2 things I've learned...

As a wife...It took me a few years, but after I became a mom I learned how important a dad is in the picture. I knew I was important ... I fed, bathed, dressed, and spent my days with my kids. Yet they needed my husband's sense of humor. They needed my husband's rough-housing. They needed my husband to let them try things that weren't always safe. I realized that I didn't have all the answers yet my husband and I made a great team.

As a mother... After I became a mom I also started volunteering and helping other people. I was trying to teach my kids how to share, how to think about others, how to do good ... and I realized that the best way to teach my kids was to model it myself. I started helping teenage moms, and I invited people into our home--feeding them and mentoring them. And as I loved them my kids saw how to love.

What about you - what have you learned as a wife? As a mother?

For more I've leaned as a mother, check out Blue Like Play Dough. And don't forget, for every copy of Blue Like Play Dough purchased, I’ll donate a copy of My Life Unscripted or Generation NeXt Parenting to a pregnancy, teen or family support ministry (while supplies last).

Find out more here

Are You Keeping Secrets from Your Husband?

I was delighted to discover I had been quoted in an article for American Baby Magazine: Are You Keeping Secrets from Your Husband? By Alisa Bowman, June 2009 Issue

She had a crush -- and it was mutual!

When Tricia Goyer's high school boyfriend e-mailed her out of the blue, the Kalispell, Montana, mother of three didn't know what to do at first. "I was suddenly struggling with renewed feelings for him," she says.

Fess up? A one-way crush (as in, your movie-star fantasy or secret giddiness about a dad you see at the playground) needn't come out of the vault. But if there's two-way flirting that turns to real romantic conversation (or action), that's a whole other ballgame. "Just because two people love each other doesn't mean they never fantasize about someone else," says Vee Alexander, a marital and family therapist in Sherman Oaks, California. "But it becomes a problem when you act on the fantasy."

What she did: Tricia told her husband, but it wasn't easy. She cried. He cried too. Then they hugged and prayed together. "When I confessed everything and realized my husband still loved me, I realized that I had never loved him more," Tricia says. "We worked through this together, and our marriage is stronger because of it."

For the rest of the story ... check out Generation NeXt Marriage where I talk about this experience and many others related to marriage.

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn

Love this old-timey title! A sweet read - don't miss it. I'm thrilled for about my fabulous editor's first novel. Go Liz! I've got a copy to give away - leave a comment and I'll choose a winner on Friday!

About the book:

Title: The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn

Author: Liz Johnson

ISBN: 978-0373443482

Release Date: 7/14/09

Genre: Christian Fiction/Romantic Suspense


Summary:

Myles Parsons is just another inmate in Kenzie Thorn’s GED course until he kidnaps her, offering only a feeble explanation–that he’s actually FBI Special Agent Myles Borden. Terrified, Kenzie doesn’t want to believe his story of being undercover to protect her. Moreover, she can’t believe that someone might really want her dead.

But just when Myles thinks he has her out of harm’s way, his plans start to fall apart. He attempts to take Kenzie to a safe house—but the stubborn woman won’t go! So together they must uncover the clues that will reveal a most shocking perpetrator. All the while Myles tries to keep his distance from Kenzie … but finds himself falling in love.


About the Author:

Liz Johnson grew up reading Christian fiction, and always dreamed of being part of the publishing industry. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations, she set out to fulfill her dream. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working as a publicist in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream-becoming an author. Along the way to having her novel published, she completed the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course and wrote articles for several magazines.

Liz lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she enjoys theater, ice skating, volunteering in her church's bookstore and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nephew and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn is her first novel. Keep up with Liz's adventures in writing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com.

Great Summer Reads on the Cheap!

I know that everyone is pinching pennies these days, that's why I wanted to share something cool that Multnomah is doing ... they're providing a Value Fiction Collection. They're offering awesome novels for the low price of $6.99! Great for summer reading.

If you're a reader like me you should check it out. These are some great titles. I love Lisa's Northern Lights Series, and Jane Kirkpatrick is another favorite author of mine. Awesome books!

Here is the full list of the available titles:

The Captain's Bride (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45806-3)

by Lisa Tawn Bergren, book one in Northern Lights series. Experience an epic saga of perseverance and passion, faith and fidelity in a sea adventure from the gentle hills of Bergen, Norway, to rocky coast of Camden, Maine.


Tommorrow’s Treasure (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45808-7)

by Linda Lee Chaikin, book one in East of the Sun series. Family secrets and a passion for a man of a higher social class draw Evy Varley into a dangerous mystery and disturbing questions about her past.


The Silver Sword (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45809-4)

by Angela Elwell Hunt, book one in The Heirs of Cahira O’ Connor series. The auburn-haired O’Conner women push against social limits. Their tale is one of peril, courage, vengeance, love and sacrifice.


