Twas the Night BEFORE the night before Christmas

Twas the night before the night before Christmas

and all through JD Watts' house you could find

 little signs of the holiday just waiting

to come out and bring smiles divine

The dressing bread was all broken

waiting for tomorrow when

veggies and herbs and oysters

would serve to make it heaven.

In her closet were tons of small trinkets

to go in the stocking the next night

for two little angels to find

when they wake from their slumbering night.

Oh JD Watts was excited

for giving was something she loved

and so before the festivities begin

she wanted to make sure you were all hugged!

Have a wonderful Christmas full of love and joy! Savor these moment because they are precious and few and once past can never be recaptured again. Don't stress or get distracted and miss it all in the fervor. Thank you my awesome readers and friends for your words, your time, and your care! Merry Christmas from me and mine!

Love
J.D. Watts

Let's Go to the Hop! (The TWCS Christmas Blog Hop that is)

Welcome to the third day of the TWCS Christmas Author Blog Hop! I’m J.D Watts, author of the Children of Creation Series. So glad you could stop by and check out my blog and I’d love it if you clicked the follow button on the Left right under the ABOUT ME section. If this is your first stop on the Blog Hop, then be sure to read the information below the asterisks to find out how to catch up and gather the clues for your chance to win one of several paperback books or some great TWCS swag! Below that beside the *!* is another note you might want to take time to check out if you’re at all interested in special exclusive content and sneak peeks!

When planning all of this, we decided to all speak of our own traditions. Mine are unoriginal, but it really doesn’t take a lot of pomp and circumstance to make the season worthwhile. Church, my children’s plays, and family gatherings, and decorating the house with my kids more or less encompass what my Christmas week consists of and I am more than content with that. I love it. Thinking about all of these family gathering and traditions that I take part in every year, I found myself pondering my Children of Creation series characters. The way I spaced Convergence and Induction, Christmas sort of disappears in the space between the two books, never being broached or mentioned, so I thought as a special little treat, I might discuss how Ana, Nate, and Dani would have handled that first holiday together in their Rocky Mountain safe house. (Fair warning, there may be spoilers if you haven’t read Convergence or Induction yet.)

While one might think that there would be little Nate, Dani, and Ana could do to celebrate while trapped in the mountains as they were at the end of Convergence, Ana always found ways to recreate Dani’s childhood traditions to try to bring a sense of normalcy into her life even in the worst of situations. The same would be true in this case, and she would also have elves, ahem, sorry, I mean angel conspirators to help her. I am quite positive that Dani would go to sleep the night before Christmas Eve, while Ana was on guard duty, only to wake up to find a tree in the living room ready for them to decorate together with the myriad of supplies Ana had ordered up or requested to be brought from storage. They would work together while sipping on Ana’s famous hot chocolate. There would have undoubtedly been some smuggled in presents and a meal, and even though things at this point still would have been awkward between Nate and Dani, both she and Ana would have made a major effort to make Nate’s first ‘family’ Christmas a happy and memorable one.

Most important of all, however, considering the undercurrent of this story, they would have taken part in some sort of ceremony to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I envision singing songs by candlelight and reading the Christmas story, all typical traditions that were always a part of my own family’s celebrations and that sometimes became wrote with repetition and some seasons lost some of its impact. For this group, however, I believe that act would be so much powerful for them with all they knew and had seen first-hand, and especially for Dani having stood face to face with Jesus at the end of Convergence. Can you imagine how much more meaningful the entire celebration would be for her? I certainly can’t truly wrap my head around it, but I believe it would have been magnificent and humbling, making all of the other traditions we take part in seem so trivial in comparison.

I know that there are many people in the world who don’t celebrate Christmas as I do, or don’t celebrate it at all, but in my mind, Christmas is first and foremost about LOVE. Love for one another, love for the world, and love beyond all understanding. It makes me sad to know that love is sometimes clouded by people who don’t show that love as I feel it was intended. In my mind, Christians are supposed to be striving to be more like Jesus, and that means showing love to the world, even when you might not like what is happening, or feel that it is right. It is my belief that the whole purpose of sending Jesus was about LOVE, love for us, forgiveness for us, and we should be putting that out into the world instead of hate.
I end this post by sending hugs and positive thoughts your way this Christmas Season. Whether you believe in the same things as me or not, I hope you feel LOVED!

