In Flanders Field . . . our veterans

I'm afraid I'm a day late for Veterans Day, as I was traveling yesterday. But someone reminded me of this poem, so I'd like to share it with you . . . and then send you to read a story about its origin:

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Now, visit this website and read the true story of how this memorable poem nearly wasn't published.

A heartfelt "thank you" to all who have given their lives in the defense of freedom not only for this country, but for people around the world. God wants people to be free to live in peace . . . and unfortunately, that often requires bloody resistance to the forces of tyranny.

~~Angie

This is amazing . . . dancing dog

As amazing as this dog is, I worry about 1) his hips and 2) his self-esteem.

That skirt is just too much! :-)

~~Angie

Brrrr!

Photo: the ceiling of the China Pavillion at Epcot.

Last night we were driving back to my hotel and suddenly, wham!, there was a deer right in front of us. He bounded away safely, but we came *this close* to hitting him . . . and I'm sure you know that hitting a dear is a very dangerous thing. People are sometimes killed in deer/car collisions, and yet this was IN TOWN.

Anyway, we thanked the Lord for putting a couple of angels near by to shoo that deer along, and I was soon safely tucked back into my hotel room. We'll work all day today, and then I'll fly home tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Tuesday!

~~Angie

If this is Monday . . .

. . . I'm up north, interviewing the folks who will be the subjects of my latest collaborative book. My publisher asked me to set THE GRANDMA GENE aside for a few weeks in order to help someone else write their story--and it's fascinating. So the WIP is going to percolate for a few more weeks while I shiver a little bit, and then come home to write up this story. Shortly after Christmas, however, I'll be putting my nose back to the grindstone to get THE GRANDMA GENE shaped up and out the door.

I'd appreciate your prayers for safe and healthy travel. Since this is flu season, I tend to be a little paranoid on airplanes . . . germs! But I carry a bottle of Purell and trust the Lord to keep me functional. :-)

P.S. Have you heard about fictionfinder.com? It's pretty cool--you can go there and look up your favorite authors to see about any books you might have missed!

~~Angie

Robin Lee Hatcher's Latest: Fit to be Tied

If you watched the "what novelists do" video I posted earlier, then you saw my friend Robin. :-) She has a new release I'd love to tell you about:

FIT TO BE TIED

by Robin Lee Hatcher

Who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?

Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.

Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy.

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

BIO

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.

About FIT TO BE TIED, the Library Journal said: "A master of lively historical romances, Hatcher demonstrates an expert ability to craft spunky, unlikely heroines who go against the tide of the times in which they live, making for fun, exciting stories. She also pays close attention to historical detail. This second series entry (after A Vote of Confidence) is highly recommended for readers of inspirational and historical romances and women's fiction."

A Note from Robin

The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series sprang from the question: Who says a woman can't do a man's job? And I can't fully express just how much fun I've had looking for the answer through the eyes of my heroines in this series. Although I have no favorites among the novels I've written (each were special to me at the time I wrote them), I do have some favorite characters. Cleo Arlington is one of them. I love her for her strong faith, for her quirky turns of phrase, for her confidence with horses and her lack of confidence with men, even for her impatience with Sherwood, the English aristocrat that she's supposed to turn into a cowboy. I've been so delighted that readers have taken her into their hearts the way they have. I hope you'll feel the same way about her.

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

You can order the book here!

~~Angie

Big Book Giveaway for Chapter a Week!

Christmas is just around the corner! So we're giving away another ten-pound box of autographed Chapter-a-Week books to one Chapter-a-Week member. If you get a friend to sign up (and they mention your name in their email) you'll be entered twice! The more friends you sign up the more times you'll be entered! Simply send an email with "Chapter-a-Week Christmas Giveaway" in the subject line to cawcontest@gmail.com and you'll be entered in the drawing. Do NOT reply to this message. We'll draw the winner November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving so the books will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas!

Get your entries in and be sure to tell your friends to sign up for Chapter-a-Week! To qualify, the return email address must be on the Chapter-a-Week membership list. Continental U. S. residents only, please. Industry professionals should refrain from entering, and though we'd love you to share our books with your friends, these books are not for resale. Thanks and happy reading! Your friends at Chapter-a-Week

P.S. To join Chapter a Week, sign up at this link. You'll receive no more than one email per week.

The Making of Many Books

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

You probably know how books are written (or you've figured it out by now!) . But wouldn't you like to know how they are MADE? Follow the fascinating journey of one man as he makes a dictionary. Now I understand why quality leather-bound books are so expensive!

A tip of the hat to Jerry J for the link above. :-)

~Angie

Okay, I've had a couple of days off . . .

. . . so I got some friends to send me some video and I put it together to observe NaNoWriMo . . . or "national write a novel month." Seems that every November, thousands of Americans set out to write the first draft of a novel, and here's to 'em. :-)

Those of us who do this full-time tend to search for reasons to NOT write, but eventually we have to . . .

