Not your ordinary water fountain . . .

I have mixed feelings about Dubai . . . Arab oil money creates an international playground? But this is an incredible display of waterworks. Enjoy!

P.S. The song is "Time to Say Goodbye" by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

~~Angie

Puppy Makes Three

No, I didn't get a new puppy--as much as I'd like to. :-)

I'd like to tell you about Gail Martin's latest book, BRIDE IN TRAINING. Here's the scoop:

And Puppy Makes Three

Perfectionist Martin Davis's life is in turmoil. The lonely businessman's search for companionship led him to adopt a dog--a rather rambunctious terrier. And now Martin's at his wits' end. When dog trainer, Emily Ireland offers to help, Martin is grateful--and intrigued. But he's wary of getting too close to the sweet, pretty Emily, especially when he learns of her scandalous past. Can Martin ever open his heart to the possibility that Emily just may be his perfect bride?

Bride In Training received 4 stars in the Romantic Times Book Reviews, and Gail was thrilled. So if you enjoy dogs, their antics and romance, I think you'll enjoy this series.

Bio

Award-winning author, Gail Gaymer Martin writes for Steeple Hill and Barbour with 44 published novels and over 3 million books in print . She writes women's fiction, romance and romantic suspense and is the author of Writing the Christian Romance, released by Writers Digest Books. Gail was recently named Author of the Year by Barbour Publisher's Heartsong Presents readership. Gail is a popular speaker at churches and women's events and teaches writing at conferences across the U.S.

Review of BRIDE IN TRAINING at http://carlybirdshome.blogspot.com/2010/06/bride-in-training-by-gail-gaymer-martin.html

You can also find this book on Amazon.com.

Wrinkled Ladies

LOL! This parody of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" is hilarious--and it's Anita Renfroe, who I met at a Women of Faith conference, and who you may recall from "The Mom Song" on YouTube and Good Morning America.

You have to love a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.

Traveling home today. Had a great time, but it's always good to come home. :-)

~~Angie

In Pursuit of the perfect water droplet . . .

Amazing beauty in a water droplet . . . and amazing dedication by these photographers. Science can be beautiful!

Life in the Fast Lane!

I love this! It was built in Berlin, Germany, but I think they should put one in the Atlanta airport. (But I also think Americans are too litigious to do it.) Enjoy!

~~Angie, if this is Friday, I must be in St. Louis

Release

Last week in Texas, one of my students asked how you know it's time to let go of a manuscript. I think I answered with, "You don't. You simply do the best you can, polish the best you can, and let it go."

I've just finished THE FINE ART OF INSINCERITY--we've gone through five drafts, one major revision, and we still have to go through copyedits. But for the most part, the bulk of the work is done.

Even though my editor said, "In my nineteen years of editing I have never sent a substantive review back with essentially NO big-issue rewrite suggestions. Never. Until now." (Thanks, Traci!), I still rewrote several passages and made dozens of small tweaks. What is good can always be made better, but is it the best it can be?

And since I sent the manuscript in this afternoon, I've been badgered by the usual thoughts: was there enough emotion? Is the spiritual message clear? Are the characters all I meant them to be? I'll watch a movie on TV, get caught up in the emotion, shed a bucket of tears and think, "Will my story make a reader cry like this?"

But after all the polishing, the editorial comments, the revising, and the prayers, there comes a time when you have to trust your gut and release your baby. Send him off to finishing school or let that bird fly--you can pick your favorite metaphor.

But it never gets easier, and I don't think I'll ever stop second-guessing myself. All I can do is resolve that if this one isn't perfect, I'll take the lessons I've learned and apply it to the next one, in the hope that it will be even better.

Fly, little bird, fly.

I have to go sit on a nest.

~Angie

The West Texas A&M Writing Academy

Last week I went to Texas to teach at the West Texas A&M Writing Academy. This second annual gathering is the brainchild of romance novelist Jodi Thomas, who I had the great pleasure of meeting. She and a team of excellent instructors teach during this week-long event, with classes from 9-12 each day and critique and writing in the afternoons.

