I hope you’re having a marvelous Valentine’s Day, savoring every piece of endorphine-loaded chocolate as much as I am. (The dark kind is healthy, you know.) I’ve been to three kids’ Valentine’s parties today — refueling on sugar and parent gossip like everyone else — and now it’s pure joy to sit down a minute and focus my mind on books.

Books I LOVE!

Really, I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to tell you all about one of my favorite mom-lit series — as it turns out, my waiting had a purpose because the author herself agreed to come visit for an interview. Tracey Bateman is here!

Have you read any of her books yet? If you haven’t, you’ll love them. You’ll love her. And you’ll definitely love her main character in this mom-lit series, Claire Everett.

These are the books that drive my husband crazy when I’m reading next to him because I laugh out loud at least twice every page. The books are so FUNNY — and don’t we moms need something to laugh about at the end of one of THOSE days?

Yet the novels are not just fun and fluffy — Claire is growing in her relationship with Christ, and you will too, as you read how she handles things. Like the author herself, Claire is a writer and mother of four — so her life is pretty chaotic as she tries to balance career and family.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the first book, Leave it to Claire.

In this scene, Claire is dropping off her popular teenage daughter at the high school where she will be cheerleading:

I see her group of followers pointing at me and whispering among themselves. Okay, they’re probably looking and admiring her, and most likely haven’t noticed me, but when you have the kind of self-esteem I have, laughing kids translate to “laughing at me” kids. That’s the way I feel if anyone is cracking a joke anywhere in the vicinity, and I’m not in on it.

It’s something I’ve dealt with since I was a kid. Full of myself one second, down on myself the next. I probably need therapy. I hear Dr. Phil has a diet book out now. Maybe I should read it and kill two birds with one stone. Get my head and behind shrunk for one low price of $19.99.

HA! Every time I read that last sentence, I have to laugh. I keep my Claire trilogy in a prominent spot on my bookshelf — and whenever I begin to take myself and life too seriously, I read a few lines.

Tracey Bateman is an award-winning author of more than sixteen books and lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. She’s been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since the early months of its inception and served as President for nearly two years.

As author of several romance novels, Tracey has been a long-time favorite among Heartsong club members. In 2005, she was voted the club’s fourth favorite author!

If you love Kristin Billerbeck’s California style chick-lit, you’ll adore Bateman’s midwest-based books for moms. Tracey has over 600,000 books in print.

Who is Claire Everett? How did you come up with a character like her?

I like to think she’s everywoman, but that’s a little far reaching, even for someone who dreams as much as I do. But inside of her are all the insecurities of body image, motherhood, career.

Okay, I’ll just admit it. She’s a heckuva lot like me and pretty much has all of my angst. 🙂

What’s going on in her life in these books?

She’s trying to connect with her kids, trying to lose a few pounds (aren’t we always?) Trying to keep her feet on the ground and grow in her relationship with God.

The catalyst is when she is forced to stop working for a few weeks due to carpal tunnel. Time to face herself and the mess she’s in.

When you started the series, did you have any idea how you’d end it, or did you sort of let Claire take over and decide for herself?

I pretty much let her do her thing. It was just too much fun from day to day waiting to see what she would do or say.

Was it hard to finish up the Claire trilogy, or were you ready to move on to something else?

I was ready. I had another series contracted with the same publisher to do chicklit — The Drama Queens — and I love it. Although I wouldn’t mind doing one more and let her get pregnant AND juggle the rest of her life. That would be fun.

What are you working on now?

Book two in the Drama Queens series. The first one, Catch a Rising Star, releases in July.

I can’t wait to read it! Tracey, I love your sense of fun throughout the Claire books, yet you bring us back to the reality that God’s in control, no matter how much our lives seem to be spinning into chaos. How do you keep your own faith strong?

I don’t always. I have weak, weak days when all I want to do is lay on the couch and watch Lifetime movies. My faith always wavers when I have PMS. 🙂

The root stays buried in the soil, though. I’m learning that my emotions are not always reflecting what I know about who I am in Christ.