Enjoy!

~~Angie

The Grandma Gene trailer

I've been on a movie-making binge. I was waiting for another project to shape up (details to come once they solidify), and so I found myself pulling images together for my WIP, The Grandma Gene. Before I knew it, I had a completed trailer.

This story is only in rough draft form, but there's enough here to know where I'm going. Enjoy!

Did anyone else watch "V" last night? My paper said that only "middle-aged geeks" would remember the original, so count me among the geeks who not only remembered it, but loved it! The new version has been updated with some interesting and relevant references to terrorist cells and universal health care. I tell you, the latter gives me the willies without involving any lizards.

Have a great day!

~~Angie

Procrastination Made Artsy

As an expert in procrastination, I loved this. It's brilliant, artsy, and sooooo true. And one of these days I just might stop watching videos and get up and do something. :-0

~~Angie

Talking Cat

This one made me laugh out loud. If the eyes are the window to the soul, I think this guy interprets for his cat very well!

~~Angie

Baby and Beyonce

LOL! I found this video sort of by accident . . . and my hubby and I sat here and giggled all the way through it. Who said babies don't have rhythm? This one sure does!

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Pumpkin cannon

Huge Cannon Fires Pumpkins at 600 MPH - Watch more Funny Videos

This is such a man thing. As a woman, I'm more fascinated by the men's fascination. My main question: WHY?

~~Angie

Baxter

My friend Lisa, who knows how I feel about dogs, sent me this clip. And yes, I cried watching it, because it only goes to prove that NO life, human or animal, is without purpose if we will reach out and value it.

Thanks Lisa, for sending this clip. And thank you, Father, for blessing us with those who remind us that all life is precious.

Grab a tissue!

~~Angie

Musical Skating?

File this one under "simple idea, difficult set up, simple execution." I am amazed that people have the TIME to do things like this!

~~Angie

The Fun Theory, Part 2

This video is brought to you by the same people who created the keyboard stairs, remember? Fun! (Maybe there's a lesson in this for child-rearing . . . )

~~Angie

Cindy Woodsmall's Latest Amish title

Drum roll, please (a tiny one!): I finished the rough draft of GRANDMA GENE on Friday. It is completely and totally stinky. But my first drafts always are. I always find that producing a first draft is just like birthing a baby--lots of groaning and moaning and pushing and you end up with a squalling mess on the table, but at least you have something to clean up. Which is what I do in drafts two, three, four, and five. :-)

But let me take advantage of this wee break to tell you about Cindy Woodsmall's latest. Cindy is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish has been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Plain Mennonite and Old Order Amish families.

Cindy is the mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, and she and her husband reside in Georgia. Visit her Web site at www.CindyWoodsmall.com

Synopsis for The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

The Sound of Sleigh Bells is a heartwarming Christmas novella where lack and abundance inside an Amish community has power for good when it’s tucked inside love. Romantic Times gaveThe Sound of Sleigh Bells 4 ½ stars, saying ~ This is a wonderfully written, transformative story of two Amish families at Christmastime. It will bring sleigh-riding memories to life as readers vicariously join in this jolly and exciting holiday tradition.

To read the first chapter of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, go to: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/sound-of-sleigh-bells_excerpt.php

To purchase through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Sleigh-Bells-Cindy-Woodsmall/dp/0307446530/ref=pd_ts_b_5?ie=UTF8&s=books

To purchase through CBD.com: http://www.christianbook.com/sound-sleigh-bells-cindy-woodsmall/9780307446534/pd/446534?event=HPF2

Happy Reading!

~~Angie

Paperback Writer

Okay--yesterday I showed you the vid from the "Day in the Office" folks. Today I have a video put together by some of my gal pals--Terri Blackstock, Carolyne Aarsen, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Kristin Billerbeck. We had lots of fun shooting this goofy thing, so enjoy! (And a big thanks to Robin Lee for splicing it all together!)

P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mom! :-)

~~Angie

Musical Geek video

A big tip of the hat to novelist and pal Sunni Jeffers for sending me this link! I LOVE it!

Some of you know that I'm a bit of a Mac chauvinist. :-) Unless you have a Mac, you probably don't know that every Mac has a tiny video camera built into the top of the screen--makes it easy to do video chats, etc. Well, these enterprising workers used their individual Macs to record and lip sync a song by the Backstreet Boys, and you have to admire their creative camera effects. So sit back, enjoy, and if you have a Mac of your own, why not join them? I wonder if some friends and I could do this long distance? :-)

~~Angie

Silent Monks Sing

For a moment I was mystified . . . then I realized that these are not real monks, but high school students being creative. So sit back, relax, and watch a little Handel being sung by these silent monks . . .

~~Angie