********
Dec. 12 Veronica Breville
Dec. 13 Kathryn Gayle
Dec. 14 JD Watts
Dec. 15 Michele Richard
Dec. 16 Jennifer Schmidt
Dec. 17 Sophia Duane
Dec. 19 Sherri Hayes
Dec. 20 Michelle Birbeck
Dec. 21 Lindsey Gray
Dec. 22 C. M. Smith
Dec. 23 E. L. James

TWCS Author Blog Hop - Our authors are sharing holiday traditions Dec. 12 - 23. Each day an author will post on their blog a personal holiday tradition or a holiday tradition of their characters. They will also post the blog hop icon. You will notice in the bottom right hand corner of the icon a holiday/winter object. You will need to write these objects down and keep the list handy. In addition to great giveaways happening each day on the authors' blogs, we will have a grand prize drawing on TWCS's website. To enter the grand prize drawing you will need to have collected all 11 objects.

What is the grand prize? An ebook of Season of Love, your choice of paperback (Connected, Take This Regret, Slave, or Fourteen), TWCS coffee mug, bookmarks (many are signed by the author). TWCS pen and notepad.

Sounds like fun? Then get out a notepad, note that today's item is Candy Canes, then click on the links for Veronica and Kathryn to get caught up and you're ready to join in the fun and have the chance to win some great stuff!

*!* Additional side note…if you haven’t done so already, now is a perfect time to join my fan club on Facebook as I will be releasing an exclusive first peek as a Christmas present to those members months before the rest of the world sees it!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (to pull your hair out)

Okay, I'm only half teasing here. I LOVE this time of the year. Christmas is my absolute most favoritest holiday ever! (Yes, I know that's not a real word, but I'm attempting to relay my enthusiasm here so let's just pretend.) I've had my house decorated for weeks, have purchased all of the presents and have them wrapped under the tree, etc, etc,and yet, no matter how organized or prepared I am, there's always more to do. My latest project for the past two days is making Angel's wings for my daughter for the Christmas Pageant at church in two weeks. She doesn't even have a speaking role, but she was so excited that I just had to get my hands on a halo (which had to be fluffy because that was what the kids at the other church she visited recently was going to have)and somehow create a set of Angel's wings for her to wear. I'm actually just grateful that I didn't have to somehow come up with a gown, but they had some in storage from years past. Some poster board, white ribbon, a little hot glue, one wooden heart hidden in my old crafting supplies, and some gold glitter glue later and I am now watching my 'masterpiece' dry. While my mom marvels at my creativity, I find myself looking at it thinking, my sister-in-law the artist probably would have come up with something much better, but it's decent, considering I have the small motor skills God gave a toddler. Oh well, at least when the day comes that my kids need to come up with some kind of creative writing project, I'll be able to really help them knock it out of the park. In the meantime, I hope they're happy with slightly wavering glitter glue lines!

As far as writing, I did get another 2,000 words of Maelstrom done the other night. I'm attending an online Social Media training seminar tonight and hope to get some time between all of the shuttling kids back and forth to school, musical practice, etc to get a little more done. In the same breath though, I'm going to savor these next few weeks with my kids, going on drives to see the Christmas lights, singing Christmas songs before bedtime, and in the midst of the ever mounting obligations and expectations reminding myself and my kids of the real reason for the season.

An Amazing Day!

This is been an amazing, wonderful, very good day! IN addition to writing almost 1,500 words on Maelstrom, I have also been having a blast being a part of both Ali's Bookshelf and What's Beyond Forks!

First off, these ladies both left wonderful reviews of Convergence that has had me hopping in my seat and smiling so hard my cheeks ache!

Ali's Blog said "Oh my... Convergence is absolutely one of the best books I've read in a long time. I couldn't get enough of this Angel~tastic book. I love a book when it pulls me in and makes me fall for the main character, one that seems so real, I love a story that seems as if its a movie reel being played out before me, Convergence does just that." To read the rest, CLICK HERE

Beyond Forks thought "Convergence was a very hard book to put down. I loved seeing angels portrayed with such loyalty and strength. This is how I picture Angels to be.:" Click Here for the rest of the review!

I also did guest posts for both.

Ali's Bookshelf (aka My Embarrassing Confession)

Beyond Forks (I wax poetic about music and my writing playlists)

What's Beyond Forks did a great interview with me:

And both blogs are doing Giveaways!

Ali's Bookshelf

What's Beyond Forks


I know it's 25 days away, but today TOTALLY feels like Christmas! :D

Bloggers and Interviews, and Giveaways, OH MY!

