Cool Stuff

Want to help me celebrate a book launch?

In less than a month, my fourth novel, An Act of Devotion, debuts! As a way of celebrating—and also to thank the many other writers who have encouraged me and inspired me along the way—I’m having a week-long Novel Birthday Bash May 2-6, 2016.

I’m looking for writers of all types who want to stop by for a guest post, interview, or featured book. You don’t have to be a published author, just a person who likes to put words together.

An Act of Devotion is a new adult m/m romance about two very different people finding each other and discovering they are not alone. It’s about becoming a “real grown up” and about trust and a tiny bit about being an activist in the bisexual community. There are some heavier themes on intimate partner violence and health and safety for LGBTQ+ people.

If any of those themes appeal to you, fantastic! But if you’d like to write about writing, your own work, or another topic you’re passionate about, those are great too. I’m hoping for at least one post per day, up to as many as I can get.

Just fill out the contact form for a guest spot, and we’ll set it all up. Happy writing!

Announcements and a Post-Holiday Giveaway

Books, Cool Stuff, Writing

Happy Monday after Christmas! I’m pretty excited today because I’m so ready to announce a new project and give some stuff away! Keep reading for more details.

First things first: I’m ready to get down to working on edits for another novel. For anyone who read Passing on Faith (or might read it in the near future), I’m already working on another story in that timeline. The fun part about being a writer is how sometimes, the muse gently taps us on the shoulder (or shakes us and screams in our ear; whichever) and lets us know there’s another tale in there. PoF was supposed to be self-contained, as Lower Education was. Too bad my muse looks an awful lot like a certain ginger-blond with a whole lot of freckles who insisted he wanted to tell his story.

Just a little bit of a teaser:

Cat wasn’t running, exactly—more a fast lope. He was all the way to his own front door before he processed his bare chest, having left his shirt next door. There was no chance he was going back for it, certainly not that night and probably not any other. It was fine; he had plenty of other shirts. A missing sunset orange v-neck was the least of his worries, even if it was one of his favorites and complemented his ginger-blond hair so well.

He hurried inside his house and shut the door, turning around to lean on it despite knowing his back would stick to it. His skin was damp, and his breathing was shallow. Every inhalation shuddered with longing and regret. He should have known better than to give in to his own wishful thinking. It was too much to ask just once God might send him someone who could see past everything wrong with him to the real person he was.

No, that wasn’t right. He didn’t want someone to see past it—he wanted someone to embrace it. He’d done the whole “seeing past” thing once, and it had been all right in its way, but it wasn’t what he needed. For all of a few minutes, he’d been sure this time he’d found the right person. It hardly mattered that Micah, his gorgeous neighbor, was a mess of his own problems or that he was only going to be around for the summer. Sure, they couldn’t have the kind of passionate fling which was the stuff of movies. Cat’s body wasn’t fit for such things. They could have had something all their own, though, and it would have been enough.

Or rather, it was until Cat discovered once again how his train-wreck of a body would always be in the way. His usual trouble with the world of dating and mating was how many people saw him as a liability. Hooking up was largely out of the question, not that he was interested anyway. He never had been, no matter who believed he ought to be available. It was one lie of many which had followed him for eight long years. It made Cat hate how much people assumed about him because he was small and pretty.

He sighed and shoved off the door, wincing as it tugged at his skin but appreciating the way the burn grounded him. He flopped onto the couch, tired and a little sore and a lot heartbroken. His mind wandered back to the previous five minutes, and he closed his eyes. Whether it was to block out the images or embrace them, he wasn’t sure. It was his own fault—he’d made the first move. He’d kissed Micah.

And now for the fun part: Free stuff! I’m running a post-Christmas giveaway of any one item on my e-book list (excluding multi-author anthologies). You can view my Amazon page to see what’s available. Great way to start the new year!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Notable News: Week of August 17-23, 2013

Cool Stuff, Links, Odds 'n' Ends

Here we are at the close of another week. It’s been a busy one for me, with my volunteer work at the kids’ last summer camp of the season. I can’t believe that school is just around the corner for us. Two weeks from today, my kids will be finishing their first week of classes. The summer has flown by. Meanwhile, I’m trying some new things in my life outside of blogging. I’m looking forward to new challenges and opportunities.

