music that fires the imagination

Not every writer wants music to write by. It has to be the right kind of music. I have a friend who needs absolute silence and no distractions. Earplugs, in fact. Me, I'm a bit of a mix. I cannot write to Spongebob Squarepants no matter how hard I try. Ditto Scooby Doo and all those boomerang cartoons! But lately I've found the perfect music for writing or editing - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Brooding, intense, romantic, moody. Perfect for those Colonial battlefield scenes and the untamed Kentucke frontier. The violin and cello therein are divine:)

I've never considered Russel Crowe a catch but in uniform he's quite respectable and his acting here is quite fine. Plus he plays the violin. Could I ask for more? I'm also a huge fan of the Horatio Hornblower series. I'd thought of writing a series on the British Navy (well, the Americans) but Kaye Dacus beat me to it!

On the publishing front, the Baker Books catalog for next summer is out and Morrow Little is in it:) I found my copy in the mailbox today and it was an extra blessing. I'm always humbled that I have such a fine publisher and I hope my books do well for them. They really have a heart for new authors. And their covers are the best out there:)

Some upcoming books I can't wait to read: Masquerade by Nancy Moser and She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell. Any in particular on your wish list? How about music?

summer in december

This morning the boys jumped out of bed and remembered it was December 1 so rushed to the LEGO advent calendar to pry open door #1. Out sprang a little LEGO man holding a gigantic turkey leg. The boys were delighted. It made me hungry. Only now I'm having visions of honeybaked hams:)

The sun is actually shining here today and I just went to the mailbox and found that long-anticipated Baker Books summer 2009 catalog!! So I'm enjoying a little bit of summer on this first day of December. The Frontiersman's Daughter was given a generous two page spread with an excerpt from chapter 1 and some very kind words. And there is my face in a little bio box to the right staring back at me. Mercy! It must really be happening.

Each of us is given gifts to use in His service. God is so creative! I think one of the best, if not the best gift, is being a mom. Children are a gift. Raising them is a gift. There's another author in the catalog that writes great books and has nine children whom she homeschools! Try doing that without some heavenly spark!

Anyway, feeling very thankful today for kids, husbands, sunshine, book catalogs, coffee, advent calendars, Legos, and kind words.

For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. Romans 15:18