I like you!

Feeling a little down in the dumps? Visit this website: Pick Me Up

~~Angie

BOM: Questions and Answers

And now . . . your questions and answers about THE PROPOSAL . . . or whatever else you asked. :-)

Betsy asked what I learned about God during the writing of this book: I'd like to sound spiritual and say I learned something amazing, but this book was more about educating myself--and my readers--about the dangers of abortion and other life issues. Theodora, my protagonist, learns that it's best to consult the Lord before flying off in pursuit of a dream, but that's something I've been learning all my life. The writing of this book was a nice reminder, though.

Christy asked: Do you happen to know the mechanism of breast cancer after abortion? I guess I'm mostly wondering if having a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) also puts you at higher risk for breast cancer. Is it due to a body's reaction to the loss of pregnancy or is it something related to the performed abortion procedure? Thanks!

Actually, it's neither. As I understand it, when a woman becomes pregnant, her breast cells begin to change so that she'll be able to nurse when the baby is born. When the pregnancy is terminated before the birth (and before the breast cell change is complete), the cells are left in a state of flux. This, it is supposed, is what may make them more susceptible to cancer (which is uncontrolled cell growth).

Now--if a woman miscarries, does this leave her in the same situation? See the official explanation below from www.abortionbreastcancer.com :

A never-pregnant woman has a network of primitive, immature and
cancer-vulnerable breast cells which make up her milk glands. It is only in the
third trimester of pregnancy - after 32 weeks gestation - that her cells start
to mature and are fashioned into milk producing tissue whose cells are cancer
resistant.

When a woman becomes pregnant, her breasts enlarge. This
occurs because a hormone called estradiol, a type of estrogen, causes both the
normal and pre-cancerous cells in the breast to multiply terrifically. This
process is called “proliferation.” By 7 to 8 weeks gestation, the estradiol
level has increased by 500% over what it was at the time of conception.
If the pregnancy is carried to term, a second process called “differentiation”
takes place. Differentiation is the shaping of cells into milk producing tissue.
It shuts off the cell multiplication process. This takes place at approximately
32 weeks gestation.

If the pregnancy is aborted, the woman is left with more undifferentiated -- and therefore cancer-vulnerable cells -- than she had before she was pregnant. On the other hand, a full term pregnancy leaves a woman with more milk producing differentiated cells, which means that she has fewer cancer-vulnerable cells in her breasts than she did before the pregnancy.
In contrast, research has shown that most miscarriages do not raise breast cancer
risk. This is due to a lack of estrogen overexposure. Miscarriages are frequently precipitated by a decline in the production of progesterone which is needed to maintain a pregnancy. Estrogen is made from progesterone, so the levels of each hormone rise and fall together during pregnancy.

For a thorough biological explanation of the abortion-breast cancer link, see this second website for the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, http://www.bcpinstitute.org/ and click on its online booklet, “Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention.”

For further reading, visit this link: http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/start/ .

On another front--good news! MAGDALENE may be optioned by a movie company! We're currently discussing details . . .

~~Angie

BOM: The Results/Reader Reaction

Because THE PROPOSAL was timely and concerned a political and social issue, I did lots of radio interviews when the novel released. Dozens. The book won an Angel Award from Excellence in Media and received several nice reviews.

Did the book sell well? Not really. Maybe it was the black cover, maybe it was because this was a change of genres for me, maybe the book was ahead of its time. I don't know, but I'm convinced the book reached those it was meant to reach. It is still out there, of course (with Amazon's used book sales, books never die), and its message is still important.

I received several letters from women who'd had abortions and had never heard of the ABC link. I advised them to give their doctors a complete medical history and to be vigilant in their monthly BSEs.

Here are some snippets from reviews: "Although the plot is fictitious, abortion's link to breast cancer is not. Hunt's ability to combine startling data with an exciting story line makes for an intriguing medical mystery. This book is sure to be a hit with mystery fans as well as with readers interested in its medical connotations." --Bookstore Journal.