I taught writing "Inspirational Fiction," while the other instructors covered other topics. In between classes, we had a great time talking about writing, books, and life in general. A great time was had by all.

The event reminded me a little bit of our Glen Eyrie writer's summit---the emphasis isn't on meeting editors and agents, every workshop is focused on the craft of writing while students are given time to actually implement what they're learning. I'd love to teach at this event again, and if you're in the Texas area--or even if you're not--you might enjoy this one. More details about 2011 to come later.

The photos are of my class, the entire group, Jodi's class, and the lovely WTAMU campus. Oh--and some of our folks doing the chicken dance! You can click on the photos to enlarge if you think you've spotted a friend. Enjoy!

~~Angie

The Cadillac Ranch

One of the fun things I was able to do last week in Texas was visit the Cadillac Ranch. Apparently this eccentric millionaire who lives near Amarillo buried several Cadillacs in 1974 . . . in the middle of his wheat field. The cars have been moved once since then, but they're still out in the middle of a wheat field, and people can (and do!) stop by the decorate the cars with graffiti. There's nothing much left to the cars but bare metal, but the paint is so thick you can peel pieces of it away. (If you're dying for more information, you can Google it or read about it here.)

So here is a pictorial reenactment of our afternoon at the Cadillac Ranch--preceded, of course, by a lunch at "The Big Texan," where the food is big and delicious. Loved it. Love Texas. Even love the Cadillacs. ;-)

So if you're ever driving through Amarillo, grab yourself a can of spray paint and have at it! I was painting a simple message: "READ BOOKS!"

~~Angie

Tears

I don't know what's happening to me, but lately I haven't been able to make it through a day without nearly bursting into tears. And I'm not sad--at least, I don't think I am.

Saturday I picked my dogs up at the kennel, and I had to hang my head and look away when I saw Charley bounding toward me because I got choked up and wouldn't have been able to speak.

At Glen Eyrie and last week in Texas, I'd be in the middle of talking about a story--mine and other people's--and suddenly I couldn't talk any more. I'd have to stop and tell a joke or collect myself, and after a while it got a little embarrassing.

At the Glen, my class kept urging me to "get mad," every time that happened, so I'd try to get mad instead of getting choked up, but I'm not sure that effort worked at all.

And movies! Oh, my. When we showed "Departures" at Glen Eyrie, I wept all the way through even though I'd seen the movie three times. And I don't weep prettily. My nose runs and I end up blowing my nose loud enough to be heard across the room.

At the Texas Writing Academy this past week, I showed "Lars and the Real Girl" to my class, and though I've seen that movie at least seven or eight times, I cried all the way through it--and in places I'd never cried before.

And that's not all--when someone begins to tell me their story, if it's sad at all, the next thing I know, I'm weeping--with or without them. :-(

Maybe it's hormones, or maybe it's just life, but I've never been this prone to tears. I'm more a thinker than a feeler, but lately, I'm just a crier. I could be a sobber, if given a little privacy.

Anyone else ever feel like this? All I know is that I've learned to keep the tissues handy.

~~Angie

Robin Lee Hatcher's Latest book

My friend Robin Lee--who just broke her ankle, bless her heart--has a new release out. I'd love to tell you about it:

A MATTER OF CHARACTER

by Robin Lee Hatcher

Historical Romance

June 2010

Who says a woman can’t keep a secret?

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories … except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

View the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84yGMuj21Uo

About the Author:

The author of over 60 books, best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. She makes her home in Idaho where she enjoys spending time with her family and her high-maintenance Papillon, Poppet. She invites you to drop by her web site and her Facebook Page to learn more about her and her books.

Web site: http://www.robinleehatcher.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-Lee-Hatcher-Novelist/48662178098?ref=mf

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Inanimate objects

When I was a child, we used to drive over to Winter Haven a few times a year. I remember sitting in the back seat on the (long, it seemed to me) drive home, staring at the cars behind us. Those cars had FACES--some were sad, some were happy, some looked cruel. Automobiles had bigger grilles in those days, and they created some truly memorable faces.

