P is for Pumpkin, that's good enough for me...

I don't get much into Halloween. The debate and controversy over a Christian's place inside this particular holiday is heated, and not something I want to start here on this blog! ha! Tonight I simply plan on attending my church's fall festival - I'll help work some of the booths, eat way too much candy, buy a hot dog for a quarter, and see a bunch of kids dressed up in adorable costumes. I know one of my favorite babies in the church is going to be dressed as a pumpkin, and I can't wait to see him! =)


So that's the extent of my Halloween activities. My parents are like me, they don't get much into it, however, last weekend my father decided to carve a jack-0-lantern. Not a scary one, of course, just a fun, happy pumpkin with a goofy grin. He's never really done that before and thought "why not" He's always up for trying something new and is really talented with hands-on work, such as carpentry, wood-working, painting, construction, etc. He's also super patient, a gene I somehow missed...

Here is the result!

"Jack" turned out so well Dad wanted to do another one! lol As you can see, he carved out the bottom of the pumpkin as opposed to the top, and instead of putting a candle inside, my mom found one of the bulbs from her Christmas Village display and stuck it underneath, and set the whole thing on a pretty glass platter. VOILA.

So he decided to get a bit more creative for the next pumpkin...

SNOOPY!!! Do you see him? Isn't that amazing?? I collect all things Snoopy, for those who don't know, so this pumpkin just totally rocked my socks. My dad's a genius =)

Me & Daddy!

Me, puckering up for a big Snoopy kiss =)

So as a believer in Christ, I'm not going to wish you a "Happy Halloween" today, but why not wish you a "Happy Pumpkin Day"? =)

38 Questions (why not?)

38 QUESTIONS...

Here's a fun survey I saw on Georgiana's blog and though, eh! Why not? =)

1.Name one person who made you laugh last night? My father when he carved a pumpkin. (pics and blog to come later! haha)

2. What were you doing at 0800? Driving to work and talking to my grandma on my cell

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Checking email

4. What happened to you in 2006? Let's see-I finished another novel. Attended the 2006 ACFW conference. Had my 2-year anniversary with my sweet hubby. Got really involved in my church's sunday school class. Signed up to work Children's Church. (oh wait, are we sharing mistakes? just kidding!) Joined the gym, started working out regularly, discovered kick boxing....

5. What was the last thing you said out loud? "You're welcome"

6. How many beverages did you have today? So far a bottle of water and I'm working on my diet coke now. Mmmm.

7. What color is your hairbrush? Red

8. What was the last thing you paid for? The meeting breakfast tray from the downstairs deli here at work, with company cash. Personal money - Sonic lunch yesterday. (yay for corndogs!)

9. Where were you last night? At my parents house with my hubby, eating dinner and watching my dad carve this pumpkin!

10. What color is your front door? White, now, after hubby painted. (see archived blog!)

11. Where do you keep your change? What change? Cash? What cash?

12. What’s the weather like today? Was 40's, will be in the 70's, and sunny. Very nice!

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Mint chocolate chip

14. What excites you? Getting emails from my agent =)

15. Do you want to cut your hair? Nope

16. Are you over the age of 25? No. lol I think I'm the only one so far who has answered this honestly! haha.

17. Do you talk a lot? Depends on with who and the topic.

18. Do you watch the O.C.? Nope, I have enough drama of my own. lol

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes, he's an awesome guy in my SS class who made my promotional bookmarks for Midnight Angel.

20. Do you make up your own words? Yes!! LOL Georgiana - "weller knowns". And yesterday I said "that's kinda serial killer-ish."

21. Are you a jealous person? Used to be in high school, but not anymore!

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Amanda

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kelly Cathey! She did my author promo shots and she's so talented!!! Please visit her site.

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Mom

25. What does the last text message you received say? "I know"

26. Do you chew on your straw? Nope

27. Do you have curly hair? Nope

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Target during my lunch break to return a shirt.

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Ohhh better skip this one!! =)

30. What was the last thing you ate? A granola bar

31. Will you get married in the future? Already am! But thank you! =)

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Transformers!!

33. Is there anyone you like right now? I like my husband =P

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Sunday, actually, because they were stinking up the house. I had to light candles. Still not sure what crawled and died in my sink!! It was bad.

35. Are you currently depressed? Of course not! "This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it". =)

36. Did you cry today? Nope - yesterday, but not today. (its only 10:00 though, give me time)

37. Why did you answer and post this? A little bored, and it looked like fun!

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey: Anyone who wants to join in! Why not! =)

A new book by a new author! "Illuminated" - Matt Bronleewe

Matt Bronleewe is a recognized producer, songwriter and author. The former member of the band Jars of Clay, has earned numerous awards producing and co-writing albums that have sold a combined total of over 20 million copies. His songs have recently been recorded by Disney pop sensations Aly & AJ, American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, and more. Bronleewe has worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, International pop singer Natalie Imbruglia and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Bronleewe was raised on a farm in Kansas, where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally.