"Hunt's research on the issue is solid and makes a persuasive case that Christians must continue to exert political pressure, or other truths may also remain buried . . . " --Hawaii Catholic Herald.

"The story, fast-paced, suspenseful and entertaining, features a novie writer who stumbles on to a conspiracy to suppress medical discoveries linking abortion and breast cancer. The author, while acknowledging the plight of the unborn, tries to direct our attention to the fact that abortion not only kills the baby, but may eventually kill the mother as well." --Aspire

"Hunt has done her own research into this subject and found several sources to support her novel. The subject of abortion is an emotional one, and as documents support its link with breast cancer, the repercussions of making this information public are obvious. A decrease in abortions will cost money, would stop fetal-cell research and would alter many political stands. By choosing this subject for her book, Hunt has succeeded in finding a platform for intelligent pro-life argument without making the heroes of the story look like insane zealots." --"Reading Room."

"THE PROPOSAL is lively, readable, and rather amusing, particularly in its portrait of the feckless Theodora." --John Mort, for Booklist.

Tomorrow: your questions and answers. Does anybody have any?

~~Angie, happy to report, BTW, that the WIP is A-OK.

BOM: The Editing

To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about the editing. I do remember that a male and a female editor worked on it--I think the female handed it off to the male because of the genre.

Or, LOL, maybe I've repressed the memories! In any case, tomorrow we'll look at the reader reaction and reviews.

BTW, the theatrical trailer for THE NATIVITY STORY has just been released. I watched it and got goosebumps. To see it, go to http://www.thenativitystory.com , then click on "videos."

~~Angie

Saints and Soldiers

I'd like to interrupt the regularly-scheduled BOM event to tell you about a movie I watched tonight: Saints and Soldiers. If you watched the DVD series "Band of Brothers," about WWII, you may recall a scene where the German army killed a large group of American prisoners.

This movie, based on factual events, centers on a handful of men who escaped that historic mass murder. They are behind enemy lines when they discover a British flyer who has intelligence that he needs to get to the Allied forces in order to save many lives.

There are five men--and one of them is a believer, one of them is a skeptic. I won't say anything else, except that this is one of the most powerful, least preachy movies I have ever seen. The Christian character is genuine, authentic, and completely human.

Netflix it today, or look for it at the video rental store (do they still call them "video" stores even though almost everything is on DVD? ) Suitable for teenagers, too.

(I didn't recognize a single actor, but they all did a great job! I was impressed.)

~~Angie

BOM: The Writing

Writing THE PROPOSAL was more difficult than I'd anticipated. I encountered the problem of profanity--or, shall I say, the lack of it. I don't think I'd find it as challenging today as I did back then, but I was less experienced in 1995.

I had two characters, you see, who were thuggy low lifes. (Low lives?) And I wanted to write them realistically, but I wanted to eschew profanity in my book. When they were chopping off a man's finger, I couldn't have them say, "Oh, darn it."

Why do I want to avoid profanity in my work? Bottom line: Because it bothers a lot of readers. I was once at a secular conference where someone asked Diana Gabaldon (whose books I like) why she used so much profanity in her novels. Diana replied that SHE doesn't use it, but her characters do. But I walked away from that talk realizing that to readers, it's all the same. It doesn't matter who uses it, it's being used, and it offends a lot of people. (My book club once read a book of Carl Haissen's, and we would have loved the story, but his language put us off--and we are not a "Christian" book club. We're readers, period.)

I have since come up with ways to work around this problem, but it was a challenge in the beginning. (The ways around? Lots of options: Change the character to someone more urbane. Change the camera focus while the profanity is being spewed. Focus on a detail, zoom in tightly, work the violence with mood rather than explicit language. Like I said, it takes MORE creativity and skill to write without settling for the most obvious profanity or obscenity.)

Sorry to digress. Back to the writing.

