Contest!
To celebrate the release of my latest book, Sweet September, I'm having a give-away!
Submit your favorite childhood memory
here and be entered to win 1 of 10 copies of Sweet September!
And for fun...I'll post your stories on my
It's Real Life blog!
Contest ends August 31st. The winner's will be announced September 5th!
About the book:
The new Guideposts original series,
Home To Heather CreekAbout the series: Charlotte Stevenson’s world is turned upside down when her daughter, Denise, dies in a tragic car accident. She ran away at eighteen and Charlotte has never forgiven herself. Now, Denise’s children, abandoned by their father, are coming from California to live on Heather Creek Farm in Bedford, Nebraska.
MoreCheck it out!!!
I wrote Book #2, (and am currently working on book 7) Sweet September!
Harvest time at Heather Creek Farm is an exciting time, but the kids don’t seem to be getting into the spirit. One day while he’s wandering through the fields, Christopher stumbles across an old piece of metal buried in the ground. He doesn’t know what it is, but he hides it in the shed.That night, the garden by the house is uprooted. Who could have done such a thing? Charlotte is determined to find out, but is distracted when she gets news that Sam is failing school. The sullen teen is indifferent and won’t study. He starts spending a lot of time with Pete. Though she loves her son dearly, Pete never finished high school, and Charlotte is afraid he’ll encourage Sam to do the same. How can she help him get back on track?A gripping story that examines the Stevenson family’s history as well as its shaky future, Sweet September will bring you deeper into the loving community of Bedford and the deep ties of love that bind this broken family together. As they forge new connections, you’ll be entertained, inspired, and reminded that God’s grace can make all things new.
Buy the book here.
This book was a lot of fun for me. A departure from the rigorous historical research and a chance to try my hand at something contemporary.
My week in photos...
These were actually from the week before we left for Czech.
Writer lunch ... with awesome friends Lisa Bergren, Joanna Weaver, and Gayle DeSalles
Out to lunch with my friend Tara (and Twyla not shown) for my 37th birthday
Cory in our kitchen giving me his best "JcPenny model" pose. (Can you tell I got a new camera for my birthday?)
John "Driving Miss Daisy ... I mean Tricia."
Qdoba dinner on my birthday!! Qdoba donated $1 for every meal purchased on July 17th to our Mexico Mission team ... so that's where we ate.
My good friends who were also supporting the missions team ... in fact half the church was in the restraunt!
Me and my writing buddy Joanna Weaver
Cory ... always texting
John and Nathan
Me and my boy.
Sona and Bekah at our planning meeting for the Czech Missions' trip
More of the Czech team! Sona (in blue) and Iva (in pink) are from the Czech Republic.
Part of the Mexico team making dinner to raise money for their trip! (Cory and Leslie are going to Mexico after the Czech Republic.)
My kids' youth pastor and mentor, Joey. You can't tell he's a youth pastor, can you? (The background is my church foyer.)
Our summer interns from down south. This was the last time I saw them ...because they were returning home before I was returning to Montana
Chance (from Texas) and Nathan. Don't they look like brothers?
Friday Flashback...on Monday!
She was just starting to crawl and already knew how to program the VCR. Baby Einstein, watch out!
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
Prayer requests
Please be in prayer for Shyen (pronounced something like Shining without the middle N).
He's nineteen, and he is from Azerbaijan which is to the north of Iran and therefore has a Muslim background. He is working evenings at Wendy's (with my daughter Leslie) for another six weeks or so and will then return home. He has been coming to church with our family for the last few weeks but as we leave for the Czech Mission trip we are worried he'll stop going.
He has been asking a lot of questions about Christianity and seems to be very open to discussion. He is asking things like ...
How many Gods do you believe in?
Why would you were a cross around your neck? The cross killed Jesus - it is bad, isn't it?
This has led to a lot of discussion around our table!
Please pray he will continue to go to church at Easthaven while we are gone and that God will place people in his path over the next six weeks.
