Doesn't feel like a feebie to me

So, it's February 29, a day that only comes around every four years. It should really be March 1 today, but it's not. Anything that's supposed to happen on the first of the month won't happen today because today is an anomaly to keep the Earth rotating around the sun or something like that.

We're in a Leap Year. A year with a leap in it. You almost get the impression we should be leaping around the planet yelling, "Today's a freebie! Today's a freebie!"

It doesn't feel like a bonus day to me. This is not a bold day to keep March at bay. Truth be told it feels like February is making a valiant though predictable attempt to get in line with all the other months that have 30 or 31 days. But 29 isn't 30 or 31 so it's another failed attempt. For this day to truly feel like a freebie, a day like no other, well, then it needs to be March 32nd or something like that. Now THAT would feel like something to leap about.

Sheesh. Every other month has 29 days. Today is no different than the 29th of November or the 29th of July.

Business owners have an extra day to make February profits. That probably makes them happy. Those of us who haven't started our taxes have an extra day to put it off. And legend has it Leap Day is the preferable day for women to propose to men. That means it's perfectly acceptable for the woman to say, "Will you marry me?" today because it's February 29 (that's so deliciously quirky, I blogged about it on my Blue Heart Blessed blog.)

But I'm already happily married, I don't own a business and I have every intention of getting out the tax stuff today, like I intended to yesterday - and didn't - and the day before that and the day before that.

So it's just another day in anorexic February. No big deal. I shall not leap.

It's just another day.

Oh, except Happy Birthday, Calvin Rempel. Have you caught up with your 20-year-old yet?

Whispers in the darkest night

My good friend and perhaps the most organized mom-writer on the planet, Tricia Goyer, is here at the Edge today to chat about her new book, A Whisper of Freedom.

A Whisper of Freedom is book three in The Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series. Battles heat up…not only those being waged by the soldiers on both sides fighting for Spain, but in the hearts and minds of the men and women who must sacrifice more than their dreams to save the lives of their loved ones.

In this meticulously researched novel, brave and idealistic Sophie, Philip, Jose, and Deion realize their only hope for freedom is escaping Spain's borders.

By continuing the story of this band of volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, A Whisper of Freedom proves that there are whispers of hope and liberty that resonate through even the darkest night.

Edge: Sounds pretty good so far, Tricia-Super-Mom. Whisper of Freedom is Book #3. Did the story wrap up like you expected?
Tricia: I'd have to say yes ... and no. The basic plots points that I envisioned at the beginning of the series still happened. It was the characters that had minds on their own. They did things, said things, were involved in things that I didn't suspect when I started the series. It was very exciting and fun to write!

Edge: So typical of characters. They think they know everything. A Whisper of Freedom ends with Europe on the verge of WWII, so are you going to continue the series and carry the story on?
Tricia: I'd love to! But ... I have no current contract to do so. I would LOVE to see what happens to Philip and Sophie and Jose and others during the war. I have a feeling there would me more spying, more intrigue, and more ways God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

Edge: Who is your favorite character in A Whisper of Freedom?
Tricia: Are you kidding? That's like asking which kid I love best. Each of them are unique and special :)

Edge: There are some very interesting plot twists concerning stolen gold. Is this gold completely fictional?
Tricia: No, actually it's not. It's true! While I was researching for novel #1 I read about gold that was stored in the bank vaults of Madrid. Before The Spanish Civil War broke out Spain had the fourth largest gold reserves in the world. Afraid that the Nationalist would conquer Madrid and take the gold, they used it to buy arms and troops from the Soviet Union. The gold was transported by ship to Russia, but the amount that left the vaults and the amount that arrive in Russia is a different quantity. I found the "missing" gold to be a good opportunity to wrap my story around.

Edge: Have you gotten any feedback from your story?
Tricia: Yes, so far the early reviewers have been pleased. I've gotten comments that they story were pleased with the various twists. Also, many, many people appreciate that I brought this part of history to life.

Edge: What does your writing day look like?
Tricia: Every day is completely different. With kids, and homeschooling, and appointments, and shopping, and church, and (the most important) family activities, each day is different. Actually ... that's not completely true. There are a few things I do first every day ... no matter what's going on. I always have quiet time in the morning--Bible reading, prayer, journaling. I always have a time of prayer and Bible reading with my husband, John. And I try to exercise. If I'm not running out the door, I spend 30 minutes on my exercise bike and I read as I pedal.

