Donna Shepherd passed along a wonderful link from CBN.com that contains the most information I’ve ever seen on the Biblical misinterpretations found in The Da Vinci Code, a work of fiction.

Check it out here — The Da Vinci Code: A Biblical Response.

Another writing contest. Sally Apokedak at All About Children’s Books has announced a poetry contest asking you to write a stanza of a “feechie love song.” These are common throughout the Wilderking trilogy of books by author Jonathan Rogers.

Here’s a sample stanza from Book 2, The Secret of the Swamp King:

She smells just as sweet as a mud turtle’s feet.
Her hair is as soft as a possum.
Once I walked by her side,
but she knocked me cross-eyed,
It took me a week to uncross ’em.

The winner gets a signed set of all three books of the trilogy, The Bark of the Bog Owl, The Secret of the Swamp King, and The Way of the Wilderking. These Christian fantasy books are published by Broadman & Holman and make excellent family summer reading.

Please encourage your kids to enter!!!

You can read more details about the contest in this post here at All About Children’s Books. You will need to email Sally your contest entry or be bold and share it with everyone in the comments section. If you want a good laugh, go read the ones that are already posted.

Deadline is May 31, 2006.

When I left off yesterday, I told you I was eating lunch with some new friends at the “Life in Balance” conference in Chattanooga. I had gone to hear the FlyLady speak, but I ended up having this fabulous conversation with these very Spirit-filled women. I wanted to know how in the world their church was so passionate about knowing God.

They shared with me that their pastor had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit at the Glorieta conference center in New Mexico. He came back a changed man and set about renewing the vision for his church.

Well, I wanted to know more details. I love Glorieta! I went there last fall for a writer’s conference — here’s what it looks like.

“You should read his book,” one lady said to me. “He wrote his whole story in a book. It’s in the church bookstore. It’s called Awakened by the Spirit by our pastor, Ron Phillips.”

Oh, I wanted to read that book!

We talked for a while more, then I felt like I should get back to the sanctuary, so I’d be on time to finally hear the FlyLady speak. As I was about to leave, I decided to pass out a few of my cards — they have my website on there, and you just never know. I’ve been to enough of these conferences to realize that every person you talk to is probably a Divine appointment; it takes such effort and expense to go to a conference that each conversation may have a significant impact on your life.

Then one of the ladies asked if she could pray for me. Pray for ME! So we all held hands, all seven of us, and they prayed for me, that God would reveal His purpose for bringing me here. One lady had mentioned before that this verse was on her heart for the conference — Psalm 139:16: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

She said she believed God had “ordained” (called) each woman who came to this conference. Um … that would be … me.

WELL! Can you imagine being that nice to a stranger? I thanked them for their prayer, and then I headed back to the church building. On the way, I saw the bookstore, which drew me in like a magnet. I walked in and started looking around. Right away, I found Ron Phillips’ book, Awakened by the Spirit, published by Thomas Nelson.

I really wanted to read it! I picked it up and flipped through it, but I couldn’t justify buying a book when I’ve already got a dozen books I need to review. Then I saw that this pastor had written another book called Kiss of the Father, and it was published more recently. I thought it might make a good book for my CWO “Book Buzz” column next month, which will be featuring books written by and for fathers.

I didn’t know what to do. I wanted them both. But I knew I probably should only buy one.

Then a lady I recognized from lunch walked over and said, “I’d like to buy one of these books for you. God prompted me to come in here, that you were going to want to read these books, and you could only buy one. Well, you’ve got to read them both. They’re all part of his story.”

I couldn’t let her do that! “Oh, that’s OK,” I told her.

“No, really,” she smiled. “I’d love to do this for you.”

I was about to cry. Why was she being so nice to me?

So she paid for one of the books, and I paid for the other. I immediately went out to the auditorium and started reading, devouring Awakened by the Spirit. It was the story of a burned-out pastor who was on an airplane to New Mexico to speak at a retreat. He had just finished typing out a resignation letter on his laptop; he was so burned out and ready to QUIT.

But at Glorieta, he heard a powerful speaker one night — and then he sensed God’s presence filling him as never before.

I had to stop reading, as the conference started back up. And this time there were awesome praise singers. No shouting. Just music that filled the room with beautiful praise.

Next, there were some prize giveaways, and a short mini-drama about a woman who discovered how the secret to balancing all the things we have to do in life is through prayer, through Christ.

Then Marla Cilley (FlyLady) spoke, and I heard her say the words I know God wanted me to hear. She said, “God has a purpose for each of your lives. My mission is to help each of you find time in your day to fulfill that calling. If I can help you save time by getting your household routines in order, you’ll be able to do those things you’re called to do.”

Can you believe that?

