Debbie Viguié's Blog, page 23

Welcome to the commentary for chapter five! Remember to post a comment in order to be entered in the drawing. Once all commentaries are up one winner will be selected and they will receive signed copies of the first 3 books in the series.

Okay, chapter five!

The mystery of Otto…has to wait a little longer.

Kapono is wearing slacks and an Aloha shirt. This is formalwear for the islands. Seriously. Suits are unheard of. Slacks are practically unheard of. Most people wear shorts most of the time.

I’m a big fan of mahi mahi especially if it’s encrusted with coconut and macadamia nuts. My husband and father both LOVE monchong, especially in a good lemon caper butter sauce. There’s a restaurant on the island of Kauai called Keoki’s Paradise which serves monchong (when they’ve got it) in a lemon caper butter sauce. They also have amazing carrot muffins that my mom flips out for. This is the restaurant where we all went to eat to celebrate the night I found out that I had made the New York Times Bestseller list for the first time. Although I love their fish, I usually order their prime rib, topped with crispy onions. Okay, now I’m hungry.

You’d think that Cindy holds the record for number of unfortunate or downright disastrous first dates. Not so. That honor goes to one of my closest friends. But, to be fair, none of her dates have ever been killers. At least, they never tried to kill her!

Wiki in Hawaiian means quick.

Welcome scavengers and hunters alike! I’m glad to have you here. I am a NYT Bestselling author of YA dark fantasy (Wicked, Crusade, Wolf Springs Chronicles). I also write adult thrillers and mysteries (Witch Hunt, Kiss trilogy, Psalm 23 Mysteries). There’s a lot to see on my site so I hope you’ll bookmark it and come back later. Now, on with the hunt!

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM–but there is also a red team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

It’s my joy to be hosting ERICA O’ROURKE.

Erica O’Rourke is the award-winning author of The Torn Trilogy, available now, and DISSONANCE, coming Fall 2013 from Simon & Schuster BFYR. She loves Doctor Who, fancy ginger ale, and pajama pants.

Erica’s new book BOUND (Torn Trilogy) is out now!

Every decision Mo Fitzgerald has made — avenging her best friend’s murder, protecting her loved ones, and joining forces with the enigmatic and magical Luc — has come at a terrible cost. As her father returns from prison and war breaks out among the Arcs, Mo isn’t the only one with secrets to hide and choices to make. The more she struggles to keep her magic and mortal lives separate, the deadlier the consequences. Mo must risk everything – her life, her heart, her future–or lose it all.

And here’s your bonus feature, a scene that happens between the books:

While Mo has been adjusting to life after TANGLED, Luc’s been keeping busy, too. This scene takes place a few weeks before the events off BOUND.

“I didn’t take you for the sentimental type, Luc.”

There’s not many that can sneak up on me, but Niobe’s always been one. She must have picked up on the concealment spell and come to check it out. I timed this visit so class was in session, and the hallway’s silent but for the two of us. It smells like chalk dust and pencil shavings and stale overheated air. It must be makin’ her insane.

“Good to see you’re keepin’ watch,” I say. “How’s the day job?”

“Dismal. Days filled with Flats. It’s as if the Quartoren are punishing me.” She glances around, haughty as a queen – or the Matriarch she once hoped to be. She ain’t exactly been quiet about this assignment, but the truth is, nobody has ever been able to make Niobe do somethin’ she was truly averse to.

“Now, what could they be punishin’ you for? They’d have to catch you first.”

There’s a flash of sorrow on her face before she’s composed and cool again, more emotion than I’ve seen from her since I was a little kid. “Loving unwisely, perhaps.”

She’s not aiming the words at me, but they strike all the same. “Wasn’t your fault,” I mumble. “Nobody thought so.”

“Neither was it yours.” But I notice she leaves off the part about what everyone thinks.

Graceful as a dancer – Theo always said she moved like her element – she taps the door of Mouse’s locker and it springs open, revealing binders and notebooks and textbooks three inches thick. “You could go and see her.”