Edge: You've written seven historical novels now--four about World War II and three about The Spanish Civil War. Would you ever consider writing a contemporary novel?
Tricia: Yes, I would consider it. Actually, I've done it. I'm working on contemporary novels for Guideposts, as part of a continuing series called Home to Heather Creek. I wrote novel #2 titled Sweet September. It will be out the end of June. I had a great time, and I'm exciting to be writing more contemporary novels in the future.

Edge: Do you have any more historical novels in the work?
Tricia: Yes, actually I'm working on a historical, action-packed spy novel with my friend, Mike Yorkey, titled the Swiss Courier. Having a Swiss wife, Mike adds a nice International flavor to the books. He's also great writing action scenes. Think Mission Impossible set in WWII.

Edge: What advice do you have for those who want to write historical fiction?
Tricia: First of all, reading LOTS of historical fiction and figure out what you like best and why. Second, read books on writing fiction ... as many as possible. Third, write, write, write. Give yourself goals and stick to them. Fourth, attend a writer's conference. I highly recommend the American Christian Fiction Writer's Conference and Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference. The workshops are great. The teachers are amazing. And meeting other writers is one of the best things you can do to further your career.

Hey, Edglings: You can see the book trailer for A Whisper of Freedom right here:

Music hath charm

One of the things I have enjoyed most about writing novels and seeing them published is the friendships I have made with other published novelists. I have met some of the most lovely, engaging, wildly creative people in the since I started down this road. And so it's no wonder I love chatting up a good friend's newest release.

Today, I'm happy to share with you my good friend Sharon Hinck's brand new baby, Symphony of Secrets. Here's what Sharon has to say about her new book:

"Talented flutist Amy Johnson's dreams come true when she wins a spot with the Minneapolis Symphony. But this amateur sleuth has trouble concentrating on the notes as she begins to see devious motives behind her fellow musicians' many mishaps. Meanwhile, her musically talented daughter wants to give it all up for—gasp—the cheerleading squad! What's a musical mom to do? Can Amy fine-tune her investigation before the symphony is forced to close and she loses not only her dream job but her promising new relationship with its conductor?"

Edge: So, Sharon. What is the significance of the title?

Sharon: On an obvious level, Amy tries to uncover answers to the mystery of who is ruining the symphony, and the secrets of her various “suspects.” But a key element of the story is that Amy has been keeping family secrets for many years and is finally forced to face them. There is also a growing awareness of the “secret” (hitherto unknown by her) work of God, which plays out in her life like the movements of a symphony. Her life is really a symphony of secrets.

Edge: Why did you decide to add a mystery to the mix for this book?

Sharon: I’ve always loved Dorothy Gillman’s “Mrs. Pollifax” books (a retired garden-club woman joins the CIA) and Jill Churchill’s “Jane Jeffrey” novels (a suburban mom solves murders) so I thought it would be fun to make Amy a bit of an armchair detective (at least in her own mind). It made for a fun combination.

Edge: Your Becky Miller books took us into the world of a mom with big dreams. How does Amy differ from Becky?

Sharon: I love exploring the heroic in people the world considers “ordinary” - like moms. Like the Becky Miller books, Symphony of Secrets includes a strong story thread about parenting, but the dynamics of a young single mom with a teen daughter are an interesting new twist. Their banter has a bit of a Gilmore Girl vibe to it – full of affection but a little dysfunctional – which adds to the fun.

Edge:Is there a love interest for Amy?

Sharon: I hadn’t planned for one when I began the book, but a certain character walked into a scene, tossed some musical scores on a table, put his feet up, and was so dynamic, I fell in love with him. So Amy did, too. The story isn’t primarily a romance, but in between trying to raise her daughter, hide family secrets, and save the symphony, Amy is further befuddled by the romantic feelings she works hard to ignore.

Edge: Are you at all like Amy?

Sharon: My editor told me that of all my characters, she sees a lot of me in this one. That cracked me up because as I shaped Amy, I made her cranky, with little people skills, and hapless in her crime-fighting efforts. But I have to admit, my editor is right. There are some similarities. Although I’m not a professional concert musician, as a writer, I’m familiar with the neurotic-artist tendencies that were so fun to develop in Amy. I share with her the passionate desire to create something of beauty, the massive insecurities, and the bulldog determination to pursue what matters.

Edge: What is the main spiritual theme of Symphony of Secrets?

Sharon: God loves us enough to come and meet us through the avenues that we understand. He finds ways to speak our language. I’ve seen many examples of God wooing someone toward Himself through that person’s passions. Amy understands the world of music and God coaxes her to consider spiritual issues through the beauty of music that is already alive in her heart.

Check it out!

I know what I see

I have long believed that we parents, endowed with the audacious privilege and responsibility of teaching our children a spoken language, by and large do not fully appreciate the task that is ours.

