A merry heart does good like a medicine.  Proverbs 17:22

You Know You have Friends When. . .

Yes, yes, I know it probably seems like I'm going overboard with all this falderal about my friends and family finding Mayhem in Maryland their local stores, but I'm excited.

Yesterday, I was with my dear friend Febe in Manassas, Virginia, and we hit the Family Book Store there. She found the manager and insisted that I talk to him about my books and having a book signing there. Okay, well she's law enforcement. When she speaks, people listen--including me. The manager was very gracious, as you can see from this posed picture. They pretended to gasp over my book (which was featured on an endcap, much to my joy). In reality, we were all laughing.

And today my friend Glenn Rambo sent me a phone picture of my book from Barnes and Noble in New Jersey. (Check out his Website for information about his latest release and to watch the awesome book trailer that I made for his book.)

And sign up for my newsletter. It'll contain more information about future book signings with authors like Wanda Dyson, Glenn Rambo, Rita Gerlach, and others.

Roman Helmets and Alien Death Rays

I walked into the church office and spied a box of Roman helmets for the church play. The opportunity was too good to pass up. And besides, I figured it would save me from alien death rays--on the off chance aliens really exist. (I'm KIDDING!)

Book Sightings

One of the thrills about getting a book published is seeing it in the store. For me this is the realization of a dream that took seven years to accomplish.

A couple weekends ago, my mom and I found my book at the Barnes and Noble near us. Yes, I took pictures with my phone camera. But silly Candice was too excited to remember SAVE the pictures.

However, I've had other people report sightings, and a couple of them took a picture for me and sent it my way. Lynette Sowell in Texas and my dear sister and brother-in-law in Washington. remembered to take a picture. (Thank you!) In addition, I've had reports of the book in other states.

Oh, yeah. Mine is the one called Mayhem in Maryland.

Friends

A couple quotes I found recently:

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. Japanese Proverb

Adversity does teach who your real friends are. Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign, 1999

You Talkin' to Me?

Words are my business—an obvious statement since I’m a writer. But lately I’ve been considering them in a different context. As weapons.

The Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) That’s a pretty strong statement. But anyone who’s been the object of hurtful words can relate to that verse. When we are the recipients of nasty words, a little part of us dies, especially if they come from someone we care for.

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 (NIV)

Here’s my prayer. Please let the things that come from my mouth (and my keyboard) honor God and bless those around me. Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 (NIV)

Book Signing! Sunday 3-15-09

My mother hosted a book launch and book signing for me on Sunday. We celebrated my latest book release.

We had an awesome time! She served strawberries and cake squares to dip into chocolate, along with cheese and crackers. Very nice!

I was so blessed to be visited by some of my favorite people and faithful fans. What a blessing the day was!

Yeah, great picture, right? But I can only behave for so long. . .

Hey! I've already had a friend in Texas report she's seen my book Borders!

Interview with DiAnne Mills

It is my privilege to post an interview here with DiAnn Mills. I’ve known DiAnn since. . .probably 2002 or thereabouts. Her encouragement is one of the reasons I’m published today. She is a gracious lady who is willing to help other writers succeed.

Let me say up front that I loved Breach of Trust!

Thank you so much!!!!

I remember your very first suspense, published by Heartsong Presents. You’ve written a lot of books between then and now. Do you plan to keep writing suspense? 

Yes, I do. I love the challenge of technology and the many threads that weave through a suspense novel. However, I still plan to continue writing historical novels too. The second book in the Call of Duty Series is Breach of Security. 

Your heroine is an ex-CIA agent who wonders if her job compromises her faith. Can you discuss that for us? 

How about the difficulty to research this aspect of the novel!  I firmly believe that God calls us into roles and careers that others may question. Our purposed and calling in life is not to be determined by man but by God. Others may think differently, especially in gray areas that deal with obtaining vital information crucial to national and global security,

When I get book ideas, they are usually triggered by something. A news article or something I witness in real life, or even a show on the Discovery Channel. Is there a particular place you got the idea for this book? 

