One draft down, many to go.

On Friday I printed out the first draft of my work-in-progress, THE OFFERING.  It's skimpy and pretty horrible, but at least now I know what the story's about, who's in it, and where the holes are.  Now, having that much settled, I'll begin filling in and filing out to make it into something I can actually show in public.  :-)

I changed several things as I went along.  I started in third person (Mandy went out), but switched to first person in the middle of the first draft (I went out).  It'll be a more personal story that way.  I also write scenes from another women's viewpoint, then decided to cut all those, or to rewrite them from Mandy's viewpoint (she's the main character).  I also visited a Cuban grocery store, home to much of the action, and realized that I seriously needed to change my perception of the place.

Anyway, the work goes on. But while I'm working on THE OFFERING, I received a box of ARCs (advanced reader's copies) of my newest release FIVE MILES SOUTH OF PECULIAR.  This book doesn't officially release until June, but since I have a box of reader's copies, I plan to hold a contest soon and give a few books away.  So stay tuned . . .

What's PECULIAR about?  It's about three sisters, but these gals are nothing like the three sisters in THE FINE ART OF INSINCERITY.  Peculiar is set in a fictional small town called, naturally, Peculiar, and it's located up in the Florida panhandle.  If it were really located anywhere, that is, that's where you'd find it. :-)

I put together a little trailer about it, and you can watch it below.

So stay tuned for more information on how you can get an advanced readers' copy of Peculiar! :-)

~~Angie

Free Kindle Book Today!

Kimberly and the Captives, a children's book based on the historical reality that many children were rounded up in London and sent to the American Colonies to be indentured servants, is free for the next several days in the Kindle edition.  If you have a young reader and an e-reader (Kindle, computer, iPad, or iPhone, here's your opportunity to grab a historical novel for nothing!

~~Angie

Florida State Fair

No words needed for this, except:  I didn't indulge!

Went to the State Fair Yesterday . . . and to visit a Cuban grocery/bakery, as part of my research for the work in progress.  Both were fun and educational.

Here are some pictures I thought you might enjoy.  I'm a sucker for the farm animals.  :-)  Wanted to see horses, but they had all cleared out, seeing as how it was the last day of the fair.

~~Angie

I love this chicken's hairdo. :-) 

Loved this picture. No idea who the baby is.

Most goats look a little devilish, but this one was sweet. 

Now that's a sand sculpture! 

As always, the carnival barkers were barking. 

Breakfast conversation

My sweet husband spread candy hearts--the LARGE PRINT variety--all over the kitchen this morning. So as I moved through the kitchen, gobbling them up, I said:

"You know, they ought to put some calcium in these. And  glucosamine."
Hubby:  "And a little fiber." Beat.  "You know, you could invent that. You'd make a fortune."

Yes, we have been sweethearts for a long time.  :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!


Angie

Valentine's Day Kindle Specials!

Because I LOVE my readers, I've arranged for the following Amazon Kindle books to be free today (and some of them for several days):

Afton of Margate Castle
Roanoke
Then Comes Marriage
My Life as a Middle School Mom 
and 
Loving Someone Else's Child 

Happy reading!  And happy Valentine's Day!


~~Angie 

Typewriters are in again . . .

So all of a sudden I notice I'm surrounded by typewriters.

I first noticed it when one of my favorite flash sites, www.onekingslane.com, featured beautiful restored manual typewriters by kasbahmod.com. I yearned to get one, but they were gone in a flash and apparently that's the only way kasbah mod sells them.

Then I heard Glen Beck say that he'd recently bought a typewriter because he was paranoid about big brother Google watching everything we write on the Internet. Hmm. Maybe he has a point.

Then I noticed all the vintage typewriters on eBay.com. Suddenly typewriters were cool again, and they were everywhere.