We teach language. Most of us without a degree in linguistics.

We tell a child the barking furry thing is a dog and they believe us. We tell them the color of a lemon is yellow and that the pointy thing on the end of your face is a nose and that the sky is up. And by golly, they mortar these truths into the edifice of language that's being built in their brains.

It helps of course that what we tell them is enforced by the outside world. I mean, to hear other people calling the barking furry things dogs supports our declaration that that's what they are. When my father told my kids years ago that Werther's toffees were broccoli they believed him for only a day. Long enough to remember him saying it and long enough to remember laughing about it afterward.

My youngest, when he was just beginnning to grasp the mother tongue - he wasn't even speaking in complete sentences yet - was helping me unload grocery bags one day. He pulled out a clear, plastic produce bag of kiwis and proudly yelled "Potatoes!"

I smiled, resisted the urge to squeeze him, and told him they were actually kiwi.

His grin melted away and a look of fear gripped him. I was messing with his world. "Potatoes," he ventured.

"They look like potatoes buy they are really kiwi," I said. An on-the-ball mommy would have sliced one of each open and showed the developing toddler the difference. Hey, I had dinner to get started.

His tiny blond brows furrowed. He looked at the bag in his hands, at me - the person he trusted - and then at the bag again. It was like I had just told him the barking furry thing is an alligator. He was not going to be fooled. The mortar around "potato," which I had helped him slather on, had long hardened

"Potatoes," he said. And that was that.

Oh, the mix of power and powerlessness in tutoring our young heirs in the spoken language.

Broccoli, anyone?

Suited for life on the planet

On the south wall of my house, where the southern California sun is its most intense, there is a long stretch of dirt where dead periwinkles reached for the sky as if still begging for the shade they never got.

A few days ago they were given the ultimate shade - the inside of a Hefty bag. I was glad to see them go, dead plants remind me I have many faults.

In their place, I have planted a mini-cactus garden. At first, I decided on cactii because it made sense. South wall. Blazing sun. Lots of it. No shade. Not a place for wimpy flowers that want a drink every ten minutes. And even if I did sprinkle them on the hour, the July and August heat alone would boil them in their own water.

But as I shopped for cactus at my local farmers' market (such a poetic thing, farmers' markets. There was a man playing a violin next to a stall of fresh tulips as I shopped for the pricklies), I discovered I have a fondness for cactii that surely must have been comatose. They are the most amazing plants. Beautiful and dangerous. Hearty, sure, bold, confident, wild.

They are extremely adaptable and know when to conserve. They know when times are tough and there's no water, to hold onto what they have. They can live for decades without needing much attention.

Cacti have periods of growth and periods of resting. They actually snooze for part of the year. Their spines protect them from being wholly devoured by parched desert animals with only one thing on their minds - self-gratification.

I tell you, there's a lot to like about cactus. They have a number of human-like qualities. I have no idea what these that I've pictured here are called in the plant guides. I can tell you what I call them. Arthur, Rosie, and Bruce.

I hope they like me and prove me right - that they are hearty and resilient.

It's a tough world on the south side . . .

There's got to be a better word

The headline was simple enough, innocuous. Boring even. I'm probably the only person in the world, at least in California, who read it and turned away in disgust. It went something like this: "So-and-so will stump for Senator So-and-so."

It wasn't either of the So-and-So's that bothered me. It was that one infernal verb that I loathe. Stump.

Stump is a noun. A stump is what is left of a tree that has been felled. Or what is left of a human leg that has been sawed off at the knee. Those are stumps. Whenever an election year rolls around and people start stumping (which conjures the image of campaign supporters hopping around the country on one leg) I get vexed. Most severely vexed.(Can you tell I've been watching Jane Austen on PBS on Sunday nights!)

"Hey, Vic! Whaddja do last weekend?"
"Oh, hey, Mel. I stumped!"
"You went stumping?"
"Oh, yeah. I stumped all weekend. It was great. You should have stumped with me, man. We stumped all over the county. You ever stumped?

Or how about this.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce Vic, here, my main stumper."
"Ah, gee, thanks, Senator. You know I'm proud to stump for you."
"Well, I am so grateful for all the fine people who stump on my behalf. Where would I be without your stumping?"

Eee gads. Who in the world made up this word? It's the most pathetic of campaign terms, completely lacking any eloquence or spark or cleverness.

And for heaven's sake, no one actually says this word aloud. It's always part of a headline. It's a soul-less verb no one wants to say. I keep hoping the written media types will realize what a clunker word they've got here and come up with something new. But they like their five-letter verbs. I know they do. I used to be a newspaper editor. But I'm telling you right now I never stooped to using stump unless I was writing about elm remains.

