Life in General

Time to update.
Thanks for all the prayers going out on behalf of my mother-in-law. She battled cancer and won heaven. What a trade off. I'm happy for her. But I'll miss her so very much. After almost twenty years, she's as much a part of my life as any other member of my family--blood or not.

Prayers for travel would be appreciated. Her funeral will take place in Chicago some time this weekend.Until then, we're taking care of arrangements for the funeral, her affairs and our own place while we're away for several days. I'm also trying to find time to write between laundry, phone calls, and cooking for the family.

Hug your mothers in law!!!!
Tracey

words of life

Today has been emotional for me. Visited my mother-in-law in the hospital on the way home from Branson. We were there for a few hours. She's weak. It's difficult to experience and yet, she needs our strength to help her with the smallest tasks and to show her our worry or angst isn't good. although she knows her condition is very serious, she doesn't need to see it on our faces.

Today I've been writing. (duh) I was tempted to throw down the easiest sentences, the ones that come naturally, without effort and without much feeling because I'm in such a rush. But I felt God's gentle nudge inside and He reminded me of Jesus' words to satan "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth from the mouth of God."
There are no insignificant words. Words are healing or hurting. Positive or negative. And quite frankly, right or wrong. I want to write the words that God speaks to my soul. even if the concept He gives me makes the wording difficult in a fiction novel. Sometimes I think He should have just let me be a nonfiction writer, In fiction I detest preachy, overbearing, obvious messages, but in nonfiction...well, that's sort of the point, right?
Anyway, Words of Life. I'm praying for those for today....I might be writing a prairie romance, but guess what? This is what God has placed before me. I'm honored to do so. And I pray, I pray, I pray, that He will use it to touch lives, bring laughter, bring tears, and point hearts to His heart.

Last Day from Branson

I'm a fan of Crystal Cove Bed and Breakfast. I can't even tell you how the owners have gone the extra mile to make my stay here comfortable and productive. I am leaving in a few hours to go home and finish my work from there, but I will look forward to coming here for an actual two or three day mini vaca soon. In a few weeks, hopefully.

TOday it's raining...the owners showed up at my door with a fat, homemade waffle covered with whipped cream, berries, and three slices of bacon on the side. Oh, and warm syrup. I didn't expect it. They are truly angels in disguise. OH I have a story about their son... He's about five years old and got a fishing pole for his pre-school graduation (By the way, he's trying to figure out a way to skip the next twelve years of school and go straight to college--after all, he DID graduate with a cap and gown. SNICKER). Anyway, I walked past him outside yesterday and he had his pole. So I asked, "Are you going to fish in the pond?" (It's a shallow pond stocked with enormous gold fish for ambiance) He said, "No, I was trying to catch a spider, but I lost my bait--I had a worm but it's gone." HOW cute is that???He was totally serious. They're going to have lots of fun with that kid.

The Bachelor....
I caved and watched it last night while I typed. He picked the one I wanted him to pick from the beginning. Tessa. :) Hope they make it. I truly do. I liked this Andy guy. He seemed to be the real deal.

A gripe--
I'm so sick of not being able to watch TV without being barraged with those stupid male enhancement pills commercials. Regardless of whether or not size counts, these commercials are sickening (okay the Bob ones are sort of funny), but enough already. My kids watch the scifi reruns on these channels!! When I was a kid tampon commercials caused embarassed silence in mixed company. I think of the shows my mom would force me to turn off and I wonder how far I've come in my moral thinking--or the lack thereof. The world DOES affect our outlook. I think I should go without TV for a month and only read Christian books and the Bible and see what happens. hmmmm. Maybe I'll challenge myself to that.
I'll let you know...