But I still had more to learn. I came home and read that whole book in nearly one night. It ties in so well with all that we’re learning in the Beth Moore study about the Holy Spirit. Here was the story of another pilgrim, another example of a changed life through the power of God.

Those ladies who prayed for me have no idea how much I needed to read that book! And of course they also had no idea that I have a means to share what I’m learning with people around the world! If you’re at all feeling burned out and wondering if the Holy Spirit even exists, I highly recommend Awakened by the Spirit.

The funny thing is, if it weren’t for you blog readers, I would never have gone to this conference! So, thanks!!

If you need a real dose of encouragement, the new May issue of Christian Women Online magazine is hot off the press. I can’t wait for you to see it because guess who is the new “Book Buzz” columnist? Me! I’ve found a fun place to buzz about the latest, greatest inspirational books for women.

There are plenty of cool things going on at CWO for bloggers — I hope you’ll join the party if you haven’t already. First of all, you can join the CWO Blogring and you’ll be linked to the site. Here’s what the purpose of the Blogring is:

The Christian Women Online blog ring was newly created to unite women of faith via the internet. Web users can use this unique list to easily find other women that share the same faith, without having to waste hours searching through secular blogs that may hold little or no interest to them.

This is a great way to stay connected to other like-minded bloggers. And once a month, CWO will feature a “Pick of the Month” blog, offering you the opportunity to introduce your blog to tons of new readers! This month’s feature is the beautiful My Prairie Rose blog, where “Carolyn shares her life as a 47 year-old Christian wife, mom and grandma who loves to read, scrapbook, and other crafty things.”

Besides the Blog of the Month, the May issue of CWO features a free book drawing and writing contest, as well as inspirational columns and articles on growing in your faith, scrapbooking, home organizing, eating healthy, homeschooling, parenting, new recipes, and more! I hope you’ll go check it out. Best of all, it’s free!

A couple of years ago, my husband and I took a 10th anniversary trip from sea to shining sea, flying to Santa Barbara, California. I was in a zany mood and wanted to pass the time on our flight, so I combed the bookstore for a novel that hollered, “Read me. I’m good, clean FUN.” I found it. The cover featured a skinny cartoon girl walking a tiny dog, and it was published by a new Christian publisher, Westbow Press. It leaped off the shelf at me, and I couldn’t even wait until our trip to start reading it.

The title? She’s Out of Control by Kristin Billerbeck. I loved it. I didn’t even notice the airline served us nothing but a mini bag of pretzels on our 3-hour flight. So, I’ve been hanging out lately at this totally hip blog for Christian novel fans, Girls Write Out. Have you visited yet?

If you haven’t, you’ve got to meet this Fab Foursome: along with Kristin Billerbeck, you can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it’s like to be a Christian fiction writer, from the keyboards of fellow bloggers, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt, and Colleen Coble.

Well, Colleen’s got a great publicist because she somehow found me and asked if I’d like to interview Colleen.

Would I? She’s an award-winning Christian writer who is also a MOM. You bet! I know that at least one of you is an aspiring Christian chick-lit novelist, but I won’t say WHO. (Oh, excuse me, did I let that slip?)

Let’s welcome author Colleen Coble today to Mom 2 Mom Connection.

Thanks for visiting, Colleen. I notice on your website, you’re a “Romantic Suspense Author.” Can you tell us a little about your pathway to becoming a published novelist?

Thanks, Heather. I’d known I wanted to write from the time I wrote my first story in 1st grade. I can still remember that story. It was about a horse that had twin colts. The teacher praised it, and the seed was planted in my heart.

I planned for it all through school, but got married at 19 and had my first baby at 21. I got busy raising my kids. The seed was still there, but it lay dormant. It took the pressure of adversity to crack it open.

A few months shy of my 40th birthday, my younger brother Randy was killed by lightning. It was a wake-up call that if I was going to follow my dream, I should get on with it. None of us knows how long God has planned for us on this earth.

I’m sorry to hear about your brother. That does sound like a startling wake-up call. How long did it take you to write your first novel?

It took me a year to write and then six more years to sell it. My first book, a prairie romance, sold to Barbour. Seventeen more sales followed to them, but my dream was always to write suspense. People ask why I write about murder when I’m friendly and outgoing. I think it’s because I’ve seen bad things happen in my life, and I want justice to win. I can make sure that happens in my writing.

Wow. You must really get hooked into writing the plots if there’s a murder to be solved. What advice would you give to women who love reading novels and think they’d like to write one someday?

Don’t just think about it! Read extensively in the genre you’d like to write. Join an online organization like American Christian fiction Writers and network with other writers.

Read books on writing such as Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, and Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. Attend writing conferences. All these steps will increase your chances of writing something publishable.

I heard James Scott Bell give the keynote address at the Glorieta Christian Writer’s Conference last year, and I’m also reviewing his latest novel now. Do you really think it’s helpful for aspiring writers to go to conferences?