I give myself permission to be weak because I know that when I’m weak God is strong. It’s why I choose to write about real women who would love to be perfect, but who are simply not. Because as much as I’d love to be together even fifty percent of the time, the fact is I’m usually sitting around in my PJs, or yoga pants, hair a mess, frustrated because I am late on yet another project.

But this is the life God’s given me. Four fun, fabulous, CRAZY funny kids, three dogs, a guy who adores me even though I don’t deserve it, and the kind of schedule that doesn’t allow for housework AND Lifetime. And I mean a girl has to relax SOMETIMES. Right?

Thank God for chocolate and Pizza.

Ah … yes. Thank God for chocolate and pizza. And I’ll add one more thing I can’t live without — funny books! Like yours. Thank you so much for making me laugh out loud and forget my stress by escaping into the hilarious life of Claire Everett.

You’re welcome!

You can read more about Tracey’s books and humor on her website, which includes a blog. Her Claire trilogy includes Leave it to Claire, Claire Knows Best, and I Love Claire.

I have all these stories whirling around in my head from New York — and I truly want to offer you an inside peek at what it’s like to attend one of these writing conferences.

Here’s how it started for me. Last November, I discovered National Novel Writing Month to be a great excuse to pull out my much-neglected children’s novel I’ve been trying to write for years. Like thousands of people, I loved feeling part of the NaNoWriMo masses, all of us motivated to churn out 50,000 words of something during the month of November.

About a week into this, my wonderful husband emailed and asked if I wanted to go to this SCBWI conference in New York. He said it would be a fun trip for us — also an excuse to celebrate his recent decision to start a new job/ career. I signed up the next day and discovered there was a one-day writing workshop being offered for the first time ever. So I signed up for that too!

Later, I found out that the Writer’s Intensive Workshop sold out within 24 hours, and the waiting list included hundreds of people. So that was my first hint that this was God’s timing.

Although I’ve attended one small SCBWI conference in my local region, this was my first national. At these conferences, you have to put aside any of your shy, introverted nature (if you’re like me) and just start talking to people! Which I did. And here are some of the cool things that happened.

The first day, there were 225 of us wannabe writers. After listening to a joint panel with several agents and editors, we divided into assigned tables of nine writers and one editor or agent. Each of us brought ten copies of a 500-word writing sample and read it out loud to the group. After we read, the group members critiqued us, and the agent or editor offered us a professional opinion.

I was a nervous wreck until the first girl read her piece, then I just relaxed and realized what a great opportunity this was. Our editor was absolutely fantastic — she asked questions to clarify, told us what she’d think if this piece came across her desk, told us areas to work on, explained what it reminded her of, shared news about other books on similar topics, etc.

Like many of the editors, she told us she doesn’t even LOOK at unsolicited email queries — she said she deletes them right away.

She also said she has to first look at what the agents send her because they call and move things along (!). So from this, I decided finding an agent is pretty important — except you don’t want to find a bad agent who never sells anything and who nobody likes! This editor says her “slush pile” (of unsolicited manuscripts) is huge, and it’s the bottom of her priority list to get to it. “But all of us would like to discover new talent,” she explained. “So we do eventually get around to it. Just give us about six months.” Agony!

I got some really good feedback — both positive and negative — and now I have lots of specific areas to work on. OK, so then we went to lunch — and I ate with a writer, illustrator, and editor, and we discussed our favorite children’s picture books. All those nights reading out loud to my kids — I’m an “expert” in something after all! It was so fun!

Our afternoon session was similar to the morning, except this time I was with a different group of people and had an agent overseeing the critique. She brought a totally different point of view — focusing more on marketability, since she makes her living off 15% of your book sales! She had a great sense of humor and was also thorough in her critique. In my morning group, most people were writing middle grade or young adult novels, but in the afternoon group, most were working on picture books or poems — so it was an interesting mix.