Someone else has looked for faces in inanimate objects, and this is an amazing collection. Click through and enjoy!

If this is Saturday, I should be home again! Loved my trip, but it's good to be home!

~~Angie

Wow. What if the oil spill were in your area?

At home, all the news is about the oil spill--that's only natural, since it occurred not far from our coastline. But visit this website, and suddenly the oil spill takes on an entirely new dimension: click here.

I first clicked on this while I was in Texas, so I had no idea of proportion. So I moved it to my home, and . . . wow. Makes a huge difference.

This is a disaster, pure and simple.

~~Angie

Iceland, anybody?

I've never been to Iceland--never even THOUGHT about going there--but this promotional video just might make some people long to book a ticket . . .


~~Angie

Dats?

In my book THE NOVELIST, I created "dats"--a cross between dogs and cats.

After watching this video, you might think that Boston Terriers and kitties have a chance of becoming uber compatible. :-)

~~Angie

Travel Redux

If you've checked my Facebook page recently, you might have seen that I had my favorite DSLR camera stolen out of my luggage on my trip to Colorado Springs. It was a GREAT conference, but the trip was less than my best. Not only was my camera stolen and my jewelry case rifled (nothing taken, because I don't have valuable jewelry), but one of my flights was cancelled so I had to squirrel myself away in a hotel room and get up before the birds . . .

But I don't mean to whine. These things happen sometimes. Unfortunately, they all seemed to happen to me on one particular trip.

But the theft has forced me to rethink my mode of packing. Usually I travel light--one big suitcase, one briefcase, one purse. After all, I once lived out of one suitcase, one hangup bag, and one tote for an entire year, so if I can do that, I think I can handle a week in one suitcase. But since the airlines refuse to be responsible for anything of value placed in a suitcase, that forces the traveler to keep his valuables with him/her. So I think from now on I will have to travel with one big suitcase, one small roll-aboard, and one GIGANTIC bag that passes as a brief-purse. I have several bags that would qualify, but have you ever tried to get into a stall in the ladies room while burdened like a pack mule? It isn't easy. It certainly isn't graceful.

So this week I'm in Texas, planning to do some work when I'm not teaching, so I'll need some books, my computer, my notes, and my replacement camera. Which means I'll be carrying a lot more aboard the plane.

Hee-haw.

Angie

P.S. In my research on checked baggage thievery, I stumbled across something useful--it's not foolproof, but it just might frustrate a thief enough that he'll leave your bag alone. Since locks are pretty much useless (because TSA has to be able to open them), try TWIST TIES. Secure your zippered luggage with twist ties, and twist those things until it'll take a saint to get them off. This requires, of course, that YOU be saintly when you reach your destination. :-)

Lyn Cote's New Arrival

Hello!

If it's Monday, I'm in Texas, teaching a writer's workshop at West Texas A&M University. So it's fitting that I take this opportunity to tell you about my friend Lyn Cote's (she pronounces it Co-Tee) new book: HER ABUNDANT JOY.

Here's a question-and-answer session for your enjoyment:

1-What caused you to choose early Texas as the setting for your "Texas Star of Destiny" series?

I enjoy writing about locales and periods where several groups come together for a sharp culture clash. Conflict is the essence of a good story and many different people trying to get along or not get along sets up a story rife with natural conflict.

Starting in 1821 Stephen Austin brought in Anglo-Americans to settle Spanish and the Mexican-held Texas. Eastern Texas became the setting where Native Americans, mainly Comanche, Mexicans, and blacks (slaves and runaways), and Anglos clashed over who would be in control of the land. Part of my brand, "Strong Women Brave Stories" is that I like to write a multicultural cast. In this third and final book in the series, I stir German immigrants into the mix.

2-How do you handle the 19^th century political incorrectness?

I resist the pressure to sanitize history. If I portray the 19^th century as it really was, it is difficult not to offend the 21^st century reader. Yet I still endeavor to portray the low status of women and racial prejudice of the 19^th century. I had a reader say in a review that my stories had 21^st century values. That's not really correct. My stories have characters who are at odds with their times, another characteristic common to my historicals. My heroines are usually crusaders far ahead of their times who won't cave in to the pressure to conform (another source of conflict). I don't like historical novels that don't even try to show how society was different in the past.