This week, there have been some great posts. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Religious privilege

This is a great summary of the privileges enjoyed (often unawares) by most Christians (other than those considered too “fringe”). Because I still identify as Christian (even if I don’t always know how to define that, even for myself), I have definitely experienced many of the things on the list. Although I’ve done well as an ally to people of other faiths in some ways, there are places where I can improve.

2. Love and Marriage

This story from Lana Hobbs is incredibly moving. I’m not posting it here in order to “prove” to anyone that courtship works. I’m posting it because so often lately, I read black-and-white pronouncements without any sense of the varied experiences of real people. Lana’s story is one of hope in which despite her feelings about the process, she and her husband value and affirm each other. There is rich beauty in that.

3. Leaps of Faith

I wish erinrebecca a blessed, hopeful journey this weekend in coming out to her parents. I don’t have any special words of wisdom or deep, meaningful prayers to offer. All I have to give is support from one writer to another, a thin line of Internet hope, and an affirmation of God’s love and mercy. Grace and peace be with you as you go.

4. Jesus’ Gag Reflex

One of many fine responses to the gag-reflex-worthy poo fest that was Thabiti Anyabwile’s dreadful Gospel Coalition article.

5. More Gag Reflexes

And, of course, this one. A friend of mine made a similar comment about his gag reflex for het sex. Gee, thanks, guys–you’ve cleared things up for me. Now I know I’m the one sinning because I’ve tripped your gag reflex!

6. Misogyny of the Week

I honestly find purity, modesty, and “courtship” culture kind of trips my gag reflex. I’m glad my parents didn’t encourage any of this. I’m also glad I married a man who even thought it was weird to ask my parents for permission to marry me. After reading this dreadful post, I’m currently glad I will never have reason to allow this man to counsel either of my children. I’m still laughing about how he calls this post “PG-13.”

7. Virgin Sacrifice

I’m glad I wasn’t drinking hot coffee when I read this. Also, I misread “virgins” as “vaginas,” to which my brain helpfully supplied, “That too.”

8. Christian Music

Apparently they meant “Grew Up A Christian Music Fan After 1992,” as I didn’t relate to most of this. But I was a Christian music fan in the late 80s-early 90s, and I was one of those die-hards who refused to listen to secular music. Other than the Billy Joel I used to sneak in. And whatever my sisters happened to be listening to. And U2 after they weren’t Christian anymore. And Metallica. And REM. And…oh. Never mind.

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

Looking for Super Girls

Cool Stuff, Culture, Parenting, Writing

This post is a bit lighter than my last one. It was written for the Creative Buzz Hop; this week’s theme is “Superheroes.” If you’d like to join us, write your post and link up at either Pen Paper Pad or Muses from the Deep.

I was a little disappointed to see this week’s theme, superheroes. After all, I’ve never been much of a fan. I don’t think I’ve been to a superhero movie in the theater since Spider-Man 2, and I’m not sure I’ve seen one at home in that long either. Neither of my kids is much into superheroes. So what the heck was I going to write about?

Even though I have some thoughts on comics, superheroes, and geek culture, that didn’t seem appropriate. It’s true that there is a distinct lack of super women, and the women in comics play a wide range of “stand by your man” (even if it means death) roles. I’m put off by the skimpy costumes on the women and the disgustingly large muscles on the men. I could probably write forever about that. On the other hand, there are already some women writing about those things who have more of a vested interest than I do and who can speak to the issues better than I can. I’ll leave them to it. It also occurs to me that lots and lots of people love superheroes for a variety of reasons, and I’m sick of the feeling that we’re all being policed for our choices in books, movies, and television (see my post yesterday on why, sort of).

Where does that leave me? It leaves me with the one “superhero” my daughter actually likes: WordGirl.

WordGirl. Image courtesy of http://www.sleuthsayers.org/search/label/Word%20Girl

Yes, people, I know it’s a PBS kids’ show and it’s meant to be educational. But come on. Who wouldn’t like something that, in the last year, has helped my daughter expand her vocabulary by several hundred percent? Besides, WordGirl has an enemy called Lady Redundant Woman. What’s not to love?