LOL! My husband and were driving through rural Oklahoma and my mind shifted into the "what-if" mode. What if a CIA agent lived in this area? Why would that occur? What would make her come out of hiding? What would be the stakes? And my story began to take form.

I’ve noticed that Africa features in your recent books. Tell us a little more about that for readers who haven’t read your previous books. Are you active in any kind of ministry there? 

I have a strong passion for Africa ,and the suffering going on there due to ruthless leaders, famine, political and religious persecution, genocide, etc. My books about the Sudan reflect that passion. Many Americans are not aware of the critical issues in Africa. The proceeds from my Sudan books are given to non profit organizations who minister to the Sudanese. I have found that my desires and prayers for the Sudanese have spread to all of Africa. 

What’s on the horizon for you? What are you working on?

I'm plotting the third book in the Call of Duty Series.

Finishing up A Woman Called Sage, a historical novel that will be released in April 2010. The heroine is a bounty hunter. :)

I'm in the thinking stage of a second contracted historical novel.

And in my spare time, I'm thinking about proposals for suspense and historical novels.

 Please check out my website and subscribe to my newsletter at www.diannmills.com.  Thanks!

Seasons

You know that Scripture passage from Ecclesiastes 3 that was made popular by the Byrd’s in the 60s in the song called Turn, Turn, Turn?

Here it is in full:

To every there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace.

I guess I’m stating the obvious by saying this passage of Scripture is all about timing—

Take planting and plucking, for instance. I love to garden. When I sow seeds or plant seedlings, I know that the plants won’t produce food until they’ve reached maturity. If I pick something too soon or wait too long, it’s not edible.

And you know what? Life is full of God given opportunities and changes that, depending upon how we react to them, can make us insecure and stubborn, or the give us a chance to grow. If we insist on remaining in the same place, doing the same things, even when we’re offered new opportunities, life will pass us by. And years later, we’ll look back and say, “gosh, I wish I’d done that.”

My prayer is, God please give me the courage to do the things You’ve offered me a chance to do in the right time, even if I’m uncomfortable.

New Life

Winter. Beautiful, but cold. Dormant. Bare. Frozen. To stay warm, we shield our bodies from the elements.

But underneath the ice, life still flows. And when the warmth of spring comes, dormancy gives way to new growth.

There are times when our existence seems like that. Things around us still hold beauty, but life is bare and cold. We protect our inner man to maintain warmth of soul—sometimes not even noticing how emotionally dormant our lives have become.

But just like the cold of winter gives way to the warmth and promise of spring and new growth, so a dormant life can be restored. . .

God's timing is always perfect. Like the seasons that come and go according to the order of creation, so our Father orders our lives. If we hide in the safety of His presence during the dormant times and allow Him to keep us warm, we will be ready when spring comes bringing restoration and new life. 

New Year! New York!

My dear sister Linda from Seattle was visiting Maryland last week with her lovely daughters. They spent New Year's Eve with me. Spur of the moment, she and the girls decided to go by train to New York City for the day and invited me along.

Yes, that was New York City for the day. How impulsive is that?

Okay, just to clarify things. . .Candice usually does nothing without an agenda. She likes to know all the details of what's going to happen ahead of time. So. . .guess what God is doing in my life? Giving me opportunities to be spontaneous.

So, January 2, we caught the train from Baltimore. Here is a picture of me and Linda waiting for the train.

Me--country girl--in New York City.

More pictures later. . .

January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

This is the time of year, of course, when resolutions are made and most people feel it's time to start over in one way or another.

For me, it's been a time of cleaning out. Physically and mentally. I cleaned out several month's accumulation of stuff from my car. I'm cleaning out closets in my house. Scrubbing walls and floors. Organizing.

I've also been thinking about the past and choosing to let go of the bad memories, while I keep and treasure the good ones.

This is a spiritual principle and a healthy way to live. Isaiah 43:18-19. Do not remember the former thing, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? NKJ

How awesome. . .

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