3-What was the most interesting fact you didn't know about Texas BEFORE you started writing this series?

I hadn't realized that over 30,000 Germans immigrated to Texas in the mid-1840's. The area around New Braunfels, Texas, still celebrates this German heritage with some original stone houses, German food and polka bands—really!

4-What do you hope your readers will take away after reading this book and the first two in the series?

Her Abundant Joy features a German widow Mariel Wolffe. She is a heroine who will tug at a reader's heart (I hope!) And her hero, Carson Quinn, the son of the hero and heroine in the first book, is a man that should melt hearts. He's not just a handsome face. He has faced frontier life and learned to survive with honor, no small accomplishment.

They find themselves--just as we do today in the face of terrorism--in the middle of a war. Their personal desires and plans must give way to the winds of war. But God is still there with them. I gave my editor a choice of two titles taken from Psalm 37 (all 3 titles are). She chose Her Abundant Joy. The other was Her Man of Peace. I think that this reflects the theme of the book. Carson longs for peace but is forced into war.

The humble shall inherit the earth; and

shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace....
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright:

for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37: 11, 37

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Eve of Destruction

A friend of mine (thanks, Jim Denny!) shared this video with me. It's heartbreaking, but it says what I've been feeling a lot these days. I'm not sure how much longer human kind can continue . . . and even the creation is groaning, awaiting the Lord's redemption.

~~Angie

Angels

Angels come in all shapes and sizes. :-)

Some of you may remember when I blogged about putting my house back together (here) and how an entire corps of my angel awards were de-haloed when a shelf in my office fell.

Well, soon after that blog, my delightful webmaster, Kelli Standish, wrote to ask me which angels were, um, injured. I didn't even answer her, thinking that she was kidding.

So about a week later she wrote again. I couldn't think why she would possibly want to know this, but I told her.

And today my answer arrived. Kelli and her team at Pulse Point Design sent me a new angel, and her base is inscribed, "Excellence in Media, Angela Elwell Hunt, Eight time Silver Angel Winner Print Media Category, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997."

Isn't that SWEET? So I have taken a picture of my new, uninjured angel (with my new camera), and I will put her on the wall to shine in all her glory. And yes, the shelf is now anchored into studs. :-)

Thank you, kind Kelli and team. You have delighted my heart and soul today.

~~Angie

Dog Days of Summer

No commentary needed for this one. :-) Except you might like to know that these dogs live in Budapest.

~~Angie

Smarter old dogs?

Found this interesting article about old dogs and their diet--apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks if you feed him (or her) a certain kind of dog food. Hmm. Wonder if this works for people, too?

~~Angie

LOL!

Getting ready to wrap up the Glen Eyrie writer's workshop. Such a great group of people, and we had such fun!

And for your fun, send a pal (or yourself) to this Google search page. :-)

Have a great day!

~~Angie

Checking in from Glen Eyrie

We're having a lovely time with over sixty writers at the Glen Eyrie workshop in Colorado Springs. I would send you pictures, but MY DSLR CAMERA WAS STOLEN OUT OF MY SUITCASE AT THE AIRPORT.

There. I'm over it. Truly I am. :-/

Anyway, I have done some research and discovered that none of the airlines will take responsibility for any camera or computer equipment or jewelry (or anything else of value) that's placed in a suitcase and checked. So, travelers beware. (Which makes me wonder what they WILL be responsible for--undies?)

I found one story of a man who found his stolen-from the suitcase camera on ebay. He contacted the buyer, confirmed the serial number, bought it back from the man, and then took the return address on the seller's package and turned it over to the police. :-) Gotta love that layman's cleverness.

Well, time to get cracking. Have a lovely day!

~~Angie

Sunrise

Sunrise over Tampa Bay . . . I saw it again. Up early this morning to fly to Colorado for the Writer's Workshop at Glen Eyrie. Four fun days with friends and fellowship among people who want to write.