The Veil (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45807-0)

by Diane Noble. Hannah McClary dares to question the truth behind the shroud of secrecy that cloaks a nineteenth-century sect known as the Saints. Soon she and Lucas Knight, the young man she loves, find themselves fighting for their lives.


Under the Distant Sky (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-245-3)

by Al and Joanna Lacy, book one in Hannah of Fort Bridger. Join Hannah and Solomon Cooper as they journey by wagon train to a new life on the frontier. Will they overcome tragedy and great opposition as they strive to live their dream?


A Promise for Breanna (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-244-6)

by Al & Joanna Lacy, book one in Angel of Mercy series. Suspense, danger, romance and spiritual truth each play a

part in this heroine’s life as she faces the man who once broke her heart and led her to mistrust men.


Maire (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-256-0)

by Linda Windsor, book one in Fires of Gleannmara. Maire, Warrior Queen of Gleannmara, finds her fierce heart gentled by a reformed mercenary, a Christian, who’s taken hostage during a raid.


A Gathering of Finches (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-247-7)

by Jane Kirkpatrick. A turn-of-the-century Oregon coastal couples’ life is seen through the eyes of the wife, her sister, and her Indian maid who discover reasons why money and possessions can’t buy happiness, forgiveness or relieve consequences of choices.

Make Your Marriage ROCK today with these 12 Things:

1. Send your husband off to work with a smile on his face. Have a good attitude. Pray for him. Talk about his upcoming day. Plant a good kiss on him before he leaves. Wave good-bye from the window.

2. Think of five things your husband would appreciate that day. Do them and see if he notices.

3. Greet your husband at the end of the day with a smile. (Even if you've had a rough day.) Make a point to welcome him. Kiss him good. Have some semblance of order in the first room he enters. Have the table set for dinner—even if you haven’t starting cooking yet.

4. Give your husband wind-down time as he first enters. Don’t start complaining about the kids just yet.

5. After dinner snuggle with your husband. Sit down with him. Ask about his day.

6. Listen to your husband’s work concerns. As the days pass, check in about these concerns.

7. Don’t talk bad about your hubby to friends. Praise him around others.

8. Meet his physical needs. (Yes, you know what this means!)

9. Encourage him. Tell him how sexy he is. He still thinks of himself as that high school jock. A few words of praise go a long way.

10. Call your husband on the phone during day. Tell him you’re thinking about him. (Email works too!)

11. Support his dreams. Ask about them. Encourage them.

12. Don’t put yourself down in front of him. Treat yourself like the princess he married. He doesn’t want to notice your flaws … so don’t point them out!

What do YOU do that makes YOUR marriage rock? I'm always looking for new ideas!

How people in our lives affect our writing ...

My grandfather was the neighbor everyone loved. When he was 82 he'd go around and mow the yards of all the "old people" in his mobile home park. If he got strawberries from his 10 sq ft. garden he'd share them with the neighbors. I've learned kindness from him ... or at least that's the goal I'm aiming for. And as I write, I've been told my care for people comes through.

My father-in-law is a man who listens to God's voice. If He feels God stirring his heart he jumps in the car and just GOES. Many, many times I've been having a hard, challenging day and he just shows up! I hear the knock, or the phone rings, and I know it's Him. Then He hugs on me and tells me how special I am. He prays with me, and He doesn't care about anything else. His plans don't matter in comparison to God's plans.

I'm trying to be like that. I'm trying to listen and just do what I feel God's asking. I'm also learning to be brave--to pray with a friend RIGHT THERE. To make the call. To write the words.

Everyday I have an agenda of what I'd like to write about. Sometimes God changes that. I feel my heart stirred and I work according to His desire. It's amazing what comes out. It's amazing how many book ideas come from that heeding.

Just as good influences impacts my words, the challenging stuff in life does too. In my novels I've had numerous characters who have had fathers who have abandoned them. In other novels, my main character is trying to "feel worthy" in his/her father's eyes. My sister (who I met in 2006) wept as she read Arms of Deliverance. Yes, the book is a about a B-17 bomber pilot, a Jew trying to hide as an Aryan, and a female war correspondent, but what the book is really about is a young woman who finally meets her biological dad and will do anything to get his attention--even join a B-17 bombing raid over Berlin to get the story that will finally impress him.

Many people just think my novels are heart-felt stories, but those who really know me see my heart.

Of course, this emotional writing impacts non-fiction, too. My newest book Blue Like Play Dough is a memoir that highlights these emotional moments and uses them to discuss themes in parenting. I tell about the time my new stepdad dropped me off at a birthday party and only after he drove off did I realize he left me at the wrong place. The story shares how, at five-years-old, I walked two miles to my aunt's house. And then I go on to share that as a mom I too often try to take care of myself. By myself. I have a hard time trusting God. I'm afraid of being left behind.