To add to his list of accomplishments, Bronleewe has expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently penning a 5 book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. Illuminated, in stores now, begins the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within.Bronleewe currently resides in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he also volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design and science.




IT'S BEEN 500 YEARS IN THE MAKING...PREPARE TO BE ILLUMINATED...

August Adams has failed his family before. He's sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles. It's a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out. If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he'll destroy a national treasure. The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself.

"...this rare breed of suspense thriller combines mysterious hidden clues, secret societies, buried treasure, double agents, and the Knights Templar...if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded DaVinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24 you'd be in the neighborhood of Illuminated...on a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11."-Aspiring Retail Magazine

My Review:

I can definitely see this novel as a movie, as many others have said. I saw it played in my mind while reading - if taken to film, this story could easily have a "Da Vinci Code" or "National Treasure" impact in the movie industry. I'd see it! =)

One thing I feel led to warn other readers about regarding this novel is the violence. Its not graphic or overly detailed, but a little disturbing. One scene of violence (Don't worry, I won't give anything away) seemed completely unnecessary, as that particular "bad guy" only had a small role in the novel as a whole. The means and method of exerting his violence seemed struck from left field, and I could have done without the mental images on that one. Just a personal preference, but if you don't enjoy reading disturbing-type-violence, you might want to skim-read certain paragraphs. Don't worry, you'll know when they're coming!

To buy Matt's book and take the adventure yourself, click here!

Neck aches, ticks and other cliches...

My characters all have cricks in their necks.

Yep. Every single of them - because all they do is glance over their shoulders!! lol I'm not kidding. My crit bud pointed this out to me a few moments ago, and when I did a Find search for "shoulder" - wow. Maybe one or two instances PER PAGE.

Hopefully, I am not alone with this problem. What ticks do your characters have? Anyone run their fingers through their hair so many times they should be bald by now? Rub their chin raw? Tuck their hair behind their ears? Shoot glances like bullets? Stick out their tongue? What humorous ticks have you found your character repeating like a bad song on the radio? (ohh don't get me started on cliches! hehe)

Tell me your hero and heroine's ticks! Meanwhile, I'm off to make chiropractor appointments for all my characters...

Crimson Eve - by Brandilyn Collins

Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense™. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline “Don’t forget to b r e a t h e…® ” She’s so well known in the industry there’s actually a club for her non-readers. That’s right. The Big Honkin’ Chickens Club (BHCC) members are proud of the fact that they’re too wimpy to read Brandilyn’s intense fiction. Now and then one of them tries. Bribing works pretty well. (Just ask Deb Raney.) Somehow they live to tell the tale.


Brandilyn writes for Zondervan, the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers, and is currently at work on her 17th book. Her first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows.She’s also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons), and often teaches at writers conferences. Brandilyn blogs at Forensics and Faith.Visit her website to read the first chapters of all her books.



Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby—or whatever his name was. Her mind split in two, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other screaming it was all too real. “Please. You must have the wrong person. There’s no reason for someone to want me dead. I don’t have any enemies.” “Then you’d best rethink your friends.”

Realtor Carla Radling shows an “English gentleman” a lakeside estate—and finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people...

Brandilyn Collins fans and reviewers are saying Crimson Eve is her best book yet:

“Collins tops herself by creating a suspenseful nonstop thrill ride … Truly the best Christian Fiction suspense title so far this year.”– Library Journal, starred review

“Crimson Eve is Collins at her very best. It left me feeling as if I’d climbed Mount Everest without oxygen … I didn’t think Brandilyn could outdo herself after reading Coral Moon. She did.”–TitleTrakk.com

“I’ve never edited a more tightly crafted, deftly woven, compellingly written book.” –a Crimson Eve editor, with 20 years experience.

“This is your best book! I could not stop reading!” – one of many readers with similar responses.

Read about Violet Dawn and Coral Moon, books one and two in the Kanner Lake series!

Do you know someone who’s never read a Brandilyn Collins novel? Surely no such person exists. However, should you scrounge up such a friend—someone who enjoys suspense—here’s a special offer from Brandilyn. Be among the first 50 people between now and October 21, 2007 to e-mail her assistant at gayle.brandilyncollins@gmail.com with the person’s name, e-mail address and street address. (Due to exorbitant overseas mailing costs, United States residents only, please).

A signed copy of Crimson Eve will be sent to your friend—free—along with an e-mail from Brandilyn announcing the book is on its way, courtesy of you. (Don’t worry. Brandilyn won’t spam these email addresses. She just wants your friend to know who to thank.)
No worries that this story is third in the Kanner Lake series. Each book stands alone. Brandilyn is convinced your friend will so love Crimson Eve, he/she will surely reciprocate with expensive chocolate.

My personal take on the novel:

WOW! "She's done it again", is all I can think to say! Brandilyn just keeps getting better and better, her stories scarier and scarier! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down. The fast pacing and tight writing worked together to create a tale best read with your back firmly against a wall and a blanket drawn up to your chin! A realtor stalked by a hit man hired by an unknown source, a city of friends she can't call for help, and high, oh-so-high stakes...whew. I want to read it again just talking about it!!