Writing is a long ball game. You can't go into it thinking you'll have a contract in a year. It's lots of days of methodical plodding along. Putting one foot in front of another. One more time sitting in your chair, fingers attached to the keyboard when there are dozens of other things that seem more appealing.

Makes me think of football.

Heck, lots of life makes me think of football. You've surely heard me say that I'm from Nebraska and have footballs pumping through my veins. Eric calls those corpuscles. Tomato, tomato :-)

Nebraska has a long tradition of handing out blackshirts to the starting defense. It's a symbol of pride to be able to say you were a blackshirt. Last season, the players turned theirs in -- a recognition that they weren't playing hard enough.

Last week -- ten games into the season, they got them back. The dedication, practice, toughness, endurance all paid off with the awarding of that shirt. That symbol that they were good enough.

I think a lot of people think a contract is that way. First, you'll get rich off the advance. NOT. Second, it validates that you are a writer and will have every contract you ever want in the future. NOT. And third, it's tangible proof that you've made it into an elite club. MAYBE.

If God's planted the dream of writing in your heart, then it's time to test. Put your nose to the grindstone and do what you were commanded to -- write. And then write again. And write some more. And at the end of a lot of session, you'll have a short story or a book. Someday you may land a contract and hold your book. But if you follow God's call, then you are a writer.

And thanks for all the great comments about what you look for in a Christian book. The comments have been great. I'll leave it open for a couple more days, then draw at least one person to receive a book.

To reborn butterfly and stonefox who won copies of Diamond Duo!

Here's a question that my friend Karen Ball posted on her blog: What makes a Christian book Christian? I look forward to reading what the editors discussed when she posts it later, but here are my thoughts. If you can't tell, I'm kind of passionate about this:

Some of my bias probably came through at ACFW. I don't want a book that preaches at me. If there's a salvation, it needs to be realistic and flow organically from the story. I want spiritual threads that are realistic -- a book that keeps me thinking after I've hit "the end". Tamara Leigh's books are good about that. I laugh even while getting pinged. The thread can be very subtle. I think about some of Brandilyn's books.

But what I must have is a thread of hope. The story world can mirror the gritty world we live in, nut justice should prevail. I should get a sense that ev en though life isn't lived in pretty little packages there is light and beauty in the world.

Allen Arnold, fiction publisher at Thomas Nelson, talks about Christian fiction being fiction written by a Christian. I like that definition. It gives me freedom as a writer to write the story God gives me.

Wow, didn't know this would get long. But as a writer, this what I try to do. Nothing is worse as a reader than flying through pages to end a book on a down note.

So what do you think? Inquiring minds would like to know! And I may just pull a winner of one of my books from the commenters. :-) How's that for a tease!

I'm currently reading three books:

Shade by John Olson: Not letting myself get deeply into this book yet, becuase I know once I do, I won't be able to put this down. John's editor, Karen Ball, believed so deeply in this book that she worked for close to ten years to find the right home for it. It's the vampire book that isn't. Lots of buzz, so can't wait to dive in. Probably December 1...yep, the day Deadly Judgment arrives in NYC.


Out of Her Hands by Megan DiMaria. This book is turning out to be just as good as Searching for Spice. Loving it. Linda's life is full of chaos again, and she handles it so like I would. Is that me in 15 years? Yikes! But I love Megan's writing. It's funny, honest, vibrant. She really pulls me into books that I wouldn't expect to like, but I do.

The other book I'm reading at the moment is the ARC of Breach of Trust, DiAnn Mills' next book. I'm loving the concept so far. It's the book traveling with me in the diaper bag, but I can tell this suspense will get pulled pretty soon. Fast action. Too bad y'all have to wait until next year to read it. I am such a tease!

I read The Measure of a Lady last week. WOW! Deeanne Gist is a master! She pulled me into the early days of San Francisco and had me caring deeply about her characters. The spiritual challenges were real and ones we can all relate to -- maybe too well. And I felt Rachel's burdens and pain. The way she fought to carve a life out for her brother and sister, the burden when things move out of her control, the responsibility she took on. And the romance is beautiful and believable. Delightful read!