“She’s not ready.” Not entirely sure I am, either. There’s a picture of her and Vee taped to the inside of the door – arms slung around each other, Vee in movie-star sunglasses that take up half her face, Mouse giddy and free in a way I’ve never seen before. We took that from her. She could be happy again, if we survive what’s coming. But that freedom is gone. The least I can do is give her some time.

And a gift. It’s Christmas, after all.

“Today’s the last day before their vacation,” Niobe says. “In case you’re planning on returning soon.”

“Good to know.”

“How many times is this?” she asks, and there’s definitely laughter in the question, rich and amused. “I’ve lost count. Three? Four?”

I don’t answer – just reach Between and pull out today’s present, the gold tissue crackling. Mouse is on the third floor, the connection between us so faint she won’t notice I’m here. I’m always aware of where she is, though, like she’s part of me. Because she is.

I’m fast, but I don’t react quick enough to stop Niobe from snatching the package out of my hand and tugging on the white silk ribbon. The paper falls away, and she studies the little glass vial within. “There’s a difference between magic and superstition, Luc. You of all people should know that.”

The bottle’s barely as long as my thumb, with a gold silk cord wrapped around it like a necklace. I found it in an antique shop on Magazine Street, hidden in a jumble of knick-knacks. But the bottle’s not what matters. It’s the dust inside, rust-red, that counts. By rights she should sprinkle it across her doorstep, but I like the notion she can carry it with her – protection when I’m not around.

“It’s the thought that counts,” I say. Niobe always knows just how to needle me, even now.

“And the thought you wanted to express was best said with a voodoo charm? I’m beginning to think your reputation as a ladies’ man was exaggerated.”

“Not even a little.” I grin, crook my fingers, and the bottle lifts from Niobe’s hand. I don’t look at her as I rewrap it. “How’s she doin’? Really?”

“Well enough. Her family weighs on her. She still believes she can go to New York, as if she’s any other Flat, so she studies accordingly. And it’s hard to say who’s angrier – Mo, or Constance Grey. Mo’s simply better at hiding it.”

Not surprising to hear Mouse is angry, though I’m hoping that will fade soon enough. And it ain’t news that Vee’s little sister is still cranky. Vee might have been a handful, but she was fun. Constance is as sour as an unripe persimmon. It’s hard to see how those two could ever have been sisters.

Niobe falls silent as I place the gleaming package on top of Mouse’s books, then finger her scarf. The red wool carries the scent of her, shampoo and sunshine in the middle of winter. It’s been a month since we spoke, a month since I’ve touched her. A month, and all I can see fit to do is leave her little gifts, like a peace offering. I don’t even know what she does with them – if they make her smile, or if she throws them across the room. I’m pretty sure she’s not mentioning them to Cujo, though.

Turns out Mouse keeps secrets as well as anyone.

“We aren’t supposed to be like this,” I say.

“Indeed.” Sadness etches lines around her mouth, but she lifts a shoulder, like she’s resigned to it. “I wouldn’t recommend telling Mo she’s supposed to be anything other than herself. She tends to react…badly.”

“And don’t I know it?” It’s the whole reason I won’t approach her now. The Quartoren are after me daily to bring her in. They don’t like her, they don’t trust her, and they need her all the same. But I won’t do it, no matter how many times Dominic rails at me over Sunday supper or in the halls of the Assembly. Mouse needs time – to adjust to her life, now that she’s bound to the magic, and to decide what she’ll do next. She doesn’t need me bending her ear, telling her about fate and duty, forcing her hand.

Miracle enough that she’s forgiven me once. I am not inclined to chance it again.

“The Luc I used to know wouldn’t have stood for being ignored,” Niobe says. “You’ve changed.”

My palms feel slick at the thought, and I jam my hands into my pockets, hoping she won’t notice. “That so?”

“Remember when you brought her to the Dauphine?” she asks.

“I seem to recollect Anton sent someone after her and you didn’t lift a finger to help us.”

“You managed,” Niobe reminds me. “I found it illuminating: The Heir, so enamored of a Flat he nearly violated neutral ground to protect her, well before she became The Vessel. You’ve been taken with her from the beginning.”

“Don’t see why that should be a problem.”

