"Save the Date"

"Save the Date" by Jenny B. Jones took me captive in the first paragraph of the prologue. The sassy protagonist, Lucy Wiltshire thought she was about to become engaged to her long-time boyfriend. The expected proposal turned out to be his news of a job offer...in another state.

Two years later, Lucy found herself in dire straits when Sinclair Hotels, one of her biggest donors for Saving Grace, pulled their funding. Tough economic times, it seemed, knew no boundaries. Lucy established Saving Grace, the home for girls who age out of foster care, and her dedication to "her girls" created some comical scenes throughout the book. One of my favorites was Lucy crashing the Sinclair gala...literally. Alex, the heir to the Sinclair fortune and a candidate for Congress, swept her to the dance floor to keep her away from the affluent guests. But Mr. Zaminski didn't have a chance. Lucy knocked into a waiter, causing him to spill his tray of shrimp cocktail on the floor. The beaded strap of her second-hand gown broke at the same time. Zaminski hit the floor. Lucy, graspong her last semblance of modesty, headed for the nearest exit. Alex followed her outside. While comforting her, he inadvertently gave the news media photos of him embracing a young blonde.

Two weeks later, Alex discovered his numbers in the polls rose dramatically because of the photos and a bogus magazine story about his romance with Lucy Wiltshire. Thus came his scheme to easily slide into his Congressional seat. Lucy needed funds to keep her home for girls open. He needed her to pose as his fiancée.

From their first meeting to the end of the story, I watched Lucy grow from a klutzy kid to an elegant young lady. Alex grew from a self-centered football hero-playboy to a caring young gentleman.

I identified with Lucy because she knew as much about football as I do and shopped for clothes in second-hand stores (you can find me most weekends at Life's Treasures in south Tampa - Bruno Magli shoes for $3.00!) .

I highly recommend this light-hearted romance novel. Jenny B. Jones is a master at planting seeds, setting gems, and creating sassy dialogue. Her talent for flashbacks (or back story) is pure genius. A great example for any aspiring writer to follow, this is the way a novel should be written!

Another Success for Obedient Heart!

I received the e-mail from West Bow/Thomas Nelson/Women of Faith writing contest while my sister was here visiting from Alabama. My novel, Obedient Heart, had placed in the top 30 entries. Kathy rejoiced with me. The contest would announce the first place winner on March 1, 2011.

I left it in God's capable hands, and returned to Birmingham with my sister, my husband Tom, and his granddaughter Becca for a short visit. While Kathy & I went to a weekend scrap book retreat, Tom stayed in Birmingham to do "guy stuff" with Kathy's husband David. Becca continued on to a friend's home in Tennessee.

With all our giggle fits, with a bit of scrap booking here and there, I forgot all about the contest.

Tom & I drove back to Tampa on February 28th, and I went back to work on March 1st. A posting on Facebook asked, "Are you the Janet Rockey who won in WOF writing contest?" I checked my e-mail to find a message from West Bow Publishing at the same time my phone rang. One of the editors of West Bow called to congratulate me. I had won third place. Okay, so it isn't FIRST place. But to place third in 750 entries is exciting. I checked the web page and found that I had been in fifteenth place before they made the final decision. And almost all my writing friends who critiqued this novel are at the Florida Christian Writers Conference. I'm sure they heard my shout all the way to Leesburg!

The prize is a 50% discount on publishing costs, since West Bow is a self-pub house. That would be great if I had a stash of cash hidden inside the walls of my 1926 bungalow. Alas, but no. I have to make a decision, and soon. I wonder if they'll give the third place accolades to another entrant if I can't come up with the money to pay for my award. If the author who came in behind me can swing the cost, I wouldn't mind giving it to him or her. But let me keep the recognition of being a third-place winner!

Another Year Older

Well, today is my birthday. People tell me I don't look my age. One co-worker said I don't act my age. I don't feel my age. I think someone lied. But I must have been born when my mother claimed, because I remember all the fun stuff we did way back in the fifties. In Brownfield, TX, my sister and I joined friends for a walk down a dirt road to a wood-framed shop to buy a sno-cone or a "dime cherry-lime." We watched TV programs, "Gunsmoke," "The Rifleman," and all the episodes of the Cartright boys on the Ponderosa. We went to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. Dad sang in the choir and Mother taught Sunday school. And you didn't have to be embarrassed to say you were a Christian back then. We played outdoors in the summer, picked cotton on friends' farms, rode our bicycles all over the countryside without fear of predators. We had dogs: A Collie named Tonie and a Boxer named Babe. We had cats: A Siamese named Ichibon, followed by Dinghow 1 & Dinghow 2. Then came Genai, who outlived our mother. We had a parakeet named Cutie. She/he never talked, despite the little record we bought to train her/him in English language skills. My brother Jimmy horned toads and snakes as pets. I don't know if he ever named them. Then we grew up, got married, got heavier (well, some of us did), got gray hair, and few laugh lines crease our faces. But I don't feel my age. Maybe that's a good thing. Now, when I look in the mirror, I can say, "Not bad for an old lady!" Another benefit is an added excuse for shortcomings. "Oh, did I forget to do that?" A smile creeps across my face. "Well, I'm blonde AND old!"

