Wreader Fun

I was scheduled to post on the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference blog on July 2nd but somehow, I ended up there today. This makes for some out-of-sequence reading because I wrote the first paragraph as if it was going to be posted on July 2nd. *sigh* Here's the complete text with photos - although I look a smidgeon different today due to a 30 lb weight loss :). Yay. Ah, September – one of my favourite times of the year. Huh? Yes, I know it’s only July 2nd because we celebrated Canada Day yesterday and it’s just 2 days before the U.S. Fourth of July festivities. But, still… September is the premiere social event of the season. To this Canadian gal, anyway. I’ve only been an ACFW member since 2007 and was thrilled to discover my first conference would be in Minneapolis – a simple 2 day drive from our prairie farm in southeast Saskatchewan. And, I was familiar with the area having lived several hours north of the twin cities for years, albeit across the border. Man...

Just a couple more days to get in the drawing for a brand new copy of Jillian Hart's Love Inspired The Soldier's Holiday Vow . Check my June 22nd blog  for complete instructions. So far, 3 people have played the game so they each get their name thrown into the hat twice: - Carol's answers are in the comment section of the June 22 blog - Christa and Tammy have entered on my eHarlequin blog Also on my eHarlequin blog is FakeFrenchie who commented but didn't play the game so she gets her name in only once. There's still time to enter, but don't wait too long. I'll make the drawing on July 1st. :)

Today I'm showing photos and blogging about my weekend away at a writer's retreat at St. Peter's Abbey in Muenster, Sask. That's happening over at Prairie Chicks Write Romance . And don't forget about the book giveaway and Dynamite Contest I've got going on here until the end of June. :-)

I'm back from my annual writing retreat at St. Peter's College and feeling great! I got so much done while at the monastery and want to share my joyful feelings, so I'm giving away a new copy of Jillian Hart's Love Inspired The Soldier's Holiday Vow . Yes, the book was released in Dec 2009 but the one I'm giving away has never been read. I want to make this a fun contest which involves both writers and readers. Last week, my son and I had a bit of excitement when we found what we thought was 100 sticks of dynamite on the side of the road. Well, it wasn't dynamite but an empty U.S. fireworks container . The thing is, it could have been a dangerous situation. One of the readers of my blog over at eHarlequin mentioned something about possible terrorists planning a raid at the G8/G20 summit in Toronto. My theory is that it was left as part of an exercise by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Training Academy which is in Regina, close to where I found the i...

To my hubby: I love the way you create laughter in our family. I couldn't have picked a better man to be the father of my children. Happy Father's Day, Honey.

Healer (Book 1 The Brides of Alba) by Linda Windsor June 2010, Published by David C. Cook I absolutely loved this book. Linda Windsor has just become one of those auto-buy authors for me. That means I’ll buy her books just because she’s the author regardless of the story line, because I know I’m going to be highly entertained with her stories. That’s the impression I got from reading Healer . Although she’s multi-published, Healer is the first time I’ve been exposed to Linda’s writing. It certainly won’t be the last. In Healer , Linda has seamlessly woven historical fact and fiction together with fantasy to create an unforgettable story. The heroine’s gift of vision reminded me of my grandmother. To some, the gift of visions is unnatural or ungodly, but I believe God grants miracles and visions to aid His children today just as he did 2000 years ago and earlier. And yes, even in the 6th century. My grandmother experienced visions when a loved one was in danger so I’m very comfort...

Yesterday's post was about a box of tubes which looked a lot like dynamite sticks taped together. Well, I received a call from the RCMP and it wasn't dynamite. The Mountie said I'd found an empty United States fireworks container. Which means it was just litter and no danger at all. Still, I'm glad I didn't satisfy my curiousity and look behind it for fuses. Kind of anti-climatic, isn't it?

Just after lunch on Sunday, I took my son to the city via the route which passes by the cheapest gas station around. About a mile after leaving the highway, I passed what looked like a block of dynamite sticks on the side of the road. Yeah, right. I backed the van up and pulled alongside. But yes, it really looked like 100 sticks of dynamite all taped into a block. I took photos both with my camera and cell phone although I stayed in the van. The dynamite was stained, making it look old and was probably unstable. We were still 10 miles from the city. It probably wasn’t dynamite but to be safe, I drove about a hundred feet up the road then pulled over to phone the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Mountie I spoke to said he’d send someone out to see. I said I’d wait there. Now you have to understand, it was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. My son, JJ, was going on a school camping trip and needed some items. I needed to pick up hubby’s prescription. The pharmacy closes at 6pm o...

The Sears catalogue arrived this week. Considering we've had maybe 2 really warm days this year so far, I didn't need the reminder that summer would be over in a few short months. At least the front cover model isn't wearing fur this year. Gloves, yes. A parka, no. The grass is emerald green after 3 weeks of rain. There have been some bright moments. Like when we looked out our living room window and saw 2 deer in the front yard. With all the vegetation out in the bush and fields, I don't know why they decided to visit us. JJ looked out one evening and started hollerin' about a tornado. It was just a cloud but I can see his point. Our neighbour to the east has his new crop of foals out. I love the sight of the little ones but they're hard to photograph because they tend to keep on the far side of mom. This one's just a baby and hasn't learned to hide yet. In the story I'm working on, the hero, Dan, rides a sorrel gelding so the coloring is much like ...

Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico  by Lena Nelson Dooley,  (Summerside Press) May 2010 An expert historical author, Lena has woven a beautiful story of redemption into the fabric of life in 1890 New Mexico. It’s a tale of love and forgiveness without making you feel like you’ve been on an extreme emotional roller coaster. It starts when an old miner sends away for a young mail-order bride much to the consternation of Jeremiah, the young friend who looks after him. Jeremiah doesn’t understand old Philip’s faith in God or that the right woman will appear. And when a woman steps off the train and stirs Jeremiah’s heart, the realization that she’s Philip’s intended just doesn’t sit right with Jeremiah at all. Add to that, the woman shares Philip’s religious beliefs. Madeline Mercer needs to escape Boston. Without waiting for confirmation after answering an ad for a mail-order bride, she heads to New Mexico with a new baby and 2 servants in tow. But, her steadfast faith in God f...

I'm hosting Love Inspired author, Cheryl Wyatt over at Prairie Chicks Write Romance today. Cheryl is talking about the importance of that little thing called a comma and how it can change the meaning of a sentence. If you don't believe me, look at this one she uses as an example: Without the comma:  Good call girls . With the comma: Good call, girls. Can you think of a sentence where the meaning changes by adding or deleting the comma? Put it in a comment at Prairie Chicks today before midnight. Cheryl will pick the one that makes her laugh the most as the winner of a copy of her current release, Steadfast Soldier .

I'm blogging about Summer Fun over at Inkwell Inspirations  and I've posted a whole bunch of photos to show how much fun we have during the summer here at the farm. The photos include: - showing the proper technique for jumping out of the hayloft - how to hang from the rafter - a real John Deere tractor - training a team to pull a conestoga wagon minus the canvas covering - and paddle boating on our dugout So if you have a few minutes, maybe mosey on over and have a laugh or two. And here's a photo if you don't have time to visit the Inkwell today. No wonder I lose my kids all the time. LOL For my question of the day, I'm asking if anyone can relate to any of the photos. It sure would be nice if you share your memories.