And, of course, please pray for our trip! There are nineteen people going to the Czech Republic for nineteen days. We're doing an English camp AND outreach in the town of Vysoke Myto. Pray for safe travel, for health, for effective witness, and for the peoples' hearts to be open to Jesus. Our whole family is going, and I'm so excited! It's a dream come true to be able to serve together in this way.
Also, pray for my grandma who will be here alone. We will have people checking in on her, but she's used to a busy, active, noisy house and she's going to miss us being here.
We leave tomorrow!
Please be in prayer for Shyen (pronounced something like Shining without the middle N).
He's nineteen, and he is from
Azerbaijan which is to the north of Iran and therefore has a Muslim background. He is working evenings at Wendy's (with my daughter Leslie) for another six weeks or so and will then return home. He has been coming to church with our family for the last few weeks but as we leave for the Czech Mission trip we are worried he'll stop going.
He has been asking a lot of questions about Christianity and seems to be very open to discussion. He is asking things like ...
How many Gods do you believe in?
Why would you were a cross around your neck? The cross killed Jesus - it is bad, isn't it?
Do you baptize babies?
This has led to a lot of discussion around our table!
Please pray he will continue to go to church at Easthaven while we are gone and that God will place people in his path over the next six weeks.
And, of course, please pray for our trip! There are nineteen people going to the Czech Republic for nineteen days. We're doing an English camp AND outreach in the town of Vysoke Myto. Pray for safe travel, for health, for effective witness, and for the peoples' hearts to be open to Jesus. Our whole family is going, and I'm so excited! It's a dream come true to be able to serve together in this way.
Also, pray for my grandma who will be here alone. We will have people checking in on her, but she's used to a busy, active, noisy house and she's going to miss us being here.
Love,
Tricia
Spiritual Role of Moms
I was checking my email this morning when I came across an interesting email from George Barna (
www.barna.org).
Here is a short excerpt:
May 7, 2007
(Ventura, CA) - Mothers inhabit many roles inside and outside
the family. Within the household, they are often counted on to be
the emotional compass, organizer, and multitasking manager of the family. Add to
that list another common function: spiritual energizer.
According to a new Barna study, women who are raising children are among the most faith-minded and spiritually active segments of the American population. The study explored faith-related activities, commitments and perspectives, relying upon nationally representative interviews among more than 10,000 adults and nearly 2000 women who are currently parenting children under the age of 18.
The study shows that more than three-quarters of moms identify "family" to be their highest priority. At the same time, a majority of mothers strongly agree that their faith is very important in their life. In contrast, fathers also tend to list family as their top priority in life, yet they are much less likely to equally attribute importance to faith.
You can read the rest of the article
here.
I am blessed that my husband has grown as a spiritual leader over the years. I think there are three major reasons for this.
1. God convicted me years ago of my tendency of being John's "Jr. Holy Spirit." God reminded me that He can and will speak to my husband. Thank you very much.
2. I've allow John to "do" spiritual leadership his way--not how I think things should be. I have my ideas of the types of family worship or Bible Study I'd like to try, but my way does not mean the only right way.
3. I pray for my husband's success. I pray that He will listen to God's leading. I pray that I will follow and be an encourager.
Also, I thought of something else that ties in--as parents it's our job to raise our sons to be the spiritual leaders of their future homes.
In fact, just this morning I was talking about this with my 18-year-old son. I told him, "You know what? The type of girl you're looking for will be more attracted to your spiritual maturity than anything else. So the more time you spend with God, the more you'll attract a girl who has a heart for God."
I'm also excited because of a new resource I just bought. This weekend I was super-blessed at a women's retreat that featured the speaker Sheri Rose Shepherd. Sheri is a fellow Multnomah/Waterbrook author.
One of Sheri's books that I bought is Preparing Him for that Other Woman. I can wait to start reading it! With two teen sons I need all the encouragement I can get!
Oh, and if you haven't read
Generation NeXt Parenting yet, then make sure to check it out. I give more ideas about how to train our kids while also being a helpmate to our husbands. The men in our lives deserve nothing less.