Two years ago I taught the fiction track at the Florida Christian Writer's Conference. It was a class of about forty, and we spent a lot of time together, so I attempted something different. I brought forty copies of THE PROPOSAL to class, taught a lesson on self-editing, and gave the class homework: to take a copy and self-edit the first chapter of THE PROPOSAL using what I'd taught them in class.

The next day they came in, and I walked them through the first few pages, showing how we could easily tighten dialogue, get rid of words that didn't work, heighten the mood. One of my students raised her hand and said, "How did this get published?" I laughed. "It's a good story," I told her, "and I've improved a lot since I wrote this. You'll improve, too, the more you write."
(Aside: actually, I could pick up ANY novel and edit it. Almost anything can be tightened.)

It is a good story--the issue is important, the risks were real, and, after all, it's about a writer at a writers' conference, something I can easily relate to. But if I had it to rewrite, I'm sure there'd be a lot of words left on the cutting room floor . . . and some thug scenes written from an entirely different perspective.

Tomorrow: the editing

~~Angie

BOM: The Research

Researching THE PROPOSAL was fairly straightforward. I had to delve into breast cancer, the events that provoke changes in breast tissue, genetics, abortion, medical care and treatment. (In fact, I did so much research on breast cancer that I later wrote Gentle Touch/A Time to Mend using much of the same material, only updated.) I also had to research the Washington D.C. area, where Theo Russell lived, and fetal tissue research. I also unconvered some truly grisly research done with human fetuses--not for the faint of heart, I assure you.

I also had to learn how to write a thriller. Not knowing much back then about my now handy-dandy plot skeleton, I found a book that literally said, "Write one scene in your hero's POV. Now write a scene in the antagonist's POV." It was follow the dots, but I was willing to follow them. (Later, I threw that book away.)

BTW, do you know the difference between a mystery and a thriller? It's simple, but lots of people don't think about it. In a mystery, the reader doesn't know who the bad guy is. With the detective, the reader is supposed to assemble the clues and rejoice (ta da!) at the end when the hero puts the pieces together and reveals the criminal. The fun is in solving the puzzle.

In a thriller, you have scenes from the hero's POV and the bad guy's POV--and the reader watches them approach each other from two separate tracks. The reader knows that a confrontation between these two is coming, and at first, it looks like the bad guy holds all the cards. We watch and wait for the confrontation between good and evil.

So--I had to do medical research, location research, and basic "how to write" research. Enough to keep me busy for at least a week. :-)

Tomorrow: The writing

~~Angie

BOM: How the Idea Germinated

How did I come up with the idea for THE PROPOSAL?

A little backstory might be in order. You might know that I began in nonfiction. For five years I wrote magazine articles, catalog copy, all kinds of things before I even thought about writing a book--and then I wrote nonfiction books and picture books. So I have always been geared toward factual things, which is probably why my novels have a real basis in fact (and, incidentally, why I don't write fantasy).

So--one year I attended the national convention of Concerned Women for America. My memory's a little foggy, but I think I went at the behest of Tyndale House, who wanted me to nose around and see if I heard about any hot topics that might make an interesting book.

I did attend lots of seminars on everything from sex education to venereal diseases. (Isn't memory strange? I remember the turquoise dress I wore and that I kept the TV on all night for white noise in the hotel room, but I can't remember where the convention was held. But I digress.)

I did hear a lawyer, Scott Summerall, speak on what has come to be known as the "ABC link:" the abortion/breast cancer link. Statistics indicate that women who have abortions before they ever give birth to a child have a greater tendency to develop breast cancer than other women. Why is this so significant? Simple. Doctors will freely tell you about all sorts of things that increase a woman's tendency to develop breast cancer such as never bearing children, having a high fat diet, being overweight, etc., yet NO ONE wants to admit that abortion also increases a woman's chance for breast cancer.

