Ambiance and a change of scenery

Today I've decided to come to the coffeeshop to work. I used to hate getting out. I'm a recluse and prefer to spend time in my dark house and write in solitude. Only...That has been changing for awhile...for one thing, with kids it's almost impossible to keep the dadgum door closed and trying just gets my nerves in an uproar and then who can think to write when they're ticked off, right? So rather than holler at the kids, I've decided to go with the flow this spring and summer and just let the light in and the cool air out. Big deal!

So lately I've been really enjoying getting out of the house. Yesterday after church, my husband and I went on what was supposed to be a two and a half mile hike at the local state park just down the road from our house. There are several hiking trails...adn guess what? we took a wrong turn and ended up going FOUR and a half miles instead. I got to a kid's church meeting an hour late and missed out on the pizza. I was sooo not happy with the man in my life who got us lost (he says we weren't lost, we just weren't on the right trail...WHATEVER!) He was completely outside my circle of trust for about three hours, then I forgave him and allowed him back. Even though he didn't apologize or admit to getting us lost...which he did.

I'm sore today. all the way from my calves to my butt. I guess that's a good sign. Means I'm tightening things up...
THe Bachelor is on tonight. :)

Back to work!
Peace
Tracey

Defiant Heart!!!!!!!

Today I received my box of author copies (the copies my publisher sends me free of charge). I was SOOOO psyched to get these. No matter how many books I publish, each time I receive a new book, I'm in total awe all over again. Awe that God would entrust this gift to me and allow me to share it in book form. In this case, Avon Inspire has pulled out all the stops to give me the best editor (HI CINDY!!) the best marketing, the best COVER designers. I'm very, very blessed.

Only about 10 more days until my book releases. God is GOOD!!! You can click on the book cover above to order a copy from Amazon.
I'm writing Distant Heart right now. The sequel to Defiant Heart and so much a book of my heart. Toni Rodden, the heroine is much like I once was...wounded, disappointed, distrustful. God is teaching her as I write. And He's teaching me too. :) Writers are an odd breed of people. These characters are real to me as I write.

Okay, I'm going back to work. I have to know what happens next
Thanks and All glory to God for the fruition of this series.

Peace
Tracey

Heartstopping moment

Okay....Anyone else freak when they said Chris was safe and left Jordin there to THINK she had been voted out?????? I was like....NO WAY!!!! I KNEW I should have voted.

When she sang Walk on Tuesday night, I swear I was moved to tears, it never even crossed my mind that she would leave. BUT remember Ryan said "In no particular order" So he was just messing with my emotions. Jordin is not in the bottom two.
I think she'll ultimately either win or come in second. Definitely she'll be in the top three with Blake and Melinda, and personally, I think Jordin should win.

Ok that's really all today...
Have a blessed day. It's raining in Southern Missouri. That's spring in Missouri. I like rain. :)

Bachelor update plus other stuff

Okay, I know, I KNOW, Fred (my buddy who gave me crap last week after he saw the mud wrestling segment of the Bachelor)....the guy is making out all over the place, BUT he wasn't making out before he started having feelings for the six or so women left . And you notice, he didn't make out with anyone he sent home last night. I like that about him. He's so sweet!! I hope this guy finds true love. I'm still pulling for Tess!! GO TESS.

Do you think they really gave him (what IS his name??? I can't remember) that car and yaght (how the heck do you spell big boat?) for during the show? Or was he yanking Tina's chain? I'm torn. I know army pay isn't great in this day's economy. But he IS an officer and a doctor. Still, a million dollar car...he'd probably have to come from money to afford that. Oh well, who cares? He's the real deal.

On to more imporant issues...
Defiant Heart is two days closer to release date. Need to go check out the ticker to find out exactly. Wish I could get that thing on here!! Maybe I'll beg Misty (my fabulous web lady) to see if she can put it on. That would be fun.

Yesterday I received a super duper Jesus-breathed surprise. A really, really good review in PW for my upcoming chicklit novel with Faithwords. It's the first in the Drama Queens series. Catch a Rising Star! I'll put the review up at the beginning of June. :) The book releases in July, so I want to give Defiant Heart it's day in the sun before this one moves in on it. :) I'll be signing both books at CBA this year in Atlanta. OH OH speaking of ATLANTA. I'm already making plans to go visit the Margaret Mitchell House. I CAN'T WAIT. This has been my dream forever!! I've had a ton of coffee today....can you tell? :)

back to work. But that's a good thing. This second book in the Westward Hearts series is really a book of my heart. When that happens the book practically writes itself.

Love lots
Tracey

Getting Excited!

Harper Collins has this ticker on my author page that shows how many days until Defiant Heart comes out. I tried to get it to show up here, but all I get is this: (Y)

Yeah, I don't know why. But it's awesome. Check it out. 16 days to go!!

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061246333/Defiant_Heart_Westward_Hearts/index.aspx

You might have to copy and paste.

All glory to God for this series coming to life. I love those God moments where doors open and it's just a big YES.