For those not familiar (probably because you don’t have any kids under age 10 in your house), WordGirl is an alien from the planet Lexicon who lives with an Earth family and goes by the name Becky Botsford. She has a sidekick, a monkey named Bob (or Captain Huggy Face, when he’s in full superhero sidekick mode). WordGirl fights villains such as the meat-slinging Butcher, the cheese-obsessed Dr. Two-Brains (his second brain is a mouse’s), and the conniving knitter, Granny May. The whole show is just such campy fun. The best part is that WordGirl is a strong, smart, and capable role model.

The show’s writers have created one of the most likeable characters, appealing to kids of all sorts. The feminist mama in me rejoices that there is a fantastic television girl out there that is relatable for both boys and girls, something sorely lacking in a lot of our culture. At a time when so much of kids’ literature, television, and toys are separated into boy and girl categories, we have a show with a main character that appeals to everyone (even mom and dad).

I know my daughter’s time with WordGirl is limited. It won’t be long before she wants to watch things she perceives as more “grown up.” Maybe someday she’ll be interested in more mainstream superheroes; maybe she won’t. Maybe the culture will have changed enough that we’ll see more and better options regarding women in superhero comics and movies; maybe it won’t. For now, she and I can enjoy watching Word Girl and learning something new–and hoping that once again, WordGirl will protect Fair City from the likes of Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy.

______________________________

For the very curious, you can see what I’m talking about:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avWDXu5FyFg&noredirect=1]

Notable News: Week of August 10-16, 2013

Blogs, Cool Stuff, Links, Writing

It’s been hard staying in a rhythm over the summer, with both kids and my husband home. I’ve also had twice as many editing/proofreading projects as last summer, so that’s left me little time to keep up on my blog. Along with that, we’ve had several unexpected things happen, including sending my faithful Nissan Altima to the Great Body Shop in the Sky. I’m now the proud owner of an SUV. I never thought I would say that–it really does make me feel like such a suburban mom. Anyway, I may not have been writing much, but I’ve definitely been reading. This week’s list is a bit short, due to my own limited time, but here are some of the things I really liked this week.

1. Penal Substitution

Anyone who’s been reading my stuff for a while probably knows (or has at least guessed) that I’m no fan of the penal substitution view of salvation. This Naked Pastor cartoon nearly made me snort my coffee out my nose.

2. Too many to list separately

Registered Runaway is my go-to blogger when I feel like I’m just done being harsh and frustrated. I have a pretty forceful personality, and that’s not going to change, but the gentle people in this world are a good balance and keep me from toppling over the edge into cyclical rage. I couldn’t pick just one of his posts this week, so I’m just linking the blog and you can read them all.

3. Well, all righty then.

Simon Chan wrote this. It made me wish I’d had time this week to write something scathing and witty in response, but buying a new car broke my sarcasm function. Fortunately, there are other good writers on the Internet. Check out these excellent responses: Women Are People, Too: A Conservative Baptist Take On Inclusive Language and Why We Call God Father: a response to Simon Chan.

4. Today’s short story

I just posted this on my fiction blog. Haven’t put anything up there in a long time, so it feels good to add a new story.

I’m not sure how the next week will go. I’m volunteering every morning at a summer camp, so it will be sporadic. I’ll do my best to keep up, though. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Notable News: Week of July 27-August 2, 2013

Cool Stuff, Links, News, Odds 'n' Ends

Better late than never, right? Blogging’s been hit or miss this summer, as sometimes happens when both kids and my husband are on school vacation. Today, we kept ourselves busy by sending my car to the shop (possibly for the last time; we’ll see) and hanging out at the children’s museum. Anyway, here I am to bring you my favorite posts from the week.

1. Being used

If you haven’t seen this piece on being “used by God,” you may not have been on the Internet this week. It’s been passed around by just about everyone. I’m sharing it here in case you missed it.