In fact, the topic almost never makes the news unless some new scientific study comes out that disputes this information--but on closer study, most of these new studies aren't truly applicable--they compare apples to oranges, they use control groups that are too young to develop breast cancer, etc.

I came away with that conference with a burdened feeling. The pro-abortion forces are always saying that women have a right to abortion because it's a women's health issue, but the ABC link is also a women's health issue--a BIG one--and no one wanted to talk about it.

So I wondered what would happen if a writer stumbled across this information . . . and certain forces tried to stop her from publishing her book? Of course I needed extremely powerful opposing forces, so instead of merely stopping with NARAL, I created a group that was using tissue from aborted fetuses to treat patients with Parkinsons, etc.

And so the idea was born. THE PROPOSAL would be my first contemporary novel and my first thriller--a genre that posed its own unique challenges, as I'd been writing historicals until this point.

Tomorrow: the research

~~Angie

Publishers Weekly Review of Nativity Story

I'm always happy to get a PW review, and even more delighted when the review is a good one. This is from the most recent edition:

The Nativity Story Angela Hunt, developed from the screenplay by Mike Rich. Tyndale, $13.99 paper (250p) ISBN 1-4143-1462-0

It's a difficult task to retell the biblical nativity story in a fresh way--after all, it has been novelized, brought to stage and screen, and is the stuff of endless children's Christmas pageants. Yet this companion novel to the New Line Cinema feature film (which will hit theaters December 1) should find a place on the bookshelf as a fresh and viable retelling. Hunt, the author of more than 70 books and working from Mike Rich's screenplay, refrains from oversanitizing the story, although Mary and Joseph are fairly one-dimensional (there aren't a lot of character flaws here). She depicts their gritty, hardscrabble existence as balanced by the love of family.

As a thoughtful reader would expect, the census trip to Bethlehem is no picnic, but some readers may be surprised that the shepherds and wise men show up at the stable together, unlike in the gospel account. The good-natured joshing among the three wise men provides a lighter note to the chapters where Herod's cruelty is well portrayed. Hunt balances the necessary violence with a sensitivity that will expand her readership. Her rich prose and cultural details utilize the five senses to recreate the familiar story, which spans many points of view and includes a fine subplot about Elizabeth, Zechariah and John. (Nov.)

~~Angie

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.



What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives . . .



The above is from the book of James. I've always liked James, the practical apostle. He was a nuts and bolts kind of man, a bottom-line guy.



I have always wanted wisdom. I think I was impressed by the story of Solomon's request as a child, but I have one memory from childhood that's as clear as day. I remember being ten years old and in the fifth grade. I remember looking in the mirror and taking an inventory of my looks--and realizing that I was never going to be beautiful. I saw eyes that were two different sizes, dishwater colored hair, buck teeth--hey, I was a bottom-line woman even at ten. (If you could see my fifth grade pictures, you'd agree with that assessment!) I remember praying that since the Lord obviously didn't plan to make me beautiful, would he at least help me get that "beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" talked about in 1 Peter 3? And if he could make me wise, too, that'd be great. Thanks and amen.

There have been times in my life when, by the Lord's grace, I have been able to react with wisdom, but there are other times when it's all too easy to react in the flesh. It's easy to become distracted by things that get under my skin. It's easy to take my eyes off the end of the furrow and forget that I'm supposed to be plowing a straight line.

And periodically it's good to remind myself of my callings and refocus. I am blessed with the positions of wife and mother, community member, member of the body of Christ. I have been placed in a position where I work with words--to share my faith, to teach, to impart Truth through the power of story.

Part of the call to excellence--and to obedience--means that I must diligently keep my hand on the plow and not become distracted. I must remember that I am a servant.

And today--I am off to do my best to serve some ladies in Birmingham! I'm looking forward to it.

Tomorrow: the BOM returns!

~~Angie

The Lake House--Spoiler Alert !

Don't read another word if you haven't seen THE LAKE HOUSE and plan to.

Okay.