© Tricia Goyer
Packing, Life, and Travel Prep
Right now our suitcases are 90% packed for the Czech Republic, our curriculum is close to being finished for the English camp, and my to-do list of things I need to finish before we head out is getting smaller.
I just had to tell you about one of the cool things we did before our trip ... we actually installed a new lock on our front door! Exciting, I know!
Actually, we are very excited about it, and we've been showing it off to friends. It's a combination lock, and it was VERY important to install it for my grandma. You see, my 78-year-old grandmother lives with us, and even though we have many people checking up on her, she'll be spending more time alone during our trip than she's used to. She'll also be letting herself in and out of her house when we're gone.
For as long as she'd lived with us, grandma has had trouble with the deadbolt lock. You had to get the key in just right for it to work. Bothersome even for me!
Grandma's also one of those people who changes her purse with her outfit, so there's been times she's left the house and has forgotten her key in "the other purse." This hasn't been too much of a problem when we're around to let her in ... but we'll be in Europe! So ... we found this awesome Schlage lock that has a keypad. You just punch in the right code and the lock opens with a simple twist of the knob.
We were able to give Grandma a code (one she'll remember) and with a push of a few buttons she's inside. It's also awesome because we can give separate codes to all those people that we've asked to check in on Grandma. In fact, we can program 19 different codes if we want to. (And my husband thinks it's great. He's a gizmo person so this was right up his alley. And it was easy to install, too!)
The kids love the new lock, too ... and we've been showing it off to all our friends who've been over. You can find out more information here:
http://consumer.schlage.com/mediaroom/default.aspOkay, so that's taken care of. It's marked off my to-do list ... and I have a whole lot more piece of mind for the trip! Now ... if I can just figure out a code to water all my plants ...
Friday Flashback...
This is Leslie with Maddie Martinusen. Who knew their moms would grow up to be published authors? What a ride that has been!
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The Little Things
This morning I got the same messages from two different devotional books I'm reading. What are the odds??? There are no odds, because I know in God's kingdom everything is for a purpose.
So what are these messages?
1. God desires you to be faithful with the small assignments He's given you before He moves you on to bigger ones. He's more concerned with character--training you into the type of person He can use.
2. When God gives you an assignment, the timing is now. Not next week or next year. He has chosen this timing for a reason.
3. The most important person is the one right in front of you. Jesus was the perfect example of this.
4. No one seeks the things of God unless God is at work.
So, how am I going to apply this? I already have.
First, I was on my exercise bike when my daughter came into the room.
"What are you doing today, Mom?" she asked.
I was reading, but I put the book down. We chatted about nothing in particular, but it was nice. I showed her she was important. Later, I noticed her whole attitude was great. She even went out of her way to be nice to her brother, go figure.
Second, my youngest son had a frown. His dad had limited his video game time per day, and it had him stressed out.
"What am I going to do instead?" he asked.
We talked about some things he liked, including two hobbies he enjoys but hasn't developed: dog training and cartooning. I told him I'd put some books and videos on hold for him at the library for him.
After we talked, his face brightened. "Thanks Mom."
They are little things. Or are they? I know that most of the time I run through my day with MY agenda in mind. I'm going to continue to work on these four things, leaving the leading up to the Lord.
Who knows what will come out of it? Peaceful hearts? Better family connections? Friends and family members who come to Christ better? Strangers that join God's kingdom?
Now that will be well-worth finding out.
© Tricia Goyer
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
Needing Something More
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshipping the glorious ever-living God, they worshipped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever.Romans 1:21-23, 25 (NLT)
Every year billions of dollars are spent by advertisers to make us believe that what we have and who we are aren't enough. That we need something "better"-looks, food, toys, fun. You name it.
I'm as guilty as the rest when it comes to getting caught up in what the world offers. I'm quick to whip out my VISA card and slow to distinguish my needs from my wants.
And it's not only "things" that draw me-just the other day I took my daughter to get her hair cut and found myself eagerly flipping through the pages of People magazine-catching up on who's dating whom and who's wearing what, and lapping up those voyeuristic photos of glamorous stars caught in their sweatpants and ball caps while shopping at the grocery store.