“It’s clouding your judgment. You’re the Heir. As such, you have a responsibility to your people, not some Flat girl you found bleeding in an alley.” Before I can cut her off, she touches my shoulder. There’s sympathy in the gesture, which is something I don’t deserve. Especially not from her. “But that’s not all you are, any more than Mo is solely The Vessel. You both have a choice to make.”

“I haven’t had a choice in thirteen years,” I tell her. I don’t mean for the words to sound bitter, but they do. My destiny’s an honor, my father’s told me again and again. Used to be I agreed.

“Then I’d say you’re overdue.” Her dark eyes grow shiny, and she tips her head back to study the ceiling. “The bell’s going to ring soon. She’s in room 302.”

I nod my thanks, and she leaves without another word. Easy enough to go see Mouse this minute, peek in on her while she’s working on some math problem. She’ll never even know, as long as I don’t use our connection. I head for the staircase.

And then I stop. It’s not enough – catching glimpses of her through a window or in a crowd. I want more. I want all of her, not just the part that’s compelled by duty, or promises or fate. I want to give the same back to her.

Just like that, I’ve made my choice.

Sounds fantastic! I bet you could spend a whole 13 hours in complete joy reading the new book. To buy the book, click here.

Also, check out Erica’s website!

I’m giving away a free copy of Crusade (the first book in the Crusade series) on my site here as well. To enter, comment below (1 entry) and tell me if you have followed me on Twitter (1 entry), liked my page on Facebook (2 entries) and followed my reviews on Goodreads (1 entry). Additional entries will be given for tweeting about the contest and for signing up for my newsletter.

And now on to the next stop on the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Visit SUZANNE LAZEAR by clicking here

Welcome to the commentary for chapter four! Remember to post a comment in order to be entered in the drawing. Once all commentaries are up one winner will be selected and they will receive signed copies of the first 3 books in the series.

Okay, chapter four!

I love writing scenes with banter between Mark and Jeremiah. Since the first hospital scene in The Lord is My Shepherd I’ve loved the banter and the antagonism between the two.

I love the line in Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl when Captain Jack Sparrow says there are only two things in life: what a man can do and what he can’t do. That line between what you can and can’t do is something I’ve enjoyed exploring in this series and now in this book. Oftentimes we’re capable of doing far more than we think we can.

I also think there are certain core values and beliefs a person holds that when you strip everything away, even whatever masks they must wear in polite civilization, still hold true. For Mark, a core value is saving lives. At the end of the day, in book three, he was able to violate what he *thought* was one of his principles in order to serve this core value. There are beliefs Cindy holds about herself and what she will and won’t do. Some are true core values and some aren’t. In the last chapter we saw her firm belief that she would not go into the water. The question begs to be asked, is that one of her core values/beliefs or one of the ones that she can/will violate under the right circumstances?

One of the ways in which Cindy is being changed over the series is that she no longer takes things at face value. This is demonstrated by her thought process in this chapter where she wonders if what she’s just witnessed wasn’t an accident.

Yes, in Hawaii which side of your hair you place the flower is the equivalent of stating your single or married status. I spent a lot of time in Hawaii as a kid on vacation with my parents with my flower on the one side. When I went there on my honeymoon, it was a HUGE moment for me when I was able to put the flower on the other side.

I have had several dogs over the years, all of them wicked smart. I was able to train all of them to do a great many things. I couldn’t get one of those dogs ever to properly play fetch. At some point you have to wonder if the problem isn’t with the students but with the teacher. Hmm….

Welcome to the commentary for chapter three! Remember to post a comment in order to be entered in the drawing. Once all commentaries are up one winner will be selected and they will receive signed copies of the first 3 books in the series.

Okay, chapter three!

Waikiki Beach is insanely crowded all the time. That said, there are a ton of beaches throughout the state that have very few people on them and sometimes can be empty.

Luaus are one of the most fantastic experiences you can have in the islands. When we lived in Hawaii, we’d go to a luau every couple of months just to enjoy the food and the fantastic shows. You also get to meet fascinating people sometimes. Cindy meets a particular couple, Charles and Jean. Some people might think that Charles and Jean are thinly veiled references to my husband and I. Those people wouldn’t be wrong. My husband is, among other things, an archaeologist. Every once in a while I put in inside jokes for family and friends.