It's only February. November is such a long way off. I know I am in the teensiest of minorities here. I shall have to endure the 's' word for weeks to come. I can already hear the madly hopping foot chasing me down the hall of my discontent.

Have mercy.

The first winner and the untamed

Lovely Edglings, thanks for checking out the Blue Heart Blessed blog (say that five times real fast!). The names of those who posted a comment were put into a sauce pan I got for a wedding gift 27 year ago - seemed apropos! - and we have a winner of a copy of the book.

Drum roll . . . Nicole, you're the winner! Send me an email with your address and in the mail it goes. If you entered a drawing because you're on my e-newsletter roster, no worries. That drawing hasn't occurred yet! If you want to receive my 6-times-a year e-newsletter just head over to my website and give me a shout.

Thanks for posting, everyone. I hope you'll head over to the Blue Heart Blessed blog often. I plan to post there Mondays and Fridays, same days as Edgewise. On Monday over at Blue Heart, we'll be talking about how chocolate and romance got linked together, in history and in story. Those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate you see all over the place aren't in stores right now because guys don't know what else to buy for Valentines Day . . .

And while we're on the subject of romance, here's a brand new book, Taming Rafe, by my good friend Susan May Warren.

This is Book 2 in The Noble Legacy series: Two-time world champion bull rider Rafe Noble had no idea how quickly his world could end. In less than eight seconds, he lost his title, his career, and his bestfriend - all on the dirt floor of a noisy rodeo arena. Katherine Breckenridge just wants to make a difference by running her mother's charity foundation. But the mysterious disappearance of half a million dollars has forced it to the brink of bankruptcy. Her last chance to save it is the annual fund-raiser, an event that's destroyed by an out-of-control Rafe Noble. Desperate to rescue the foundation, Katherine heads to the Noble family ranch to enlist Rafe's help in raising the money he cost her in lost donations. What she doesn't know is that Rafe is broke-in cash and in spirit-and that helping her could end up costing him his life

The untamed Rafe even has his own blog. Susan's a great writer of classic romance and her new book was named a TOP PICK in Romantic Times Book Reviews. You can read the first chapter here.

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you on Monday.

You can't hurry love

It's here! My latest release, Blue Heart Blessed, officially hits bookstore shelves TODAY!

I had a blast writing this one, folks! After spending some significant writing time the last year immersed in social issues, criminal law and the depths of the human spirit (see the Rachael Flynn Mystery Series), it was a fun departure for me to spin a quirky tale about the quest for true love.

This book is about the passionately romantic Daisy Murien who, after planning her dream wedding to the nth degree, gets stood up at the altar. In a valiant effort to move past the heartache, she opens a secondhand wedding dress shop, hoping to sell the custom-made dress of her dreams. Trouble is, anytime anyone gets close to buying her gown, Daisy rips off the price tag. Letting go is harder than she thought it would be.

Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say about it: "In this sweet contemporary romance, Meissner (A Window to the World) explores one woman’s response to rejection and hurt. When a man she’d trusted jilts Daisy Murien almost at the altar, bitterness colors every aspect of her world. Admirably, she parlays her betrayal into opening a secondhand bridal gown store, Something Blue, where each gown has a story and a tiny blue heart is sewn into the seams and blessed by Daisy’s friend and mentor, the elderly Father Laurent. When the kindly priest is felled by a heart attack, a new romantic interest (predictably) enters Daisy’s life. Lurking on the sidelines is a high school friend who may have feelings for Daisy, and a wealthy single Christian man who can’t seem to make the sparks fly. Meissner tells her story well, and her Christian themes are interwoven throughout with a deft touch. Readers will appreciate some fresh elements: an Ecuadorian couple that cooks for the apartment dwellers every Sunday, and the one gown in Daisy’s inventory she does not want to sell. The ending is well told if conventional, with all the loose ends neatly tied up, which should please fans of “happily ever after” romance novels."

Yep, I really did tie up all the loose ends this time. I don't usually write the typical romance novel, but I was pretty pleased when Romantic Times gave Blue Heart Blessed 4½ stars and a Top Pick rating.

And hey, I've decided to have a little fun with a promotional project for Blue Heart Blessed. I created a blog for it. Check it out right here! Hope you'll stop by often.

And now for a contest! Win a free copy of Blue Heart Blessed just by stopping the blog and saying hello. Everyone who posts a comment between now and this time next will have a chance to win.

Have a great weekend, everybody.