When I take the time to think about it, I realize how silly this tug is. The people we idolize are simply people, after all. The 'stuff' we desire is nothing more than man's attempt to create something beautiful and worthwhile. The successes we strive after are limited in scope and nature.
So why do we get caught up in worshipping the world's idols? And more important how can we keep our kids from falling into the same trap? First, we must to realize that we are being deceived by the world's definition of "need". I think by continually focusing on our living God we can train ourselves and our kids to not live apart from the world, but to serve Him in it. We can train ourselves to distinguish between reality and lies.
You can help your child find freedom from the world's idols when you teach them the following truths:
1. Not every thought that comes to our mind is from us. (Job 1:6-28)
2. Work to equalize the pressure inside our kids' souls. (2 Timothy 3:13-16)
3. Realize God's desire is not that we live apart from the world, but to serve Him in it. (Romans 14:17-18)
4. Study the things the world attempts to glorify and compare those things to God. (Romans 1:21-23, 25)
5. Remind your children who will be around to satisfy us in the long run. (Psalm 77:11-12)
© Tricia Goyer
How Much is Too Much?
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God-you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration-what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body. You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)
Let's talk children and organized activities. How much is too much and which ones are right for your children?
Who could need us more, but our children? Who could be more powerless than our children? They need us and trust us to do right by them. In our hearts we truly want our children to have the best of everything. The problem arises when what we think is "best" for our children is different from what their Maker designed.
My two oldest children love books and movies, drama, giving speeches, and music. Looking back, I can clearly see how many years I wasted trying to make them participate in the activities all the other kids were doing.
My youngest son makes up creative stories, and then he and his friends act out these adventures with their Beanie Babies. How sad it makes me now to think of those countless hours he spent mindlessly maneuvering around the basketball court, following coaches orders. I forced him to sign up-"for socialization and exercise," I told myself. I realize now he could have received both by running around the front yard with his friends, leading them on fanciful adventures.
In forming our children, God did not create empty vessels, making it the parent's job to fill them, to form their personalities, and to insert creativity or skill into their brain. Rather, God designed our children and turned them over to us to mold into the shape He's already crafted. We need to become students of our children and discover their unique shapes. We also need to give them time to be children and not fill up every spare moment with planned activities.
Questions to ask yourself:
Why am I signing my child up for this activity?
Am I doing it so my child won't be left out?
Have I asked God His thoughts?
Does this activity fit in with my child's natural talents?
Does this activity accomplish peace in our household?
© Tricia Goyer
Friday Flashback...
Okay, so my older two kids had tons of dark hair and big, brown eyes. John and I have lots of dark hair and brown eyes. We were unsure where the blond came from but he was cute so we decided to keep him.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
Christianity Today article
MOMSense, July/August 2008Time-outs for Mom
Creating time for you in the margin of your life.
If you talk to any mom, she'd agree that taking breaks is important. Yet "getting away" is the hard part. Sometimes a packed schedule creates a challenge. Other times, finding a babysitter, making plans and justifying spending money for "fun" are too much work. It doesn't help matters when you attempt to go out in the evening and your child doesn't want you to go. It's hard to walk away from those tears.
A doctor's appointment must be kept. A trip for diapers is a no-brainer. Yet time planned for fun isn't crucial … or is it?
Having fun makes for fun. As moms we think that devoting all our time to family responsibilities is part of the job description. Yet how does it make you feel when you follow the same old routine without a break? Listless, tired, bored. A mom who takes time to have fun is a fun mommy to be around.
Leisure renews us. Leisure is another way of saying time off. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, leisure is "freedom from time-consuming duties, responsibilities or activities." Leisure renews us by giving us relief from stress. It also gives us time to think about what's important to us. "Leisure should be a time to think new thoughts," says author C. Neil Strait.
Balance is better. The ancient Greeks had a saying: "Nothing overmuch." This phrase speaks of the necessity of balance. Balance is important in work, play, exercise and even in quietness. It's good to work hard but be sure to balance work with things that bring you joy.