Historical preservation is a BIG issue in Hawaii.

“You no like the weather, wait five minutes.” That’s true. Weather changes very quickly in the islands.

I love collecting seashells and there are some great beaches in Hawaii for doing that. There’s also a beach on Kauai where you can pick up sea glass.

Lomi lomi salmon is an amazing thing. If you ever make it to a luau or a Hawaiian restaurant, try it. Even if you don’t like salmon. I hate salmon and I gladly eat it. It’s got tomatoes and onions in it. It’s like this amazing salmon salsa.

In my opinion, watching the sun rise or set in Hawaii is a deeply spiritual experience.

When I go snorkeling I’m a bad girl and I don’t use the flotation belts that you can get. While I recommend you use them (it helps you not stress and makes things a bit easier) it is easy to float on your stomach on the ocean as you watch the fish. Also, quick snorkeling tip for those with glasses. If you can remove the screws holding the arms of the glasses in place and put the lens portion down into the mask, you will be able to see just fine without having water leak into your mask. Just don’t lose the screws!!! A boat captain showed me this neat trick when my family and I were snorkeling off the coast of Mauai. On that same snorkeling trip we saw thousands of amazing fish and circing about 15-20 feet below us were several sharks.

Welcome to the commentary for chapter two! Remember to post a comment in order to be entered in the drawing. Once all 19 commentaries are up one winner will be selected and they will receive signed copies of the first 3 books in the series.

On to discussing my thoughts and fun facts regarding chapter two!

This book departs from the pattern of the previous three books. When someone screams, there’s no one near by to come running and see what’s wrong! Isolation and what it means to be alone was one of the things I wanted to examine in this book. Sometimes, there’s no one there to catch you and you have only yourself and God to rely on to get you through.

I have personally had to call 911 once when in college. My roommates and I were living in a house that was off a long, windy road through pastureland and there was a sharp hairpin turn right by our driveway. One night we heard screeching brakes followed by a crash. My 2 roommates, who both had first aid experience and were members of ski patrols on Christmas break, went running down the hill while I was left to call 911. Fortunately, although the car was really messed up, the two guys who had been in it just had some cuts and bruises.

Whenever Cindy gets interviewed by police I comment that it seems to take forever. This is because it does. My husband once witnessed a purse snatching type event. He was far away and the robber had his back to him the entire time with a hood up. We still spent an hour repeating the thirty second story over and over again to the officers who arrived on the scene. They need to be thorough, ask every question in multiple ways to make sure that they’ve jogged your memory. Sometimes we don’t even realize what slight details could be important and so we dismiss them out of hand. I wrote the first couple of chapters of The Lord is My Shepherd soon after experiencing this. I was actually replicating the experience in the scene, but my editor (smart woman!) made me cut out two-thirds of it, because she felt (and rightly so) that readers wouldn’t want to read them asking Cindy the same questions over and over again with slightly altered wording.

Detective Kapono Robinson – not unusual in the islands to have your first name and your last name sound like they don’t belong together. People will have a Hawaiian first name and a European last name or vice-versa.

The hotel Cindy is staying at I have stayed in many, many times. It is right next door to the International Marketplace where there is AMAZING sushi incredibly cheap and Dole Whip. There’s also great shopping there.

I work really hard with my series to layer in things in earlier books that will become important in later books. (For example, the pub climax in book 3 was something I’d been foreshadowing since book 1.) Look for lots of layering in this chapter in the scenes with Jeremiah and Mark.

And those are my thoughts on chapter 2!

Now that Beside Still Waters is out I thought I’d do something fun. I’m going to give you the equivalent of a commentary track for the book. Do not worry as I will not be giving away important plot points (at least, I’ll try not to!) I will be taking each chapter, though, and letting you see some of my thought processes about it as well as let you know some fun facts. This commentary will take roughly 3 weeks as I hope to do a chapter a day. Anyone who comments on any of these commentary posts will be entered into a drawing and at the end of the three weeks I’ll pick one winner who will get signed copies of the first 3 books in the series. Sound like fun?

So, let’s get started!

CHAPTER ONE COMMENTARY

I love writing the first chapter of a book. It’s like the first blush of a new relationship where everything is new and sparkly and very exciting.