I watched the movie this past week and liked it well enough. I like Sandra Bullock and Keanu as actors, and Keanu got to smile in this movie, which was a nice change.

And this morning, as I was blow drying my hair, the analogy struck me.

Keanu (Alex) was living two years behind Sandra (Kate.) When he doesn't show up at an appointed rendezvous, Sandra realizes that something must have happened to him. (Duh--at this point I was shouting, "Why doesn't she Google the guy?" But I digress.)

At the last minute, she tells him NOT to go to XYZ square on Valentine's Day, because if he does, he'll be killed. If he'll not go, if he'll just WAIT, he won't die and they'll have their entire lives together.

Of course Alex goes to the square. He looks up and sees Kate, the love of his life, sitting across the busy street. Their timelines have finally overlapped. He loves her, he wants to go to her with every inch of his being, but . . . he waits. And the Bus With His Name on It goes by without knocking the life out of him.

The analogy? Abstinence. Maybe it hit me because I'm a youth pastor's wife and we're always looking for ways to teach kids that waiting really does have some pretty terrific rewards, but it's hard for them to believe that when people are shacking up all over the place (including, incidentally, in The Lake House, when Sandra moves in with that neurotic guy).

So--for what it's worth, there's a great lesson in there.

I'm out of town this weekend, speaking in Birmingham. And don't forget the Book of the Month feature starts Sunday. Next book: in honor of National Breast Cancer Prevention Month, we're going to look at THE PROPOSAL.

~~Angie

A Hero

Last week (or has it been two weeks already?) Donald Maass began his intensive just as he did the last time I attended. He stood before us and said, "Write down the name of a person you admire."

The first time I attended his intensive, I wrote down the name of a woman writer friend. This past time, I wrote down the name of a male writer friend: Jerry Jenkins.

Then Don said, "Now write down the qualities about this person you admire." I wrote he's humble and yet committed to excellence.

Then Don said, "Write down the first moment you saw this person exhibiting this quality . . . and figure out how you can have your character exhibit that exact quality." I don't know if this is the first time I saw Jerry exhibit humility, but it's the one I remember most. I wrote: "At the Christy dinner, when Jerry won the award Christian novelists desire most, he sent his editor up to accept it. I wouldn't have even known he was in the room if his editor hadn't told us what he'd done."

You'd almost have to be living in exile not to know that Jerry wrote the mega-best-selling LEFT BEHIND series. But you may not know that apart from that, Jerry is one of the most prolific writers I know, writing for children and adults, writing in fiction and nonfiction. He's also a devoted father and husband, the sort of man who really places his wife and children as a priority. Perhaps I admire him for that commitment most of all.

Jerry knows his strengths and weaknesses, and he writes to his strengths. He's not a fussy, flowery writer, but his prose is powerful and succinct. He makes writing look easy--so easy, in fact, that some folks take him to task for his writing skills, but I'd dare them to do what Jerry does in as few words. The popularity of Jerry's books proves that he's reaching the masses, and it's obvious that God is using Jerry's work in an amazing way. If only we could all do as well.

Jerry is also such a good writer that his work is often cited by Sol Stein, guru to all kinds of novelists, and Donald Maass, who quoted from one of the Left Behind books in his "Writing the Breakout Novel" workbook.

Jerry's success has inadvertently reminded me of the "turtle on a fencepost" lesson. What's that? Simple: when you see a turtle on a fencepost, you know that someone put him there. And you also know that the turtle is in a vulnerable position. It's easy for folks on the ground to throw stones at the turtle, and there's not a lot the turtle can do about it.

God placed Jerry in the position he's in. I've watched Jerry on Larry King, Fox News, and dozens of other television shows. He's faced some of the toughest reporters in the biz, and he always responds with Truth, grace, and humility. I don't envy his position, but I'll do my utmost to support him in the place where God has put him.