I've been tagged, but rather than make it random, I'm making this reading related. :-)

1) I have loved to read since I was about 4. You'll still find me with a book in my hands all the time.

2) My favorite childhood books were the Little House on the Prairie series. Read them voraciously over and over. It's been a blast to read them with my kids now. Laura Ingalls Wilder was truly a gifted writer. Very active writing that paints the scene ... and tells you how to actually build the door, but I digress.

3) My favorite young adult books were the Anne of Green Gables series. And oh, those wonderful CBC adaptations. I loved Anne. And vowed to be like her. I may make lots of mistakes but I try to make the same one only once. I'm far too creative for duplicates!

4) As an adult I discovered Mary Higgins Clark, and feel in love with her blend of suspense. Can't read all of hers, because some of the early ones get a tad weird, but I'll never regret taking a chance on Loves Music, Loves to Dance. A love was born...and for years I said I wanted to write books like that in the Christian arena. Now I do!

5) I'll never regret discovering Bodie Thoene's early series. The Zion Chronicles and Covenant satisfied the reader in me and the part that was passionate about getting history right. Oh, to be able to write gripping stories that honored history. And now I try to do that as well. Isn't, God good!

6) My first book that I wrote is a toss-up: I can't remember if it was the book set in Boston during the Revolutionary War or my attempt to what if what could have happened to the lost colony of Roanoke. I'd still like to explore that one at some point. Hmm, could make a great modern suspense...

7) I have been blessed and challenged by Beth Moore and Jennifer Rothschild's Bible studies. Those women have poured out their hearts on the page for us...and if we are willing to dig deep, God can transform our lives, too.

Tagging others? Hmmm. Janna Ryan, Joanna Nash, Robin Miller, Tricia Goyer, and Gina Conroy. Have fun, ladies.

The election is over. Some of us are saying finally! The mailbox will be a bit emptier now that all of the campaign mail is finished.

The election didn't go the way I'd hoped. But that's okay.

There are several things that I know.

1) God is still on His throne.
2) God controls the affairs of men.
3) God directs the heart of the king. Proverbs 21:1
4) God answers when we humble ourselves and pray. II Chronicles 7:14-15

So I join with Michael Hyatt in his four commitments to Obama. While he may not have been my choice, now that he is president I will pray for him and support him. Now praying his heart will be guided by the king he serves.

This book is different from the kind that I usually review, but when I got the opportunity, I thought it would be fun. I am an avid journaler. I literally have a bookshelf packed with more than 15 journals that cover from the time I was in third grade to present day. Now, I know no one will ever want to read these, but journaling helps me process and remember things.

so I was intrigued by this book. Me, Myself and I Am is a great book for those who aren't experienced journalers. It provides simple fill in the box opportunities and takes some of the work out of figuring out what to put on the page. It could be a great tool to capture your spiritual journey to pass on to the next generation. For an experienced journaler, it may seem simplistic, but it did contain questions I would not have thought to explore.

A new experience of God comes one question at a time in this fun and provocative journal. Made up entirely of insightful, profound, and occasionally ridiculous questions, Me, Myself, and I AM invites you to open to any page, open yourself to God, and be the author of your own story.

Questions range from spiritually intriguing—

You overhear God talking about you. What do hear him saying?

to thought-provoking—

You are on a long car trip with a close friend who is not a Christian and the conversation turns to faith. What is your biggest fear about what your friend will ask or say?

to challenging—

Do you believe that all of Jesus’s followers have a responsibility to tell others about him?

to just plain fun—

If your life before you became a Christian were a movie, its title would be:

Animal House

As Good as It Gets

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It’s a Wonderful Life

Me, Myself, and I AM will entertain, inspire, and get you thinking about your spiritual life from brand new angles. Whether you use Me, Myself, and I AM as a reflective tool, a way to start conversations with friends and family, or as a spiritual time capsule to look back on years later, their own words will create a powerful journey of self-discovery.