It’s VITAL! I can’t recommend it enough. At a conference you can meet editors and agents face to face, and while you may not sell your book at the first one, you’ll begin to build the networks and relationships that will grow as you meet every year at the conference.

You’ll also find other writers you “click” with who will become lifelong friends to encourage and commiserate as you tackle the writing adventure. And a really great conference has workshops where you’ll learn more about writing than you ever dreamed possible.

Also, they’re just plain FUN! No one else understands the writing life like another writers. Not your family, your best friend or your mother. Only other writers know what it feels like to put your heart into a book only to have it come zinging back in your mailbox. Only another writer knows how it feels when you finally get “the call.” I met my wonderful agent at the conference at Mount Hermon, and we just clicked. She went back to the office and read my proposal for Without a Trace and bought it, and I know it wouldn’t have happened without that conference.

Oh, I can relate to that feeling of sending something out and having it rejected. No fun at all. And you’re right — nobody else understands but other writers! Do you recommend any conferences?

For Christian fiction, there’s no better conference than the ACFW one. Virtually every publishing house in CBA has a representative in attendance. And there’s plenty of time to pitch your book to the many who are there. The workshops are stellar, and this year our keynote is Liz Curtis Higgs, a wonderful writer and amazing speaker. She’s totally hilarious to listen to.

I also think Liz is hysterical. I read her columns in Today’s Christian Woman magazine, and I’m also reviewing her novel, Grace in Thine Eyes right now. Will you be at the ACFW conference in Dallas this September?

Yes! I’m actually teaching an early bird main morning session with Deb Raney.

I notice that your latest novel is called Alaska Twilight. Did you have to go to Alaska for research?

I’m an Alaska nut. I’ve read about it, dreamed about it, and watched every movie about it 40 times. Okay, maybe not quite that many, but a lot.

So when WestBow asked me to do a Women of Faith book, that was the first setting I thought of. I also had two writer friends from Alaska who read it for me to make sure I got it right.

How do you decide on where your novels should be set?

I generally start with setting when coming up with a new story. It needs to be some place that has a certain mystique for me. I like my setting to play a role in the story where you couldn’t take that story and set it anywhere else.

I know so little about Alaska, though I’d love to go someday. I read on your website that you had a contest for one of your readers to identify the Alaskan craft mentioned in Alaska Twilight. A hoofaboo! How interesting.

I had so much fun writing that book. You can read several reviews of it on my website.

Can you tell us more about that fun blog you participate in, Girls Write Out? I discovered it through being a reader of Kristin Billerbeck’s chick-lit. How did you get to know each other?

Kristin and I have been friends the longest. We were both writing for Heartsong Presents at the time and connected online. We first met at the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference. Her mother-in-law was appalled she was going to room with someone she’d never met!

But we clicked as much in person as we did on email. Diann and Denise both live about an hour from me, and we all started at Barbour. The three of us get together a lot and all four of us room together at the ACFW conference. It’s our yearly girls night out.

That sounds like WAY too much fun. How did you get started blogging?

The four of us knew we’d like to have a blog but we also knew we’d never have the time to maintain one on our own so we pooled our resources. And we wanted it to be for READERS not just writers.

We wanted it to be relevant to women no matter what their age or occupation. We blog about stuff our husbands do, the perplexities of life, all kinds of things.

Well, I’m certainly enjoying reading it. I have one more quick question. Do you have a mentor of any kind?

The four of us mentor one another. We’ve been iron sharpening iron. And my editors have really helped me grow as well. Stephen King is my favorite author. He can write characters like no one else. I bet I’ve read THE STAND thirty times.

Do you have any more advice for aspiring writers?

The writing life can be tough. Friends make it more about the journey and less about the arriving, so make finding some writing friends a top priority!

Thanks, Colleen! This has been such a wonderful chat. I hope at least one of us will be able to meet you and the other writers in your Fab Foursome in Dallas at the ACFW conference. Thanks for stopping in.

Thanks, Heather! These were great questions.

If y’all enjoyed this chat with Colleen Coble, be sure and stop by Girls Write Out or her website and say hello! There’s also another great interview with Colleen at the ACFW website, where I learned that she reads 4-5 books a week!

Have you been feeling stressed out lately? I have. I’m stressed. You’re stressed. We’re all stressed, right? As women, we’re rocking the cradle, raising up the next generation, and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders … at least, that’s what it seems like at 5:00 in the afternoon when everybody’s hungry and we gotta feed ’em. Do you ever feel like saying, “I need some time to BREATHE!”

Ah …. We’re in for a treat today. I’ve discovered a mom who is an expert on teaching women how to find the breathing room we need to survive. Everybody say “hello” to Keri Wyatt Kent! She’s a mom and author of several books for women, including Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life and her newest that releases this week (woohoo!) Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life.