So I thought about getting one, but I really don't have anywhere to put it. Then I found programs that can make your computer sound like a typewriter, BUT, best of all, I found instructions on how to make your Mac sound like a typewriter with the stuff that's already built in (sorry, PC folks). If you want to feel like you're in college again (if you went to college before laptops), just do this:

Make your Mac Sound Like a Typewriter
1. Open the System Preferences window

2. Click on Universal Access.

3. Click the Keyboard button on the top.

4. Turn on "Slow Keys"

5. Check the box next to Use Click Key Sounds

6. Move the Acceptance Delay slider all the way to the right for "Short".

That's all you have to do. All you'll be missing is the "ding" when you hit the end of a line--and you know, I really miss that ding.

I've been writing with typewriter sounds for two days now, and when I'm really cooking, it sounds like a machine gun going off in my office. My hubby just laughs at me, but it makes me feel so doggone PRODUCTIVE!

So--there's your fun tip for the day. Enjoy!

Clacking away,

Angie

Japan says "thank you" for tsunami relief

This made me cry. I hope you are moved as well.

~~Angie

My friend Robin Lee Hatcher has a new book out!

HEART OF GOLD

by Robin Lee Hatcher

The truest treasure is found deep in the heart.

Back in her beloved Virginia, Shannon Adair loved nursing injured soldiers back to health. But in Grand Coeur, Idaho-the rough-and-tumble place where her father has been called to lead the church-she's not sure where she fits in. Then a critically ill woman arrives, and Shannon knows her place at last: to care for this dear woman and ease her pain.

Matthew Dubois is the fastest and most reliable stagecoach driver on Wells Fargo's payroll. But his widowed sister is dying and he's about to inherit his young nephew. So he takes a job at the Wells Fargo express office in Grand Coeur until he can find the one thing he needs to get back to driving: a wife to care for the boy.

What neither of them knows is that God is at work behind the scenes-and is lovingly bringing them together to discover the true desires of their hearts.

************************************

About the Author:

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. She discovered her vocation after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Idahope Writer of the Year, the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of 65 novels and novellas. Her historical romance Catching Katie was named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying plays under the stars. Her main hobby (when time allows) is knitting, and she has a special love for making prayer shawls. Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet, the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat).

**********************************

A Note from Robin:


Please join me on Thursday, February 9, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) for an online party to celebrate the release of Heart of Gold, a Women of Faith™ novel!


We will be gathering on my Facebook page under the Notes section to get to know each other better (look for the link in the left sidebar of my wall, click it, then click the link to the party which will be the top Note listed). I will be sharing behind the scenes stories and a favorite recipe. If you have a recipe to share, please have it ready! (For a better understanding of how the party works and a list of all the prizes, please read the information on the Event page .)

I’ll also be hosting drawings for autographed copies of the book and other prizes with ties to Idaho and the story. We’ll have a party game with a grand prize of a Kindle Touch loaded with my two Women of Faith™ novels, The Perfect Life and Heart of Gold! I'll also be announcing an exciting new contest during the evening.

Please share this information with your friends. The more who come to the party the merrier!

I’m looking forward to mingling online with all of you! Please be sure to calculate the correct time zone for you. If you need help, use: www.timezoneconverter.com

In the grip of His grace,

Robin

This made me laugh out loud . . .

I can identify with his frustration! But oh, if only I didn't find it so EASY to get to the cookies! I'd be a lot thinner. :-)

Angie

Happy Groundhog Day!

In honor of the groundhog--and the warm weather most of the country is enjoying--I've made several more of my Kindle books FREE for the ordering: Roanoke, The Case of the Mystery Mark (for kids), and BEAUTY FROM THE INSIDE OUT.  You might even find more--just search for "Angela Hunt" in Amazon's Kindle store and see what comes up.  :-) (Honestly, I can't remember which ones are the freebies.)

Happy Groundhog Day!

~~Angie 

Free Kindle Book

I think my little grand baby is beautiful inside and out! :-)

The Kindle Edition of BEAUTY FROM THE INSIDE OUT is free for the next several days.  It's written for teenage girls and women, so get your copy while you can get it free!  :-)

Enjoy!

~~Angie