The amazing thing is — there was a lady in my second group who lives in Japan! She’s an American, but has lived in Japan for 13 or 14 years, and we hung out a lot together during the rest of the conference. Since my novel involves a Japanese character, we really connected; bonded even!

The day ended with another panel of editors, as well as a motivating talk from Newbery-Award winner, Linda Sue Park. She reminded us the most important part of our writing is to love what we do — because even if we end up with a book contract, we’re still at the mercy of book sales and reviewers! We must absolutely love our characters and stories — because that’s what will keep us going.

The next day was the opening of the main conference, and SCBWI executive director, Lin Oliver, stated that this was the largest winter conference ever, with over 1,000 attendees from 44 states and 9 countries. I talked to so many people, it’s all a blur right now — but I do have several business cards to sort through.

On Saturday, I was captivated by Susan Cooper’s speech on the power of our childhood imaginations. She’s the author of The Dark is Rising. She shared what it was like to grow up in England, listening to opera on the BBC radio (no TV) and being acutely aware of the evil in the world, as she saw the sky light up red when London was being bombed in the war.

After this talk, I went to hear an editor from Penguin share about children’s series — how they’re created, what publishers are looking for, etc. Then we all attended a sit-down luncheon, where I “happened” to sit down next to a man who is an English professor in Tokyo! Another new friend who encouraged me to keep writing about Japan.

Our speaker for the luncheon was Ann Brashares, author of the highly successful YA series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Ann shared the behind-the-scenes of how she wrote that book (on maternity leave from her editing job, while expecting child #3). “The green of the cover will always remind me of morning sickness!” she confessed. She lives in NYC and told us her novel’s long-awaited release date was none other than September 11, 2001. Her priorities changed completely that day, and she almost forgot about “the book.”

The last great speaker we heard was Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia, which you probably know is a new movie, coming out this week. Katherine says she’s seen the movie three times, and “it has my approval.”

I was most interested in hearing her speak since she’s a Christian, daughter of missionaries to China, and the mother of four children (two biological, two adopted). Katherine said she started writing when her kids were young “because at the end of the day, I needed something that wasn’t eaten up, dirtied up, or torn up.”

I loved her speech. She’s 74 years old and has seven grandchildren. Out of everything she said, what stuck with me most is how she’s integrated writing into her family life so successfully. A lesson for all of us!

She told a funny story of how she recently went to Sweden to receive an award, and she brought her family with her. After they had their picture made with the crown princess of Sweden, her five-year-old granddaughter whispered, “Nana, are we famous now?” Adorable!

I know this summary has gotten so long — but I wanted to keep it to one post. What Katherine Paterson and Susan Cooper both emphasized is going deep within ourselves to “write the stories that no one else can write.” And quit worrying that you’re not good enough — just write!

If you love children’s books and have ever thought of writing or illustrating one, I highly recommend an SCBWI conference. You’ll definitely leave inspired.

Here’s a geeky picture of me, ecstactic, holding my freshly signed copies of Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved (which she graciously inscribed to my children!)

Since we also brought our ten-year-old son with us, other thrills of the trip included watching him and his dad ice skate in Central Park and hearing their stories of sightseeing while I attended the conference. (I really think I had more fun, but they’re convinced I missed out!)

New York City seems to be a safe, clean place — much different than when I was there in the early 90s. There were no street musicians glaring at you if you walked by without giving them a tip, and I never felt unsafe.

We saw lots of women pushing baby strollers in three-inch spiked boots. Now there’s the real mystery — how do New Yorkers walk in their gorgeous shoes?

I just wanted to let you know … all three of you who are still reading here … that I’m back from New York!

I didn’t want to blog about this before I left because I didn’t want to announce to the world that I’d be away from my home for a few days (although I did have an awesome housesitter and we have a mighty mean watch dog).

Today I’m running around frantically trying to catch up my laundry, mail sorting, and other duties during the precious few hours the kids are at school. My house is mysteriously immaculate thanks to the aforementioned housesitter/babysitter who is the only person in the world I wouldn’t get mad at for cleaning out my refrigerator (thanks, Mom).