Hi, Keri. Thanks for visiting Mom 2 Mom Connection. We’re all glad you’re here!

Thanks, Heather, for inviting me.

Keri, not all of us here are moms, but we all know how it feels to be pulled in 20 different directions as we try to please everyone. It’s impossible. Is there something missing in our lives? I know you write and speak about a woman’s soul and what we really need. Can you tell us more about this?

I think we neglect our soul because we think caring for it is a luxury. But really, it’s a necessity. Parenting is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Would we run a marathon without breathing? Of course not. Would we prepare for a marathon by not eating anything for a few days prior? We need to take in air and fuel in order to run.

In the same way, if we are going to love and lead our children, those are spiritual activities. They are ways of expending spiritual energy. We can’t do that very well if we haven’t taken in energy — fed our souls, so to speak. That’s the kind of thing I write about — how to breathe and feed your soul.

How can a woman find a place where her soul can breathe?

Well, she can’t do it by waiting for someone else to give it to her. As women, we often worry about other people’s needs, and we secretly wish someone would give that kind of care to us. But typically, they don’t. Rather than feeling frustrated by that, we need to choose to care for ourselves. Decide to do this. You’re an adult, you don’t have to ask permission to care for yourself.

Do you have any suggestions for how we can enlist help?

In practical terms, that means you have to get a sitter or a friend or relative to watch your kids, and get out of the house. You need to trust that God is in control and someone else can handle your children. Decide where to go — there are a lot of retreat centers all over the country. Or, if it’s nice, go to a park or beach. If it’s not nice outside, go to a library or even a coffee shop — but not one where you’ll run into people you know.

Some churches keep a chapel or room open where you can go for silent prayer — that’s a great option. Another idea is to have a friend watch your kids at your house, and you go to her now quiet and empty house for some time alone. Make sure you return the favor for her!

Do you think getting away alone is something we should try to do every day?

It depends. I suggest trying to get a bit of time (say five minutes) each morning, to just offer your day to God, ask Him to help you to notice Him in your day, just to ask for His help with whatever challenges you’re facing. Trying to have a long time of solitude or prayer with very small children underfoot is a recipe for frustration. If your children are very young, aim for five minutes a day, and then once a week, plan ahead for a longer time, even if it’s only for an hour.

The time away from the kids is as important as anything you read or pray about. Give this as a gift to yourself. If you trade babysitting with a friend, it won’t cost you anything.

I love the idea of giving this as a gift to ourselves. How can we convince our families that we need this time away?

That can be a challenge. Don’t start with asking for an entire weekend away. Start with an hour. If your spouse won’t help, get a friend to watch your kids. Take the time. Too often we say, “Oh, my husband won’t help,” or “My kids won’t let me,” or whatever. Don’t fall into the trap of letting other people make decisions that you are supposed to make.

Wow! That hits close to home for me. I have a hard time admitting that I can’t do it all.

Explain that in order to be the best mommy you can be, you need to have some time alone. The old “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” is really true. I think our families can see that — it’s not usually them that needs to be convinced. It’s us. We have to let go of thinking we are the only ones who can do things around our house or with the kids.

Also, if your husband is the one with the kids while you are gone, don’t come home and complain about how he handled things, or re-do the dishes he washed. That’s one sure way to dissolve his support in an instant.

Those are great ideas, Keri. I’m always so thankful when my husband keeps our kids for a while — and they end up doing fun things that are different than when I’m home. What about women who need to find support outside of their home? Can you tell us how you got involved with MOPS?

MOPS stands for “Mothers of Preschoolers.” It’s a wonderful international organization that provides resources and support to mothers of young children. There are chapters all around the world. You can find out if there’s one near you by going to their website.

They typically meet in churches but are independent and are a very comfortable and accepting environment for all moms, regardless of their background or where they are on their spiritual journey.

I got involved with them through my writing — my first book, God’s Whisper in a Mother’s Chaos, was a popular resource with groups. MOPS eventually put it in their catalog, and did the same with my second book.

I think we’re all looking for God’s whisper in the midst of our chaos. That sounds like something I need to read!

Because of these books, a lot of local groups have invited me to come and speak to them. My third book, Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life, was co-published by MOPS International. After it came out, several more MOPS groups invited me to speak. I was also invited to teach a workshop at the MOPS International convention. My newest book, Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, is featured in their magazine, MomSense, this month. I also write articles for that magazine pretty regularly. It’s a great resource for moms.

Yes, I love reading your stories in MomSense. Can you tell us what people do at MOPS meetings? Is this only for moms with preschoolers?

