Merry Christmas To Me (And You, Too)

Last year I came up with my own version of "All I Want for Christmas." My version replaced two front teeth with a two-book deal. Well, that deal still hasn't happened...but I did sell ONE!

Last week I got the call from my agent. Deja Vu, which placed first in the ACFW Genesis contest a few months ago, was picked up by Steeple Hill. Deja Vu is a romantic suspense and will be put out (possibly in October of next year) under Steeple Hill's Love Inspired Suspense line.

Emily Rodmell will be my editor, and I'm looking forward to working with her. She's offered a lot of feedback and encouragement over the last couple of years. It'll be a privilege to have her as an editor.

So...now the party begins! Cheesecake Factory, here I come. And then I'll have to get to work. I'm already learning things about the business side of the writing life. And wondering why I submitted two pages of things I'd do to try to sell my book. Two pages? Oh boy... :-)

I wanted to say a big thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far. Thank you for the advice, the encouragement, the feedback, the hugs and smiles and prayers. I couldn't have done this without you. Merry Christmas!!!

Late Again...

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Hope you had a blessed holiday, with all the proper foods, and that you survived Black Friday.

Some things I'm thankful for:
1. An in-house tech person. Love you, dear. :-)
2. Mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing and corn, and family that doesn't yell at me if I mix the aforementioned foods.
3. Olive Garden all-you-can-eat soup and salad lunches.
4. Friends who make fun of me when I forget how old I am.
5. $3 Wal-mart pajama pants.
6. Laptops, lawn chairs, and gorgeous weather.
7. Christmas decorations.
8. Cinnamon scented things.
9. Friends who don't yell at me for being a bad blogger...
10. Lists. :-)

What are you thankful for?

Pieces

You call my name.
I come to You in pieces
So You can make me whole.
~ from Pieces, by Red.

Just a random bit of my latest broken-record song choice.

Jenness

Beloved Old Books

Even with the most beloved grandparents, extended visits can get boring at times. But that was never a problem. In New York, I'd swipe all my relatives' Louis L'Amours. In Virginia, I'd rummage through my grandfather's basement, picking up the old hardcovers to find a something that looked remotely interesting. And I found a few prizes. Thought I'd pass them along, just in case you want a change in your reading. Check them out, if you get the chance!

To Have and To Hold, by Mary Johnston (1900 version) - This is the book I would rewrite if I ever did a historical. Unfortunately, I saw somewhere that someone beat me to it. Regardless, once you get past the 1900 English and the swooning women, the story is amazing. Pirates, bets, mail-order brides who aren't what they say they are, sword fights, panthers, Indians, shipwrecks...This book has it all.

Prisoner of Zenda, by Anthony Hope - The first chapter is hard to get through, but it's a great read from there on. (And a quick one.) More sword fights. A stand-in king. A beautiful princess...

Knights of the Range, by Zane Grey - A great Western. Humor, gunfights (of course), a beautiful ranch owner, and two good men fighting for her heart. Gotta love it.

Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy - A classic. What more can I say?

By Right of Sword, by A.W. Marchmont - Love at first sight and sword fights...I can't remember much past the first scene, but apparently it was good all the way through. If we weren't through with a book by the time our visit was over, my grandfather would let us take it home with us. I finished this one too soon, so I made my brother start reading it, so it could go with us.

There you go. Some of my favorite old books. Try 'em out--they may become yours as well.

Saving Gabby

One of my favorite funny authors is Christy Barritt, with her Squeaky Clean series. Maybe it’s because I’m a house cleaner, so I can sort of relate to Gabby, the crime scene cleaner heroine. Two books in the trilogy have been published. (Check out the books link on my website for my review of Hazardous Duty.)

The third, not-yet-published story is a mystery involving a vegan, a freegan, the Going Green trend, and a whole lot of other fun stuff. Problem is, if Christy’s sales numbers don’t go up on the first two books, the third one might never see the light of day. And that would be a huge shame, not just because so many people will miss out on Christy’s delightful work, but Gabby’s story will be incomplete.

Gabby has three guys interested in her—two of which are too cool for me to choose a favorite. And…Gabby has to find Jesus. She’s been getting closer, but she needs this third one to bring her home. Yes, I probably get a little too involved in the characters, but if the last book in this series doesn’t get published, I’ll probably catch myself praying for Gabby's salvation for the rest of my life.

So please…save Gabby and save my sanity. Put Hazardous Duty and Suspicious Minds on your to-buy list! You can find her website at www.christybarritt.com, and her books on www.amazon.com.

Conference Report

I blogged about the conference on my website. Check it out at www.jennesswalker.com. You'll find it under "Ramblings."
Have a great week!

Conference Pictures 5

Tracy at the Mall of America. The non-shopper actually did some pretty serious shopping!

The sweet Christina Berry. It was fun to see her and her mother again this year.

Georgiana Daniels, who is one cool chick lit/romantic suspense writer. Looking forward to reading her stuff!

And Amy Lindberg, an ACFW conference newbie who brightened the place with her smile.