Interests make all areas of life interesting. "The effects of having other interests beyond those domestic work well," said Amelia Earhart, pioneering pilot from the 1930s. "The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home and love and understanding companionship."
The dictionary definitions for the following words may not have changed since you had your child, but perhaps your definitions have:
Time-out n. Once thought of as punishment. Now considered a much-desired, much-deserved break.
Quiet n. Once avoided at all cost. (After all, what kind of fun can you have without noise?) Now treasured, sought after and longed for.
What do you like to do for fun? Shopping, coffee or a movie, Bunco, scrapbooking, knitting, book clubs …? Choose your favorite way to have fun and put yourself in a time-out!
Tricia Goyer is the author of 14 books, including
Generation NeXt Marriage, and hundreds of magazine articles. She lives in northwestern Montana with her husband and three kids and enjoys volunteering in children's church, mentoring teen moms and playing board games with whoever is willing to be beat!
Excerpted from Life Interrupted by Tricia Goyer (2004, Zondervan). Used with permission.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/MOMSense magazine.
Click here for reprint information on MOMSense.
July/August 2008, Vol. 11, No. 4, Page 27
Click here for reprint information on MOMSense.July/August 2008, Vol. 11, No. 4, Page 27
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
Making Room For Daddy
Okay ladies, this one is for you. As Gen Xers we've grown up to believe we can have and do it all. We learned if we just try hard enough or want it bad enough we can accomplish anything. As young girls we were told to be assertive and independent, to show our power. And the young men? well they were trained to let us.
For example, when I had my son, I discovered that I had a much easier time letting my husband be my husband, than letting him be my son's dad. As the mother, I spent the most time with our son and pretty much figured I knew what was best for him. I wanted things done my way and I wasn't afraid to tell my husband which way that was!
Even though "mom in charge" seems natural, I've learned by experience that the control we think we want is actually a conflict of interest. When it came to raising our three kids, I thought I knew best. But after a while, I resented my husband for not taking more of a stand and leaving all the work to me.
Have you ever felt that way?
I can't tell you the number of times I prayed for my husband to be the spiritual leader of our home and interact with the kids more. Then one day as I prayed, I felt God saying, "Well then step back. Stop trying to run the show." And you know what? As I stepped back, my husband stepped up to the plate and I've been thankful ever since.
Dads may do things differently than moms would, but different is okay. No, wait-different is exactly how God designed it!
© Tricia Goyer
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
How it all began...
Here is a story that the local paper did on our mission trip to Czech!
Message of hope and faith: Group plans trip to Czech RepublicBy HEIDI DESCH / Hungry Horse News
One European country has brought three Flathead Valley women together to help others.
Tricia Goyer, Sona Blue and Iva Smid are part of a group of about 20 people planning a trip to the Czech Republic.
The trip is an outreach of the Easthaven Baptist Church in Kalispell. The group plans to teach English and run sports and drama camps. In the end, the ultimate goal is to share the group's Christian faith with the Czech people.
Not so long ago such a trip was only a idea for Goyer and Blue.
See Goyer, a writer, traveled to the Czech Republic. She was working on a book "Night Song" that would be released in 2004. That's when she felt compelled to do something for the people there.
"The people so nice, caring and real. They are very nice, but they have nothing to hope for and nothing to cling to," she said.
Blue, a young mother, had come to the United States from the Czech Republic during the 1990s. She wanted to do something for her home country also, but hadn't found a way to make it happen.
Then Goyer met Blue at their Easthaven Baptist and they began working to find a way to do something.
Goyer ran an ad in a homeschool newsletter looking for people who might want to participate.
Smid saw the ad and wanted to get involved. She had escaped the country during the 1970s when it was under communist control to come to the United States.
"It's my home country. You can't erase that. Where you are in your youth stays with you," she said. "I love the country and the people there. It is a privilege to go back."
AT FIRST, GOYER wasn't sure how exactly she might help in the country.