A typical MOPS meeting depends on the group. There’s childcare (called “Moppets”) provided, which is great. They often have coffee and a snack, but some groups serve a buffet breakfast. Usually there’s a speaker talking about some aspect of parenting or spiritual growth, often about how those two areas of life intersect. Some groups do a craft and there’s usually time for small group discussion and sharing.

What about moms who might have teenagers or an empty nest? Is there a way for moms to get involved as a mentor of some sort to the younger moms?

Each MOPS group is run by a committee of volunteers, which usually has at least one “mentor mom,” whose kids are beyond the preschool years. Obviously, some moms have kids who are spread out in age so they might have one preschooler and a couple of older kids. There are also groups for moms who are teens themselves, as well as single moms — although sometimes those moms are included in a regular group.

MOPS groups always need mentor moms, and it’s a great ministry. All the mentor moms I talk to say they get so much by giving in this way.

Keri, you have given us all some fantastic ideas. And I can’t wait to learn more about how we can find space for ourselves to breathe and listen to God. I’m looking forward to having you visit again tomorrow.

Thanks. I’ve enjoyed it!

Tomorrow, Keri will be back to give us more details on what we can discover in her new books for women. If you’d like more information about Keri Wyatt Kent, please visit her website, as well as MOPS . You can also read Keri’s latest MomSense article here on the Christianity Today website.

What happens when you hear something really funny? You probably can’t wait to repeat the story to someone else so you can enjoy another laugh. (If you’re like me, you’ll probably forget the punch line in the midst of retelling.) But if you’re a novelist, everything you hear may end up as a character or scene in your next book, as author Jonathan Rogers tells about here.

There are only two more weeks until the final installment of the Wilderking trilogy hits the stores. I’ve had a sneak peek at The Way of the Wilderking, and it’s absolutely the best one yet. If you’ve missed out on the first two books in this inspirational fantasy series for kids, you can enter the Riverbottom Forest at the official Wilderking site and catch up.

Our kids have all loved the first two Wilderking books: The Bark of the Bog Owl and The Secret of the Swamp King. You can read some blogger reviews of these books here and here. Stacy of Active Christian Media wrote to tell us she plans on interviewing Jonathan Rogers this week — I’ll let you know when the link is up, or you can check her site.

Meanwhile, you can get to know this author behind the scenes through The Wilderking Weblog. I hope you can click on over and welcome someone new to the blogosphere. His children’s novels are for kids of all ages — a series parents actually ENJOY reading out loud as a family. Warning: our favorite feechie, Dobro Turtlebane, is so funny in Book 3, you may end up reading all night because your kids are going to keep begging you: Just one more chapter, please!

You can probably tell I’ve got the beach on my mind this week, can’t you? Here’s another excuse to think about sand and surf. An author who writes mystery books set on islands! And … she’s an award-winning playwright and a grandmother. Everybody say hello to Vonda Skinner Skelton!

Best of all, Mrs. Skelton is a woman of faith who loves connecting with people through writing — AND I’ve met her in person in Nashville. She’s a beautiful woman with a kind heart, who gave me a big ol’ hug. So, I had to invite her to come visit us here.

Welcome to Mom 2 Mom Connection!

Thanks for inviting me, Heather.

I have to tell you, I’ve read your mystery books, and they’re set in places I’m familiar with, on Tybee and Amelia Islands, off the coast of Georgia. Can you tell us how you got started writing mysteries for children?

I’m always asked what gave me the great idea to start an island mystery series. Well, I hate to admit it, but I didn’t have the idea at all. The truth is, it just happened! The first book was set on Tybee Island because we had visited there when I was a child, and the second one was on Amelia Island because that’s where my oldest grandchildren live.

You’re a grandmother! Can you tell us a little about your family?

I’d love to! My sweet husband, Gary, and I were high school sweethearts and have now been married for 36 years. Our oldest daughter, Christina is married to Todd and they live on Amelia Island, Florida. They are the parents of our oldest grandchildren, Garrett (10) and Ellie (7). They are the stars along with Bitsy in the Amelia Island book. Our youngest daughter, Nicole, is married to Steve, and they have Cole (5) and Mallory (2), who will be in the third book, set on Hilton Head Island.

What do your grandchildren think about you writing mystery books?

I’m blessed to have an extremely supportive family, and the grandkids think it’s really cool that I write books, especially when I go to their schools. And Garrett and Ellie enjoyed their own moment in the spotlight when they, too, were asked to sign books because they were characters in the Amelia Island mystery!

Oh, that sounds like fun! Your grandkids get to help you sign books. I bet they give you a lot of ideas for writing.

Yes, they’ve given me a few ideas for the books, but I find I use their stories most often when I speak at Christian women’s events. The hilarious things they say often fit well with a point I’m trying to make as I speak. There’s nothing like the innocent words of a child to get a point across!