Bloggers, and interviews, and giveaways, oh my! I’m off to see the bloggers, the awesome bloggers of YA lit! I cannot wait to get started.

First off, I will be chatting with the ladies of the Mystical Lit Lounge tomorrow on Skype. This podcast won’t post for a few days afterward, but I’m really looking forward to sitting down with Shannon and Kim again to chat about Induction! http://mysticallitlounge.com/

Then Wednesday is double trouble giveaway day.

At Ali’s Bookshelf a review of Convergence will post along with a guest blog by yours truly and an ebook giveaway opportunity will head your way. In my blog post I wax poetic about overactive imaginations and getting a little physical. http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, over at What’s Beyond Forks? you’ll get another chance to win an ebook, read an interview with me about my writing, and get another review. http://whatsbeyondforks.blogspot.com/

I’m really looking forward to the rest of this week. I hope you all get a chance to drop in and check out the blogs on Wednesday and I’ll be sure to post again and let you all know when the podcast interview posts as well. In the meantime, I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving and are already having a fun Christmas Holiday windup. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday…no matter how down I am, something about the spirit of the season…the lights, and the music, and just the peace that I feel during this time of year…they all seem to make me feel so much better. I hope you find the same blessings amongst the chaos that also accompanies the season as we fight to find the perfect gifts and make it to 1001 events, because at the end of the day, this season is really about peace and love. Best wishes to all and here’s hoping to gifts of inspiration and high word counts for the rest of the season!!!

Giving Thanks for YOU!

Over here in the states, tomorrow is a holiday dedicated to giving Thanks. I have so many things to be thankful for...great kids, a loving family, all of the blessings God has provided me in this life, and even all the hard stuff are still blessings in their own way. I could go on all day, but right now I really want to take a moment to show my gratitude to all of you who read my stories, buy my books, and take the time to say hi and hear what I have to say. If it weren't for all of you, some of the best blessings that have come out of 2011 would never have happened, because without wonderful readers who take the time to enter the world we create, we authors would be absolutely superfluous! Yep...without you, we would just be a group of crazy people, talking to ourselves and typing away for the benefit of our eyes only. So thank you kind and gentle readers for all of your wonderful support. As I sit down and think of all of the things that I am thankful for with my family tomorrow afternoon, you will all be close to my heart and heavy on my mind.

Blog Tour Info!

November is the month for blog hopping for our Young Adult Authors. I have a couple of dates set to guest post, but I could use a little more. If you're interested, click the button below to findout more!

Mud and Water

I am struggling so much with the last novel of the CofC series. Normally when I write, it's like a tidal wave. My fingers fly, the words spew out and next thing I know, I've knocked out 1,000 words in an hour. They might not always be the best words, but a little editing and a couple more hours later and I've got a chapter, maybe two. I've been so spoiled by the ease of my writing, that even the littlest writer's block has annoyed the heck out of me.

Now I'm facing my last book of my first ever series, and suddenly I feel like I'm trudging through waist deep mud, the suction on my legs and feet making every little movement, every sentence written, feel like really hard, frustrating work. I'm fighting with myself, my attention, my exhaustion and it's stressing me out more than anything.

So, now I'm an analytic person. I take every decision in my life and mull it to death like a cat torturing a mouse before finally deciding what to do about it, how to handle it, what is wrong and how to fix it. There are a lot of easy to see things that are blocking my path, growing kids demanding more attention, major changes in my personal life, demands on my time to help promote and market the books that are already out, etc, but I think beyond all that I may have realized a bigger, looming shadow plaguing me as I head into the last part of what, in many ways, I consider my third, fourth and fifth babies...I'm suddenly paralyzed by a fear of failure. I'm afraid that after building this whole world, these delicate relationships, this over arcing sense of danger and suspense that when the final book is laid to rest I'm going to disappoint everyone. Then, if I don't fail, I think a part of me is afraid I won't find another original idea good enough to write something else people would really want to read.

