piece of advice that you would give to a brand new mommy-to-be?

This question comes at a perfect time for me, since my eldest daughter and her husband are expecting their first child this winter. (Aren't they an adorable family already?)

(Photo courtesy of Miranda Prusik)

I could rattle off a long list of helpful parenting tips for new and expectant moms and dads, but choosing "the most important piece of advice" requires more thought. So much goes into being a good parent that even the most effective parents can hardly accomplish it all.

But when I focus on what's most important, my answer boils down to two words: Be intentional.

Be intentional in nurturing your baby's physical needs.

Be intentional in nurturing your baby's emotional needs.

And perhaps most importantly, be intentional in nurturing your baby's spiritual needs.

Feed her body.

(Photo by Diana Prusk)

Feed her heart.

(Photo courtesy of Miranda Prusik)

Feed her soul.

(Photo courtesy of Steve Prusik)

I can't take credit for this advice, since it comes from scripture: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (KJV Proverbs 22:6).

And that "when he is old" part? Parents, hang on to those words. In some cases, it may take that long to see the fruits of your efforts.

Seasoned parents and grandparents, now it's your turn. Please share your wisdom with parents-to-be like my daughter and son-in-love in the comment section below. Help them prepare for that special delivery!

Speaking of delivery, I'm celebrating the release of my novel by that name: Delivery. On December 16, 2011, I'll announce the winner of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway, just in time for Christmas. The contest closes to entries at midnight on December 14. That means if you enter daily, you have 68 more chances to win. What are you waiting for?