Just so you'll know--LOL--I'm not up for a position with any of Jerry's organizations and I'm not hinting that he should endorse my latest book. I just truly admire and respect the guy as a Christian, a writer, and a professional.

Now . . . how do I make my character exhibit that same humility in the first chapter? Won't be easy.

~~Angie

Column Test Run

I'm putting together a new column for my newspaper gig. Can I try it out on you? Comments are welcome.

I grew up with devotedly Christian parents who took me to church every Sunday. As a five-year-old, I would sit in the pew, mystified, as the ushers passed around the offering plate. When I asked what the preacher did with all that money, my parents told me that we didn’t give our money to the preacher, we gave it to God.

Oh. Trouble was, I’d learned in Sunday school that God is a spirit, so I couldn’t figure out how the money got from the offering plate up to God’s spirit . . . and what God did with the money once he had it. After pondering the question and coming up clueless, I learned about the Old Testament’s burnt offerings . . . and had a eureka moment. The ushers, I figured, had to take the money outside and burn it. That way the smoke went up to heaven, and God could breathe it in.

I sometimes feel silly when I think about things I used to think, and more than once I’ve wished that adults would simply tell literal-minded children exactly what they mean. But we often fall into word patterns that can be confusing. Sometimes our verbal shorthand can be deliberately misleading, even dangerous.

In a recent Sunday edition of this paper, a proponent for embryonic stem cell research called his position “pro-cure.” I gaped when I read that term, because those of us who promote adult stem cell research (which is more effective and preserves the lives of unborn children) are not only pro-cure, but pro-adoption and pro-life. But the argument will not advance constructively if we resort to counting up our “pros,” so we’d do well to center the debate on scientific and moral grounds.

Over the years, I’ve learned that some words bear the accumulated griefs and injustices of generations. These words are like uranium atoms—the smallest word can, when split by an expert, be a source of tremendous heat. We must use these words with caution . . . and we must respect those griefs and injustices.

After the horror of September 11, 2001, President Bush delivered a speech that polarized the world. Unfortunately, Bush called the war on terror a “crusade,” a word that cannot fall upon Arab ears without being accompanied by images of relentless waves of “Christian” knights who raped, pillaged, and murdered Muslims a millennia ago. Arab groups who might have been sympathetic to our situation were incensed by the word “crusade” and reacted with vitriolic demonstrations.

What seems like ancient history to us is not so ancient in the Middle East.

I recently watched the movie “Conspiracy,” a film based upon notes found in the filing cabinet of one of Hitler’s S.S. officers. The screenplay centers around a historic meeting of Hitler’s top men on a snowy day outside Berlin.

The meeting’s purpose? Twofold: first, to find a way to rid Europe of thousands of Jewish men, women, and children being detained in work camps and ghettos; second, to teach these leaders that the word “evacuation” would soon mean “extermination.” Most of Hitler’s men accepted this adaptation of language with chilling nonchalance.

We all use words to communicate. We call those who are especially gifted in the art of using words for persuasion and/or evasion “diplomatic.” Any husband—mine included--knows that diplomacy is called for when his wife asks how she looks in a new dress. But even the most skilled diplomats are often blind to the connotations words can carry. When stumbling upon an offense caused by apparently innocuous language, we will do ourselves a favor if we ask for help in understanding.

I’m active in an online discussion group composed of novelists. A few years ago we were discussing the creation of African-American characters, and one of our Caucasian members mentioned that she’d been raised to be “colorblind.” I thought her statement perfectly innocent—she was trying to say that she’d been taught to think of people as individuals, not as members of a specific race.

But the discussion quickly became more heated, with our African-American members showing signs of hurt feelings and even offense. Bewildered, I went to an African-American friend and explained the problem. “Why would the word ‘colorblind’ be upsetting?” I asked.

“Because,” he replied, “if you don’t see my color . . . you don’t see me.”

Another eureka moment.

~~Angie

Adopting Again

No, it's not what you think. (Or not what I think you're thinking.)