I also love vacation more than most people. This has been compounded by the fact that in the last several years I rarely get vacation of any kind. One of the things that most people don’t realize (especially aspiring writers) is just how all-consuming this job is. Putting in a 12 hour day is normal. Putting in a 16 hour day isn’t at all unusual. And weekends and holidays are the days that you *try* to work less. I’ll go off at some other point on the topic of why exactly writers are always so busy, though. Suffice it to say that real, true vacation is rare.

You might have noticed that all of the Psalm 23 Mysteries revolve around a holiday. Sometimes the holiday is an important part of the story itself and sometimes it’s just an accent. I have chosen holidays for the books and some are Christian, some are secular, and others are Jewish. I wanted to be able to give a nice variety. Why holidays? Because I love holidays, maybe even more than I love vacations. Holidays are a break in the routine of life and anything can and will go crazy on a holiday. Some of the greatest, most beautiful moments of my life have occurred on or near holidays. Some of the worst as well. The ones I focus on, though, are the funny, crazy, “if I put that in a story people wouldn’t believe it”, kind of wackiness that can ensue.

That said, I think that Memorial Day is one of the few holidays that I don’t have a crazy story about. Well, some of the characters in the books will have a crazy story now.

The story is set in Hawaii, the place where I spent many vacations with my family growing up. I visited the Arizona Memorial when I was younger and my strongest memory of the experience was watching the older people around me cry. The experience was overwhelming.

The part about Cindy buying playing cards in the gift shop is in there for three reasons: 1. I want people to continue to remember that she plays cards (it will be important later); 2. Everywhere I go I seem to manage to buy a deck of cards as a souvenir. It wasn’t until last Fall that I actually realized that I collect them; 3. It was going to be an important plot point for this book that I later scrapped. However, since the first two were still true, the buying of the cards stayed.

“Uncle” – Thanks to Lilo and Stich many people know that Hawaii is all about O’hana or family. Here’s something you might not know, though. It’s customary to call people older than you “Auntie” and “Uncle” and people your age “Cousin” even if they are strangers to you! It makes the islands one big o’hana!

Pigeon – You might also be familiar with the fact that in Hawaii there is a way of talking called pigeon which consists of slang, the mixing of English and Hawaiian words, and the omission of many words from a sentence. So, when someone asks Cindy “How long you stay?” that is a good example. And yes, I have sprinkled in a lot of pigeon to get the flavor of the islands.

Plate Lunch – very popular in Hawaii, very ono (good). It usually consists of rice and then 2 or 3 other items which are a smattering of foods from many different cultures. Mac salad is popular on a plate lunch and a must on most. Different meat dishes are then added, many with distinctly Asian origins. The plate lunch came about because people from several different countries were brought to Hawaii many years ago to work in the pineapple and sugar fields. You’d have native Hawaiians sitting down to eat their bag lunch with workers from China, Japan, the Philippines, etc. and they would all start sampling each other’s cuisine. The plate lunch was born.

Cindy’s experience with the seemingly empty restaurant. I had an experience similar when walking into a restaurant that I knew should be open and finding it empty but with money out, a phone, etc. I knew the owner and the neighborhood wasn’t the greatest and I started to really worry that something terrible might have happened to them. My husband and I didn’t want to leave the place unguarded with all the things that were lying in plain view. Neither of us wanted to go in the back and check out the kitchen, though. It took twenty minutes, but the entire thing ended okay. The owner had to run to get something, thought they’d flipped the sign and locked the front door, but hadn’t. It was a seriously unnerving feeling and my imagination was running wild with me. (That’s how you know when you’re a writer!) This experience left such an impression on me that it became part of the plot to this book even though it was never originally intended to be.

So, there’s my commentary on chapter one. What did you think?

The day has finally arrived! I am pleased and proud to announce that Beside Still Waters is for sale in both paperback and ebook formats on Amazon! I am thrilled to share this with all of you. It has been a long, hard road to get here, but I’m very excited about the story and can’t wait for everyone to read it.