Oh, I know all about those cute things kids say. And if I don’t write them down, I’ll forget! So, do you think a person can write books for children even if their children are grown?

Definitely! I didn’t write until my kids were grown. I also think that some of us are better able to recognize the humor in life as we get older. When I was a young wife and mother, I was so focused on trying to do things right and raise responsible kids, that I often missed the laughter in situations.

And now, as I look back on my childhood, I see so much more than I did back then. The passing of years has helped me see the love my parents had for us and the sacrifices they made; for the struggles they had as a young couple with no money and four kids. I didn’t see the beauty of the experience back then. I do now, and I cherish it.

Now, can you tell us about your mysteries?

I’d love to. My first book, Bitsy and the Mystery at Tybee Island, introduces Bitsy, a 12-year-old tomboy from a poor family who always manages to get into trouble. She’s the oldest of three girls and her mother is expecting the fourth child at any time—and Bitsy’s not happy about it. The family travels to Tybee Island to test her father’s newest invention, suntan lotion. Bitsy and her cousin, Matt, decide to search for buried treasure, but instead discover more than they bargained for.

I remember that in the book. I thought it was so funny that Bitsy’s dad was trying to get them to test out his invention by using homemade suntan lotion on half their body and the leading brand on the other half! Did any of these things happen to you in real life?

Yes, believe it or not, my daddy was one of those great characters who was always going to invent something or come up with a great business deal that would make our family rich. Did we ever get rich? No! But he left a great collection of true stories for me to write about!

I’ve used lots of things that really did happen to me or someone I know and put them in my fictional books. Remember the bully getting his head caught in the porch rail on Amelia Island? That really happened to my brother when we were kids. (And I have to admit, I DID enjoy smearing him with mayonnaise and butter to get him out!)

Remember Bitsy’s Bangles? Well, believe it or not, I really had a jewelry business when I was 12-years-old, thanks to my dad. That’s the joy of fiction—you can do anything you want! You simply use the facts that would drive the story. But then take other scenes from your life, or other peoples’ lives, and use them any way you want—within reason, of course.

Wow! You’re getting me interested in writing some children’s fiction someday! Now, what about your second book?

In Bitsy and the Mystery at Amelia Island, Bitsy heads to Amelia Island, Florida to visit her friends, Garrett and Ellie. Although she has just turned over a new leaf—to live at peace with everyone, her resolution quickly dissolves when she has a run-in with the neighborhood bully, Ernie Van Tache. In this book, the kids search for a “ghost,” run from a “witch,” and attempt to discover what’s so important about a mysterious family portrait, all of which teaches Bitsy the true meaning of “the best things in life.”

How in the world did you come up with ideas for your books?

When I decided to write my first book, I knew several things before I started. I knew I wanted my book to be a mystery because I love to read mysteries; I knew I wanted it to be a book for kids because I love kids and enjoy interacting with them.

I also knew I wanted it to be based on my own family; and I knew I wanted the story to be set at Tybee Island, Georgia because it held special memories for me. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that Tybee had a lighthouse and abandoned forts, which are both great for mysteries.) But I had one little problem—I didn’t have a mystery! So I grabbed my mother and we headed down to Tybee Island to do some research.

That sounds like a fun place to do some research. But how did you find the mystery angle?

I guess you want me to be honest here, so I’ll admit my ignorance: I never realized Blackbeard the Pirate was a real person. I know, I know. I’m probably the only adult in America who didn’t know that little tidbit of information, but I didn’t.

Well, while doing my research, I discovered that not only was Blackbeard the Pirate real, but he really had spent time on Tybee Island. But not only was he a real person who had been on Tybee Island, I also found out there is speculation that perhaps, just maybe, there is still undiscovered buried treasure on Tybee Island! So voila! I had my mystery!

And what about researching on Amelia Island?

It was just as easy to decide to put my second book on Amelia Island, Florida, because, as I said, that’s where my two oldest grandchildren live. Again, I never even thought about the fact that it would make two books set on islands. All I was thinking about was that I could make trips down there for research, spend time with my grandchildren, and have a legitimate tax deduction! Of course, once the book came out, I had to do book signings there, too. (Oh, the struggles of writing!)

Again, I didn’t have any idea what the mystery was going to be until I went down there for research. That’s when I discovered that Amelia Island is very old, dating back to the 1500’s. And, as is often true of old towns, Amelia Island has an active ghost tour industry. So of course, I had to take a ghost tour.

A ghost tour! What did you discover?

That’s when I heard the true story of a nun who died in 1877 while caring for the sick during an outbreak of yellow fever. But the legend says that her ghost rises up out of the cemetery and walks into the church. Suddenly I had my mystery! And although the book does not involve “real” ghosts, the kids have to recognize that the bad guy is the one behind the mysterious occurrences.