We've adopted two children, so we know about the application, the wait, the expense, the home study. And we're ready to do it again.

With a dog.

It was a year ago tomorrow (Wednesday) that our dear Sadie passed away. And maybe it's that anniversary, or maybe it's the fact that I've just finished reading MARLEY AND ME, or maybe it's just that I've had a year of a one-dog household. In any case, I've been thinking about getting another dog.

First I checked with our breeder, and though they did just produce the cutest puppy on earth, I think they're going to keep him. (I don't blame them.) Then I checked out mastiff rescue . . . and when my hubby and son came home today, they found me staring google-eyed at photos of "Bubba," who to have the same personality as our beloved "Justus," who passed away a couple of years ago. (That's Bubba in the photo. He's five.)

So now we begin the wait . . . and go through the application, the home visit, the paperwork, the expense. I'll keep you informed as we make progress.

~~Angie

Catching Up

Remember CLUE?

I think it was the editor. In the apartment. With a virus.

Tee hee. Actually, I don't know WHO it was, but somehow a virus sneaked into that Donald Maass Intensive retreat and one by one, I watched people come down with it. First Deeanne, then Maya, then Nancy. I came home, thinking that I had escaped completely, but nooooo, on Wednesday morning I woke up with the telltale sore throat.

Well. Five days later and I'm still creaking around like an old woman. Hubby says I don't look good and don't act at all like myself, which is not what a woman wants to hear. But I went to the doc this morning and came home with drugs aplenty. Am especially looking forward to some knock-me-out cough syrup for tonight.

The bad news is that the sinus part of this bug has given me a six day migraine. The good news is that in between migraine attacks (when I lie on the bed with Charley Gansky, who is in ever protective mode), I've actually been able to pretty much keep up with my work quota. (Well, except for Sunday. I took the day off.) So things are not as bad as they could be and I think I can already feel those antibiotics zipping through my bloodstream, bringing me back to Myself.

I have an out of town weekend ahead (going to B'ham), so I need to be tip top. Looks like things will be okay.

Hope you're doing well! P.S. You know all those warnings about "YOU WOULDN'T STEAL A CAR . . . SO WHY WOULD YOU ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD?" Wierd Al has a parody video on the subject that's hilarious.

Check it out here: http://www.dontdownloadthissong.com/DDTSecard.swf.

~~Angie

Book Blog

My friend Lissa sent me this list, so I thought I'd respond here. Please feel free to do likewise, either in the comment section or on your own blog (but leave a link if you do!)

Name . . .

1. One book that changed your life: Gone With the Wind (and the Bible, of course)
2. One book that you've read more than once: The Nun's Story
3. One book you'd want on a desert island: The U.S. Army Survival Guide
4. One book that made you laugh: The Princess Bride
5. One book that made you cry: The Kite Runner
6. One book you wish had been written: The one I'm working on
7. One book you wish had never been written: The one in my drawer
8. One book you're currently reading: Marley and Me
9. One book you've been meaning to read: Water for Elephants
10. One book you'd like to to write: The Face (this idea in my mental file).

What's on YOUR list?

~~Angie

Tall Dutchmen

I'm tall. Not monstrously tall, but tall enough that I used to be acutely aware of whether or not I should wear heels when I went out with a guy shorter than five nine (my height). I come by my height naturally, since my father is six-five.

But I have just read in the paper that the Dutch have become the tallest people on earth--take a bow, Robert Elmer, friend and fellow novelist who happens to also be Dutch (and yes, Bob is tall). According to the Associated Press, the average Dutchman stands just over six feet, while women average nearly five feet seven inches. "Many Dutch," says the AP, "are much taller than average. So many, in fact, that four years ago the government adjusted building codes to raise the standards for door frames and ceilings. Doors must now be seven feet, six and one-half inches high.

Which leads me to wonder . . . why are the Dutch not noted for basketball?