Meanwhile, I thought I was making some amazing progress, and I let the baby (22 months) play quietly ALONE upstairs. Aw, she’s growing up, I thought to myself. I called out her name every 3-4 minutes, and she’d respond back to me, proving she was OK.

Mistake. How could I have forgotten Rule #1 of Mothering? Never leave a young child unattended. A quiet one- or two-year-old left alone for even a minute spells disaster. Today, it was in the form of purple magic marker all over my six-year-old’s pretty floral comforter. *sigh* My to-do list just grew.

Thus, the need to come blog my woes. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be able to sort out some insights to share with you what it’s like to spend four days with over a thousand other children’s book writers and illustrators in the center of the publishing world, New York City.

Is it worth it?

This is a question I ask myself at least once a week when it comes to writing. As I’m trying to balance family life with my call to the keyboard, I sometimes wonder if maybe I’m just a little bit selfish. Shouldn’t I be more fulfilled with my duties of caring for my home and family?

I wonder if it’s worth the effort — the hassle of keeping up with queries, submissions, and deadlines. What if I’m not a Beth Moore or Max Lucado? Lord, does my writing really matter?

I hope you can come visit me today over at Writer … Interrupted and see what I’ve come up with.

In the spring of 2005, I started reviewing books for Amazon. It was a little scary — hee hee. Even scarier was the fact that people could vote whether or not my review was helpful. But I discovered I liked reviewing books. Who knew this would become such a passion?

I spent some time at Amazon last week importing my CWO Book Buzz reviews, and I read through some of my old ones. Have I ever mentioned Allen Say’s book, Grandfather’s Journey, here? I don’t think I have.

If you’ve never read anything by Allen Say, you’re in for a treat. Oh, I love his books! Your library probably has dozens in the picture book section — they’re the ones with gold medals on the front.

I distinctly remember the moment I finished this book for the first time. I got up from the couch and went and grabbed my journal and started writing a poem about Japan, having trouble focusing on the page through my tears. It was an awakening for me — and after that, I started entering (and losing) writing contests, as well as submitting (and having rejected) my writing.

In a desperate moment, I wrote Mr. Say a bona-fide fan letter through his publisher, Houghton Mifflin, and he wrote me back! I told him I felt like I wanted to write about Japan but didn’t know how. He said to just write-write-write. Fiction, non-fiction, poems, whatever. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do — so for now, I blog.

Here’s my review of Grandfather’s Journey (copied from Amazon):

I was curious about GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY because our local library had several copies on the shelf, and I always enjoy discovering what makes a book an award winner. Mr. Say’s book won the 1994 Caldecott Medal, the same year Lois Lowry received the Newbery for her book, THE GIVER.

It’s an understatement to say this is one of the most beautiful children’s books ever written. Mr. Say gently describes his grandfather’s youthful journey from Japan to America. On his three-week steamship voyage, he is astonished by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. After embarking, he explores by train the western landscapes of enormous rock formations and endless farm fields.

During his travels, he meets people of different color, certainly a new sight for him. Say writes, “The more he traveled, the more he longed to see new places…” Eventually, his grandfather settles along the coast of California after briefly returning to Japan to marry his childhood sweetheart.

The couple have a daughter, whom we later learn is Say’s mother, the subject of another stunning picture book, TEA WITH MILK. In time, the grandfather begins to miss Japan, and he decides to return to his homeland, along with his wife and grown daughter.

Say’s watercolor artistry is fantastic, as his skilled brush gracefully ages each character in the book. As a parent, I imagined my own children growing up, and realized how brief is the time we call childhood. The story continues, with the grandfather’s heart truly in two places, America and Japan.

Anyone who has ever traveled abroad can relate to this experience. As I read his book, I wept, because I too have lived in Japan, and part of my heart will always remain overseas. Since this initial reading, I’ve bought several of Say’s picture books, and they have become family favorites.

The greatest literature reaches beyond its pages and connects to the hearts of its readers. Through his timeless words and portraits, Allen Say has clearly accomplished this task.