Darned if I do, and darned if I don't, and in addition to all of the concrete barriers I am currently facing, I've managed to grind myself to a near halt thanks to this fear. Now I recognize some of this is a healthy fear. Only an extremely cocky person would look at their book/series and think it's a slam dunk. Almost every writer I know agonizes at least a little over their work, each of us being our own worst critics. I'm just praying for some rain here to thin out the muck and help me get a flow again. It don't necessary need a tsunami...at this point, I'd be happy with a lightly babbling brook, steadily building until it hits a larger body of water that will take me all the way to the completion of my series...a few more waking hours of quiet with the 'voices in my head' chattering away at me wouldn't hurt any either. ;)

Join Me at the OPEN HOUSE 10-29-11

Come join me Saturday, October 29th from 10am to 1pm at the Alpha Park Public Library in Bartonville Illinois. I will be joining a large group of great authors including Local WEEK News Personality, Lee Hall, Paranormal Author Sylvia Shults, Neal Proud Deer, a man with decades of experience and a list of names he has interviewed throughout the years that would make even the best of us go a little starry eyed, along with many more! Please drop in, say hi, pick up a copy of Convergence and/or Induction, and meet some other amazing, talented, and seasoned writers!

November YA Book Tour...

The month of November is dedicated to the TWCS YA Author's blog tour. Convergence and/or Induction will both be available for reviewers to check out in digital formats and then will be able to schedule an interview or request a guest post from me during that month. If you're interested, please fill out the form above!

Giving Credit Where Credit is due…the amazing Artists of the Induction Video

I would be remiss today if I didn’t give credit where credit was due in terms of the musical background for the Induction book trailer. http://vimeo.com/29735787

The first song, No One But You is an original composition, written, performed, and produced by the one and only Kate Covington. I discovered Kate quite by accident while cruising youtube for some angelic sounding music for a very important scene in Induction when I came across her group Stella Voci performing Canon D. It’s truly amazing really, this group of ladies are from all over the world and have never been all together in the same room, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, they were able to meet, record their own parts and create this beautiful piece of music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl-fXIgiITQ

Later, upon looking further into the group I discovered Kate Covington (http://www.youtube.com/user/katethegreat19) and her wonderful music and videos. No One But You inspired a lot of the more quiet, romantic scenes in the book. I was so ecstatic when I she responded providing permission for us to use both songs if I wished in the video. If you’re looking for a beautiful, melodic singing voice with beautiful videos to go along with them, then please go see her youtube channel and give her a little encouragement!

I discovered Kevin MacLeod last December right after the release of Convergence (book 1 of the series). He creates the most amazing instrumentals that he gives away royalty free on his website http://www.incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/faq.html. All he asks in return is proper credit and a small donation if you are willing and/or able. His work is amazing and he captures a full range of emotions through his various instrumental pieces. If you’re looking to do some work needing background music, you would do well to check him out!

I also have to mention my talented cousin, Sharon Messmore, who is currently studying Graphic Arts at a great nearby University. Not only did she construct this wonderful video, but she got it to me two days after I sent her the music, photographs, and general outline. I think she did an amazing job and I’m so proud of her and the final product. Thanks again Sharon!

In the meantime, both Convergence and Induction are available in both paperback and ebook formats. Hope you get a chance to check them out soon! http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/publishinghouse/authors/detail/11

Picture Credits:
MOUNTAIN CABIN by PAVLENIC http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-mountain-cabin-image17118781
SUNSET WARRIORS by Amaviael http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-sunset-warriors-image46261
COUPLE WALKING ON ICE AT SUNSET by Mikkihei http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-couple-walking-on-ice-at-sunset-image13655473
WINTER WONDERLAND LOVE by Jannelle http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-winter-wonderland-love-image14377971
SUNSET KISS by Wulfespirit http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-sunset-kiss-image1351026
Induction Cover formatted by Jenn McGuire

Induction Release and Trailer!

It's been a crazy month for me.  Words cannot describe the fundamental turn my life has taken and it has pulled me away from so many things I wanted to do, one of which was update my blog.  With Inductions release TOMORROW (Thursday Sept 19th) I thought this was the perfect time to touch base.  Fun things are happening now with some more great stuff coming up in the month of October to keep your eyes open for as well as a signing at Alpha Park Public Library in Bartonville, Illinois on October 29th from 10am to noon!

For now I have the great honor of sharing with you a great little Induction book trailer my cousin Sharon made!  It does have a little bit of a spoiler for Convergence if you haven't finished it yet, but will still give you a taste for what is to come in this book.

Induction from Sharon Messmore on Vimeo.

Look for updates to come regarding future signings and events, as well as what I hope will continue to be next year's release of the final book of the Children of Creation Series, Maelstrom!

Win an Advanced DIGITAL copy of Induction, book 2 of the Children of Creation Series!

ENTER HERE to win and Advance Read Copy (ARC) of Induction,

book 2 of the Children of Creation Series!