Peace.
Tracey

Running and weight

It's been awhile since I updated on my exercise and weight loss.
Exercise was going awesome until about two weeks ago when I hit a deadline hard and fast and the world went away. I lost ground. Was jogging three of five miles on the treadmill. I finally got back on it tonight and was down to one and a half of three miles, so not terrible, but definitely a setback. But I had to do it.
Diet has been going okay. Haven't lost any real weight in about five months, since I started on a medicine for PMS. (apologies to any boys among us). Anyway, I recently decided I'd rather have PMS and less weight so went off it about three weeks ago and lo and behold have lost 5 lbs. Go figure. My family isn't sure what they prefer.... pray for them over the next week or so. SMILE

So there you have it, all updated and still a size 12
Tracey

I wouldn't let my kid play that!!

I've been writing the second Westward Hearts book, Defiant Heart, and the hero is half Indian, so I've been doing a fair amount of research into Indians...Today I found a game the young boys used to play. They lined up face to face into two teams and, at the onset of the game, yelled at each other "I'm going to knee you in the face until you bleed." This was the goal of the game...to run and gang up on the least protected of your opponents and knee him in the face until he bled. Hmm. I'd have been running over there in my buckskin dress, braids flying and pulling all those bullies off my boy. :)I wouldn't have made a very good Indian mom, I don't think.

Sort of reminds me of how the Word announces the devil's intention to steal, kill, and destroy and we still open ourselves up to getting kneed in the face by disobedience, not tithing, blatant sin. etc

Crazy...but we all do it, don't we?
Peace out.
Back to research and writing...

Defiant Heart

So, what do you all think of the cover for the Launch book for AVON Inspire? The book releases May 8th and is already available for preorders. YOu can click on the cover above if you want to order it.
I'm sooo excited about this series.
God is good!!

Peace Out

FREE BOOK PEOPLE

Hey guys,
We need addresses for these people

Jenny
Linda M
Megan H

So if you want your book, write to me at tvbateman@aol.com within 24 hours and let us know address, abd book preference between Oregon Brides, Freedom of the Soul, and I love Claire

Tracey

The new Bachelor!!!

Anyone else think he is THE best Bachelor ever? I love his gentleness and genuine niceness. I love that he's picking some plainer girls because he likes their minds. How perfect is he? And he's a doctor and a navy man. Be still my (married) heart.
THe girl I was rooting for got booted this week (she was a moral virgin, 'nuff said). So now I'm rooting for Tess. Although I think the short, dark headed girl that won the run will be the one.

Okay, now that I have THAT out of my system

Thanks to everyone who commented on my blog or emailed me you're all getting a book! How's that for an Oprah moment?

Want a free book?

In the spirit of Easter...and because I'm on deadline and feeling particularly vulnerable and need the affirmation.
First five people who will say something nice about my writing, I'll give you a free book...your choice. Freedom of the Soul, I Love Claire, or Oregon Brides.

My web lady will be posting the new stuff to the website next week and we'll get to see the cover for Defiant Heart, book one in the Westward Hearts series and my great review in Romantic Times.

Love you
Tracey

coming up for a little air

The thing about a deadline is that you have to come up for air sometimes. I was reading on Rachel Hauck's blog today (an older post) about how consuming it is on deadline. It's not about time crunch. It's a life crunch. All consuming. You eat, sleep, and breathe your current story. That's where I am right now. I'm a woman obsessed with the lives of my characters.

Anyway, so I'm coming up for air for the next three hours. Rusty and I fix a special meal on Thursdays and we have candlelight and the kids are always on their best behavior. So he's bbqing tonight so ribeye steaks I got half price. Now don't run from "reduced for quick sale" meat. My grannie used to work in a meat market and she always said the aged meat (not rotten) was the best. And I agree!!! As long as you cook it right away.

Yum. So steaks, salad, greenbeans and mushrooms, and baked potatoes.
That's what's on th agenda for tonight. We're building memories with these candlelight dinners. The kids love them. We love them and I know when they're grown, they'll bring them up from time to time. I look forward to it. But I don't it to happen too soon!!

Peace

UPDATE

Isn't it weird how time gets away from you? It's been two weeks or so since I blogged. Only reminders from my darling Publicist keeps me reminded that I have things to talk about and update.

My new Westward Hearts book DISTANT HEART will be out May 8th. I'm so excited I recieved a 4 star review in Romantic Times. Will be posting the review and the jacket cover later today or tomorrow.



We've had a trying few months. My daughter has been plagued with panic attacks, dizziness and headaches. after tons of missed school days, tons of tests, and different specialists, she was finally diagnosed with migraines, which was my original thought anyway. We're glad for the diagnosis (as opposed to a tumor or something), but so far we haven't found the medicine to help too much. She had to leave school today, the first day about after spring break. Please pray for her.

we've got two new dogs. Shorty, the new little husky pup was hit by a car. The next day a stray showed up. Sweet and BIG and annoying. So we kept him. We started off calling him MUd Butt, because...well...he had mud on his butt, but once we decided to keep him we changed his name to Joe. When we were looking for Shorty we stopped by the pound and saw a cute Shepherd/husky mix that we fell in love with. We named him Jack. So we now are the proud owners of five dogs. Three inside (little ones except the obese Beagle--be looking for this dog in my new Drama Queens book YOU HAD ME AT GOODBYE--it won't be out until February 2008, but you can get the first one CATCH A RISING STAR in July!)Anyway and the other two are outside and bark and howl all night.

Now, today I read an article in the online Today's Christian woman by Siri Mitchell, about Easter in Japan. The Japanese Christians wear red on easter to commemorate Jesus' blood. Isn't that awesome? I've decided to do that next Sunday.

He is RISEN!!
T