Blue Like Play Dough doesn't come out until July 21, but I've handed out copies to friends from church. I've had more women come up to me (or calling) in tears than with any other book. My hurt places touch their hearts. They share their stories. They say they often feel the same.

The danger, of course, is that most of these memories involve real people who are still involved in my life.

Because I write about real people, I discuss these things with them before they go in print. Either that or I don't send them a copy of the book when it's done! (Smile.) And the truth is that some of these people would never buy my book. If I didn't send it to them they'd never get a copy. Maybe that's just another way of protecting myself ... or maybe protecting them from the truth of my heart.

Truth comes out in the messages of my books because it tumbles around for a while in my heart first.

This is just as important...

I’m a gold-star loving girl. Wouldn’t it be great if we went through life filling a gold-star chart and feeling appreciated for every small task we were to achieve?

“Great dinner, Mom.” Gold Star.
“Thanks for the ride.” Gold Star.
“That’s the best book I’ve ever read.” Gold Star.

The stars would appear and line up in a neat row, hanging above our heads as we’d move through the day. They’d brighten our path—as stars do. They’d confirm we were doing what we needed to be doing and living the type of life that would make God (and our mothers) proud.

Of course in life we often don’t receive gold stars. We help/bless/nourish the lives of other people, and sometimes—if we want to state the truth—all we feel is tired.

I remember feeling this way not too long ago. I was nearing a book deadline (which has often been the case lately) and my Grandma needed a ride to the store. Usually I enjoy taking her. We go to lunch and make a day of it. This day that was not the case.

The hardest thing was that my grandma took FOREVER to shop. The tension of my deadline restricted my chest as I hurried through the store, checked out, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, after thirty minutes I saw my Grandma getting into the checkout line. And at seeing her pushing her cart—her wide smile greeting the checker—my heart melted. The tension was gone. The worries of the deadline shrunk like a wool sweater in a hot dryer.

This is just as important as any book you’re writing …

The words filled my mind and then they were gone, and at that moment I understood. It’s not about the tasks … it’s about God, walking with His love, in His love, throughout the day. Seeing each moment as part of His design to connect with Him.

I was reminded of this truth again this morning as I read this quote from Sister Wendy, “All life is holy. If we are truly oriented toward God, then our slightest activities—shaving, reading the newspaper, putting out the cat—are a form of prayer.”

Sister Wendy goes on to say: “… How can we doubt that at every moment Jesus was intimately united with His Father? Providing wine for the wedding guests at Cana was as sacramental for Him as feeding the apostles with His body and blood at the Last Supper.”

Everyday, ordinary, time consuming, patience-stretching stuff is what life is about. Loving God, and turning to Him prayer, don’t only happen in the solitude moments. They happen wherever we, whatever the challenge, as we turn our minds and our hearts to Him.

Even at the end at a checkout line. Even there.

I just have to say that I love my library card!

I'm a wife, mother of three, and homeschool teacher. In addition to that I'm the author of twenty books ... but it didn't start out that way.

I first fell in love with the library when I was in 6th grade. My parents moved close to the library (about two miles away), and I'd ride my bike there every day during summer. The librarians became my mentors and books became my friends. I signed up for the reading program and made it my goal to read as many books as possible! I still have a newspaper clipping from when I was eleven and had a pile of books in front of me ... I was the Reader of the Week and very proud!

One time I learned that reading could be very dangerous. I remember riding home one summer day in 1982 with two large shopping bags of books on the handle bars of my bike. The problem was that to get home I had to go down a very large hill ... and it turned out that the books on the front were heavier than me, and I flipped over the handlebars. Ouch! Thankfully, I was okay. Also, that didn't even slow my love for reading.

When I had kids of my own I went to the library once a week and we checked out books. PILES of books. Sometimes I'd have to load the kids into the car and then I'd have to go back for the books. There were times I had to make more than one trip. Since we homeschooled, I made reading library books the core of our curriculum, and when my kids were old enough for the summer reading program you can bet I signed them up!

More than that, when I got the idea that I wanted to be an author I turned to the library for help. I checked out books on writing and research books. I still do. I buy many books, but I check out even more. The cool thing is the librarians know me and they're always asking what book I'm working on. They're excited when I have a new book in print.

The most amazing part of my love of the library is that I didn't grow up in a reading family--the library opened up the world of books to me. I don't even remember owning any books as a child or being read to. If it wasn't for the library I'm not sure where I would be today ... would I be an author and homeschooling mom? I doubt it.

So to all you librarians out there ... thank you for all you do. You Rock!

Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

"I haven't started packing for the Czech Republic yet, but I do have one thing in the pile. The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper. The name intrigues me, and I love the cover! How could anyone not want to read this book?"

About the book:
This Wild West adventure just might be the life she was meant to live.

The future is clearly mapped out for New York socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.