2. Being used (part 2)

Here’s a cartoon by the always-wonderful David Hayward in response. I particularly like this quote (and also the non-use of gendered pronouns for God):

Pushing that to its logical limits, the glory of God is God, and when we are our truest selves, fully alive, this is God in all God’s glory. There is now no separation. There is perfect oneness. There is perfect unity.

3. Being abused

This is a wonderful post over at Deeper Story by Susannah Paul. We are failing to listen to those who have been deeply wounded and spiritually abused by churches. I wish I had just a penny for the number of times someone has said they are reluctant to return to church because of the pain and some well-meaning person has said, “You just need to find the right church.” A small part of me curls up and dies every single time. We can do better.

4. Being owned

If you haven’t been following Sarah Moon’s You Are Not Your Own series, you should go do that right now. I mean it. Stop reading this post and just go do it. If you just want to read the most recent one, that’s cool, because it’s an excellent one about unmarried women and “ownership.” I am thankful my parents never took this approach with me.

5. Being a dancer

A friend sent me the link to this post about boys and dancing. As the mom of a boy who dances, I always appreciate hearing from other parents who are proud of their kids and don’t limit them based on gender expectations. What does make me sad is that nearly all of the ones about boys and breaking stereotypes are by women. If anyone wants to comment here and link to posts by dads of boys who do things society considers “feminine,” that would be welcome.

6. Being an adoptee/adoptive parent

A fresh perspective on the “But people want your unborn baby!” from a mom with two adopted daughters.

7. Being body confident

Like many women, I’ve had a lifelong struggle to love my body exactly as it is. I’m doing my best not to pass those feelings on to my own daughter. Body-shaming must end. (I could write a whole post on this, but I also think health-shaming and exercise-shaming and food-shaming need to end.) Here are some wise words about how we can break the cycle.

8. Being a douchebag

My online friend and fellow writer Tim Gallen has some great advice for those looking to increase their douchebaggery. My favorite line involves a sexually frustrated large mammal. This is a guest post for Kim Ulmanis, who is honest and funny and just plain good; you should check out the rest of her blog while you’re over there.

9. Being a douchebag (part 2)

And speaking of douches, why am I not surprised that Hugo Schwyzer is at it again? Why is this guy continually given a platform? I think Dianna Anderson answers that question to an extent in her fantastic take-down of the culture that encourages people like Schwyzer to behave the way they do.

10. Being a writer

There’s so much advice out there on how to be a “proper” writer. Honestly, it’s easier to explain how to do it wrong than to do it right, as evidenced in this very funny piece by Chuck Wendig. How many of these are you doing?

11. Being a woman

Several of my friends posted this hilarious ad. I shared it on Facebook, but it definitely deserves a second round. If only that kid had been available when I hit puberty.

12. Being a geek

I love this video of Wil Wheaton delivering a message for a convention attendee’s newborn daughter. I admit to having had a teensy (okay, huge) crush on him when I was in 8th grade. Although I no longer sigh like a teenage girl when I see him, I do keep finding new reasons to think he’s just plain awesome.

13. Being a geek (part 2)

That video above is particularly important, because far too many girls grow up into women who have to defend our geekiness. I’m glad I’m raising a boy who thinks that girls who know their video games are the most fun and a girl who knows it’s okay to be completely absorbed in your chosen geekdom. Watch this video for more totally awesome geeks who just happen to be girls and women. Also, Wil Wheaton.

14. Being from Rochester

My own city gets some love at HuffPo with an article on our fantastic street art. I’ve never been more proud of my wonderful city!

That’s it for this week. I should be around a bit more in the coming weeks (I hope). If nothing else, check in on Monday for the first post on Fifty Shades Darker. I would say you don’t want to miss it, but this is Fifty Shades we’re talking about.

Have a great weekend!

Want to help me celebrate a book launch?

Announcements and a Post-Holiday Giveaway

Notable News: Week of August 17-23, 2013

Looking for Super Girls

Notable News: Week of August 10-16, 2013

Notable News: Week of July 27-August 2, 2013

Let's Be Friends

Sharing

Tip Jar

Shopping Cart

Your Shopping Cart

Supposed Crimes Publishing

Beaten Track Publishing

More Content