The Valentine Edition

I write stories about Christian people who struggle with their faith, but still depend on God. Emotionally driven stories with a strong romance and a strong Christian principle. When a reader picks up one of my books I don't want to fail them. I want them to be awed, moved to laughter or tears or both in the span of a few chapters. I want them to talk to their friends about my book, that they've found a keeper of an author in me because all my books are a must-read and how they can't wait for the sequel or the next new release. To purchase either The Christmas Edition or The Valentine Edition please click on one of the book covers at the side.


Blurb from The Valentine Edition: The last place in the world Jodi Williams wanted to live was Turtle Creek, Wisconsin, but when her stepdad refused to put in a good word for her at the Chicago paper, she had no other choice than to accept the first job offer that came her way. Josh Thomas was Turtle Creek's veterinarian, but he also happened to be single and quite handsome. His life was pretty peaceful until a pretty, young stranger came to his clinic with a dog that had been hit by a car. While his first reaction was to care for the injured animal, he couldn't help a few glances at this unique young woman.That day was one of quite a few new beginnings. Jodi came to the aid of an injured animal, earning her the respect of a handsome man, she started a new job as a reporter for The Turtle Creek Newspaper, and she gained the wrath of the vet's receptionist. Della had her sights set on Joshua, and she wasn't about to let anyone come between her and the man of her dreams.

Got Mittens?

Nina Graff is the talented maker of these mittens. You have gotta go here and see this site... http://sweaters2hands.wordpress.com/
You have to see what my talented friend is doing!
Nina Graff said, "My sewing room has exploded this month!
A short while ago…I was making a ‘few’ pair of mittens for my daughter-in-laws for Christmas. It seems that EVERYONE liked them! Four weeks and 82 pair of mittens later…I am still having fun creating these, and am offering them for sale here.
They are made from wool/wool blend sweaters (a patchwork of 3 or 4 different ones–washed and shrunk), lined with fleece, and embellished with buttons or wool ties.
You can request a color scheme, but I am at the mercy of whatever sweaters I am able to find. I will send you a preview e-mail before shipping, to be sure you’ll be happy with the choice. I will do my best to fill all orders as timely as possible….but right now I am taking a few days off with family. Will be back in the sewing room by Dec. 29 or so.
Cost is $33….which includes U.S. shipping. I accept PayPal…and those details will be given when you contact me:
back40fotos@gmail.com "

Visit me at titletrakk

Gett'n ready....

..for the holidays. Tree is up. Over the years I have collected antique glass and mercury ornaments in various shapes such as houses, birds (with feathers), balls, stars, diamonds and the like. Once they are on the tree, I step back to admire my work. It takes away my breath and thus my old fashiond Christmas begins. To the yummy spicy scent of gingerbread men baking in the oven, we now turn our attention to hanging our stockings but first we take out the wish list that we tucked inside last year. What fun to read what our hearts desires were one year ago and to see if we have changed since then or achieved it. This goes beyond loosing weight. It's about spirit and dreams and hope. We never focus on things to buy - that is too fleeting - but its how to become - an eternal wish. It may be about a job or a special prayer for a family member, or friend...helping others. Maybe it has to do with spending more time in God's word. Completing that novel. Volunteering. Being nicer to a co-worker. Then we hang the stockings from the mantle and watch as they fill with token gifts and homemade goodies. On Christmas morning there are lots of ooos and aaahhhhs when the owners look inside of them. And then they are put away until next year...but first we make our list of wishes for the coming year and tuck them into the toe. This year I think our wishes will be about how we can be of service to others. How we can make do and do without. Live simply...from the inside out.

This Writer's New Life

I write stories of Christian people who struggle with their faith, but still depend on God. Emotionally driven stories with a strong romance and a strong Christian principle. When a reader picks up one of my books, I don’t want to fail them. I want them to awed, moved to laughter or tears—or both in the span of a few chapters. I want them to talk to their friends about my book, that they’ve found a keeper of an author in me because all my books are a must-read—and how they can’t wait for the sequel or the next new release. As you know, I began writing mysteries. Thrillers. I loved reading that genre so that's where I began writing. As I wrote, I built an arsenal of information about blood spatter, forensics, data. I also had an interesting list of "story characters" and endlessly pestered doctors, lawyers, investigators, and even judges to help keep my writing accurate.