Read the rest here! And...If you would like to be added to our prayer team or would like to make a donation for our trip, please email
triciagoyer@yahoo.com.
Friday Flashback...On Monday!
Somewhere in San Francisco. My mom promises me I was in not danger. I'm sure someone was holding my legs as I sat on that wall. Yikes!
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
On Mission magazine
Here's an article I wrote for the
magazine... Guys For LifeWhat pops into your mind when you hear, “Pregnancy Care Center?” Unplanned pregnancy, scared women, babies, counseling, diapers, volunteers…hope? What about men? It takes two to tango, but for many years the “other half of the equation” has been ignored. Today, in centers across the nation, men are reaching out to men. And as a result, men, women, and children reap the benefits.
Realizing a man’s impactFor so long, pregnancy care centers have been “a woman’s world.” It’s her body, her choice—or so we think. It’s easy to forget she didn’t get to this spot alone.
This all changed when male volunteers showed up who were comfortable about pro-life and pregnancy issues and wanted to help. They volunteered by teaching abstinence presentations and counseled men. Of course, more volunteers didn’t necessarily mean more male clients. Most centers don’t necessarily put out the welcome mat for men. “Think of the color of the offices, the services, and brochures,” says Kurt Ramspott founder of Guys for Life. “Many centers want to reach men, but the main question I ask is, if a guy came through the door, what would you do for him?”Reaching men is valuable if we know the why behind it. Guys for Life offers this insight:
When a man finds out his girlfriend/wife is pregnant he thinks of the impact on: 1. himself, 2. the baby, 3. the woman. And when a girl gets pregnant, she thinks of 1. the man, 2. the baby, 3. herself. As you can see, the man is the main influence in the pregnancy decision.
“In a recent survey, we discovered in over 80 percent of abortion cases, women would’ve chosen life for their child if they’d only received support from the boyfriend and family,” says Ramspott. Knowing what, or who, influenced their decision helps organizations such as Guys for Life focus their efforts. “When asked about the two factors that affect women at the time of their decision, the second most common answer is, ‘If I’d had access to a pregnancy resource center I would have chosen life,’” says Ramspott. “But the most common answer is, ‘If I’d just had support from my boyfriend, I would have chosen life.’ ”
Read the rest here!Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.
Guest Blogger...Cara Putman
Remember those carefree days as a kid? You know. The ones where you're coasting along on the saddle of your friendly bike.
I remember the feeling of freedom. I could go wherever I wanted -- or so it seemed. Now I know my parents had placed some boundaries on where exactly I could travel, but still it felt great to hop on my bike and take off.
This week Abigail has gained that freedom. It took awhile -- but the key was finally getting her a bike that was the right size. She's not eating her knees anymore, so she's sailing around the neighborhood. Pushing the boundaries. And begging Daddy to take her on more and more rides around the neighborhood.
Jonathan doesn't have quite that same freedom. He's got a great new bike, too. He informed Eric it would be fundamentally unfair for Abigail to get another new bike without him getting one. And I had to agree with him. So he'd got an awesome bike -- with training wheels. At the rate he's going it won't take long and he could probably ride without him, but even then, he doesn't have the same level of freedom -- even without Abigail stretching hers a bit.
It makes me think of the way God parents us. Sometimes He gives me more area to travel. Sometimes He pulls me back. Sometimes He lets someone else have seemingly more than me. But each of us are treated as individuals. He knows us intimately and what is best for us.
He'll hold us back if we're not quite ready.
He'll push us when we're hanging back, and He has something more for us.
Just like I kept telling Abigail I knew she could ride the bike. She just had to believe she could do it.
So what is God telling you you can do? What area is He asking you to step out in faith and trust Him? Let's embrace His challenges!
Cara C. Putman
Canteen Dreams (4 stars -- cataromance); Sandhill Dreams (4 stars -- cataromance); and Captive Dreams -- September 2008 (Heartsong Presents) Deadly Exposure (LI Suspense) 4 Stars --Romantic Times
http://www.caraputman.com/ Craftie Ladies of Suspense
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/