Ancestors: Our Roadmaps to History

My dad researched our family tree back in the 60s, in pre-Internet days. He had to do it the hard way, through letters and library archives. He told us the story of our ancestor, Sir Gregory Clement, who was hanged for beheading the king of England.
My sister found a short article on Sir Gregory Clement through Wikipedia, and they even had a portrait of him! Born in 1594, to John Clement, a merchant and Mayor of Plymouth, Gregory grew up to become a Member of Parliament and one of the regicides of King Charles I. After working for the British East India Company, Sir Gregory returned to London from India and supported Parliament in the civil war. He became a Member of Parliament for Fowey in Cornwall in 1648.
He then served as a commissioner of the High Court of Justice at the trial of King Charles in January 1649. He was the fifty-fourth signatory on the king's death warrant. Fifty-nine commissioners signed in total. In 1652, the House of Commons dismissed him because of a reported scandal with his maidservant. Political opponent Thomas Harrison is suspect in engineering the false accusations. (Some things never change.) When Charles II reclaimed the throne, all fifty-nine judge regicides who signed the death warrant and witnessed the king's execution feared for their lives. A few fled England, but Sir Gregory was arrested, tried, and convicted of high treason.
According to Dad's research, the executioner offered those who were convicted with him a cordial for courage before being put to death. Sir Gregory refused the elixir and went bravely (and unrepentantly) to his death. On October 17, 1660, Sir Gregory Clement was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Charing Cross. A sad ending for a man of nobility and noble causes. So, there you have it. Part of my history. And I'm sure a part of history that will prevent me from ever being invited to tea with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

Happy Friday

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

This is one of many New Year's Resolutions I've decided to make for 2011: Post on my blog at least once a week. I've not kept up with my postings mainly because of being promoted to another level in my job. One blessing about my new position is the support and encouragement I receive from my team of attorneys and investigtors, but training in a new field can be stressful.

So, I'll post new messages every Friday, unless something comes up...like a death warrant or a brief. Just a thought here: why do they call it a "brief" when it's a 100+ pages of legaleze? One of the many mysteries of life.

Blessings to you and yours!

Merry Christmas 2010!

As many friends and family members suffer hardships this year, let us remember to give thanks to our Lord and Savior.

1. It's bitterly cold in Florida, unusually so.

I'm thankful I'm not stuck on a snow-piled highway in the middle of a blizzard.

2. I can't afford to buy presents for loved ones because of our financial distress.

I'm thankful that I have loved ones, for there are many who spend this time alone.

3. My husband denied me the joy of putting up a Christmas tree this year. No reason, he's just a humbug about Christmas.

I'm thankful he's my husband. Humbug or not, he's the man God chose for me, and I love him dearly.

4. My workload has been so heavy lately that my writing has been put on hold.

I'm thankful I have a job--and a promotion in position & salary, too!

5. I don't know whom, if anyone, will share Christmas Day with us for dinner.

I'm thankful we'll have something to eat, for many go hungry every day.

Since I struggled to come up with 5 complaints, I know I am blessed by a loving God. He has been with me through trials and triumphs, and my joy in knowing Him is great! You can have that joy, too.

May God bless you this Christmas season!

RPLA Winner!

My yet-to-be-published novel, The Obedient Heart, won second place in the inspirational romance genre of the Royal Palm Literary Awards contest. This was exciting news at first, but the competitive muse who sometimes takes over my thinking, reminded me that it didn't take FIRST place. After reading the synopsis of the first place winner, I'd say that author earned it. And I had to remind myself that being second place doesn't mean that only two novelists in this category entered the contest. According to Florida Writers Association Group Facilitator, Kaye Coppersmith, no one wins just for entering. If the entries don't meet the FWA standards, then there is no winner for that category. Second place is acceptable. I recall back in the days of Ted Mack's "The Amateur Hour" (the 1960s prelude to "America's Got Talent") Ann-Margaret took second place to a leaf blower. In an interview several years later, the famous actress-singer said, "I wonder where that leaf blower is now." I hope and pray the First Place winner gets a publishing contract, as I'm sure the author is much more talented than a man who made music by blowing through leaves. Ha!

The Obedient Heart takes place in south Tampa, with quick trips to Chicago, IL and Paris, France. Here's a brief synopsis:

Held captive in a tiny hut deep in the Guatemalan rain forest, Ted Bohannon and his friend, Donald Gregory, have one goal: take the four children imprisoned with them and escape.

Two years later, Ted's widowed sister Jennifer Ryaan paces in her living room. A mysterious note with a Guatemalan postmark appeared in her mailbox that afternoon. Someone knows her missing brother's fate. And her friends couldn't have picked a worse time to set her up on a blind date with airline pilot Jack McGowan.

FBI Agents, who investigated the original case, received new information about Jennifer's brother from a confidential informant. With Jennifer's permission, they set up phone taps and surveillance. A clandestine meeting in Paris brought Jack under the cross hairs of their suspicion.

Jennifer refuses to believe her new love is involved, but how can she argue with such compelling evidence as photos of Jack with two international crime bosses?

The tug-of-war between Jennifer's feelings for Jack and her determination to locate her missing brother is overshadowed by two men from Guatemala who stalk her. They offer to take her to her brother for a price-a price too high for her heart of obedience to God. From mysterious notes to Jennifer's kidnapping, this novel proves that an obedient heart can be broken, but faith in the Lord will help to mend it.

If you'd like to see this novel published, please let me know by posting your comment on this blog. Or if you think I need to "bump up" the synopsis, let me know that, too. I'm open to suggestions.