I still love reading and writing mysteries, but in the past year a change has come over me. Perhaps it’s due to the worrisome condition of world events. Or needing to read/watch something uplifting and inspirational, I find myself leaping over my old favorites to a new one, contemporary romance. Everyone wants to love and be loved. It’s a basic need. To be important to someone. But then stuff gets in the way. Stuff like trust issues, past relationships that ended badly, disappointment, hurt, not living up to someone's expectations. This is what links us all together, disenchantment in love on some level at some time in our life. I decided to write heartwarming romance where love and hope and faith were the cornerstones. I found myself replaying popular love songs from my high school years. They were about being with the person you love, holding their hand, thinking about them all day long, dreaming about a future together, waiting for that first kiss. I found myself transformed by the melodies, the positive words. I wanted to write a book that embodied that tender purity. But what would be the problem? I was used to the hero and heroine discussing the case. Without a murder, what would they have to say to one another?

That's when I began thinking about love being a powerful force. It’s a transformational power that can make us reach to the greatest pinnacle of our life or it can be our fatal flaw. This single emotion has a depth that is limitless. It can make you change directions. An idea brewed. It took six weeks of steady, focused writing but I completed a 65K novel. I sent it in thinking it would be shot right back with the words flawed manuscript stamped across the top. In fact I almost expected it. After all, it was my first attempt at this genre but it slid together so quickly. Instead of rejected, I was handed a contract asking for it to be a series. If you read me before I hope you come back to read my new books. And if you haven't read one of my books then I hope you start with The Christmas Edition December 2008and follow it with The Valentine Edition, out early in 2009.

The Christmas Edition is on sale now

The Christmas Edition is released. It is the first book in The Turtle Creek Edition series. The second book, The Valentine Edition releases early 2009. They are a contemporary romance.


Order it now by clicking on the book cover to the left. Can also be ordered from any bookstore Print ISBN 13: 9781601543301

Lucy Collins has given up on Christmas since the painful break-up with her fiance. Things only get worse when a large newspaper is about to come to town and threatens the livelihood of their family run business, The Turtle Creek Newspaper. At the staff Christmas party, she makes a wish and what seems like the answer to her prayer walks in the front door to apply for the editor position, which they are hoping will bring new life to the paper. Not only is Joe McNamara a genius when it comes to the written word, but he is also gifted with ideas about keeping the newspaper afloat. However, Joe has a secret of his own that he is keeping from Lucy. If she finds it out, then what looks like a promising relationship will unravel, but it's Christmas time, the season of rebirth and miracles. Will the spirit of celebration be enough to heal two hearts? Or will the reality of deception make this the worst Christmas of all?

New Children's Book *THE MOON SHINES DOWN*

Years and years ago, when my girl was little...we would take night time walks and as we started back home again, we would look up at the stars and the moon and together would say, "I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon! And God bless me!" I picked this book up because of the same premise and because I am about to be a grandmama for the very first time. I couldnt wait to page through this. We follow the moon around the world and God bless all the living creatures as we go. The illustrations are sweet and colorful. The words are lyrical. This will be a favorite of Kingston and mine. I know it.

CHANCE 4 THREE BOOK GIVEAWAYS

On Monday November 17 I am very honored to have my biography and book description on Margaret Daley's blog. Tuesday is the interview. I would so love it if you dropped by and left a comment. I am offering a copy of my latest book, THE CHRISTMAS EDITION. Here is the link. See you there! http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/

On Wednesday November 19th I am quite honored to be on Novel Journey and offering 2 copies of my latest book, The Christmas Edition for leaving a comment! http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/

Review of Chronological Study Bible By Thomas Nelson

I love it but beware, this Bible is for the serious student and lover of the Bible. It is filled with timelines, history, maps, etc. The print is a good size too. I love the concordance and appreciate the fact this is NEW King James Version. The authors are an impressive list of theologians who put this together. The best aspect is the Psalms of David are put along side of the chapters in I Samuel when it happened. Rev. 20 on the Millennium it speaks of the different views. I am thrilled. My husband is a minister and couldn't be more pleased with this. I am too. It will be most helpful to me when I write my books.