Conference Pictures 4

Once again, trying to take a pic of myself. This time, before the awards banquet on Saturday night. Obviously, my abilities have not improved. But my hair has...a little.

Tracy, all beautiful in the elevator.

Tamela, my agent, looking all pretty in red. Thanks for all your hard work and encouragement!

Three members of my former critique group. Jennifer Taylor (left), Rebecca Yauger (middle) and Cathy West (right). It was great catching up with them! Lynda Schab, a member who couldn't be there, placed second in her category. You go, girl!

This is Dan Case, also a former member of our critique group. He made quite a splash at the conference, winning an award, bringing down the house when he gave his speech (in spite of having to shout over the wedding reception music from the connecting banquet room), and catching the eye of multiple agents. Congrats!

Conference Pictures 3

Some of my favorite writer people. :-)

My lovely, sweet conference buddies, Tracy Bowen (left) and Cathy West (right).

One of the coolest people out there - Susan May Warren, encourager and writer and brainstormer extraordinaire. And her hat's pretty cute, too. :-)

Cathy West is from Bermuda and had never been on a school bus before. She was excited until we hit our first pothole...

Rachel Hauck is Susan's best writing bud, a talented worship leader, and a very sweet lady. Plus, she lives in FL!

Conference Pictures 2

Of course, you have to get a picture or two of the Lego station. :-) Pretty awesome stuff. As for the floating head...I got the brilliant idea to take a pic of myself with the amusement park in the background. Unfortunately, I turned out looking like a balloon head, and you can hardly see the rides. :-) But it was fun, anyway. The Mall of America...and all I bought was a root beer from Cinnabon...

Conference Pictures 1

Mall of America booksigning. On Saturday, we rode a school bus to the Mall of America for a booksigning with over 100 Christian authors. Amazing. Unfortunately, most of my pics were too dark or blurred from the author panel, etc., but I did get a cute pic of three lovely ladies: (from right to left) Camy Tang, Trish Perry, and Rene Gutteridge.

That Time Again...

This week I’ll once again travel to the ACFW conference. Tracy, my writing partner, is going with me, and we’re pretty excited. On Friday we’ll be attending a pizza party hosted by Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren. On Saturday, there’s a book-signing at the Mall of America, with over 100 authors scheduled to be there with pens ready.

There’s also a banquet, where I may, possibly, you-never-know, be up for an award. This year I even wrote a little tiny speech on the off chance I place first, since last year it was probably very wrong of me to pray against the top spot since I hadn’t prepared anything. Me, a microphone, and no printed words would probably equal tears. Lots of them. Not a pretty sight. Fortunately, though I placed, it wasn’t first. Unfortunately, that was the story written with Tracy, and she probably didn’t appreciate my prayer.

Angela Hunt is the keynote speaker this year, and though I doubt she’ll lead the crowd in a rousing chorus of Jacob Was a Hairy Man like James Scott Bell did last year, I’m looking forward to hearing her. The author whose slogan is to expect the unexpected. Hmm. Maybe she’ll whip out a silly song after all.

I have my clothes all picked out and tried on a dozen times. I decided to wear black everyday so I can bring fewer shoes—last year I had to tote the left clunker around in my carryon to save myself from the overweight baggage fee. Unfortunately, I still can’t bring myself to narrow down my selection—three pairs of black shoes for the conference. A pair of flip flops for the trip home…But at least this year if I have to carry a shoe around the airport, it’ll actually fit in my shoulder bag. I think.

I love writers’ conferences. There’s just something about being in a huge room filled with people who all hear voices in their heads, the ones who feel naked if they find themselves without paper or computer or pen. Meeting the people who’ve typed the stories that have transported me around the world and through time and space, and find out they’re quirky and almost-normal…like me. If you factor all that in, along with the gourmet food and gorgeous hotel rooms, and, of course, the chocolate party, it’s about as close to heaven on earth that a writer can come.

So this week is my heaven on earth week…as long as my plane doesn’t go down and I walk through gates of splendor instead of gates of airport security. Hopefully I’ll come home safe and sound and fired up to do some more writing. Stay tuned for news, and for more author interviews. I have another one my sweet friend Trish Perry and one with the amazing Sharon Hinck all ready to go, and I’ll try to line up some more while I’m there.

Until then…read a good book. I might just be hanging out with the author.

Some Things I've Noticed

One of the bad things about being a writer is that the more you learn, the more you pick up on problems in the novels you read. Sometimes knowing the rules or current preferences can ruin an otherwise interesting story.

BUT it can also bring an increased awareness of what an author is doing amazingly well. Here are some of the things I've read that have made me stop and take notice.

Kristen Heitzmann: I recently read her latest book, The Edge of Recall, and the transitions, or almost lack thereof, caught my attention. I mean, the heroine picks up the car keys, and suddenly she's on the main road at a stoplight. Okay, not quite, but I don't have the book in front of me to give an example. Basically, she didn't waste any words on mundane actions to get her characters from here to there. At first I wasn't sure if I liked this aspect of her style. If your eyes skipped a paragraph or two, you could be totally lost. But then again, every word is supposed to count anyway, right? No wasted words. So though I don't know that I'd be quite as frugal with my transistions, it's something I will definitely keep in mind to work toward. The reader doesn't need every move spelled out for them. They can fill in the blanks. I don't need to waste their time telling about a long walk to the car unless it matters to the story. Make everything count.