   Induction, book 2 of the Children of Creation series, comes out on September 29^th, but this is your chance to get an exclusive ARC two weeks before it goes on sale!  It’s easy!  All you need to do is comment below with your name and email.  Post on Facebook or Twitter with a mention using the guidelines below and you’ll get your name put in the lottery a second time.  At the end of the contest, I will enter a list of all of the names (twice for those who shared on Twitter and Facebook) into random.org’s list randomizer.  The person whose name lands first on the list will receive a digital (pdf) copy of Induction TWO WEEKS before it’s available to the rest of the world!  Haven’t read Convergence, book 1 of the series, yet?  NO Problem!  Get caught up before the sequel!  It’s available for easy download right now $7.99 at http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/publishinghouse/books/detail/8  

Contest Ends Thursday, September 15^th at 12pm U.S. Central Time.  Winner will be announced later that day.

On Twitter follow @JD_Watts then Post: I want to win an ARC of INDUCTION from @JD_Watts

On Facebook, “like” my page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jd-Watts/156525821053380?ref=ts&sk=wall  Then Post:   I want to win an ARC of INDUCTION from @J.d. Watts

Good Luck Everyone!

(P.S. if you're uneasy about putting your email address in the comment, you can comment and then email the address to me personally along with your name and other information jdwattstwcsp@gmail.com)

Summertime Book Tours

This week my life is completely different than it was last week.  It’s amazing how school free summers are often far busier than the school year, and I’m only beginning to get a taste of this as my eldest is the only one in school right now.  Summer for us this year is filled with swimming lessons, summer reading programs at the library, family obligations and community activities, and while when I was young summer seemed like a vacation, now it feels quite the opposite.  Last month, I managed to finish the first draft of Induction, the second book of the Children of Creation Series, and will begin editing later this month.

       It’s amazing for me to look back over the past year and see how much things have changed.  This time last year, I was getting the first few chapter of Convergence ready for entry into the TWCS Original Fiction contest.  The contest ended in September.  I found out shortly afterward that Convergence had won the Young Adult category and within a couple of months I had completed it, gone through the editing process, and was being published.  My journey, which had begun in June, ended with a copy of Convergence in my hand six months later.  The sense of accomplishment was astounding and I feel so blessed for it all knowing how long it can take to be published in the traditional publishing world. 

     At my second signing, a local author whose son went to school with my husband stopped by to pick up a copy and talk.  She was very excited as she was just getting ready to have a work she had been holding on to for over twenty years come out.  I was honored to hold a copy of her book in my hands just this last week.  It was a wonderful story that I enjoyed very much and felt quite humbled by how great it was.  I felt even more humbled by the blessing that working with The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House has been for me, giving me a chance to make my dreams a reality without waiting half of my life to see it come to fruition. 

    Since Convergence was released, I’ve fumbled my way through the lands of promotion, which is certainly not my strongpoint.  Despite my own struggles, I have been so happy with the feedback I have received from this first story in a series of three, which has been living in my head for well over a year now.  I sincerely hope that the second book in the series lives up to the expectations of my readers, which will then set us all up for the maelstrom that will take place in the final book of the series.  When it is all said and done, I will have put poor Dani through the wringer and back again, but I hope that anyone who reads her tale enjoys the journey.  I hope to see you all soon.  I know I will be doing a signing of Convergence at the Vespasian Warner Public Library in Clinton, IL from 2-4pm on August 6th with a few other Convergence signings still in the work, and I will be back out to promote Induction beginning in early September.  

Podcast Inteview

I had the great opportunity to slide up to my computer and have a great interview via Skype with the ladies from the Mystical Lit Lounge last Wednesday.  We had a really great time talking about Convergence and how I got involved in writing.  I was sweating bullets leading up to it and dealing with the technical difficulties, but thankfully we solved the issues and got a chance to hop right in.  It was a blast!  Go check it out!!!

http://mysticallitlounge.com/2011/04/mll-extra-podcast-%E2%80%93-interview-with-j-d-watts/

In other news between being busy with RL, my interview mid-week last week, and my fun little weekend of fighting off a bug which right now is manifesting itself as a fever of 102, I haven't made any progress on Induction this week :(  I'm not freaking out though.  I still have several weeks before deadline, so I'm taking a deep breath, chugging a gallon of Chicken Noodle Soup, and hoping that I'll be wrapping it up very soon.  I'm so close I can taste it, now I just need for life to take a chill pill so I can get it all down.  Considering I have a birthday party to plan for my Kindergartener later this month, I'm guessing that time will be hard to find, but I'll make it :)  Thanks for taking time to read up on happenings here and I hope you take some time to checkout the interview!!!