~~Angie

The cutest thing ever!

I found this carved reading glasses holder at the Ten Thousand Villages store. Isn't it a hoot? Hubby and I have glasses scattered all over the house, so I wished I had a "carved nose" for every room!

~~Angie

Fox to Produce Christian movies

Yesterday's LA Times reported that 20th Century Fox plans to produce a film based on a novel of Janette Oke's, and has several other works in the pipeline. I find it heartening--and illustrative--to read that Fox movies will be targeting "evangelical Christians." See www.foxfaith.com.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"If this is something Fox is doing only to exploit the audience � or if it's something they don't believe in or are doing cynically � then there could be problems," said Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo, a box-office reporting service. "There isn't a huge turnout for these films unless they speak to what Christianity is all about. People want a guide to life and Hollywood has ignored that by saying nothing or dwelling on vices."

Over the last four years, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has quietly built a network to mobilize evangelical Christian moviegoers in an era of diminishing box-office returns. The network includes 90,000 congregations and a database of more than 14 million mainly evangelical households.

FoxFaith films, to be based on Christian bestsellers, will have small budgets of less than $5 million each, compared with the $60-million average. The movies each will be backed by $5-million marketing campaigns. Although that is skimpy compared with the $36 million Hollywood spends to market the average movie, the budget is significant for targeting a niche audience, especially one as fervent as many evangelical Christians.

For instance, "The Passion" grossed $612 million worldwide, thanks in part to its appeal to Christians. Another spiritual odyssey, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," took in $745 million globally. Most recently, Christians came out for this summer's controversial "The Da Vinci Code," which has brought in $754 million worldwide.

Other studios also are beginning to dip an oar into Christian waters. New Line Cinema's "The Nativity Story," scheduled to be released in December, tells the story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter to give birth to Jesus. Legendary Pictures, which has a multi-film deal with Warner Bros., is planning to make a movie version of John Milton's epic 17th century poem about the fall of man, "Paradise Lost.

"Fox seems to be getting a warm reception from the Christian community. "It is extremely satisfying to be taken seriously," said Nancy Neutzling, vice president of marketing for Word Distribution, FoxFaith's distributor to Christian retailers. "It's like we have arrived."

Angie here again: I love that distinction pointed out in the quote from Brandon Gray--no matter how subtle or overt the Christian message, these movies--as well as Christian novels--function as a guide to life. What makes a novel Christian? It is more than the author's world view, though that often comes into play. I, a Christian writer, am certainly capable of writing erotica, but I certainly wouldn't call it "Christian." In the strictest sense, something is "Christian" if it reflects Christ, and that is what I want my novels to do.

I'm delighted that Fox Faith has determined to make movies that do the same thing.

~~Angie

Home Again

I had better get back to blogging . . . or my mother and Aunt Irene won't know what's become of me. (VBG).

Got home yesterday around lunchtime after a full week in North Carolina. Had a grand time--not only did I get some great ideas for my book (it's going to be sooo much better), but I had a fabulous time with Nancy Rue and reconnected with some old friends from the previous Donald Maass event I attended last year in Utah. Also got to spend time with Christian writers Meg Mosely and Deanne Gist--lovely ladies and talented novelists.

And I have been bitten really hard by the puppy bug. This will not be easier to take in the days ahead because I have to read "Marley and Me" for my book club this month . . . sigh. Right now I want to go down to our humane society and adopt every homeless hound in the place, but that's not practical. One must be practical.

I bonded with some other "dog folks" at the Maass event--Vickie G and Sherri M. were both dog people, and I think we honestly talked more about our dogs than our writing. Those ladies are both BIG dog people, as am I, and we love our 100 plus pound pets. I'll have to take a new picture of Charley and post it--he's become quite a handsome boy.

So--today I have to go back to the dentist (big sigh) and do some errands, for tomorrow I must get back to work. And in the mean time, I will try to think of something profound to write in this space.

~~Angie