By the time the second book was done, I realized it would be fun to continue the island theme. And now kids ask me what island Bitsy is going to next! In case you want to know, it’s set on Hilton Head Island, SC, and involves loggerhead turtles. It’s scheduled to be released in the spring of 2007.

We went to Hilton Head Island last summer and loved it. We’ll have to read your third book when it comes out. And I see you’ll be forced to do another author tour at the beach. With your grandkids of course! Do you have any advice for us if we’d like to write something about a trip we take?

I’d definitely say do your research. Find out the history of the area. But don’t just go to official places like museums and such. Talk to people who live in the area; get a flavor for the culture, for their way of doing things; find out about events that aren’t common knowledge.

For Bitsy at Tybee Island, I talked to a lady who had had a beach house there for years. I didn’t know her, but just knocked on her door and told her I was writing a children’s mystery. I told her I wanted to talk to someone who had lived on the island for a while. She invited me in and we talked for hours. She told me story after story of things that had happened to them and others on the island—many of which ended up in the book.

Remember the rat? True story. Remember the broken bridge and someone trying to get to the hospital? True story (although in real life, they got off safely). And the kids digging up the skeleton? Yep, you guessed it—true story.

For Amelia Island, I talked with a couple of women who had grown up there. They told me about their own experiences of hunting for ghosts and the teenage dares to tempt the “Pogy Witch Woman” out of hiding. I went to the cemetery where the nuns were buried and took a tour of the house that once was the convent. All those details make the location come alive and help you develop your story.

How do you remember all these details? Does it help to take pictures?

Yes! Take lots of pictures. You’ll be surprised at how much you forget the landscape or the color of the house or the layout of the building. But don’t just take pictures of things you plan to include. Snap photos of anything that looks unusual or out of place. The scene in which the bad guy is captured at Amelia was developed simply because I took a picture of a crane beside the river. I never intended to use a crane in the book, but the story invented itself through the pictures.

Well, Vonda, this has just been too much fun hearing all these behind-the-scene details about your writing! Now, I can’t wait for you to come back tomorrow and tell us how you became a four-time award-winning playwright because I know there are some moms out there who have a flair for drama!

You can learn more about Vonda Skinner Skelton on her website. If you’d like more details on how she got started writing, here’s an interview with her at this site.

How’s it going for those of you in the Beth Moore study? I hope you’re able to find a chance to dig into the homework. It’s not easy, is it? I’m loving every minute I can sit down and really pore through it. And my thoughts are with you today. I know I want to keep it up so I’ll be able to join in the discussion over the weekend.

Last night, my husband was showing our kids a video of a camping trip he and some friends took to a lake in Minnesota about 15 years ago. It was a beautiful spot — quiet and peaceful. At some point, one of his friends filmed him sitting beside the lake writing in his journal. I was so jealous just watching that! I said, “I can’t even imagine how much fun that would be — to sit beside a lake and do my Beth Moore homework!”

While I do mine, there’s a swirl of noise around me — and last night my 11-month-old daughter kept grabbing at my Bible — I have the NIV Life Application Bible — which I love! She was fascinated watching my pen scribble across the workbook pages. And you know how those onion-thin pages sound when you flip them back and forth — as we do in our homework. She loved that crinkly sound and wanted to flip pages with her little chubby hand.

I kept giving her other toys to play with or another book to read — but within a couple of minutes, she was right back where I was, wanting to know what FASCINATED me about that fun BOOK I was reading!

And I realized — this is the start for her! She’s only a baby now, but as she grows up, I want her to keep seeing me read my Bible. It’s the Book that matters most — full of relevant, life-changing words that will build her faith and give her life a purpose. Even just a few minutes ago, I was listening to James Dobson on the radio as he shared about abstinence education for teens. It’s in the Bible! It can give teens something to hold onto during those years as well.

One of my favorite bloggers is Carmen of Full-Contact, Christ-Centric Living. I remember a few months ago when Carmen just started her blog, and she said she wasn’t sure what exactly to focus on. We emailed back and forth about it. I told her something like, “Mentor people like me! Teach me how to raise godly kids! How do we do this in our culture today?”

Carmen (a mom of six) has some great advice in her blog for moms raising teenagers. Her recent post, To Hunt or Not to Hunt is inspiring for me. A mother asked her a question: “Christian guys are so timid today, and my daughters are asking if it’s OK for them to approach guys. How will they meet the right guy? Should they call guys or wait to be called?”

And here’s part of Carmen’s answer, though I encourage you to read all of it!