J.D.

You might notice...

You might notice that occasionally a new song gets added to the writing playlist attached to this blog...any song added to this list is either something that I found that inspired me and/or may have had a cameo or vague allusion in Induction...so keep your eyes peeled.  I just finished writing a long awaited scene for Induction which led to some new additions.

We are also going to be having a contest soon with the publishing house to win an ebook copy of Convergence, so keep your eyes peeled for news.

Career Day at Illini Bluffs

I've been invited to visit Illini Bluffs Middle School in Glasford, IL Friday, May 13th to take part in their Career Day. The eighth grade English classes expressed an interest in having a writer at the event, and a friend of a friend suggested me. I've been working on making up a little brochure to hand out to the kids with tips on writing and a few website resources they can utilize to get more information and support.  I'm really excited to go and work with kids again.  It's been mentioned a few places online, but I actually trained to be an elementary school teacher, but timing and lack of jobs resulted in me not getting a full time classroom so I worked as a sub, and then when my son came along I opted to stay home with him.  I'm looking forward to getting back into a school in an educator role again, instead of the Mom role I've had of late.  This is an event solely for the middle school children in the district, but I still wanted to share as I'm looking forward to it.

Love in the the Air

      On a family field trip to the local Zoo this week, it became readily apparent that Spring has arrived and LOVE is in the air...especially in the case of the lions and the turtles who shared a nice little teaching experience about the birds and the bees. (Cue blushing mom and grandma and giggling niece. My nephew and son were too busy watching the zebras run and play and my two year old thought that the lions were cuddling. LOL)

      Love is also in the air as I push toward finishing my first draft of book 2 of the Children of Creation series, Induction.  We're going to see a lot of development of the relationship between Nate and Dani in this book, so I hope my readers are ready for the ride.  :)

Life In Progress

Somewhere between Angel novels and carpool is the rest of my regular life.  Yesterday's big accomplishment of the day...buying new tires for the minivan.  I managed to get Michelin's with that new run flat technology.  You can drive up to 50 miles with zero air pressure at speeds 55 mph or less.  Thanks to the $70 rebate, I got them cheaper than the Bridgestones and only $25 more than the bargain tires with far lower life expectancy and no run flat capability.  I'm chuckling at myself now because I feel something akin to winning a prize. LOL.  I guess this is a sign that I'm finally growing up.

My days right now are filled with my bottomless pit of a two year old constantly crying "I hungry," and my five year old son at my side 90% of the time with a story to share, and yet somehow I've managed to reach the halfway point for Induction this week.  Thank goodness for bedtimes...that's all I can say.  I'm on track now to make my deadlines to begin editing at the end of May. :)

See you around, my friends.

J.D. Watts :)

Signing Date Confirmed

After being in the works for several months, we now have a definitive date for my book signing at Trinity Presbyterian Church.  They will be hosting a signing at 4400 S Airport Rd, Bartonville, Il on Saturday May 14th from 2-4pm.  There will be cookies and coffee available for those who come.  I will do a small reading at 2 before we begin the signing.  Three dollars from every copy sold will go to the church's Missions fund.  Please stop by if you're in the area.  The more the merrier!

http://mapq.st/hoqkuG

Welcome

Well, I decided it was probably time to start a blog to keep in contact with those of you who might be interested in subscribing (plus the new author pages and goodreads have the option of linking a blog, so I figured why not...lol).  I had a lot of fun crafting this page tonight, including an exclusive peek into some of the songs that litter my writing soundtrack, and one of these songs is going to make a tiny vague little cameo in Induction, book 2 of the Children of Creation series.  Can you guess?  I'd love to see if you figure it out, but I'm sorry, no leaks on this one ;)  I hope you enjoy the blog and with any luck I can drop in here a couple of times a week and keep you up to date on what's going on in my little corner of the world.  

I'm actually taking a writing break tonight, as my left hand has been feeling a big achy and I don't want any carpal tunnel flare ups while working on getting Induction done in time for my deadline to begin editing.  P.S. I'm a little over half way there now.

Okay, I'm off to rest my hand now and hopefully you'll hear more from me in the near future.  Thanks for taking the time to stop in and check things out.