Do you have one of these market guides?

If you’re interested in publishing magazine articles, poems, short stories, novels, non-fiction books … anything in the Christian market, then this is the guide that will tell you where to send your work.

I bought my Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide in 2005, so I’m due for an update!

According to Sally Stuart’s website, the guide contains:

695 periodicals
228 poetry markets
355 book publishers
133 online publications
131 card/ speciality markets
1185 markets for the written word
321 photography markets
Foreign markets, literary agents, and more!

I just read a fantastic interview with Sally Stuart, the author of this guide for the last 21 years, at Novel Journey.

And congratulations to a couple of you who e-mailed recently to tell me you just sold an article to a major magazine. YEA! I’m doing back-flips over here for you. And I hope you’ll remember me someday if you become my editor. (That’s how it works, right?)

Here’s an interesting article from the current issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. Do you subscribe to the WD newsletter? It’s free and contains many of the same articles as the print edition.

In this article, Cast a Wider Net, you’ll read this facts like this:

The web now monopolizes a shocking 25 percent of consumers’ overall media time, according to the Online Publishers Association. Readers are downloading webzine content onto their iPods, PDAs and cell phones. And some magazines, notably Teen People and Elle Girl, have ditched print editions altogether in favor of their more cost-effective webzines.

The article is full of tips for freelancers trying to break into the online market. Here’s a bit of advice from one of the editors interviewed:

The biggest thing is to really polish the work. Time is of the essence for editors, and often I’ll see a piece that has potential but needs work and time to bring it to fruition. In a perfect world, I’d have that time to work with a writer to help him shape that promising piece, but the truth is, if I have to choose between a piece that needs little (if any) work, and something that’s a diamond in the rough, I have to take the one that’s ready to go.

This is something to remember if you’re starting to send work out (queries and submissions) and you’re discouraged by rejections. Polish, polish, polish. If you need a little refresher course on English grammar or on magazine writing, I highly recommend the courses from Writer’s Digest.

As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it!

I want to thank the kind person who nominated me for the Share the Love Blog Awards. Wow. Made my day.

If you’re so inclined, I’d love it if you’d click here and vote for me in category #5, Most Inspiring. And while you’re there, stick around and cast your ballot for the other blogs you enjoy.

Voting ends February 6th. Thanks!

I wanted to post the following call for submissions — if you are a single mom and have a story to tell — or you KNOW a single mom and could help her tell her story, here’s a great opportunity for you. A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers is seeking submissions — the book will published by Adams Media.

Single Moms: Let Your Voices Be Heard!

As Oprah Winfrey has often said, parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world — even more so for single mothers, who single-handedly face all the usual parenting challenges, plus a whole set of unique ones. While being a single mom can be tough at times, it also brings many joys and rewards, and the positive aspects and outcomes of single motherhood often go unrecognized.

The editor of the bestselling Cup of Comfort (Adams Media) book series is (desperately) seeking personal stories for publication in an anthology for and about single mothers. We want slice-of-life stories that read like good fiction and both entertain and move readers. Any topic and any “voice” goes, as long as the author tells an authentic and compelling story. Stories can be humorous or poignant or both, and must be original, positive, and based on real people and actual events.

* Deadline: March 20, 2007

* Story Length: 1000-2000 words

* $500 grand prize; $100 for each other story published in book

* Simultaneous submissions accepted

* Authors may submit multiple stories

* The title page of each submission must include the author’s full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address

* Submit by email or mail

EMAIL: Copy and paste the story into the body of the email; no attachments. One story per email. Send to wordsinger@aol.com

MAIL: Send a printed copy of the story (no CDs or disks) and an SASE to: Colleen Sell, Cup of Comfort, P.O. Box 1539, Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424, USA

I’ve joined the group of writing parents at Gina Conroy’s site, Writer … Interrupted.

I posted on Saturday about writing conferences. I’d love to share my insights with you on how to cut costs and why it’s worth the effort to attend.

Come visit … and tell me what you think!