Fantastic Day Yesterday!

I have to say it was a great day yesterday. Okay, I was helping out with Vacation Bible School at the church and one sweet little boy smashed his craft not once but twice, and spilled baby oil all over the floor, but hey, it floated way past me because I had already checked out what Romantic Times magazine said about my latest book, Desperate Rescue! They gave it 4 1/2 stars! I sat there in shock staring at the computer. I kept thinking I was reading it wrong! But there it was!!
You should have seen my kids. My daughter said, "Now, Mom, you'll be rich!"
Well, rich in blessings, anyway. Desperate Rescue is coming out in September, with the Love Inspired Suspense line of romances. If you're curious, why not read it?

free coupons, new books, and Captain Blackbeard!

I can't believe it's been since March that I last wrote in this! So much has happened, and yet, I feel like such a slacker!

But it's the end of school, and my kids are away canoeing up some river with the youth group, and I have the computer to myself. What a year it's been! School year, that is. SO BUSY!

Within all that, however, I got offered a two book contract with Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense!

Whoo hooo! I love it! Now I have to write those books. Still, I get to write my fave genre, have the backing of friends and family, which is so not so with other books, and am just trying to live each day to the fullest.

But you're still reading for the coupons, right? It's Steeple Hill's tenth anniversary and they sent me a slew of coupons to give away to friends for $1 off their books. That's a great saving if you buy books at grocery stores where they're already discounted. I say go for it! Just email me at

barbarap @ nbnet.nb.ca with your snail mail addie and I'll pop a bunch into the mail for you. They're good in both Canada and the US.

Also, while I'm talking about great things, (besides this shameless promotion of my next book, Desperate Rescue, out in Sept with Love Inspired Suspense), I'm also writing for

www.alittlegoodnewstoday.org

They're a new forum for good news. Pop on over and see what we've written, especially if you need a bit of uplifting inspiring news that just plain has a good ending, for once. (check out the story on Captain Blackbeard. I enjoyed writing that because my son used to have this computer program that talked about him, and he had it memorized for years.)

Okay, back to work. Remember, want a coupon? Email me. Want a little good news today? Check out its website. Want to read a great book, buy mine! (there's that shameless promo again!)

Can't wait for March to end!!

This has been an awful month. To start, my son got sick. All week. Then I got sick. Then we went to Florida. Okay, how does that fit into an awful month, you ask?
Let me tell you. We were asked to go down for a few days to Disney World, which was great, and we all looked forward to it, but it was the drive to New Hampshire that nearly killed me. Sick as a dog, couldn't speak, and in incredible pain, I dragged my sorry butt into the car and out of the car. Into the car, out of the car. When I needed to ask a question, I whispered to my husband to ask it, and all he'd say was, "What did you say? I can't hear you." On purpose, I'm sure.
Anway, I was sick all of the trip, and an extra week at home. You get the picture? We traveled back home the way we came.
Then, because of my indelicate age, I discovered the joys of periomenapause, for two solid weeks. You gals out there know what I'm talking about.
Then I got sick again. In church, no less, during our new youth director's first service. All Robin could think was, "Oh, no, I'm doing a horrible job!"
Then, my son and my daughter got sick again. Now my husband is sick.
I'm sick of being sick. I'm sick of winter and I'm sick of writing about it.
'Nuff said!

my new cover! But shhh!

I just got the cover for my newest book, Desperate Rescue, but since it hasn't be finalized, we have to be quiet about it. So shhh!
I can let you know that the cover is wonderful, gritty (ooh, esp. for an inspirational romance!!) and is just as I hoped it would be. Lots of overgrown wildness, torn fencing and broken windows. Kind of like the street where I live! Or hey, maybe my life! LOL!
Have you ever wondered how a person would deal with devastating loss, near death and complete destruction of their faith? I asked that question in Desperate Rescue. There is no easy answer except to say that if you just ask God for help, he'll be there.
I hope, also, in the coming days to tell you all about my family's upcoming trip to Florida. Ho hum, you may say, but just the preps have been over the top exciting and nerve-biting!
Stay tuned!

surviving the winter

Well, I have survived Christmas and New Years. My in laws, about 22 of them came for a Christmas Eve meal, and our Christmas was nice and quiet.
But just as I am ready to settle down to a quiet winter routine, my editor calls. She needs some changes to the first chapter of Desperate Rescue.
Immediate panic mode! Revisions? I hate 'em! I can never think of a good work when I want to, but thankfullly, I have a great critique group and they can think of anything! (You should see their stories. Wicked, wicked bunch!)
So, panicking aside, I settled down to write. My hubby was watching CSI on TV, and I was keepggn half an ear out to that in case it could help me.
Did you ever notice that the CSI characters all have these double entendre words, bad puns and hanging hook sentences at the end of a scene. Horatio Caine and Gil Grissom are the worst, I think. I love the show, but it needs a injection of some new writing. They should hire me!
My friend then, after the panic told me Gil was leaving CSI. To tell you the truth I like Catherine Willows. She reflects me the most, I think. And I like Jim Brass. I know a man who looks like him, so it's kind of cool.
Enough of that. I slept poorly last night and got up this morning, tweaked my revisions, corrected all the mistakes I missed and sent my revision off. With a prayer.
Maybe later, I'll tell you all the really cool thing that happened to us last week. If you give to the Lord, he'll bless you back. We have mega proof!
Til then, here's my link of the week. Or month, or whatever. If you're into doing web design or different papers, here's something for your backgrounds
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&text=%22aged+paper%22+background+crumpled&96946e05dac06607f4db2e3c5a6a9b20=aged+paper&d229bbf31eaeebc7c88897732d8b932d=background&0ab092d33a4206f57a44abd503ee0745=crumpled

Desperate Rescue coming in 2007

Okay, I know I mentioned this before, but my full manuscript has been couriered to New York and I feel I want to spread the news now. Desperate Rescue is due out Sept 2007, with Love Inspired Suspense.
I was offered a chance to be published with Harlequin's Inspirational Suspense line and I jumped at it. I've always enjoyed the suspense romances, and the challenges of writing characters' faith journeys into a story. It adds a layer of depth I think is both scary to write and yet exciting at the same time. Naturally, the stories are different than my other novels, All For A Good Cause and Trust No One, and Necessary Secrets, but the conflicts faced are still pretty riveting, if I do say so myself!!
Desperate Rescue features a woman who has escaped a cult that held her hostage for two years. She's ready to start her life again, only to have her baby sister murdered by the monster who held her captive, in retaliation. All she wants now is some peace and time to rebuild her psyche.
But her captor's brother is now asking her to return to the cult to save his sister.
If she refuses, another woman will die, and if she agrees, there'll be more on the line...like their souls, their hearts and their lives.
Desperate Rescue...available Sept 2007 Love Inspired Suspense

A terrible tragedy

My husband's home town of Sackville New Brunswick lost much of its downtown core this summer. Here is the video of it. Pretty horrible fire it was.
Barbara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtbRaiau5mE&mode=related&search