So I won a scholarship from Cec Murphey to attend a writer's conference in May.  I'm already stalking all the presenters who will be there--just on Facebook, so don't worry.

My ACFW chapter awarded a couple scholarships to our IDAhope Writer's Conference last month.  The best essay entry was from a woman who lives in a shelter.  She compared her desire to have her writing published to the desire of a little boy who caught a big fish and is not strong enough to carry it far enough to show anybody.  I learned a lot from her humility.  Beautiful.

Here's an analogy of my own.  Writing a novel that no publisher will buy is like training for a race, setting up on the blocks, then finding out the starter pistol is broken.  I've had a few too many false starts.  Now I'm ready to run.  Thanks, Cec!

I'm having so much fun helping Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren write a book.  As if they need my help.  But anyone can get involved.  Right now we're voting on names for the main characters.  I picked out Jaxon and Makenzie.

Come on over to my book therapy and get creative.   In the Voices chatroom we're currently making up "lies" for the main characters to believe.  And we're trying to think up an "inciting incident".  If you've ever wanted to write a book, this is a great place to start.  And better yet, all the proceeds from the book are going to be donated to fight against sex slave trade.  Everybody wins.

Three summers ago I met my critique partner Christina Berry at the Oregon Christian Writer's Conference.  This past weekend she came out to Idaho to speak at the IDAhope Writer's Conference.  See, she sold her first novel, so now she's on the other side of the table.  :-)  I'm so excited for her that I want to tap dance.  

The Familiar Stranger comes out in October.  It's about a man who gets amnesia in a car accident, then gets a second chance at the life he'd previously messed up.  It will keep you guessing.  And yes, you can judge the book by its (dynamic) cover.