Pray for me, please. Deadline is looming. I'm tired, worried about my sweet Mother-in-law, and missing my kids horribly. That's the problem with going away to work. The first three days are great. After that I'm pretty worthless. Yesterday my eight year old called me after school. He was ALONE. One son was at my mom's, one had decided to go work out after school and didn't tell anyone and my daughter had to make up a couple of tests after school. OY VEY. I aged ten years in the ten minutes it took for me to get someone to the house. I told him not to get any snacks he had to cut or cook. :) And not to go outside.

Well, back to work for a couple more hours before Rusty gets here.
Peace

From Branson take two

If you ever get chance to got to Branson on vacation. DO IT. And if you do, stay at a little bed and breakfast called Crystal Cove. The website is Crystalcovebranson.com
Folks. These people are wonderful. Kind. and full of God. They never said they were Christians. They didn't have to. They just are. This morning, Jenny brought me a plate of amazing french toast to put IHop to shame with three link sausages. She brought it to my room because she was afraid I had missed breakfast because I didn't know they served at eight am on sunday so they could get to church. Don't you just love people who ooze Jesus? Truthfully, I stayed up working late, so I wasn't going to even attempt waking up early enough for breakfast, but I actually woke up at about 9am and when she knocked on my door, I was watching Kenneth Copeland and starting to read over last night's magic. :)
In two days I have written more than I usually write in ten days of writing. And let me just say...it's good. :) Okay, it's going to need polishing, but the story has jumped into my soul and God has whispered themes for several of my characters. It's amazing to write a westward expansion book in a log cabin (they call it a luxury cabin) and it Is!!!! I fell asleep at dusk in the porch swing. I just napped a little. still, it was pretty amazing.
well, off to work some more. Seriously, this is the life....
I do miss my kids though. Oooh, I shouldn't have said that. Now I'm really going to miss them...
Three more days...

From Beautiful Branson

Okay, Can I just be totally honest here? I have lived in Missouri, less than two hours away from Branson, for the last twenty three years (gulp) and guess what? Today was the FIRST day I saw Branson first hand. Isn't that CRAZY?
Let me tell you about Branson. It's beautiful. The Ozark mountains are breathtaking and the B and B I'm staying in is really sort of amazing. I have a view of a lake with woods in between me and hte lake. I've already gotten tons of work done. The people who run the place are so great. They fix a sit down breakfast every day as part of the experience. We had breakfast today at a long table with other vacationers one couple was from Tulsa). It's so quiet in my little section. I have a LONG deck all to myself with a view of the lake and woods. It's definitely God's country up here. ANd my imagination is going CRAZY.
I'm SOOO glad I'm a writer. Coming to a place like this makes me realize just what God has called me to do. It's great!!!!
Well, Pizza just got here, so you know what that means. Dinner time!!!
Tracey

Traveling

Hey all,

Just got back a couple of days ago from a week long trip, first to Louisiana for my nephew's wedding (if TSA hadn't ripped off my $400 camera at the Denver airport, I'd post some). And then to Colorado for a writer's retreat (again....if not for TSA....)

I came back refreshed even though I worked while I was gone. Just something about the change of scenery helped. While I was gone I was given a great book called How to become a famous writer Before you Die. :) Not sure it'll do the trick, but it has inspired me and I actually haven't read as great a writing book since Stephen King's On Writing.
So if you don't mind a few colorful Idioms, check it out. If you do....run away.

Thursday night I'm headed to a Bed and Breakfast in Branson, Mo to finish up my two pending deadlines. The second Westward Hearts and the revisions for the Second Drama Queens--You Had me at Goodbye. I was thinking how great it would be to go away for fun instead of work sometimes. LOL But I won't complain...God has blessed me and allowed me to do what I love...I'm just sayin'...

I actually will look forward to a little R and R eventually. had to cancel my vacation the first week of June, since my deadlines were late this year. We had a family medical crisis involving my daughter and I lost weeks of work. PTL it's worked out, but I'm still playing catch up until mid August.

Speaking of medical crises....My mother in law has been in the hospital for the last two weeks with liver failure. they discovered cancer. Scary stuff. Prayers would definitely be appreciated. I don't feel we're ready to lose her at all, and she's always been so vibrant and energetic, that it's hard to see her so weak. I know she is frustrated and resigned.