I heard those of you who shared with me how important it was to make the book available in a traditional print format and so I have. I am planning to make the ebook available through other stores around Halloween. In the meantime, those with ereaders other than Kindles can download free Kindle reading apps to their computers and smart phones when purchasing the book on Amazon.

Thank you all for your support, enthusiasm, and patience.

To buy the print version, click here.

To buy the ebook version, click here.

Thank you all very much for your kind words about everything that has been going on for me. I deeply appreciate them along with the apologies I received. I just wanted to let you all know that in the 2 weeks since I last posted a few things have happened: I stumbled on the stairs in the house and fell, dislocating my knee (an hour after that post, actually!); I got severe food poisoning, my husband came down with the flu, and I somehow managed to wrench my left hand really badly. Today I had to sadly cancel a planned appearance at the RWA convention in Anaheim and book signings in the area which I had been looking forward to for months.

However, you will be happy to know that barring any other unforeseen incidents, Beside Still Waters will be available in 2 weeks. I will post the moment it goes live.

First off, I need to say that I am excited about Beside Still Waters and can’t wait for everyone to have a chance to read it. I love this series, I love these characters, I’m thrilled that you do, too. I’m sorry that it’s taking so long, but life has been rough and I’ve been picking up the pieces as fast as I can.

Several people have contacted me to ask if I’m okay. Frankly, I’m far from okay but at least I know I’m on the road to getting there now. I don’t think it’s appropriate to overburden people with my problems and so I’ve tried very hard not to. However, some fans have contacted me saying some very hurtful things about how I have “no respect for my fans” because I have not updated my website. At the same time, when I’ve tried to pop onto social media, such as Facebook, just to connect for a moment, others have gotten irate with me that I was trying to reach out to friends and fans instead of working. Thankfully, many people have been very supportive and I thank God for their prayers and their genuine concern for me and love for my books. Here’s my attempt to answer the question, “What’s happened to you?”

For January and the first part of February I spent 5 weeks flat on my back unable to work AT ALL and during that time period I had surgery. For those of you who know how many books I put out in one year you will be horrified when you realize I lost more than a month out of my working year. This put me a month behind in EVERYTHING.

Now, I have 4 different publishers, all of whom are incredibly kind, but who have rigid timelines of their own. I had to scramble to make up for lost time and meet my obligations to them because if I don’t, it throws the work schedules for dozens of people off. I have to fulfill my professional obligations first. In order to do that for the remainder of February through the middle of May I worked 18 hours a day for 7 days a week. I even worked on Easter. Not one day off for 3 months. Oh, and when I wasn’t writing I was cooking and cleaning the house and getting what little sleep I could.

I had just about caught up when my husband broke his arm while we were on a business trip and he ended up having surgery on it nearly a week later. I spent the equivalent of another business week in the emergency room and hospital with him during this time. I did let people know that had happened. What most people don’t know is that my husband has cerebral palsy. He is severely right-handed and he broke his right arm. He couldn’t walk by himself because he couldn’t use the arm to brace himself against walls or furniture and the pain medication they had him on kept him drowsy and sometimes dizzy. He then had a second emergency room trip and hospital stay due to a bad reaction to the medication. For 4 weeks I did not get more than 2 hours of sleep a night, if that. I was working and taking care of him. He had to train himself to use his left arm just to do things like eat on his own and that was no easy task for either of us. I was so exhausted that tears would just roll down my face even though I wasn’t crying. I was writing every moment that I wasn’t helping him. So, 3 months of working 18 hours a day immediately followed by 1 month of working/helping him for 22 hours a day. And then I finally collapsed as my body gave out from exhaustion and stress.

Imagine all that. And I’m not even talking about half of the other things that have happened in those last 4 months to cause amounts of stress so high that I’m getting migraines and chest pains for the first time in my life.

To everyone who has sent prayers, good thoughts, and kind wishes, THANK YOU. Please keep them coming. To everyone who has sent angry letters and hate mail, I’m sorry, at the end of the day making sure my husband has eaten and that he was able to shower were more important to me than updating this website. And, yeah, I kind of figured people would rather I work on the books before spending time here, too. After all, they told me so on Facebook.

Again, I love Beside Still Waters, and I am going to publish it. When I do, I will let everyone know.