Erynn Mangum: I think one of the main things that makes the Lauren Holbrook trilogy so funny is that Erynn doesn't waste any characters. Every one of them adds something to the story. The father is a hypochondriac. In MatchPoint, the visiting cousin collects geese. Even the unnamed delivery man has a hilarious moment in the spotlight. No potential is lost. No character is there only to fill space.

Charles Martin: Images from his novels are stamped on my brain, probably forever. A little girl in a yellow dress selling lemonade. A man covered in mud with just his eyes showing. A drunk playing bagpipes while wearing only a kilt. A couple inside a deserted auditorium, the wife running around and clapping madly, cheering for her husband. Charles Martin has a gift for creating vivid word pictures. His descriptions are amazing, but not overdone, and many of the scenes stick with you long after you've set the novel down.

Here are three. I'm not done. But I'll save some for later so I have something to blog about. (So Holly doesn't yell at me...) Coming up next: Francine Rivers, Lisa Samson, and whoever else I decide on between now and my next post. :-)

Another Random List

I've been collecting pet peeves. Not sure why. Maybe it's because I didn't get a nap so I'm cranky. But here are some for your enjoyment...or enlightenment.

At church:
1. When random people people are called on for spontaneous and forced testimony.
2. When the preacher prays and talks about himself in the plural form. (i.e. "Help us as we attempt to speak your truth in this sermon.") What's up with that?
3. When the preacher makes a point that he thinks may have stepped on some toes, so he pauses and says, "It just got really quiet in here..." Most of the time it's just his imagination...or he THINKS some toes should have just been stepped on. Maybe the ameners had actually just stepped out to the bathroom or something.

Families (not necessarily my own, but if the shoe fits...):
1. When kids aren't responsible to get themselves up in the morning. Like the jr. high and high school students who used to give me their excuse for being late to school: "My mom forgot to wake me up..." Anyone ever heard of an alarm clock? Or independence?
2. When people interrupt meals or special family time by answering their phone and carrying on a loud conversation right there at the table. (I love you both. lol)
3. When it takes the whole vacation to decide what we should do and in what order and with whom.

Houses:
1. When people leave clumps of toothpaste in the sink.
2. When there are flowers exploding all over the wallpaper and bedding and lace dripping everywhere else and people are expected to be able to breathe. But I'm the one who painted my bedroom granny apple green and begged my parents not to repaint it when I moved out, so...
3. When flowers in the hanging pots die and yet the pots remain there long enough that grass begins to grow. Oh, wait. That's me...

Books:
1. When there's an abundance of scenes from the extremely warped villain's point-0f-view. I realize I'm in the minority here, but I usually skip these insane ramblings.
2. When the author makes it a point to make issue of certain beliefs/convictions, showing throughout the story how stupid the character is for having held them and how much better off they are when they discard them.
3. When the authors use many of the same names for different characters throughout their books. When you have two main characters named Drew, or a major character named Cindy in one and a minor character by the same name in another, I'm going to be trying to figure out if they're the same people throughout the first half of the book and wondering why you couldn't have picked Jane instead during the second half.

Okay, enough grumpy ramblings. I'm going to blame it on a bit of indigestion. Which reminds me of another pet peeve...

No, just kidding.

Things You Don't Need To Know About Me

In way of introduction, here are some random things about Jenness Walker, author and housecleaner extraordinaire. Or just eccentric. After you read the list you can take your pick.

1. I like to clean things with toothpicks. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to be able to clean out that impossible-to-reach bit of dust or crumbs out of the air conditioner or whatever.

2. I can hurt myself with just about anything. (Unintentionally, of course.) A hang-nail. A steamer. A music stand. A jacuzzi. An earbud...

3. I read. All. The. Time. While I walk the dog. While I fold the laundry. While I eat. While I shower. While I brush my teeth. I cannot, however, read while vaccuuming. Just haven't been able to figure out a good system for that particular activity.

4. I had a mention, if not an honorable one, in a bad poetry writing contest. Not as in morally bad or anything. Just as in, really terrible poetry.

5. I used to have a crush on Conway from Five Mile Creek.

6. Whenever I vacuum or mop, I usually end up sticking my tongue between my back teeth. The right side.

7. I avoid crowds if I can, but on Black Friday, I LOVE going to one of the biggest malls in America. Is there something wrong with that picture?

8. My great-great-grandfather was very vain about his feet. Whatever that means.

9. I prefer Miracle Whip over mayonaisse. Must be my sweet tooth--I can eat spoonfuls of sugar, although I try to refrain.

10. I bought my car off Ebay. If you saw it, you probably wouldn't be surprised. I'll have to post a picture of it sometime.

So there...my first blogspot blog. An odd introduction to me. Happy Weekend, everyone.