As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.

“The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper is a fast-paced story full of fun, action, drama, and love.”
–Mary Connealy, author of Calico Canyon, Petticoat Ranch, and Gingham Mountain

“If you loved Cathy Marie Hake, give yourself a treat with The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper.”
–Lauraine Snelling, author of the Red River Series and One Perfect Day

About Kathleen:
KATHLEEN MILLER Y’BARBO is a tenth-generation Texan and a mother of three grown sons and a teenage daughter. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and an award-winning novelist of Christian fiction whose first published work jumped onto the Christian Booksellers Association bestseller list in its first month of release. Kathleen is a former treasurer for the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is a member of the Author’s Guild, Inspirational Writers Alive, Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, and the Fellowship of Christian Authors. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker, and her kids think she’s a pretty cool mom, too…most of the time, anyway.

How has your world changed lately?

This is a few things I've noticed.

Overall, I've all seen a lot of struggles with parenting and marriages. In the last two days John and I have received phone calls from two couples wanting us to mentor them. One couple was younger--one is quite a bit older. I know that economy issues are a huge part of that. We have friends losing their jobs. Our best friends are losing their house. Even John and I had the conversation about what we'd do if he lost his job. For a new era of hope ... there isn't much of it around here in rural Montana.

I think overall a lot of moms are struggling too. I've handed my author copies of Blue Like Play Dough out to a few friends and my pastors' wives. I've had many people come up to me (or call) with tears in their eyes. They think they're the only one struggling. They feel like they're alone. I think it's a time when women need to bond together. We need to be here for each other. We need to help those who are struggling even more than we are.

When we think that we can't give and serve, that's exactly what we need to do. We need to mentor young women, spend time with our friends, and meet with other couples. Yet in this recession it seems we're going fast and faster just to survive. We have to choose to give when all we want to do is collapse.

Right now our family is fundraising to go to the Czech Republic. CHALLENGING but good, too. It's bringing us together, and it's helping us to trust.

At the pregnancy center where I volunteer, we are seeing a TON of women coming into our resource center needing diapers, baby items, etc. What we used to go through in a year, we're using up in a couple of months. Also, giving is down. When the need is greater, there is less for people to give.

Of course, like I say in Blue Like Play Dough, it's the hard stuff in life that molds us into the people God desires us to be. When things are scary, we learn to hope. When the world is filled with more questions than answers, we learn to trust. When everyone around us seems to be on overdrive, we learn patience. When we are looking for something to fill the gaping hole that the pleasures and entertainment of the world used to fill, we learn self-control.

Yes, it's true, the world is changing. And for many this is a scary thing. But the one thing I do know, God never changes. He's just as good today as he was yesterday. He can be trusted. He wants you to turn to Him ... and it's in His hand the transformation will begin.

Who is your audience?

Do you know? I have to admit I'm still trying to figure this out, after all, people's tastes are as varied as the people themselves. There are those who read cozy mysteries, others suspense, others romance (of varying degrees). And while there are many CBA (Christian Book Association) readers who love to read the latest new and different thing, there is a large audience of people who enjoy sweet stories, simply told. These books are engaging and entertaining. And this segment of readers appreciate these books. And (I have to say) they're a very good audience to write for.

Sometimes when I write I think of a young mom who needs to be swept away with a good story. Or sometimes that business executive who grabs a book to read as he or she heads out the door for yet another business trip.

Sometimes, I picture a sweet lady from Iowa who meets for Senior luncheons, goes to Bingo, and curls up at night with a good book because there's nothing today on TV that she finds uplifting or interesting. This woman loves Amish, family dramas, and prairie romances the best. She's tried some of those other books but they're just too wordy or too intense. She just wants a simple read that she can pass on to her friend Mable when she's done. I've written some WWII historical that this woman wouldn't like (too intense), but my Guidepost books are right up this lady's alley. I enjoy writing books for this woman. Just as I like writing for that harried mom and business exec too.

I have to say, though. Just because books are sweet and simple doesn't mean they're easier to write. Writing about people and relationships takes work. With these types of books originality comes through depth of emotion. Or through fun, interesting, lovable and quirky characters.

Am I okay writing for readers who have different tastes? Yes. Mostly because I like to read different types of books. What I write is also a representation of the many facets of what makes up me ... readers get a glimpse of that.

A few of my WWII books are set inside concentration camps. I have one friend who couldn't read them because they were too intense. A lover of history, I write these stories through the eyes of unique characters--a 13-year-old Jewish violinist or a pregnant Jew hiding as an Aryan. The point-of-view made these books different than other WWII novels out there. It's yet another way of being original. It's yet another way of showing a fragment of me and my interests.

Whatever I write, I strive to write manuscripts that creative and original for the audience I'm writing for. And I think readers appreciate that. They can tell I'm thinking of them ... because I am.