Love to all,
Hopefully I'll have a few minutes to write from Branson this weekend.
I'm sorry for all the trouble people are having signing my blog. It's frustrating me too and I don't know what to do about it. I love hearing from my readers. I promise to look into it very, very soon.

Interview With Rachel Hauck

Hey folks!
My good friend Rachel Hauck has a book releasing the very same day as Defiant Heart!! How awesome is that?
Rachel is featuring my book and I'm featuring hers. Check this out!!! There will be a drawing for two free books. So get your name in there to win Diva NashVegas!

I'm completely inept at all things website, and I can't get the photograph to work. So visit www.rachelhauck.com to see her pretty face. :)
__________________________________________________________________________________


Q: Tell us about Diva NashVegas.

A: Diva NashVegas is the story of country superstar, Aubrey James. The daughter of Gospel Music pioneers, she rockets to fame in the shadow of their tragic death in a car accident. Aubrey is a very real, imperfect heroine who realizes after a decade of reigning the country charts, she’s a long way from the faith of her childhood. This book is about her honest and sometimes humorous journey back to the Father.

Writing a superstar heroine was hard at times. A writer friend asked me, “So, how’s the story coming?”

I said, “Tough, I’ve never been a country diva.”

But with the help of Music Row professionals, and a lot of true superstar biographies, I was able to create Aubrey’s larger-than-life persona. At the end of the book, I loved her as a character and as a friend.

Readers will also meet quirky, funny, sincere Scott Vaughn, the man who interviews Aubrey for her first ever exclusive interview.

Diva NashVegas will touch you, make you laugh out loud, and on occasion, tear up.

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

A: I love to write. Inspiration is easy, really. Look around. The world is full of inspiration. For example, I was watching a PBS special on Elvis Presley one night. As I watched him perform and interact with the crowd, I thought, “What if there was a young woman at one of Elvis’s concerts who received one of his coveted scarves. What is she doing now, thirty-five years later? And a story idea was born. The hard part is sitting down and writing it out, working the story through, developing the characters.
Q: What do you want readers to take away from Diva NashVegas?

A: God is a God of second, third, fourth, fifth chances. If we don’t give up, neither will He. Aubrey made some bad decision in her life, but when she realized she didn’t want a life with out God, she returned to her faith and found her Father waiting for her.

I’d like readers to take away hope. I’d like them to understand sometimes the key to our future is by healing and forgiving our past.

And, as always, I’d love for readers to end the book feeling like they’ve made a friend along the way.


Q: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

A: Age ten. [smile] The standard writer answer, I think. I wrote an impressive poem in fourth grade and my father saw something in it or me that told him I was a writer. For years, it’s what he communicated to me. He spoke destiny into my life by telling me I was a writer. Along the way I had others do the same – published novelists and professors.

Note from Rachel:

Hi all,

Thanks for stopping by Tracey’s site. Hope over to www.rachelhauck.com and read about Tracey and Defiant Heart!

Then go over to Amazon.com and make a couple of great book buys!

Leave a comment on my site and you’ll be eligible to win a $25 gift card to Starbucks or $25 to Barnes & Noble

Blessings! Rachel

Leaving on a Jet plane

Or more likely a puddle jumper from the Springfield Branson airport.
I am going to Louisiana tomorrow for my nephew's wedding, back Sunday night, will be on a live morning news show (5:30 in the morning! Who watches that early????) And then back out on Tuesday morning for a writers meeting. I swear I'm tired just thinking about it. But excited to be going. I finagled my brother's laptop so I can work. Mine is GINORMOUS!! and kills me lugging it around the airport.

Pray for the kids. :) Rusty makes spaghetti and pancakes. But he DOES order a mean Taco Bell. He's a charm. Truly he is. :)

Peace

Tracey