A Story Is Like A House

I found this old photograph of the house where I grew up in Chicago about the same time I stumbled upon this amazing decription of what writing feels like inside your soul. It comes from Alice Munro. I wanted to share her words with you. "I've got to make, I've got to build up, a house, a story to fit around the indescribable 'feeling' that is like the soul of a story. I'm very, very excited by what you might call the surface of life, ...in a way I can't analyze or describe. I never intended to be a short-story writer. I started writing them because I didn't have time to write anything else - I had three children. And I got used to writing stories, so I saw my material that way. There's a kind of tension that if I'm getting a story right. I kind of want a moment that's explosive, and I wanted everything gathered into that." If you want to read one of her short stories set in rural Ohio, I suggest a look at the one entitled, BOYS AND GIRLS.

SEE me on SGM Radio

I am on radio! Southern Gospel Music Radio, that is. Please take a look at what is happening on this wonderful Christian station. Press one of the SGM Radio links to the left. You will love what you hear.
Rob Patz is President of the Coastal Media Group, which owns 2 internet radio stations and also distributes a weekly one hour syndicated radio show. Patz is the host of the "Southern Styles Show" and emcees concerts and special events. In 2005, he received the "Paul Heil Diamond Award", an award given for excellence in radio

The Christmas Edition

The Christmas Edition is released. It is the first book in The Turtle Creek Edition series. The second book, The Valentine Edition releases early 2009. They are a contemporary romance.


Order it now by clicking on the book cover to the left. Can also be ordered from any bookstore Print ISBN 13: 9781601543301

Lucy Collins has given up on Christmas since the painful break-up with her fiance. Things only get worse when a large newspaper is about to come to town and threatens the livelihood of their family run business, The Turtle Creek Newspaper. At the staff Christmas party, she makes a wish and what seems like the answer to her prayer walks in the front door to apply for the editor position, which they are hoping will bring new life to the paper. Not only is Joe McNamara a genius when it comes to the written word, but he is also gifted with ideas about keeping the newspaper afloat. However, Joe has a secret of his own that he is keeping from Lucy. If she finds it out, then what looks like a promising relationship will unravel, but it's Christmas time, the season of rebirth and miracles. Will the spirit of celebration be enough to heal two hearts? Or will the reality of deception make this the worst Christmas of all?

Welcome to My Serial Writings...

Hello
I am an ordinary person who is still discovering God's will in my life. Since he doesn't seem to give me the full plan all at once, I find myself on a journey with Him. It's a trip filled with surprises, changes, twists and blessings.

At the age of seven years I confidently told a Chicago taxi driver that I was going to be a missionary when I grew up. Yep, that really happened. And right after I was married at the age of twenty seven, that is exactly what my husband and I did. We gave away everything and hit the mission field. We thought we'd be gone forever, but on actual earth time it turned out to be two years. But we did have a lifetime of experiences as we traveled to over twenty nations. When we got back to the states we had no income, no home, no stuff. It was then I realized that what God sets before us sometimes is only for a season. Like when we became pastors of an Illinois church. We thought that would be forever. But it wasn't. That forever lasted six years.

From then till now, I have laughed a thousand hours, cried a few rivers, gone from being a Language Arts teacher to presently being the special education coordinator at a youth facility for the county. My husband still takes yearly trips overseas to third world nations to preach. Recently he has been to Kenya and India. Me? I like home. When we traveled during the early season of our marriage we were trapped in Iran. The country was in the middle of a revolution and Shah was fleeing for his life. We holed up in the Commodore Hotel in Tehran, trying to catch a plane out. That did it for me. I like things a little calmer but I sure did marry adventure with my beloved, Rick. This story; "Not My Call
A missionary wife in India? Not me!" WILL BE IN THE NOV/DEC ISSUE OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY. I hope you read it and enjoy it.


And the Lord did say that those who stays by the 'stuff' gets the same reward as those who go. So Rick goes...I stay by the stuff which is a weedy yard, our two grown children and two pets. My job too. And I pray for a rich harvest of souls and for Rick's safe return to me.

And then there is my writing. I write articles and short stories and books. I love to write mystery/thrillers but I also have been known to pen romance books as well. I hope you pick them up to read sometime. I hope you like 'em. Stop by my blog often and say hi. I'd love to hear from you!

May your journey be filled with surprises, changes, twists and turns....

Robin