Not sure I'll be able to blog, but I brought my camera!

~~Angie

The Holocaust

For some reason--must be Providence, because it's certainly not a conscious decision--I've been focused on World War II lately, specifically the Holocaust.

It started a couple of months ago, when my book club read SARAH'S KEY, an excellent book about how the Jews in France were rounded up and deported to concentration camps after the Nazi occupation.

Then last month we read SUITE FRANCAISE, an uncompleted novel about the Nazi occupation of France. The book was written by a Jewish-converted-Catholic woman who was herself swept up by the Nazis, so she didn't live to complete the other three books in her intended "suite" of stories.

A couple of nights ago I watched a documentary about Hitler's occupation of Hungary, and how he sped up the destruction of the Jews even as he was losing the war. A tonight I watched "Into the Arms of Strangers," another documentary about the kindertransport--a program that moved Jewish children from Germany and Austria to England for the duration of the war. Many of those children never saw their parents again; some did.

The thing that struck me, though, as I watched these now aged children share their stories, was that England was the only country that volunteered to take these children. A congressman in the United States proposed a bill that would allow our country to take in these children, but it died in committee reportedly because "taking children without their parents went against the law of God."

Ten thousand children were spared because they were transported to England in 1939. Once the Nazis stopped allowing the transport and began to move Jewish people to concentration camps, 1,500,000 children were killed by the Nazis.

Our country has done many things that make me proud. Refusing to take in these children, however, is not one of them. May God forgive us.

~~Angie

Summer Reading Sale!

It's summertime, and that means (hopefully) more time to read!

So you won't head off to your vacation with empty hands, we're having a sale at Angela Hunt books--$5.00 off any purchase of $30 or more. This offer is only good one time, and you can order your books here. Please remember that the order button is UNDER the title. Offer good from now until Aug. 31.

Hope you have a great summer! I'm going to be traveling a lot this summer, and I love it just because airplane time is the best time for reading!

~~Angie

Cheryl Wyatt's latest book

How fitting for Memorial Day week! Let me tell you about Cheryl Wyatt's latest book:

Rescuing people is his job… But the one person pararescue jumper Chance Garrison can't seem to help is his own ailing father, who refuses his much-needed physical rehabilitation. That is, until Chance hires unconventional occupational therapist Chloe Callet. To his surprise, Chloe and her sweet black Lab, Midnight, work wonders. And not only on the elder Garrison. Chance just may have met the woman who can get through his own toughened exterior. Can he persuade the lovely Chloe to take a chance—on him?

====

Excerpt available here: http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?itemid=21723&cid=416

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Barnes and Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Steadfast-Soldier/Cheryl-Wyatt/e/9780373876051/?itm=1?tabname=custreview

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Steadfast-Soldier-Inspired-Cheryl-Wyatt/dp/037387605X

Christianbook: http://www.christianbook.com/steadfast-soldier-cheryl-wyatt/9780373876051/pd/876051?item_code=WW&netp_id=768707&event=ESRCN&view=details

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Author BIO

Born Valentine's Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers. Her books have won a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for the Best Series Love Inspired in 2009 and garnered a Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence final. Find out more: www.CherylWyatt.com

Books bite the dust

Reading and writing and 'rithmatic . . . all to the tune of a KINDLE! Our local high school has opted to ditch books and give each student a Kindle instead. (Textbooks cost between $70-90 a pop--if each student has six or seven, getting a Kindle is a no-brainer).

You can read the article here.

The article says that parents can purchase insurance--something I would STRONGLY advise. What if a kid is pushed into a pool? LOL--a pool would ruin a book, too, but it will definitely kill a Kindle.

It's going to be an interesting year of adjustment. :-)

~~Angie

Current Events Quiz

My mom sent me a link to this current events quiz, so I took it and missed one out of 12. I email a lot of politically active friends frequently, so they keep me pretty "up to date" on what's going on (plus simply watching the news is helpful). At the same time, taking the quiz made me grateful that I wasn't a Miss America contestant . . . :-)

Why don't you take the quiz and test your knowledge? How did you do?

~~Angie