I’m raising a house full of boys. I’m in a position to tell you what the kind of boys I’d want to get hitched up with for the rest of my life are looking for in a girl, and it’s NOT a girl who’s chasing after guys. My sons are learning to prepare their fields first, then build a home. In other words, they aren’t looking for girls, and are hoping to avoid entanglement until they’re prepared to provide a home for a family. When they do begin to look for God’s will in a wife, the pursuers, hunters, chasers, flirts won’t be on their lists.

My advice for teenage girls? Learn to be beautiful in God’s eyes (I Peter 3:1-6). If you’re good at something, get better at it (sure wish I had been serious about art or writing when I was 17 or 18!) If you’re not good at anything, learn. Learn to write, learn to crochet, learn about hospitality, learn about horses, learn to sew and strive to excel at it—in other words, do it as unto the Lord. Enjoy being a single young woman in the Lord now. When you get married, you’re married for life. That’s a long time!

Can you see why I like “hanging around” Carmen? We live on opposite sides of the U.S., yet she’s mentoring me through her blog, and she’s also become a parenting columnist for The Dabbling Mum magazine.

Now, while you’re visiting her site, I hope you can take a few minutes and check out this survey she’s working on. You can cut and paste these questions into an email and send it to her. Do you visit your local public library? If you do, her survey and research may help make your public library a better, more wholesome place for your family. It took me less than five minutes to answer her questions.

P.S. These aren’t my hands here, in case you’re wondering.

What do you call it when someone gets a new look for their blog? I guess I’d call it a “bloglift.” Does this word already exist? There are changes going on all over the blogosphere, so I thought I’d highlight a few recent ones.

Sallie has been making some changes to her blog at Two Talent Living that look great. It’s interesting for me to see — she and her husband run a home business together, and blogging is one aspect of it.

Carol at She Lives has a new header for her blog that really shows who she is — a mom and a musician at the foot of the Cross. It looks fabulous!

And I love Mama B’s new blogskin over at Confessions of a Busy Mom. Great design work by Kelly of Nello Design.

Now here’s another total transformation. Have you visited Mind & Media lately? Stacy just celebrated the one-year anniversary of starting her business blog. So I’ve heard this called a “blogiversary.” She’s expanded her site to encompass several different pages, packed with information, designed by Natalie Jost.

She sent out this press release:

Orange, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2006 — Mind & Media, the very first online publicity company that utilizes the blogosphere to promote Christian media, including books, film, and music, has just completed our first year of business.

Using Christian and conservative bloggers, Mind & Media has proven that companies and independent authors realize the power of the blogosphere.

We have placed books for some of the top Christian publishers and authors in the industry, including Crossway Books, Bethany House, Tyndale House, and World Ahead Publishing.

If you would like to learn about how you can blog for books, or have your books, music or film promoted through Mind & Media we invite you to join us as we enter our second year of business.

But this morning I found out some more breaking news — Mind & Media will soon be undergoing a name change! I don’t know if this is public yet, so go visit her site to find out more details.

I’ve been reviewing books for Mind & Media since last fall, and I really enjoy it. I’ve been introduced to books and authors I never would have known about. And believe me, when I read a book I love, I don’t just keep it within the blogosphere — I tell everybody I know! In fact, a few people have referred to me lately as an “influencer.” I guess that’s what happens to bossy big sisters (which is what I was growing up). Shi kata ga nai! [for my Japanese readers.]

I think every blogger who likes to read Christian books ought to check out what’s going on over there. The requirements for reviewers have changed a bit in the past year. She wants you to have at least 1500 unique visitors (not hits) to your site per month. And there’s a nominal yearly fee for new reviewers — this is just to make sure she only gets people who are serious about writing reviews. (And she needs some more good writers who will post thought-provoking reviews.)

If you’d like to join and your blog is approved, then you get to choose which books you want to review — and they’re shipped to you absolutely free — no tax, no shipping, nada. There have been some great books on the list lately. I’ve signed up to review James Scott Bell’s thriller, Presumed Guilty, even though I don’t normally read suspense. But I did hear Bell speak last fall, and he’s a huge fan of A.W. Tozer, so I’m curious to see how he writes fiction.

Another bestselling author who has a new book on the list is Karen Kingsbury. Her website says she’s the “top-selling Christian fiction author of our day.” I remember reading an article about her in MomSense Magazine that she has six children — and three are adopted. I’ve signed up to review her new novel, Divine. Ooh … and I just discovered Karen has an online journal.

There are many other benefits for being part of the Mind & Media team. For example, last week Family Research Council announced a full-time web editorial position; reviewers were invited to apply, and we were given the name of the contact person. (I’m not looking for a full-time job right now, in case you’re wondering. I prefer part-time work that I can do from home.)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are more professional positions opening up for bloggers. So if you think you might like to get paid to blog someday, remember that everything you write in your blog may be seen by a potential employer. Just a thought.

Mary Yerkes also has some information about blog evangelism that I found interesting.